When God Has Another Plan

Jeremiah 29:11 (King James Version)

 ¹¹For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
This translates to:  I know the plans I have for you.
God knows us from the beginning to the end, the Bible says He knows the very hairs of our head.  So why do we not realize His plans for us are perfect?  We seem to think we can do a better job with our own lives.  A little bit like our children do us isn't it?
Proverbs 16:9 says, "A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps."   This tells me that I can do "nothing" on my own without the Lord's help.  Even when my steps falter and I turn in the other direction, He is STILL with me. PTL!
God's plans for us have always been for us to prosper and flourish.  If we aren't it isn't God that is directing us!  The Bible says satan goes around as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.  When we turn away from God's plan for our lives, satan believes he has won.  However, we can rest assured that when we are ready to turn back to God, He will be right where we left Him.   The other part of that is that He will finish the work He started in you if you will allow Him.  You see God will never force our will but His plans DO NOT change.  We can remove ourselves from those plans but the minute we come back to God the plans remain the same.  He doesn't come up with "another plan"  He continues the original plan He had for our life.  Then is when you start to realize what a perfect plan it was.
Do you like a hot shower?  Most of us do.  What happens if you stay in the shower too long?  What happens when the water starts to get cold?  You can tell it's going to and you can tell if you keep standing under it that it's going to go completely cold.  It goes from really hot to completely cold!!  That's how some Christians are today!  We start out hot, on fire for God, then we stay in the world too long and we start to get lukewarm, if we keep staying in it, soon we are cold.  Now I don't know about you but once my water starts getting cold I have to get out.  That's just common sense, right?  Being a Christian is the same way.  It takes a little faith (the size of a grain of mustard seed), and at least a smidgen of common sense.  Now if you know what either of those are, you know they are tiny, very tiny.  It takes such a small amount to be a Christian, at least in the beginning.  Hebrews 11:1, Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  Common sense is what tells you that if you lie down with dogs, you are going to get fleas!  Common sense tells you to get out of the shower (the world) before you get cold!  Common sense tells you that you have to be in this world but you don't have to be "of" this world.
Revelation 3:16 says, "So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth."  If you stay in the ways of the world to long, you will grow first lukewarm, then cold.  It really doesn't matter if you are lukewarm or cold, either way you will NOT be walking with God.
Again, God knows the end from the beginning - He knows the plans He has for us.  His will be done.  His will, His ways are perfect.  The fun and happiness that satan offers in this world are only fleeting.  He can imitate some of what God gives us but he can't carry through.  Here today, gone tomorrow.  It was never, ever part of God's plan for any to perish.  However, just like satan, many think they are the God of their own lives and they can run it better.  Soon they grow cold and it's too late to step out of the shower.  You see, satan knows the plans he knows for you also.
Which plans do you choose?  God's perfect plan for your life or satan's plan of destruction.  If God is speaking to your heart right now, don't let the water grow cold.
God bless,
til next time,
TawanaB
(3-13-11a.m.)

God has a plan

Luke 23:44-46 And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. 45) And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple wast rent in the midst. 46) and when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, He said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said this He gave up the ghost.

What love. What total selflessness. What a mighty God we serve. Each time I read about Jesus crucifixion, it breaks my heart. What He did is beyond words, beyond what my mortal mind can truly comprehend. When we think of Jesus and what He did for us, we need to remember that although He was God, He went through all of that as a man, just like one of us. He was born, lived and died as a man. However, at any given moment He could have said stop! He could have said, "I don't want to do this? They are not worth it, they don't care what I'm doing for them." And, beloved, He would have had every right to do that. Even then most didn't believe who He was. Even in those days they did not accept Him for who He truly was and is. You know why God sent His only Son? God has a plan.

It was never His intention for man to be lost. At the risk of repeating myself, God cannot lie. His word says He will always give us an escape from temptation, that began with His sending Jesus to die for our sins. He was/is our escape from sin and temptation. If we fix our eyes, heart, mind on god - He will deliver us from temptation. He says it in His word, He has to do it, He cannot lie!

