The Ultimate Intention

DeVern F. Fromke

• Publisher: Hauraki Publishing
• Year: 2016
• ISBN:
  9781787201217
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Religion

Scores of pastors and leaders testify: "THIS CHANGED MY LIFE AND MINISTRY."The author considers these critical questions: In the beginning, before God created Adam (mankind), what was His original purpose and plan for him?What could have happened in the Garden of Eden if Adam had not sinned and God's redemptive plan had not become necessary?We know that when God created Adam he received natural life, but how did God plan for Adam to receive Divine (uncreated life)? What is the difference between God's creating and begetting work?It is evident that God has given the Cross a central place in His redemptive working; what is the difference between the work of the Cross and the way of the Cross?Since God, in the fullness of time, will put on display His Divine masterpiece before all the universe, how can we fully cooperate with him if we do not understand His Ultimate Intention?

1—...HELP ME TO UNDERSTAND

IT IS IMPERATIVE that we recognize what is the deepest gnawing within the human breast. Adequate answers to the purpose and meaning of life must be found. We must recognize that man can only be a saint or a sinner by choice, but he is first an inquiring philosopher by nature. Because this is so very important, let us ask God for His help: Father...

...HELP ME TO UNDERSTAND

LITTLE BILLY had been at his father’s heels all afternoon. With each new project his father picked up, Billy’s inquiring mind kept asking,

“Daddy, why?”

“Daddy, what is that?”

“Daddy, where did they make this?”

“Daddy, how does that work?”

Then it happened! Billy’s father got completely exhausted by the continued barrage of questions. He broke in,

“Billy, if you don’t stop asking...”

But he caught himself, as he saw the hurt and puzzled look on Billy’s face, who then burst in...

“But Daddy, if I don’t ask questions, how will I ever find out the things I need to know?”

That was enough to touch any father’s heart. As though God were speaking, he suddenly realized what a precious opportunity he was missing to shape this young mind.

“Billy, will you forgive me? I get so caught up in my working. I forgot that God has made you with a mind that needs answer. In fact, He has made all of us to have the deepest questions, and longing to know all about God, and to understand His best intention for our lives. Billy, why don’t we pray, and we’ll ask God to help me to help you.”

Two heads bowed, and two hearts agreed in asking:

“Father, You see both of us, right now. Billy is so full of questions. He needs to have some answers. He is like millions of others who have questions in their heart. Please, Father, will You help me to understand so I can help him?

“Sometimes, Father, I sense You have the same problem with me that I have with Billy. Some things I ask of You are difficult for me to understand at my present level of comprehension. Then I think I hear You saying, ‘Sometimes, My son, you can’t find My answers (My Will) by asking or searching, but You will see them unfold in the process of living’.”

There were tears in Billy’s eyes as he whispered,

“Daddy, I know I can trust God to help you to help me.”

And his father responded,

“Yes, Son, keep asking your questions, and...God our Father will help both of us to understand!”

In writing this, I am keenly aware that I have actually been God’s “little Billy”—so full of questions. Perhaps, above all else, this has driven me to produce this book. And, as I look back, I can see how many spiritual fathers God has used in my life. One who had the most profound effect has said:

“There is no attribute of man’s personality more evident and universally recognized among men than this sense of purpose and of divine destiny” (C. A. Jones).

Just as every mother is disappointed if her child never asks the question “why,” so God must be concerned when men attempt to stifle the built-in philosophical urge which He has put within every breast. Take the philosopher out of man and he ceases to be the one God created. In other words, destroy his sense of destiny and purpose and he soon becomes nothing more than a beast.

Therefore, it is imperative that we direct every believer to develop a truly God-centered philosophy of life—this means we must see all things as properly related to God and His ultimate intention. Alas, not only the worldling, but even the believer attempts to interpret all things as they primarily relate to himself. And then he is amazed when he cannot avoid the paradoxes or contradictions which seem to nullify his attempts to see life steadily and see it whole.

It was the intention of God our Father that all men might find the answers to life’s deepest enigmas. It was because of this imperative need in man that “Jesus Christ brought a philosophy from God to us, as well as righteousness, and purity and redemption” (1 Cor. 1:30, Ferrar Fenton’s translation). Why did He do this? So that He might become the answer to man’s greatest questions and problems, and fully rectify him to fulfill the Divine Intention.

WE MUST ASK AGAIN...

ONE MORNING a professor stood before his class and tried this experiment. All twenty-seven students observed him as he carefully made two dots on a sheet of white paper and then drew a line between them Then, he asked each student to respond,

“Explain to me what you see?”

The variety of answers were both interesting and amazing as every student gave a slightly different insight in describing what each saw. But there was a general agreement—two black dots connected with a black line. Finally, the professor asked,

“But don’t any of you see the white paper I wrote on?”

