God Has a Plan for Your Life - Your New Life - Morris Cerullo

Who am I? Where did I come from? Where am I going?

God Has a Plan for Your Life … Your NEW Life! by Morris Cerullo

Morris Cerullo World Evangelism

Copyright ® 1986 World Evangelism, Inc. Printed in the United States of America

Dr. Cerullo has a very powerful and unique ministry, ordained by God expressly for these endtimes. Anointed by God to teach and minister to the nations of the world...thousands experience salvation and supernatural, miracle healings by the power of God. God has also given Brother Cerullo a divinely inspired breakthrough strategy for training thousands of National ministers across the nations of the world. To accomplish such an enormous task, Dr. Cerullo has developed a Global Satellite Network School of Ministry now in operation in several overseas countries. Write today, using the convenient tear-

out form in the back of the booklet, to help Dr. Cerullo reach out to help others just as he has helped you.

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God Has a Plan For Your Life Who am I? Where did I come from? Where am I going?

No generation that has ever walked the face of the earth has sought more diligently for the answers to these ultimate questions. Most of the initial problems of mankind today are the result of the intensive search for a missing link. Man was created to worship God and deep within him there is a place reserved for that purpose. Without God in his life, there is an emptiness—a vacuum—a void that cannot be filled regardless of how hard he may try. 7

The dead end of the cults and drugs are two of the roads modern man has traveled in an attempt to fill the aching void in his life. As a result of man's intense cravings, the theme of our generation has evolved into "Do your own thing!" A spirit of selfishness has been loosed upon the world. Underlying this simple statement is the philosophy that there is no pattern to life. It does not matter what you think or what you do. The most important thing is to please yourself. It makes no difference what effect this may have on others or yourself today, tomorrow, or the next day. To many this is a very comforting thought, for if there is no pattern then there is no pattern maker. However, if there is a plan then it necessitates the existence of a planner. The greatest delusion ever to fall upon the mind of man is the assumption that 8

there is no pattern to life. The Apostle Paul declared, "...God shall send them strong delusion..." (II Thessalonians 2:11). Isaiah said, "I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them..." (Isaiah 66:4).

God's Plan for Man The foundation is laid and the Pattern Maker is clearly introduced. "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). "God created man..." (Genesis 1:27). Why? Now we are getting to the heart of the matter. Now it is becoming relevant. God created man for two reasons: One, He created man for fellowship...a fellowship that would be based on a mutual love and friendship of the very highest level. Two, He created man to rule the earth. Everything that God does is perfect and His creation of man was no exception. 9

There are three things that God never intended for man: One, He never intended for man to be sick. Two, He never intended for man to sin. Three, He never intended for man to die. God created man to live forever.

Man Was Created in God's Image When God created Adam and Eve He put them in the Garden of Eden. There were no strings, no chains, and no buttons on them. They were not machines. They were living souls, created in the image of God. God created man for fellowship, but He did not want forced fellowship. He did not want to force Adam to seek Him. No, He wanted Adam to say, "Oh, God, I recognize You are my Creator, that You are the Creator of the world, that You are God, that there is no other beside You." The natural man is prone to consider the outward appearance. "He has his 10

father's nose, eats, eyes, complexion or build." This is only a surface comparison that is mostly altered by the passage of time. But we must look deeper to see the image of God in man. To find the image of God in man you have to go beneath the exterior to the very heart, the core of man's being, his spirit. There with all the temporal things in the background we find the soul and spirit. It is here we find the image of God. It is in the power God gave us to be like His Son. It is the power of your will!

The next question then becomes obvious: If we are created in the image of God and were created perfect beings, then why do we become sick, why do we sin, and why do we die?

