KNOW YOUR PURPOSE IN 5 MINUTES

So much confusion has attended the teaching of purpose sometimes through a well-intentioned zeal to motivate people for exploits. I have listened to preachers make reference to the late pop music icon, Michael Jackson as an example of one who discovered his purpose. Others point to some famous footballers as examples of persons that have discovered their purpose. The popular belief is that discovery of purpose is what makes one to excel and become wealthy and famous. Is this really true?

I had many questions such as; who determines my purpose in life? Is it me? If so, I would have to determine my success too? That does not make sense if I did not create myself. If my soul is designed to live forever, is my purpose for existence limited to life in this world only or does it continue in eternity? Do I have one reason for existence here on earth and another reason for existence in eternity?

The other option is to believe that God determines my purpose. This looks more like it because the purpose of a product is always determined by the manufacturer. As for me, God made me in His image and I did not evolve from either lower or higher animals. However, how am I supposed to know what His purpose for creating me is?

I was hoping to see a vision or somehow hear a voice telling me what my purpose is. However, that did not happen and many years of my life have already been spent. I began to wonder, what happens throughout the time of waiting to know my purpose? If I wait for 15 years before the answer, I would have spent 15 years wasting away. Is this what happened to Joseph and Moses? Was Joseph’s life before he became prime minister in Egypt a waste? What about Moses, how do we account for the 80 years spent before God called him to lead Israel to freedom? Did their purpose for existence begin with these significant assignments? What about people that may never receive such dramatic call from God? There were many unanswered questions in my heart.

Then came the idea that circumstances of life will impose a demand on me that can become my purpose for life. I was told that it may be something that infuriates me or something I am deeply pained or concerned about. At first, I was excited because I could identify immediately many things I was very passionate about. It did not take long before I began to question it. The idea sounded to me like leaving my purpose to chance without any objective standard for measuring whether I am right or wrong. What demands of circumstance will be big enough to qualify as my life’s purpose? What if I am deeply concerned about many things? Which one will qualify as my purpose? My questions where still not answered.

Then this one came and it got me. I was taught that my gifts and talents will determine my purpose in life. I loved this and taught it to many. I combined gifts and talents with desires and dreams and it almost looked perfect except for two things. I was multitalented with very many interests. I wanted to do everything and to make matter worse for me, I could pretty well do most of the things I set out to do. How then do I identify which of the many interests of my heart is the one my many gifts and talents are for? I started wishing I had just one gift or talent. Maybe that would have made my job easier. The second problem was the question of those that don’t know God but have just one gift and one interest. These people may have excelled in one thing and may have become reference points in their different fields. Does it mean that they have identified their purpose in life and have accomplished them? Can an eternal God that made us to live forever create us for temporal purposes? Why then did Jesus say “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” (Joh 15:5 KJV). Why did He use the word ‘nothing’ to describe what is done without Him? Can one that is not abiding in Christ fulfill God’s purpose for his life?

Thanks be to God who is faithful and keeps His word that says “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” (Jer 29:13 KJV). My cries before God for answers resulted in God opening my eyes to see that my purpose in life has already been spelt out in the His Word, the Bible.

Evidently, it is better to get my purpose from the manufacturer than other products. This makes sense since we will all give account to God for how we lived our lives on earth. It also means that God is the one who determines whether my life on earth is a success or not. To do that God will measure my life against His purpose for me. Therefore God is the one I must go to for my purpose. I just didn't know how to get it.

Then I found out that the bible teaches that all humans exist for the same purpose. An Old Covenant prophet Isaiah, heard God say He created humans for His glory. The bible stated it this way; “Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.” (Isa 43:7 KJV). Paul the apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ brought it home succinctly when he wrote “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” (1Cor 10:31 KJV).

It follows that your life has just one purpose; to EXIST FOR GOD’S GLORY. You will receive many assignments from the Lord according to your seasons of life. Some people may receive assignments to be pastors, business men/women, sportsmen/women, musicians, prophets, housewives, teachers, politicians, etc. Some of the methods already discussed above may help us identify which assignment we should pursue. A call into any of these fields is often mistaken as our purpose for existence. No, these are not your purpose for existence, they are your assignments from God. God’s design is for you to use these assignments as vehicles for fulfilling your purpose of existing for His glory. You live for God’s glory by discharging your assignments and roles in ways that please God. 

