Our Philosophy
 Destiny is quite possibly the most powerful force in our
lives. In the life of an American teenager "destiny"
is misunderstood, or not understood at all. In the peer culture
of the American adolescent "destiny" rarely goes
past the "present moment". They live for the "now",
regardless of the long-term consequences.
Especially in regard to troubled teens or struggling teens,
their mentality is not focused on their future; it is all
about seeking comfort for the moment. In many cases the comfort
they seek in the present moment (video games, computers, Instant
Messaging, Internet, dark music, sex, cigarettes, negative
friends, etc.) is the pain they reap upon themselves in the
future and they do not even realize it. The comfort they seek
now leads to the destructive behaviors that paralyze their
emotional and spiritual growth. Yes, through immediate comfort
they get what they want for the moment, but in the long run
they give up their destiny. The price is too much to pay,
and many are beginning to realize it.
The mentality of the world teaches our children that they
can be anything they want to be (self-realization). It is
a big lie. For example, not everyone is destined to play in
the NFL or NBA. Not every child is meant to be a rap star,
or a model. To teach a child that they can attain anything
through hard work, despite many realities to the contrary
is to mislead them. Destiny is not about working hard and
making all the right moves, rather true destiny is something
that we are born to accomplish. Our destiny is in Christ.
"...just as He chose us in Him before the
foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless
before Him. In love, He predestined us to adoption as sons
through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention
of His will, to the praise of His glory of His grace, which
He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved..."
Ephesians 1:4-6
According to the Bible we were all created in God's own image,
" So God created man in His own image, in the image of
God created He him; male and female created He them..."
Genesis 1:27-28 . Corporately, God made us to be fruitful,
to multiply, and exercise dominion over the whole earth. Individually,
God made us to perform a specific purpose that fulfills the
corporate destiny. Obviously, our teenagers were not destined
to be defiant or destructive, lie, or to rebel against their
parents and other authorities. Although, in too many cases
this is the fact. The reason our children are missing their
destiny? It is because there is an enemy, and the Bible names
him... the great liar and deceiver, Satan. The enemy is out
to take down our youth. His purpose is to keep our youth from
walking in their God-ordained destiny, which is to do good
works in Jesus name.
"... For we are his workmanship, created
in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained
(destined) that we should walk in them ..."
Ephesians 2:10
All people, especially the youth of America , were created
for a specific purpose. Each of us, including the adolescents
who are currently acting out, has a powerful destiny to fulfill.
We all have been given special talents and skills in order
to walk in our destiny. The problem is that the enemy is real,
and his goal is to keep each of us from manifesting the glory
of God through the fulfillment of our destiny in Christ.
"For whom He did foreknow, He also did pre-destined
to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be
the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He did predestinate,
them He also called: and whom He called, them He also justified,
and whom He justified, them He also glorified."
Romans 8:29-30
" Before I formed thee in the belly I knew
thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified
thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations ..."
Jeremiah 1:5
God did not choose us because of our abilities, or our righteous
acts. He did not choose us because of our obedience, faithfulness,
or character. He chose us before we were formed in the womb,
before we ever did a righteous act of faith or obedience.
We are precious in the site of our Heavenly Father. He chose
us regardless of what we have done, because the important
thing is not what we can do for Him, it is what Jesus can
do through us.
Some of us believe that the Father is looking for those qualities
that we produce by our effort, (i.e., our righteousness, and
our faithfulness). Again, God is not interested in our righteous
acts, or our faithfulness. He chose us based upon His deposit
of Christ in us... for He has made available to us the ability
to walk in His power, His obedience, and His faithfulness.
All of these are the product of our union with Christ, not
a product of our effort. Our ultimate destiny is to manifest
the particular and specific deposit of Christ that the Father
has placed in us.
Therefore, the acting out teenager is really only a child
of God that does not yet understand that he/she was created
to fulfill a specific purpose of God. Needless to say, he/she
is lost only because he/she is seeking fulfillment through
means that will never deliver. Currently, he/she is deceived
in believing that he will find peace and fulfillment outside
of God's will. Until he/she understands who they are meant
to be in Christ, he/she will continue to behave in such a
way as to bring forth anguish and torment. Unfortunately,
those around him/her will suffer along with them.
God's purpose and plan for our life is a good one. In His
will comes peace, joy, and a sense of fulfillment no matter
what our physical circumstances are. "For I know the
thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts
of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end (future)."
Jeremiah 29:11 Many youth of today are reluctant to seek their
God-ordained destiny because they are under the delusion that
the ways of the world will bring forth happiness. It won't.
Only through walking in the purposes of God will anyone find
true joy and a sense of fulfillment.
Our destinies are often revealed through trials and tribulations.
The difficulty that adolescents go through could be the very
thing that reveals their destiny. Through the trials and tribulations
God often reveals the schemes of the enemy. As the schemes
are revealed, trials and tribulations can then be used as
stepping-stones that lead us to our destiny.
Embedded in the very fabric of your destiny is the enablement
to fulfill it. God has not equipped the American adolescent
to be successful through defiance, disobedience, drug use,
or any other anti-social activity. The ability to fulfill
our destiny is woven into our fabric, a part of our DNA. For
example, one of the greatest inherent needs is the "need
for significance". We all have it, and teens do all kinds
of inappropriate things to try to fill that need. The only
way for any of us to fulfill the need for significance is
to walk in our God-ordained destiny. Destiny is not something
you can make happen; rather it is something that makes YOU
happen.
Freedom
There is a battle raging for the soul of every teenager.
Therefore, the only reasonable course that we have is to understand
the battle, fight it, and be victorious. The battle is between
good and evil, God and satan. It is a battle for life of the
youth of America , and their soul is the prize of the winner.
Understanding this battle will mean everything to the life
of a teenager. Everyday, the enemy is either taking ground,
or ground is being taken back.
God created us to be free, as we can never fulfill our destiny
without the freedom to do so. God gives us freedom to choose
between good and evil. He also gives us the choice between
the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of darkness. It is up to
us. God gives us the option to choose Him and His liberty,
and the enemy tries to force us to give up our liberty in
return for his false promises. Furthermore, where God wants
us to walk in freedom, the enemy's goal is trap us in bondage
and torment.
" Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where
the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty ..."
2 Corinthians 3:17
The basic difference between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom
of darkness is that God wants to set us free through power
and liberty, and the enemy wants to imprison us in fear, oppressions,
and bondage. In the Kingdom of God there is faith and freedom,
and in the Kingdom of darkness there is hopelessness and peril.
Freedom involves choice, and with choice there is consequence,
both good and bad. This means that with freedom comes "responsibility"
and "accountability". If one desires to be free,
one also must be responsible and accountable. The enemy deceives
the teenager into believing that there is no value in being
responsible or accountable. As a result the enemy deceives
the teenager into believing that responsibility and accountability
are against them and only results in being held back. However,
we are all called to rule with God. Since God will not release
true authority without a corresponding commitment to responsibility
and accountability, those who refuse to be responsible and
accountable never attain the true freedom and are forever
held in bondage.
For those of us who are free in Christ it is our job to break
the chains of bondage (schemes) of the enemy. The chains of
the enemy are meant to keep our youth in darkness. It is the
job of Abundant Life Academy to help your child break free!
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