In Pursuit of the Eternal © 2020 by Minke-oyo Okoi

Book two in the Pilgrim Life Series

ABout the book
This life is not all there is. It is not Your final destination but only a transitory stage in your quest for the life that God has in store for you. Life on earth is meant to prepare you for a better, more glorious life in eternity.
Nothing on earth compares to the glory of life in heaven, where you are meant to be after the end of your earthly journey.

This book will help you better understand what your real priorities should be and how to stay focused on the things that matter most in life. After reading this book, you will be equipped to stay on course for the greatest reward anyone can ever obtain – making heaven at last.
In Pursuit of the Eternal, answers the fundamental questions:

Why am I on earth?
What is my life pursuit?
How do I serve God’s purpose?
How do I prepare myself for life after death?
What do I need to do to stay on course for God’s eternal rest in heaven?
What are the pitfalls that trap men in their journey and how do I avoid them?

You can only experience God’s miraculous power to the degree that you’re yoked with Him and following the path He has created for you. This book helps you discover how to safely navigate the path of life to your destination.

CHAPTER ONE

ARE YOU READY?

He was just a little kid. Too young to understand life and its intricacies, too innocent to be e was just a normal kid.
bothered, and way too ignorant to care.

His mother held his tiny hand and stood by the shoulder of the highway as they waited to cross over to the other side.

Standing next to mother and child was a woman, completely oblivious of her fate the next minute.

It was dark. The moon wasn’t smiling down on them, with her warm smile illuminating the surroundings as usual. No Street lights. Just the lights of oncoming traffic.
Then it happened.

One wrong step was how it all went down. She stepped into the road too soon and got knocked down by a speeding motorbike. Both the rider and the woman came crashing down on the hard asphalt surface.

Is she dead? Will she make it? Mother and child were too petrified to find out.

This is a true-life story and the little kid was me. This event isn’t one of my favourite childhood memories but somehow, the details are always as fresh in my head as the day it happened. This is the first time I have witnessed a near-death situation up close.
Up to this day, the memory of that woman knocked down, sends cold shivers down my spine.

I often wonder, what if it was me and I wound up dead? What if my precious little life got snuffed out before it even began? What if mama didn’t hold my hand that night as we stood waiting to cross the road? What if I had wandered away from her side? That’s the big question, isn’t it? What if…?

Life is fragile. There is never a shortage of ways to die. One wrong step is all it takes to get knocked off the surface of the earth into eternity.

Entering the wrong bus might get you killed in an accident. Being in the wrong place could mark the end of your life. Even eating the wrong food could mean death. The bottom line is, you could die at any time, and that, my friend, is the most unpalatable truth about life.
Death is everywhere. You can’t run from it. When your time is up, one way or another, you’ll turn up dead whether you’re ready or not.

Have you ever thought about your death?
What if you sleep tonight and don’t wake up tomorrow like you always do? What if the owner of your life comes for it now? Are you prepared? Are you ready? I can almost sense you flinching at the thought of death. Don’t worry, it’s ok to be a little scared of dying.

Death is not a pleasant subject to talk about, and honestly, I’m a little surprised about why I feel led to start this book with the subject of death.

I would have felt better if I started with the subject of heaven. That’s a pleasant one, isn’t it? Everybody dreams of going to heaven when they die and spending eternity with the angels in the realm of unfathomable light.

But no! This little chapter is how I feel led to start this book. I guess it’s kind of ironic that a book on the pursuit of eternity will start with the subject of death. It’s more like poetic justice. Now that I think about it, it makes perfect sense. Death is where eternity begins.

I’m not going to pussyfoot around this subject so I’ll put it to you straight. You’re going to die someday except maybe Jesus returns before that day. It may even be today or sometime soon so you better be ready when that time comes.

Why does the thought of death scare people so much? I guess it’s because no one wants to die. Even those who feel so miserable about life to the point of committing suicide, at the point of death, as their life flashes before their eyes, wish they didn’t have to die. But eventually, we all do.

Some have the privilege to see it coming, others don’t. some live to a full, ripe age and have enough time to prepare themselves before they die. They get all the time they need to train their kids, live out their dreams, write a will, and maybe even make peace with their enemies before they die. Others die in their prime, unprepared and not ready.

For some, life is a jolly ride to Eldorado. Those who share this ideology often live in the fast lane. This kind of people lives for fun. They never prepare themselves for eternity until they die suddenly and walk straight down to hell.

People die every day.
As of the year 2016, it was estimated that about one hundred and twenty people die worldwide every minute. Going by this, at least two people die every second. That number has geometrically increased since the Corona Virus Pandemic.

