Purpose Plan and Progression w Passion

Purpose Plan Progression w Passion

[I was lead to explore certain scriptures on this theme, and I will let them speak for themselves.]

1)    God has a Purpose for my Life. 

 Exo_9:16  But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.

1Ch_12:33  Of Zebulun 50,000 seasoned troops, equipped for battle with all the weapons of war, to help David with singleness of purpose.

2) AS WE WALK INTO THAT PURPOSE THERE MAY BE CHALLENGES.                 Psa 57:1  A Miktam of David, when he fled from Saul, in the cave. Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by. 2  I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me.

Psa 138:7  Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me. 8  The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.

-        3) God's purpose is formed in Every aspect of Creation.
         Even though it may seem others are finding their purpose with ease, we must take hope that God’s purpose is being revealed and released even in times of turmoil and danger.

-         Pro_16:4  The LORD has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble.

-         Pro_19:21  Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.

-         Pro_20:5  The purpose in a man's heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.

-         Isa 55:10  "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11  so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. 12  "For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

-         God’s Word speaks into creation, like the clouds and they fulfill their purpose… imagine what God would speak into your life.

-         When we walk into God’s purpose we shall ‘go out w joy, lead forth in peace.

-         Job 10:12  You have granted me life and steadfast love, and your care has preserved my spirit. 13  Yet these things you hid in your heart; I know that this was your purpose. We must seek out the purpose of our lives, knowing that God in His wisdom, has hidden the fullness of His Purpose for us

4) God has developed a Plan to meet that Purpose.

- Psa_20:4  May he grant you your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans!

Psa_33:11  The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations.

Pro_16:1  The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.

Pro_16:3  Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established.

Pro_16:9  The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.

Jer_29:11  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.

5)   God will determine our Progression.

Php 1:24  But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25  Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 26  so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.

- 1Ti 4:13  Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. 14  Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. 15  Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. 16  Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.

• -         Like a Lorry driver with a specific task, we must load our vehicle and go on our assigned route.
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• -         When that driver comes to a railway crossing, he is advised to STOP, LISTEN AND PROCEED. 

Good advice for those on a journey, when something crosses our path we need to know when something may Disturb, Distract, or Delay us from God's purpose!

• The People of God are ‘on the WAY’ but how shall we journey so that we get to the place, when and how God has assigned for us;   

6) We need to journey in a way that God's Progress meets our Progress.                                               

•       Gen 32:1  Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.2  And when Jacob saw them he said, "This is God's camp!" So he called the name of that place Mahanaim.[Mahanaim means "place of TWO camps"]

-As you move forward in your purpose and 'camp' with those of your company, are you aware of the supernatural company that has been assigned to accompany you?
Rth 1:6  Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the fields of Moab that the LORD had visited his people and given them food. 7  So she set out from the place where she was with her two daughters-in-law, and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. [When Ruth and Naomi were in covenant agreement they could move forward.]                                                                  Jos 1:8  This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. >> Abiding in the Word is self-evident! 
 1Ki 19:14  He said, "I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away." 15  And the LORD said to him, "Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. 
>> Sometimes we might grieve for the godlessness in our own nation.  God may call you to a foreign place to see your purpose fulfilled.  This has been my testimony as I have moved from Canada to East Africa.
>> It has also been God's purpose for us, now that I have a family, to move back to Canada and settle in the very city that I had left 18 yrs before.

              You have been equipped, empowered and imparted to go forth in God's Perfect Plan and Will for you.

Favour: Esther's Gift

Favor – from a message by Bill Winston 

“I decree and declare that I walk in favor, my petitions will be granted, any hindrance will be cast aside.”

-A moment of favor is worth a lifetime of labor – Bill Winston

Favour in the Life of Esther. Est_2:15  Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king's chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her.

Est_2:17  And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.

Est_5:2  And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favour in his sight: and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther drew near, and touched the top of the sceptre.

Est_5:8  If I have found favour in the sight of the king, and if it please the king to grant my petition, and to perform my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare for them, and I will do to morrow as the king hath said.

Est_7:3  Then Esther the queen answered and said, If I have found favour in thy sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request:

Est_8:5  And said, If it please the king, and if I have found favour in his sight, and the thing seem right before the king, and I be pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews which are in all the king's provinces:

Mordecai the Agagite: possibly a descendant of Agag the Amelikite king slain at the word of Samuel. which was the final act of betrayal in Saul’s reign. 1Sa 15:32  Then Samuel shouted, "Bring me King Agag of Amalek!" Agag came in chains, and he was saying to himself, "Surely they won't kill me now."

1Sa 15:33  But Samuel said, "Agag, you have snatched children from their mothers' arms and killed them. Now your mother will be without children." Then Samuel chopped Agag to pieces at the place of worship in Gilgal.

-From these words of Samuel, it is very evident that Agag had carried on his wars with great cruelty, and had therefore forfeited his life according to the lex talionis. Samuel then hewed him in pieces “before the Lord at Gilgal,” i.e., before the altar of Jehovah there; for the slaying of Agag being the execution of the ban, was an act performed for the glory of God.

