The Best Life You Could Possibly Imagine

Many of you believe your life is not ideal, let alone “the best” life you could ever imagine. But, that is why this time on Latter Rain, the post will be discussing what “best” truly means and as to how we should perceive our own lives. Because the way you make use of your own life is imperative to your mental health and every other aspect of your life. So, continue reading to learn more.

A Choice to Make

The “best” life you could possibly imagine is often far from what we actually imagine. Our imaginations often host a multitude of possible scenarios which we so yearn to be ours. But, our lives usually don’t end up the way we envision things. That’s just the way life works.

Some issues we face in life are the results of our failures whereas other challenges come our way regardless of the actions we take. Again, that’s just the way life works.

However, in this post, I propose the idea that your life can at any point of time become the best life you could possibly imagine. Now, I know that is a difficult notion to believe wholeheartedly. Nevertheless, this is what the Christian worldview supports.

It is your choice to make, as to whether you want the best life you could possibly have, or if you want something less than that. It is up to you.

So, let the scriptures do the talking. During Jesus Christ’s ministry, as He was walking with His disciples, He came across a man born blind. And Jesus’ disciples ask Him a very odd question.

John 9:2 World English Bible (WEB)
His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?

The reason as to why this question is so ridiculous and yet, captures human nature so well, is because it deals with judgement and irrationality. Concerning judgement, people want to assign a blame to a particular being when dealing with a mess, hence the question. Concerning irrationality, how in the world, could a man commit a sin so that he is born blind? If he was born blind, he did not even have a chance to commit a sin to earn him the blindness!

Continuing on, let’s see Jesus’ response to this question…

Shifting Gears from Earth to Heaven

John 9:3-5 World English Bible (WEB)
Jesus answered, “This man didn’t sin, nor did his parents; but, that the works of God might be revealed in him. I must work the works of him who sent me while it is day. The night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

As it turns out, no person is responsible for the man’s suffering. His condition is not divine retribution for an error on his part or his parents’ part. Instead, Jesus says that the works of God should be revealed in him.

So, does Jesus mean that He (God) made the man suffer blind his entire life just so He could heal him? I don’t think so. I think this man’s blindness is traceable to the fall of Adam and Eve, the fall of humanity where mankind opened the door for sickness to ravage mankind.

But, Jesus, being God in the flesh, made it His mission to reverse the curse. He went about healing the sick, delivering the captives, and forgiving the sinners. He was revealing His love and these were the works of God which were being made manifest.

We should not look at the mess in our lives and play the blame game. Instead, we should realize the model Jesus Christ left for us. He said in verse 5, that He is the light of the world while He is in the world. And the role of light is not to find out why darkness is darkness, its role is to light up its environment, to eliminate the darkness. So now, our responsibility is to be the light He calls us to be.

Matthew 5:14 World English Bible (WEB)
14 You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill can’t be hidden.

The Best Life in Front of Us

If you really, really want to find a reason as to why bad things happen, then assign it a new purpose. Say to yourself that the purpose for your mess is so that God can clean it up and be glorified. That’s what Jesus did.

John 9:3 World English Bible (WEB)
Jesus answered, “This man didn’t sin, nor did his parents; but, that the works of God might be revealed in him.

The last thing God wants to do is to play the blame game. Humans are very fond of that particular game because of the wicked human heart.

Jeremiah 17:9 King James Version (KJV)
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Thus, how do you be the light Jesus called you to be, when your heart is desperately wicked? The solution is to surrender your heart and all its desires to the Lord Jesus Christ. All you need to do is to confess with your mouth and believe in your heart (to redeem it) that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Saviour.

Now, something I did not mention earlier was that the religious leaders did not like it when Jesus healed this blind man. They missed the entire picture and these same people later on, urged the Roman government to execute Jesus in the most inhumane way, crucifixion.

Matthew 27:35-36 World English Bible (WEB)
35 When they had crucified him, they divided his clothing among them, casting lots,36 and they sat and watched him there.

And even though, Jesus, being God, could have stopped it, His crucifixion was part of His mission, so that as He died and rose again, His life could enter you and the divine punishment for your mess ups would be on Him, instead. Now, His light is in you. I talk more about it in this post.

