Plans 2 Prosper U Blog

    Well, this Thanksgiving Holiday is over and Black Friday is also behind us.  As we move into this Advent and the preparation for Christmas let your thankful heart and attitude remain with you for the remainder of the year.  Draw upon the moments of this last weekend to get you through the hustle and bustle of this season. 

     For the next 4 weeks we will examine interesting points about the Christmas story and how it relates to us today.  We will also call to mind all of the prophecies of the Old Testament that foretold of the events leading up to Christmas.  So stay tuned and remember to tell your friends.

The Thanksgiving edition of the Plans 2 Prosper You Monthly Newsletter has just been emailed out.  If you aren’t a subscriber or did not receive it be sure to go to our website at

www.plans2prosperU.com  and sign up to receive this free publication.

May God bless during this holiday season! 

Happy Thanksgiving!!

“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:57 ,NIV)

In the midst of all of the Turkey and stuffing and family gatherings, don’t forget to give thanks to our God for all that He has done for us.  Have a great long weekend and Happy Thanksgiving!!

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.  (Psalm 107:1, NIV)

This is probably one of the most popular of the verses containing the word “thanks” in it.  It is simple, yet so powerful.  God is indeed good.  Who can deny that?  But what this verse is telling us is to remember to Thank God for His goodness and His love.  We often thank God for things that we have and for people in our lives but how many times do we thank God because He is good to us and because He loves us?  Of course there are plenty of you out there that do thank God for these things.  But others of us may not.  During this week of Thanksgiving don’t only remember to thank God for all that you have and the people in your lives. Be sure to remember to thank God for being a good and loving God.

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.  My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.

(Psalm 28:7, NIV)

Many of today’s Christians are under the impression that worship music is a relatively new and modern way to pray.  This is just not so.  King David, the original Song and Worship leader, was sing praises to God thousands and thousands of years before Michael W. Smith or Chris Tomlin every sat down to a piano.  Here David writes one of his purposes for song- To Give Thanks. 

Song is such a great way to pray and to thank God.  The best part about it is that we don’t have to wait for Sunday or some special occasion to sing our praises to God.  Each of us can thank God in song just by praying the music that we listen to on the way to and from work.  Think about it.  Turn the frustration of your morning and evening commutes into a time of praise and thanksgiving to God by praying in song.  Just be sure to keep your eyes on the road….

As we enter this last week before Thanksgiving Day, we will take a look at what the authors of the Bible had to say on the subject.  Of course we should be thanking God on a daily basis for our blessings.  But in a special way, I encourage you to make a deliberate effort to thank God for your blessings each of these days leading up to Thanksgiving Day.

This is the weekend of my second Anniversary!!  Susan and I are off to Epcot Center and Disney’s Animal Kingdom.  See you all next week.

Well, we’ve just finished our brief study and walk through The Book of Ephesians.  Remember all of the BLOG posts are available in the catagories on the right hand side of this screen.  I encourage you to revisit them periodically.

Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of hte gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains.  Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.  (Ephesians 6:19-20, NIV)

I find these 2 verses so encouraging.  Often times I am upset with myself for not declaring the word of God boldly enough.  Then I read these verses and realize that even Paul struggled with this.  He wouldn’t be asking people to pray for him to be able to fearlessly declare the Word of God if he didn’t need the help.  Its kind of hard to believe isn’t it?  Most of the New Testament was written by Paul, yet he is asking for prayers and support to be able to spread the Word. 

Paul knew that it was his purpose to spread the Good News.  It was God’s plan for him to do this.  In order for us to fully realize the plans that God has for us the plans referred to when we read “For I know the plans I have for you”  we must spread the word of God. 

I also become fully aware from these verses that I do need the prayers. We all do.  It is not just up to ourselves to get this done.  We need to support each other in identifying ourselves as Christians and in spreading the Good News. 

Take a moment and pray for your family and friends that they not only become closer in their relationship with Jesus but that they become fearless in spreading the Word of God.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. 

(Ephesians 6: 18, NIV) 

There is no limit to when or how or what we should pray for.  Here Paul tells us to pray 1) on all occasions.  2) with all kinds of prayers  and 3) all kinds of requests.  Our heavenly father wants to hear from us about all things- good and bad, how your day was, what you are looking forward to, and what you are afraid of.    He wants us to ask him for things so that He can provide and be the source of our happiness.

Some of my most intimate prayers have been spent while kayaking down a Class 4 River or while hiking in the mountains.   As I marveled at the splendor of God’s creation I would thank Him for all that Has done and will do for us.  I truly felt His presence during those times.

When and where do you feel closest to God?

Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  (Ephesians 6:17, NIV)

So far we’ve put on a belt truth, our breastplate of righteousness, our shield of faith, and our feet are fitted with readiness.  Here we come to the final two pieces of armor to put on in our faith life.  We are to wear a helmet of salvation and to carry the sword of the Spirit. 

Our salvation will protect us against the efforts of the enemy.  Helmets are worn on the head (duh!) with the sole purpose of protecting our scull and our brain.  By outwardly wearing this “helmet” our minds will be stronger and more able to resist the temptations of this world that help us to go astray. 

Here Paul flat out says that the sword of faith is the Word of God.  Our knowledge and application of Biblical truths will actually be used as a weapon against attackers.  Armed with this sword, our enemies may not even try to harm us.

So wear your helmets and carry your swords proudly because no one can harm you!

