Tag: Destiny

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Bible Verses

Power to be Yourself

Deep down inside each of us, a nagging question lurks. Who am I? It is only when we answer that question satisfactorily that we can move on to settling the confusing array of related conundrums: What do you want to do? What is your purpose in life? No wonder there is a queue of at least half a dozen ancient Greek thinkers laying claim to the aphorism, know thyself!

The miraculous intervention of the Holy Spirit into our lives brings us to a point where we can explore the first question in relation to ourselves. Acts ch.1 v.8 puts it succinctly: You will receive power, you will be Jesus’ witness.

There you have it! What am I? You are a person of real supernatural power. You are no longer limited to the weakness that beset you before, you can take control, you can be a success.

That may be so – but a success at what?

First and foremost, you are a witness to Jesus’ life-transforming power. Starting where you are, you have the power to boldly proclaim that faith in Jesus has turned your life upside down, that you have found new resources to love, persevere and extend grace to those around you; that you have discovered new depths of joy and freedom in thinking that were alien to you before taking those first seps of faith.

By being set free to declare who you are now, you can begin to see your role develop in becoming a more effective witness . That way, you catch hold of the power to be your new, transformed, victorious self.

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Bible Verses

Reflections on Faith (5)

To understand the significance of Hebrews ch.11 v.5 you need to cross-reference it against Genesis ch.5 v.24. Another hero of faith from the beginning of history. We’re told in Genesis that Enoch walked with God. He didn’t just live a good life. He wasn’t remembered for his wealth. It was the quality of his ongoing relationship with his Creator that marked him out as someone different.

He disappeared. But it was understood that this meant he was with God, in His presence eternally as a sign to us that we too have a future in eternity – we too can stand in god’s presence if we dare to cultivate an intimacy with God.

Yes, it makes us stand out. Yes, it is something we work at – as with all relationships. But its benefits are out of this world.

A relationship with God is a step towards a life with purpose. We have a glorious destiny ahead of us – but there is a price to pay. Will you stand up and be counted as one who pleases God rather than men?

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Bible Verses

Our plans and God’s plans

There is a vast gulf that separates the Creator of the universe from the creation He is intimately involved with. This distinction cannot be ignored. We may be created in His image; we may have amazing powers; we may partake of His divine nature and be one with Him – but we are not God.

This becomes apparent when we comare our thinking with His. We are bound by this space-time universe. Our intellects are limited, not least by our perspective – which, because we cannot know everything, is therefore imperfect, fallible. We see – through a glass darkly – a distorted, clouded mirror image.

It is no surprise therefore that the Good Lord takes the trouble to not only remind us of this – but that He gives a solution to our predicament.

You want to see your plans come to fruition? Consult with the Master Planner – humbly bring your ideas to Him, dedicate them to Him and let Him review them. He may have suggestions, refinement – or outright commandments to radically change your direction. One thing is sure. It is better to go through that refining process as you plan than to make a decision and watch it fall apart because of faulty foundations or shoddy materials.

Hebrews ch.11 v.1-6 provides an interesting starting point to meditate on before embarking on a major project.

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Bible Verses

An Encouraging Bible Verse on God’s Goodness

There are some things we can be absolutely certain of. For example, we can say with confidence that God has a plan for every single one of us.

He called you by His own goodness and has already given you everything you need in order to achieve all that He has called you to do.

To claim otherwise, we would first have to rip 2Peter ch.1 v.3 out of our Bibles.

Note, it says all – not some or a few of the things He has called you and set you apart to do.

Action is the key principle for us here. There are many promises that God has declared in the Bible. Take a look. But they will just stay there as ink on the page if we do not make the effort to find them, apply them and exercise faith in our lives to see them come to fruition.

The choice is essentially ours. God has done His part – as He is a good God, always faithful to His word through which He has chosen to reveal himself .

The good news is that we are not left on our own. As we begin to exercise faith, we find that He will work inside us to complete the task. Which is why it is essential to allow His word to motivate us into taking those first steps of faith in the direction of fulfilling His word – with confidence that even though we may not know how we will arrive at our destination, He will provide everything we need in order to do so.

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Bible Verses

God’s Purpose for You!

Given that God is all-powerful, all-loving and has an unstoppable plan of redemption for the universe He has created; it is not an unreasonable assumption to believe that He has a purpose for each person who comes to develop a faith in Him.

In the letter to the Romans ch.12 v.2 we are told that His will is good, pleasing and perfect.

Good: we find we have an aptitude for the work we believe we are set aside to do, opportunities arise for us to exercise our gifts in an uncompromising way.

Pleasing: we enjoy what we do, and would rather do this than anything else.

Perfect: we look back and we see His plan unfolded in our lives, even though we did not recognise it at the time; we see how events that we could not understand fit together in a process that prepared us for what happened next.

It is therefore time to take stock of your life in order to determine God’s ultimate purpose for you. What are you good at? There will be something. No matter how insignificant and small you feel your talents are, you have not been blessed with them for no reason. An ability to sing, make models or act is not merely an ornamental distraction from the ‘real’ stuff of Kingdom building. Your mix of talents is unique and has real purpose.

What do you enjoy? What gives you pleasure? It is not a sin to enjoy exercising the gifts that God has given you. This is the scandal of grace. God, the Creator of the universe has set you apart to derive pleasure from doing what you have been equipped to do.

How do you see God shaping your experiences? What Biblical principles can you see at work in your life? What do you believe God is saying to you through your circumstances?

Knowing God personally enables you to find answers and encouragement through patterns of events that show you who you truly are and give you an insight into your destiny. By putting your faith in Jesus Christ you open yourself up to an adventure of self discovery through selfless service.

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Bible Verses

God’s Plan For Us…

God’s ultimate plan for the universe is spelled out in Ephesians ch.1 v.9 – to bring all things under one head: Christ. This is not an isolated verse. This is a theme running throughout scripture.

In Numbers ch.14 v.21, Isaiah ch.11 v.9 and Habakkuk ch.2 v.14 the emphasis is clear for anyone to read – the Good Lord is not merely looking for a small isolated clan that worships Him in obscurity – but a people that transcends national and racial boundaries, influencing everything it comes into contact with. That is the destiny of the church – a huge company of worshippers drawn from every tribe and nation, praising God in every tongue imaginable.

Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel ch.2 v.34 -35 in line with this; pointing to the Messiah’s rule where the eternal breaks into human history culminating in a destiny that makes earthly empires pale into insignificance as His kingdom spreads across the world.

This is paralleled by Jesus’ parables of the Kingdom – yeast, that is mixed in with dough, having an influence on the structure of the bread, causing an obvious dynamic, irreversible change; the mustard seed that starts small, yet has an impact and influence above and beyond anything else in existence, bringing safety and sustenance to all who require it.

And yet, into all this – He chooses to involve us intimately as His partners and co-workers in the task of redemption. We see the grand vista of His plan for redemption; but to implement it, we each have a unique part to play according to our talents and calling. We do not need to emulate somebody else or look to others’ gifts and write ourselves off as useless. We all have a destiny that no-one else can fill – that is the exciting challenge that drives each of use to deeper intimacy with God. The urge to know who we truly are and our purpose in His universe.