Of course, they were all chagrinned! The white paper had been there first, before anything was drawn on it, but they had been distracted by what had been sketched on it afterwards.

Perhaps, this will help illustrate one of our concerns in this writing. It is important for us to recognize God’s “before” and His “after.” Let us go back in time—back into God’s heart before He began creating anything, back before redemption was even necessary. Let us go back to the “blue-print” stage of His planning. What was God’s intention then, before He began any of His activity on earth or in heaven?

When we start reading in Genesis, “in the beginning,” we see God’s creative work. But the Apostle Paul takes us back “before the foundation (beginning) of the world.” What was God’s deep desire and intention in that great “before”? What was on the “white paper sheet” of His heart before He began creating the universe?

Too often we become pre-occupied with what is written on the paper. We see man’s failure in sin, the rebellion and insurrection of the angelic realm. What we often call “the Fall” has become so central that we have almost forgotten there was a glorious “before” in God’s planning, which is really more important than what took place after.

But there is a reason for this pre-occupation! Adam not only turned to his own way and took down the human race with him but a deep blindness also developed, a hidden warp in his mind which kept him pre-occupied with himself—with his needs and personal welfare. Like a blight, man-centeredness prevails without exception on all of Adam’s family. Here, then, is one of our concerns in this writing: How do we expose man’s pre-occupation with the “after” marks, the “black dots and black lines” of his self-centered condition? How do we make man aware of being “alive unto God” and appreciate the “before” thoughts, the ultimate intention on the “white paper” of God’s heart and mind? In other words, what has God planned before! God will help us to understand, but we must ask again by praying:

“Father, we can hardly recognize our blindness, our self-absorption, our pre-occupation with sin and the Fall, until You bring Your light. ‘In Your light we shall see light.’ Only then can You rectify us to Yourself and Your original purpose. Forgive us! Even in all our attempts at spiritual development, we have been more pre-occupied with what it would bring to us, rather than what it would bring to You. As we go through the pages of this book, give us the spirit of perception, but even more—give us the willingness to walk in all the light we receive.”

LET US ASK OUR FATHER AGAIN...

AT THE CLOSING meeting of a conference years ago, our host announced to my wife and me:

“Tomorrow, I want to take you out to see one of the most amazing Gardens here on the North Island of New Zealand.”

“Since our arrival, every hour had been filled. So it would be a delightful break to get away from the crowds that attended each meeting.

“I want you to see this,” he quickly added, “from the air. So I’m going to borrow a plane from one of my friends.”

“But we would much prefer just walking, or driving through the gardens,” I interjected, because we often take the jet airliners, and avoid riding in small planes, except when necessary.

“No,” he insisted. “It is important that you get an air-view of this in order to really appreciate its beauty.”

It was obvious that he was determined to take us to see this panoramic view from the air. So I conceded.

The next morning the weather was perfect for flying. We were soo...

Table of contents

• Title page
• TABLE OF CONTENTS
• INTRODUCTION...
• DEDICATION
• 1-...HELP ME TO UNDERSTAND
• 2-THE PROPER STARTING POINT
• 3-ONE ULTIMATE THEME
• 4-LIVING FOR THE WHOLE
• 5-TO A NEW CENTER
• 7-A DIVINE RECTIFICATION
• 8-ULTIMATE INTENTION FOR MAN
• 9-THE FATHER’S PLAN UNFOLDS
• 10-THE CALL TO IMPOSSIBLE LIVING
• 11-REDEMPTION IS INCORPORATED
• 12-WHAT THE CROSS REALIZED FOR GOD
• 13-TO LIVE BY THE LIFE OF ANOTHER
• 14-THE WAY OF THE CROSS
• 15-THE CROSS IN THREE DIMENSIONS
• 16-LEARN THESE DISTINCTIONS
• 17-RUNNING THE RACE TO REACH THE GOAL
• 18-JOY-THE MARK OF MATURITY
• 19-LIVING UNDER A NEW GOVERNMENT
• 20-CAPTIVITY TURNED
• 21-THE CHALLENGE IS MADE
• 22-THE PLANTING AND THE HARVEST
• 23-THE GLORY OF SONSHIP
• 24-THE PRESSING ISSUE OF THIS HOUR
• 25-LOVE IN RIGHT ORDER
• 26-GLORIOUS ULTIMATE REVELATION
• 27-THE DIVINE INTENTION IS REALIZED
• 28-ULTIMATE DEDICATION
• A FINAL WORD ABOUT...
• ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
• APPENDIX
• STUDY GUIDE
• ABOUT THE AUTHOR
• REQUEST FROM THE PUBLISHER