Nearly every other week, Revelation 1 is my fave thing to read to my kids. (This didn’t come from a lofty plan-in a moment of Mom exhaustion, I racked my brain trying to remember a text that was full of the identity of Christ! Now, it’s part of us.) It reads like a movie-full of color, drama, & power. This is Jesus in His splendor! He is identified, described & revealed. This could be the chapter that changes your life because it’s not about you-but about the One who invented life! (Thanks to my amazing daughter who drew this gorgeous pic!💕) #revelation #revelation1 #bible #jesuschrist
Top 4 Religious Myths-you might be surprised!
Top 4 Religious Myths
1. “I guess God gave me this because He knew I could handle it.” The fact is, we CAN’T handle it. Every trial and challenge is allowed for us to experience moment-by-moment communion with God. He knows who can effectively “handle it”-Jesus. We don’t understand the power of God until He’s all we have. We can know He’s after so much more here. He wants us to come to the end of ourselves and lean on Him. Then, He can move on our behalf.
2. “God helps those who help themselves”. This is one saying that is actually utterly OPPOSITE. We can’t help ourselves because we cannot save ourselves. Jesus never need die if we could, in fact, help ourselves. If anything, we are helpless. God delights in that moment when we cry out, “God, I can’t do this anymore! I need you to help me!” Then, the Father can activate His power.
3. “God doesn’t listen to my prayers.” Typically, we say this because He’s either saying “No” to something we want or we have given up praying to a God that seems to ignore us. The fact is, He is overwhelmingly aware of us. He loves us, likes us, & wants to direct us. It startles us to think how much better God knows us than we know ourselves. He knew before He invented time that we would be so loved that He would give His only begotten Son. He listens constantly to us and reacts out of love.
4.”God couldn’t use me because I do so much wrong.” Tell yourself the biblical truth-He wants to use you. Because we naturally weigh our sins , we tell ourselves if the sin quota is reached, God’s done with us. Again, this flies in the face of the previous points . God knew that His Son would come to remove sin and transform the broken human to the victorious human. When He made us, He knew He would have to create an utterly new creation out of death. God wants us to embrace our true identity-not based on merit or mistakes-but on the effective blood of Christ. He makes us acceptable to our holy God and then gives us a calling to tell our story to others. When we doubt, we can ask ourselves, “Did Jesus take care of that sin? Is what He did enough to deal with my mess? Is my sin higher than the power of Christ?” No-it’s so much more-you are not only forgiven but commissioned as His representative on earth. May we speak this truth to ourselves, “God only uses the broken.” Like Paul.
The right of every woman and girl
For 25 years, God has allowed me to share His heart with Texas college and high school women about our true identity. Who are we, anyway? All of us currently live in a world of pretend, heartache, and shame. Yet, we are more than filtered Instagram pics. Our collective beauty can be more than external. Our level of satisfaction in life should be more than just “the next thing” in life. All women sense there is something more to life than beauty, school, career, health, wealth, marriage, and motherhood. Is there something else to make us feel valued? Rather than a something, could it be a Someone? Could it be Someone who knows us because He made us? I cannot adequately express the joy of seeing young women choose to come to Jesus to be made new as someone cherished, valuable, and crucial to the plan of God. It’s no accident that the first person to see the Risen Christ was a radiantly new woman. (John 20) Remember, Jesus was -and is-perfect and yet He gave His first glimpse of resurrection purity to an astonishingly imperfect woman who loved Him. Mary could be my bestie! (Can I get a witness?)
He is still at work in the lives of women.
Now, ready for some next generation hope? For years, my daughter (and her dance pals!) joined me to speak about true identity every summer. These are more than just cartoon princess events. These are times we look at what Jesus -the true King-offers to every girl who believes in Him the role as Daughter of the King. The symbolism of this crown is never lost on these girls! They understand it’s a gift to be received and that crown means “princess”. When girls put on this crown and turn (for the first time) to see themselves in a mirror, they always smile at their reflection! Why? Because the unconditional love and favor of the King has been lavished upon them and they see it represented by the crown!
Many of are not girls anymore-yet we STILL want new identities. We don’t want a mere makeover. We want a MakeNew. Have you given up on feeling “special” in this world? Look out of this temporal world to the eternal Kingdom of Love. Jesus holds out a new crown for you with the inscription SHE WHO IS ADORED. He loves you. (John 3:16) We’ve all made mistakes. (Romans 3:23) Jesus paid for our mistakes and wants to give us new hearts and new lives!(Romans 5:8) Now what? Tell Him you believe Him . Tell Him you believe He is God and you are not. Thank Him for dying for you. Ask Him-now-to make you new! (Revelation 3:20) Are you ready? Your life is about to radiate His love, His purpose and His power! Learn about your King by reading the book of John. Then, look in the mirror and say, “This girl is special for she knows the King! ” 🙂