The following facts, printed in red, come directly from the Word of God, which is better and more sure than the word of man!
| 1 | You Are Made In The Image Of God! |
You may not like the way you look. Others may even poke fun at you. However, God, and some of your fellow human beings, look on the inside.
Sometimes one feels that the ugliness is more than skin deep. If that is the case with you, understand that God can remove that deep ugliness and give you knewness of life.
But, if you are very concerned about your external appearence, understand that it is your internal condition that is most important. Let God change you from the inside out. Let Christ come into your heart to rule and reign. You then will realize that God has released your inner beauty. Here is what Peter, the Apostle, says about it...
"Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;
But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price."- 1 Peter 3:3-4
Before I became born-again, I too was concerned with the way I looked. I was fat, pudgy, and I thought I was ugly. The names were thrown at me too! Let's see, ... the ones I remember were "moon face", "moonpie face", "coke bottles", and "Batman". Once I gave my heart to Jesus, it did not matter anymore. Not that I don't take care of myself, but the external is a very minor thing to me now. Turns out though, when one get's saved, not only do they internaly improve, but it gets to the external too!
For those of us that are overweight, Jesus will guide and direct you if you ask Him to help you to slim down.
Remember, no matter what you look like, or think you look like, or others say about your appearence, YOU ARE MADE IN HIS IMAGE! Rest in that thought!
When you become born-again, Christ will heal your mind so that you will have a balanced outlook on yourself.
| 2 | God Does Care About You |
Psalm 139:1-6 O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.
Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.
Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.
Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
Matthew 6:32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
Circumstances in your life may seem to you that God does not care, but, He definitely does care. We quite readily ask God "why?" or "why me?" I know that I have asked that many times before. Well, if there is any "secret" answer to this question it may be found in the fact that instead of asking "why?", we need to ask "what?". What does God want me to learn from this or in what way does He want me to improve. Do not misunderstand. Wether we are to blame for our current circumstances or not, God has our best interests in mind and exptects us to seek his face in this area to grow in Him. These best interests of God on our behalf are our real priority needs.
Then, there are those daily needs. I mean real needs, not what we think we need. God will provide for our REAL needs. Ask God to help you to honestly discern between your real needs and your wants that may masquerade as needs.
The bottom line for this point though is that we must trust God for all that we need, just as a child trusts his parents.
In regards to our sin, God certainly wants us, through Christ, to repent, that is, turn completely and resolutely away from our sins. No matter what sins you have commited or how much you have sinned, God loves you far beyond what you comprehend. To enter into the fullnest of His love we must totaly rely upon Him through Jesus.
| 3 | There Is Ample Help Through Jesus |
You may need to improve job skills, shake the ravages of drug abuse or sexual abuse, break free from mental disability, or anything else. It can be done in Christ! Let Jesus have a chance in your life. He will set you free from things that hold you back and you will improve in various areas of your life. If you do improve, remember Who did it, - Jesus: otherwise you will slip back into sin again. Society will teach you that YOU are SELF improving. Hey, forget SELF and depend upon Christ to live through you.
One thing that often holds a person back is the word "can't" as in "I can't". Think about it, ... maybe "I can't", BUT Christ can!.
"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." - Philippians 4:13
| 4 | You Can Lose The Bad, And Become Better! |
We all have sinned and we were all born sinners. We all have failed from time to time. Sometimes we have done some terrible things. Our sins can be forgiven in Christ. ( 1 John 1:9 ) if we confess them in true sorrow directly to God.
The type of sinner that we are can be completely lost in the cross of Christ. It does not matter if you are an adulterer or adultress, prostitute, drug dealer, child abuser, spouse beater, homosexual, alcoholic, liar, murderer, or anything else. When you come to Christ for forgiveness and to be born again, this old life is buried in Christ. Let none of these hold you back!
Now, there are two things I feel led to address WHICH ARE NOT SINS and they are nothing that you did. In my ministry, two groups of people have questioned the love of God to them because of what they heard others say about the Bible. Those two groups are Blacks and those born illegitimate.
While pastoring in Eagle Mills ( Hamptonville ), NC, I was out on visitation, on a country road, and knocked on a door of the home of a black family. Understand that it was unusual for whites and blacks to visit together, so some of the young folks did not know what to expect. One young man came out of the house hiding a bat behind his back. He came over to see what I wanted. I encouraged him and his siblings to come out to our church. While talking with them, one of his sisters asked "Are blacks cursed?". Apparently they had heard of the curse upon Canaan ( Gen. 9:25-27 ). I explained to them if that curse was active today, it would be overcomed by the cross of Christ. Keep in mind that Canaan was not the only family group cursed prior to the cross. Regardless of our ethnic background, we can be blessed in Christ if we allow Him to bless us.
While we are speaking of curses, sometimes sinful habits and ways are transfered from one generation to another. Cursing, spousal abuse, drunkeness, whatever. That sin cycle can be broken in Christ.
Before I leave this particular subject, a word to both whites and blacks - stop the stupidity. You know what I mean. Acting rude and doing unkind things to each other.
Illegitimate? The KJV by the way uses the word "bastard", which only became vulgar around our time. An older man in Flintstone, MD asked me about this one. He was born illegitimate and thought that perhaps he could never get to heaven. I told him it was not his fault that he was born in this manner and wherever he heard that thought from they probably got it from Deut. 23:2 where it states that a bastard could not enter the congregation of the Lord until the tenth generation. That, of course, is Jewish law which has been fulfilled and superceded by the victorious work of Christ upon the cross.
Many other things happen to us that cause us to think of ourselves in a negative manner. Whatever you face, know that God loves you more than you can understand. He wants to help you and lift you up in Him. Indeed, in Him, there is a beautiful you.
Related pages . . .
Make Jesus Your Savior And King Now
Why You Should Not Commit Suicide
If You Know Of Someone Who May Commit Suicide