Matthew 5:16 World English Bible (WEB)
16 Even so, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Therefore, don’t exhaust your brain with the various reasons as to why you or someone else is suffering. Instead, seek your Heavenly Father, and love Him. If you want a reason for your temporary suffering, then make it a purpose that God will intervene and make some good come out of it. And just be the person who, like the formerly blind man, worships Jesus in appreciation, admiration, and love for being the compassionate God He truly is. A life with Him is the best life you could possibly imagine!

John 9:35-38 World English Bible (WEB)
35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and finding him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of God?”
36 He answered, “Who is he, Lord, that I may believe in him?”
37 Jesus said to him, “You have both seen him, and it is he who speaks with you.”
38 He said, “Lord, I believe!” and he worshiped him.

By Andre Wijesekera

Brokenness in the Eyes of the King in Purple

Jesus crucified for me

The focus of this post deals with the issue of brokenness. It is quite easy to adapt the belief that restoration is impossible. And that leaves many of us in brokenness or despair. Those who see themselves as permanently broken cannot progress from their depressed state. That is why we’ll be exploring a new angle on the mental health issue of depression, and despair, in this post.

The Purple Robe

To approach this issue, I must start at the cross. In the landscape of the Biblical narrative, there is one event that ties EVERYTHING together. That event is the cross of Calvary where Jesus Christ was crucified.

Jesus Christ is God and He came down to Earth in the flesh as a human being with one purpose in mind. His purpose was to provide an atoning sacrifice for mankind. You see, humanity is flawed. And we have all sinned or done something which isn’t right.

And so, to accept an imperfect, far from godly-natured, beloved people into God’s presence in Heaven, is impossible without an atoning sacrifice. That is why Jesus Christ made it His mission to experience the hell which we deserve, on the cross.

Now, pharisees and religious leaders pressured the Romans of that time, to crucify Jesus. They could not help but be jealous of His perfect nature, and persisted in the belief that they are good enough to enter Heaven, all by themselves.

They detested change, and so, the same devil who tempted mankind in the garden of Eden, inspired a hellish hatred within the hearts of the people. But, God used that hatred to His advantage as the devil could not understand how Jesus Christ is the atoning sacrifice for those who are lost.

And so, it is with this premise, that I want to introduce the below scripture to you.

John 19:5 King James Version (KJV)
Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!

The Brokenness Behind the Crown of Thorns

So, as the above verse now states, Jesus stood on the platform after a cruel scourging. And as He stood, He wore a crown of thorns embedded into His skull, along with a purple-dyed robe.

Furthermore, the verse offers quite a few surprises to those willing to dig deeper. I looked at the HELPS Word Studies on the Greek word used for “purple” in this verse. The Greek word used for “purple,” transliterates as “porphurous.”

The interesting part of this word study is the conclusion that porphurous is a word describing a purple-reddish dye or cloth. So, this purple cloth was a mix between purple and red. And in the culture of that time, purple symbolized royalty. Whereas, red represents His sacrifice, His blood shed for you.

Even more, I believe God is communicating to us a message through this scripture. The message is that He let himself become physically BROKEN for you and for me. And to further emphasize His brokenness, I must call to remembrance a verse from the Old Testament of the Bible.

Numbers 4:13 World English Bible (WEB)
13 “They shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth on it.

In the time of the Old Testament, the priests were responsible for taking away the ashes from the altar after a burnt offering. Then, they’d spread a purple cloth over the altar. God instructed more steps as to how they should conduct the burnt offering. But, for the sake of this post, I am referencing only this scripture from the chapter.

Nevertheless, I believe God was instructing Israel to do this seemingly strange act to symbolize the way in which He’d come to actually atone for us, permanently, as Jesus Christ. He was symbolizing how He’d be in ashes as the burnt offering when He wore a purple robe.

His instructions would serve as a prophetical image of the future, one-time, burnt-offering sacrificed for the people who’d choose to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour.

The Living God Among Us

And so, if you haven’t already, I urge you to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. But, the point of this examination of the scriptures is to really carve a proper understanding of the brokenness of Jesus at the cross.