Therefore, when you discharge your assignment/roles as a footballer, entrepreneur, husband, prophet, son, daughter, neighbour, pastor, politician, doctor, etc. in ways that please God, you are living for God’s glory and are fulfilling your purpose for existence. This is why the bible says “… Do all to the glory of God” (1Cor 10:31). When we fail to live out our roles and assignments  for the glory of God, we are living in rebellion and that is what the bible calls sin. Apostle Paul put it this way, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23 KJV). It means we have all at one time or the other failed to exist for God’s glory. This is our sin. Just as we burn unworkable items as refuse in the city kiln, many are in danger of burning in God’s garbage kiln called Hell unless they repent and make Jesus the Lord of their lives.

How do you know what pleases God in your roles or assignments? You have to study the bible to know that. The bible contains how God want us to relate with our parents, how husbands should love their wives, how wives should respond to their husbands, how employees should work for their employers, how leaders should lead and to what goal we should do all things. This is why God says in the bible "Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is" (Eph 5:17 KJV).

We please God by submitting to the will of God in all these areas. It means I should realized that being a pastor is not why I exist, it is simply  my assignment from the Lord. I can live out that assignment to God’s glory in which case I will be living up to the reason God created me. Or I can use that assignment primarily for fame and wealth in which case I will be pleasing me and not God. While doing that I may be deceived to think that I am fulfilling my purpose but I will be wrong. This is the reason many pastors and ministers may find themselves in Hell.

My dear brothers and sisters, no unbeliever can fulfill his purpose for existence. He/she must first come to Christ for this is the will of God. After that He/she must exist for the glory of Christ in all things. It is written, “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him” (Col 2:6 KJV)

You can fulfill your purpose at all times through all seasons of life by making sure that you exist for God’s glory in every assignment and role of your life.

Written by Ifiok Ukobo

THERE IS NOTHING LIKE MARITAL PROBLEM

Is marriage good or bad? How is it that Christians or even pastors do have bad marriages? These are questions that youths and adult in this generation are not sure of the answer. The popular slogan of the older generation about marriage institution is that “while older people are trying to get out of marriage, inexperienced youths are trying to get into it”. Recently I watched a Nigerian movie in which a counselor presented marriage as “a good way to end an enjoyable relationship”.

Many are becoming confused and frustrated in the quest for the truth. Is something wrong with marriage or with us?    The book of Genesis teaches that "It is not good that the man should be alone" (Gen 2:18).  In other words, it is good for the man to marry and marriage is good. In the book of Hebrews, God enjoined all to honor marriage and treat it as a pearl of great price. (Heb 13:4). Marriage is also a gift and a blessing from God. The scripture teaches that “The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.” (Pro 10:22 KJV).

But why should something that God says is good and should be honoured by all taste so bad in my mouth. Why am I not enjoying something that God designed to be a blessing? This is not a difficult thing to decipher when you judge it in the light of other experiences common to man. I can remember when I was sick of malaria. My wife cooked my favorite meal of pounded yam and Afang Soup. Everybody said the soup was very tasty but it was bitter in my mouth. I could not eat the food though it was my favorite dish. Obviously, my wife had cooked a very delicious meal yet I could not enjoy it the way others did.  It was apparent that nothing was wrong with the dish but something was wrong with me. The malaria has affected my taste buds and caused them to malfunction. With malfunctioning taste buds, even sweet things tasted bitter.

In the same way, marriage is good and sweet but it takes the spirit filled life to enjoy it. When our lives are controlled by the Holy Spirit, we are healthy both spiritually and emotionally and we’ll respond to our spouse by the fruit of the Spirit such as joy, love, peace, gentleness, faithfulness, patience and kindness. This is when we can enjoy our marriage. However, when our lives are controlled by the flesh, we are sick and unhealthy and will respond to each other through the works of the flesh such as envy, jealousy, anger, bitterness, manipulation, etc. Consequently, we will be unable to enjoy the sweetness of marriage. Our emotional and spiritual taste buds will be like someone suffering from malaria and could not eat his best food because his taste buds are malfunctioning. In other words, when our marriage is not enjoyable, there is nothing wrong with the marriage, but something is definitely wrong with us. What is wrong with us is not incompatibility or irreconcilable differences as often mouthed by Hollywood stars. The reason we don’t enjoy it is simply the fact that we are sick in our soul.

We can therefore say that there are no such things as marital problems, rather, it is individuals in the marriage relationship that have problems of pride, unfaithfulness, unforgiveness, bitterness, competition, hate, lies, rebellion, jealousy etc. The bible teaches that “Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom” (Pro 13:10 KJV). When we bring these problems into our marriage situation, it prevents us from having the kind of marriage God ordained for us to enjoy. Sin always destroy relationship. First, it destroys our relationship with God and then with our spouse. This is the reason for the strife and contentions experienced in our marriages.

