YOU ARE CREATED FOR A PURPOSE.

YOU ARE CREATED FOR A  PURPOSE.

THE ESSENCE OF LIFE

In this article, You created for a purpose explain how God created us without any mistake.

the Bible says, "And if being a Christian is of value to us only now in this life, we are the most miserable of creatures. And why should we ourselves be continually risking Our lives, facing death hour by hour? For it is a fact that I face death daily, that is as true as my pride in your growth in the Lord. And what value was there in fighting wild beasts; those men of Ephesus, if it was only for what I will gain in this life down here? If we will never live again after we die, then we might as well go and have  ourselves a good time: Let us eat, drink and be merry.

What is the difference For tomorrow we die, and that ends everything! Don't be fooled by those who say such things. If you listen to them you will start acting like them. Get some sense and quit your sinning. For to your shame I say it, some of you are not even Christians at all and have never really known God." I Corinthians 15:19,30-34 TLB

These are strong words from Paul to the Corinthian Church that was at this time mixed up in their understanding of the doctrine of the resurrection of Christ. In fact some came to the conclusion that the time of the resurrection of the saints spoken about had passed. You know that when people begin to believe things like this, sometimes it is because they have become cold in their love for God, as a result they begin to manufacture all kinds of funny and contradictory doctrines that will make them feel comfortable in their Worldliness and carnality.

I am afraid that is the situation with many Christians in this nation today. This group of believers have made this world their home because they have lost sight of heaven. However the Bible says the foundation of the Lord stands sure and the Lord knows those who are his. What Paul was saying seems strange but however very important. He said if we are serving God just for what we will get out of it in this Life, it is not worth it. He did not mean it is wrong to be blessed in this World but he meant that it should not be the reason why we should serve God.

Christianity is more than eating and drinking, more than just getting a house to live in and a car to drive. Yes, much more deeper than that. Material benefits are not bad but are only additions that follow after we have received the real thing. Therefore, it is foolish to leave the substance and settle for the additions. Apostle Paul asked, why is it that we are thrown into one jail after another, beaten almost to death but we keep going? Is it just for what we will eat and drink? No. there is more to Christianity than that.

If you read through the New Testament with an open mind, you will see that one of the most important doctrines emphasized is eternity. this issue features So prominently that Christians of that time became so heavenly minded that they almost became earthly useless. That was to the extreme though. But the emphasis placed in those days on the need to live with eternity in view, was such that Christians made sacrifices that helped in advancing the kingdom of God. In Church history, you read of thousands of Christians who were killed for their faith in different ways and in different nations across the globe. But the more they were martyred, the more others volunteered to go and preach the gospel. If it were just for food and drink, they wouldn't have done that. It therefore means that the early Church knew something about Christianity that the present Church seems not to be aware of. 

These days some men of God give the impression that if they are not alive doing the kind of work they are doing, maybe all of us would have died and gone to hell.

But i dare to say that they came too late. Long before them, there were people who came from America and Europe, these people left all the good things available to them then and came to Africa when it was literally a dark continent, and when West Africa was referred to as the white man's grave because of the number of missionaries that died as a result of malaria infections, all in the effort to get the gospel to us. Someone once said that when finally the history of the Church in Nigeria will be written, the blood of the early missionaries will be the ink and their bones the pen.

The more these people died, the more other young people from Europe and America volunteered to come. What was it that they were looking for in a place like Africa? Were they looking for houses and cars; those things that have become over emphasized in the Church today? of course not, they understood the message of sacrifice and the essence of life The content of many messages preached from our pulpits today have taken away the hearts of men from God and turned them to material things that have no eternal value. This is the reason for the cold hearted-ness, half-heartedness, and lack of commitment to God in the Church today.

Hebrews 11:13-16, 24-27 says, "These men of faith died without ever receiving all that God had promised them: but they saw it all awaiting them on ahead and were glad, for they agreed that this earth was not their real home but that they were just strangers visiting down here. And quite obviously when they talked like that, they were looking forward to their real home in heaven. If they had wanted to.

they could have gone back to the good things of this world. But they didn't want to. They were living for heaven. And now God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has made a heavenly city for them.

It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be treated as the grandson of the king, but chose to suffer ill-treatment with God's people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin.

He thought that it was better to suffer for the promised Christ than to own all the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking forward to the great reward that God would give him. And it was because he trusted God that he left the land of Egypt and was not afraid of the king's anger.Moses kept right on going; it seemed as though he could see God right there with him." TLB.

