You are marked for breakthrough

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 7^th 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.