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Marked for Breakthrough
By
Innocent Mwangi
I
have been going through very personal experiences that have
forced me to take a closer look at my relationship with my Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christ. I remember very clearly that evening
of August 7th 1992 when I gave my life to Jesus
Christ. My decision to accept Jesus Christ into my life was not
a sudden unpremeditated one. In fact I had desired to be saved
for years but never felt quite ready to take the momentous step.
This particular sunny day I made up my mind that I will not
sleep or slumber until Jesus Christ finds a place in my life.
I
had a good friend, a born-again brother called Ngunjiri. This
particular Friday I had asked him not to leave me when going for
the Christian Union (CU) evening fellowship. I did not divulge
to him my intentions and, strangely, it never occurred to him
that my request was somewhat weird. Having made my mind, the
devil set upon discouraging me from following through with my
plans. He reminded me about the friends I was about to lose, the
alcohol, the discos, and all the snares of life that
non-believers find themselves entangled in. To make a long story
short that evening I gave my life to Jesus Christ. In fact I
went to that service for that one purpose – to be acquainted
with Jesus Christ. Ten years down the road, I'm still saved and
still in love with my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. He has
proved to be my friend and my comforter when grief appears to
overtake me. Even though I haven't seen my friend Ngunjiri for
years, Jesus Christ is always with me.
Have you ever considered yourself fortunate to have been found
by the grace of God when you were embroiled in sin? At a time
when all the laws of God's justice would have condemned you to
eternal damnation, the mercies of God found you and snatched you
out of the claws of the devil. What did you do to deserve that
kind of unmerited favour? The simple answer to this unnecessary
question is ‘nothing’. You see, there is no one who can claim
that they got born again because of some exemplary act that they
did. The truth of the matter is that even the best of us when
put on the scales of God is found to be seriously wanting. The
bible says that the righteousness of God is like filthy rags
before God. It is only by the grace of God, through faith that
we can hope to be redeemed. The psalmist was right on track when
he said that the heart of man is deceitful and desperately
wicked.
The keyword here is ‘desperately wicked’. Without Christ
steering our lives, our boats are definitely headed for the
rocks. Who can on his own will and might even add an extra day
to his life? Who can say with confidence that because of their
good deeds, God will erase their sins? No one! None can lay any
claim to justification through works. It is only in Jesus Christ
that our sins find remission and complete pardon. And yet herein
lies the mystery of God’s enduring love for mankind. That He
should esteem mankind so highly as to offer His son Jesus Christ
to die for a generation so vile is stretching the limits of
human understanding a bit too far.
However, if you can take a trip back to where it all began
(Genesis 1:27) you will find the answer to God’s mystery clearly
inscribed: we are created in the image and after the likeness of
God. That short statement, although usually ignored, and
sometimes glossed over as an irrelevant footnote, forms the
basis of God’s redemption plan for mankind. In all of God’s
creation, it’s only on man, who by nature and character was
engineered to look and behave like God, that God saw fit to
execute his redemption plan. After the fall of man, God’s very
reputation and credibility was at risk. The very nature and
character of God that was instilled in man during his creation
was now put in serious jeopardy. The fall of man would have put
the rest of God’s wonderful creation in a very vulnerable
position.
To redeem the situation, God had to act fast. He had to
reconcile mankind back to himself and restore the original order
and authority of creation. That’s why Jesus came into the scene
– to redeem mankind and reconcile him back to God. To restore
man’s superior position over all the rest of God’s creation so
that he may once again have dominion over all the earth!
It is because of that very act that we have salvation today. It
is because of God’s redemption plan that you and I have the
assurance of salvation and eternal life with God! Because of
this wonderful calculated design of God, we who are called by
His name have been marked for breakthrough. Whatever it is you
want to do, remember you have the creative power of God residing
within you. You can draw from that inexhaustible reservoir of
power to counter any attack from the devil. When your boat hits
the deep and is tossed up and about by the tumultuous storms of
life, just speak the words, ‘peace be still’ and normalcy will
return to your life once again. This does not mean that you will
not suffer loss or get a few scars now and then – victorious
soldiers can attest to this – but whatever you lose will be
restored and your scars will definitely heal. Sickness and
disease will sometimes afflict you but the healing power of God
will negate the very germs and symptoms that afflict your body.
The bible says that God is our healer and by the stripes that
seared the flesh of the body of Jesus Christ, we were healed!
The word ‘were’ here denotes an act that happened in the past.
Therefore your healing was pronounced even before you became
sick. In fact the bible goes further to say that due to Jesus
Christ’s act of redemption, death has lost its sting! If the
worst that sickness can cause you is death, then it means that
we have been set far above the power of sickness and death! Job
knew this all too well when he said that even though worms ate
at his body, in the same body he hoped to see God. He knew that
no one could destroy that which God had created in His own image
and likeness.
I have a strong feeling that this message is
targeted to someone out there who has been asking God questions
about their status quo. If you are that kind of person, I have a
message for you from God: YOU HAVE BEEN MARKED FOR BREAKTHROUGH!
Your current situation is not your destination. It is just a
process through which you must pass as you inch closer to your
destiny. The obstacles you may be facing today are just set
backs that will disappear the moment you decide to press through
irrespective of the circumstances! Like a mirage, they will soon
fade away as you train your eyes on Jesus Christ.
January
2003 |