1Sa 15:34  Samuel went home to Ramah, and Saul returned to his home in Gibeah.

1Sa 15:35  Even though Samuel felt sad about Saul, Samuel never saw him again. The LORD was sorry he had made Saul the king of Israel.

-        In this final episode b/w Samuel and Saul it must have grieved Samuel that things had turned as they did.  Samuel had been God’s instrument to elevate Saul to such a position…. He had released God’s Favor into his life… and Saul had abused and despised that favour.

1 Samuel 15:34-35 [K & D]

After the prophet had thus maintained the rights of Jehovah in the presence of Saul, and carried out the ban upon Agag, he returned to his own home at Ramah; and Saul went to his house at Gibeah. From that time forward Samuel broke off all intercourse with the king whom Jehovah had rejected. “For Samuel was grieved for Saul, and it repented the Lord that he had made Saul king,” i.e., because Samuel had loved Saul on account of his previous election; and yet, as Jehovah had rejected him unconditionally, he felt that he was precluded from doing anything to effect a change of heart in Saul, and his reinstatement as king.

-        Saul was elected and anointed by God, but once secure he ‘went to his own home’. David by contrast, never relented in showing his thanksgiving to Jehovah, going as far as preparing the Temple.

Favour depends entirely upon God. Job 10:12  You, the source of my life, showered me with kindness and watched over me.

-        Isa 65:16  I am God! I can be trusted. Your past troubles are gone; I no longer think of them. When you pray for someone to receive a blessing, or when you make a promise, you must do it in my name. I alone am the God who can be trusted.

-        Does the concept of ‘trusted’ here encompass the release of favour into one’s life?  The Hebrew word here is ‘amen’=so be it, this is truth, the matter is settled…. “God said it and I believe it!”

-        Isa 65:17  I am creating new heavens and a new earth; everything of the past will be forgotten. 18  Celebrate and be glad forever! I am creating a Jerusalem, full of happy people. 19  I will celebrate with Jerusalem and all of its people; there will be no more crying or sorrow in that city. [AND in your city and situation!!]

-        Isa 65:20  No child will die in infancy; everyone will live to a ripe old age. Anyone a hundred years old will be considered young, and to die younger than that will be considered a curse. 21  My people will live in the houses they build; they will enjoy grapes from their own vineyards. 22  No one will take away their homes or vineyards. My chosen people will live to be as old as trees, and they will enjoy what they have earned.

Isaiah was given revelation on this at several points, but reminding the people of it in a time of adversity [ie post Uzziah Is 6:1, where people had come to rely on a stable government]

-        Isa 32:15  When the Spirit is given to us from heaven, deserts will become orchards thick as fertile forests.

-        Isa 32:16  Honesty and justice will prosper there, 17  and justice will produce lasting peace and security.

-        Isa 32:18  You, the LORD's people, will live in peace, calm and secure, 19  even if hailstones flatten forests and cities.

-        Isa 32:20  You will have God's blessing, as you plant your crops beside streams, while your donkeys and cattle roam freely about.

-        God will bless/prosper/favour all of your activities.

This is not just the promise to God’s chosen but even to the empires that have oppressed them: Isa 19:22  After the LORD has punished Egypt, the people will turn to him. Then he will answer their prayers, and the Egyptians will be healed.

Isa 19:23  At that time a good road will run from Egypt to Assyria. The Egyptians and the Assyrians will travel back and forth from Egypt to Assyria, and they will worship together. 24  Israel will join with these two countries. They will be a blessing to everyone on earth, 25  then the LORD All-Powerful will bless them by saying, "The Egyptians are my people. I created the Assyrians and chose the Israelites."

-        Here, the nation of Israel is receiving God’s favour, not only within itself but as an equal partner w the great empires of the day.

[Keil & Deilitsch] Israel is added to the covenant between Egypt and Asshur, so that it becomes a tripartite covenant in which Israel forms the “third part” (sheilshiyyâh, tertia pars, like ‛ası̄ryyâh, decima pars, in Isa_6:13). Israel has now reached the great end of its calling - to be a blessing in “the midst of the earth” (b'kereb hâ'âretz, in the whole circuit of the earth), all nations being here represented by Egypt and Assyria. Hitherto it had been only to the disadvantage of Israel to be situated between Egypt and Assyria. The history of the Ephraimitish kingdom, as well as that of Judah, clearly proves this. If Israel relied upon Egypt, it deceived itself, and was deceived; and if it relied on Assyria, it only became the slave of Assyria, and had Egypt for a foe. Thus Israel was in a most painful vise between the two great powers of the earth, the western and the eastern powers. But how will all this be altered now! Egypt and Assyria become one in Jehovah, and Israel the third in the covenant. Israel is lo longer the only nation of God, the creation of God, the heir of God; but all this applies to Egypt and Assyria now, as well as to Israel. To give full expression to this, Israel's three titles of honour are mixed together, and each of the three nations receives one of the choice names - nachali, “my inheritance,” being reserved for Israel, as pointing back to its earliest history. This essential equalization of the heathen nations and Israel is no degradation to the latter. For although from this time forward there is to be no essential difference between the nations in their relation to God, it is still the God of Israel who obtains this universal recognition, and the nation of Israel that has become, according to the promise, the medium of blessing to the world.

