You know, sometimes life just sucks it right out of you. Sometimes its not the situations that hurt you or demotivate you, its people. Sometimes people are sent to you during a season to mislead, hurt, misguide & derail you. It's not God, the enemy is always out to "steal, kill & destroy" good people like you & me. The enemy does not discriminate, his tactics are calculated & he always goes for the place you most sensitive, the mind.
I remember a sermon once by a Pastor from Singapore called Joseph Prince, who by the way is amazing and doing amazing work on the Grace revolution, he changed my life & thinking so much, I am really grateful for his teachings. Anyway, in this sermon he talked about the battle of the mind, to explain it to you I'll break it down in 3 parts for you.
1. Right believing
2. What image do you have of God?
3. Grace
1. Right Believing
The first thing we need to do as a Christian, new born and long committed is understand one thing and that is we were lied to by churches (not intentionally), but what you think God is, is not what He is.
What requirements you think God has of you, whatever self condemnation you have or idea you have about God was misunderstood & miscommunicated. It created a list that a lot of people felt they could never tick off because the requirements were so insurmountable that they felt inadequate and therefore never really committed to the Grace of God. If that is you, wow my friend you are about to get a dose of Grace like never before. Let's start with the first misleading thought.
* God is not angry at you - really he's not.
He's so amazing, he loves you so, so much. He created you in his image and cries when you cry, he sits with you in the darkness. He has so many plans for you, plans to prosper & a future. He was never angry with you, never looked down on you, was never disappointed in you, actually he loves all your quirks and your weirdness. Mistakes is what being human is about, that's why He made us that way. He never required perfection from us, we placed that unnecessary pressure on ourselves. We all make mistakes and do things we shouldn't but He has utterly and completely forgiven you, all you need to do is ask. Because you chose Jesus, all your sins are forgotten. Literally, he says he doesn't remember them. How amazing. He sees you as the most beautiful creation breathed into life and he loves you so very much. Believe it.
* There there is nothing you need to do that hasn't already been done for you
That's right, you read right. Need a mountain to be moved? "Ask & you shall receive." The worst thing we can do as Christians is think we need to do things/acts to prove to God we are good people. There is nothing you need to do, you are utterly and completely set free by the Grace of God through the works of Jesus. Jesus made sure that we were completely set free, which includes ALL sin past, present and future. When you accepted Jesus into your life, your old life passed away, no check list, no to do list required.
2. What image do you have of God?
I can assure you, the image you have of God & who you think He is is not who He really is. I'm sure the image of an all punishing, all consuming, all intimidating angry God is what you have come to see Him as through wrong preaching.
He's not that. You want to know who He is?
*He's a Father
*He's a creator
*He's a protector
*He's a best friend
*He is patient
*He is kind
*He loves you
*He has a great sense of humor
*He sent is only son to die for YOU, forget for one moment about the world. He sent His son for YOU, so YOU can live.
*He has a deep knowledge of your pain
* He will NEVER abandon or forsake you
* You matter so much to Him that he has made a plans for you: "to prosper, for a hope & a future."
It's all about you, everything He does, its about you. Every moment He thinks about you, He loves you so much and the moment you realize that you will be released from so much wrong teaching and you can have a proper relationship with your Father.
3. Grace
The meaning of this word changed my life, once I understood what it meant, it was a WOW. Do you want to know what Grace is? Grace has a name, His name is: Jesus/Yeshua. Yeshua means: deliverer and man O man deliverer He is.
Let me put it this way: imagine the following scenario -
In the beginning there was the law, the law had a list of requirements to follow and sacrifices that needed to be made in order to honor God and the life we lived. Sacrifice usually included a ceremony were a lamb was offered & sacrificed. A high priest would inspect the lamb for inequities and when passed for inspection was offered as a sacrifice for man's sin, this usually happened over Passover every year.
But God wanted more for His children, because by this law we were beholden to the law and sin ravaged the earth.
So He & His son had a long discussion and His son said: "I will go because I love them."
Jesus, the Son of God, became flesh so that He could die for you. That was why He came to earth, so that he could release us from the law (scenario above), to be free from it, so we can live "and live life abundantly". He sacrificed (went willingly with his captives) his life so that we could know what freedom was like. Every stroke, every beating, every torture, every insult, every sickness, every cruelty of man He took upon Himself to ensure that we are utterly & totally forgiven for EVERY sin, EVERY stronghold, EVERY addiction, EVERY sin (including murder, war, hate crimes & sexual atrocity). He came to set free and set free is what He did.
We are no longer bound by the law, we are bound by Grace. There is a difference between Religion & Faith. Jesus came to abolish religion and came to set us free by Grace. Religion requires from us, Grace is GIVEN freely. That's the difference. That's the truth.
So my question to you is, what has your mind? The law or grace?
My, friend there is nothing that God cannot forgive. NOTHING.
So it is so important to know who our God is when we face seasons of trails. Like I mentioned before sometimes people are sent to you in a season, not as an attack on your faith, but as an attack on your mind and what you know about God.
When people are cruel & heartless, they need Grace & forgiveness.
When people hurt you, they need Grace & forgiveness
When people disappoint you, they need Grace & forgiveness
When people hate you for no reason & seek to destroy you, they need Grace & forgiveness
Not easy to accomplish I know, I've been there. But in times when people want to destroy, hurt us remember that Jesus went through exactly the same and unfortunately we live in times where our faith is under fire and we are being stretched beyond anything we have faced before. But, you know what? We are not alone, Jesus went through it, the disciples went through and the Apostle Paul went through it. We can do this, all we need to do is believe who God is & what Jesus did for us.
Life is hard, but we don't have to do it alone.
Prayer:
Father, thank you, thank you so much for Jesus, thank you for the hope & freedom he gave me. I accept Jesus as my Lord and savior, I take Him into my heart.
Got questions? Mail me or whatsapp me:
Rebellita@gmail.com
+27 713523 051
Chat soon
T