Saturday, September 20, 2014

God Has a Wonderful Plan for Your Life...



Hello Friends!

The world’s most popular “gospel” message in recent times has been drawing in lost souls by promising God’s wonderful plan for their life. But behind the façade of the “wonderful plan” message is the often neglected and stark reality of the trials, temptations and persecution…

In fact, Jesus Christ promised to His disciples:  

Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues Matthew 10:16-17

The Apostle Paul certainly would not agree with the “wonderful plan” false mesage. In fact, here is just a small taste of the “wonderful plan” which was promised to Paul by the Lord via Ananias (see Acts 9:16):

Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep… 2 Corinthians 11:25

Does Paul’s testimony of severe persecution sound anything like the “Best Life Now” foolishness that is being promoted throughout modern-day evangelicalism? I don’t think so – and I’m quite certain Paul wouldn’t think so either!

Here are a few more very important questions to consider: 

  • Why do 9 out of 10 children raised in Christian homes leave the faith? 
  • Why do many “professing” Christians show little or no evidence for their faith? 
  • Why do 80–90% of those making “decisions” for Jesus Christ fall away from the faith?

In consideration of those telling questions, does today’s common “wonderful plan” Gospel approach align with the true Christian’s faith walk? How can we reconcile these two completely antithetical messages? These are all eternally important questions to ponder… And the Scriptures provide the answers!

The Ten Commandments will force us to reexamine our ideas about the true Gospel message and will convict us to reach unbelievers the way God intended – through His Righteous Moral Law found in the book of Exodus…

The Ten Commandments - Exodus 20:1-17

And God spoke all these words, saying: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage…

1. You shall have no other gods before me.

2. You shall not make for yourself any carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.

4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, or your son, or your daughter, or your manservant, or your maidservant, or your cattle, or your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

5. Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.

6. You shall not murder.

7. You shall not commit adultery.

8. You shall not steal.

9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”

Loving and compassionate Biblical evangelism has always been “Law to the proud” and “Grace to the humble” – Old Testament and New Testament:

Surely He scorns the scornful, But gives grace to the humble – Proverbs 3:34

God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble1 Peter 5:5

In our evangelism efforts, let’s be certain to share all of God’s Attributes – His Character and Nature – when presenting the true, Biblical Gospel message – His Love and His Law!

May the Lord Jesus Christ continue to bless you with His perfect love, mercy and grace!

Keep looking up and sharing the Gospel while there is still time… Hallelujah and Maranatha – come quickly Lord Jesus!

Blessings!
Shane <><

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