We Came With A Purpose: Chase After Him To Find You

I feel sad for anyone who doesn't believe that we are here for a purpose and a reason. Those people who believe that our lives are random happenings that blot the face of the planet for a while before we pass away from the world to go somewhere no one knows. It is my firm belief that the idea that we are rudderless and without direction leads to a point where people do not see the big picture and grand design of the world and end up living selfish, self-centred lives that add nothing to the world. However when we realise that we humans on this planet are all connected and we all have something to add to the lives we come in contact with, and we act on this, the world becomes a better place.

I believe that there is nothing on earth whether created, made or manufactured without a purpose on the face of this earth. We understand the issue of purpose when we understand that there is nothing whether animate or inanimate that does not have a purpose. From human beings to chairs, the air we breathe in to the clothes we wear, everything has a purpose. If inanimate objects without awareness have a purpose, how can we say that human beings, the greatest of the living species do not? Simply put, everything has a purpose for being, for existing. In fact, a purpose is first discovered and then a thing is made to fulfill that purpose. Therefore I believe that there was a purpose that God wanted man to fulfill collectively and individually when he made him. The purpose, then the thing to fulfill the purpose.

When God called Abraham (then Abram) in Genesis 12, he told him him what he wanted to do with him. When he called Jacob in Genesis 28, he revealed what he wanted to achieve in his life. The same thing when he called Joshua in Joshua 1. He followed the same pattern when he called Cyrus, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Elisha and Paul. Wherever in the Bible we are shown the moment God called one of the elders in the faith, we see a process where God calls them by name and reveals his plans and purposes to them and lets them know the part they have to play in the fulfillment of that plan. There is always a big picture and God tells us what he wants to achieve. He never tells us the processes we have to go through but at least he gives us an indication of the end so that we can press forward.

I am of the firm belief that God has created each and every one of us with a purpose and he has a plan for our lives. Our lives are not aimless and neither do they lack meaning. I believe that when God called us, he spoke on our lives the plans and the purposes he desires for us to achieve and fulfill. Whether or not we come to a full realisation of this plan, depends entirely on us. The Bible says that His word is forever settled in heaven. He cannot and will not change. Therefore there is a responsibility placed on each of us shoulders to seek his face and find it. For us to truly have a relationship with the world we live in, we need to have a relationship with him. If we pursue him, we will not only find him, we will also find ourselves.    

JC Cruz is the author of DECEPTIO published by WestBowPress, a division of Thomas Nelson publishers, http://bookstore.westbowpress.com/Products/SKU000194087/Deceptio.aspx and LOST, BUT FOUND available at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DPLLEUQ/. You can follow him on Twitter @Cruz_JCReal.  

Can I Do All Things Through Christ?

I honestly believe that there is no substitute for reading the Bible ourselves. The book of Joshua enjoins us at Chapter 1, verse 8 that “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein; for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success”. The simple fact is that if we want to ensure that the book does not depart out of our mouths or and that we meditate on what is written in the word day and night and observe to do all that’s in the word, there is no substitute for us to read the word and understand it ourselves by the help of the Holy Spirit. While our pastors, friends, colleagues and other Christians are there to help us with our understanding of the Scriptures, it does not absolve us of the responsibility to check if what they are saying is the truth.  

 

The Sun Shining

While I was in university, I remember that when examinations came around we were urged to pray and declare that our memories were blessed and that we would remember all that we had read. I really didn’t think much of this and I happily and fervently prayed along with the rest of the congregation that my memory was blessed and that I would remember all that I had read. No matter how little I had read or understood. However when I got round to reading the verse of scripture that gave rise to the prayer point, I discovered that we had been applying the scripture in error. Proverbs 10:7 says: “The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot”. Immediately I read it, it occurred to me that the verse had nothing to do with my memory or examinations. It also occurred to me that it had been taken out of context. I realised that what the verse was talking about was about how men who were considered just or wicked would be remembered when they’re dead. Case in point, Saint Francis of Assissi and Adolf Hitler. While people are grateful for the life of the former, a lot of people probably wish the latter had never been born.

Which then leads me to the verse of scripture that I think has been quoted of context the most, probably because a lot of Christians have not taken time to read it and understand it for themselves. They’ve heard their pastor, parents, friends, colleagues and even new converts to Christianity all quote it and so they’ve accepted it. Philippians 4:13. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me”. However, when people misquote it, the “which” somehow changes to “who”. What they then mean is that thanks to Christ who strengthens them, they could become a brain surgeon, an architect, an intrepid explorer, you name it. For a while, I accepted this misquote. But then, I began to wonder, why would Christ strengthen you to be able to do all things if he has a specific purpose for your life? I then went back to read the verse and I found out that people were quoting the verse all on its own. The more I read it, the more I was convinced that verse 13 was linked to and could not be divorced from the verses above it, especially verse 11 & 12. Verse 11 talks about how Apostle Paul has learnt to be content in whatever situation he found himself. Verse 12 talks about how he has learnt to abound or be abased, be full or be hungry. Verse 13 then talks about how he is able to all those things he talks about in verses 11 and 12 through Christ. The question then is, is it Christ that strengthens him to go through those experiences? Probably. However, I believe that in using “which” instead of “who”, I believe what he was saying was that the things he goes through strengthen him for the other trials that are to come. In short, they build character in him.

The Bible is full of rich texts which if we faithfully apply and follow, our lives will be full of joy and prosperous, just as God intended. However, we can’t continue to receive revelation on a second hand basis. We need to dig into the word of God ourselves and unearth it’s rich resources.      

JC Cruz is the author of DECEPTIO, a thriller published by WestBow Press, a division of Thomas Nelson Publishers. DECEPTIO is available here http://bookstore.westbowpress.com/Products/SKU-000194087/Deceptio.aspx. He is also the author of LOST, BUT FOUND, a story of love and redemption. LOST, BUT FOUND is available on Amazon,  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DPLLEUQ/. You can follow him on @CruzJC_Real.