People keep dying everywhere yet no one feels comfortable talking about how to prepare for death. Death is a scary subject for many.

However, it is comforting to know that death is not the end of life. It is the beginning of another phase of life. At the point where a man drops dead, the spirit goes on to eternity. Where that eternity is spent would be the subject of another discussion.

I think about death quite often for someone of my age and honestly, it’s not something I look up to. But just in case it happens sooner than I expect, I want to be prepared.
I want to be welcome to heaven with a warm handshake and probably a big hug from Big Daddy, as a servant who kept the faith and finished his course.

When it’s all over for me, I don’t want to end in an unmarked grave, uncelebrated by the hosts of heaven. I don’t want to be remembered as the fellow who got distracted and abandoned the race.

When I get called up to account for my time on earth, I don’t want to be on the wrong side of God’s righteous judgment. This is the reason I pray almost every morning telling God to search the deepest parts of my heart, expose and uproot every lie, every deception and every evil. I say this prayer very often because I know I tend to think I’m getting it right with God even when I’m not.

Whether you like to think about it or not, one day, there’s going to be a funeral service – your funeral. Some people there will be truly sad you died and will mourn you from the depth of their heart, others will be happy you did. Both groups will eulogise you, or at least pretend to. But that will all be a formality because the real you, your spirit, will be long gone to its maker. How prepared are you for that day?

The world is gradually folding up and there’s nothing in it to enjoy anymore. The time is short.
When your name is eventually called up, which might happen sooner than you expect, you don’t want to be caught taking a nap. You’ll be better off ready and waiting.

Solomon was a man blessed with so much wisdom, understanding and wealth. With over a thousand women in his life and unquantifiable wealth at his disposal, he enjoyed all the pleasures of life to the fullest.
But at the latter stages of his life, he looked back at how he’d wasted his life and couldn’t help but refer to life as “vanity of vanities.” These three words summarise all there is to this life. All is vanity.

Every second you draw breath brings you closer to the moment of reckoning. This is the reason every second you live should be lived in preparation for life in eternity.
You are a pilgrim on a journey and this book will help you stay focused.

This book is available on Amazon. You can get it there or through this link

https://amzn.to/2WlOiXo

* * *

LIFE’S MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION

The first two Disciples that followed Jesus were asked a simple question by Jesus, “What do you seek?” (John 1:38). This question wasn’t meant for those two Disciples alone. It was meant for every single human who ever walked the earth since then.

The question, “What do you seek?” is fundamental yet powerful enough to influence your motivations in life. The answer to this question, more than anything else, determines your drive and the propelling force behind your actions. Your answer to this question is the most accurate determinant of how your life will end.

If you have never consciously pondered this question in your mind, now would be a good time to do so. Ask yourself, “What am I seeking?” Or rather, “What have I been searching for?” Another way to put it is, “What have I been pursuing?” This is probably the most important question you can ask yourself.

A lot of people live their lives like clockwork, getting up every morning, at the same time to their busy daily schedules, come back home late, go to bed, and wake up the next day to continue the same circle. Why exactly do people live like this?

The truth is that everyone is searching for something whether they are conscious of this fact or not. There is always that one thing we are after. This may vary from person to person but fundamentally, every single human being on this planet is running after something. It could be money, fame, happiness, success or just about anything.

Whatever occupies your mind to the point of influencing your drive and motivation in life is what you’re chasing after. Believe it or not, whatever gets top priority in your life or gets you up every morning and keeps you going is what you’re chasing after.
Your dreams, ambitions and aspirations are reflections of your life pursuit.

To some, the pursuit of happiness is their primary motivation. Everything they do is geared towards a happy life. To these people, nothing matters more than constantly looking for new ways of maintaining a happy state. Whatever interferes with their happiness makes them very uncomfortable.

Others strive daily, seeking fulfilment in life. They want to be fulfilled by getting to the zenith of their chosen career or academic endeavour.
Some seek to be fulfilled in marriage or make a name for themselves in their chosen field.

What drives some is the need to acquire worldly riches and vast material possessions. They want to live in prime real estate, driving posh cars with state-of-the-art technology. To this group, their primary motivation is to live as comfortable as possible in this life. People in this category often work very hard, doing all within their power to acquire the best things life has to offer.

Some are driven by the need for fame. They want their names written in the sands of time. They strive daily to be the best in their field so they will be praised and recognised by men, countless generations after they are dead. This group of people is often more concerned about what they leave behind after their death than where they spend eternity. Nothing matters more to them than leaving a good legacy by which they will be remembered.

