The Word and Your Purpose*

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Isaiah 55:11 says the following: "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." We will see how this promise of God brings change. A very disturbing story in the news this week concerned two children, ages twelve and fourteen, who ran away from their group home, broke into another home, assembled weapons, and shot at police who came to the site of the breakin. The older child said that the shooting was like a video game to her, "like Grand Theft Auto". One policeman was overheard on his bodycam praying or begging the children under his breath to please not make him hurt them. In another news story this week, a Texas high school graduate used her valedictorian speech to criticize her state's new restrictions to their abortion law. The teen viewed this restriction against abortion as an impediment of a woman's life plans, and a threat to her future destiny. She viewed her purpose in life as dependent upon the unlimited availability to abortion. Hillary Clinton commented with praise and congrtulations for her "brave" speech. However, God does not connect our purpose with the ability to have an abortion. Scripture makes plain that God's view of the sacrificing of our own children to the idol Molech, and the shedding of innocent blood, as an abomination in His sight. This young woman beginning her adult life, evidently has no knowledge of God's purpose in an individual's life. Do you understand God's Word and His gifts in His purpose for your life? God also prophesied in His Word that we would see this tragic corruption of our children that we are seeing now. He said that He would take away those whom He had been placed among His people to spiritually and civilly guide them, and instead: "...I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them. And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable...For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the LORD, to provoke the eyes of his glory. The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves...As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths." (Isa. 3:1-15, excerpt). Isaiah also described the captivity that comes upon God's people because of their lack of knowledge, including the lack of knowledge of His purpose for them. Instead of standing for justice, they gather up even the poor's portion for themselves. They party and drink up and corrupt the noble vineyard that the LORD entrusted to them. Their ways have caused Hell to open and widen itself to receive them in their corruption. That corruption has caused God's people to pull sin around behind them wherever they go. Instead of keeping their purpose in God's light, His sweetness, and His goodness, they have substituted darkness, evil, and bitterness instead, and called them "good". Destruction comes upon the people of God who know their holy purpose in God, but embrace an evil purpose: "...they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel." (see Isa. 5:1-24). Let's examine the Word regarding God's purpose in your life, and my life. The Word says of those who bring the good news: "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! (Isa. 52:7). Each one of us has been given spiritual gifts. The purpose of those gifts is to bring forth, individually and as part of the Body of Christ, the good news of salvation, and the news that God reigns. As Isaiah 53 describes the suffering and sacrificial purpose of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, from within that sacrifice is a satisfaction. Even as His body and soul were being made an offering for sin, it was with this knowledge: "He shall see the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servnt justify many: for he shall bear their iniquities." (Isa. 53:10-11). Within the purpose of the Messiah, we also find our purpose: the salvation and justification of many. The good news that we bring is that you don't have to be a slave of sin. You don't have to be burdened. You don't have to die without hope. As part of His purpose, Jesus promised that as the Bread of Life doing His Father's will, not even one whom the Father gives Him will be lost, but raised up on the last day in everlasting life (Jn. 6:35-51). As the prophet Isaiah described the fruit of God that will be produced as His people come back into their relationship with Him and walk in their purpose in Him: "...neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee. O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with saphires...And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children." (Isa. 54:10-13). This is a far different prophetic picture than we saw in the beginning of this message. Even our children are miraculously delivered and blessed, as the people of God return to their purpose. Seeing what has been taking place, there is no time to waste. We have good news to bring. One way to do that is to support ministries that are publishing the salvation of the Messiah, Jesus, as this ministry has faithfully done for so many years. Join us, and by doing so, fulfill your purpose in God as you help us to bring forth the Gospel. We look forward to hearing from you. *Based on Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 6/6/21 message to the Church. To contact: P.O. Box 154221, Waco, TX 76705 OR Everlastingcovenant@ymail.com You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, and endtimeschool.com