Who is Jesus? Is Jesus Real? Now, what?

Who is Jesus? Is Jesus real? What does that have to do with me?

In this post, I am going to share with you one, my testimony, and two, the answers to those questions. Lastly, there will be a giveaway!

My Testimony

Growing up, my parents weren’t religious. But, I did have Catholic influences. So, I always knew there was a God. However, I didn’t know God. Nor did I have a personal relationship with Jesus.

So, who is God? And who is Jesus?

First off, God is love.

Before my walk with Christ, I always thought God was this big, scary God who condemned me for every bad thing I did. Annd I did a lot of bad things. So, I thought I could make it up by being a good person through my works (aka through my actions). But the reality is, we will ALWAYS fall short of God’s holiness.

What is salvation and why do I need it?

The same way we demand justice from those who have done wrong, like murder or stealing, that same judgment will fall on us. None of us can say we’ve never done wrong. I know we’ve all either told a lie here and there or cheated. We’ve all done something.

There will be a day where everything we’ve done here on Earth, will be accounted for in full. On that day, I won’t ask for judgment. I will ask for forgiveness, mercy, and grace. And God offers us forgiveness, mercy, and grace through his Son, Jesus Christ.

That is why God sent Jesus down to earth.

God loved us so much that he gave his only son to die for our sins.

Jesus died for my sins, and he died for yours too.

You can’t work your way to heaven, nor can you buy your way into heaven.

But, God can wipe the slate clean because of Jesus. Not because we deserve it, but because of His love for us.

God loves you, but we must receive him first. That is what salvation is. Salvation is deliverance from sin and its consequences. It is a free gift.

The same way when someone gives us a gift, we take it! That’s how Jesus is with us. He’s giving us the free gift of salvation. There are no works, no rituals, and no tests that we can do to earn this gift. It is given to us freely. All we have to do is say YES.

Is Jesus real today?

In the bible, it says the word was made flesh and dwelled among us. Jesus wasn’t just another revolutionary during that time. He was God in the flesh. He taught revolutionary lessons that were never taught before.

For example, His teaching about revenge:

Matthew 5:38-40 | You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth. But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well.

And His teaching about forgiveness:

Matthew 18:21-22 | Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven

He performed miracles and defied the laws of nature.

He also taught that out of the heart come evil thoughts like murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. For that reason, our heart has got to change. That is why we need to be born again.

To have a new beginning with Jesus.

What do I do now?

TODAY is the day of salvation. We don’t know what tomorrow brings, and if you died today, are you at peace? If you want to know Jesus, then pray this simple prayer and welcome Him into your heart.

“Lord Jesus, I repent of my sins. Come into my heart, wash me clean, and I make you my Lord and Savior. Amen”

If you prayed that simple prayer, then you entered into a personal relationship with Jesus.

What is a personal relationship with Jesus?

He wants YOU and YOUR HEART.

Jesus wants to have a personal relationship with you.

When I first heard this, I was like “Whoa, Jesus wants to know me?! Little, ol Ak, me? Personally? Wow..what does that even mean?”

After hearing that for the first time, a series of signs happened to me. The message “COME AS YOU ARE” appeared to me three different ways in one day. After seeing that message several times, I prayed a simple prayer to God. “Hey God, I don’t even know if I’m doing this right..but, I feel like you’re telling me to come as I am..but, I don’t know how.” Immediately after I prayed that prayer, my phone turned on, and a text message popped up with this message:

“COME AS YOU ARE“

There are no rituals or tests you have to do to earn his love. Jesus loves you. He wants you just as you are. Jesus wants YOU and YOUR heart.

I was freaking out!!!

Following that miracle, I met a woman who bought me my first study bible. That’s when my walk with Jesus began. Jesus is real, and Jesus is alive. He is just as alive then, as he is NOW.

TIPS on how to build a strong foundation

Here are ways that helped me develop my relationship with Jesus, and I know they will be the building blocks for you too.

• 1. READ the bible
  • Every day I fed myself the Word of God. God talks to us through His word. Believe me when I say the Word is ALIVE. What really helped me understand the bible was getting a study bible.
    • **I recommend the Life Application NIV study bible with Red Text!!!**
• 2. PRAY
  • Praying is developing a new muscle. Over time, I developed a strong prayer life.
  • In the beginning, I began praying by talking to God in my everyday situations. For example, when I’m grocery shopping or during a business meeting.
  • Praying is talking to God like you would a friend!!
• 3. WORSHIP
  • When we praise and worship, it brings joy to God!!
  • I would spend time in the mornings jamming out and singing worship songs..especially when I was in difficult times.
  • Do you want to know how to fight your battles? You PRAISE and WORSHIP through until your victory.
• 4. CONNECT with a bible-based church
  • It is so important to connect with a bible-based church to grow your roots.
• 5. FELLOWSHIP with other believers
  • Community is essential to your spiritual journey. We are to do life WITH each other.
  • The two most important commandments Jesus told us to keep is one, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind’. And two, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’.
• 6. ASK the Holy Spirit for guidance
  • Ask and you shall receive. I pray every day for the Holy Spirit to guide my every step and trust me, the spirit will. It’s on us whether or not we listen.

GIVEAWAY

Lastly, I want to gift one of you a study bible to help you on your journey!! The winner will be chosen at random. Below are the rules for the giveaway!!

1. Like this post
2. Follow me on Instagram @theannakwanda
3. Like the most recent post and comment GIVEAWAY!

Giveaway closes 8/14/2020 12 p.m. CST!

Much love, AK

p.s. I created multiple downloadable resources you can use on your journey. Transformation takes WORK & ACTION, not just reading about it. Let’s get TRANSFORMING! Check out Downloadables HERE