I am not writing to those who read this, again, every word of this is for me. I am compelled by the Spirit to share this with whomsoever will read it. I need what the Lord is saying just as much IF NOT MORE than those of you reading right now. The devil tempts and attacks me continually and sometimes I stumble, sometimes I fall down and fail miserably. I am NOT giving up. That is the lesson I have learned. Don't give up. God has a plan.

I have been accused of thinking I'm perfect and that my life is perfect and everything goes my way. All I can say to that is far from it! Do I strive to be perfect? Most definitely. Do I succeed? Most definitely NOT.

Do I have trials? Yes! Right now I'm going through a painful divorce, I have severe financial difficulties, my car needs an oil change and freon, my kids have problems (and any parent knows your kids troubles ARE your troubles also lol). My life is far from perfect. I claim His promise, He will provide. If I didn't have God, I shudder to think where I would be or what I would be doing. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be here to write this blog. I get angry, sometimes I allow myself to worry, I say things I shouldn't and then I have to repent. To be honest, sometimes that might take a day or two until the Holy Spirit shakes me up and reminds me where I came from and what can happen if I don't let things go and let God take care of them. I have to pray it through and like a rebellious child sometimes I don't want to! My life is a journey, not perfect but I've learned, most (if not all) of my problems are from trying to do things my own way my whole life, without waiting on God or asking His will. Now, in all truth and honesty, I'm reaping what "I" have sewn. But, God has a plan.

He could make my life perfect, He could clear up all my problems without blinking an eye but then what would that teach me. Just like a child, I must learn lessons from my mistakes. As I write this, I know He is working everything out. I know He is providing all my needs and even some of my wants, I have to wait on Him and I have to keep my faith in Him. How could I learn to depend on God for my every need if satan were not attacking me and I wasn't going through trials. God has a plan.

Now is the time -- for all of us. There may not be another day, or even another breath.

If you are facing trials and temptations, turn to Him. If you stumble or fail miserably, as I do daily, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, ask God for forgiveness and guidance and try again.

God has a plan.

Think about Jesus - what He did for all of us. Trying to live in God's will is not easy, no one said it would be, but the rewards are "out of this world". Don't expect to never see trials, troubles or temptations again, what would that teach us? We must keep our faith, stay in touch with God through prayer and His written word. Claim His promises, they were written just for YOU.

God has a plan, a perfect plan.

If you enjoy reading these blogs about what God is doing and has done, check out my friend Joseph's blog http://serious-things.com/

May God richly bless you,

his servant

pray for the peace of Jerusalem

Do not ask the Lord to guide your footsteps. if you are not willing to move your feet.

If I say I love you....

John 4:20-21..20) If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 21) And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

It is easy to say we love God when it doesn't cost us anything more than weekly attendance in church. The real test is how we treat the people in front of us--our family, fellow believers, our neighbors. We cannot fully love God while neglecting to love those created in His image.

Love is a choice - an action.

John said "God is love" NOT "love is God". The world has turned the word love into a selfish and shallow word. The world thinks love is what makes you feel good and is willing to sacrifice even their own moral principles and those of others to obtain such love. That is selfishness, not real love!! Jesus is our example of real love. Read 1 Chorinthians 13:4-7.

Our society confuses love with lust. Unlike lust, God's kind of love is directed outward toward others, not inward toward ourselves. It is totally unselfish. This kind of love goes against our natural inclinations. It is possible only if God helps us set aside our own desires and instincts so that we can give love while expecting nothing in return. Thus, the closer we come to Christ the more love we will show to others. Jesus is our example of real love. God is the source of our love, He loved us enough to sacrifice everything for us. He sees inside our hearts and loves us anyway. This is the way we should love. If God who created us can love us through (inspite of) our sins, who are we not to love one another "inspite of" our differences, "inspite of" what we perceive their actions or words to show us about them.

