Game Changer: The Significance of the Resurrection

Game Changer 4

The Significance of the Resurrection

by Daniel Carandang

The past three blogs have discussed how Jesus became the Game Changer for us. We've been told that Adam and Eve's fall caused the ball to fall into the hands of the total enemy, namely, Satan. For years, we found ourselves struggling with our sins, failing God and offering sacrifices to make amends with Him. We were condemned from the moment we were born. 

But God was able to take offense when He sent His Son to redeem us.

Jesus became the ultimate Game Changer when He rose again from the dead.

What's the big deal with Jesus returning to life?

17 And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins.

1 Corinthians 15:17

Jesus' resurrection is the core of Christianity. It's the biggest of big deals. The reason why we call ourselves Christians is because we believe with all our heart that He died for our sins and He rose again, signifying His victory against Satan.

If Jesus remained dead, then there's no point in believing in His salvation. 

We've just been fooling ourselves.

But He isn't dead. You can't find His remains.

Cause He's alive.

Agnostics and Atheists have a number of excuses with regards Christ and His resurrection. Here are the top 3 among the large numbers:

1. Jesus was merely passed out

Unbelievers claim that Jesus really didn't die on the cross. He pretended to be unconscious. When He was taken down, He probably woke up inside the tomb and managed to escape.

This is seriously laughable.

For starters, the way Jesus was positioned in the cross made it impossible for Him to feign death. He had to raise Himself up and down should He want to breathe. If he decided to pretend He was unconscious, He would still die. Jesus died by asphyxiation or lack of oxygen.

It was impossible for him to pretend He was dead.

2. A look alike died in Jesus' place

This can't be possible.

Jesus had no one to ask for help when he was tried. His disciples scattered because they were fearful for their lives. Besides, it would've been difficult for Him because the religious leaders planned everything well: from His capture to His burial. No one could have fooled them.

3. His body was stolen

The tomb was SEALED. It was also guarded by two heavy-set soldiers. In the Bible, there's an account of the religious leaders, seeing the empty tomb, deciding to spread the lie that Jesus' body was stolen. 


The resurrection of Jesus has tremendous implications on who He is, same goes for us today in the present and when we face the life after death.

1. JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD!

1 This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News. 2 God promised this Good News long ago through his prophets in the holy Scriptures. 3 The Good News is about his Son. In his earthly life he was born into King David’s family line, 4 and he was shown to be[a] the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit.[b] He is Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 1:1-4

Paul was talking about his mission here on earth. He was called, set-apart to preach the truth about Jesus- that He is descended from David and is also the Son of God. 

Jesus is 100% God, 100% Man. He's more than just a teacher or a prophet, He claimed to be more than just a man. He claimed that He is the Messiah, the Christ and the Savior of the world. Through His miracles and ultimately, His resurrection, prove who He is.

Because of His resurrection, we can be assured of who He says He truly is! He's the Son of God. 

For some people, they require more proof before they budge. Remember that scene in the Avengers when Captain America tells the Head of the police officers to clear civilians? And the police officer asked: "Why should we listen to you?"

Before he could even answer, Captain America finished off his enemies in front of the officer, who eventually gave in.

Who is Jesus to you?

Many people aren't passionate for God because they don't who He is. You yourself have to decide the answer to that question. And whatever answer you have, it will cause an impact for eternity. 

There are 4 major religions in this world, plus 700 more minor religions. All of them claim to be the ONE, the RIGHT ONE! How do we know which one's the legitimate faith?

Notice that all of their founders are dead. Their bodies can be found in graves. 

Except one.

JESUS IS ALIVE.

He died and He rose again.

All the others are rotting in their graves but if you look for Jesus in His, it's empty. This assures us that He is who He really is!

Even His disciples experienced difficulty in believing that He is the Messiah before His resurrection. The miracles sort of helped but when Jesus was arrested, they fled and deserted Him. However, when He rose again and revealed Himself to them, they changed.

It's one thing to predict that you'll die; it's another to predict that you'll die then you'll rise again in three days.

