<![CDATA[UNITED YOUTH 4 CHRIST - 4ever 4him Blog]]>Tue, 25 Jun 2024 19:03:42 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[Purpose Birthed from Obedience]]>Fri, 11 Mar 2016 04:04:09 GMThttp://unitedyouth4christ.org/4ever-4him-blog/-welcome-to-4ever-4him-blog​"Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed this to Samuel: “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him ruler over my people Israel; he will deliver them from the hand of the Philistines. I have looked on my people, for their cry has reached me.” When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the Lord said to him, “This is the man I spoke to you about; he will govern my people.”
                                                                           
                                                                                          1 Samuel 9:15-17
 
          Have you ever wondered what your purpose was? Or What God made you to do. Figuring out what college, major, job, or even what spouse is right for you can be stressful. Answering life’s biggest question can be difficult because we all want what’s best for us. As believers we believe that God has reserved the best for us. What if I told you, God cares more about who you are, than what you do?

​          You see when we study the scriptures we see two different types of the will of God. There is the sovereign will of God. This is the will that God hasn’t told us, but is revealed in time. For example, by reading the scriptures one cannot figure out what college to enroll into. However there is another type of will, which is the revealed will of God. This is the will that God has made plain to us such as obedience, loving one another, forgiving one another, loving and honoring our parents and so on.

          God is in the business of making us more and more like him. We become more and more like Him by obeying Him. In obeying the revealed will of God we find ourselves in the sovereign will of God. We as believer tend to mix it up though. We don’t love others, we don’t forgive others, but we want God to tell us whom we should marry. God does not work in that order, because often times who we are, prepares us for what we are to do.

          Remember how Saul became king over the nation of Israel? His father had lost some of the cattle, and sheep, and had asked his son Saul to go look for them. Now what Saul did was key, he obeyed. He could of easily told his father to ask one of the servants to do it. He could have disobeyed, and simply not have done it. However in his obedience to his fathers command, he ran into Samuel who told him that he was called by God to be the king.

​          Now I don’t know about you, but I think this is pretty intense. Saul in a millions of years wouldn’t have expected what was awaiting him. The key is obedience. I like to think of the Nike slogan when I think of obedience, “just do it.” God has given us the Holy Spirit to equip us to say yes to things of God. Too often we equate obedience with God robbing us of life. Jesus said I have come to give you life and life to the fullest. God is for our joy. He is for our pleasure, and enjoyment of life.
 
          God created us, so he knows how we best function. When God calls us to obey him, he is calling us to life. Most people look at the bible as a rulebook, or to do list. But that isn’t the case. The biggest lie we can believe is that God isn’t enough. Psalm 16:11 says, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” John Piper said it best; “Christ is most glorified in you, when you are most satisfied in him.” To obey is to be satisfied in the ultimate pleasure, Jesus!

          In the same regard, as we obey our father God, he will lead us into the college, job, or spouse we ought to marry, because the pleasure of purpose takes a back seat to the pleasure of knowing God. If you find yourself confused as to what your purpose is, ask yourself how well you are following the revealed the will of God. In becoming more like Jesus through obedience, we find ourselves in the center of the will of God for our lives.  
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Pastor Ebenezer ("Abu") Endiryas
]]><![CDATA[Welcome to 4ever 4him Blog!]]>Sun, 24 Apr 2011 23:29:15 GMThttp://unitedyouth4christ.org/4ever-4him-blog/welcome-to-4ever-4him-blog
I want this blog to be interactive.  This first blog God has laid on my heart to write is so broad that much can be said and written on this topic but before I give my own conclusion with my understanding of what the scriptures say and teach, I want to hear from you.  Will you please respond to the questions I pose and then within the next week or two I will write more and answer any questions you may have!


Identity

Who am I?

The other day my wife came home and told me an absolutely bizarre thing she heard.  There was this young girl (age fire or six) who asked her mentor, “Am I black or Beautiful”?  At the core of this question are three fundamental matters:

One, am I good enough as a being?

Two, is there a place for me in this world?

Three, does my life matter and does it have a meaning/purpose?

Unfortunately in this young girl’s mind “Blackness” is associated as being ugly, unacceptable, having no place, and not being good enough.  What is even more heart breaking is the answer the mentor gave this young girl. The young girl was dealing with an identity crisis,  and instead of re affirming her by saying “You are black and beautiful”, the mentor responded by saying “No, honey, you are brown.”  When my wife told me this, I wanted to scream “NO” that is not want she was asking, and that is not what she needed to hear! What do you think this did to this young girl?  Do you think it affirmed her as a person?  Do you think she walked away from the conversation, saying “Yes, I am beautiful just the way I am! I am certain she walked away with more confusion and brokenness. 

How many of us in our own lives struggle with these core questions. How many of us look into the mirror at our flaw/s and ask ourselves: do I measure up to the standard of the world; i.e. the portrayal of what a beautiful woman and handsome man is supposed to look like? Do I really matter? Is there a purpose for me in life?  If you honestly answer these questions, more often than not we all struggle with negative self image and identify.  We live in a culture and society that screams at us from every angle to conform 

So, let me ask you a question: “Who are you?”  If all the superficiality is taken away, and if all of the competing things of the world that constantly tug at you to lure you into a box, who would you say you are?  What is the driving force of your life?  How would you describe yourself as a person?  What is the first word that comes to your mind, when asked this fundamental question, “Who are you?”  I am absolutely convinced that, when you can answer this core question you are on your way to live a more fulfilled and free life.  The answer to this question will absolutely give you the freedom in life to live out your destiny, because if you know unerringly who you are then: the lies, the temptation, and the deception of Satan, the world and the flesh would never be able to deter you from pursing God’s best for your life.


Pastor Ebassa Berhanu

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