No King BUT Christ no. 10

“One can devise many plans in one’s mind, but Adonai ’s plan will prevail” (Mishlei (Pro) 19:21). I have had a lot of plans that turned into other plans because of Him. As I often state when I talk about my journey that started three years ago with the plague, I had no idea that this is where I was going to be today. I had a totally different plan to move forward. He had a better plan.

Too often I think that I have arrived. I think that I have reached a rather stable and good place to be. BUT God is always working out something more. He has another plan that is always looking to bring more change and more goodness into the world. And He will accomplish that with or without my help. My choice is really whether I am going to help Him or not because, regardless, His plan is going to happen.

I may not know exactly what He has planned for me BUT I trust in His plan. I might question His plan and the path I am traveling. BUT I really don’t get a choice about the way things are going to be. I get my small part in His plan and that is the limit of my control.

Too often I overestimate my importance in His plan. God wants me to be part of His plan BUT He doesn’t need me to be part of His plan. He invited me to be part of His plan. BUT the plan is going to happen regardless. I can help that plan occur or not. And even when I do the wrong thing or fail Him, His plan is still on track. He knows the ending from the beginning, “You meant to do me harm, but God meant it for good — so that it would come about as it is today, with many people’s lives being saved” (B'resheet (Gen) 50:20). I can’t do anything to derail His plan.

God has plans for all of us. He has a plan for me. I need to listen to Him and follow Him. And His plan is all about goodness. “‘For I know what plans I have in mind for you,’ says Adonai, ‘plans for well-being, not for bad things; so that you can have hope and a future’”(Yirmeyahu (Jer) 29:11). Too often I want to stop moving forward. Too often I think I am messing up His plan. Too often I don’t listen. Regardless, His plan continues. Don’t panic.

Grace and Shalom to your home. The Kingdom of God is now!

I love you. I forgive you. Have a blessed and abundant day!

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoKingButChrist #EmbraceTheWithin #NotMyWayYHWH

No King BUT Christ no. 9

“When he was insulted, he didn’t retaliate with insults; when he suffered, he didn’t threaten, but handed them over to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the stake, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness — by his wounds you were healed. For you used to be like sheep gone astray, but now you have turned to the Shepherd, who watches over you” (1 Kefa (1 Pe) 2:23-25). I need to die to my sins and live for righteousness BUT what happens when I disguise my sin as righteousness? What happens when I haven’t changed my heart BUT only my mind? What happens when I am not transformed by the Good News of His Kingdom? I insult, I retaliate, I threaten, I go astray.

There is a lot of grumbling against brothers and sisters in Jesus, “'Don’t grumble against one another, brothers, so that you won’t come under condemnation — look! the Judge is standing at the door” (Ya'akov (Jas) 5:9)! There are so many divisions to argue over that the Spirit, that is supposed to unify, is replaced with a worldly spirit of divisiveness. “Always be humble, gentle and patient, bearing with one another in love, and making every effort to preserve the unity the Spirit gives through the binding power of shalom . There is one body and one Spirit, just as when you were called you were called to one hope. And there is one Lord, one trust, one immersion, and one God, the Father of all, who rules over all, works through all and is in all” (Ephesians (Eph) 4:2-6). And being humble, gentle, and patient which leads to peace and unity is often cast aside for being right and winning debates. The Spirit is unity. The Spirit is, “. . . love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, self control. Nothing in the Torah stands against such things” (Galatians (Gal) 5:22-23). And too often I lose sight of that because the world is still in my flesh and in my heart.

I have not been back in the Church very long. I spent a lot of time out amongst the Goyim while going to church. And the Goyim have a ‘true believer’ obsession. I am certain you are accustomed to hearing folks say things like “Well, if you believe that then you aren’t a real . . .” and insert whatever label you like. You might not be a real American or libertarian or man or whatever. When we start saying that folks are not real Christians then we start moving into that ‘true believer’ and Goyim idea of judging others. Ultimately, it is not my job to sit in judgment on whether folks are ‘real’ or ‘truly’ anything. I have a lot of work to do in loving God and my neighbor. When I get that part down, I should then think about judging whether someone else has the right theology. A lot of folks that are saved by grace are too worried about folks thinking and doing the wrong thing. I either trust that God will figure it out or I don’t. And I want to trust in Him a lot more than I want to trust in me figuring everything out perfectly. And if that makes me a hypocrite at times, if that makes folks question my theology, if that makes folks think I am not a ‘true believer’ then I suppose that is something else I need to work out in prayer with Him. What I need to work out with you is love.

Grace and Shalom to your home. The Kingdom of God is now!

I love you. I forgive you. Have a blessed and abundant day!

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoKingButChrist #EmbraceTheWithin #NotMyWayYHWH