A PLAN AND A PURPOSE

By Pastor Walter C. Scott, Let Go and Soar Ministries

March 11, 2014

Isaiah 14:24

²⁴ The Lord Almighty has sworn,

“Surely, as I have planned, so it will be,
    and as I have purposed, so it will happen.

Isaiah 14:27

²⁷ For the Lord Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him?
    His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?

Ephesians 1:11-14

¹¹ 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, ¹² in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. ¹³ And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴ who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

So what is it to have a plan and a purpose for our lives? And should we all have one? Is it really necessary? I think that point can be argued from many angles if we are looking at it from a worldly view. However, from a Christian viewpoint, a plan and a purpose for our lives is essential and God-inspired. The words “plan” and “purpose” are interchangeable in meaning, and refer to a reason, guiding principle, motivation, justification, objective, goal, etc. The Bible says:

Reason:

John 12:27 (Jesus speaking)

²⁷ “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.

2 Peter 1:3-8

³ His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. ⁴ Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

⁵ For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; ⁶ and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; ⁷ and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.⁸ For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Motivation:

Proverbs 16:2

²All a person’s ways seem pure to them,
    but motives are weighed by the Lord.

James 4:1-3

¹What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? ² You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. ³ When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives,that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

Justification:

Titus 3:3-7

³ At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. ⁴ But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, ⁵ he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done,but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, ⁶ whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷ so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

Romans 3:22-24

²² This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Romans 8:28-30

²⁸ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.²⁹ For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. ³⁰ And those he predestined, he also called;those he called, he also justified;those he justified, he also glorified.

The Word (Bible) states that God has a purpose and a plan for every one of us, which will lead us to and through our destiny. This is communicated to us in a variety of ways, and you don't have to be a Christian to receive the call. I do believe, though, that those who answer the call will willingly come to the Lord on bended knee and obediently follow Him.

Jeremiah 29:11-13

¹¹ 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. ¹² Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Philippians 2:1-5

¹ Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion,² then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. ³ Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,⁴ not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

⁵ In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus

Young people are repeatedly advised in school and sometimes at home to plan, set goals and objectives, and to generally formulate some type of structure for their lives. How many of them actually do this or are ready to do this? This takes a certain level of maturity and we don't all achieve this level at the same age. I think a very small percentage actually achieve this. The consequence of a premature decision here can lead to at least a wasted undetermined length of time. And we all only have just so much time. The solution? Ask God, wait for the answer, then act.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

²     a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot,
³     a time to kill and a time to heal,
    a time to tear down and a time to build,
⁴     a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance,
⁵     a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
⁶     a time to search and a time to give up,
    a time to keep and a time to throw away,
⁷     a time to tear and a time to mend,
    a time to be silent and a time to speak,
⁸     a time to love and a time to hate,
    a time for war and a time for peace.

I also believe that not always, but often life's pendulum either swings too far one way or the other. There is no balance and no God in their lives. Either there is no clear direction or example shown at home, or there is far too much pressure and structure to set goals and find direction. Often it is the parent's unrealized goals the children are directed toward. Either way leads to many young men and women leaving home, lost in a viciously competitive success oriented, materialistic society. Years go by with them accepting what ever comes along just to get by, or just dropping out completely. Many end up self-medicating, which often leads to addiction. Many never finding their purpose or achieving their full potential. And then we look at them, shake our heads, and wonder why. Can this be corrected, and can we do anything about this situation? Yes, we can, with God's help and direction through the Holy Spirit. As stated above, “there is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven.”

Proverbs 3:5-6

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
⁶ in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.

Of course this requires cooperation from all involved, and we achieve this through impartation such as, for example, mentoring, teaching, being an example, and so on. All this by using the various giftings that God has endowed us with.

1 Peter 4:10

¹⁰ Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

Romans 12:3-8

³ For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.⁴ For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, ⁵ so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. ⁶ We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; ⁷ if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; ⁸ if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Through understanding and comprehension comes wisdom and the realization of grace and truth brought to us through Jesus Christ. From this we can develop faith, trust, hope, obedience and finally absolute belief. From this we develop and realize God's plan and purpose for us.

