Jesus Christ – “The Way, the Truth and The Life”

This season, more popularly known amongst Christians as lent, is really all about Jesus Christ the son of God. This is that season when we celebrate His death and subsequent resurrection. Hereafter, we shall go on to celebrate His ascension and the coming of the Holy Ghost according to His promised. This is one season when the love of a Savior who loved so much He gave all so that those He loves, (every man), may be saved. This is indeed true love. Neither before or even after Him was there nor will ever exist such display of genuine or sincere love and one so deep. I think I may have a better understanding now of why God was silent when Jesus seemed hesitant to complete the journey as His death drew closer. As He seemed to pause for a minute during His prayer, there was nothing heaven could do or say because Jesus could not be compelled to do it: it had to be an act of love. Hence the long silence. Thank God, it only lasted a while before He chose to go on.

Mathew 26: 39 “He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

John 15: 13 “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

The Father was desperate to be reconciled to His children and the children needed to be reconciled to The Father; that they may successfully walk through this earth and then be with Him in glory. The only ‘bridge’ between God and His children which was acceptable to God, was Jesus Christ and He had to die that painful death to make it happen. No wonder Jesus Christ could boldly announce that He is “The way”. The greater chooses how he would be reached by the lesser. So anyone desirous of legitimately reaching him, would go his way. Of course there would always be those who would try other ways to reach the greater; but any other way would not bring anyone to Him. It may seem sometimes like there are many ways to getting to a destination but all other routes end in a maze except the one or ones meant to get there. I have been really close to places several times in my life but just couldn’t get to the place because I missed a turn. God made the decision and Jesus Christ aligned willingly; there is no other way to God but Jesus Christ.

John 14: 6 “Jesus told him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”

Romans 12: 2 “…but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think…”

There is no other way to explain this but to accept that Jesus was unequivocal about the fact that He is everything for anyone who wants to dwell in the Father. No wonder one cannot be connected to God through Him and find “the world” or any other god interesting. If Jesus is correct as we know He is, then there is absolutely no other acceptable life except one that is steeped in Him. When He says He is the Life, then if you want to live, it must be through Him. So that for everyone who is not in Him who thinks they are actually living or “enjoying life”, you really are not. To “enjoy life” you need to first have it and you don’t have it outside of Jesus Christ because it is in Him. Every other thing that looks like life is not really life. It doesn’t matter who else pushes something they would like to describe as life, at the end of it all is our common enemy the devil whose ultimate purpose is to destroy man (saved or unsaved). Very often we like to think that the devil is only after believers and that is not true, he is after everyone but has to work harder against those he believes are lost to Christ.

Acts 17: 28 “For in him we live, and move, and have our being”

Christianity is definitely all about transformation; it is an entire change of culture and attitude of mind i.e. mindset. The more I think on God, the more I realize that He is indeed God. He is not frivolous and chooses His words carefully. When He says we have to allow our own transformation, it is indeed so. To move from “life” without Christ to life that is Christ, is a complete change of mindset. It isn’t a behavior modification thing no matter how good we may think we were. The best man is still man and had no idea how to live in Christ; it is a concept totally alien to him because we were all born into sin. Life in Christ is acquired culture which must be acquired for us to make heaven. No matter how terrible or nice you are, we all start on an even ground when we come to Christ. It is what you then do subsequently that determines where you end and the ending is more important even now than it was. As we celebrate, let us remind ourselves that our Savior’s return is imminent.

Life Is Not In Charge: You Are Through Christ

As I read through an old blog, I decided to rework and re-publish it just in case one person who reads it may be “going through something” and heard that believers never have “valley experiences” i.e. very challenging times. I wish I could say so but I have had them and I have seen God come through each one with me making me stronger and feeling more blessed than ever. Life is sometimes like a rollercoaster. Some days are easily great and others, one may need to make great. I met someone who never had these experiences, so she does not believe we should have them; but we do and we are not strange. We have learnt to enjoy “hilltop experiences”, inspite of what we may be going through. We do so with an attitude of thanksgiving and confidence that we are who God says we are. Thanksgiving facilitates the renewal of our strength so that we are able to, through Christ, stand and successfully take on what life throws at us. As believers, we must learn to make the most of every day.

 

Ephesians 6: 13 – 14 “Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground…”

The songwriter says “nobody told me that life was going to be easy” and in truth, Christ never said so. It is one of those thoughts or suggestions we love to cling to which make us ill prepared to deal; making believers fail so often that the word of God which says we are blessed begins to look like a lie. Our enemy would rather have us deceived so that we are always “putting out fires” making it difficult for us to be on the offensive in this battle for authority on earth. It is sad that having gone through these experiences ill prepared, we fail to prepare our children or those coming after us, to deal better. We instead, tend to protect them from the realities inadvertently working for their failure because one way or the other, life catches up with everyone notwithstanding the depth or extent of one’s walk with God. If anything, it is the way you deal or handle life’s attempts to determine the cause of your life that is a reflection of the extent of your walk with God.

Genesis 1: 5KJV “And God called the light day, and the darkness he called night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.”

The sun rises and sets daily; so every day is bright at some point and dark at another. This is a very real description of the way life works; seeking also to dominate or control man but fails when dealing with believers because God’s presence in our lives makes it impossible for life to enslave us. Of course it still attempts to do so, but we always have the victory; truth that we must always walk in. Every attempt by life on our lives is not ended, until our victory through Christ is established. This is reality we must accept even when it is contrary to what we are experiencing physically. We must train ourselves to accept and live in the truth of God. It doesn’t just happen; we work at making it our reality. It is always our decision what we choose to see happening in our lives. We don’t have to see what others see if it doesn’t align with God’s word. It however, takes real inner strength to see what God sees inspite of what may see physically and that strength only comes from a revealed knowledge of God.

Romans 8: 27 “No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.”

Hebrew 5: 14 “Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.”

Acts 17: 28a “For in him we live and move and exist.”

God is one Father who loves so much He died for us; yet is not excessively protective. Though He comes with us, He actually does let us “go through” with a certainty that if we hold onto and trust Him, we will come through. Most parents would love their children if love was measured by what parents allow their children go through, because most of them would certainly take their children round the “valley of the shadow of death” but He who loved us enough to die for us takes us through it for the priceless experiences and the prizes set before us. Success is certain for every sincere believer; we need maturity and strength to carry “success successfully.” God does not just make good decisions, but right decisions.

Jeremiah 29: 11 “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

To all those who think making positive confessions keeps one from “valley experience”, truth is that they don’t. Whilst making them is important, wise and aligns with God’s word as long as the confessions are Christ teaching, they won’s keep you from experiencing life as long as you are in this world. Instead, they will keep you as you “go through” and bring you out a better and more positive person. This is the reason we are more than conquerors. We conquer through Christ and surpass all expectations. We are built to weather the storms of life and come out victorious because Christ already won the victory for us.