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Man Alters God's Plans There was only one way the relationship between God and man could be destroyed and that was through disobedience of the Word of God. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve destroyed the beautiful communion and fellowship God had established. God said, "You may partake of all the fruit of the trees in this beautiful garden but one. The tree you may not partake of is the tree of knowledge of good and evil. If you partake of the fruit from this tree, in that day you shall die" (Read Genesis 2:16-17). What God was saying was, "If you disobey Me, you will receive the penalty of sin." So, we see God's plan was established and man had within him the free will to obey or disobey. Adam was faced with a decision—to do good and obey God, or to do evil and obey Satan. 12

Every power on earth falls into one of two categories; the power of God or the power of the devil. You may classify them as the power of good and the power of evil, the power of life or the power of death. It does not matter what you call them. It is either God's power, His might, His health, His strength, His eternal love; or, it is the devil's power to destroy man, to destroy his soul, and to kill him. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)

The devil influenced Adam and Eve and caused them to disobey God. By their disobedience in partaking of the tree of Good and Evil, they brought sin into the world...and through sin, sickness...and through sickness, death. That is how sin, sickness and death came into the world. 13

Adam and Eve received the penalty of their sin. God said, "Adam, you shall be stripped of the authority that I gave you. Now you shall only eat bread by the sweat of your brow. You will have to till the ground, you will have to pick the weeds and the thorns in order for your crops to grow. From now on you will have to toil hard for your living." "Eve, when you bear your children it will be in pain, and all mothers coming after you will feel the pain when they bear a child and will know that every person is born in sin and iniquity." Man through disobedience entered under a curse.

God's Plan of Redemption This was not the end, for God had a plan...a plan to redeem man and bring him back into the family of God. There was a way that once again he could become a child of God. In GOD'S MASTER PLAN, God's 14

love for man is revealed. "...Without shedding of blood is no remission" (Hebrews 9:22). Without the shedding of blood there can be no forgiveness of sin. This was a vital part of God's Plan to redeem man. When Adam and Eve left the Garden, God gave them a way to escape. God said, "Adam, take this lamb and kill it. You will sacrifice it. In the blood of that lamb will be a covering for your sins." This was the first step in returning man to the family of God. Year after year the lamb would be slain and the blood would cover their sins for that year. This was initiated with Adam and then can be traced down through the patriarchs and then firmly established in the Law of Moses. Even before God set this pattern for the remission of sins for Adam, He indicated that there was a better way to come.

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The conflict was between man and the devil who was represented by the serpent. "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel" (Genesis 3:15).

God's Plan Included His Son One day there would come from the seed of a woman the perfect Sacrifice for sin that would once and for all bruise the head of Satan and remove the necessity of the yearly sacrifice of the lamb. The serpent triumphed in the Garden, but one day his power would be stripped from him and God would return to man the authority that he originally had. This was the theme and the consuming desire of the prophets down through the ages. They all looked forward to the time when God would send the Eternal Lamb. Moses saw Him in the person of the 16

prophet who was to come (Deuteronomy 18:18). It was the central message of the Psalms of David (Psalms 22, 23, 24). There are 333 references in the Old Testament to the coming of God's Eternal Lamb that would take away the sins of the world. ...I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it. (Isaiah 46:11)

God spoke it through all of His prophets and then one day He brought it to pass. Two thousand years ago God sent His Son, the Eternal Lamb, into the world for a purpose. That purpose was to destroy the power of sin, sickness, and death and to bring man back into the family of God. The Apostle John saw it this way: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word 17

was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (John 1:1-3)

That Word, Jesus Christ, Who made all things, became flesh. The Son of God, Who was with God from the beginning of time, took upon Himself the form of a man with flesh and blood, arms, legs, and eyes like you and I.

God Sent Jesus for a Purpose Why did Christ the Messiah come in the form of human flesh? The eternal God of the universe subjected Himself to the frailties and the temptations of man. In the form of this degraded flesh, Jesus Christ overcame temptation and remained a spotless Lamb to be sacrificed for the salvation of the world. He was made like you and me that He might lift us out of our sins and present us 18

once again to the father. His purpose was to remove the separation of sin. His purpose was to bring man back into the family of God. ...For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. (I John 3:8) After living a sinless life and being subjected to every temptation as we are, He was ready to fulfill the purpose for which He came. A good and sinless life was not enough, there had to be the perfect sacrifice for sins by the shedding of the blood of the Eternal Lamb He came unto his own, and his own received him not. (John 1:11)

The historical record gives us a clear picture of the final moments before the most climactic event in the history of the universe. Jesus is brought before Pilate, the 19

Roman ruler, for one reason: He has declared Himself to be the Son of God. Pilate examines Him and can find no fault in Him. He turns to the angry crowd incited by the religious rulers and says, "I give you Jesus." But they reply, "Crucify Him, we don't want this man to reign over us." Pilate succumbs to the wishes of the crowd. They lead Him down a little narrow staircase to the judgment chamber of Pilate.

