Welcome to The Altered Journal — Here Is Why It Exists
Do you know what altar your family was built on? Do you know if that altar is now altered for God? Knowing our foundation gives us the opportunity to avoid making mistakes as we continue to live here on earth. David, one of my favourite characters in the Bible, understood his foundation well enough that when he cried to God for forgiveness in Psalm 51, he said in verse 5: "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me." (KJV). David understood what his foundation was, and being honest about his situation, he acknowledged that only God could help him and pleaded with God for help. Do we understand that we are conceived in sin? What do you know about your foundation?
Being conceived in sin might not necessarily mean that our parents sinned and hence we are already carrying that sin in us, although this is also possible. It first and foremost means that right from the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve the first humans through whom we all come sinned, we, as humans became slaves to sin. When we consider our very nature as a result of that sin, we now all have that same sinful nature, except it is altered to become what we were originally created to be. We were originally created by God to live in his image and likeness, according to Genesis 1:26, but sin came in and destroyed that nature, bringing death upon us. God, in his mercy, not willing that any should perish but that all should have eternal life (2 Peter 3:9), sent his only begotten Son to die for our sins (John 3:16), giving us the privilege to once again live through the life of his Son, Jesus Christ. Sin had already killed us spiritually, and the only way we can live is through the life of Jesus Christ, who died for us as part of the Godhead, so that we can have life and have it eternally. Now, for us to live through Jesus, we need to confess our sins, believe in him, and accept him as our Lord and Saviour. When this is done, we begin a journey that includes consistency in altering every aspect of our lives, so that we can be completely whole and perfect. As we live today, how do we get altered? When do we get altered? How can we tell that we are actually going through an altering moment or experience?
The answer to all these questions is the very reason why this Journal exists. While we might have similar altering experiences, some experiences may differ. Hence, just as the Bible in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says that "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." — NKJV, this Journal exists, so that we can dive deeper into Biblical stories on altered situations, read modern day stories on altered situations from different voices, and from these stories, learn what it means to be altered for God, stay encouraged when it feels like we are alone because we are going through an altering moment, and reflect on these stories to be guided by the Holy Spirit on how we can have that perfect life that God desires we all attain.
This Journal is built on three content types:
- Biblical deep-dives: Biblical stories and lessons
- Modern day spotlights: Modern day faith-based living and their lessons
- Personal reflections: My own voice and experiences woven in occasionally
You can expect to receive writings from each of these content types, and my sincere prayer is that this Journal will turn millions back to Jesus and bring us complete victory over sin.
My prayer: As I study and write, and as we all study, read, and reflect on these stories, I pray John 17:3 — that we may know God as the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he sent to die for our sins. I pray Romans 12:2 — that we may be transformed by the renewing of our minds, and not be conformed to this world. I pray Psalm 61:1 — that as we learn these truths and cry to God for help, just as the Children of Israel cried out from bondage and slavery, God will hear our cries, give ear to our supplications, and attend to our prayers. Lastly, I pray John 10:10 — that we will have life and have it more abundantly, and make it to heaven, in Jesus' name. Amen.