As I mentioned earlier, many of you are suffering from depression, despair, brokenness, and more. You might just even feel like you’re in ashes. And I sense a very similar vibe through the picture painted of Jesus in the scene of His crucifixion.

Jesus became physically broken. He was in ashes. And He died, He actually died on the cross. But, that’s not the end of the story. After three days and three nights, Jesus Christ rose again from the dead. He physically resurrected.

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 King James Version (KJV)
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

What am I getting at, then? I’m getting at the vivid picture of His resurrecting power! You may feel dead and in ashes, but, there’s always a chance to rise. I am declaring to you that there is life in the Christ.

You may have an excuse to despair or to sulk in depression, maybe it’s some kind of terrible experience or it could even be as petty as a mood swing. But, that’s why the cross is about dying to one’s self. And by dying to one’s self, I mean to put an end to the beliefs or mindsets which ruin your life.

Put depression to death, put negativity to death, put fear to death, and put the selfish appetites or behaviours to death! Furthermore, as Christ rose again, so also you rise again. You are a new being in Christ Jesus, and not even depression can stop you from being the child of God who Jesus loves.

Romans 6:8 World English Bible (WEB)
But if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him;

Therefore, Jesus Christ calls the brokenhearted to Him. He does not delight in your suffering, He delights in you realizing that you are His child. And that you’ve always been His from the day He let those rusty nails pierce Him to a cross, and even before then, in eternity, when your lovely image pierced the tender heart of His imagination.

Reflecting on What God Has Made!

Jesus is the Latter Rain!

The importance of reflecting on one’s self is very significant. There is no telling in the results of an individual who reflects on how they can improve. In fact, many of the issues we face today, such as the stigmatization of mental illnesses or the guilt-laden youth, arise from a lack of self-awareness and self-reflection. And even the Bible supports reflecting and being aware of one’s condition, as it guides us to do it in the right way. Because anything good done in the wrong way could end up in unnecessary disaster.

Self-Awareness in the Bible

It is quite apparent when reading the Word of God, that when God uses people, they tend to be self-aware. And what self-awareness really means is that a person is capable of analyzing where they’re at in life, and that they understand who they are in the context of their situation.

An example of this from the scriptures is Peter, who is one of the twelve apostles of the early Church.

1 Peter 1:24-25 King James Version (KJV)
24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

As you can see from above, Peter was aware of his state. He recognized that we are all people, and as with all people, we are immensely fragile.

Psalm 103:14-16 World English Bible (WEB)
14 For he knows how we are made.
    He remembers that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are like grass.
    As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
16 For the wind passes over it, and it is gone.
    Its place remembers it no more.

Furthermore, King David, another significant character from the Bible recognized his status when compared to God’s status. He acknowledged himself as grass compared to God, and was self-aware even as the King of Israel. And so, when you are aware of how fragile and how small you are in comparison to God, you start to realize that life is not only about you. It’s about the One who created you.

You may be the toughest person on the planet, with a cold heart, an unbreakable will, and a stubborn attitude, but you are still a human being. Nothing less, and certainly, nothing more!

Reflecting on the Fragility of Man

After world wars, civilizations rising, societies crumbling, and all the likewise, God stands tall above it all. He is the God who blessed Abraham, He is the God who delivered Israel out of Egypt, and He is the God who came to Earth in the flesh as a human being to die on the cross at the hands of His own people, both for you and for me.

Romans 5:17-18 World English Bible (WEB)
17 For if by the trespass of the one, death reigned through the one; so much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ18 So then as through one trespass, all men were condemned; even so through one act of righteousness, all men were justified to life.

Jesus Christ died on the cross to take the punishment for your sins and died a cruel, hellish, death, but, after three days, He rose again victoriously so that your salvation would be justified. And I urge you today, if you have not already, to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour.

I cannot imagine a better outcome in my life, if I had not accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour. Why? Because there are countless times from the day of my birth to the day I write this blog where God has intervened in my life only to bless me and to guide me. He is my Lord because my life belongs to Him, and He is my Saviour because He paid a heavy price to save me.

Once you’re aware of that, there’s meaning in your life. You’re not just a random product of time plus matter plus chance. Ultimately, with God in the picture, you become a sacred being.