God's Plan Included the Cross Now, we are getting closer to the full revelation of the purpose for which He came. He did not come to sit on a throne and to wear a crown of diamonds on His head. He did not come to rule as a king over man; He came for another purpose. See Him as they strip the clothes off His back and strap Him to the whipping post. A big Roman soldier picks up a whip made of many leather straps. The soldier begins to 20

use this terrible weapon on the back of Jesus. See Him, the Son of God, as the metal pieces dig into His back and then are torn out again and again until the back of Jesus no longer resembles human flesh. Was this foretold in the Old Testament scriptures? Listen to the words of Isaiah the Prophet when he wrote the 53rd Chapter 600 years before Jesus Christ came to this earth: Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we 21

esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:1-6)

Because of His stripes we are healed! Two thousand years ago, He paid the price for our healing. It belongs to us. Satan cannot take it from us. God's Word has not changed! Look at Him as they take Him down from the whipping post and as they mock and ridicule Him. They beat Him and put a 22

heavy cross on His shoulders. He is so weak from His suffering that He cannot carry the cross. He falls! There He is lying on that road...the wooden cross lying over His body. The blood is pouring from His back. The crown of thorns is deep on His brow. The blood is pouring down His face. Look at Him lying there. Then remember this: God sent His Son into this world for a purpose. You and I have gone astray. We have run from God. God laid on Jesus your sin, your guilt, your pain, your sickness, and your death. He laid it all on Jesus. Look at Him as they nail Him to the cross ...as He looks up into the heavens and says, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34). Look at Him, and you will see the blood on His head, His side, and on His feet. There is blood on His face and across His back. Remember, God sent His Son here for a purpose. That purpose was to pay the price 23

for our sins and for our sicknesses.

God's Plan of Restoration Can Be Yours This was GOD'S MASTER PLAN to forgive us, to redeem us, and to give us a way to become the children of God. There are two things you never have to bear again: One: You never have to bear your sins again. You never have to carry this heavy load. Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. (I Peter 2:24)

Two: You do not have to bear your infirmities, your sicknesses any longer. Bless the LORD, O my soul...and 24

forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; (Psalm 103:1-3) ...Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses. (Matthew 8:17)

Look and see the body of Jesus on the cross and see the forgiveness of your sins and the healing of your body. The price has been paid. God wants to give you two miracles in your life right now: the miracle of your sins forgiven, and the miracle of the healing of your physical body! Many of you reading this message have no peace and joy. Life is misery to you; but now you have been able to see through the eye of the Holy Spirit that Jesus Christ came to this earth to bear your misery, to bear your sin, to carry your pain and sufferings so that you in turn can be free. You must be willing to see yourself as a sinner. 25

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23)

You must be willing to come God's way, and kneel before that cross and say: Lord Jesus, I am a sinner, and I want You to save me, I want You to forgive my sins and, Lord Jesus, I want You to come and live Your life in me. You must be willing to turn your will over to God and surrender your life to Jesus Christ. If you will do these two things, you will be saved right now. Your sins will be forgiven and you will be a child of God. He will not let you down. God is not depending on any merit you may have. It is the surrender of your life to Jesus Christ that is the link. He alone can satisfy what your spirit cries out for. Let Him fill your heart and life with His fullness. It is written: 26

...and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. (John 6:37)

Friend, God has a purpose for your life. Regardless of who you are, where you have been, or what you have done, He loves you! Jesus Christ came to restore you to fellowship with God. His purpose for your life is that you be totally restored (made new) spirit, soul and body. He came to give you life more abundantly (John 10:10). If you are bound by habits, lustful desires, drugs, alcohol, He will deliver you. If you are bound by fear, He will set you free. If you are sick, He will heal you. If you are reaching out for love, He will put His arms around you and fill you with His love. 27

