WHAT PLANS?

Jeremiah 29:8-14
8 For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are in your midst deceive you, nor listen to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed. 9 For they prophesy falsely to you in My name; I have not sent them, says the LORD.

10 For thus says the LORD: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place. 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. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.   NKJV

Now most people within the body of Christ can quote this scripture. The most wonderful thing to hear is that God has thoughts toward us and they are of peace and not of evil to give you and  me a future and a hope! That makes you want to smile, give a shout and give thanks for God has thoughts about us.

In truth all of chapter 29 should be read in its entirety to gain the true picture of what is going on here as this was given.

In reality, the text is meaning that which was taught to the people at the time was by those prophets who only spoke what the people wanted to hear. God was wanting their foundation to be built on the truth of what He wanted for them. It was to be by that Word of God to discern the truth and not heed any false teaching or way. 

Psalm 127:1 

Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand in guard in vain.

These people had been in captivity and God did not want them to put down roots in Babylon. In a foreign place, these men and women dreamed dreams and had desires of the earlier days of freedom and life they had known. But in the place of the captive, one has only the dreams. As they had thought and then spoke on "what they desired" they came up dreaming about it, but alas it was not from God.

I think of ministering to people and especially those who have come from really hard places. In the jail ministry, I think of those who so desire to go back home to their own thing and ways. They would ask for prayer regarding the life they had. But I would always remind them that God had better for them, and His plan was found when we seek Him with our whole heart. 

For finding those who think as you, do as you, is not always good unity. Enlarging our hearts to receive that which we have already experienced, is never from God. He desires us to have the richness in life that brings change as the seasons change.

I remember this happening twice in the last ten years. I had been praying for these different pastors. They seemed to be going forward in the things of God and after sometime, I noticed they seemed to ask the unusual thing to pray for at the time. The asking is good in prayer, to find God's plan if something seems amiss. But when praying for people and that includes pastors, you must give them that word which is given by God for them.

In the case of these people, they wanted to flatter the false prophets so that the words the prophets spoke to them would be the good, the fun, the joyful and flatter me if you will!

So many today and that includes pastors, are still riding around in that 1963 Chevy Panel Wagon, they call ministry, because someone they liked ministered a word to them, and it was a good word. But they are still running ministry based on that word from that time. God desires us to have a good foundation to build hopes upon.  We must be willing to teach that word that God has placed on our hearts. It is important to share with others what God is speaking. 

Luke 12:1-3

12:1 In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. 3 Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops. 

NKJV

God's Word speaks loudly, and will confirm what He is doing. Though these men and women who were in captivity,  had they kept hearing God, they would not be the deceived. But there are those who, like some pastors, who will give only that word which will soothe the man, to give him something he wants to hear and not give them truth when they really need it. Some pastors will do it to keep people coming back week after week. But if we look at other pastors, and I can think of a few off hand, they are giving the TRUTH and we see them gaining momentum that ONLY COMES FROM GOD!

These men and women being separated from the vast numbers in another country, would all be gathered again together and brought to where they were meant to be from the beginning. We too, have the place to be brought together with other individuals, not of the false and the pretentious, but in the word of God that brings truth and light to us in a walk that is fulfilling.

Yes, Jesus came to set captives free. He even said it TO  those WHO needed it the most and they became unhinged and sought to kill HIM!

Luke 4:17-30

And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: 

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;  

19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD."  

20 Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." 22 So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, "Is this not Joseph's son?" 23 He said to them, "You will surely say this proverb to Me, 'Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country.' " 24 Then He said, "Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. 25 But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; 26 but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian." 28 So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, 29 and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff. 30 Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way. NKJV

Yes, rejection was the dominate factor here. They did not want to hear this from the carpenter's son who they knew. They liked the preeminence and gave heed to their own vain appetites. 

Jesus said, "This scripture (this writing) is fulfilled in your hearing". Jesus as the Prophet was giving that which had come. And He was the appointed by God!

"Yes, is not this Joseph's son"? Jesus had spoken with power and was backed up by truth of the Word.

Yes, He came to bring freedom to the captives, to open the eyes that were blind, and especially to those of the oppressed.  Jesus came to show the "new way" to walk, and it was not under a rule of the Pharisees that was hard and very harsh. Jesus bore witness that the Prophet Elijah had been sent to Zarephath in the region of Sidon to the widow. Yes, she was a gentile. And then He brought up the truth that Elijah had seen many lepers in Israel yet, he was sent to Naaman the Syrian. Yikes! GENTILES! THAT WOULD BITE!

So the kindly folk became hostile and wanted Jesus done away with, so they could continue on in their "own way of living".

We must call upon God and hear Him. We must go and pray and seek His plans for us...........that we would not listen to that "smooth talk"..........to stroke that kitty cat fur, but be willing to take a stand with God and find that plan that brings us to freedom for life, to no longer be captive to the past thing or things or held by that last good word spoken decades ago, but to find the fresh Manna that brings us to life and joy in the Holy Ghost! For truly should that Word was given by God decades ago and not by man, it will surely come to pass. It will be fresh, filling, adding zest to make all of our days of wholeness and peace. We should not be weary in this time of season. We should be looking forward to that hope that is within us. For His Word is given to instruct us, leading us in righteousness that is truth and justice, so that we may carry out His plan for us today. So if something does come our way, it will not be because of sin, because we did not want to hear it, but merely be but a very narrow speed bump as we travel on this journey through life with God taking our hand all of the way HOME!

2 Timothy 3:16-17
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.   NKJV

Let's remember these people as the ones who sinned against God and they were sent into captivity. They ended up in Babylon, which is serving the world in bondage. Today we are the "new man in Christ" when we have received Him as Lord. We are to remain, abide in the truth of what God has given us, so that we are not carried off by idolatry and into sin. Our sight should be kept on the Lord Who has Come and Know that HE IS COMING AGAIN, SOON!

 REMEMBER THAT NOT ONE OF GOD'S WORDS WILL FAIL WHEN HE GIVES IT TO YOU!

Father, we thank You for the opportunity to become the "new man" in Christ.
We are thankful for His crucifixion and that we can have life abundantly now in this lifetime. We truly seek to find YOU in the Word and in prayer to hear You speak truths to us. Help us when we are weak, for YOU make us strong. Help us when we might become weary,  Refresh the weary and satisfy the faint. (Jeremiah 31:25) Father, today we are reminded of that from Hebrews 12:1-5 that we willing throw  off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, so that we run with perseverance the race marked out for us. We fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Even as Jesus endured such opposition from sinful men, may we continue forward, not growing weary or losing heart, but face the tomorrows with courage in our hearts that God is for us. It is in Jesus' name we have prayed.  Amen.

You can also visit my Youtube channel The Voice of Prayer for more teaching at http://bit.ly/1tNyBhV