What Past American Presidents Truly Believed About Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is around the corner. It's going to be another time for eating and drinking, and more than enough turkey to go round. But have you ever wondered what the purpose of Thanksgiving was all about? What if I told you that Thanksgiving is an essentially Christian festival? In fact, as I was doing preliminary search on Thanksgiving, I was sturned to read how reverently past American Presidents approached the issue of thanksgiving.

I have decided to reproduce for you here what two of those presidents said about this national holiday, just so you will know how much we seem to have gone away from the original intention of thanksgiving. This is going to be bit long, but it will be worth your time, every bit of it.

Let's start with George Washington. Here is his reason for signing this National Day of Thanksgiving into law:

"to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness. Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be--That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks--for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation--for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the tranquillity, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed--for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted--for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us." (signed) G. Washington, The Massachusetts Sentinel, Wednesday, October 14, 1789.

As I read that, I am thinking, even my local pastor couldn't possibly have preached a better sermon on thankgiving to God, the Almighty. But before you think, 'Oh, that was just one isolated instance', listen again to President Abraham Lincoln, even in the middle of the civil war:

"The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle, or the ship; the axe had enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years, with large increase of freedom.

No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.
It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and Union.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.
Done at the city of Washington, this third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the independence of the United States the eighty-eighth."
Proclamation of President Abraham Lincoln, 3 October 1863.

I am telling you, as I read this exact words by past American leaders, I stand a bit shocked. Not because they openly and gratefully acknowleded God as their source and sustainer, but because the nation they fought and worked so hard to preserve is doing everything it can to disavow the "watchful providence of Almighty God" over their lives. An average American today grows up treating God as 'suspect', or outrightly hostile towards God. I am wondering, where did God go wrong with America? In blessing us so much that we have become the greatest nation in the world today? The way things are run in some quarters in America today, especially in some of our academic and news media, you will think God was the greatest enemy US ever had. But my question is, why are we so unthankful even at Thanksgiving?

Today, Thanksgiving has been secularized. To the degree that our children do not even know to Whom we are thankful. We glibly talk about the things for which we are thankful, but we omit the One to whom we are thankful. Our past Leaders didn't think that was the way to celebrate Thanksgiving, why should we? Unless, we are suggesting that our past leaders were...actually, dumb. But I know that our past leaders were not dumb at all. They were smart, intelligent, hardworking, and godly folks. They were so smart that we elected them to govern this great country. So, I am thinking, who is being dumb here - my generation of Americans who are rejecting God and refuting his loving kindnes, or our past leaders who had sense enough to acknowlege the "watchful providence of Almighty God".

Think about this the next time you are in a group that makes God the butt of their mean joke; or at a Thanksgiving dinner that makes fun of God, and celebrates its secular posture.
Happy Thanksgiving.

Just so you know, I got some of the materials I used here from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving.
You may choose to visit that site for more details on the above subject.

How To Discover Your True Identity- Part 1

It isn’t what we do that matter the most. It is not even what we are. It is who we are, first and foremost. I may be good at teaching; that is my gifting. I may even be a well trained teacher who is really good at my life career. Well, that is what I am, a really good teacher; but that is not who I am. Does that make sense?

Jones was caught stealing the other day. That’s what he did. To be sure, that is bad. But then, over time, Jones took to stealing ever so often. Too bad, that is what he is now – a thief. But is that all there is to Jones? Having known that Jones is a thief, have we known all there is to him?

It is so easy to define ourselves by what we are or by what we do. ‘He is a medical doctor.’ ‘She is an actress.’ ‘That guy is a fine gentleman.’

We live in a culture that likes to categorize and put a label on people. Have you noticed? ‘She is black.’ ‘He is white’. ‘Oh, Grace? She is Latino.’ Somehow, if we can just define and categorize one another, then it becomes easier to deal with the other group, right? Like, if I know Grace is Latino, then I sort of know what to expect from Grace – because somehow, in my mind, there is an assumption that I know how Latinos or Blacks or Whites or Asians behave. That way, I don’t have to deal with Grace on an individual, unbiased level. You see, I don’t have to get involved, or be genuine and whole and sincere or vulnerable. I can simply deal with other individuals, especially those from a different group or race, from a distance.

