July 30th 2002, A Birthday Celebration

You know, its pretty fun getting to celebrate two birthdays a year.  Yesterday, I had the joy of turning 10 years old :) as I celebrated the day in which I surrendered my life and my sin to Jesus.  


I remember that day, just like it was yesterday.  I remember what I was wearing, I remember the scene around me, everything.  It will be forever etched in my mind as a day that I will never forget, for it will stand as the greatest moment of my life.  The day in which Jesus Christ made me a new creation, forgiving me of all my sin, instilling his life and purity in me through the power of the Holy Spirit. 

I remember, listening to the Youth Pastor as he told us that we are all dirty rags because of our sin and that the only way we can get into Heaven is if we have a clean rag and the only person that can wash our rag clean is Jesus.  In that moment, it all hit the fan for me.  I'd grown up in church my whole life.  I knew all about Jesus, but I didn't know Jesus.  I was miserable, because I was living life without really knowing the one who created me.  I knew that I had sin, I knew in that moment that I was a dirty rag and that I needed a rescuer. I remember praying these words, 


"God, I'm so tired of living life on my own, wash this dirty rag and help me start a new life through Jesus Christ."


Oh, what joy floods my soul as a type those words.  My eyes are welling up with tears, because God in His faithfulness came without delay and answered that prayer.  Oh, how I love the name of Jesus.  


In fact,  I was walking to the YMCA yesterday morning and was so struck as I recalled that moment in time on July 30th, 2002, as a broken, wandering 18 year old who had no hope and no purpose.  I had to take a moment to just stop, shed a few tears there too and thank the Lord Jesus for His power to truly transform my life.  I can't explain it really, its hard for me to put into words of just how much Jesus Christ has redeemed me.  Lord knows, I'm still in a process of letting go of that old self and putting on Christ, but if you knew me 10 years ago, there is no denying that I'm truly a different person.    


These past 10 years have been quite the journey with the Lord as He is shaping me more and more into His image.  There have been times of great pain and times of great trust as I've clung tightly to the Lord Jesus.  


My life before Christ was truly a mess.  My identity was wrapped up in what others thought of me, my self image was terrible, I had no hope, I believed that my life had no purpose, and why would God create someone like me?  I'm just a mistake that He has made.  I used to believe that I was ugly, not good enough and would never amount to anything.  I must say to you, that God has taken those lies and given me a fresh hope, a new identity and a purpose greater than I could ever dream or imagine.  


God desires that for all of us, to be made new, to let go of our life and to trust Him.  We have to recognize that we have done wrong things, we have sin, and that God cannot allow sin into Heaven, but Jesus, died for sin so that you and I, if we place our faith in His death and resurrection and we call out unto Him to save us that He will come, without delay and make us brand new.  Isn't that a wonderful truth that God doesn't just save us, but He wants to make us brand new.  Hallelujah!  

Like Layers of an Onion

Jesus Christ manifests himself completely in all who have claimed Him as Lord and Savior.  In the moment in which the believer in brokenness and piety repents of their sin and trusts in the resurrection of Jesus Christ for forgiveness of sins God places in that person the complete righteousness, purity and beauty of Jesus Christ.  


The believer does not go on life trying to be more like Jesus so that they can "get more of Jesus", no, for Christ has already fully manifested Himself in that person and is in the process of making them a new man.  As the believer lets go of the old life more and more, the old self starts to fade away, it starts to be pulled back like layers of an onion to reveal a new creation, one full of light, one full of the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ.  


Do not go on thinking that you just need to try harder to get more of Jesus.  Instead proclaim that inside of you lives Jesus Christ, fully manifested by the power of the Holy Spirit.  It is His righteousness that makes you acceptable to God.  For when God looks at you He sees what is behind that old man and He sees Christ, the pure, sinless lamb of God that lives inside of you.


I say to you, follower of Jesus, live a victorious life in Jesus Christ and let the light of Christ that already lives inside of you shine.  Let go of the old life, draw closer to the Father through prayer and time in His word and watch Him peal back the old self as you allow Christ to show Himself more and more complete in you.  

"You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness."- Ephesians 4:22-24

Like a Child

And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children,you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.- Matthew 18:3


The Gospel of Christ is one that calls us to total dependance upon God.  We, like little children, completely dependent upon their parents, should be totally dependent upon God.  


Like children, who are quick to rebel against their parents, we can rebel against what God asks us of us.  We can throw up our hands in great temper tantrums, shaking our fists in the air with great disdain.  


In rebellion we miss the peace that God has for us as we follow in His will.  In disdain we miss the joy that awaits us if we would just obey.  God never brings the blessing before the step of obedience that He is asking for us to take.  You may receive what you think is God's blessing, but be assured, it is not.  


Let us come to the Lord like little children, placing our whole dependence upon Him.  For it is by His grace that He came and saved wretched sinners like you and me.  For without Him, surely, we are nothing. 