I used this scripture to buttress the point about the mindset of the early saints who lived before us. Take Moses for example, he had a singular opportunity to become the next Pharaoh. History reveals that civilization began in Egypt. Just imagine being the president of the most civilized nation of the world, what benefits you will have. But Moses turned that opportunity down because he was living with eternity in view. The problem with many people is that they cannot see beyond their nose so they cannot go for things that have eternal value. When you live with eternity in view you will come to a conclusion that things of eternal value must have pre-eminence in our lives.

The Scriptures say, "Who then can ever keep Christ's love from us? When we have trouble or calamity, when we are hunted down or destroyed, is it because he does not love us anymore? And if we are hungry, or penniless, or in danger, or threatened with death, has God deserted us? For the scriptures tell us that for his sake we must be ready to face death at every moment of the day, we are like sheep awaiting slaughter; but despite all these, overwhelming victory Is ours through Christ who loved us enough to die for us. For am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can't, and life can't. The angels won't, and all the powers of hell itself cannot keep God's love away. Our fears for today, Our worries about tomorrow, or where we are high above the sky, or in the deepest ocean  nothing will ever be able to separate us from the love of God demonstrated by our Lord Jesus Christ when he died for us." Romans 8:35-39 TLB.

You will see in the above scripture that in those days people were willing to pay any price to please God. To them, no amount of persecution could take them away from God. Nowadays, if a person has headache and prays without receiving healing, it is enough reason to backslide. lt could be, you came to Church and the pastor preached a hard sermon and you concluded he was preaching against you, and so you are being persecuted. The early saints went through "hell" but remained committed to God. What did Paul mean when he said "life can not separate me from God?" He was saying that enjoying the things of this life wouldn't separate him from God. There are many people who are attending Church today because they are poor, the moment they are blessed with material things, you wouldn't see them in church again. Some will come only when they have time, so we don't know how committed you are until God prospers you.

Nothing in this life can make me to become cold towards God. Whether it is Suffering or prosperity, I will serve God all the same.

There was a day I worked so hard in my office and closed very late. On my way home, worn-out as I was, my driver why men do the things they do in this world? Before he could answer me put the question more pointedly, I said, why are you driving me? He answered, "If don't work, how could I eat." I told him that what he had just said meant that the reason for his living was solely for what he asked Would eat.

This is true of most people in the world today. In fact many people have no higher values and that is why they kill, steal, lie and do any thing to make money. Most people live at this animalistic level of existence.

A popular adage says, "You don't live to eat but eat to live." If you don't live to eat but eat to live, then you are living for something higher than eating.

Food is just like fuel to sustain you so that you will Live for something higher. That is why I said, "You are created for a higher purpose not just to eat, drink, cloth, build houses, buy cars, produce children. If these are your reasons for existence, you have missed it. marry and While on my way back home that day continued to ask myself the purpose of Working? You may discover that the reason why most people don't take their Work serious is their lack of understanding of the purpose of Work. They feel that all they are labouring for is to get money to meet physical needs. If they can get money through other ways, they see no need for being faithful in their Work. That is the reason why when their boss is around, they pretend to be Working hard, but the moment he is not there, they stop work and engage in idle talks and at month end take their salary.

This attitude has brought in the massive corruption that we have been battling with in this nation. Wherever they are, they gather as much loot as possible to help them satisfy their wanton desires. But what you have to know is that you are created for a higher purpose than eating drinking and clothing These things only help you to accomplish the purpose for which you are created.

REASONS WHY WE WORK

one of the reasons for working is to make a living. It is important to eat, as it is to work. am not suggesting that we should stop eating. Jesus said man should not live by bread alone. He did not say man should not live by bread at all. Bread (food) is a means to an end, not an end in itself.

You don't eat for eating sake. You eat to be able to use the energy to do something. That is why Paul said if anybody does not work let him also not eat at all. Another reason is that Work helps you to discover and develop your God-given gift. You should understand at this point that work was not part of the curse God originally placed on man in the Garden of Eden when man sinned against him. God gave man work; man was already doing this God-given work before he fell into sin. Work therefore should be looked upon as a blessing and not a curse. It is only through Work that you can discover the area that God has gifted you.

If you stay idle, you may not even know what you are able to do. Working exposes you to a place where you can discover things you are able to do. Somebody who works only when his boss is there is only cheating himself because he will not discover or develop his potentials. prosperity that God ordained for you is tied to your discovering, developing and utilizing your talent. You will remain undiscovered and undeveloped when you don't work.