Ok, let’s admit it; this type of discussion makes a lot of people uncomfortable. Why? Precisely for the same reason that we don’t want to honestly deal with our inner selves. So, we sort of prefer to deal with the externalities; to live our life from a distance, shallow and shielded.

Well, you know it as much as I do; it is a lame way to live. It is the way of weak-minded, somewhat ignorant and shallow individuals who have not yet understood the basic fact about who we are, as different from what we are or what we do.

But don’t get me wrong. What we do is important. What we are is even more important. But who we are is much more important. This was the lesson that a middle-aged man in ancient Israel was to learn several years back.

His name was Jacob. He cheated his brother out of his rightful inheritance, and ran away. But chicken will always come back to roost in, right? After several years of running, he decided it was time to go back home and face his brother, and deal with the consequences of his behavior.

Now, just a short distance away from home, Jacob became desperate. What if his brother was still angry with him? Was he endangering his life and those of his two wives and many children? Was he being reckless? If anything, at this point, Jacob really needed God’s help. This time, he could not afford to be distant or shallow with God. Men, he was either going to be honest, real honest with himself and God, or he was going to be in real trouble. With this attitude, Jacob went into the woods to pray; somewhere private, where he could be real honest without being ashamed, where he could cry if necessary and not be embarrassed, where he could let it all out and not wonder who took note. It was written that he prayed all night. This guy must have had quite a lot on his mind. Ever been there where you have to stay up all night because of a major need?

You say, ‘Yeah, but what has this got to do with understanding who I truly am?’ I will tell you in a moment. But notice, in response to his all night prayer, God simply asked Jacob a question (the ‘Man’ in the text refers to God who appeared to him in the form of an angel):

[The Man] asked him, What is your name? And [in shock of realization, whispering] he said, Jacob [supplanter, schemer, trickster, swindler]! And He said, Your name shall be called no more Jacob [supplanter], but Israel [contender with God]; for you have contended and have power with God and with men and have prevailed. Genesis 32: 27- 28, Amplified.

“What is your name?” That is the question we must honestly answer, just like Jacob, before God may help us. Name represents identity, definition, and categorization. What ways have we been defining ourselves and other people? By what you do, by what you are ( such as tall, black, white, asian, handsome, ugly etc), or by who God made you to be?

Jacob replied, ‘My name is Jacob - a cheat, a schemer, a swindler; that’s what I am’. You see, Jacob had to be honest this time. In his deepest moment of reflection, the person that Jacob could see in him was ‘a cheat’. Yes, what we are and what we do are very important. They becloud our true identity and obscure our purpose, if they are the wrong things.

But thank God, now at last, Jacob could be honest enough to face himself, courageous enough to admit his sin, humble enough to admit it to another, repentant enough to look up to God with pleading eyes.

To discover the real reason we are here on earth (purpose) and take our place (assignment), we need to take a clue from Jacob, and be real honest with God and with ourselves; courageous enough to admit our sins and change from our ways of error.

But in the next post, I am going to share with you what is the most interesting discovery Jacob made. It wasn’t just the blessedness of being real and authentic (as if that was not enough in itself); it was the discovery of his true identity. Discovery of purpose begins with a clear understanding of our true identity.

Back to http://www.discoverpurpose.net

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How To Discover Your True Identity, Part 2

In our last discussion, we began taking a look at this man called Jacob; how in one moment of desperation, he was willing to risk being real and authentic. Let's recall the question God asked him which started Jacob on this journey towards a realisation of his true identity.

[The Man] asked him, What is your name? And [in shock of realization, whispering] he said, Jacob [supplanter, schemer, trickster, swindler]! And He said, Your name shall be called no more Jacob [supplanter], but Israel [contender with God]; for you have contended and have power with God and with men and have prevailed. Genesis 32: 27- 28, Amplified.

'What is your name?' That was the question Jacob answered. He admitted that, as far as he knew, he was jacob - supplanter, schemer, trickster. Jacob had had his own way all his life. His uncle, Laban, tried outsmarting him, but learnt the hard way that this guy is a long-practiced schemer. But now, we see him, humble, contrite, vulnerable as he openly admits the wrongs he had done.

But here is what is so interesting. While Jacob saw himself only as a trickster, God saw him as a prince, a prince with God. "Your name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel", God told him.

