The Plan
A thought or two from the weekend encounter at emmanuel/ Philippians 4.18-19.
When surrounded by need..... hunger, pain, death, thirst, AIDS pandemic..... the challenge that we, as Christ followers, face is to demonstrate that God is good. Life is harsh and God is good. How do these two realities co-exist?
God has this beautiful plan to demonstrate His goodness and His grace. It's a daunting plan, but a great plan! His plan to demonstrate His goodness is us. The body of Christ.... the individual Christ-follower. It's our responsibility... our role to live out the goodness of God in this time and in our generation. We are Plan A. Perhaps the most terrifying reality is that God doesn't have Plan B! He looked at a group of followers a couple thousand years ago and said to them, 'you guys are the plan. I will live life through you and you will demonstrate the beauty of our God in this earth. I have put on flesh, walked with you and will pour out everything in order to live for and through you. So, plan A - it's you!!' I would imagine that those guys had the same reaction as we do today.
A thought or two from the weekend encounter at emmanuel/ Philippians 4.18-19.
When surrounded by need..... hunger, pain, death, thirst, AIDS pandemic..... the challenge that we, as Christ followers, face is to demonstrate that God is good. Life is harsh and God is good. How do these two realities co-exist?
God has this beautiful plan to demonstrate His goodness and His grace. It's a daunting plan, but a great plan! His plan to demonstrate His goodness is us. The body of Christ.... the individual Christ-follower. It's our responsibility... our role to live out the goodness of God in this time and in our generation. We are Plan A. Perhaps the most terrifying reality is that God doesn't have Plan B! He looked at a group of followers a couple thousand years ago and said to them, 'you guys are the plan. I will live life through you and you will demonstrate the beauty of our God in this earth. I have put on flesh, walked with you and will pour out everything in order to live for and through you. So, plan A - it's you!!' I would imagine that those guys had the same reaction as we do today.
I have this intense responsibility to listen to God... to know Him well... to know His heart.... and to be keenly attuned to His promptings. Then, to join Him at work and release on earth a taste of heaven. That's what God expects from us. Actually, I think that will be good news for this world! I am thankful.... I am grateful... I am stunned to be a part of God's plan. To be in the middle of the fray as I point toward the redeeming work of Jesus Christ is intensely exciting. It is also overwhelming.
So, realizing that you and I are Plan A... that God has invited us into His plan of reconciling men, women, and children to Himself. I think Jesus teaches us a bit about how to actualize His Plan A. He was standing on a hillside with thousands and thousands of people. He was surrounded by His disciples. The people were hungry. They didn't want to go home. Jesus asked the disciples what to do. They said, send 'em home. Let them fend for themselves. Jesus smiled.... looked at His Plan A and asked, agai
n, what should we do. They looked around at the magnitude of need and no resources to meet that need. Jesus said, 'what do you have? Will you just give me what you have?' The disciples found a kid who had a sack lunch and they said, 'here's what we've got.'
n, what should we do. They looked around at the magnitude of need and no resources to meet that need. Jesus said, 'what do you have? Will you just give me what you have?' The disciples found a kid who had a sack lunch and they said, 'here's what we've got.' What they had... given to Christ... was more than enough. A sack lunch fed thousands and they had leftovers. I love to be a part of God's Plan A. I love that I can actually join Him in His passion to reconcile all people to Himself. Perhaps we find the capacity to meet needs in this earth with the same principles. What do I have? Can Jesus have it? He might just take it and have a bit leftover when He has finished. After all, He is good...... His name, character, and passion released in this earth is good news. His plan is good....it involves me.... it involves you.... it is infused by Christ. It's a good plan. It's a plan that invokes our passion and a life of purpose. Bring your sack lunch and let's feed, nurture, and exclaim the name of Christ to the nations.
Feel free to add to the commentary by clicking on comment below.
For the Glory,
Mark
1 comment:
It is amazing! It is also overwhelming and the enemy fights for us...he wants us to believe what we have is not enough for God...not enough....and it isn't apart from Christ..apart from his body...plan A...amazing!
Post a Comment