More Wilderness Reflections from Isaiah 35

Isa 35:1  The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. 2  It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God.

solitary place — literally, “a dry place,” without springs of water. A moral wilderness is meant. The very wilderness which holds us captive is actually welcoming us as a place of transformation.  As w fasting, this wilderness experience will change who we are.

for them — namely, on account of the punishment inflicted according to the preceding prophecy on the enemy; probably the blessings set forth in this chapter are included in the causes for joy (Isa_55:12). Are you one of those who have felt like you were wandering in the wilderness and cannot find a way out?  Then this reflection is for you!

rose — rather, “the meadow-saffron,” an autumnal flower with bulbous roots; so Syriac translation. These thick roots gather the water from the parched soil to sustain itself in the wilderness. We have been chosen to be a rose in the desert.

glory of Lebanon — its ornament, namely, its cedars (Isa_10:34). From barren wilderness to a forest of mighty cedars. excellency of Carmel — namely, its beauty.  Sharon — famed for its fertility. In  3 words: The majestic and fertile beauty…. Like a woman who is radiant but for her husband alone… that they may bring forth life.

see ... glory of the Lord ... excellency —While the wilderness which had neither “glory” nor “excellency” shall have both “given to it,” the Lord shall have all the “glory” and “excellency” ascribed to Him, not to the transformed wilderness [Mat 5:16  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.]

Note also: Isa 40:5  And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

Now what is our response to this Wilderness Call?  What are we to do? Let’s continue this passage.

Isa 35:3  Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. 4  Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.

Strengthen ... hands ... confirm ... knees — The Hebrew for “strengthen” refers to the strength residing in the hand for grasping and holding a thing manfully; “confirm,” to the firmness with which one keeps his ground, so as not to be dislodged by any other [Maurer]. Encourage the Jews, now desponding, by the assurance of the blessings promised. Hands are for working and knees are for praying… two components of the ‘Body of Christ’ that have become weakened and ineffective.

fearful — “hasty,” Margin; that is, with a heart fluttered with agitation. So much stress you feel like you might have a heart attack.

with — the Hebrew is more forcible than the English Version: “God will come, vengeance! even God, a recompense!” The sense is the same.

So if we are faithful to this call… to align ourselves w God’s will for his people in the wilderness.  God’s ‘then’ for his people…

Isa 35:5  Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.  6  Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. 7  And [then] the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes.

Jesus responded with compassion when a loved one needed a touch of God’s healing hand. [see Luk 7:2; 2Jon 1:5, 2Jon 1:8; Act 3:2] and this is our call, let us hear the heart of those coming to seek a touch from God.

Spiritually we have deliverance from disease.. and emotionally we feel an unquenchable JOY! We will leap and sing… and all of this in the midst of our wilderness! leap — literally, “fulfilled” (Act 3:8; Act 14:10 two of those healed get up and leap for joy). sing — joyful thanksgiving.                     in ... wilderness ... waters — (Isa_41:18).

parched ground — rather, “the mirage (Hebrew, Sharab, ‘the sun’s heat’) shall become a (real) lake.” The sun’s rays refracted on the glowing sands at midday give the appearance of a lake of water and often deceive the thirsty traveler (compare Jer_2:13; Isa_41:18).

dragons — rather, “jackals.”, that is, scavengers of the wilderness.   grass — rather, “a place for reeds,” (which only grow where there is water, Job_8:11). Where once there was no water, water shall abound.

   This is the spiritual environment that revival will bring.  The wilderness in which we find ourselves will be transformed.  Now let us come to the verse that we all know….

Isa 35:8  And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. 9  No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there: 10  And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

highway — such a causeway or raised way, from a Hebrew root, “to cast up”) as was used for the march of armies; valleys being filled up, hills and other obstructions removed (Isa_62:10; compare Isa_40:3, Isa_40:4).

way of holiness — Hebraism for “the holy way.” Horsley translates, “the way of the Holy One;” but the words that follow, and Isa_35:10, show it is the way leading the redeemed back to Jerusalem, both the literal and the heavenly (Isa_52:1; Joe_3:17; Rev_21:27); still Christ at His coming again shall be the Leader on the way, for which reason it is called, “The way of the Lord” (Isa_40:3; Mal_3:1).

it shall be for those: the wayfaring men — rather, “He (the Holy One) shall be with them, walking in the way” [Horsley].

though fools — rather, “And (even) fools,” that is, the simple shall not go astray, namely, because “He shall be with them” (Mat_11:25; 1Co_1:26-28).

No lion — such as might be feared on the way through the wilderness which abounded in wild beasts, back to Judea. Every danger shall be warded off the returning people (Isa_11:6-9; Eze_34:25; Hos_2:18). Compare spiritually, Pro_3:17. None of the ‘beasts of society’ will disturb distract or discourage you.