Amazing. God doesn't see people as we see them. God doesn't categorize and label individuals based on skin color, height, weight, economics etc. He sees something right inside your innermost being that no one else sees or is willing to admit.

Jacob might have been kneeling down there broken, contrite and perhaps even hating himself, in sudden realization of how ugly his life had been. But all along, the person God sees isn't Jacob, the cheat, the supplanter; but God saw Isael, a prince with God and man. That teaches me something: it isn't just the name others are calling me that is important. The name I have been calling myself ( in my thoughts, comments, attitude etc) is more important. But even much more important is the name God has given me.

God's name for us is gloriously defining. Yes, it is in Christ that we find out who we are; what our true identity really is. You know, we may have messed things up so bad like Jacob did, perhaps, so bad that we have come to be defined by our wrong deeds. But when we are open and authentic enough, like Jacob, to admit where we are at, God is ever willing to embrace us with love and a new name written over us.

"Because of this decision we don't evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don't look at him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins." 2Corinthians 5: 16- 18, Message.

God gave Jacob a fresh new start, by helping him re-discover his true identity. Isn't that always like God? Ever loving and forgiving. It's time to look inside and see the new person that we have become, or could become, through our union with Christ. I think God delights in welcoming us home to himself, forgiving, blessing us, helping us understand who we truly are. So, will you come home like Jacob did? Will you kneel in honest prayer before God and say, " I am sorry, I have lived like Jacob"? I feel like taking a moment right now to talk with God about this? Will you be willing to do the same?

I am going to end this by reminding you ( and myself of course) who or what God says we are. God has a new name for you. God calls you:
Friend - John 15: 13-14
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you

Accepted - John 1: 5
Beloved - John 1: 5
Forgiven - I John 1: 8-9
New Creation - 2 Corinthians 5: 16 -21
Blessed - Ephesians 1: 1-3

I want to ask you to refuse to accept any other definition of you. Our culture will do it's best to label you 'black', 'white', 'hispanic', 'short', 'tall', 'fat' or 'thin', 'poor', 'wealthy' etc. But we have to remember all those are not who we are...those are futile attempts by others to define and categorize you. We are God's offsprings, new creation in Christ Jesus.

If any of these writings bless you, feel free to post a comment or share a testimony with us. Others may be blessed by your testimony or comment. And feel free to contact us anytime. My genuine desire is to assist you in your search for meaning and joy.

How To Discover Your Purpose In 15 Minutes or Less


I know, reading that heading, you are probably thinking, 'This guy must be nuts. How can someone find out his whole life purpose in 15 minutes?' But truth is, you can actually discover your entire life purpose in 15 minutes or less. Fifteen minutes is about all the time it will take you to read through this piece. Sure enough, I trust that you are willing to invest just 15 minutes of your time to find out what may turn out to be the most transforming moment of your life. But if you are one of those fast readers, then you can actually discover your purpose in less than fifteen minutes from now. Ready?

But first, you need to understand what 'purpose' we are talking about here. We are not talking about introspection, potential, mission statement, goal setting etc. Those are important aspects of 'purpose', but are not your primary purpose. Purpose deals with the nature of meaning, origin and value who you are as a person. You may click here now to find out the difference between purpose and life mission or assignment. And, yes, this discovery is from an essentially christian worldview, because, 'It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for' ( Ephe 1: 11; The Message).

Now, let me share with you how I came upon the biggest discovery of my life...the exact purpose of my life. The year was 2000. I was on a missionary journey to a small African town. While I was preparing for my trip, I had gone to a christian book store and collected a number of books that I felt could help me. It was going to be a long and somewhat lonely trip for a then bachelor missionary pastor like me.

One of those days, I was at my desk, reading one of these books when I recieved an insight that was to change my life. This particular one was called, 'The Hidden Man'. The book was discussing the uniqueness of the human spirit and its relationship to the Creator Spirit. As I kept reading, something flashed into my mind that I can not explain. Suddenly, I was lying flat on my uncarpeted church office, lost in the deepest worship and adoration that have ever come up to God from this being.

