You can have it all!

Different plans

Have you ever once desired to have it all? Well, at one time or another each of us has dreamed big dreams. Have any come through? Several in my case. How about you? At twenty, I planned to be a millionaire by age thirty. That would have been 1967. Didn’t happen. Earlier in my life, my dream was to be an English teacher and a football coach. Neither ever developed. God obviously had bigger plans, at least different ones.

As far as the English is concerned, I have had the joy and privilege of writing poetry and books along the way. Even the material for the ministry, Abiding Fathers. As coach, I coached our daughters and the Sting soccer team for several years. And had the good fortune to be able to teach and disciple (coach) men of all ages. Relative to the wealth, I have been blessed with “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus”.

So, I want to ask a few questions for your consideration. What would you give for these?

An inheritance of the earth
To be comforted
To have the kingdom of heaven
Never hunger or thirst but be filled
To constantly receive undeserved mercy
To be called a son of God
To be able to actually see God
And to rejoice and be glad when persecuted

Quite a Christmas list don’t you think. Well, what it takes to get this bundle of incredible blessings is not simple. But I dare say, well worth the pursuit. Here goes.

Be spiritually bankrupt, be empathetic and mourn for others, be meek (strength under control), be hungry and thirsty for God’s word and righteousness, be pure in heart and thought, be a peacemaker even to your enemies, endure persecution and reviling for Christ’s sake.

The ‘door opener’

What do you think? Does any of this seem possible? Are these your current or desired lifestyle? The first qualification is paramount. You must have received Christ Jesus as your Savior and Lord, by trusting in him alone for your salvation. That is the ‘door opener’. And only by yielding to the power, presence and person of the Holy Spirit, can you move forward into these heavenly blessings.

See, Jesus, on the Mount of Beatitudes delivered the ‘secret sauce’ for all this to be yours. As recorded in Matthew 5. 1-12, Jesus opened his mouth and taught them how to be blessed. We know it as the first part of the Sermon on the Mount. It starts with being poor in spirit, not thinking higher of yourself than you should. And it concludes with being persecuted for your faith. Joyfully, there are unimaginable ‘deferred rewards in heaven’.

God majors in transformations

So, the question is, will you, will I, embrace this godly lifestyle, not of our own effort, but Spirit led and developed? He majors in transformations and is just waiting for you to say YES! He’ll do the heavy lifting. And his power emanates from the cross of Christ. “But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Gal. 6.14).

And what a promise to focus on as you yield daily to the Spirit. ‘But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.’ (I Cor. 2. 9,10). You truly can have it all. Go for it!