Plans 2 Prosper U Blog

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off you old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.  (Ephesians 4: 22-24, NIV)

When Jesus would heal a person, He generally would follow it up by saying something to the extent of “go and sin no more.”  Jesus would make people walk, the blind to see, and cure people of hideous and debilitating diseases.  All He wanted in return was for the person to realize that He had given them the chance to make a change in their lives and He wanted them to “sin no more.”

In this passage from Ephesians, Paul is telling us a similar concept.   Once we know Jesus, we are called to “put off your old self” and to “put on your new self.”  We are to sin no more.  Paul actually says here that we were created to be like God- in richeousness and holiness.

What parts of your old self are you hanging onto?  What is keeping you from being a new creation in Him?

Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Him who is the Head, that is, Christ.  From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

(Ephesians 4:15-16, NIV)

In this verse we have the imagery of the Church as a unified Body with Jesus Christ as its Head..  The Body of Christ is made up of many different parts that are all connected.  As each part grows, so grows the Body- and thus the church continues to grow.   We all have our role to fill and we are called to serve in love.    Each of us fulfills a functional and needed role to further the growth of this Body. 

What part of the Body are you?  What is your purpose?  What have you been called to do or be in order to connect and complete the Body so that the church continues to grow?

It was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.  (Ephesians 4:11-12, NIV)

The month of October has quietly been known among Christian communities as Minister Appreciation Month.  It is only fitting that today, the last Sunday of October, that we come across this verse in Ephesians that speaks to this very cause.  We must remember that it was God himself who called our church leaders to be in the positions that they are.  We should thank them for heeding the call and for fulfilling their purposes in Christ Jesus. 

Be sure to thank your pastor today!

We are working to straighten out the bugs…please visit us soon.

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient bearing with one another in love.

(Ephesians 4:2, NIV)

This is very counter-cultural to our society today.  We are taught to stick up for ourselves and to sell ourselves.  Gentleness is often viewed as a sign of weakness.  And they don’t say that Patience is a virtue for nothing.  Just driving your car in South Florida is enough to try your patience- and that’s before you even make it out of the driveway.

My guess is that humbleness, gentleness, and patience have always been tough traits to master.  Otherwise, why would the Holy Spirit have Paul write them in this letter?   For me, without a doubt, patience is the toughest.  One thing that I did recently which has helped with my patience while behind the wheel is that I have a large sticker on the back of my car that says “Thank God.”  I remember that it’s there and it causes me to behave hospitably on the road.  You see, I don’t want to cut someone off or give an inappropriate gesture to another driver and then have them see that I’m a Christian.  So, the sticker helps keeps my behavior in check.

Which one of these is the toughest for you?  What can you do to help yourself become better at modeling it?

……I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.

(Ephesians 4:1 (partial), NIV)

Jesus loved us so much that He willingly gave His life for us.  Through this gift we have free access to the Father and His Spirit lives inside of us.  Boy, we have a lot to live up to.  Of course, it isn’t always easy but we must try.  We must live a life worthy of our calling.  We are joint heirs in the Kingdom of God and we must act accordingly. 

What do people who don’t know you think about when they meet you?  Better yet- what do those people who DO know you think about you?  Do they know that you are a Chrisitan by your words or your deeds?  What can you do differently so that when a person observes your life they will know without a doubt that you are truly a follower of Christ?

In Him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.  (Ephesians 3: 12, NIV)

What a relief!  No ceremony is necessary.  We don’t need a procedure. There is no formula.  We simply need to accept Jesus’ sacrifice for us and have faith in Him and we can freely go to the Father.  We have total access to God.  How many of us take full advantage of this gift? 

I’ve known people in my life that only came to God when they were dealing with something that was REALLY BIG.  They don’t want to bother God with the small stuff.  What they fail to realize is that God’s love is limitless.  God’s understanding is limitless.  God can hear an infinite number of prayers.  It is no bother to God to hear from us.  Actually its just the opposite.  God wants to hear from us.  He even wants to hear the small stuff.  And this verse in Ephesians tells us that thanks to our faith in Jesus we can come freely and confidently to God- NO MATTER WHAT. 

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.  (Ephesians 2:10, NIV)

Funny story actually… This is one of the first Bible Verses that I ever learned.  Back in the late 70s and early 80s there was this Christian singer named Keith Green who sang this verse in one of his songs.  It’s been engrained in my mind ever since…..