His disciples might have had a difficult time believing that because people don't just simply rise from the dead. After his resurrection, the remaining disciples changed from fearful men to fearless newsbearers of the Gospel. They were willing to be martyred for their faith because they knew that Jesus was the real deal.

Many times, we live as if God's dead. We think His promises are fake and that He is weak. But we are wrong. We're not praying to a powerless God! He is the Living God! We're not praying to a dead God. 

2. Our hope is real

3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, 4 and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.

1 Peter 1:3-4

Have you ever had difficulty with your studies?

It's no secret that studying can be very stressful and sometimes, the results are discouraging. Other areas in our life can also be the same: family, friends, love lives, etc.

During the era of the Roman Empire, the believers had a hard time living with their persecutors. They were verbally abused and looked down upon. They lived in despair.

Are you living in despair?

Are you in a hopeless place?

What is hope? It's the confident expectation of things in the future. How is this connected with Jesus' resurrection with this? It brings two ideas mashed into one: the resurrection defines HOPE- because Jesus rose from the dead, we have our HOPE.

Because of the Fall of Adam and Eve, we were all damned to hell due to our sinful nature. We earned a one-way ticket to hell without us even wanting it. Once we died, we're damned. Hopeless, as they say. We were all destined for eternal damnation.

But God had other plans.

He gave us a Living Hope.

13 So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. 14 So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. 15 But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. 16 For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”

1 Peter 1:13-16

The trials we encounter are temporary. Jesus keep His promises. He promised that He will rise again in 3 days, He will surely fulfill His promise to come back and wipe away our tears and help us through. Don't give up standing up for the true God! Though people may mock your faith, stand upon His promises!

We are serving a God who raised His Son to win over the game. We shouldn't let the world dissuade us. Jesus did not die for nothing, He died and rose again for us. 

Don't give up.

Don't take the resurrection for granted.

It was the ultimate game change made by the best game changer of all time:

JESUS :)

Written by: Ashley Bernadette Petallano (c) 2013

Game Changer: How Jesus Changed the Game

Game Changer 3

How Jesus Changed The Game

by Jeremiah Sanchez

Jose Rizal. Marilyn Monroe. Rico Yan. Michael Jackson. Cory Monteith.

Did those names ring a bell?

If we were to analyze them side by side and find a common factor, what would that be?

Harsh and unfortunate as it is, all of them have already passed away. The causes of death vary: drug overdose, martyrdom, etc. They no longer exist.

There was that time in our lives when we too were in the same state as them.

Not in the physical sense of course, but more of in the spiritual sense. 

How?

Before we divulge deeper, let's first take a look at Colossians 1:19-22

For God in all His fulness

was pleased to live in Christ,

and through Him God reconciled

everything to Himself

He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth

by means of Christ's blood on the cross

21 This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. 22 Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.

The letter of Colossians was written by Paul to the people of a place named Colosse. The apostle received news that the people were being taught a gospel contrary to that of Christ's. It denied the fact that Christ was enough for salvation, that His sacrifice was worth it. Of course, Paul stepped up and with the help of the Spirit, he was able to bash out the false teaching with the letter.

Now, let's go back to the verse.

Notice the word RECONCILE.

Does the term sound familiar?

According to Dictionary.com, reconcile means to win over to friendliness. Basically, it's all about patching up, burying the hatchet, forgiveness, etc. Why do we need reconciliation in the first place?

Ever since Adam and Eve took a bite from the Fruit God had forbidden them to eat, SIN has been passed on from generation to generation. We are born sinners. God, being perfect in nature, simply cannot stand sin. We are separated from Him because of our nature. We just love what He hates. Because of that, we are in conflict with Him. 

So, how do we make peace?

22 In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.

Hebrews 9:22

Simply put, someone must die before forgiveness can be achieved. 

Ouch.

Familiar with the tale of Romeo and Juliet?

They were known as the star-crossed lovers. He loved her. She loved him. The only problem was their families hated each other. Despite that, Romeo and Juliet loved each other to bits. It came to a point where the former found himself staring at his beloved's dead body. Unable to live a life without her, Romeo took the poison. Before life faded out from his eyes, he saw Juliet flutter her eyes and wake up. 