It was the very sharp realization of who and what I am that produced this kind of worship. It was as though I was immediately translated into the 'beginning' and I saw into the heart of the Father God as He said, 'Let us make man in our own image'. I could feel the love and joy with which he anticipated making another set of beings who will be his own, to love and to bless. Then, I understood why God 'rested' on the seventh day after he made human beings. Seeing that, I saw why he made me, who I am and what my role on earth is.

So, let me share a bit of what insight I recieved that day with you. Remember, it's just a bit. You may have to visit often to recieve the rest. But as you read, I trust you will come to discover why God made you and what your purpose on earth is all about.

So, let me begin with the key question that changed my life: Why did God 'rest' after he made human beings?

It is written that God rested on the seventh day. But notice that God did not rest until his work was completed. And his work was not completed until he made man and woman on the sixth day. So, in essence, the creation of humans marked the achievement of God’s goal and the beginning of his rest. ‘So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed. On the seventh day, having finished his task, God rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from his work of creation.’ Genesis 2: 1-3 NLB. This is an important key in eventually understanding the divine purpose for human beings.

Nature of God’s rest.
The nature of God’s rest could not have been physical. Why? The answer is simple; God does not grow weary or tired. Isaiah 40: 28- 29 captures it clearly:
Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the LORD,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength.

So, it is clear that God’s rest was not one of cessation of activities in order to regain strength. The Creator of the ends of the earth neither faints nor is weary. He certainly did not run out of breath and had to slow down enough to catch his breath back.

So, then, what does it mean that God rested on the seventh day? It is a state of mind that results from accomplishment, from purpose achieved. It is a tranquil state of happiness, contentment and satisfaction that stems form successfully accomplishing an important mission.

After God made man, he entered a state of rest, joy, contentment or satisfaction. He looked at man and the rest of the creation, and knew without doubt that his work was done, his goal achieved. It was like Jesus saying at the Cross, ‘It is finished’.

The Human Connection
Here is an interesting point to consider: God never considered his work finished until he created man, and empowered man to take charge of the earth. Or, put in another way, the purpose of creation of the earth was not yet fulfilled until humans were created. God never did ‘rest’, at least throughout the period of creation, until man was made.

It does seem then that the creation of man signaled the accomplishment of God’s goal in creating the earth and the firmaments. Humans were the crown of God’s creation, the chief end in divine mind at the outset of the creation venture.


It’s difficult to picture what could have gone through God’s mind on the evening of the sixth day as he beheld the man and woman he made. It would have made quite a scene to
have watched God as he looks in admiration, maybe, even in amazement and wonder and honor, at this special species he has just created.

This is how Exodus 31: 17 puts it, ‘for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.’ That word ‘refreshed’ is very interesting in this context. One of the definitions for ‘refresh’ is ‘to make fresh again; reinvigorate or cheer (a person, the mind, spirits, etc.)’. Agreed that God does not grow weary, faint, and does not, in a physical sense, need to be reinvigorated, then that leaves us with the last part of the definition; to cheer.

God was gladdened in no small way by examining the man he made. His loving heart was cheered and pleasured when he saw this being that was an exact representation of his person, an image of the Godhead. Here was a being that was God’s protégé, beneficiary, friend, and an exact reproduction of His person.

I look up at your macro-skies, dark and enormous,
your handmade sky-jewelry,
Moon and stars mounted in their settings.
Then I look at my micro-self and wonder,
Why do you bother with us?
Why take a second look our way?

Yet we've so narrowly missed being gods,
bright with Eden's dawn light.
You put us in charge of your handcrafted world,
repeated to us your Genesis-charge,
Made us lords of sheep and cattle,
even animals out in the wild,
Birds flying and fish swimming,
whales singing in the ocean deeps
Psalm 8: 3- 8, Message.

No other creature evoked such a response from God, except the man he made. He ‘rested and was ‘refreshed’ at the sight of man. Who is this man that God is so mindful of him? Who is this special being that so awakens the divine emotion, as to cheer and refresh the divine heart? ‘Then I look at my micro-self and wonder, Why do you bother with us? Why take a second look our way?’

In deed, he does not only take a second look at us, but we do hold his undivided attention since creation. The word translated ‘mindful’ in Psalm 8: 4 is ‘zakar’ – a Hebrew word which means ‘ to mark or remember continually, as perpetual incense rising; to set heart upon; to keep continually in merciful view’.³ God’s mind is set upon humans, for a reason.

