Remember. Being a Christian is not about being perfect.
Being a Christian means you know deep in your heart that you are forgiven… and you are loved.
You are a child of God. Your identity is indestructible.
So even if your life is a mess right now, grab hold of your identity and hold on tight. Hold your head up high. Because Almighty God loves you dearly.
It’s hard to let go of our pride. Nobody wants to be humiliated. Many times we worry about how things will turn out or what others will think or say about us. Begin to let it go today. Lay down your pride.
When God decides who he will work with, he doesn’t look for the strong and self-sufficient. Instead, he looks for the humble or even brokenhearted. He looks for a simple virgin. God seeks the ordinary carpenter… or even the prisoner.
God says, “There’s a heart I can work with. A heart that will depend on me and trust in me.”
Let your heart be humble and watch how much God can do with your life.
Read about how to deal with mistakes.
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Begin to walk on the path to freedom.
Even though its detractors might say otherwise, the Christian faith is incredibly realistic. It doesn’t offer you life on a bed of roses. Its founder was tortured and crucified; that alone gives you an idea about its seriousness. But isn’t life like this? Isn’t it filled with moments of pain and suffering? If our faith cannot give us meaning to our trials, then it’s only spiritual anesthesia. When a baby is born there is pain and blood. But prior to this there is great hope. And after the suffering, there is new life.
Following Jesus is an opportunity for new life. Jesus can and will help you. However, there’s something vital that you must go through before you can reap the whole benefit of his loving grace.
Let’s take a look at the deal we are getting.
There are common misconceptions that many false teachers sell about Christianity. So before you enter into a bargain, it’s important to know what you won’t be getting. Following Jesus Christ will not:
None of this comes with the deal. The world tries to sell us peace and prosperity that it can never deliver. People make us all kinds of empty promises. But only God can give us what we really need. He gives us an identity that is unbreakable and eternal. The Gospel of John tells us that all that receive Jesus and believe in his name have the right to be children of God.
Child of God
Through Jesus, you are God’s child. Nobody can ever take this away from you. No amount of hurt, humiliation, failure, rejection or shame can take you out of the Father’s hand. This is your eternal and indestructible identity. This gives you meaning, especially in the darkest moments.
So what do you get out of the deal? Plenty. How about things like:
Now it might sound nice, and it is, but wait a minute. Because the first, and most important, bridge we must cross is to get to truth. And truth means seeing yourself as God sees you. How does God see you? He sees you as a sinner redeemed. This means when God sees you, he sees his Son, Jesus. This gives you the right to be God’s child.
Let’s be perfectly honest. All mankind wants to escape blame. We don’t want to admit our faults. We want to blame it on our upbringing or something else. But our fault? So we say we are sick instead of sinful. We try to wash away the blame. In this philosophy we end up with nothing except the risk of losing our identity. Yes, we can explain tendencies, but explanation is not the same as reconciliation. And if we really are sick, where do we find true healing?
The truth is we have all gone against God. In our words, actions, and in our hearts. The natural reaction is to compare. Well, at least I’m not as bad as so-and-so. The age old saying, “two wrongs don’t make a right,” applies here. When we compare we try to make amends for our faults with other mistakes. Just like blaming our upbringing for our errors, we find no real justice. At least not until we assume responsibility. Only then, can Jesus begin to help us, because only then do we walk where he walks, in truth. Here we can begin to see who we truly are.
A Famous Sinner Redeemed
Before the Apostle Paul converted to Christianity, he persecuted Christians. He sought their arrest and even approved of them being put to death. He did all these things in God’s name. He was driven by zeal for his religion. We can imagine he had his religious, family, personal, and cultural reasons for doing what he did. But in the end, who was to blame for his actions? Whose conscience did he go against?
One day, Paul (named Saul before his conversion) was on his way to Damascus to persecute more Christians when Jesus appeared to him. Saul fell to the ground, his face in the dirt, and he heard a voice that said, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
“Who are you Lord?” Saul asked.
“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” Jesus answered. After this encounter, Saul was left speechless, blind and not able to eat or drink for three days. This is repentance. And within this challenge rests a seed of great hope and a pearl of infinite value (Matthew 13:45-46).
Saul realized that everything in his life had been misguided up until that point. Misguided because he thought his conduct could get him into heaven. Misguided because he justified his wrongdoing on a thousand other factors instead of taking the blame. When this all came to the light, Saul was left mute and blind, unable to eat.
I remember my first prayer as an adult. It was a prayer of repentance. I cried my eyes out with my face on the floor because my life had been all wrong up until then. And in this prayer that came from the depths of my soul, I held out my hands. There, God poured out all his kindness and tenderness upon me. He welcomed his child home again with open, loving arms.