Ephesians 2:8-10

⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works,so that no one can boast. ¹⁰ For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works,which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Matthew 28:18-20

¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

I do believe that our primary purpose in this life is to carry out the Great Commission in whatever way God directs, and through whatever special gifting He has endowed us with. We all received the Holy Spirit when we became Christians and with this came gifting.

Acts 11:15-18

¹⁵ “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning.¹⁶ Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’¹⁷ So if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?”

¹⁸ When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

Galatians 5:22-23

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

1 Corinthians 12:4-11

⁴ There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. ⁵ There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. ⁶ There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. ⁷ Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. ⁸ To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, ⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, ¹⁰ to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹ All these are the work of one and the same Spirit,and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

We are all part of the body of Jesus Christ, the church and are uniquely gifted. If we are all on the same page in our purpose we can all compliment one another's gifts, becoming more successful in spreading the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:12-13

¹² Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. ¹³ For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

1 Corinthians 12:27

²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

This, I believe, is God's final purpose and plan for us all. All we need to do now is discover our gifting, help others discover theirs, acknowledge those gifts, and let the Holy Spirit lead us to the full utilization of those gifts. Jesus gave us the authority and power. The rest is our free will choice to accept and receive. Let's make the decision that leads to freedom and life. Love and peace to all. Amen

Acts 17:24-31

²⁴ “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. ²⁵ And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.²⁶ From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. ²⁷ God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.²⁸ ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ ²⁹ “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill.³⁰ In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. ³¹ For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”

Comprehension and Understanding (Communicating Effectively)

by Walt Scott, October 1, 2012

Comprehension: Webster's dictionary definition: “The capacity for understanding. Grasping the meaning of; mentally.”

Understanding: Webster's dictionary definition: “Discernment, insight. The power of comprehending. To understand is to achieve a grasp of the nature, significance, or explanation of something.”

Hebrews 11:3

³ By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

1 Corinthians 2:12-16

¹² What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. ¹³ This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. ¹⁴ The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. ¹⁵ The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, ¹⁶ for,

“Who has known the mind of the Lord
    so as to instruct him?”

But we have the mind of Christ.

Psalm 14:2

² The Lord looks down from heaven
    on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,
    any who seek God.

There is a great deal of misunderstanding and/or misinterpretation of Christianity in the secular world, and to some extent, in the Christian church. Many times the verses in the Bible are taken out of context and used solely to justify a particular point or thought; whereas the entire portion of the book or chapter should be read and considered for a clearer definition. When God’s word is misinterpreted or misunderstood, we may pass along wrong meaning to other people depending on us for correct interpretation. This is because the Holy Spirit has not imparted true understanding to us, or we are not listening or asking for comprehension. Perhaps we are ignoring God, the Holy Spirit, and leaning on our own ability to understand. Unfortunately there are times when we send a mixed message about Christianity and Christians when we are supposed to be spreading the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Sometimes our lifestyles and actions don’t reflect what comes out of our mouths.

Luke 6:45

⁴⁵ A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

They portray one personality in the company of Christians, and another around non-Christians. At times, some Christians are far too forceful in delivering their message, and perhaps try to persuade with fear of going to hell. This turns many potential believers away. This is never the correct approach. We must always show the love of God. At other times, well-intentioned, we approach with timidity, caution and apprehension, afraid of rejection. This shows lack of confidence in ourselves, the Gospel, and weak faith. Faithful, believing Christians should always be secure, confident, and unafraid to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We do this through prayer and relying on God to lead us through His Holy Spirit. Others should always desire and feel inspired to pursue what makes us so full of joy and love. In any case or situation, it is God’s intent for us to speak truth and show love for our brothers and sisters. We should always request understanding from God before deciding to speak or act. Be the reality of the Good News, not the misunderstanding.

There are times when we feel we have read and understood scripture or take for granted that a person in authority has an accurate interpretation, when in reality understanding has not yet been achieved. How do we know the difference? We have to read scripture slowly, and ask for discernment from the Holy Spirit, and speak with other mature Christians. Sometimes this happens at the pace we are reading, and sometimes we may have to re-visit a passage for weeks or months. Wait upon the Lord. When we are ready to receive (comprehend), He will deliver.