I've heard people say they've "tried" to love so and so but they just can't because they act like hypocrites or they lie or they don't do this or don't do that. It isn't up to us to judge. God doesn't instruct us to judge, in fact, He instructs us to "judge not". Luke 6:37, Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive and ye shall be forgiven. God instructs us to love, He gave His only son, the supreme sacrifice to die for those very sins in all of us that we so easily point out in others but don't see in ourselves. Luke 6: 41, And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye? When Jesus died on the cross, He didn't say, "this is for Matthew, Mark, and Luke but not for John, Peter and Tawana", He died for ALL, so that we ALL could be forgiven. Remember His words in John 13:34, A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

Love is a choice - Christ "chose" to love us.

How well do you display your love for God in the choices you make and the actions you take?

1 John 4:16-17 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 17) Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as he is, so are we in this world.

Thank you

pray for the peace of Israel

God bless

TawanaB

Four Boyfriends

I'm cheating :) My daughter sent me this email and although I don't know it's original author (or I would credit them), I thought it was worth passing on. If you read this and know who the original author is please take a moment to leave me a comment so I can give them credit. This is very thought provoking.

THIS TURNED OUT TO BE SO DIFFERENT FROM WHAT I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE.. IT IS A WONDERFUL WONDERFUL MESSAGE!!
ENJOY

Once upon a time there was a girl who had four boyfriends.

She loved the fourth boyfriend the most and adorned him with rich robes and treated him to the finest of delicacies. She gave him nothing but the best.

She also loved the third boyfriend very much and was always showing him off to neighboring kingdoms. However, she feared that one day he would leave her for another.

She also loved her second boyfriend. He was her confidant and was always kind, considerate and patient with her. Whenever this girl faced a problem, she could confide in him, and he would help her get through the difficult times.

The girl' s first boyfriend was a very loyal partner and had made great contributions in maintaining her wealth and kingdom. However, she did not love the first boyfriend Although he loved her deeply, she hardly took notice of him!

One day, the girl fell ill and she knew her time was short. She thought of her luxurious life and wondered, 'I now have four boyfriends with me, but when I die, will I be a alone.'

Thus, she asked the fourth boyfriend, 'I loved you the most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?
'No way!', replied the fourth boyfriend, and he walked away without another word.

His answer cut like a sharp knife right into her heart.

The sad girl then asked the third boyfriend, 'I loved you all my life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?' 'No!', replied the third boyfriend. 'Life is too good! When you die, I'm going to marry someone else!' Her heart sank and turned cold

She then asked the second boyfriend, 'I have always turned to you for help and you've always been there for me. When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?'

'I'm sorry, I can't help you out this time!', replied the second boyfriend. 'At the very most, I can only walk with you to your grave.'
His answer struck her like a bolt of lightning, and the girl was devastated.


Then a voice called out: 'I'll go with you. I'll follow you no matter where you go.' The girl looked up, and there was her first boyfriend. He was very skinny as he suffered from malnutrition and neglect.

Greatly grieved, the girl said, 'I should have taken much better care of you when I had the chance!'

In truth, you have four boyfriends in your lives:

Your fourth boyfriend is your body. ! No matter how much time and effort you lavish in making it look good, it will leave you when you die.

Your third boyfriend is your possessions, status and wealth.When you die, it will all go to others.

Your second boyfriend is your family and friends. No matter how much they have been there for you, the furthest they can stay by you is up to the grave.


And your first boyfriend is your soul. Often neglected in pursuit of wealth, power and pleasures of the world.

However, your soul is the only thing that will follow you where ever you go. Cultivate, strengthen and cherish it now, for it is the only part of you that will follow you to the throne of God and continue with you throughout Eternity. In essence, it's the REAL you......

Thought for the day: Remember, when the world pushes you to your knees, you're in the perfect position to pray.
Being happy doesn't mean everything's perfect. It means you've decided to see beyond the imperfections.
God bless, hope everyone has a safe holiday week-end.
Tawanab