Salvation

Seeking What God Purposes Me To Be

English: The Last Supper of Jesus Christ

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“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold for me” (Philippians 3:12).

It is clear from the Scriptures that God wants us to seek after Him. Sometimes we think that the word seeker applies only to people who do not know the Lord and are seeking the answers to life. A believer in Jesus Christ should never come to a place where he or she stops being a seeker.

Being a seeker means that you know God as a reality in your life, yet you are always hungering after a deeper intimacy with Him; being a seeker means that you know His love in your heart, yet you seek to know the fullness of its depth, its height, its width, and its length; being a seeker means that you have set your heart to lay hold of all the things that He purposes you to be.

How do I know God’s purpose for my life?

You were created by God, in His image, for a purpose. The Bible tells us that Isaiah (Isaiah 49:1), Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:5) and Paul (Galatians 1:15) were set apart from birth for a specific purpose–and you are no different. He has a specific plan for your life.

“For I know the plans I have for you,’ declared the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11).
The Bible says that God’s will is “good, pleasing and perfect” (Romans 12:2).

God’s will, first, is that we have a relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus Christ.

“This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3-4).

God wants us to be Christ’s disciples.
This means Christians must themselves commit to following God’s will daily, whatever the cost.
“If anyone would come to me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23).

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Who are you occupied with?

Are you occupied with Jesus? Most Christians I know would answer in the affirmative, but the truth is; most of the times we are more occupied for Jesus and not occupied with Him. Being occupied with Jesus means spending quality time with Him in prayer–seeking His favor and direction; just like Mary, who sat at His feet attentively while He Ministered to her.

Once upon a time there were two sisters who loved the Lord more than anything else. One named Mary the other named Martha. Mary liked to worship and Martha liked to cook.

The Bible tells us in Luke 10:38-42 that one day: “As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was busy in the kitchen preparing food. She became distracted and overwhelmed by all the preparations that had to be made. So she came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “You are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Clearly, Martha had her priorities mixed up. She missed the opportunity to occupy herself with the Lord, by choosing the kitchen instead. Believers, do not be like Martha, be like Mary, who had her priorities in order. There is a time for everything under the sun.

Martha in the kitchen, serving with her hands,

Occupied for Jesus with her pots and pans,

Loving him—yet fevered,

Christ in the House of Martha and Mary, c. 1597

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Careful, troubled Martha,Burdened to the brim,

Occupied for Him.

Mary on the footstool, eyes upon the Lord,

Occupied with Jesus, drinking in His words,

This the one thing needful, all else strangely dim,

Loving resting Mary

Occupied with Him.

So may we like Mary choose the better part?

Resting in His presence, hands and feet and heart,

Strengthened with His grace,

Waiting for the summons,

Eyes upon His face.

When it comes, we’re ready,

Spirit, will and nerve—

Mary’s heart to worship,

Martha’s hands to serve.

This the rightful order, as our lamps we trim:

Occupied with Jesus—

Then occupied for Him.

Do you have oil in your lamp?

Winter is officially here, but Northeasters have been experiencing winter like weather for close to two months now. It all started in late October, when an unexpected nor’easter dumped several inches of wet heavy snow on the New England states, knocking out power everywhere; causing millions of dollars worth of damage. In Connecticut alone, it costs Connecticut Light and Power (CL&P), well over three hundred million dollars to restore power and do cleanup work.

Everything is back to normal now; just in time for Christmas, thank God, but we all dread what might happen in the coming months. Last winter was the worst in many years and there is no way to tell what this one might bring. Nevertheless, life goes on–one must prepare for the unexpected.

An unexpected snow storm that caught everyone off guard, reminds me of what the Bible says about Jesus’ return. “For you know quite well that the day of the Lord‘s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night” (1 Thessalonians 5:2). And in Matthew 24:36, referring to His return, Jesus told His disciples: “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” The scripture is clearly telling us to prepare and be at the ready at all times because Jesus could return at any moment. If we failed to do so, we are likened to the 5 foolish virgins who had no oil in their lamps.

Believers, now is the time to trim our lamps and fill them up with oil. There won’t be time to do so when the bridegroom comes. He will only receive those who are ready to meet him. Luke 21:34, admonishes us to “take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.” That’s exactly what happened to the 5 foolish virgins. They knew the bridegroom cometh but they failed to prepare.

We should make sure that we do not make the mistake the 5 foolish virgins made. They went out to get oil for their lamps when the bridegroom arrived but when they returned the door was closed. No doubt those virgins put their salvation on the back burner because they thought they had time. But they were wrong and so could you and I.

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Do you give God your all?

The world wants your best, but God wants your all. So what is preventing you from giving God your all?…Self…It’s hardly a secret that conquering self is the biggest problem Christians all over the world face daily. It was true for Jesus’ disciples— and it is true for modern-day Christians.

Somebody once said: “Learn to conquer self before you try to conquer the world.”Learning to conquer self is an ongoing struggle I am face with daily. As a follower of Jesus Christ, I understand that unless I overcome self I will not reach those higher heights and deeper depths, which the apostle Paul referred to in (Philippians 3:14), “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

Most Christians, I would imagine, will not admit openly that they struggle with self, but I am not ashamed to admit that I do. As a matter of fact, one of the greatest Christians the world had ever known struggled with self and he was not ashamed to admit it.  The apostle Paul, a stalwart of the early and modern-day Church struggled with self. In (1 Corinthians 9:27), he writes: “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”

The apostle Peter himself, struggled with self. When the soldiers took hold of Jesus, after Judas pointed Him out–the Bible says: “Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchu” (John 18:10).

The truth is we all struggle with self, whether you admit it or not.  It is the single biggest impediment that prevents many of us from giving God our all. Each of us has that 1 or 2 things that we cannot shake. We have been working on them for years or maybe months, but every time we thought we had them under control, they raise their ugly heads again.

The only solution for the problem of sin is to stay close to God. Feed on His words, walk in His footsteps and obey His commandments (Exodus 20), for “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24)

Turmoil In Zion? Pastor Eddie Long’s Wife seeks Divorce

“Many shepherds will ruin my vineyard and trample down my field; they will turn my pleasant field into a desolate wasteland” (Jeremiah 12:10).

The on again, off again marriage relationship between Pastor Eddie Long, head pastor at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta, and his wife Vanessa appears to be over.

The split comes a about a year after a lawsuit filed against Eddie Long alleged that he used his influence and lavish lifestyle to lure four men into sexual relationships. Long settled the cases but has never admitted to any wrongdoing.

On Thursday December 1, 2011, Vanessa Long filed for divorce from her husband,  Eddie Long. In a statement, she said the decision to end the marriage followed “a great deal of deliberation and prayer.”

A change of heart by was reported early on Friday December 2, 2011, just hours after Vanessa Long had announced that she had filed for divorce from Long after 21 years of marriage. In a statement issued through Eddie Long’s New Birth Missionary Baptist Church she said that she loves her husband and planned to withdraw her petition.

“Upon prayerful reflection, I have reconsidered and plan to withdraw my petition for divorce from my husband, Bishop Eddie L. Long,” she said in an emailed statement bearing the New Birth logo. “I love my husband. I believe in him and admire his strength and courage.”
She went on to blame “years of attacks in the media” for her initial decision to seek a divorce.

But In a another statement issued late Friday December 2, 2011, Vanessa Long’s attorney says “she has determined that dismissal of her divorce petition is not right at this time.”

Believers, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). We are the examples of Christ. Therefore, we should walk in His footsteps and “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us (1 Peter 2:12).