I watched the brave testimony of Marziyeh Amirizadeh on YouTube last night. She was a courageous young woman from Iran who encountered Jesus in the privacy of her home and then went on to evangelise as many people as she could, even amidst imprisonment in the notorious Evin prison near Tehran and being sentenced to death by hanging.
It got me marvelling how an encounter with Jesus leaves you forever transformed. When you come face to face with the Saviour of the world, everything changes. Your perspective shifts —like no other experience you will ever have.
In the presence of Jesus, all your fears and doubts melt away. As Marziyeh related, when she encountered Jesus she felt seen, known, and deeply loved in a way that she had never experienced before. In short, she experienced being truly understood and accepted for who she was, flaws and all.
When you encounter Jesus, you are also confronted with your own brokenness and need for redemption. His perfection shines a light on your imperfections, but instead of feeling shame or condemnation, you feel a sense of hope and restoration. Jesus offers you forgiveness and grace, inviting you to leave your past behind and start afresh in His love.
An encounter with Jesus also compels you to look beyond yourself and see the world through His eyes. You are moved with compassion for the broken, the hurting, and the lost. His heart for the marginalised and the outcast becomes your heart, and you feel called to become a vessel of His love, spreading His light and hope wherever you go.
In the presence of Jesus, you also discover your true identity and purpose. He reveals to you the unique gifts and talents He has placed within you, and He calls you to use them for His glory. You realise that you are not just a random individual wandering through life, but a beloved child of God with a specific role to play in His kingdom. Your life takes on new meaning and significance as you walk in obedience to His will.
You can't help but share the joy and love you have found in Him, no matter the cost, as Marziyeh related. You become empowered with a fire to point others towards the source of all love and hope. Your life becomes a testimony to His grace and mercy, a living example of the transformative power of encountering Jesus.
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