Your Purpose

There are no accidents in God’s universe #

God loves you with an everlasting love and wants to bless you and fellowship with you! But Christ proved God’s passionate love for us by dying in our place while we were still lost and ungodly! (Romans 5:8, TPT)

Why should you care? Well, because deep down you know you are accountable to God because God has placed the desire for love and eternity in every heart.

God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart (Ecc. 3:11, NLT)

Jesus Christ not only loves you and proved it but also claimed to be I AM, the one and only Living God.

You will never get greater satisfaction that to become a seeker of God… a seeker of His love… a seeker of the principles that govern His Kingdom!

God tells us in Jeremiah 29:13, “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” If you are also a true seeker, if you want to know the true God, then He will reveal himself to you too.

“And we know that all things work out for good for those who love God.”

This promise does not say, that everything in life will be pleasant. This is not an unconditional promise, either. It only applies to followers of God. This promise is for those who believe God is powerful to turn an ugly divorce into a better life. This promise is for parents who suffer for the life a child has chosen to live. God will bring gold out of the fire. This promise is for those who believe God can turn ashes into beauty. This promise is for those who believe their mistakes, sins, a horrible, painful past, can be turn into a blessing to bless others.

Let your entire life be rooted in God. Check everything through the filters of God’s presence in the here and now. Accept everything in faith, believing that somehow there is a reason for such event. Romans 8:28 holds the key to the best life ever! Nothing in life gets better than trusting in God.

“Life will break you. Nobody can protect you from that, and living alone won’t either, for solitude will also break you with its yearning. YOU HAVE TO LOVE. YOU HAVE TO FEEL. IT IS THE REASON YOU ARE HERE ON EARTH. YOU ARE HERE TO RISK YOUR HEART. You are here to be swallowed up. And when it happens that you are broken, or betrayed, or left, or hurt, or death brushes near, let yourself sit by an apple tree and listen to the apples falling all around you in heaps, wasting their sweetness. Tell yourself you tasted as many as you could.” ("The Painted Drum" by Louise Erdrich)

“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. BUT ONE THING I DO: FORGETTING WHAT IS BEHIND AND STRAINING TOWARD WHAT IS AHEAD, I PRESS ON TOWARD the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14 (NIV)

Forgetting the PAST, looking FORWARD, I PRESS ON. Can you feel the force behind these words, Friend? Total focus. Total singleness of mind and purpose. Only ONE THING matters: To press on!

God uses all kinds of vessels to reveal His glory — big vessels and little vessels, ornate vessels and plain vessels, very expensive ones and very ordinary ones. They all serve a purpose!

God wants to do something great with your life in the near future. Did you know that? He wants to use the “Gospel according to Friend” and tell people about His power to transform. He wants you to be His story to the people of your world.

Two things are required:

HONESTY. Own your world. Own the dark part of your life. Stand up and say to yourself: I am responsible for everything I am feeling right now. In the name of Jesus, I will stop blaming people. I will stop victimizing myself. I will ask God to overcome the demonic forces that have been keeping me chained to my past! I will stop feeling shameful, guilty, and I will assume responsibility for everything that happened in my life… Whether I was guilty or not. Over! New page. New chapter. I got God, the Creator of the universe, on my side!

SURRENDER your past to God. Everything. Your sins. Your mistakes. Your sins of omission and commission. The people who hurt you. The people you hurt. SURRENDER ALL TO HIM Go ask people forgiveness in the power of God. Dial that number and call. Go knock on a door. Tell people, “I am sorry. I hurt you. Would you forgive me? I want to live for God from now on.” The bible calls that act, confession. Confession is the act of giving to God all the bad stuff you have done. Confession means asking people forgiveness for sinning against them. Confession gives you a new chapter. Confession means you have nothing to hide. You are a clean vessel. Confession means YOU TRUST GOD!

Augustine once said, “The confession of bad works is the beginning of good works.” We start by dealing with our past. The Bible says, “If we confess our sins to God, he will keep his promise and do right: he will forgive us our sins and PURIFY us from all our wrongdoing” (1 John 1:9).

