PLANS AND SCHEMES

Greetings and Salutations O Ye True Believers. 

Got any PLANS?  Well...God does...for you...AND...the devil (little d) has schemes against you.  The first picture is of THE A TEAM...a team of former commando special forces branded as renegades who turned into mercenaries with a heart.  They were led by John "Hannibal" Smith whose catch phrase was..."I love it when a PLAN comes together."  Well...so do I...and when God puts a PLAN together...how can the SCHEMES of the devil (little d) stand against us.  We can circumvent God's PLAN for us by disobedience and rebellion...much in the same way that the Word of God (as powerful as it is) can be stolen by the devil, scorched by the heat of the world, and choked out by anxiety, worries and cares. (See Mark 4).  

"For I know the THOUGHTS and PLANS that I have for you, says the Lord, THOUGHTS and PLANS for welfare and peace, and NOT FOR EVIL...to give you HOPE in your FINAL OUTCOME." (Jeremiah 29:11 The Amplified Bible)

THOUGHTS/PLANS:  machasabah (makh-ash-aw- baw)= A contrivance, intention, plan (whether bad= a plot or good=advice), curious work, imagination, purpose, thought.
The thoughts and plans of God would be the WILL of God...His wishes and desires for us...but many times His will is hinged on our choices and obedience to His Word.  I know that I have circumvented God's plans for me many times because of my lust of my flesh, the lust of my eyes and the my boastful pride of life.  The same stuff that Adam and Eve listened to and disobeyed...that resulted of being kicked out of their garden apartment (for their own protection).

Jesus was faced with the same temptations that Adam and Eve and me an you are tempted with...but He chose to rely on the Word of God...the Spirit of God...and the Authority of God to deal with the devil (little d).  (Read Matthew 4 and Luke 4 for details)

Ephesians 6:11 speaks of "schemes of the devil."  "Put on God's whole armor--the armor of a heavy-armed soldier, which God supplies--that you may be able to successfully to stand up against [all] the STRATEGIES and the DECEITS of the devil." (Ephesians 6:11 The Amplified Bible)

SCHEMES:  methodeai (meth-od-i-ah)=traveling over; travesty; trickery, wiles, lie in wait

Temptations...schemes...wiles...lying in wait for you...is not designed to pull you into or entice you into something bad for you...BUT as Larry Napier states..."Temptation is designed to pull you away from who you really are."  Disobedience will bring your down...Obedience will bring you revelation, disclosure, and manifestation of God's plans and purposes in your life.  "He who has My commandments...and keeps them...He it is who loves Me...and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father and I will love him...and will manifest Myself to him." (John 14:21)

To be able to stand against the SCHEMES of the devil a good source to help you...the source that Jesus used was THE MANUFACTURER'S HANDBOOK..aka The Bible.  The Bible is the written manifesto of THE PLAN and WILL OF GOD for not only you but also for MANKIND.  Scriptures are very beneficial for equipping, prosperity and success.  "All SCRIPTURE is inspired (God breathed) by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work." (II Timothy 3:16-17)  Equipping of the saints is hinged on the Word of God in our lives.  In the  book of Joshua we see..."This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth but you shall MEDITATE on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." (Joshua 1:8)   

If you are like John "Hannibal" Smith...and you love it when a PLAN comes together...especially when it is GOD'S PLAN for us...and you choose to stand against THE SCHEMES of the devil (little d)...then get into the MANUFACTURER'S HANDBOOK...find out the will of God...so you will recognize the SCHEMES...and know what to do when the tempter comes to pull you away from who your really are in the Lord.  

Love and Well Planned Kisses

Rodney "Loving When A Plan Comes Together" Boyd