The solution is simple. Get rid of pride, contentions will stop. Get rid of selfishness and suspicion and you will be able to give and receive love. Instead of spending all your time blaming your spouse as the culprit, ask the Lord to reveal the problems you have brought into your marriage. If you can identify your problems, repent of them and submit to Jesus, you will be amazed at how Jesus will heal you, reset your taste buds and make you enjoy your marriage again. If you desire complete wholeness, take the second step and confess your findings (fault) to your spouse and ask him or her for forgiveness. The bibles says, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed…” (Jas 5:16 KJV).

Some people say that psychologist don’t believe these things are sins. They say pride, selfishness and anger are just bad emotions. Well, if they are right, you are doomed because there is no cure for bad emotions. However, if they are sins as the bible says, it is good news because there is a cure for sins. The bible says the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sins.

Enjoyable marriages are product of biblically healthy lives. You are healthy when you have denied self and have brought all aspect of your life under the Lordship of our Lord Jesus Christ. Enjoy your marriage.

Written by Ifiok J. Ukobo

If you will like to help support the effort to bring back Biblical Worldview to our churches and communities, send a request to Project Coordinator, Lifebuilders Resource. Email: tralright@gmail.com

ARE THE WORDS OF BILLIONAIRES AND SUCCESSFUL COACHES THE NEW TRUTH?

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God." (Colossians 3:16 NIV)

Where do you look for inspiration?

Have you noticed that the words of billionaires, successful coaches, motivational speakers and world leaders, are taking centre stage as the new sources of inspiration? Many Christians now teach using the words of these icons as the reference point. Are we supposed to look to these icons for the truth? Are their words the truth we should live by? Have they been with the Father from the beginning and qualified to declare flawless reality? Is placing our confidence in the words of these icons a false confidence? On the other hand Jesus was with the Father from the beginning. The bible says of Jesus, "That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world." (John 1:9 NKJV) . "For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." (John 1:17 NKJV). Jesus Himself said "...I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6 NKJV).

Jesus through His apostle gave us two commandments in Col 3:16. First, "let the word of Christ dwell in you richly." Notice exactly what ought to dwell in us richly. It is not just any word but the Word of Christ. There are many supposedly good words from philosophers, motivational speakers and world leaders but it is not their word that ought to dwell in our hearts richly. Rather, it is the Word of Christ. If you are a Christian start majoring on the Word of Christ for your inspiration and not the words of man.

Second, "teach and admonish one another with all wisdom." What this simply means is that instructions and teachings should have the word of Christ as the knowledge that informs all other branches of knowledge. All branches of knowledge or wisdom ought to be shaped and judged by the Word of Christ. The Word of Christ should either confirm their ideas as right or condemn them as wrong. When this  happens, our lives will be controlled by the Holy Spirit over flowing into singing of psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with grateful hearts.

Is it practicable?

Is what the bible commanding really practicable in real life? The answer is yes because we have been given the capacity to know and retain the Words of Christ or He would not have commanded it. The bible says He is just and righteous and will not demand what He did not make provisions for.

The one who made the heart designed it with His Word as the operating system. Every heart therefore ought to delight in the Word of Christ. If your heart is not delighting in the Word of God, there is nothing wrong with the Word, it is an indication that your heart is sick. When you are sick, your best food can taste awful. Disease like malaria is famous for numbing the taste buds and cause victims to vomit what ordinary would have been a delight. In the same way, when hearts are sick, they cannot delight in God's Word and the Word of Christ cannot dwell in them richly. The only way out is to get true diagnosis of the sickness of the heart and take appropriate medication for healing.

Second, it is the will of God for your heart to be filled with the word of God. The truth is that your heart will be filled with either the Word of God or words of men simply because words are the operating software of the heart. When the Word of God fills your heart, your thoughts and imaginations are directed by the Word into doing the will of God. God told Joshua "Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful." (Joshua 1:8 NIV). David said "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." (Psalms 119:11 NIV). Those who do the will of God will outlast their problems, challenges, battles, difficulties and time. They are the overcomers just as the bible says "The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever." (1Jn 2:17 NIV).

Third, unlike the word of man, the Word of Christ is not mere ideas and theories, they are life giving Spirit. Jesus said "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life." (John 6:63 NKJV). When the Word of Christ dwell richly in you, you experience the life of Christ that enables you to live supernaturally. Your means of expression will be the Word. The very life of Christ will manifest in all your works and words. People will see Christ in you. Your goal will be to please God.