Jeremiah 17:9-10

⁹ The heart is deceitful above all things
    and beyond cure.
    Who can understand it?

¹⁰ “I the Lord search the heart
    and examine the mind,
to reward each person according to their conduct,
    according to what their deeds deserve.”

1 John 5:18-20

¹⁸ We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them. ¹⁹ We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. ²⁰ We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

Ecclesiastes 7:24-25

²⁴ Whatever Wisdom may be, it is far off and most profound—
    who can discover it?
²⁵ So I turned my mind to understand,
    to investigate and to search out wisdom and the scheme of things
and to understand the stupidity of wickedness
    and the madness of folly.

1 Timothy 6:3-5

³ If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to Godly teaching, ⁴ they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions ⁵ and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.

Romans 1:20

²⁰ For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

Proverbs 2:1-6

¹My son, if you accept my words
    and store up my commands within you,
² turning your ear to wisdom
    and applying your heart to understanding,
³ and if you call out for insight
    and cry aloud for understanding,
⁴ and if you look for it as for silver
    and search for it as for hidden treasure,
⁵ then you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.
⁶ For the Lord gives wisdom,
    and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

Proverbs 18:2

² A fool finds no pleasure in understanding
    but delights in airing his own opinions.

Is it God’s intention that we understand His word? I believe it is. I think He will reveal Himself more and more as we are able to receive though our understanding. The Holy Spirit will give us discernment and comprehension as we study His word and make our request known.

Jeremiah 10:12

¹² But God made the earth by his power;
    he founded the world by his wisdom
    and stretched out the heavens by his understanding.

Job 38:18

(God speaking)

¹⁸ Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth?
    Tell me, if you know all this.

Ecclesiastes 8:17

¹⁷ then I saw all that God has done. No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all his efforts to search it out, man cannot discover its meaning. Even if a wise man claims he knows, he cannot really comprehend it.

Isaiah 40:28

²⁸ Do you not know?
    Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
    and his understanding no one can fathom.

We can never expect to have the full understanding of things that God has. We cannot comprehend the entire universe that God created; at least not in our earthly lifetime, or at this point in human evolution. I don’t think our physical minds could fathom the universe because our current level of knowledge is very limited. God will give us understanding as we acquire the ability to comprehend.

2 Peter 1:20-21

²⁰ Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. ²¹ For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Proverbs 23:23

²³ Buy the truth and do not sell it;
    get wisdom, discipline and understanding.

To obtain comprehension and understanding requires prayer, Bible study, trust, obedience, patience, perseverance and self-discipline. This, in turn, will result in us receiving wisdom through the Holy Spirit. God will reward effort with success. These actions and speech will reflect truth in our daily Christian walk. This makes communicating effectively not only possible, but absolutely achievable for all Christians.

Proverbs 4:7

⁷ Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.
    Though it cost all you have, get understanding.

Job 28:12-13

(Job speaking)

¹² “But where can wisdom be found?
    Where does understanding dwell?
¹³ Man does not comprehend its worth;
    it cannot be found in the land of the living.

Jeremiah 9:23-24

²³ This is what the Lord says:

“Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom
    or the strong man boast of his strength
    or the rich man boast of his riches,²⁴ but let him who boasts boast about this:
    that he understands and knows me,
that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness,
    justice and righteousness on earth,
    for in these I delight,”
declares the Lord.

Further scriptural references

I Chronicles 28:9	Proverbs 15:32
Job 28:28	Proverbs 17:27
Job 32:8	Proverbs 20:5
Psalms 73:16	Hosea 14:9
Psalms 111:10	Matthew 13:11-23
Psalms 119:124-125	Mark 4:11&12
Psalms 147:5	John 1:1-5
Proverbs 3:5&13	Ephesians 5:15-20
Proverbs 10:23	Colossians 2:2&3

ACCEPT AND RECEIVE

by Pastor Walt Scott, Let Go and Soar Ministries

April 1, 2014

What actually is it to accept and receive the word of God and what dose it mean to a Christian believer? The following is a secular definition.