I just love the imagery of this verse.  See if you agree.  This verse says that we didn’t just happen by chance.  We weren’t mass produced.  We are the workmanship of God, Himself.  Workmanship implies time, thought, and care.  But not only were we carefully thought out we were created for a purpose, one of which is to do good works in Christ.  And here Paul tells us that those works were prepared for us in advance and the implication here is before we were even born. 

So think about it….God has these plans for His creation and there are jobs that have to get done.  Now, of course, God could just accomplish everything on His own but He chooses a different route.  He chooses to share His plan with us by allowing us to carry out His work.  He then crafts and creates (workmanship) each of us perfectly suited for the good works that He has prepared in advance for us to do. 

If ever you wonder if you have a purpose, be sure to reread this verse for your answer. 

What are some of your strengths, attributes, or gifts?  Do you think that you got them just by chance?  What good work were you perfectly created to carry out?

Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, (Ephesians 3:20, NIV)

I know that the thought above was not finished or complete.  I stopped with this verse on purpose.  How often do we think about this? 

God can do immeasurably more than all that we ask or can even imagine. 

God can do immeasurably more than all that we ask or can even imagine.

God can do immeasurably more than all that we ask or can even imagine.

I want to make sure that it sinks in.  You see, we as humans are limited and have finite capabilities.  It therefore follows that we think with limited scope.  And since we are limited we often unknowingly put that attribute onto God.  Here Paul tells us that God can do more than anything you could ask Him to do.  But not only that.  God can also do more than you can even imagine.  So why is it then that we often use reverse logic when dealing with God? 

Often times we know what we want but we ask for less- almost like we’re bargaining with God.  It’s as if we asked for what we really need we won’t get it so we’re willing to settle.  You see, by doing this we’re putting human attributes to God.  We know that if we ask for a favor, a loan, or a gift of a person that the person will have to make some kind of sacrifice to do or give us what we asked for.  Knowing this, we don’t like to impose so we generally ask for just enough and to be the smallest inconvenience to the person.

What we fail to realize is that God doesn’t work that way.  When God gives us something, grants a request, or answers a prayer it doesn’t lessen His abilities or resources even one bit.  It is the same effort for God answer one of your prayers as it is for Him to answer 1000 of your prayers.  God is limitless.  We need to start acting this way and come to God honestly and faithfully with our needs.  Here’s the other great thing.  God already knows what you need.  He just wants to hear it from you.  And if it fits with His perfect plan, you will get it.  So go ahead and ask.

Today is Sunday and this blog will never take the place of going to church.  So ask yourself, “What did I learn today in church?”

If you are looking for something in addition to today’s lesson, go ahead and read an earlier entry on this Blog.

As we continue our Journey through the book of Ephesians, now would be a good time to read chapters 3 and 4.

But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions–it is by grace you have been saved.   ( Ephesians 2: 4-5, NIV)

That just about sums it up.  I don’t know how to add to or improve upon those 2 verses.  God loves us so much and is so merciful that despite our sins ,He has made us alive in Christ.  If there is ever anything that you think God can’t forgive you need to remind yourself of these two verses.

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better.  I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you….(Ephesians 1: 18-19 partial, NIV)

This is a great prayer to pray for others.  We should all pray that God would send His Spirit down on those people in our lives that need to know Him better.  Think of a person in your life right now that you want to say this prayer for. Pray that the eyes of his or her heart will be opened so that they may know the hope of Jesus Christ and realize that plans that God has for them.   Pray this prayer for yourself- that the spirit of wisdom and revelation would be upon you and that the eyes of your heart would too be enlightened so that you will fully know and understand the plans that God has for you. 

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.  Having believed you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit.  (Ephesians 1:13, NIV)

How cool is that.  All we have to do is to hear the word of God and believe and we will be marked with the Holy Spirit.  We are included in Christ.  What more can I say.  Reread that verse and find hope and joy in it.

In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will.

(Ephesians 1:11, NIV)

Do you ever wonder if you have a purpose or if God has a plan for you?  This one verse from the book of Ephesians should answer your doubts.  In it we find words like: “chosen,” “plan,” “purpose,” and “his will.”  This whole verse is focused on God choosing each of us for a purpose to fulfill His plan and ultimately His will.  I especially like that last part that says that “who works our everything in conformity with the purpose of His will.” 

You are not alone.  God is with you and has a plan for you.  That plan is being worked out  in “conformity with the purpose of His will.” 