The only money you will be able to make is that little salary you are paid. You cannot get to a place where you can hit the " Jack pot" of God's blessings for you. When you fail to use your skills and think you are cheating Somebody else, it is only yourself that you are cheating. There are some people in Nigerian workforce today who have become useless because of their attitude towards work. They have forgotten everything they learnt in schools because they failed to apply it in working situations. If such people loss their jobs they will starve because they never exercised their talents. There are also people who have been using their talents effectively and if you throw them out of job today, it will be an opportunity to get another one quickly or be self-employed. The third reason why we work is that work gives a sense of satisfaction, fulfilment and accomplishment that makes up an essential part of a healthy living. There is a sense of fulfilment that comes to you when you do something with your hands and succeed. when you Sit down to enjoy that which you have laboured for, it brings Joy. It takes more than Food, drinks and cloths to be happy In life because you may have all these privileges and yet be unhappy; accomplishing your goals makes you feel happy.

Another reason is that work Is an avenue by which one fulfils God's plan and purpose for his or her life nobody who is an accident in this planet, therefore you are a creature of destiny.

God Created you to make certain Contributions to the world and leave it better than you met it. Somebody once said that, everything you enjoy from the day you were born until you grow up is what other people laboured for. That is their contribution for coming before you. So you eat, ply the roads and fly the airplanes that have been invented by others.

But if you live all through your life enjoying those things and never make any contribution that other people after you will enjoy, you are a thief. This is because you are enjoying much but contributing nothing: only thieves behave that way; reaping where they did not sow. The apostle Paul said, "And now am going to Jerusalem, drawn there irresistibly by the Holy Spirit, not knowing what awaits me, except that the Holy Spirit has told me in city after city that jail and suffering lie ahead. But life is worth nothing unless use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus the work of telling others the Good News about God's mighty kindness and love." Acts 20:22-24 TLB. As a result of his understanding of this important truth, Paul again said in Phi.1:21 that, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." He lived for something higher than food even though he used to eat food and had a house to accommodate himself. He even wore clothes but lived for a higher course than these.

My prayer is that God will bring not only fellow Christians but also my entire Countrymen and women to this level of existence. This is the only thing that will enable human beings abandon the animalistic way of living that makes them kill and steal just to eat and drink. We should live for something higher and bigger than ourselves. You are created to serve the purpose of God in your generation. You are also created to be the light of the world and to shine as light in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. You are expected to be an example which others will see and emulate. Jesus said, "Let your light so shine among men that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven." I' like to let you know that we are living at the most opportune time in the history of Nigeria and cannot waste this opportunity that God has given to us to transform this nation. We have to return to biblical values so that Christians will go out there and shine. In addition to all this, we need to stay in prayers.  

                   STEPHEN GRELLET

said, "i shall pass through this world but once, therefore, any good that I can do,

any kind act that can perform for any

fellow creature, let me do it now, let me

not delay or omit it, for I shall not pass

this way again.

THE POWER OF INFLUENCE

the Scriptures say, "Death came into the world because of what one man (Adam) did, and it is because of what this other man (Christ) has done that now there is the resurrection from the dead. Everyone dies because all of us are related to Adam, being members of his sinful race, and wherever there is sin, death results. But all who are related to Christ will rise again." ICorinthians 15:21-22.TLB.

Elsewhere in Romans 5:12-19 the Bible says, "When Adam sinned, sin entered the entire human race. His sin spread death throughout the world, So everything began to grow old and die, for all sinned. (We know that it was Adam's sin that caused this) because although people were sinning from the time of Adam until Moses, God did not in those days judge them guilty of death for breaking his laws because he had not yet given his laws to them, nor told them what he wanted them to do. So when their bodies died it was not for their own sins since they themselves had never disobeyed God's special law against eating the forbidden fruit, as Adam had.

What a contrast between Adam and Christ who was yet to come! difference between man's sin and God's forgiveness! For this one man, Adam, brought death to many through his sin. But this one man, Jesus Christ, brought forgiveness to many through God's mercy. Adam's one sin brought the penalty of death to many, while Christ freely takes away many sins and gives glorious life instead. The sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to be King Over all, but all who will take God's gift of forgiveness and acquittal are kings or life because of this one man Jesus Christ. Yes, Adam's sin brought punishment to all, but Christ's righteousness makes men right with God.

so that they can live. Adam caused many to be sinners because he disobeyed God, and Christ caused many to be made acceptable to God because he obeyed." (TLB).

