Tuesday – September 13, 2016
It is Tuesday and I greet you in the name of my Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ. God is well beyond good, we must recognize that Truth and proclaim it at all times. The head of the other kingdom (Satan) will steal, kill, and destroy in our lives so let’s each of us purpose to make the Word of God ours displacing (Law of Displacement) any corruption of the devil or of men. Please be reminded to pray for the many layers of governments in the United States and today for our friends to the north in Canada. Today I have highlighted the Province of British Columbia. Image is from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Now let’s return to our text in Ephesians.
Ephesians 1:9-11 (KJV)
9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
I think in a colloquial way we could say that the Lord is tickled pink to have made known His will to us. He is not hiding anything from us. There is a certain fear about knowing the will of God which is that it will include pain and suffering. Nothing could be further from the truth. One might say: “He done did that in our place already”. He is not looking for us to crawl through the mud here on the earth and then suddenly be translated at death or the catching away to velvet sheets in Heaven.
As we look at our text and the phrase “his good pleasure” do we suppose that He gets some perverted sense of satisfaction from our suffering? The word ‘suffering’ as it relates to the Church has to do with putting up with the junk of the world, the Devil. It is never the will of God for us to suffer with regard to money, health, or any other area of life. Making a long story very short, our suffering at every level is due to our own thoughts, words, and actions, not His will. I realize you may either be shouting with joy or you may be coughing and spitting because this is so different than what you are told Sunday after Sunday. The message of the Church frequently is that this is a white knuckle struggle filled with poverty and pain but it will all be worth it over there. Sound familiar. That is the rubbish of the Devil. Jesus said His yoke was easy and His burden light.
Back to our text, seems to me that the use of the words “good pleasure” is good concerning us. Remember we are made in His image and likeness, so whatever He would consider ‘good pleasure’ we would consider good pleasure as well. When we as earthly parents express our will for our children is it is lead them into misery? Or is our will, our good pleasure, going to translate into good things for them? Come on now, this is not a trick question. Generally one choice made by our child will lead to danger and discipline and the other to a reward and safety. Let’s look at this idea of ‘His good pleasure’ in a few other verses.
Luke 12:32 (KJV)
32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father‘s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Jesus says; get the fear out of your head because fear corrupts love (obedience to the Word), faith (believing the Word), and hope (the certain performance of the Word). Focus on the idea, the reality, that our Heavenly Father is excited to give us the Kingdom. We live in the same kingdom as our Heavenly Father, it is contiguous, and there is no separation. Do you live in the main house and keep your kids in an uncooled, unheated, and unfurnished shack in the back yard? Of course not! Now that is where most of the Church is and the Father is in tears to get us to believe and come into the House and be a partaker of the Kingdom. There is not a difference between us and the world, the kingdom where the leader (Satan) steals, kills, and destroys at every opportunity, if we are not on the abundance side in every aspect of life. I am not talking easy breezy, there is the good fight of faith, but when properly engaged we win every time. Believe me that is very attractive to the world, where it is win some lose some (in the end lose them all).
Ephesians 1:5 (KJV)
5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
We are in the Kingdom of God, adopted, making us as a first born son with the double portion and the blessing. That is the same double portion as Jesus and the same blessing as Jesus.
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 (KJV)
11 Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power:
12 That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
In Christ Jesus the Father has made us worthy (2 Thessalonians 1:5), the question is; will we receive it and walk in it to show His abundant overflowing goodness? God wants us to be a walking exhibit of His goodness and our faith to be a demonstration project of power not empty words.
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