TODAY you can be totally restored. You do not need to wait until you "clean up your act," He will take you as you are! God is a Spirit and He is standing beside you right now. You cannot see Him but He is there waiting to meet every need in your life! Pray this prayer right now: Dear Jesus, I come to You just as I am...a sinner. I believe You are the Son of God and that You died on the cross for my sins and bear the stripes in Your back for my healing. I'm tired of going my way and "doing my thing." Right now, I turn my back on Satan and surrender my will to You. I'm sorry for my sins. I accept You into my heart right now. I want to be a child of God. Please forgive and cleanse me of every sin and deliver me from every 28

habit that has me bound. Heal my body and fill my life with Your love, Your joy, Your peace. Amen. Friend, praise God, you are now born again! ...Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (John 3:3, RSV)

You are a totally new person in Christ: Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has passed away, behold, the new has come. (II Corinthians 5:17, RSV)

You are a child of God and all His blessings belong to you. It is important for you to know that you have just made the most important decision in your life. The greatest of all miracles has happened to you. You have NEW life!

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The Greatest Day of My Life! This is in joyous remembrance that on Date ____________________________________________ I surrendered my life to the Lord Jesus Christ. By faith, I received forgiveness for my sins and was born again through the blood of Jesus. I make a commitment to God this day to walk continually and prayerfully in the life of His Word, the Bible...and to receive His new plan for my life! Signed___________________________________________ Morris Cerullo Crusade in place ____________________________________________ Fill in the blanks, then add your personal signature as a seal of your commitment and keep this page as a personal reminder that this was the moment your NEW LIFE began.

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Your New Life

A Personal Word From Dr. Morris Cerullo Regardless of where you are reading this booklet at a Morris Cerullo Crusade, in your home or wherever you may be, I want you to know that God has a plan for your life...your NEW life!

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The next few steps that you take as a new believer are very important ones. I want to help you take the proper steps and to encourage you to grow in the Lord. In the following pages I

have outlined the steps you need to take in order to be victorious in your NEW life. I also want you to know that I am praying for you. My prayer is that God will direct every step of your life from this moment on. That you will sense His supernatural Presence in a very real way, and that He will bring your life into a new fullness with a new purpose and plan for your good. If you need additional prayer for a specific area of your life, please write to me and I will personally pray to God that He grant you His power...His miracle-working power, to have victory in that area of your life. God is for you. He has planned no defeats for you!

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God Bless You.

Some things you should know! Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. (II Corinthians 5:17, NAS)

1. You have received God's plan of salvation by faith...not by feelings. Without a doubt there can be feelings associated with receiving Christ into your life. What a wonderful peace we experience when we know that our sins are forgiven and remembered no more by God. And certainly knowing that you will be with the Lord forever in eternity brings great joy! But, your faith to believe God not only 33

for salvation, but for the multitude of precious promises in His word that are now yours...does not come from feelings. This faith of knowing that what God promises to you is true, comes in two ways: One: It is a gift from God. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; (Ephesians 2:8, NAS)

Two: It comes from reading God's word. So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. (Romans 10:17, NAS)

Your faith to believe God for all things will grow only as you read and study His Word, the Bible. 2. You can have a personal assurance of your salvation without feelings.

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Your assurance of salvation is based on the truth God says in His Word to you. God is truth and everything He says in His Word is true. God's greatest delight is in showing you that what He says in His Word is true and will come to pass. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. (John 5:24, NAS) The one who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the witness that God has borne concerning His Son. And the witness in this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that 35

you may know that you have eternal life. (I John 5:10-13, NAS)

Your confidence is believing God's Word, not your own thoughts or feelings, either of which can easily betray you. That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. (Romans 10:9-10, NAS)

Confess to yourself and others what God says!

God also gives us tangible evidence of having become a "new creation." One such piece of evidence is a new-found love for other people, especially other believers in Jesus Christ. Another is a transformation of desires within our lives, such as a new desire to obey God, rather than "doing our own 36

thing." Finding a new dislike for some of the sinful things you once engaged in is also evidence of God's power already transforming your life. Just think how wonderful it will be when in time God gives you a totally new perspective on life and a renewed mind! 3. You now have an enemy! Before you were born again, Satan was quite happy to let you do your own thing and to lead you into sinful practices and bondages of all kinds. But, now that you have "changed forces" from Satan's, which is evil, to God's, which is good, Satan will do everything he can to persuade you that what God says is nothing but foolishness. Especially your born-again experience! And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; (Revelation 12:9, NAS)

His weapons against you are deception 37

and unbelief. Your defense against him is the Word of God, which is the truth. Some steps to help you grow!

