BLOG TOUR - Joshua McClure

For the past several years I have found myself dabbling in genealogy more and more, hoping to capture a vision of my early ancestral relatives. I must admit that for the most part I have encountered more frustration than success due to a lack of recorded information on Black families before the first half of the 18th century. Initially my efforts were mostly out of curiosity, however, the more I researched the more I realized how important it is to know our beginning and also how closely genealogy is linked to our relationship with God.

For some time I have watched the struggles of many people who are attempting to live out the life that God has ordained for all believers . There appears to be a great gap between what is promised by God and what we actually experience which in itself causes feelings of inadequacy guilt and pain. Many express a desire to grow closer to Jesus yet they can’t explain their lack of progress. Others query, “Why am I not receiving the nurturing and life offered by Christ? Why am I not growing in my faith as God has promised? Is it because of my hiding, my unwillingness to expose my real self to God, or is it simply that I have not settled the question of who and whose I am?

What I am suggesting is there are several reasons for our struggle to become, but the most fundamental and foundational is a lost connection between our real self and God. Without connection to our beginning a gap exists in our lives. Further without connection to God we have no real identity. Hence we find ourselves in a continual search for validation. That is why our daily striving to achieve and acquire things material and to seek out validation from others. Since validation is only to be found in the one who birthed us, is this not reason for us to seek God. Is this not reason to go back to our beginning to find our true identity, and once secured, begin to live out an unshakeable life of faith in Christ.

This became evident to me when I asked a group of adults and youth to answer the question, “Who are you?” Invariably most adults responded by identifying with what they did; their job, their position, rather than who they were. The youth in answering the same question responded quite differently. They began by saying, “I am a child of John and Mary Jones [fictional parents]. Then they proceeded to describe themselves telling of their likes, dislikes, joys, and fears, hopes and dreams. They were secure in telling who they were, but with most adults insecurity remained leaving the question unanswered.

What does it mean to be a child of God? How does one understand being made in the image and likeness of God? How can we be confident of an eternal relationship with God? How can we live our lives in God’s presence under his Lordship in His Kingdom? In “Almost Persuaded, Now to believe” these and many other questions are clearly and concisely deliberated, and in reading the book understanding will come along with spiritual transformation. I further promise that this book will help you to live out and experience that fullness of life promised by God, as in the process of reflection the invitation is extended to persuasively move from theory to life application where change is inevitable.

“Almost Persuaded, Now to believe.” will bridge the gap between “What is” and “what ought to be?”

Joshua A. McClure ----BUY the book