Okay, let’s recap. God rested after he created man. The nature of his ‘rest’ was one of contentment, satisfaction and cheer that come from a feeling of accomplishment of a desire goal or objective. In order words, God had a purpose in mind when he set out creating the world, which was fulfilled in man’s existence on creation morning.

There is also a second but related reason God rested on the seventh day. It does seem as though when man was ‘born’, God saw in him all the prerequisite abilities necessary to continue to keep and maintain the whole earth. Why, he put in him those abilities. And so, in a way, God no longer needs to work, for here was another ‘form’ of him that is capable of carrying on the good work, so to speak.

Here is the insight that hit me that day in 2000. It pleasured God so much that he made me. Then it hit home, my being pleasures God. It is because of who he made me to be that gives him so much joy: God’s image, protégé, friend and beneficiary. God wanted someone special to lavish his love on, to pour out his goodness and kindness on. He decided man was to be just that person. It gave him great pleasure just thinking about our coming into being. Imagine then what joy he had when he finally succeeded in bringing us into being. No wonder he ‘rested’.

From that day, I have never doubted that
the primary purpose of human beings is to enjoy God and glorify him.

If you enjoyed this article, then you may want to visit Archives for more. If you have any comment, question or prayer need, feel free to contact us any time.

Enjoying God In A Godless Society

I had discussed with you sometime ago about what it means to ‘enjoy’ God in a previous post. If you missed that, you may click here now to read all about that before continuing with this piece. Because I am going to pick it up from where we left off.

What I really want to dialogue with you today about is, how to enjoy God in a world that is very skeptical about God. You say, but why should I care about God, and what does he have to do with my purpose? Well, he has got everything to do with our purpose. Remember, man’s chief purpose is ‘to enjoy God and to glorify him’. Nothing more, nothing less. Life is about knowing, experiencing or enjoying God.

But the thing is, we often miss the exciting part about this God concept. It is a call to enjoy. Someone has said that it is all about God. Yes, in a self-centered, self-seeking world such as ours, it is important to remind us that Faith is all about God. That is for ever true. Yet, there is a good sense in which it is also about us; about you. God is all sufficient without us, happy, fulfilled and lacking nothing. But he chose to make us so as to lavish his love and kindness on us anyway.

He did not make us just for his amusement. When it comes to the issue of the human race, it is a serious issue with God. It is true that we are for his pleasure. But it is in the sense that we pleasure or delight his heart. He takes unending delight in loving and blessing us. Of course, God can do whatever he wills with us; he is sovereign. But he is also not a power monger. He chose us in love, and for love. In a good sense, from his own perspective at least, it was all about us; it was for our sake that he chose us. ‘Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son’- Ephesians 1: 4-6.

Seen this way, the God factor does not seem so frightening after all. Here is one who is infinitely mightier saying, ‘I want to enter a holy union with you so I can defend you, and enrich your life’. This, then, is the first step in enjoying God in a godless society- to know that he is good. That is his essential nature. His motives are not only pure, they are altogether selfless. It is for our benefit that he beckons on us.

A powerful and very wealthy man who lived thousands of years ago had this same revelation. His name was David. He was a smart guy by all standards in his generation. In fact, he grew to become the leader of one of the most influential nations on the earth today. He had so much going for him. But he also had God in his life, or rather, he allowed God to have him.He had a radically different view of God than most folks do today. This is his invitation to us:

'Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him' - Psalm 34: 8

‘Taste and see that the Lord is good.’ That sounds to me like a healthy challenge. It’s like saying, ‘If only you are willing to risk giving God a chance, I bet you will love the encounter!’ It seems to me like it was an admittance that humans, since after the Fall, tend to run away from God, instead of to him. But here is a king who was saying, ‘I have tasted him, and all I experience is goodness. Come join me.’ It is a kind invitation: taste and see that the Lord is good.

How can we know his goodness unless we ‘taste’ him? How can we enjoy the wonders of his person, the blessedness of his fullness, unless we fellowship with him? That is the second step towards enjoying God – spending quality time with him in fellowship. That is a very beautiful word, fellowship. Do you know what it means? I checked the meaning at Dictionary.Com, this is what fellowship means: ‘friendly relationship; companionship: the fellowship of father and son.’