For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His site.  In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will.  (Ephesians 1:4,5, NIV)

Do you ever wonder if God has a plan for your life?  Do you ever feel that you don’t have a purpose?  Jeremiah 29:11 says “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord…So we know that God does indeed have a plan for each of us.  But what is even cooler than that is what Paul tells us here in Ephesians.  Its not that we hit the planet one day and God suddenly has a plan for us.  Paul is telling us here that God’s plan for each of us predates even the creation of the world.  Many of us can’t fathom that.  Many of us don’t want to believe it.  But from the beginning of time God knew His plan and we were included in it.  God chose us to love and we are called to be adopted by Him through Jesus Christ.  The last part of verse 5 says that this is not only according to God’s will but it also brings Him pleasure. 

Another point that I think is really neat is that verse 4 says that we are called to be holy and blameless in His site from before creation.  We all know what happened though, Man sinned almost right away and already violated this statement.  But verse 5 goes on to say that we were predestined to be adopted as sons of Jesus Christ.  We were predestined to be redeemed through Jesus Christ.  A lot of debate and argument stems from this word of predestination.  I really don’t want to get involved with it here.  What I think we can all agree on is that God had a plan from the beginning of time (predestined) that He would give us a way to be holy and blameless in His site (Jesus) even though He knew we will sin.

The next time that you feel like God is very far away, read these verses in Ephesians and know that God knew you before the world was created and that it brings Him pleasure to allow you into His family.

Now that we have finished our walk through Philippians we will begin our journey through the book of Ephesians.  For homework, go ahead and read chapters 1 and 2 of Ephesians. 

Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again: Rejoice!  (Philippians 4: 4, NIV)

I figured that I’d end our brief Journey through Philippians with this quick and catchy, yet profound, verse that Paul wrote.  When does Paul say to rejoice?  Only in good times?  How about in bad?  He says ALWAYS!  And as we discussed over the last week or so, Paul definetly knew his share of both good and bad times.  I guess thats one of the things that I enjoy about Paul’s letters the most- the fact that he preached from his own experience.  In other words, Paul didn’t say that we should do anything that he himself hadn’t already done.  We need to remember that when we think that we are not strong enough to follow his advice.

 Well, I hope that you enjoyed this walk through Philippians.  Beginning on Monday we will take a journey into Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. 

May God Bless you this weekend and be sure to go to church tomorrow.  Hey, maybe you can take a friend who hasn’t been in awhile.

“And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4: 19, NIV)

What more could we ever ask for?  Here Paul is assuring us that God will take care of ALL of our needs.  Notice he doesn’t say “wants,” but he does promise our needs.  Of course, God knows our needs before we even do.  He has perfectly crafted each one of us to be able to handle and deal with anything we will come across in life.  Often, it does seem that we will have trouble making ends meet.  We wonder where the means will come from to take care of a certain problem.   It is during these times that we need to stop and remember the words of Jesus when he was discussing the topic of worry: 

 “So do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?”  For the pagans run after these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first His kindgom and His Righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”  (Matthew 6:31-33, NIV)

The key to all of this is to seek first “His Kingdom and His Righteousness” and as Paul says and “God will meet all of your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”

What are you worrying about now?  Give is up to God at this moment and fully believe that God will in some way provide for your needs.

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.  I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do everything through Him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4: 12-13, NIV) 

Are you able to find good in all situations?  Are you able to be content no matter what the circumstances?  I know that I sure struggle with this.  Not many of us (if any at all) have ever faced the life that Paul lived on a daily basis.  Yet, Paul was able to find peace and be content whether he was in prison or traveling a long road or even while being stoned.  And the reason that he was able to find that peace was because he found his strength in Christ Jesus. 

Often we are called to go through rough circumstances and troubling times.  It is how we handle ourselves during these obstacles that will determine how well we come out of them.  The Jews during the time of the Prophet Jeremiah were going through one of those rough times.  Like Paul, they too knew what it was to “have plenty.”  But the tide had turned and under the Babylonian rule they were living in a time where they were “in need.”  It was at this time that they were given the prophecy that says: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV)

They were given so much hope from this promise.  We gain so much hope from it also.  Yet, we often overlook the verses that precede this verse.  In verses 5 and 6 the captive Jews are called to “Build Houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce.  Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for you sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters.  Increase in number there; do not decrease.”

