Do People See Jesus In You?

In the nineteenth century, the atheist philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche reproached a group of Christians. “You make me sick!” When their spokesman asked why, Nietzsche replied, “Because you redeemed don’t look like you’re redeemed!”

That’s a curious response isn’t it? And yet, must we not stop and examine how the unbelieving view us as we live out our life of faith? Countless times I have been around believers whose countenance is such that though they may be happy and joyful inside, they haven’t notified their face because they look as if they have been sucking on lemons. I have heard people say, “If that’s what being a Christian is like I don’t want to be one!”

Perhaps part of the problem lies in our understanding of who we are and what we possess. Consider this, “Are you spiritually rich or spiritually poor?” Brennan Manning makes the statement that if we consider ourselves spiritually rich we begin to make demands on God for things that we think we deserve, often leading to anger and frustration. If we presume that life owes us the best and nothing but the best, then reality rarely lives up to our expectations. What logically follows is that we take for granted everything that comes our way and bear ourselves with the swagger of the executive who knows what is up and has all under control.

“To be spiritually poor is to realize that everything is a gift. Salvation, mercy, grace, provision, protection, all that comes from the hand of God is a gift. That He would love us is, in itself, irrational and unreasonable. The spiritually poor experience genuine gratitude and appreciate the slightest gift. The rich in spirit devote considerable time to thinking about what they don’t have; the poor get right down to enjoying and celebrating what they do have.”

As we stand before God with open hands, not clinging to anything, our life becomes a life of humble, joyful thanksgiving. When we begin to let go of our self-sufficiency and realize what it means to be the Beloved and that He is more than sufficient, we disappear into what Thomas Merton calls, “the tremendous poverty that is the adoration of God.”
I suspect that then the redeemed will look like they’re redeemed.

Inner Healing Workshop at New Life
I recently completed a Saturday workshop at New Life on Inner Healing. This was a teaching designed to equip the prayer teams to recognize when someone needed deep level healing and help connect them with a team that could walk them through that healing. There were about forty participants in this workshop eager to learn.

Phoenix, AZ May 8-10
I’m off to Phoenix, AZ this Friday, May 8, 2026 to do a weekend of ministry and training with a group of prayer ministers. Pray for our time together, Thank you.

God bless,

Mike

BEFORE YOU GET HERE

Deal With The Garbage That Oppresses You Now!

BEFORE YOU GET HERE: BAGGAGE TO DROP ON YOUR WAY TO HEAVEN

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