Romeo died. And we all know what happened to Juliet.

The good thing that came out from their death was the reconciliation of their families. 

Apparently, it worked the same way in our conflict with God.

How?

Jesus' death on the cross bridged the gap between us and the Lord.

That's how He changed the game.

Jesus did not die a simple death. There's more to the image of Him nailed on the cross. 

Before he was hung on the cross, Jesus was tortured physically and mentally. First off, he was scourged. Now, scourging is unlike the whipping we see on movies. Scars and long lines on your back aren't the only things a scouring victim receives. The whip used for scourging has tiny bones and metal attached to it. So when it's attached to your back, it can really rip your skin off. Occasionally, bits of human meat are attached too.

The crown of thorns wasn't simply placed on His head. It was FORCED. They weren't the usual rose thorns either, they were bigger and they cracked His skull.

On His way to Calvary,  Jesus carried a heavy load on His shoulder. People mocked and tormented Him as He walked His way towards His death. It was evident during that time how people belittled His true nature, how most of them took His gift for granted.

But He still persevered.

He reached the end and was immediately brought upon the cross. 7-inch nails pierced his wrist and on both of His feet. Breathing became a hard chore for Him to survive. The wood where His body was nailed to wasn't even smooth.

He spent hours on that cross, ridiculed and suffering. After 3-6 hours, His body succumbed to the torture and He gave His last breath.

He died so that we may have life.

12 But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand.

Hebrews 10:12

Jesus had the power to turn away...to let things run its course and to allow us to be damned in Hell. But He chose to obey His Father and let love reign. He changed the game for us.

16 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16

Out of His love for His people, Jesus chose to face death, to save His people from their sins. It's up to us to choose between following Him or rejecting Him and His gift. 

 22 Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.

Colossians 1:22

The ball game almost led to Satan's victory when Eve ate the fruit. We were supposed to go straight to Hell without any notice.

But Jesus stole the ball back

And changed the game forever.

Written by: Ashley Bernadette Petallano (c) 2013

Game Changer: What's Jesus Like?

Game Changer 2

What's Jesus Like?

by Jeremy Sanchez

The Philippines is known for its devoted religiosity. For the most parts of the country, churches are scattered and the people are praised for their devotion to God. Unfortunately, recent times have changed and religion has become a ritual and just a part of our lives. When people see the cross, they merely think of it as a religious artifact. When we're asked who Jesus is, some of us are confused or some don't even answer.

Jesus has various representations here and all over the world. He's considered as an iconic symbol in some and for others, just a joke.

What's Jesus like?

Is He more than just a religious icon we're so used to seeing?

Yes, yes He is. :)

28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching,29 for he taught with real authority—quite unlike their teachers of religious law.

Matthew 7:28-29

We know the basics: Jesus was a great teacher, especially amongst His disciples. People listened to Him, were enamored with His teaching, and most of them gave the highest of respect. He was truly the Son of God for those who believed in Him. 

Jesus was no doubt the greatest of the greats, second to God the Father. He deserved all the respect and praise He could. But, He possessed qualities that could make us be astounded with His personality.

1. Jesus loved selflessly

Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end...

12 After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? 13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. 14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. 15 I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.

John 13:1, 12-15

During Jesus' time, the washing of the feet was a custom practiced when one had visitors. It was usually the job of the household servant to wash the feet of the visitors before they came in to the house. It showed respect to the visitors. Despite the respect it gave to the owners of the feet being washed, it was considered degrading to be the one doing the washing.

Imagine, washing someone's dirty feet?

Eew!

But was we read in the passage above, Jesus exemplified the humblest form of love. 

He washed His disciples feet despite His status as the Son of God. If we were to think logically, His feet deserved to be washed by His followers. But Jesus broke the norm and showed them what selfless love really was. 

The mere fact that He is God who stepped down from the heavenly realms to serve His people is already a humbling experience. 