That is so neat; God is saying, “Be my friend. Enter into a companionship with me.’ If that doesn’t blow your mind with possibilities, I don’t know what will. ‘The fellowship of father and son.’ That is a fitting illustration. The father seeks not his welfare but that of the child, in an ideal world. He longs to share with his son, to bless him, to impart him with all he has or has learnt. It is a relationship that is birthed by the desire to give and bless and make whole.

‘Taste and see that the Lord is good’ seem to guarantee that we will find him good if only we shall ‘taste’. This is a nature of God that is not emphasized enough in our world. He gets blamed for any evil or mishap or pain. Meantime, he says, ‘Come, be my friend, see how much I can be for you.’ To be sure, fellowshipping with God may not shield us entirely from pain, but the one who longs for our companionship says,
“ Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
You are Mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.
For I am the LORD your God…
Since you were precious in My sight,
You have been honored,
And I have loved you…”
Isaiah 43: 1-4

How can we resist such a God, or be skeptic about him? It’s time to taste and see that the Lord is good! His only invitation is, 'Come and enter into friendly relationship with me, the fellowship of father and son'.

If you are reading this, and thinking, 'how do I enter into a friendly relationship with God?', may I suggest that all you need to do now is to ask Jesus Christ to be your savior and friend. If you have further questions about this, feel free to contact me and I will be glad to help.

How To Distinguish Your Purpose From Your Assignment

What is purpose? When I say that I want to discover the purpose of my life or the meaning of my life, what exactly does that imply? Is my purpose the same thing as my assignment? How can I distinguish between the two?

According to Merriam-Webster online dictionary, purpose has two meanings:
1 something that one hopes or intends to accomplish
2 the action for which a person or thing is specially fitted or used or for which a thing exists

So, from the dictionary meaning, it is clear that when the word ‘purpose’ is used, what readily comes to mind is ‘goal’, ‘role’, ‘mission’, ‘career’. These all describe one aspect of purpose or the other. However, these descriptive words involve something we want to accomplish or an activity for which we are best fitted. In short, these could best be described by the word, ‘assignment’. The search for meaning is something much deeper than a goal, a mission or a career. It involves all those, and more.

You and I know a lot of people who are engaged in jobs or careers that they love and are best fitted for; but they are in search of something more, a meaning or purpose to their lives. So, then, there is a sense in which we use ‘purpose’ to refer to that original intent of God for human life. Who am I, really? What am I here for? Where did I come from, and at the end of this life, where am I going? In this, we see a yearning to understand the primary meaning of life, of individual existence. Purpose is about understanding the essence of life. In other words, purpose describes our collective search for meaning.

It is clear, then, that there is a difference between my life assignment and my life purpose. Both are related in many ways, but not exactly the same. Whereas Purpose deals with such fundamental questions as who am I and what am I here on earth for, Assignment deals with such question as what can I do to express or live out the very reason for which I am here?

Here are some tips to help you distinguish between purpose and assignment:

Purpose deals mainly with being, while assignment deals with doing. Both are important and necessary in the grand scheme of life, but until our focus changes from doing to being, we may never grasp the essence or meaning of life.

Purpose affects the very core of my person, while assignment is concerned with service to others. The discovery of purpose is transcendent, transforming and tranquil in its effect on my life as a person. On the other hand, discovery and pursuit of my assignment can certainly have an invigorating effect on me, but it has more impact on the lives of others. Purpose changes the individual who is called to change the world through his assignment.

Purpose asks, ‘Who are you relating to?’ Assignment asks, ‘what are you relating to?’ Discovery of purpose settles the issue of identity. The one who has found purpose knows he or she is related directly to God and to His people. So, his life is about cultivating a relationship with the One who is his Source and Sustainer, and also with the other members of the ‘family’. Discovery of assignment, especially for the one who has first found purpose, is about relating very well to the thing ( job, calling, career, gifting etc) that helps him the most to serve God and others.

Purpose is about living for Someone who is infinitely greater than we are, while Assignment is living for Something much bigger than we are. We find our purpose when we discover (or rather are found by) the One who loves us so much He gave himself for us. Meaning is tied to a loving relationship, especially, with the One who made us. Assignment is a sum total of the opportunities given to us to express our love and appreciation for God and the people He graciously put in our lives.