God measures – and heals – the heart
No matter how good you think you are, relative to others, toss that out for a second. Look into your heart. What do you see? Have you sinned? Have you ever dishonored your parents, siblings, children or friends? Yourself? Have you ever lied, cheated or stolen? Taken the Lord’s name in vain? What excuse do you make in front of God, your Creator and the one that gives you life?
What’s a person capable of in order to avoid the truth? We see the atrocities around us day after day. In our own families and lives, how many times have we seen an entire existence being sustained to support a lie?
But wait. God gives you the answer. He says:
Tell it all to me. I already know it all, but tell it. Let me hear it and let it pierce your heart. Only then can I enter and free you. Only then can I heal you. Repent. Say it all; confess it all to me. And each and every offense, I will forgive. Each and every time you went against me, I will place squarely on my Son for you, because I love you. And I love my Son, who is exalted above all others for bearing the sins of the world. Tell it all to me then take my hand and step into the sweet pastures of truth and light.
Earlier we said that God sees us as sinners, but as sinners redeemed. Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb of God. Truth. See yourself as God sees you. As his child who he loves dearly. A child he loves so much that he wants you to be like his Son. In fact, God the Father clothes you with the grace and forgiveness of his Son.
God never runs out of patience in giving you another chance. Imagine yourself at peace with God. To make this a reality, all you have to do is speak the truth.
Meditate on this. How does it makes you feel?
Let God’s grace take root in your soul.
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Order from Amazon
This post is an excerpt from Vince’s book, Is Jesus Real? Can Jesus Help Me?
NO matter what part of the world this message finds you, be blessed. Never forget what the Son of God did for you. In moments of great darkness or great joy, remember you are blessed.
Return to the roots of your faith. Jesus lived and died for you. On the third day, he rose again and ascended into heaven. From his throne he intercedes for you.
Trust in this truth. Let it transform you day by day.
Peace be with you!
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Follow the path to truth in your life.
“WHAT IS TRUTH?” Pontius Pilate asked when interrogating Jesus before his crucifixion. Truth means, in many ways, being only one person. You are the same in front of all humans as you are in front of God. No more masks, no more acting. You are free to be yourself. How important is this to you?
For many, this idea is actually terrifying. Many of us have lived or live secret lives. Some go to any length to prevent the truth from coming out. But guess what? The truth is already out. Someone, somewhere already knows your truth. It might be only on an intuitive level, but it cannot be hidden. We like to think we’re in control, but it’s all just a fantasy.
Truth Builds Character
Once we begin to let God’s light shine upon us, we see that the phantoms are only in our minds. Then we are given the opportunity to develop something vital to our lives: a strong character.
Here’s a personal example. When I was a young father, it was easy to have authority over my children. When they’re little, you’re a hero and a king to them. But as adolescence appears, your kids begin to see you as a human being. They begin to scrutinize, criticize and compare. This process is incredibly humiliating. My initial reaction to many of these challenges was denial. And when denial didn’t work, I sometimes exploded with anger.
The reason for this is that when I attempted to exercise my authority at home, I had no character. I had no idea what it meant to be a responsible father. I thought I knew, and perhaps I did know a lot with my head. But in my heart there was a confused and frightened little boy trying to raise boys into men. I didn’t want to see the truth.
Sources of Truth
During that time my dedication to seeking God consisted of:
All of these things brought truth into my life. Initially I had a lot of seriously flawed notions about fatherhood. If it wasn’t for God’s light shining upon my life, that scared little boy would have withdrawn or lashed out even more violently. Instead, God began to form my character. I learned what it meant to be a king, priest and prophet in my home. I learned what it means to be a leader who serves. Jesus showed me how important it is to be a lion and a lamb at the same time, and that many times my instincts were wrong.
It was a difficult and lengthy process, but today the Lord reaps the fruits of his labor. No, I’m not a perfect parent, and the process continues to this very hour. But I do have direction and much more clarity than when I started. This is how God’s truth forms your character. Why does this happen? Because Jesus teaches you how to resist temptation.
And the measure of your character is how you respond to temptation.
Truth Means Discernment
Temptation always appears to be something we desire or that appears good. When we fully understand this, we can deflect temptation. In the Book of Matthew, chapter 4, Jesus is tempted by Satan. Before Jesus began his public ministry, he went to the desert to fast. After 40 days he was quite hungry. So the devil temped Jesus with something he would like – food. Then he tempted him with power and influence. Couldn’t all these things be used for good? Of course, but it wasn’t God’s way. Recognizing this truth allowed Jesus to resist temptation.
When raising my children, I’m constantly tempted to set limits when I should be flexible, and to give in when I should be firm. My flesh wants the easy way out, and it always appears to me as something reasonable or desirable. In the end it only brings despair upon me. Here’s where the blessing of truth appears.
Truth in Weakness
When we come to grips with our weakness then we can see where temptation will most likely catch us off guard. In God’s economy, that which is weak is made strong. When we see and admit the truth of our weakness, then we can ask God to help us where we really need it. We ask him to take control. This could mean that we have to step aside, or it might mean that we have to stand up and fight.
