B) Divine Purpose has no room for Self…
In our July 2011 teaching on The Pattern for Christian Ambition, it was stated very clearly by the Holy Spirit that any ambition/motivation arising from flesh is ultimately corrupt and cannot have meaningful bearing in God’s plan (& end-time reward) because everything the bible says about the flesh (human strength) is negative.
Divine purpose leaves no occasion for the flesh/selfish ambition or otherwise.
You accept that Christ has died for you and purchased your life with his blood 1 Cor 6:19b, thus you are no longer yours but his. Self-determination becomes obsolete in your life. If your answer to the question on purpose is skewed towards self, or prioritizes your individual fleshly goals in anyway, then chances are it does not tally with the volume of the book written of you in heaven.
Divine purpose ALWAYS places top priority on Kingdom goals and objectives, of which you are a ‘conduit’ to its attainment. A purpose driven life (from heavens perspective) pivots around Kingdom goals and priorities (“we are in this world but not off this world”…Rom 12:2). Does this make our secular lives irrelevant in Gods program & plan for us? ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!
In fact GOD in many instances & for certain seasons, places us in certain secular jobs and positions in order to facilitate the advancement of the kingdom. We already examined the example of Cyrus the King. Many other examples abound in the bible:
- Moses:
Was divinely placed in Pharaoh’s court Exo 2:5 in order to understand the skills and ways of the enemyActs 7:22of whom he would later come to confront in God’s name. - Joseph:
Was Prime Minister of Egypt YET functioned in that role for God’s purpose Gen 45:5 - Daniel:
Was governor 3 times in Babylon YET used it to push God’s purpose.Dan 4:34-37
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Nehemiah:
Was butler to King Artaxerxes of Persia, yet his excellence in service was to kingdom advantage! Nehemiah 2:1-9
Today the Lord is asking you…..Has your secular job/career/business been to Kingdom advantage???.
But your quick to answer, you say Holy Spirit…“After-all that is where I get my 10% tithe from”…..Ok..Yes..but this is only a part answer!!
How so?? Well in none of these examples highlighted above were fiduciary considerations mentioned..(Money/Offerings/Tithes!).
Whilst money has a role to play, it’s certainly not the most crucial factor as we now make it out to be in this current Christian climate.
Of what use is your tithe & offering from your secular job to GOD if your conduct at work brings ridicule and shame to God’s name & kingdom?
Are you sleeping with Potiphars wife??
Discovering Your Divine Purpose …..!
It’s been previously mentioned that by being with him, we get to know him (his ways), and in the course of fellowshipping & moving along with him that divine purpose is steadily unveiled!
Taking it slightly further now, there are 3 primary channels through which this unveiling takes place:(A) Revelation by Burden (B) Revelation by Man (C) Direct Revelation by the Holy Spirit.
(A) Revelation by Burden:
Question: When did Moses discover his purpose (the call of God upon his life)?
In all my years of reading the bible,i always assumed it was at the burning bush experience when he encountered God. This was until the Holy Spirit unveiled Acts 7:23 to me: See what it says
“And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel.”
Did you catch that revelation? IT CAME INTO HIS HEART ..what came into his heart? The Burden for the people of Israel! Moses prince of Egypt, heir to the throne of Pharaoh, General in the Egyptian army living a life of luxury and comfort, yet one day ‘he decided’ based on ‘promptings in his heart’ & ‘the growing burdens therein to go down and see’..
Christians are not supposed to be ‘church-attendees’ alone, No! Spending time with the word (Jesus) in personal study and in fellowship hearing anointed teaching inspired by GOD not just philosophies & stories MUST (& ALWAYS will) lead to spiritual pregnancy by immaculate conception (as it was with Mary the mother of Jesus).. This is a divine mystery!
Every one of us has a spiritual womb (our womb-man), it is through this womb that Christ sows the seed of purpose in us at the beginning. This begins as a seed, but as with any pregnancy must be nurtured & attended to if we are to bring forth fruit! These little burdens we feel are often are an indication of our specific calling in the body of Christ. What little burdens have you been feeling? Is it for the widows? For teens? To evangelize the lost? to support missionaries in the field? They are often an indicator towards your primary purpose in God’s plan.
Any call into ‘partnership’ with God is authenticated by burden!
Sadly too many Christians have barren wombs (due to lack of ‘rumination’). Some conceive but continually miscarry due to ignorance or carelessness.
Some there be who deliberately & selfishly abort because the profit is not unto them.
Hannah leased her womb to GOD to birth Samuel..can God lease your womb?
May Christ open our eyes to our respective conditions and give us the grace to successfully bring to birth every divine purpose we have conceived in his presence.
(B) Revelation by Man:
Esther and Mordecai (Esther 4:13-17), Jehu and Elisha (2 Kings 9) . Timothy & His Mother (2 Timothy 1), Samson & His Mother (Judges 13), These are some examples in the bible where we see God’s divine purpose for a person unveiled through his servants (either Prophets, Or the parents he has put as guardians over the lives of his children).
Exempting Cyrus, GOD will rarely completely unveil his divine purpose for your life through his prophet alone (Perhaps to prevent Hero worship & idolatry of any man?)..
1 Cor 13:9 “we know in part, we prophesy in part”.
This medium however is often used by God to shed some light on his purpose for our lives and in so doing draw us unto a direct relationship with him where more of it is unveiled as we walk with him.
A closer study of those who weren’t able to successfully fulfill divine purpose even after getting some insight from God’s prophets or their parents indicates a common trend in which they failed to follow through this process to the divine source himself for guidance. They often remained at the human level of revelation without going further unto the lord. Nowhere in the book of Judges do we ever see Samson pressing beyond the initial revelation of his purpose by seeking God’s will directly. Yes GOD may have given your prophet/pastor some revelation of his divine purpose for your life – however your pastor would have failed if he doesn’t encourage you to take the extra step to dig deeper with God.
As a parent (Fathers you are the Priests & Prophets in your home….where are the skilful wailing women today? Jer 9:20 ) have you bothered to seek God’s counsel over his divine purpose for the children he has placed under your care? A major aspect of caring for them is ‘praying them into God’s divine purpose for their lives: “Birthing them into Divine Purpose”
(C) Direct Revelation by the Holy Spirit:
Through Dreams Genesis 37:5, Visions Ezekiel 3, Angelic Encounters Judges 6:6-16, Luke 1:39-45, and his Direct Word Jeremiah 1, GOD also makes his divine purpose for our lives known unto us.
None of these 3 channels (Burden/Man/Holy Spirit) necessarily works in isolation of the others, rather we find that the jigsaw puzzle that is our divine purpose on earth is often weaved through all three of these channels as God in his infinite wisdom deems fit.
It is our duty and responsibility to:
- Desperately desire to know,
- Seek his face diligently Prov 8:17 as we actively press into knowing his will.
- Begin to walk in obedience to his ‘next steps directive’ as he gradually unveils it to us.
Friends, i pray you have been blessed by these words. Let us withdraw to confer with the Holy Spirit to throw more light on this word as it pertains to us.
A Personal Prayer:
Holy Spirit of the living GOD, sent by the Father to guide me into all truth!
I acknowledge that if i run the race of my life as Ahimaaz ran his race, my message will not move the King Of Kings after i pass from this earth.
I invite you now to come and begin to make known unto me the ‘volume of book written of me’ according to your word in Hebrews 10:7. Father in heaven, give unto me the grace to live my life according to your divine will, and to obey your leadings and direction in all things. In Jesus name i pray. Amen.
The Revealed Word. 