However, substituting what appears to be 'good words' of icons for the Word of Christ is not the same thing as having the Word of Christ dwell richly in us. It is a counterfeit inspiration that will in the long run derail your faith. It will not achieve the same result as the Word of Christ in you. When the words of these icons are the ones that dwell in you richly, you will not be quickened by the Spirit of God but by the spirits behind these icons. Your life will resemble them and not Christ. Their words may sometimes lead to some form of earthly success but it will be at the cost of your soul. The only exception is when their words are products of the Word of Christ. Therefore when we hear these words, we must ask, which word of God supports their ideas? Sometimes an unbeliever may say things that are supported by God's word. In that case we still fix our attention on the Word of Christ, give credit to Christ for the idea and make occasional glances at how men and women have understood and rephrased them.

When the Word of Christ dwell in you richly

When the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, you will be ruled by the Spirit of God and naturally evaluate all of life from Christ perspective. When this happens, you are operating the mind of Christ. You are also judging all things as a spiritual man according to this scripture "The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one." (1 Corinthians 2:15 ESV). Your response to every situation in your life will be by the Spirit. Therefore the fruit of your life will be in line with the exhortation to "teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God." This is the life of a true disciple of Jesus Christ.

Written by Ifiok J. Ukobo

If you will like to help support the effort to bring back Biblical Worldview to our churches and communities, send a request to Project Coordinator, Lifebuilders Resource. Email: tralright@gmail.com

DO NOT GO AFTER THEM

“And He said: "Take heed that you not be deceived. For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and, 'The time has drawn near.' Therefore do not go after them. (Luke 21:8 NKJV).

Why the warning?

When Jesus was asked a question about signs of the time of the end, He began His answer with a warning. The warning is simple, Take heed or Watch out that you are not deceived or led astray. A few things are very pertinent in this command. First it implies that deception or 'leading astray' is going to be the hallmark of the last days. Second, for Jesus to warn us about being deceived, it shows that this deception can be contained or resisted. Third, the warning implies that the coming deception will be so subtle that someone who is not actually watching out for it will not escape it. Many very 'good' people will be thoroughly deceived without knowing. People who claim to be children of God but are not watching out against deception as a matter of kingdom duty will be deceived. This is why Jesus gave the command to be on your guard.

Is this really possible

What is the nature of this deception? Jesus said, "Many will come in My name saying, I am He." People will claim to be the Saviour, the anointed one and the one with the authority to save the earth. Jesus added, "Do not go after them". We shudder at the very thought that something that bizarre can deceive us so easily. Such monumental deception looks impossible until you understand the nature of the secret workings of the power of lawlessness.

Apostle Paul while discussing the full scale deception that will engulf the world in the last days warned that this deception will be incremental in nature and present in the world in ways that could be described as a ‘mystery’ or a ‘secret’. In order words this deception is ongoing yet undetected by most people. Little by little, shifts from the truth will finally make the ultimate deception (i.e. someone claiming to be Christ) a walk over for the devil. In his second letter to the church of the Thessalonians, Paul wrote "For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.” (2Thessalonians 2:7 NIV). The continued ministry of the truth by the true Church is delaying the progress of deception until God takes the Church out of the earth.

The nature of this deception

Paul in his epistle to the Colossians revealed to us the way the 'power of lawlessness' is being deployed to deceive people. He wrote "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ" (Colossians 2:8 NIV). The tool of the secret power of lawlessness is simply philosophies that depend on human tradition and the basic principles of this world and not on Christ. The end product of these philosophies is always lawlessness. The mystery of lawlessness is simply how these supposedly harmless man centred philosophies create lawlessness in the individual and communities that embrace them. These philosophies simply create lawlessness by replacing God's eternal perspective to things with man's temporal perspective. The result is always a change in values and morality. One example of such philosophies is evolution.

                     The plank in the eye that skews everything

Evolution is not just explaining biology but has become the basic and foundational assumption on which all knowledge is built. Every research, investigation or inquiry must make basic assumptions about reality or adopt theories on which such research or investigation will stand. Theories in social sciences, physical sciences, the arts and entertainment, etc. are made based on these assumptions. This is inescapable simply because evaluation cannot be made in a vacuum and when you reject the explanation of God, you will need to create an alternative. Unfortunately, 21st century has adopted evolution as the unquestionable assumption on which other assumptions in other fields of studies are derived from. Evolution has become the plank in the eye that enables and sustains deception in the world. Even school curriculum based on evolutionary thought has been christened secular education, a term that carries deception deeper because there is nothing secular about it. It simply replaces the views of the God of heaven with the views of the god called man.