So in the example of your case, you must ponder where you’re at in life. You can ask yourself, “Am I happy with where I am in life?”

If happy, do you believe your life has any meaning and can you justify that? I believe the only coherent justification to a life with meaning, is only possible through Jesus Christ. If you’re unhappy with your life, or mental health for that matter, why? And, how can you fix it?

As I said earlier, accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. Whether happy or unhappy, read the Word of God and commit yourself to prayer. God will hear you, and He cares for you. And as you walk with God, you will feel a comfort and love like never before. So, be aware of your limits as a human being, but recognize also that God still cares for you!

1 Peter 5:7 King James Version (KJV)
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Self-Reflecting in the Bible

Now, if self-awareness is the bread, then, I’d say self-reflection is the butter. Self-reflecting is identifying what you’ve done wrong and as to how you can improve yourself.

This is very different from guilt. In fact, self-reflection relies on conviction whereas guilt relies on condemnation. Now, the only one who can really convict you, is Holy Spirit.

Galatians 5:25 World English Bible (WEB)
25 If we live by the Spirit, let’s also walk by the Spirit.

And Holy Spirit is the spirit of God (Jesus Christ) who comes to guide you and lead you once you accept the atonement work of Jesus. He does not condemn you, but, He does convict you.

Godly conviction, furthermore, is when God aids your heart in identifying where you’ve gone wrong and as to how you should do better. On the other hand, condemnation is a fallen nature which punishes your conscience for the ways you’ve erred.

John 16:8 World English Bible (WEB)
When he has come, he will convict the world about sin, about righteousness, and about judgment;

So, throughout your life, allow Holy Spirit through prayer and through reflection on the Word of God to convict and correct you so that your life and mental health aligns with His love. This is the self-reflection which God wants. Spending your time reflecting on Him allows you to improve and to make yourself more like your Heavenly Father.

Therefore, trust God that He forgave you, and through time spent with Him, you will face a life saturated with blessings. God’s very spirit will guide and convict you to be the best person you could possibly be. And be aware of yourself in God’s eyes, don’t be proud, but, be humble and have faith in the love of God in Christ Jesus. The key to self-reflection or self-awareness is in reflecting on the love of God.

By Andre Wijesekera

Underestimating The Crucified King Now Risen And Alive

Christ risen and alive

Many of us underestimate. We underestimate others, we underestimate ourselves, and so forth. But, if there’s one person we should not underestimate, that person is Jesus Christ. Many have underestimated Jesus, even those who believed in Him, but, God always makes sure that those who underestimate Him will come to a realization. It is my prayer that those of you reading this post will come to trust Jesus for who He is. In this post, I will talk about underestimation wherever it applies in life and how Jesus should not be underestimated for He is risen and alive.

The Nature of Man is to Underestimate

It is fundamental human nature to underestimate and that starts with ourselves. Sometimes people underestimate how good they are at playing a sport, and so, they just don’t try it at all.

At other times, people underestimate a business they just started and decide to not expand. The point is that it is intrinsically human to underestimate ourselves, but, sometimes God wants us to be more because we are His children.

Now, one key example of a person who underestimates himself in the Bible is Gideon. Gideon was a Jewish man who was not significant but God wanted him to free the nation of Israel from the tyrannical Midianites of that time.

Judges 6:15 World English Bible (WEB)
15 He said to him, “O Lord, how shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.

However, like all human beings, Gideon underestimated himself and questioned God as to why He had made such a poor choice in choosing him. Of course, God never makes mistakes and once Gideon finally got his act together, God used him to lead 300 men to fight an entire army. Finally, Gideon won and Israel was liberated.

Another example of people underestimating was with Moses when God called him to lead Israel out of slavery in Egypt. Moses tried to lecture God on how he could not talk properly, but God still wanted to use him.

Exodus 3:11 World English Bible (WEB)
11 Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?

Despite Moses underestimating how God can use him, God used him nevertheless. So, if God calls you to do something, do it; do not underestimate what God can use you for.

Exodus 12:51 World English Bible (WEB)
51 That same day, Yahweh brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies.