Though He was God,

He did not think of equality with God

as something to cling to.

Instead, He gave up His divine privileges,

He took the humble position of a slave

and was born as a human being.

When He appeared in human form,

He humbled Himself in obedience to God

and died a criminal's death on a cross.

Philippians 2:6-8

Jesus was a selfless lover. He didn't mind His deity, rather He focused on how He could obey the will of His Father and reflect God's genuine love to the people. If we were in Christ, we ought to love selflessly as He did. However, we are selfish lovers.

We love ourselves too much. We don't care about others most of the time.

When our parents ask us to do something, we tend to automatically complain or grumble. When our siblings ask us to share, we sometimes refuse to give some of our favorite chocolate bar to them. We don't care if our classmates are doing the wrong thing. We let them, as long as they don't affect us.

Jesus calls us to love others first as He did. The world needs more love in order for them to witness the genuine love of Christ, we must exemplify it to them. Lend a hand, share your food, be sensitive and considerate, etc. 

2. Jesus uncompromisingly stood up for what is right

13 It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration, so Jesus went to Jerusalem. 14 In the Temple area he saw merchants selling cattle, sheep, and doves for sacrifices; he also saw dealers at tables exchanging foreign money. 15 Jesus made a whip from some ropes and chased them all out of the Temple. He drove out the sheep and cattle, scattered the money changers’ coins over the floor, and turned over their tables. 16 Then, going over to the people who sold doves, he told them, “Get these things out of here. Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!”

John 2:13-16

Jesus loved God and anything related to His Father. So when He saw the temple, His Father's holy place, being trampled and trashed by the local flea market the Jews had set up, He was furious. The obvious disrespect and insensitivity the people displayed caused Him to burn in anger.

With His whip, He drove off those who did not respect the dwelling place of God.

Even though He knew He would be hated by the people, Jesus stood up for what was right.

We are often persuaded by this world to go along with its ways. We drink, we party like it's the end of the world because after all, we die anyway right? We conform to the norm and be one with the world. But if we truly are in Christ, hard as it is, we stand up for what is right.

13 So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. 14 So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. 15 But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. 16 For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”[a]

1 Peter 1:13-16

Say no to cheating in the classroom. Instead of being the number 1 instigator of fighting, be the peace maker. Ignore the siren calls of parties and of drinks and all that temporary fun. Don't be the most feared bully in the room. Turn a deaf ear to gossip. Save yourself for marriage.

SET YOURSELF APART!

Just as Christ did with Himself. 

STAND UP FOR WHAT'S RIGHT!

3. Jesus hated the sin but loved the sinner

In Luke 19:1-10, the story of Zaccheaus the hated tax collector is told. Being the chief of the tax collectors, Zacchaeus was pretty much not the best person in town. Everyone hated him for what he was, for his job of stealing money from helpless people. He loved his job with passion and was unmindful of the hurts he caused.

But when Jesus came to town, his attention was aroused and he rushed to see the Great Teacher.

As expected, crowds came to welcome Jesus. Zacchaeus, being too short, was forced to climb a sycamore tree to see Him. His plan word and Jesus noticed the tax collector. People expected the Teacher to ignore the town's most hated man, being what he was. But what Jesus did next shocked them:

5 When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.”

Luke 19:5

Jesus came into the household of the tax collector where He shared the Good News. He left that night, contented with the knowledge that souls were saved.

Jesus hated sin but had compassion for the sinners.

Just like you and me.

20 God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant.

Romans 5:20

18 So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.

2 Corinthians 3:18

Despite our sinful natures, Christ chose to die for us. In spite of our unworthiness, He chose to serve us, to save us from eternal damnation. He hated the sin we had but His eyes had compassion for us, the sinners. We should look at our fellowmen in the same way when they commit mistakes. Instead of judging them, we should teach them, give them advice, lead them to right path.

In that way, they won't feel judged. Rather, they will see the genuine love of Christ reflected in our lives.

Jesus was an awesome person. He was selfless, determined and compassionate. If we are truly in Him, we should learn how to follow His footsteps.