The concept of truth goes even deeper than just developing a strong character. Truth allows us to construct our lives upon something solid and eternal. In Matthew 7, Jesus said, “[E]veryone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.”
The Greatest Truth Of All
We all will face trials in our lives. When things seem to be at their worst, we need a bedrock of truth to rest upon. Jesus also said that “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in Spirit and in truth“ (John 4:24). And here, we arrive at the cornerstone of our faith:
For the Christian, the greatest truth is Christ resurrected.
The rising of Jesus from the dead is the central event that causes the most commotion around our faith. But it’s also our greatest strength.
Truth Transforms You
Any great person can inspire you, but only one can transform you. This is because Jesus is God’s son, and he was raised from the dead by God’s Spirit. This gives us victory over sin and death. It gives us victory over our pettiness of not facing the truth. And when the flood comes and the waters are rising, this truth gives us the courage, hope and strength that we could never muster on our own.
Sometimes, the danger isn’t even a sudden difficult situation. Sometimes just getting up to face each day can be overwhelming. So here is where faith gets put into action. In a short, but very powerful prayer, God can begin to take action and take control. You can simply pray:
Jesus, I trust you.
And based upon the truth of his resurrection, you can rise up and face the giants that try to tell you all is lost. The truth is that a great King won a victory for you upon the cross. He gave his life for you, and you are his child. In this truth, blessings abound and all things are possible.
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This post is an excerpt from Vince’s book, Is Jesus Real? Can Jesus Help Me? Order from Amazon today.
How would Jesus handle this?
Picture this. My wife and I and our kids skipping, yes skipping, hand in hand singing hymns on our way to church. Can you believe it? Okay, this is not even close to our reality. But is that good or bad?
God always hears your cry
There are times when you have reached the end of your rope. Or maybe you are passing through a desert. Or you might find yourself in a den of ravenous wolves. In these types of circumstances, you can rely on one of the most important forms of prayer of all : The Cry.
Our Examples
There are many episodes in the Bible where a person or a group cried out to God for deliverance. While living in bondage in Egypt, the Hebrew slaves cried out to the Lord, and he heard their cry (Exodus, chapters 2 and 3). This crying out moved God and led to one of the most important liberations in history. The nation of Israel was delivered. Passover, the prequel to Easter, was established and the Law was given. It all started with crying out to God.
When facing a large invading army, Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, remembered the Lord’s faithfulness. He reminded his people: “If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence… and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.” (2 Chronicles 20:9)
In Gethsemane, when facing his crucifixion, Jesus cried out to his heavenly Father.
In our lives we all will face some kind of oppression or threat eventually. It can take many different forms, some even life threatening. It might be economic hardship, illness or a great personal struggle.
In these extreme cases you have a most powerful resource: your cry out to God.
Why Is It Necessary?
Why does God wait for your cry? If he is merciful and kind, why does he wait? Again, we can go back to the example of the Hebrew slaves in Egypt. Their deliverance was of monumental importance in the history of salvation through Jesus Christ. The situations in our individual lives are no different. Our greatest crises are of monumental importance to our personal history of salvation. God always has a bigger and better plan.
This does not mean that everything will turn out exactly as you like. The Israelites ended up wandering around in the desert for 40 years after exiting Egypt, and only the following generation entered into the Promised Land. However, a greater meaning was established in their crying out to God.
When you get to the point where you must truly cry out, there is a huge advance in your walk of faith. You go to him with all your need and suffering and anguish. You throw yourself at the feet of his mercy. You learn to depend upon his will and his way. Here you find great meaning to your trials because, through communion with God, you seek the most important answers in your life. You are exposed, naked and vulnerable before that which is all powerful.
Celestial Results
Sometimes things turn out exactly, or nearly exactly, as you ask. Nearly always additional unforeseen blessings are heaped on top of it all. After all, he is a good and generous God.
The answer is not always in what you are asking for specifically, but instead the answer can be found in the cry itself. God’s response is guaranteed. And if your cry is sincere, and if it comes from deep trust, then you enter into a higher level of understanding and grace. Without the bondage there could be no Passover. Without the crucifixion, there could be no resurrection. All things lead back to God for those who put their hope and trust in him. In all things, God works for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28).
So when the darkness comes and when you are not sure; when the enemy is advancing and arrives at your doorstep – cry out. Lift up your voice to the Lord with all your heart, strength and soul. This is the deepest form of prayer. Your Father in heaven always hears your cry.
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KEY CONCEPTS: The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering.” (Exodus 3:7)
→ The heartfelt cry out to God is a cry for deliverance.
→ This cry not only advances your faith, but it also advances God’s plan for your life.
→ Always remember the Lord’s faithfulness.
This post is an excerpt from the Ebook, Be With Him, Be Like Him,
Title image source (modified).
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