“But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”
Exodus 9:16
This week marks the beginning of Advent for many Christian denominations—and the beginning of the church year.
“Advent,” from the Latin adventus, simply means “arrival” or “coming.” It is a liturgical season comprised of the four weeks leading up to Christmas.
Advent is a time of consecration as Christians prepare to celebrate the birth and “first coming” of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Although it feels as though we are approaching the conclusion of the year, we are really celebrating a season of beginnings.
Advent is a time marked by purpose—a time to refocus and re-consecrate our lives to what is truly important; a time to think about why we are here, what we should be putting our energies into, and for whom.
Fulfilling purpose is a key theme of the much anticipated Empowerment Summit happening THIS WEEKEND—and it is central to why we do what we do through your support of CTMI…
Don’t miss this transformational opportunity to walk in the fullness of your purpose!
As you prepare to celebrate the fullness of all things (see Eph. 1:10, 23), prayerfully consider whether you are in possession of all you need to fulfill God’s special purpose for you.
How diligently are you preparing and positioning yourself to be “fit for the Master’s use, and prepared for every good work” (2 Tim. 2:21)?
“Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”
Philippians 2:12-13
We are living in history-defining times.
At no other time in history has the world been so interconnected, or has information traveled across the planet at the speed of thought.
Within moments, we can know of an individual’s need in a remote area on the other side of the globe, and if we can’t meet that need within a matter of hours, we can intercede through prayer in a matter of seconds.
Solving problems and meeting needs is where purpose is found and fulfilled.
Fulfilling God’s purpose is why you and I are here—both collectively as the body of Christ, and individually as Christ’s disciples.
We get a sense of that purpose from the words of Jesus Himself when He announced:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord” (Luke 4:18-19).
We must embrace that purpose as our own—and make it central to all we do in this world.
Purpose is another of our ten core values that undergirds all of our initiatives as a ministry:
We understand that our purpose is directly connected to the problems that we have been called to solve.
As a ministry we believe:
Problems are divine opportunities to prosper.
And as ministers, we hold to this premise by stating:
We refuse to complain when confronted with problems. Instead, we create solutions and celebrate the promotion that will inevitably result.
Our view of purpose also frames how we define prosperity: “The provision necessary to overcome obstacles in order to fulfill purpose.” (For more on this topic, read The Prosperous Soul.)
To commit to walking in divine purpose requires faith in the One who called us according to that purpose.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Romans 8:28
The writer of Hebrews makes clear that without faith we can never fulfill our purpose—because without it, it is impossible to please God. (See Hebrews 11:6.)
But in faith, we can glorify God, declaring as David did that it is “God who fulfills His purpose for me” (Psalm 57:2).
So as we head into Advent, this beautiful season of beginnings, stir up your faith in the God who fulfills His purpose for you—remembering also that it is always “the Lord’s purpose that prevails” (Prov. 19:21)!
“I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.”
Job 42:2
Nothing could keep Christ from entering this earth and fulfilling His purpose—nor can anything keep you from the plans God has for your future. (See Jer. 29:11.)
All that is required of you is to have faith in the One who God sent. (See John 6:29.)
As we prepare our hearts over the next four weeks to commemorate that glorious reception, when Christ was born in a manger so He could be born in our hearts, consider whether you are poised to fulfill your purpose.
“The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out.”
Proverbs 20:5
What steps can you take this week to better position yourself to draw upon the deep purposes God has deposited in your heart?
Could one of those first steps be to join us via LiveStreaming Dec. 2-3 for two power-packed days of supernatural empowerment? With your virtual pass, you will have access to all of the recorded sessions so you can continue to receive divine downloads from heaven!
Are you poised to receive the grace you need to abound in every good work?
Make the most of this Advent season by positioning yourself to fulfill your purpose!
“God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”
2 Corinthians 9:8