To some degree, the answer to what you seek in life is embedded deep within the crevices of your heart. More often than not, the question of your life pursuit is answered long before adulthood whether you are aware of it or not.

The question of what you seek in life should not be considered lightly because it ultimately determines the course of your life.
God has a very unique plan for everyone. We all have unique roles to play in God’s master plan for humanity. Everyone was created to uniquely fit into God’s overall plan.

By design, your talents and abilities were given to you by God and are uniquely made to enable you to function effectively where God has called you to serve. Everything you need or will ever need to fulfil God’s purpose for your life is already in you. If this is the case, why then do so many people find themselves in areas they were not originally meant to serve? The answer to this question lies in the answer to the fundamental yet most important question, “What do you seek?”
Misplaced priorities, focus on the wrong things and the pursuit of the gratification of carnal cravings have sidetracked many and consequently caused their deviation from God’s original purpose for them.

If you seek what is not in line with God’s plan for you, it naturally follows that you will be off the mark, functioning where you are not meant to. This will cause you to not effectively utilise what God has deposited in you for His glory.
A truly wasted life is not a life that is devoid of accomplishments by human standards but a life lived in opposition to the will of God.
It doesn’t matter if you are a star in the eyes of the world, as long as you are not shining where God intended you to, your life is a very expensive waste.

God’s reason for putting you on earth is not so you’ll live carelessly in defiance of His will. You are not on earth to seek mundane things and the carnal pleasures of this world. Far from it, the plan of God for your life is to have you seek His will and diligently carry it out.
God’s plan for you involves your seeking and aggressively pursuing after eternal things and this, my beloved friend, is what it means to be fulfilled in life.

No earthly accomplishment compares to that of a man who is welcome to God’s eternal rest at the end of his earthly sojourn.
Every human achievement pales in comparison to a life that is lived in pursuit of the eternal. True fulfilment only comes when you seek out God’s will for your life and carry it out diligently.
In the end, God will not judge you by how successful you’ve been in the career you chose for yourself. You will be judged by how well you followed God’s will for your life.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.” God has made everything beautiful in your life. He has given you all you need to live up to your destiny. He has also hidden, deep within your heart, the desire and the will to pursue His eternal purpose.
Although it is impossible to figure out God’s will from the beginning to the end, God has given you the ability to seek out His will for your life and follow it one step at a time.

He has implanted deep within you, the desire to seek Him and to pursue things with eternal value. But somehow, people have found a way to suppress the desire for the eternal and replace it with their selfish desires so they can follow their dreams.

There is no excuse for not following the path God has created for you and here’s why.

Romans 1:18-20
1:18 for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
1:19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.
1:20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.

Everything you need to follow God’s plan for your life has been made available to you through His word. All you need to know about God and His purpose has already been revealed. The truth about God’s power, manifest in everything He has created, is obvious to everyone.

All things were made for His glory and if your life does not glorify God or reflect His glory to the world, then your time on earth is a big waste.

Romans 1:21 goes on to say, “Because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

Darkness in the hearts of men results from ingratitude to God and a rejection of His purpose. We reject God’s purpose when we refuse to follow His plan for our lives but instead, run after the desires of our hearts.

There is no wisdom in rejecting the plan of God and running after your desires and aspirations. Although going after your desires may appear wise to the carnal mind, it is the height of foolishness. You were not meant to live like that.

God’s reason for putting you on earth is not so you’ll live for yourself, chasing after worldly passions of the flesh. He wants you to seek Him, know Him as your God and pursue after the eternal light of His word.

In Matthew 6:33, Christ said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” What this means is that, in God’s divine order, you are meant to seek God and His eternal purpose first, all other things you seek will only be an addition.
Mixing up God’s divine order by seeking other things and putting God last will only serve to make your life chaotic. On the other hand, following God’s order by seeking Him first will open you up to a life of fulfilment in Him.

It is our wish that this book helps you understand how you’ve been created for eternity and how you can reorder your priorities and keep them in line with God’s Will. We desire that you stay focused on the things that matter.
I believe by now you should have a personal answer to the question, “what do you seek?” Your answer should be unequivocal and final – “I seek to know God and His will and to accomplish all that He requires me to as I keep my gaze on eternity.”

CHAPTER TWO
THE TRIPARTITE NATURE OF MAN

Out of everything God created, only man was made in God’s image and likeness. Everything else was called into existence by the spoken word. For instance, when God wanted to create light, He simply said, “Let there be light” and instantly, there was light. Every other thing was created by the power of God’s spoken word except man. In the case of man, God went all the way.