In other words the Jews were to make the best of their situation. They were to be content and find the peace of God in it.  In God’s time they would reap the rewards of His promise found in Jeremiah 29:11.  But for the time being they were to go on with their lives and to make the best of things.

We too need to understand that there will be ups and downs as well as good times and bad times.  There are many seasons of change in our lives.  In the end it is God’s plan to give us Hope and Peace and Prosperity.  But in the meantime we need to be like Paul and “learn the secret in being content in every situation.”

Remember You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things……………..And the God of peace will be with you.  (Philippians 4: 8-9 (paritial), NIV)

Day in and day out, we are bombarded with negative imagery.  Just open a newspaper, turn on the TV, or log on to your computer and you’ll see what I mean.  All of this negativity definetly affects how we view the world and our purpose in it.  It is so easy to become discouraged, to wonder if we are good enough, and to question if we can live out our call and purpose from Jesus. 

Well, of course we are good enough and we definetly can achieve God’s plans for our lives.  God created us perfectly suited for what He is calling us to do.  True, alone we may not succeed, but with Him we surely will.  Here Paul is telling us not to have negative (and especially not sinful) thoughts.  We are to think on pure and good things.  Today’s “Life Coaches” or “Motivational Speakers” would call this having a positive attitude.  They would tell us to develop a positive self-esteem.  Isn’t it funny that they can’t improve upon what God said and Paul wrote 2000 years ago. 

Do you currently think that you are not good enough and that you can’t succeed?  If so, I ask you to re-read these verses.  Then say a prayer for the the “God of Peace” to be with you.  Make a decision today to think and dwell on positive things.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God which transends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” 

(Philippians 4:6,7 NIV)

I would venture to say that the vast majority of us have used the phrases ”I don’t have enough time,” or “I’m too busy” many times in the last month.   There is always something to do and we are frequently racing against the clock.  And with our deadlines follows stress.  It becomes so easy to get caught up in everything that we must do and to let those things rule and overtake our lives.  Here Paul is telling us not to be anxious about these things.  We are to pray to God with our petitions and thanksgiving.  Through those requests we will gain the peace of Christ. 

 It is so elementary, yet we often don’t take that moment and offer our worries up to God.  When we’re in the middle of the storm, we may not even remember that God is right there with us.   We get so caught up in things that we don’t even realize it and we feel like the burden is only on us.

 The next time that you are feeling anxious or helpless about anything stop for a moment.  Recognize that God is right there with you.  Then pray to God with thanksgiving and petitions and ask for His peace.  You will get it.

I ask you, what are you anxious about right now?  Give it up to God- right now.

….Their mind is on earthly things.  But our citizenship is in heaven.  And we eagerly await a Savior of there, the Lord Jesus Christ.  (Philippians 3: (partial) 19-20, NIV)

It is very difficult not to think and dwell on earthly things.  The earth and our existence on it is our reality.  It is what we know.  So when problems arise or when we set out to make goals, it just follows that we do so with our point of reference which is this earth.  Paul reminds us here that yes we do dwell on this earth but that our “citizenship is in heaven.” We have so much to look forward to.  We have been given a great gift- our salvation and eternal life through Jesus Christ.  Do we make our daily decisions in light of that fact?  Or do we simply think of the temporal things of this earth? 

Remember, “Our Citizenship is in Heaven”

Over the course of the last week and a half we have been covering verses from the book of Philippians.  You may be wondering how or why I picked Philippians as our starting point.  I must admit that it was somewhat arbitrary, yet there was a reason for it.  Philippians is a great letter that discusses Paul’s journey to achieve the plans that God has for him.  It is my contention that if even Paul had “not yet achieved” or “grasped” what God had for him that obviously we shouldn’t feel bad when we don’t either.  The example that Paul sets is the very reaction that we need to foster in light of our efforts to follow God’s will.  Paul says that he “presses on”  and that he “strains forward” to achieve what God has for him.  He also acknowledges that there will be troubles while on this journey but that we are to give them up to God.  We are to do all of this without complaining or arguing. 

You may also be wondering how all of this applies to the prophecy and Scripture that this Blog is named after.  I’m talking about Jeremiah 29, of course, which speaks of the the wonderful plans that God has for us.  Our walk through Philippians is helping us to understand the promise in Jeremiah 29.  Through Paul’s encouragement to the Philippians as well as the example of his own Journey to acheive God’s plan for his life we can begin to understand what we must do to fully realize what God wants from us as well as how to live out the wonderful plans that God promises to us.