Someone can have an assignment without discovering the Divine purpose for the assignment, but it is difficult for one to discover his purpose without having an assignment that helps him express that purpose. So, assignment can exist without discovering purpose, but purpose can not truly exist without an assignment. Doesn’t the bible clearly teach that, on the Last Day, some people may have their works ( assignments, giftings, callings, philanthropy etc) burnt or destroyed because they did not carry them out with the right motive( purpose)? ‘If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.’( I Corinthians 3: 12-15)

In conclusion, our meaning comes from discovering and living our purpose, not from our assignments. In the sections that follow, we shall examine purpose and assignments in detail.

What Does It Mean to 'Enjoy' God?

A number of days ago, we discussed 'How To Discover Your Purpose In 15 Minutes Or Less'. Do you remember? If you missed that topic, you may click on the title and read it before proceeding with the current discussion. Because they are tied together.

In that conversation, we stated that the primary purpose of human beings is 'to enjoy God and to glorify him'. But the question is, 'What does it mean to 'enjoy God? I will attempt to share with you in this segment what I understand that to mean. But I am also open to receiving your perspective on the issue.

There are about four things we are instructed in the bible to 'taste'. And if you recall, to 'taste', among other things,is an archaic word for 'to enjoy' to appreciate' (Dictionary.com). So, let's take a look at these four commands in scripture to taste or to enjoy. We are enjoined to taste:

The Lord ( Psalm 34: 8; 1 Peter 2: 3)
The Word of God ( Psalm 119: 103; Hebrews 6: 5)
The Powers to come ( Hebrews 6: 5)
The Heavenly gift ( Hebrews 6: 4)

Of the four, we shall focus on tasting the Lord today. In subsequent posts, we shall examine the other three on after the other.

Let's begin by looking at both verses.

'Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him' - Psalm 34: 8

'if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious' - 1 Peter 2: 3

Both scriptures seem to suggest that it is possible to 'taste' or enjoy the Lord. The word 'taste', we are told is from the Greek word, 'geuomai', which means to 'have experience of'. It is variously translated to 'eat' or to 'taste' all through scriptures.

OK, enough of the Greek talk; what does it mean to have a taste of the Lord here and now, each and every day? It means to experience the Lord on a regular basis. That is the supreme call of man, and the chief goal of Christianity. It is possible, nay, indispensable to true faith, for us to have an experience of the person and character of God.

Jesus said so Himself in very clear terms. "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent"- John 17:3. Eternal life is 'knowing' the Godhead. Again, the word translated to 'know' in that verse simply means to experience, to encounter in an intimate, personal way. This is how the Amplified bible puts it: "And this is eternal life: [it means] to know (to perceive, recognize, become acquainted with, and understand) You, the only true and real God, and [likewise] to know Him, Jesus [as the] Christ (the Anointed One, the Messiah), Whom You have sent." Can it be any clearer?

Let's recap a bit. The chief goal of human beings is to enjoy God and to glorify him. To enjoy God means to taste the Lord, to encounter the wonder of his person, not once in a life-time, but on an on-going level. To experience him, and prove for ourselves that he is good and gracious. To come to understand God and his unique ways. To be able to experience something of his divine nature and joy as we interact with him closely. To walk with HIM until we begin to grasp a little of the intricate wonders of his person.

No wonder, the Bible used the word, taste. Yes, we can only have a taste of him on this side of eternity. But someday, at the end of the age, and at entrance of his full reign, we shall know and enjoy him in full.

I am going to end this discussion here( it's getting too Long, right?). But may I invite you to express your desire to taste more of Him and his goodness as Paul did?

"[For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [[b]which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death..." - Philippians 3: 10- 11; Amplified.

What joy, what blessing , what grace I shall know if only that I may 'progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His person more strongly and more clearly". That is life at it's best; the chief goal of us all, and the source of unspeakable joy.


A final note. Yes, you are free to send these posts to friends, or subscribe to the post so that individual posts are sent directly to your inbox as soon as they are available.

How To Discover Your True Identity- Part 1

It isn’t what we do that matter the most. It is not even what we are. It is who we are, first and foremost. I may be good at teaching; that is my gifting. I may even be a well trained teacher who is really good at my life career. Well, that is what I am, a really good teacher; but that is not who I am. Does that make sense?