The Bible says, “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” (Genesis 2:7). God went through the stress of moulding man from the dust of the earth, paying full attention to every detail, painstakingly chiselling out the rough edges so man could come out complete and whole – a perfect replica of the Creator Himself.

Why would God go through such stress in a bid to create man when He could have easily said, “Let there be Man” like He did in other cases? The Psalmist pondered this question when he said, “What is man, that you are mindful of him, and the son of man, that you visit him?” (Psalm 8:4).

The answer to this question lies in the fact that there is power in images, and being the image of God, man carries a part of God’s power and essence.

Being in the likeness of someone comes with a sense of attachment and identity. Who you look like indicates who you are. For instance, if you look like your mother in physical appearance, wherever you go, people who know your mother can always tell that you’re her son or daughter even when they’ve never met you before.

But in spiritual terms, there is no difference between appearance and reality. Who you look like is exactly who you are.

When God created man, He wanted man to have God’s perfect identity. He desires to have man operate at the highest level of heavenly glory. Even though man eventually fell from grace – thanks to the sacrifice of Jesus at the cross – the highest level of heavenly glory is not elusive. It is still attainable as a result of the price that Jesus paid.

Christ died so man could lose the nature of the devil that he assumed after the fall and become transformed into the image of Christ just like it had been before the fall.

There is no room for confusion here. Those who have not accepted Christ as their Lord and Saviour have the image of the devil because the nature of the devil is still in them.
Being the image of the devil means you belong to the devil and being the image of God means you belong to God. There is no middle ground here. You are either on God’s side or on the side of the devil.

You can either be in the image of the devil which is characterised by carnal and sinful desires and actions or be in the image of God which is characterised by a spirit-led life in righteousness and purity. Being in the image of God means living for God and letting God live through you.

The truth is that God didn’t create anyone to assume the image of the devil. The Bible says that He created us all in His image and likeness. Being made in God’s image means you were created to look like God and being made in His likeness means you were made to think and act like Him.

Your actions, thoughts, emotions, desires, aspirations and everything that defines you as a unique individual have been designed, by default, to be like God. There is no excuse for not operating at this optimal level.

Assuming the image of God is a choice just like being the image of the devil is. But know this: taking on the evil nature of the devil has never been, and will never be God’s plan for anyone. He desires that everyone comes to an accurate knowledge of Him.

God’s desire – and this is why Christ died – is to have you transformed into the image of His Son. It is also His desire to have you operate in the power and dominion that He has made you for.

Being God’s image also means having a renewed mind and being a heaven-conscious Christian.

Colossians 3:2, 9-10
3:2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
3:9 Do not lie to one another since you have put off the old man with his deeds,
3:10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.

In a lot of ways, man has been made in the nature of God. One of such ways is having a three-part nature. Just as God exists in three distinct but interwoven personalities, as one, man also has a three-part nature; with the spirit, soul and body existing together as one.

The tripartite nature of man perfectly reflects the triune nature of God. Each of the composite parts of man was designed distinctly, and at the same time, made to exist in union with the other two parts for man to be complete.

According to Kenneth E. Hagin, “Man is a spirit, who possesses a soul and lives in a body.”1 For a man to exist, the three parts, though distinct, must exist as one.
The three parts of man were made by God to reflect His eternal nature. Understanding how these three parts of man are interconnected will help you better know how to subject them to live for God’s purpose.

For you to be a follower of Jesus, your three parts – your spirit, soul and body – must collectively be submitted to His will.

minks:
In Pursuit of the Eternal © 2020 by Minke-oyo Okoi

Book two in the Pilgrim Life Series

ABout the book
This life is not all there is. It is not Your final destination but only a transitory stage in your quest for the life that God has in store for you. Life on earth is meant to prepare you for a better, more glorious life in eternity.
Nothing on earth compares to the glory of life in heaven, where you are meant to be after the end of your earthly journey.

This book will help you better understand what your real priorities should be and how to stay focused on the things that matter most in life. After reading this book, you will be equipped to stay on course for the greatest reward anyone can ever obtain – making heaven at last.
In Pursuit of the Eternal, answers the fundamental questions:

Why am I on earth?
What is my life pursuit?
How do I serve God’s purpose?
How do I prepare myself for life after death?
What do I need to do to stay on course for God’s eternal rest in heaven?
What are the pitfalls that trap men in their journey and how do I avoid them?

You can only experience God’s miraculous power to the degree that you’re yoked with Him and following the path He has created for you. This book helps you discover how to safely navigate the path of life to your destination.

If you need this book, you can get it through the link on my profile or by contacting me through my email.