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by Mary Benton on Monday, Feb 2nd, 2009 at 05:17 pm
WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU HERE FOR
You are no accident. God did not have to create any of us. The fact is God chose to
create each one of us individually. He deliberately chose every detail and custom made
each one just the way He wanted us.
Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;
Before you were born I sanctified you;
I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
God created us to be involved in what He is doing and what He is going to do.
Luke 2:25-32 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation (comfort-to give strength and hope to) of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, 28 he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:
29 “ Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace,
According to Your word;
30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation
31 Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,
32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel.”
God even wanted people involved with bringing His Son into this world. So He revealed it to individuals that would receive it as a revelation from Him, people that would anticipate the Messiah’s birth and people that would partner with Him by praying for Jesus’ birth.
Not only did the Father have those anticipating and praying for the Messiah to come, He also sent a set-up man, a fore-runner to prepare the way. As far as we know John the Baptist never performed any miracles yet Jesus said:
Luke 7:28 "For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."
Jesus wasn’t saying that the people in heaven were greater than John. He was talking about a realm of living that was soon to become available to every believer. John prophesied of Christ’s coming and went so far as to confess his personal need for it.
Matthew 3:11 “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Matthew 3:14 And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”
Not one of the Old Testament prophets not even John had what was about to be offered to the least of all saints. The baptism in the Holy Spirit makes a lifestyle available to us that not even John had access to. Jesus showed us this lifestyle through His example, and then He gave us the promise of its availability.
Mt 13:17 “for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
Jesus is talking about the Holy Spirit here.
Luke 17:20 (New living translation) One day the Pharisees asked Jesus, “When will the Kingdom of God come?” Jesus replied, “The Kingdom of God can’t be detected by visible signs. 21 You won’t be able to say, ‘Here it is!’ or ‘It’s over there!’ For the Kingdom of God is already among you.”
What and who is among us? The Holy Spirit. The Kingdom of God is in the Holy Spirit.
1. Romans 14:17
for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
2. Romans 15:13
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
We have got to know that we were sinners, but now we are Saints of God save by Grace.
Ephesians 2:19-22 (New International Version) 19Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, 20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
1Pe 1:23 Having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever.
2Co 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
2Co 6:18 “I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the LORD Almighty.”
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
So we know from these scriptures that we can live confident in our Father’s love and in the dream He has in His heart for us.
What is that dream?
God’s dream is that His reign His dominion would extend across the earth Just as He originally intended with Adam and Eve.
Genesis 1:28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
Deuteronomy 6:11-12; 7:2-3, 22
Joshua 13:2, 13; 16:10; 23:4-5, 12-13
Judges 1:21,24,27,29,30,31,33; 2:7,10-11,21; 3:5-7; 21:25
God’s dream is that we would believe the experience of the early church was meant to be our experience.
Acts 3:6-9 Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” 7 And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. 8 So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God.
Acts 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.
Acts 4:31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness
Acts 5:15 so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them.
Acts 8:20-23 But Peter said to him, “Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money! 21 You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. 22 Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. 23 For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.”
Acts 14:1-3 Now it happened in Iconium that they went together to the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks believed. 2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren. 3 Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.
Acts 16:6-10 Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. 7 After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. 8 So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.
Acts 19:8 And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God.
Acts 19:11 Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.
Acts 28:23 So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening.
God’s dream is that each one of us would personally tend the fire of the Holy Spirit within. Out of the warmth of that fellowship (the kingdom of God within) with Him we extend that love to others.
God’s dream is that we in purity and devotion to Jesus, being anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power, we go about doing good, healing all who are oppressed by the devil just like Jesus.(Acts10:28)
John 20:21 As the Father has sent me I also send you!
God’s dream is that where ever we are, we look at each morning as a new adventure with Him. What do I get to participate in with Him today? Will I get to lay hands on someone hurting in their body and see them made well? Will I get to share counsel from the Great Counselor that will bring healing to someone’s heart? Will God use me today to do something that will make someone feel His love?
As the Father has sent me I also send you!
God’s dream is that each one of His children all over the world will go about confronting the kingdoms of darkness and bring the goodness of God’s rule in heaven into their lives and to the part of the earth they dwell in. We can be the person who changes the odds for those in need.
Isa. 59:16 And He saw that there was no man and wondered that there was no intercessor [no one to intervene on behalf of truth and right]; therefore His own arm brought Him victory, and His own righteousness.
Jesus told us in: John 14:12-14 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. 13. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14. If you ask anything in My name I will do it.
As the Father has sent me so I send you!
God’s dream is that we no longer hide what He has done for us but through faith we see not only what God has given us but that we see what He has given us multiplied to others. God’s dream is that we share our testimonies of what He has done and is doing through us and in doing so encouraging others to step out of their comfort zone and risk an invasion of the Holy Spirit into lives of others.
As the Father has sent me so I send you!
Matthew 16:19 And I will give unto thee the keys (authority) of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Matthew 28:18 All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
Luke 9:1-2 Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. 2And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.
Luke 10:9 Heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. (The Kingdom of God is near you now)
Luke 12:32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
As the Father has sent me so I send you!
First recorded words that Jesus spoke: Luke 2:49 Did you not know that I must be about my Father’s business.
What was the Father’s business?
Luke 4:18 “ The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.”
As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”
Each one of us was put on earth to make a contribution. We weren’t created just to consume resources to eat, breath, and take up space until He comes to us or for us. We were created to become like Christ. God designed each one of us to make a difference with our lives. God has a purpose for each one of our lives. God created us so that in the power of the Holy Spirit we would be in a personal relationship with Him doing “the stuff” He loves to do bringing his reign to the planet.
1 Corinthians 6:9 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. 8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.
9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building.
John 4:35-38 Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! 36 And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37 For in this the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.”
We must be a vision oriented people.
Let us live for a generation to see God. What we do here in our lifetime will make it easier for a generation we may never see to enter into an intimacy with the Father that we only dreamed about. What we do here in our lifetime will set the stage for a generation we may never see to rise to a faith level that we never reached. One generation’s ceiling should be the next generation’s floor. Far too long each generation has had to start over.
Our past in God should not be our future but it should shape our future.
Esther 4:13-16 And Mordecai told them to answer Esther: “Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. 14 For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
15 Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai: 16 “Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!”
We are all birthed with a divine purpose and destiny for our lives. Let us believe in God in each other so we are not limited like Jesus was, due to the Nazarenes knowing Him after the flesh, knowing Him before He was baptized in the Holy Spirit.(Mk.6:1-7) Let us know each other after the spirit, not our flesh(2cor.5:16). Let’s go after that place where we are surprised if someone is not healed when any of us practice healing in the name of Jesus.
Once again He will have those anticipating and praying for the Messiah to come. Once again He will have fore-runners to prepare the way. Only this time it will be His Bride filled with His power.
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