God splits the ocean in half as Moses leads Israel out of Egypt

Underestimating Others

Since we’ve now established the point to not underestimate ourselves, let’s see the other side of the coin. God also wants us to not underestimate others. And He makes that clear throughout His lovely Word.

The Bible says David was but a shepherd boy and when Goliath the giant Philistine warrior was challenging Israel, all of Israel was scared. But, David wanted to defeat Goliath because God was with him. Now, when God is with you, and you’re challenging giants, remember, God is always the bigger giant.

But, David’s oldest brother, Eliab, scolded David and underestimated big time.

1 Samuel 17:28 World English Bible (WEB)
28 Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger burned against David, and he said, “Why have you come down? With whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the evil of your heart; for you have come down that you might see the battle.”

Eliab just couldn’t see how a small guy could defeat a behemoth of a man. Eliab was thinking that if he couldn’t fight Goliath, how could anyone else fight the giant? Maybe you’ve thought of someone in your family who’s had a bad past and you think they’d never change, but, I’m telling you, God can change and use any person for His glory! Or maybe you thought that a certain person is naive and will never be able to financially succeed, well, God is the God of wisdom and He can turn a naive person into a financial genius. And in this case, Eliab ended up horribly wrong when David defeated the prideful, cocky giant.

1 Samuel 17:50 King James Version (KJV)
50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.

Therefore, do not be like Eliab, instead, respect the anointing of others and don’t even think about underestimating what God can do through them.

Don’t underestimate those who trust in God

Risen and Alive Christ Jesus

I hope you’ve noticed by now that the prevailing theme throughout my post is not to underestimate anyone. But, now, I’m going to take it to the next layer of truth. Do not underestimate God. Throughout this post, I’ve used examples from the Bible of underestimated people, but, if you really think about it, the examples teach that people underestimate God.

Moses and Gideon not only underestimated themselves but they also underestimated God by asking Him how is it possible for Him to use them. Furthermore, Eliab heard David not boasting in himself, but boasting in how God can defeat Goliath and Eliab still underestimated God through David.

So, it is very easy for us to doubt and to underestimate what God can do. In fact, many people underestimated Jesus. When Jesus was on the cross dying for you and for me, taking on the brunt of hell with a crown of thorns, people underestimated Him. I talk more about why He allowed Himself to undergo the crucifixion in this post.

Mark 15:31-32 World English Bible (WEB)
31 Likewise, also the chief priests mocking among themselves with the scribes said, “He saved others. He can’t save himself. 32 Let the Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, that we may see and believe him.” Those who were crucified with him also insulted him.

If you’ve felt underestimated before, then, Jesus felt it all the more. With ribbons of flesh peeling off his dying body, the thorns of a prickly crown swirling through His skull, people viciously mocked Him. They were mocking Him with the presupposition that He couldn’t do anything.

The Nature of God is to Defy Underestimation

They believed He died for nothing, they thought that once He died, He would stay dead. And that’s why they were mocking Him, my God, even the people crucified with Him started mocking Him. Jesus came to the point that everyone underestimated Him.

But, as He died for our salvation on Good Friday, He rose again risen and alive after three days and nights on Easter Sunday.

Matthew 28:6 World English Bible (WEB)
He is not here, for he has risen, just like he said. Come, see the place where the Lord was lying.

Jesus is alive and risen. He is the God of miracles and He will make a miracle out of you so don’t doubt the God who defies underestimation. Furthermore, the Bible says that He appeared after His resurrection to many people so as to proclaim that He is risen and alive.

1 Corinthians 15:6 World English Bible (WEB)
Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers at once, most of whom remain until now, but some have also fallen asleep.

So many people were convinced they had seen the once crucified King now risen and alive. That is why they stood for the Gospel even though it cost many of them their lives. But this is the good news we now celebrate on Good Friday. Jesus’ sacrifice followed by His resurrection was so epic that it started the Church.

Thus, to witness and experience the power of God in your life along with the lives of those around you, accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. He paid a heavy price on this Good Friday so He could put His resurrection power in you. Therefore, do not underestimate anyone, just trust Jesus, stay humble, and see what God wants to do in your life.

Romans 8:11 World English Bible (WEB)
11 But if the Spirit of him who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.