To become like a child you must humble yourself.  Let your pride down and acknowledge that you need a Savior who is stronger than you and who is mighty to save.  

Come Home

The Gospel of Christ is the most beautiful story ever told.  It brings light to eyes that once once were darkened by sins curse.  It sets captives free and restores a heart tainted by the world that has nothing lasting to offer.  


The Gospel is the joy of Christ Jesus, for it is His story, His epic, into which He stepped into humanity, fully God and fully man to save the world.  


God, saw fit to send His son Jesus, to die for sinful humanity, not out of anything that we had done, but truly, only by His mercy.  


Jesus, was the first real superhero.  No cape, but a little walking on water. 


Jesus Christ offers life for you and me.  One of the greatest deceptions in this world is that you are "numero uno", that you can handle life and that you don't need God.  God is just your cosmic genie for whom you pray to when life is difficult, or when you really need something.  You add him onto your life and if you have time then you'll squeeze him in when its convenient for you.  


No, the gospel requires a sacrifice.  We are in a war against Satan and sin and God is calling for warriors, devoted to the cause of Christ to join Him in fighting and ultimately, winning this war.  


Unless, you have fully committed your life to this gospel that saves wretched sinners like me, you will never experience a truly regenerated heart and Jesus will not confess you to His Father when you stand before Him.  Jesus tells says, "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.- Matthew 7:21-22


Repent I say, for the Kingdom of God is here.  A Savior has come.  He offers true and everlasting life.  He desires that you would turn from your sin and turn towards Him.  He is asking you to follow Him, but He will not force you.  Jesus Christ is who you were created to know, He beckons to you, come home.  

The Potter's Hands

Without submission the believer can never truly be made new in the attitude of their mind.  Jesus will never force His way into your life to transform and change you.  The follower must be willing to submit their own will to the perfect will of the Father, letting go of all pursuits not of the will of God, for Jesus Christ will change you, you can be sure of that, but you, beloved must be willing to let Him change you.  

Jesus Christ changes those who are willing to say with a humble heart, "I am a broken vessel, in need of the potters hands to mold me into his own making".  The Christian who is submissive to the hands of the potter can be molded into the most beautiful image.  They start to see not only their mind transform, but their whole being.  It is then that others start to take notice and you realize, that truly, you are not who you once were.  For you are most certainly a new creation.

The shaping of the Father is not always pleasant.  For at times, it can be horribly painful, yet, Christ knows that  before the potter brings forth his masterpiece, it must be fired in a hot kiln, for this is where the true transformation happens.  In the shaping of the Father we may face great trials, persecution, abandonment and pain seemingly to great to endure.  For He knows that if you endure, if you hold fast to Him that He will bring forth a beautiful masterpiece, made of the same clay of old, but transformed and made new by the hand of the potter.  

Lord Jesus, mold me into your image.  Amen! 

"Yet, O LORD, you are our Father.  We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hands"- Isaiah 64:8

Radiance

"The Son is the radiance of God’s glory"..... Hebrews 1:3


Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the very radiance of the Father.  He is the light by which we can truly see the world. He is the hope of heaven and He is the only way to the Father.  He radiates the very glory of God to a dying world.  


You and I have the opportunity to radiate the very person of Jesus Christ if we allow Him to work through us.  


You want to change the world?  You want your life to matter and make a difference?  Then, let the Son radiate the very glory of God through you.  Surrender your hopes, your desires, and your will to the son of God.  


Watch and see how others will be drawn to Christ through you.  Let the son of God pierce those dark places with His glorious light through you.  


First, let the Son reveal through His light, the darkness of your own heart.  Call out onto Him to cleanse you by His powerful light and to set you free out of darkness and into His marvelous light.  

I'm a blogger...weird...

A friend of mine asked me, so when are you going to right a book?  I laughed, thinking, ummm...well, since you'd be the only to read it, I'm not sure!  But, I thought to myself...well...I could always start a blog...so here I am...a true blogger...:)

My hope is through these posts that people will see Jesus Christ as the only true treasure worth pursuing in this life.  I'm hoping that as I post thoughts, devotionals, etc.  that God will use them to challenge people to surrender their lives to the God who loves them and to come to know that only true and everlasting love, hope and purpose is found in Jesus Christ.  

Perfect Love

The love that we often give to others is conditional. It always has a string or two attached. I'll offer you love, but only if you love me back. I'll treat you well, but only if you're meeting my needs. I'll give love, but only if there is something in it for me. Yet, perfect love, loves without expecting anything in return. Perfect love is sacrificial. Perfect love is others focused. But,how can we love like this? How can we know, in a world that has quite frankly, a messed up idea of what love is, how to truly love like this?

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers."- 1 John 3:16

It seems as though the answer to learning how to love like this is to know the one in whom perfect love is found, Jesus Christ. The Son of God, who gave up His life to set sinners like you and me free.