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  (Ephesians 6:16, NIV)

In effort to bring our study of Ephesians to a close I almost combine this verse with the next 2.  Then when I read it over, I realized how powerful this really is.  This verse needs to stand alone.

By placing the words “Take up” in this verse, Paul is telling us that we must make a deliberate decision to have and excercise our Faith.  He then adds the imagery of the “shield” as associated with faith.  Shields are used as a method of defense.  Our faith will shield us from the weapons of the “evil one.”  Our faith will shield us from lies, deceit, hopelessness, depression, and any other weapon that satan throws at us. 

How cool is that….

And with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  (Ephesians 6:15, NIV)

The Holy Spirit gave Paul an interesting way of wording this verse.  We know that we need to be ready. This whole “Armor of God” discourse is about being prepared.  But here Paul tells us that we are readiness is to be rooted in the “gospel of peace.” 

I don’t know about you but most of the time when I think of being ready, I think of being ready for an argument, ready to fight back, and ready to defend myself.  Here we are reminded to be ready to make peace. 

Just think about this.  We are urged to wake up in the morning and be prepared to make peace with the people that we encounter and the circumstances that are out of our control.  Even just writing this right now, I feel more at peace. 

Think of peace….

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, wit the breastplate of righteousness in place.  (Ephesians 6:14, NIV)

As we move through these last verses of Ephesians, Paul continues with the symbolism of puting on the “Full Armor of God.”  Here he mentions two aspects that are both related to a person’s character:truth and righteousness.  We need to be armed with the Truth of our Lord Jesus Christ and we must expend all of our efforts to be righteous.  Armed with these character references we will win the battle.  No force is needed. 

Put on the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil.  (Ephesians 6:11, NAB)

Most sports and physical activities require protective gear.  Football players wear helmets.  Soccer players wear shin guards.  Downhill skiers wear gloves.  Whitewater kayakers wear lifejackets.  In each case, the individual doing the activity wouldn’t even think about participating without the required equipment.  Granted, any of the activities can be performed without the helmets, shin guards, gloves, or life jackets.  All of the gear is precautionary, yet each item is deemed necessary.

Why then do we go out each day in this game called life without our necessary precautions?  Many of us wake up each day and dive right into our routines.  Wake the kids up.  Shower.  Get dressed. Make breakfast.  Off to school.  Off to work.  Where is the time for God?  Did we even pray?  Did we pick up the Bible? 

Imagine if we approached life in the same way that we approached our hobbies.  Imagine if we prepared the way we practice a sport.    Even though we know very easily the daily trials we will encounter, we often don’t go into them with the Armor of the Lord or the word of God.  How much more secure would we be if we readied ourselves for the obstacles that we know we will face each day? 

I’ll be that each of us already know one trial we will face in the next 24 hours.  Did we pray about it?  Have we checked to see what the word of God says about it?  Have we spoken to anyone we trust about it? 

What can you do as a part of your daily routine to help you overcome the obstacles that you know you will encounter each day?

Be careful then how you live- not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.  Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.  (Ephesians 5:15-16, NIV)

These 2 verses together are great.  They sum up what we should be thinking when we make our daily decisions.  We are to live wisely, putting thought into our decisions.  We are to ask whether or not we are making the most out of the opportunities that are before us.  We need to understand the Lord’s will. 

Of course, this is easier said then done.  But if we actually think about our decisions and actions and put Christ into them, we will make wiser choices.  Making wiser choices will lead us to making the most of our opportunities.  As we live a life of well thought out and wise choices and seized opportunities we will know the will of God. 

This is a very important set of elections.  Make time to go and vote on Tuesday!

Read Chapters 5 & 6 of Ephesians.

Your homework for this weekend is to finish reading the book of Ephesians as we will bring our brief study of it to a close this week. 

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord, Live as children of the Light. 

(Ephesians 5:8, NIV)

God wants for us to have purpose, meaning, and direction.  There is no direction in darkness.  You can’t find your way in the dark.  It is only in the light that one can navigate the unknown.  This verse calls us to live in the light.  But not only that.  We are called to actually be the light.  And as the light, others will come to know the source of that light, which is Jesus.  So shine bright.  When others see you, let them find direction that is rooted in Christ.  Let your light spread to others so that they too can be the light of Christ.  Imagine the imagery of a sole candle lighting another candle.  And then another candle.  And then each of those candles lighting other candles.  And so on.  Picture the light spreading, growing, and not diminishing.  That is how the light of Jesus should spread among us.

So be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love as Christ loved us…

(Ephesians, 5:1-2(partial), NIV)

Verse #1 seems totally impossible.  How can we imitate God?  That is why the second part is there.  Jesus was sent into this world to save us.  He was also sent as an example of how to live and how to love.  The love that Jesus exhibited was better described as Love In Action.  He didn’t merely tell people that He loved them.  He showed them.  He ate at their houses, He healed their ailments, He forgave their sins.  In all things He put others first.  This is our calling. 

Who can you show LOVE IN ACTION to today?

In your anger do not sin.  Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.

(Ephesians 4:26, NIV)

One of my earliest memories of anything ever taught to me was this verse by my parents.  Actually, I think that they specifically told me to never go to bed while I was still mad at anyone.  Of course, this seems like common sense.  But think.  How many times in your life have you been upset with someone for days, weeks, months, or even years at a time.  How quickly the issue could have been resolved if this verse were adhered to .  How much less stress we would have if we would listen to this verse. 

Who in your life right now are you upset with?  I challenge you to do something about it today, before you go to bed tonight.