YOUR CHOICES DETERMINE YOUR POTENTIAL. Here is the key to the best CHOICES of your life: GOD’S PURPOSE FOR YOU! I have found out that there are different quality of choices people make. The best quality is born in the soil of people who have CHOSEN God’s purpose. Their choices seem to reflect the heart of God. Love and commitment to people above their convenience. Service to others above financial gain. A readiness to stand for God at the expense of popularity. A choice to the fresh revelation of God’s will instead of the stale predicaments of irrelevant religion. Whatever you are facing right now, friend, MAKE A CHOICE. Start with one simple choice. That choice will change the direction of your life. Choose God’s purpose! If you don’t know what’s God’s purpose for your life, write me a note. I will be more than glad to help you find it. That is the one CHOICE that will transform your life forever! And it is not RELIGION! Whatever you are facing right now, friend, MAKE A CHOICE. Start with one simple choice. That choice will change the direction of your life. Choose God’s purpose! That is the one CHOICE that will transform your life forever!

There is nothing the devil wants more than to have disoriented about your destination, confused about your purpose for your life NOW, obsessed with the future, and/or feeling guilty about your PAST life or even yesterday!

One of the things that I often confront in dealing with people is their inability to define their PURPOSE because of guilt and shame. The devil will do every possible thing to tempt you into something he can later on blame you for. Have you found that out? He uses people to accuse you, to make you feel like to have no right to get up in the name of God, and fulfill your purpose. That attitude is always demonic.

Anything that distracts your pivotal relationship with God, and your purpose for this life, is demonic and RELIGIOUS! Here is the call from Jesus to fulfill your purpose.

“Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage. (Matthew 5: 13-16)

“Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.”

Ask God to transform your life, (Galatians 5, Fruit of the Spirit), cleanse you by His GRACE, and then claim your PURPOSE for the next decade. Being SALT and a LIGHT for God, in this world calls for audacity, commitment, and spiritual strength from Him.

Let me assure you something: if in the midst of the most chaotic circumstances, you can remember that you have been called by God,” you will regain your sense of significance and your will be re-energize! I know it without a doubt! That’s what pulled me our of the biggest, most horrible mess of my life. Let it sink for a minute: You, yes, you… You have been called by God to live for Him, with Him, and in behalf of Him in this life!

How you face your tests and tribulations will reveal your sense of significance. Do you remember, “you have been called by God?” This is an important question, because you never know when your life will end. You never know if you will have a chance to “succeed” at what you set your mind to accomplish. But you can always be certain you are fulfilling your call by God. We are here on this earth, to bring glory to God—to show how to love again, and again… nothing more, nothing less. The purpose of our lives is to learn how to love. To show others how to love. (Matthew 22: 37-40). The heart of significance is to be able to catch the fact that God has called you to fulfill your purpose, this bringing glory to Him.

The only reason why you are here on earth is to learn how to be loved and love again. SIN by Lucifer, Adam and Eve was a relational challenge to the very existential nature of God. You don’t fight SIN, you let God love you; you learn to love again! SIN is simply the absence of love.

God is Shaping You For Eternity #

There is only one thing I hang on to: and that is the fact that every thing that happens to you as a follower of God, in this life, God promises to use to shape you for eternity! That’s it! I can hold on to this in the midst of darkness. I can hold on to this, when people tell me horrible stories of their past life. People share with me dark secrets of their past. Abuse suffered… They show me the scars on their walls of their hearts. Disillusionment. Shattered dreams. Hopes that will never crystallize in reality. Lives cut short by a tragic accident, cancer or drug overdose. Why? Why? You, see… I don’t know!

This is what I know. God is more than a rational, intellectual reality you can grab like a text book, to understand. He is a RELATIONAL God. You can only catch glimpses of Him in a personal relationship with Him. You catch glimpses of God when you read the Bible, when you pray, when He whispers in your mind. What your relationship with God can not satisfy, your mind will never comprehend! Are you with me, Friend? Followers of God in word, without a relationship with Him, are a contradiction in terms. That’s why I often say, it’s easier to become a religious Christian and repeat the lingo, than it is to walk with God, read the Bible, contemplate God, meditate, reflect, and pray for enlightenment! Without a relationship, you do not have depth to grasp the reality of God.