1. Start reading God's Word, the Bible, every day. The Bible is like one big love letter from God to you, His new child! This is the most important way in which you will begin to personally know God and His Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit of God...all of whom are working in your behalf to help you become that new creation in Christ! Like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation. (1 Peter 2:2, NAS)

Recognize that the Bible, God's Word, is truth. Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth. (John 17:17, NAS)

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His Word will now be the reference for your life, not what man tells you. His Word will also guide your life. Thy word is a lamp to my feet, And a light to my path. (Psalm 119:105, NAS)

While, at first, some of the writings in God's Word may seem difficult to understand, the Holy Spirit is also your teacher and will help you. Start with the New Testament, the book of John. Read a portion every day in quietness and see how the Holy Spirit impresses you with the wonderful truths and blessings of God. 2. Begin to pray. Prayer is your way of communicating with God. He is now your Father. He cares for you and loves you. Most of all He wants you to know Him. You do this by reading His word and by praying. Simply tell God how you feel, what areas of your life you need Him to help you in, then believe that 39

He is going to answer that prayer! As God answers your prayers your faith in Him will grow, and you will see how much He really loves you. Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. (Matthew 7:7, NAS)

In your prayer time you will also begin to sense God's Presence and His guidance. As you become sensitive to Him, you will find that He really will guide and direct your life. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you. (John 15:7, NAS)

3. Find a Bible-believing church. Another way to grow in the Lord and to be protected from the deceptions of Satan is to belong to a fellowship of true believers. There are many churches, but 40

finding a fellowship of true believers is something else. Start by asking the person who gave you this booklet, or those who counseled you at the Morris Cerullo Crusade, where they attend church and worship God. If you have no contact with such a person, look for these characteristics in locating a church that will help you grow. • A Bible-believing church—One in which they teach, preach and emphasize the principles of the Word of God, not just church doctrine • A soul-winning church—One which has a deep concern for lost souls and provides an altar call for salvation • A loving church—One in which the fruits of the Holy Spirit of God are demonstrated in a genuine love and concern for one another's welfare • A

praise-filled

church—One 41

which

recognizes that praise and worship in a congregation brings God's Presence It is very important that you stay in fellowship with other believers in a good Bible-believing church. This will not only strengthen you, but provide a way for you to become a disciple learning to be like Jesus in every area of your life. For where two or three have gathered together in My name, there I am in their midst. (Matthew 18:20, NAS)

4. Experience water baptism. A local church of believers will also provide you with an opportunity to be baptized in water. This is a very important step in your Christian walk. Jesus commanded it for all believers. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19, NAS)

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He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. (Mark 16:16, NAS)

In the Word of God, water baptism is tied in very closely to salvation. The Scriptures give many examples of baptism by immersion in water. While it is an act of obedience, it is also an important step in your growth as a new Christian. Water baptism is an outward manifestation of an inward change brought about by Christ living in you. Many Christians experience a new release from their "old self" and habits as they are obedient to water baptism. Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore, we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so 43

we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection. (Romans 6:3-5, NAS)

5. Your new life is strengthened by people who care—I care! If you have any personal or family needs, I want to personally pray that God will demonstrate His miracle-working power on your behalf. Write out your needs right now and mail them to me using the prayer request form on the following page. Your needs will be held in the strictest of confidence. If your needs are urgent:

I invite you to call my 24-hour prayer team at the I CARE prayer center located in our home office in San Diego, California. My staff will personally counsel and pray with you and keep praying until God provides you with the miracle you need. 44

Call (619) 233-4357

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Mail To: Morris Cerullo World Evangelism, Inc. P.O. Box 700 San Diego, CA 92138 Morris Cerullo World Evangelism of Canada P. O. Box 2555, Station C Downsview, Ontario, Canada M3N 2Y1 World Evangelism Society of Great Britain P. O. Box 148, Potters Bar Herts, England EM6 1QB