God’s plan

Which Way Lord?

Dr. Mike Bible Life Questions , ,
“whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” 1John 2:6 ESV.

which way 1

Lost. A concept that means you must already have a home or destination but just don’t know how to get there. If you had a home and knew where and how to get there, you wouldn’t be lost. You also can’t be lost if you are home. However, you can be in a home and still be lost, if the home you are in is not yours. Sometimes you may not even be aware that you are lost.

How many of us during a long trip made a turn thinking we are on the correct road only to find one hour later that we are incorrect. And even then, many of us will not admit it. We will stubbornly keep searching to protect our human self. We are too prideful to stop and ask for help.

Most of the time when we come to a fork in the road, we have to decide which way is best. If we have been that way before, the decision is easy. However, if everything is a first time experience, then we must rely on outside sources. Which source are you going to rely on first? The road signs already in place? Your traveling companions? Your GPS?

In the journey through life we are going to find ourselves in places and situations that are going to require us to rely on outside sources. The question becomes which source are you going to rely on first?

As believers we have been born anew with a new Spirit. This new Spirit the Bible identifies as The Holy Spirit. He is recognized as the third-person of the Triune God. His purpose is many-fold. However one primary purpose is to lead us into all truth glorifying Jesus in the process (John 16:13). In fact, wherever He is, so is Jesus and Father God. Paul writes that this is a wonderful mystery. That Lord Jesus lives in us (Colossians 1:27).

Therefore, if Christ lives in you via the Holy Spirit, why search elsewhere for the direction or answer you seek? Prayer and Faith are means of grace that allow us to stand before our Lord seeking Him first in our life. When we meditate on how God intervened with previous saints, we quickly recognize who lives in us. As we yield to our Lord’s authority, walk in His presence 24/7, and keep Him as the center of our life, His graciousness and compassion flows from Him to you and I. So does His way of life. To walk as He walked may be radical too some, but for us who know, there is no better way to experience real life to the fullest.

In fact, the deeper your relationship becomes with Jesus, the more often the first question that comes out of your mouth is “which way Lord?” And as you learn to listen and follow, the results are more often than not, better than you would ever expect on your own.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Executive Director & Founder
Marketplace Bible Institute
& Resource Center, Inc
Author of e-Books:
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

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It’s Not About Us

Dr. Mike Life in Christ , ,

 

For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 2 Corinthians 4:5 ESV.

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Sometimes sermons sound like an info commercial to join a church. There are ministers that communicate a silent message that you are missing out on everything God has for you unless you become a member of their faith community.

One of those Ya-Ha revelation moments came when I realized God’s plan is not and was not and will not be centered around me.

The book of Colossians and Ephesians make mention that His plan of salvation, His Kingdom, and all of creation was built by and for Jesus Christ. He is the central figure of life. God calls people throughout history to join Him in His plan for mankind. As we align our goals, ambitions, and vocational ministries around His Purpose, we quickly learn and experience the joy of working along and in partnership with the Creator of the Universe.

For our scientific community, it may be shocking. For our non-believers, they struggle with the relevancy of faith. However for those who have surrendered to Lord Jesus, they understand better than most. They gladly serve their King. They seek to expand His Kingdom. They want everyone to enjoy the riches that they have received from heaven’s basket of life. They want God’s love to preeminent their relationships. They want to introduce everyone to their King. They cannot stop speaking about the freedom, gifts, and treasurers of heaven that is now available to everyone on earth.

Yes, God has a purpose for you. But that purpose is His for you; not yours for Him. His purpose slowly becomes your reality as you obey your King’s commands. He will show you through the people you meet, serve, and love. You will experience heaven’s riches; not by chasing after them, but by deeply pursuing an intimate relationship with the person who is the center of life: Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ is the central core of life. He gives you meaning, purpose, and significance. Not by pursuing yours, but by pursuing HIS.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Executive Director & Founder
Marketplace Bible Institute
& Resource Center, Inc
Author of e-Books:
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

Encourage your Friends…Share Today’s Message!

God’s Plan For You

Dr. Mike Jesus Apprentice, Scriptures , , , , , ,

reflection 3

“For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.” Jeremiah 29:10-14 ESV

Every time I hear a message about God encouraging the nation Israel through Jeremiah with the above words, I cringe. Most of the time I hold my breath because someone most likely will extract a portion of this scripture to illustrate a point without fully expounding its ramifications. I have been taught to read scripture in context first, understand its cultural and historical significance in its time, and then expound its application into today’s world. Most of the time lately this scripture is used from the pulpit as a short cut to motivate people to trust in God with their future plans.

When read in context, one quickly recognizes that the Lord made a specific promise to Israel. After being disciplined through seventy years of exile, He will restore their nation. A specific prophecy for a specific nation for a specific time in history. What this scripture truly reveals is that the Lord’s purpose will always be accomplished.

What does this mean for you and me?
* God has a plan He started at the foundation of the universe that includes you.
* It is God’s plan, not yours or mine.
* Our plans most likely are not God’s plan.
* The earlier we learn to accept God’s plan and join him in it, the quicker we will experience a deeper relationship with Him.
* As we develop a deeper relationship with Him, the greater His Spirit lives in us, influences us, and empowers us to live life the way He originally created life too be.
* The brokenness of sin slowly dissipates from our lives and is replaced with the riches of His eternal glory.
* We don’t have to wait for heaven; heaven arrives now in Christ as He lives in us.

We do not have to take scripture out of context to make a point. God has a plan that includes you and me. His desire is for all humanity to join him within the Triune God circle. Today, we are heirs, children, and servants of the King of Kings. He joyously and lovingly invites us to now participate in His work to redeem all creation into His original intent (Romans 8:20-21).

So why misuse scriptures to make a point? Isn’t the truth already radical enough?

Yours in Christ,

Dr. Mike

Executive Chair, Consultant, Encourager
Marketplace Bible Institute
& Resource Center, Inc
Author of e-Books:
* Great Business Emulates a Good God
* Be Radical…Follow Christ!
* Simply The Messenger
* Unequally Married

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