God Is Preparing You Today For Something Greater Tomorrow!

If you were to ask Moses how he became who he was, he would remind you of his trials with Pharaoh and his times of testing in the wilderness. If you were to ask Joseph, he would most likely refer back to his years as a slave, his imprisonment on a false accusation, and his imprisonment in Pharaoh’s dungeon. Talk to Peter, and he would probably point back to his denial and how he learned many difficult yet important lessons.

Maybe you find yourself facing something similar in your life today. Maybe you are beyond shock at something that just happened to you. “Why me? Why me?” There may be no rational interpretation of what is happening to you. But, then, I know one thing and one thing only: God is preparing you for a choice work. God is shaping you for eternity. When you follow God, no bad experience goes to waste. No storm is useless. You become more understanding. You learn to depend on God more than before. You begin to see what’s relevant in this life. You grow roots deeper in the heart of God!

“For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].” —Ephesians 2:10

If you are a follower of God, Friend, NOTHING IS A MERE ACCIDENT! God is bigger than your circumstances. It may not be fair. It may not be understandable. It may not make sense. But, Friend, God will take whatever happens to you, and turn it around into a blessing! Romans 8:28

Walk with God today, in the silence of your heart, knowing He is shaping you for eternity.

The Real Test of Holiness #

C. S. Lewis said, “The real test of being in the presence of God is that you either forget about yourself altogether or see yourself as a small, dirty object.”

We don’t often hear statements like that coming from pulpits or worship center’s podiums today. We hear how we can all be champions. We hear how we can all be successful, victorious. We hear how much prosperity faithfulness to God can bring into our lives. It seems to me like in many ways, it is not cool to speak of being spiritually destitute, to teach that we are to be poor in spirit. Yet the Bible says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). We should be praising God for people who feel empty… people who need direction and God in their lives. We should rejoice when someone says to us, “You know, I don’t know what else to do with my marriage…” Wow! “Blessed are the poor in spirit…” Anything that brings us to our knees in humble humility and praying to God for help is a “blessed” moment Jesus, said. “Blessed” is the person who experiences “poverty of spirit.”

Last time I read the Gospels, the “lost” were not being invited to have fun… or invited to study a map, or a calendar of last day events! They were being invited because they were “lost.” THEY WERE BEING INVITED TO A RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS BECAUSE HE IS THE ONLY ONE WHO KNOWS HOW TO RESCUE LOST PEOPLE"

Lostness is a serious condition, friend. I am not against fun, joy and a good laugh. But you see, if you are lost, if you acknowledge your condition, when you meet God, you will either run to Him for help, embrace Him and love Him, or you will run away from Him!

Jesus told a story about a Pharisee and a sinner who went into the temple to pray.

The Pharisee, a religious man, prayed, “God, I thank You that I am not like other men . . .” (Luke 18:11). You see, this was the kind of guy that had RELIGION all figured out. His God has options for everything! His God could be explained by rules, laws, decrees, teachings and doctrine. He was basically saying, “I have the TRUTH, I follow the TRUTH, and I got it!” Wow! Would you love to leave your Lamborghini parked in his guy’s garage? He is the typically good guy. Dependable, predictable, hard worker, efficient, a man of his word. This guy would the the leader of the local church and most likely the main source of financial support. A dream church member!

The sinner, on the other hand, WAS LOST. He wouldn’t even lift up his eyes. He beat on his chest and said, “God, be merciful to me a sinner!” (verse 13), or more literally, “the sinner.” Apparently he did not think of himself as one sinner among many; he acted as though he were the only one. He was so overwhelmed with the sense of his sin, his moral bankruptcy, and his spiritual destitution that, as far as he was concerned, everyone else’s sin paled in comparison.

Jesus said of the SINNER, “This man went down to his house justified rather than the other . . .” (verse 14). Why? Because he saw himself as he really was. Yet we tend do the very opposite. We attempt to justify our sin because we can always find others who are far worse.

Are you the “good guy” or the “sinner.”

Are you the one who has the answers, or are you a seeker after the transforming power of God in your life?

Are you into being a “good person” or “holy”?