Jones was caught stealing the other day. That’s what he did. To be sure, that is bad. But then, over time, Jones took to stealing ever so often. Too bad, that is what he is now – a thief. But is that all there is to Jones? Having known that Jones is a thief, have we known all there is to him?

It is so easy to define ourselves by what we are or by what we do. ‘He is a medical doctor.’ ‘She is an actress.’ ‘That guy is a fine gentleman.’

We live in a culture that likes to categorize and put a label on people. Have you noticed? ‘She is black.’ ‘He is white’. ‘Oh, Grace? She is Latino.’ Somehow, if we can just define and categorize one another, then it becomes easier to deal with the other group, right? Like, if I know Grace is Latino, then I sort of know what to expect from Grace – because somehow, in my mind, there is an assumption that I know how Latinos or Blacks or Whites or Asians behave. That way, I don’t have to deal with Grace on an individual, unbiased level. You see, I don’t have to get involved, or be genuine and whole and sincere or vulnerable. I can simply deal with other individuals, especially those from a different group or race, from a distance.

Ok, let’s admit it; this type of discussion makes a lot of people uncomfortable. Why? Precisely for the same reason that we don’t want to honestly deal with our inner selves. So, we sort of prefer to deal with the externalities; to live our life from a distance, shallow and shielded.

Well, you know it as much as I do; it is a lame way to live. It is the way of weak-minded, somewhat ignorant and shallow individuals who have not yet understood the basic fact about who we are, as different from what we are or what we do.

But don’t get me wrong. What we do is important. What we are is even more important. But who we are is much more important. This was the lesson that a middle-aged man in ancient Israel was to learn several years back.

His name was Jacob. He cheated his brother out of his rightful inheritance, and ran away. But chicken will always come back to roost in, right? After several years of running, he decided it was time to go back home and face his brother, and deal with the consequences of his behavior.

Now, just a short distance away from home, Jacob became desperate. What if his brother was still angry with him? Was he endangering his life and those of his two wives and many children? Was he being reckless? If anything, at this point, Jacob really needed God’s help. This time, he could not afford to be distant or shallow with God. Men, he was either going to be honest, real honest with himself and God, or he was going to be in real trouble. With this attitude, Jacob went into the woods to pray; somewhere private, where he could be real honest without being ashamed, where he could cry if necessary and not be embarrassed, where he could let it all out and not wonder who took note. It was written that he prayed all night. This guy must have had quite a lot on his mind. Ever been there where you have to stay up all night because of a major need?

You say, ‘Yeah, but what has this got to do with understanding who I truly am?’ I will tell you in a moment. But notice, in response to his all night prayer, God simply asked Jacob a question (the ‘Man’ in the text refers to God who appeared to him in the form of an angel):

[The Man] asked him, What is your name? And [in shock of realization, whispering] he said, Jacob [supplanter, schemer, trickster, swindler]! And He said, Your name shall be called no more Jacob [supplanter], but Israel [contender with God]; for you have contended and have power with God and with men and have prevailed. Genesis 32: 27- 28, Amplified.

“What is your name?” That is the question we must honestly answer, just like Jacob, before God may help us. Name represents identity, definition, and categorization. What ways have we been defining ourselves and other people? By what you do, by what you are ( such as tall, black, white, asian, handsome, ugly etc), or by who God made you to be?

Jacob replied, ‘My name is Jacob - a cheat, a schemer, a swindler; that’s what I am’. You see, Jacob had to be honest this time. In his deepest moment of reflection, the person that Jacob could see in him was ‘a cheat’. Yes, what we are and what we do are very important. They becloud our true identity and obscure our purpose, if they are the wrong things.

But thank God, now at last, Jacob could be honest enough to face himself, courageous enough to admit his sin, humble enough to admit it to another, repentant enough to look up to God with pleading eyes.

To discover the real reason we are here on earth (purpose) and take our place (assignment), we need to take a clue from Jacob, and be real honest with God and with ourselves; courageous enough to admit our sins and change from our ways of error.

But in part 2 of this conversation, I am going to share with you what is the most interesting discovery Jacob made. It wasn’t just the blessedness of being real and authentic (as if that was not enough in itself); it was the discovery of his true identity. Discovery of purpose begins with a clear understanding of our true identity.