For Good

In Acts chapter 4, during the days of the early Church, we find Peter and John boldly proclaiming God's truth, the truth about salvation in Jesus Christ.  We can read, beginning in verse 12:
12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.

Life change occurs as we accept Jesus into our lives as our Lord and Savior, allowing Him to take control and to lead us on a path of joy and fulfillment in Him.  Material possessions, fame, power, prestige - none of those can truly satisfy.  We have to look for our satisfaction and content in the Lord Most High and allow Him to be exalted.  The things of this world cannot save. Religions and religious systems, inferior worldviews - none can produce the new heart, the power of the new creation that Jesus can.

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Paul prayed in Ephesians 3 that we would really come to know God and experience what He has in
store for us, that we may grow in His love. We can read this:
14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,
17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height--
19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Amanda Jane Cooper has quite the track record in television, as well as Broadway, playing the iconic role of Glinda in the reimagining of The Wizard of Oz called, Wicked.  But, even with her acting and singing success, it wasn't enough.

The Christian Post recently had an article about Cooper taking to the White Chair, which is the place where those sharing about God's work in their lives sit for the I Am Second videos.  Amanda says, "I was so confused. I was like, I have everything why am I not OK?”  She developed severe bulimia and became addicted to pornography.  The article says, "she hated herself."

But, then she met a woman named Alice Issac, who shared Jesus with her. Amanda relates, "She was my mentor and the hands and feet of this Jesus that I had heard about in my childhood..."  She adds, "And to think, wow, there's a God who sees me and knows me and loves me despite knowing all about me. My soul just knew this is what I need. I need a savior. I can't do it for myself."

Amanda Jane Cooper has made a commitment to abstinence until marriage and the bulimia has disappeared.  She says that "Because of Jesus, because of God, my identity is as His daughter," adding, "I can be sure that I am loved, forgiven, seen, known, free...”

There is a great overarching lesson here - success, fame, power, material possessions - those are not who we are and we should never fall into the trap of looking to the things of this world to give us what only God can.

He has made it possible for us to have so much - as Amanda Jane Cooper shares, she has the knowledge that "she is loved, forgiven, seen, known, free."  Because Jesus is our Savior, we are now sons and daughters of God.  We are called "partakers of the divine nature."  His "rivers of living water" can flow through the life of a believer, bring us joy and peace.  We can know the fruit of the Spirit and experience a deep-seated satisfaction in Him.  We have access to glorious spiritual riches - the things of this world, as the old song says, "grow strangely dim," as we walk in what He has provided for us.