If Adam and Eve had known the far reaching consequence of their action, they But Could have restrained themselves. just like anyone of us, they did it casually; thinking they were just dealing with what affected them alone; therefore, it does not really matter. only hope that God will open your eyes to see that the little actions you take today affect several other people and indeed generations after you. If people live with this kind of understanding, they will be more sober and careful about what they say or do. Imagine what history has to say about Adam; the Bible says that because of this man's sin, the rebellion, he has put entire mankind into trouble. But when he was doing it, he thought it did not concern anybody but him alone. There is nothing you do in this life that will concern you alone, in fact every action has a multiplier effect, even if it is not immediate, it is going to affect others in the future. For instance, if you don't do proper upbringing of your children and they became wayward, eventually the society will suffer for it. The armed robbers we have today are, in most cases the products of careless parenting. So, if we understand the consequences of our actions and inactions, we will live more responsible lives.

If you know what the "Simple" rebellion that you exhibit in your life will cause others; those rebellion against simple instructions from the word of God and against authorities, you will be more careful.

Adam and Eve wanted to get whatever their eyes admired and most of us have that problem. That is the spirit that brought us into the predicament we face today. The Bible says that when Eve saw that the tree was good to the eye and good for food she ate it. In the same vein, so many Christians cannot taste for a few days even when they know that will bring about the answer to their problem.

It was sin that introduced death to mankind, and because man was Corrupted, God drove him out of the garden so that he would not eat the fruit of life and live forever, and as a result, become irredeemable. But if instead of the tree of evil, they ate the tree of life, they Would have lived forever in that state of innocence. God never planned that we be poor and sick. Poverty is not a Sign of Christian purity, it came as a result of Adam and Eve's disobedience. You look at the life of Jesus Christ who showed obedience to God the father, and by this obedience the entire world is blessed. By his selflessness and willingness to suffer discomfort, we are enjoying today.

I have made up my mind that i am not just going to live for today, but want to leave my footprints on the sand of time. Therefore, want to make as much impact as can on generations yet unborn. Anyone who wants to live that kind of life has to be careful the way he lives.

People who are leaders to young people have to understand that those young men learn from their actions more than their Wonderful, long instructions. The nature of children is such that they go looking for role models, therefore, if your lifestyle has nothing to offer to them, you better stop teaching them. Many of them don't only listen to the grammar you speak but watch your lifestyle also. Remember the story of David the man after God's heart. As a result of indiscipline in the area of his sexual life, God told him that although he Committed adultery in secret, his wives Would be raped in the open for many to see. Even though David's sin was forgiven, the consequences of that sin followed him to the grave and some of his children who followed in his steps suffered for it too.

When I see people playing with sin, I say to myself, how i wish they understand its implications because sometimes sin may be forgiven but one still suffers the consequences. Remember Gehazi, a man whose master had double portion of prophetic anointing from Elijah. Gehazi was likely to have a triple anointing, but for lack of self-control in the issue of materialism, he brought leprosy upon himself and generations of his children after him. Be warned so that your irresponsible lifestyle today will not affect others after you.

Jesus laid down his life for us, and so, God expects us to equally lay down our lives for others. But sadly, this is one area the church does not emphasize today. We tell people how Jesus came and suffered for our redemption which is correct but the other side of the story is that just as Jesus laid down his life for us, we are supposed to lay down our Lives tor the brethren as indicated in John 3:l6. However, it appears that modern Christians do not want to put this to practice. But the truth is that, if you remove sacrifice from Christianity, you have nothing left. Understand that the faith that costs you nothing is worth nothing.

In Il Kings 20:12-19, there is a pathetic story of an irresponsible man who was so selfish that he was only concerned about what happened in his lifetime and to him alone. The man king Hezekiah had just recovered from an illness that was meant to kill him. The Babylonians came to visit just to express their joy for his recovery from the illness. But out of excitement and ignorance, he took them around and showed them everything that he had. When he finished doing that, Isaiah the prophet met him and asked who those people were, and the king answered that they were friends from Babylon. Isaiah asked the king what he has shown them, and the king said to Isaiah that he had shown them all his treasures. The prophet told the king that they were going to return a few years later and carry everything that the king had shown them including his children. Surprisingly, Hezekiah replied, "Thank God it will not happen in my days. This is the kind of irresponsible behaviour you find in the church and our world today. Our irresponsible lifestyles today can cause serious problems to generations yet unborn yet it does not bother us particularly when we know it will take a while before the repercussion begins to be felt. ask you, how will you like to be remembered after you leave this world? The Bible says, "We all have happy memories of good men gone to their reward, but the names of wicked men stink after them." Proverbs 10:7 (TLB).