He's incredible, more than amazing!

He's the best Game Changer in the world.

Written by: Ashley Bernadette Petallano (c) 2013

Game Changer: Make Jesus Your Master, Be Changed FOREVER.

Game Changer 1

Make Jesus Your Master, Be Changed FOREVER

by Andy Borero

Ever heard of the term game changer?

A game changer is someone who radically changes a current situation. He/she creates a significant shift in the game, per se. Game changers can be the basketball players who are able to drastically change the situation of their game, from defense to offense.

Manny Pacquiao, in his sport, is a potential game changer. Despite the fact that he lost his last two fights, we cannot hide the fact that he has won more than he lost. During his winning streak, people often wondered what made PacMan ticked, why his opponents often ended up asleep in the ring. Did he have some sort of elixir? Or some sort of specialized training?

The answer?

PacMan was unpredictable. His moves each fight were never the same. He kept his opponents guessing and in the end, they were too unconscious to figure it out.

We too can be game changers. We don't necessarily have to be sports fanatics to be one. We are tasked game changers for the Lord and with His guidance, we can change the way the world runs if we choose to be the difference.

But how?

Before we know the how-to's of being a game changer, we first have to know our coach, the One who handles all the game plays that we have to know.

We live in a world where the game between good versus evil gets tougher every single day. The ball goes from one court to another. Sometimes, we have the upper hand but there are moments when the opponent (in this case, Satan) manages to get the offense. He tricks us, causing us to fumble or to foul. 

The world as of now is being run by Satan; majority of the play is in his hands. People live as if there was no God. They party over here and over there till the sun sets, drink to their hearts content and wallow in their sin. You might think: "Well, I don't do that." But we are still victims of sin: we lie, we judge others and we basically fail to achieve the standards of God.

If we want to break free from our bondage and play a game without Satan holding out on us, then we have to know our Coach better.

Get to know Jesus!

The prophet Isaiah wrote about the coming Christ in chapter 42. 

A little bit of trivia:

The Bible has a total of 66 books. The Old Testament possesses 39 books, which were basically about the judgement of God to the Jews and their sin against Him. In the New Testament, we can read the remaining 27 books which spell out the hope of God found in Christ.

In the book of Isaiah, interestingly, there are also 66 chapters. In those 66 chapters, 39 of them are about God's judgement and 27 focus on the hope which is Christ.

Amazing, right?

The promise about Christ was written in chapter 42, verses 1 to 7. 

So...

Who is Jesus?

Here is my servant, whom I uphold,

My chosen One whom I delight...

Isaiah 42:1a

Jesus is the Son of God. He was dearly beloved by the Father and He bore a special mission when He was first born.

Despite the fact that He is the Son of the Most High, notice how He was called as the servant. How can a son be a servant?

While He lived on this planet, Jesus submitted to the will of His Father. In every story written, we see Jesus doing what God told Him. It came to a point where He had to sacrifice Himself for those who spited Him because that was what the Father told Him: to die on the cross for the sins of mankind. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus honestly admitted to God that He was hesitant of the task. Nevertheless, He chose to submit to God.

How about you?

Have you been submitting to God lately?

When you have unfinished work and you can feel Him prodding you to finish it, do you obey or do you ignore His Word and bum off instead? When you know that He's telling you to let go of a certain girl or guy because you're both not ready for a committed relationship, do you follow Him or do you hold on tightly to that person?

Sometimes, we can't accept God's will for us. We think it's not the best for us. In fact, it's the complete opposite. What He wants is usually against what we want. But friends, God knows more than we do. He's God. He can see the bigger picture and we can't. We should learn to submit to Him in every aspect of our life: studies, family life, relationships, etc. There's nothing wrong with obeying the one who knows what's best for you.

It was also mentioned that Jesus was the Chosen One. When we say chosen, we immediately think of important beings or people with great tasks. Jesus was the chosen one sent to this Earth to deliver the people who believe in Him and in God. 

