#17 Yes, you can.  "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."  [Philippians 4:13]

I am at a conference right now for Mission India.  And last night I was introduced to someone I had previously never known.  His name is Mike Rayburn.  He is an amazing musical genius.  He does things with the guitar that I have never seen.  In addition, he happens to be a dedicated follower of Jesus Christ! 

"Now, what I am about to do is share a paragraph from his book, "what if."  You are a genius.  I'm serious, you are a genius...at something, and perhaps many things.  You are a gold mine of unrealized potentioal.  I believe this weith every fiber of my being.  You are capable of far more htan you ever knew was possible.  If anyone - family, so-called friends, teachers, bosses, -anyone has told you differently they are wrong.  Don't believe them.  Believe me.  You are an amazing success story looking for place to happen. " [Mike Rayburn, "What if" pg.1]

Now, this one above concept is something that too many Christians miss.  They are amazing.  You see, I have said for many years that I am good at about one or two things in my life.  I mean, actually, really good at one or two things.  And I decided a long time ago to focus my attention on those one or two things and hopefully the Lord would use those things and help me be used to forward His Kingdom.

You too have one or two [or maybe more] things that you are amazing at.  You are the apple of God's eye.  You are created in His image.

The problem is that we lost part of that image due to sin.  We were sold as, "slaves to corruption" and we lost that image.  You and I rightly saw ourselves through that veil of sin - and what we saw was bad - really bad.

However, if you and I know Christ, we are not that any longer.  Though Adam has fallen, we have been renewed by the 2nd Adam - Jesus Christ.  And in 1st Corinthians 5:21 we are told, "God made Him who knew no sin [Jesus] to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God."  God loves you and I so much that He has given us the righteousness of His Son.  Furthermore, we are filled with His Spirit and we have the, "mind of Christ." [1st Corinthians 2:16]

My point in all of this is simple.  We as Christians need to stop defining ourselves by our sin and our failures.  Jesus has taken care of them at the cross and He has given us victory through the empty tomb.  We now need to see ourselves through the lens of God - and He has redeemed us and set us free through the blood of Jesus Christ.  He has made us righteous and He has called us by name.

Now, once we see ourselves thus, we can start seeing God's vision for us.  It is much bigger than you and I can imagine.  Look at who God uses.  God called Moses when he was 80 years old.  Abraham when he was close to 100.  They changed the world.  God has called you and me too.  Stop dreaming so small - start simply saying, "yes" to what God says and He will show you the way.  Amen.