How do you feel about yourself in the presence of God?

Does God make you “good” or “holy”?

If you want to be HOLY for God, if you want to LIVE, really LIVE God’s life (John 10:10), experience the MOST PHENOMENAL RADICAL POWER OF GOD in the next 10 years, then you must see yourself as you are, be sorry for it, and want to see CHANGE in your life. Seek God as a “lost” person and you will FIND HIM!

“Blessed are the poor in spirit.” (Matthew 5:3)

“For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 18:14 (This was the verse that God repeated in my head 101 times when I was considering suicide in the darkest hour of my life. I recalled my Dad’s voice repeating this verse to me… “Humble yourself… He will exalt you!”

Spiritual poverty is a GODLY virtue! It is the TEST OF HOLINESS

Seekers of God bring a smile to the face of God. People who are passionate about God, His Word, praying and seeking His will are the only ones who find TRUE, ultimate satisfaction. The test of HOLINESS is very simple: “How much do you long for God in your life?” Then show it! Seek Him. Read your Bible every day. Pray. Meditate.

The more you follow God, the more you will become like Him. Why? Because the Spirit of God is always shaping you into the likeness of Jesus. Why? Because one day you will be living in heaven, a perfect place for people who have been perfected by God! In the book of Acts, we read that the religious leaders, when they saw Peter and John’s boldness, realized “they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). It overflowed from their lives. We can try to imitate Jesus, but that is not good enough. We become like Him through “impartation”—which is the Spirit of God living with you. As you walk with Him, live with Him, learn to hear His voice, you become more and more like Jesus. You find yourself thinking like Jesus. You begin to react like Jesus. Compassion for the poor and the disadvantaged is born in your heart.

Paul wrote, “I have been crucified with Christ; IT IS NO LONGER I WHO LIVE, but CHRIST LIVES IN ME; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

In the first century, the word “Christian” was a term of derision that meant “of the party of Christ.” Are you a Christian because people see Christ in you, Friend? Are you His follower? That is God’s plan for your life: to make you like Christ.

Pain and Pleasure #

All human behavior moves in a pendulum like motion I call the “PP” principle. “PP” stands for Pain and Pleasure. We run away from pain towards pleasure in everything we do. We begin on the “PP” path instinctively, from the time we are born, before we develop consciousness. Hunger is pain, seeking pleasure or fulfillment. Because this world is imperfect, we inevitably move from pleasure back to pain, and back to seeking pleasure. Even those who choose sado-masochistic modes of behavior, are secretly seeking pleasure, though most of us may not understand it as such. I have found out, after years of observing human conduct, that at the root of even the most bizarre and destructive behavior, there is a twisted, hidden hope to find pleasure, or at least a way to minimize pain. That’s what human behavior is all about.

What changes the pendulum motion for humans is God’s PURPOSE for humans, the third “P.”

Without PURPOSE we die, though we continue to breath! PURPOSE is born in the heart of God. He is the creator of the human PURPOSE. He describes for us the reason for our existence. He point us towards the higher destination.

God allowed you to be born in this world for a PURPOSE. He is allowing you to take space on this planet for a PURPOSE. God’s PURPOSE is what gives you a higher level of consciousness, so whether you experience pain or pleasure, you stay on a path towards PURPOSE or DESTINY.

1. Confusing you about your PURPOSE in life

2. Distracting you from your PURPOSE in life

If the devil can keep you in that pendulum mode of pain, seeking pleasure, back to pain and back to pleasure… back and forth… then he got you! There is nothing higher to aspire for!

God wants you to move beyond the “PP” state on to the higher level of His PURPOSE.

Everything the devil does in God’s universe is to trap, catch, seduce and DESTROY you. Don’t forget that! Follow God’s PURPOSE today and move beyond the mere “PAIN-PLEASURE” motion.

• CHOOSE to use PAIN to fulfill God’s PURPOSE. Pain becomes valuable when used to enhance God’s PURPOSE in your life. (Romans 8:28)
• CHOOSE to use PLEASURE to fulfill God’s PURPOSE. Pleasure becomes valuable when used to enhance God’s PURPOSE. (1 Timothy 6:17)