I encourage you to read this short, yet powerful, letter of Paul to the Philippians.  It is my prayer that it will come alive as much for you as it did for me.

….Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.  (Philippians 3:13-14, NIV)

Through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross we have been granted eternal life.  This amazing free gift demands of us action.  We are called to be more.  We all have a purpose and there is an individual plan for each of us.  The goal and the prize are the same for all of us.  We are called to be in eternal union with God our Father.  We need to press on toward the goal of acheiving our destiny, of fulfilling His plan, and of discovering our purposes.   In the end we will win the prize for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus. 

How Awesome is that!!

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.”  (Philippians 3:12, NIV)

This is one of my favorite verses that Paul has written.  Here Paul is telling us that even he has not fully obtained or even grasped the plans that Jesus has for him.  He then goes on to say that he will “press on to take hold of” the plans and purpose for which Jesus saved him.  We all need to do this.  We need to press on and strive to acheive our purpose in life.  Of course, all of our purposes are to be in fellowship with God, to accept Jesus as our Savior, and to help others to do the same.  How we live out that purpose is different for each of us.  Jesus has unique plans for all of us and we need to strive to acheive them even if we don’t understand or fully grasp what we are supposed to do.

 “Do everything without grumbling or questioning”

                                                                                             (Philippians 2:14, NAB)

I just love that word grumbling, don’t you?  This verse from Paul’s letter to the Philippians tells us that we are not to complain about what we have to do.  If there is a job, an act, a charity, or a responsiblity that we have, we are to work on it without “grumbling or questioning.”  You see, if we complain about what we have to do, it casts a dark shadow on what we are doing.  Anything that we accomplish and anything good that comes of our work will have been ruined by our attitude. 

 But what about when things aren’t right?  What about when they should be different?  Then what do we do?  Well thats just it.  If you can change your circumstances we certainly should work toward the constructive change.  But if we can not make the change or it is not in our power to make the change, complaining about it doesn’t make things any better.  At that point we need to give our hardships up to God and work as if we are working for Him always keeping in focus that God does have plans for us and that they will one day be fulfilled.

 See the post on 9/29 for more on this.

“for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose.” (Philippians 2:13, NIV)

How cool is that?  God not only has a purpose for us, but He works in us to give us strength to live out that purpose.  Here Paul is telling us that even our will (desire) to want to live out “His good purpose” comes from God.  Of course we need to act on those seeds that the Holy Spirit plants within us.  So I ask you, do you ”will” (want) to live out God’s purpose for your life?  If the answer is yes, and I suspect that it is, what do you need to “act” (do) on this day to make it happen?  Come up with one thing that you will do today that will enable you to follow God’s will and acheive His purpose your life.

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.  (Philippians 2:3-4, NIV)

It is true that Jeremiah 29 speaks of God’s great plans for our lives.  And it is also true that God does indeed bless us here on this earth.  But the question that we need to consider is how are we using the gifts, resources, and talents that God chooses to give us?  In the verses above, Paul is telling us what we are supposed to do.  We are to consider others first, even before ourselves.  This ,in fact, why we have what we have.  We are to share our abilities, talents, resourse, blessings, and so much more with others.

This idea is actually counterintuitive and very against what we are taught in society.  Sure, we say we should help others but then what do we actually do.  When I worked for Procter and Gamble the drive to get ahead definetly overshadowed the need to help those around me in the company.  More often than not it was my goal (and that of my co-workers) to show that I was better than those around me and not the other way around.  But here Paul explicitly tells us not to do things out of selfish ambition but to consider others better than ourselves.  Easier said than done, I know.  But it is our calling and one of our purposes while here on earth.

In what aspect of your life do you too struggle with this?  Who are you trying to impress at the expense of others?  Is it your family?  Is it your friends?  A coworker maybe?  And how are you going to try to correct that and live out Paul’s words in Philippians 2:3,4?

What a great weekend I just had.  My cousin, and good friend, just got back from Iraq and I was fortunate enough to spend the weekend with him at my uncle’s place in Vero Beach, Florida.  As we body surfed the waves as we had done hundreds of times before, I realized how much I had missed him and how fortunate we are to have people in this country willing to make the sacrifices that they do.  Do you know anyone in the Military?  If so I would invite you to stop and say a prayer for him, her, or them right now.  If not, then please say a prayer of whatever comes to your heart regarding our Armed Forces.

My God be with all of our Men and Women in all branches of the U.S. military.