People think they can earn their way to heaven by doing good works. They have been sadly mistaken. Jesus is the only Way we have to the Father. It's only in Him where we can find SALVATION.

There are plenty of other assumptions about Jesus, some of them contrasting the truth. First, He is not someone who immediately punishes those who do not abide in Him. He's not a mean Dad with a belt who will spank you every time you get it wrong nor is he a deaf God or even a genie who grants wishes!

Jesus is God the Son. He and God are one. He's the One who holds the perfect plan of your life. He is the One who guides us and protects us. Although He allows disappointments in our lives, He doesn't mean it for our demise. He wants to build our character, to make us stronger people withstanding the challenges of this life. 

He will not shout or cry out,
Or raise His voice in the streets...

Isaiah 42:2

Jesus modeled humility. As mentioned in verse 2, He will not shout nor will He raise voice out in the streets. Even though He had every right to make others bow down to Him because of His status as the Son of God, Jesus chose to serve others instead. 

Paul in his letter to the Philippians encouraged us to follow the example of Christ:

In your relationship with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature, God,

did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

rather, He made Himself nothing

by taking the very nature of a servant,

being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man,

He humbled Himself

by becoming obedient to death-

even death on a cross!

Philippians 2:5-8

A known NBA player lost everything when he succumbed to his selfishness. 

Allen Iverson, member of the Philadelphia 76ers, refused to be set on the bench. How can he gain fame if he remains seated on a bench while his teammates get all the glory? Iverson wanted to claim fame so he demanded his own way in whatever situation he was in. He transferred from team to team till eventually, he returned to the 76ers. His marriage fell apart, he lost all his money due to his gambling and drinking problem. 

Now, he's no longer a known NBA player. He's a thing from the past.

Dreams shattered and lost career- all because of selfishness.

That's the value of humility. It teaches us how we are to live our life patterned after Christ.

A bruised reed He will not break,

and a smoldering wick He will not snuff out.

Isaiah 42:3a

Jesus is merciful. He modeled genuine mercy. 

During His time on Earth, the people have seen Him heal the sick and alleviate the pain of those in need. Even though most of His the crowd were sinners, He looked at them with compassion. Rather than smiting those who insulted Him right in His face, Christ chose to die for them. 

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1:9

Jesus sees our hearts. Despite our dirty pasts, despite the numerous times we have broken His heart, He is still willing to open His arms for us if we acknowledge the fact that we are indeed unworthy of Him and cry out for His salvation. 

In faithfulness, He will bring forth justice;

He will not falter or be discouraged

Isaiah 42:3b

Jesus, like God the Father, is just. He knows the right time of justice. Most of us, when we have been wronged by our friends or classmates, we want revenge. We want them to feel bad like they did to us. But we shouldn't be after this. God knows what you did and how others have wronged you. Allow Him to take over and compose yourself.

10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

2 Corinthians 5:10

What was the purpose of sending Jesus, you may ask?

...to open eyes that are blind,

to free captives from prison

and to release from the dungeon those who sit in the darkness

Isaiah 42:7

We each have our bondage. Some of us are addicted to watching pornography. There are others who remain in a puddle of bitterness, all the hurt replaying itself over and over again. Some are bound to their vanity, loving themselves every minute and looking down on others who are less in their opinion. Then, there are those who remain in the realms of possessiveness, insecurity, etc. 

Only JESUS can rescue us from these types of bondage. He is the Light of the world, the Redeemer of mankind. 

Remember Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston and Cory Monteith?

Besides being famed celebrities who were adored by millions, people with great careers, riddled with fame.

They also have another thing in common:

They were gone too soon.

Why?

Most of their deaths were involved with drugs. 

It's no secret that these celebrities somehow felt empty inside, despite the fame and fortune. They resolved to taking drugs in order to ease some of that emptiness, to feel nothing. However, they had to pay the price earlier than expected.

Only Jesus can pull you out in that darkness, friend! Not drugs, alcohol or relationships. 

Know your Coach better to be an effective Game Changer!

Written by: Ashley Bernadette Petallano (c) 2013