Accept-- To receive with consent, as true, into the mind or come into possession of, take.

Receive-- To take or come into possession of, take in, hold, take in through the mind and senses, to accept as true.

These are very similar, if not identical, in meaning. The only thing I might add is that a Christian has accepted and received the Word of God into their heart and soul as well. To accept and receive as true, into the mind and senses is what every Christian believer either has accomplished or is accomplishing. This is defined as believing and requires trust, faith, obedience, and hope. Once we acknowledge God's son Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit can and does live in us, lead, counsel, and direct our lives.

Matthew 10:40-42

⁴⁰ “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. ⁴¹ Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. ⁴² And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”

Mark 10:15

¹⁵ Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

John 13:20

²⁰ Very truly I tell you, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.”

1 Timothy 4:9-10

⁹ This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. ¹⁰(and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe.

John 1:10-13

¹⁰ He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. ¹¹ He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ¹² Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— ¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

Some of us would think that to accept and receive would be easy for people to do. Right for some, wrong for the majority of people, in my opinion. Their heart has been hardened by false knowledge designed by people to be truth, although when challenged by more study is revealed as untrue. This, we have been told, is a process of increasing awareness, knowledge and understanding through more advanced science and technology.

1 Corinthians 3:18-21

¹⁸ Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become “fools” so that you may become wise. ¹⁹ For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”; ²⁰ and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.”²¹ So then, no more boasting about human men leaders! All things are yours

James 1:21-22

²¹ Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

²² Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

We also live in a world that continually promotes a lifestyle that denies our creator's existence and praises a self-reliant, selfish independent philosophy. All this while also enabling an attitude of entitlement and sloth to certain segments of our society. This promotes division at the very least. If this life, according to some, doesn't tickle or excite at least one of the five senses, you have missed out. We are encouraged to get high on life with things and through experiences.

Colossians 2:6-8

Spiritual Fullness in Christ

⁶ So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord,continue to live your lives in him, ⁷ rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. ⁸ See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.

Galatians 6:3

³ If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves.

What this lifestyle actually does is promotes doubt and destroys any foundational truth we have learned to stand on in past generations. What value, respect or self-worth can a people or a nation have for themselves or others if they have no foundational truth or moral compass to anchor themselves with? They simply drift, full of confusion, contradictions and deception. This creates division. They believe nothing except maybe what their five senses tell them. Where is Triune God and His Word (Bible) in all of this? Is He still considered relevant? Should His word be considered relevant in a contemporary society? Yes--without any doubt.

Isaiah 28:16

¹⁶ So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic. Or act hastily. Trusts will never be dismayed.

1 John 4:6

⁶ We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.

John 1:16-17

¹⁶ From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another.¹⁷ For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

2 Thessalonians 2:9-10

⁹ The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, ¹⁰ and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.

John 16:13

¹³ But when he, the Spirit of truth,comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

I don't want to imply that we should live in the past and ignore the many improvements and advancements over the years. They have saved and extended countless lives. What we should remember is that those increases in ideas, knowledge, technology, etc. were inspired in man by God. We should accept, receive and move forward acknowledging Him. There is, however, universal relevant truth as found in the Bible. No amount of time can change or erase it. If we accept and receive this, God will give you the ability to discern and understand.

Jeremiah 29:11

¹¹ 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.

Where is God's plan and purpose for our lives in this life? How can we live in peace with freedom and joy, without fear, shame and guilt? Can we achieve this without relationship with Triune God? Impossible, and many people don't seem to realize this deception until it is too late.

John 14:6

⁶ Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

John 8:31-32

³¹ To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching,you are really my disciples. ³² Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

2 Corinthians 3:17

¹⁷ Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

John 16:33

³³ “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Galatians 5:1

Freedom in Christ

⁵ It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm,then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Only through accepting our creator, Father God, His son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, along with all they have done and continue to do for us, can we be truly free. All this by and through his grace and love. Love God and each other as Jesus Christ instructed. Accept and receive Him.

Mark 12:30-31

³⁰ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ ³¹ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

Love and peace, Amen.