Purpose & Calling

Purpose

My name is Allen Bethea. I am 69 years old: three kids, recently separated. I have had a hell of a life. I am tempted to write about them here, but I will spare you.

Through it all it all I have maintained a belief that this universe was created by and is being guided now by a wise and loving God. A God who wants above all that His creation reflect the purpose for which He created it. He made all "good" and commissioned all He made to be fruitful and multiply.

We are programmed by God also to seek a higher life which will put us in harmony with Him (Ecclesiastes 3:9-11). He has set "owlam" in our hearts but as yet we can't grasp it.

When we deny our internal programming -- the way our minds are hardwired -- we suffer. We stagnate and die: first spiritually, then physically.

This site is as much for me as for anyone who might come across it. I have determined to reenter the procession of all creation towards God who, in the course of time, will reconcile the whole creation to Himself. This is my personal quest. Join me.

Purpose For This Website

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith Jehovah, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope in your latter end. Jeremiah 29:11

This scripture is the theme of my blog. My on-line ministry has gone through many incarnations: website, blog, commercial, non profit. Initially, I concentrated on the various spiritual gifts given to the church by God. Later, I added sections on weight-loss and technology. None of these topics really inspired me to write: I went months with out writing any content.

I first encountered Jeremiah 29:11 back in 1995. While going through a very dark period, I made an effort to attend every religious service I could. A one such service, a bible study, the teacher read us Jeremiah 29:11. These words touched me to the very center of my being.

It was as if if YHWH Elohim Himself was speaking to me. Sinner, felon, loser: He knew me better than I knew myself - yet He had only good thoughts toward me. God's Spirit spoke to my spirit and told me that my life was not over but only just beginning. If I would only trust Him, something wonderful was in store for me.

During the next 6 years, I treasured this verse in my heart. My interpretation of Jeremiah 29:11 changed somewhat my circumstances changed and my understanding grew. Still, it remained the foundation of the hope I had that I had been forgiven for my sins and would emerge from darkness restored and with a mission to serve God.

It is my intention over the next few weeks to show from scripture and from Spirit inspired logic that we must believe what Jesus said:

I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. John 10:10

And what the Apostle John's spirit inspired desire for the beloved:

Beloved, I pray that in all things thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. 3John 2.

Rise, take up thy bed, and walk John 5:1-15

They never should have invented concordances. I have an online concordance and a thing in print called "The Strongest Strong's." I use these tools as I study hoping for some deeper insight into the scripture. Better to rely on the Spirit I know, but at times, I feel I learn some things this way.

The word for infirmed (impotent KJV) in verse 5 is Astheneo (Strong's #770) This word is used to describe people who are physically weak or feeble, poor financially, or deficient in character.

Let me restate this story in John 5 as I believe the Spirit would have me apply it to my life. This man is a loser. Sure he has suffered physically most of his life, but he has given up and learned to live with his infirmity.

He knows how he could be healed. He knows what he needs to do, but he believes it is beyond his ability. People are always getting the blessing ahead of him. People who aren't even as sick as he is. People are getting cured who haven't suffered for as long as he has. And no one cares enough to help him.

So Jesus comes by and says to him, "Do you want to be well?" Or maybe Jesus says, "Do you want to be well?"

Without thinking, the man goes into his story. No one will help him....etc, etc. Friends and familar don't care about him. Then Jesus says to him, "Get up, pick up your mat and walk."

Strange. Didn't Jesus know how long this man had been ill? Didn't Jesus know how weak this man was?

But the man must have sensed something about Jesus -- an air of authority he had not known in the priests or physicians. He felt that Jesus had looked down into his soul and saw that he had lost all hope of a cure long ago. Maybe Jesus knew that the root of his problem was really the fear of failure. His past experience had shown how futile his best efforts to help himself were. He no longer even tried.

But he sensed in his spirit, the power of the life that was in the words Jesus spoke. There was no perceivable increase in the strength of his legs, but in his spirit he felt a surge of power.

The words of Jesus are Spirit and Life. The power that will raise the dead on the last day is available to give life to the dead in spirit today.

Have you found that your best efforts to help yourself have failed? Have you lost hope? Are you resigned to whatever the infirmity you are suffering from?

Jesus says, "Arise, take up your bed and walk." It is his strength which can fill you and raise you up.