This is the secret thing about this power of lawlessness; most people are not aware that If the basic assumption about reality is wrong, other ideas built upon that wrong assumption will certainly contain a lot of error. These errors exist as alternate perspectives to biblical positions about the world, life in the world, gender roles, success, wealth, pleasure etc. It operates as a leaven in all branches of knowledge to corrupt worldview, values, morality, purpose, meaning and ultimate goal of life. Evolution removes God from our thinking when examining facts; it leads to knowledge devoid of morality or values.

Consequently, management sciences formally an initiation of the church to teach proper stewardship has now become a course on manipulation for advantage. Medical doctors once absolutely committed to saving lives are now trained to help take lives through abortions and assisted suicide. Entertainers once majored on entertainments that educated people on morality and family values. Today, to be entertaining might as well mean to be blasphemous and profane. There was a time when legality was informed by morality but now it is informed by what pleases man. These are all systemic deceptions that will continue to evolve and lead the undiscerning astray. Humility was once a virtue even in the public space but now arrogance is celebrated as self-confidence. There was a time when every form of lying by aspiring or incumbent public officers was rejected outright but now it is celebrated as media effectiveness and good information management.

Do we still know what is good?

What all these mean is that there is a massive shift in public perception of "the good" from what is good according to scriptures to what is good according to human pleasure. This is the result of gradual deception using the so called secular education as the primary tool. John Dunphy, one of the promoters of Humanist Manifesto II asserted that "The battle for humankind's future must be waged and won in the public school classroom by teachers who correctly perceive their role as the proselytizers of a new faith: A religion of humanity -- utilizing a classroom instead of a pulpit to carry humanist values into wherever they teach. The classroom must and will become an arena of conflict between the old and the new -- the rotting corpse of Christianity, together with its adjacent evils and misery, and the new faith of humanism."

21st century secular education has achieved what John Dunphy envisioned. Secular education today demands that before one can come to the table of inquiry and make objective evaluation of anything, one must first empty himself of what God has taught in that field. The result is deception so severe that it is referred to as "Reprobate Mind" in the bible. Paul wrote "And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient." Romans 1:28 (KJV).

Where it all began

Apostle Paul warned Let no one take you captive. As deception is accomplished through reasoning or philosophies that stand on human tradition and basic principles of this world, those that embrace them are taken captive. To the extent the people are deceived, to that extent they are also become captives in their reasoning, objectivity, inclinations, love, etc. This is why endorsing the man that says "I am He" will be easy for captives. Most people would have been progressively deceived to the point that a "good man" for them will be defined by these deceptive philosophies and not the timeless values taught in the scripture. Who a good man is, will be so different from who a good man used to be when biblical values shaped culture. Again the bible says “When they refused to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their evil minds and let them do things that should never be done.” (Romans 1:28 NLT)

Have you too gone after them?

Jesus ended His warning about deception in the time of the end by saying "Therefore do not go after them." How do people go after them? By embracing their deceptive doctrines you are going after them little by little. Have you begun to go after them? When you use temporal values instead of eternal values to measure success, you have gone after them. When you rationalize and reject gender roles in marriage, you have left timeless teaching of scripture to embrace lies, you have gone after them. When self-esteem rather than self-denial becomes the prerequisite for good behavior, you have gone after them. When your idea of leadership is not anchored squarely on humble service but on manipulation, control and threats, you have gone after them. When you believe that some aspects of life are sacred while others are secular, you have gone after them. When your gospel message is about temporal things against the admonition in Col 3:1-2 to set your affections on things that are above, you have gone after them.
When Jesus commanded us saying "Take heed" and "Therefore do not go after them" it means that we have been given the capacity and ability to resist them and remain undeceived. You are able to watch out against deception as a kingdom duty, identify them and resist them if you so desire.

To begin a journey of victory over deception, you must learn how to evaluate all of life from only one perspective, that is, God's eternal perspective. When reading the bible, look out for God's perspective to issues being discussed. Join Apostle Paul to declare "So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer” (2 Corinthians 5:16 NIV). You too may have regarded many things purely from worldly or existential point of view. You should from today do so no longer. God bless you.

Written by Ifiok J. Ukobo

If you will like to help support the effort to bring back Biblical Worldview to our churches and communities, send a request to Project Coordinator, Lifebuilders Resource. Email: tralright@gmail.com