Author: Stephanie Jafta

'A bondservant of Jesus Christ who loves to share and speak GOD'S Word as He wills it'.
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8 Things Hings That a Single or Married Woman Should Never Do with the Opposite Sex

8 Things Hings That a Single or Married Woman Should Never Do with the Opposite Sex

Ladies, we are walking on thin ice. There are just some things that you cannot do with the opposite sex, but so many women are falling into that trap. A wink here, a too tight hug there, a bit of confiding when your husband is ‘trippin’ or a too long gaze across the sea of heads at church. Nah-uh ladies, antics like this can only end up in sexual sin.

When I say that I am an observant person, I really mean that I will scrutinize everything down to the last detail. This has gotten me out of some hairy situations and has gotten me into trouble (sigh). Don’t get me wrong, I’m not studying people because I want to be judgemental, nope, I’m just interested in the behavior of people. In my 29 years of life, I have picked up major mistakes that women make when it comes to the opposite sex. These mistakes have ended in stalkings, murder, pregnancies out of marriage, affairs, domestic abuse, rape, scandal- I have seen it all. Now, as Christian women, we have to be mindful of our behavior- we cannot be acting in just any manner with men. There have to be boundaries. These are the 7 things that I believe you should avoid:

  1. Flirting

There is no such thing as harmless flirting. All flirting is suggestive to some degree and we are better off without it. Perhaps you find flirting fun and meaningless, but it ceases to be that when you direct it at someone who does not share the same opinion of it as you. There are compliments, and there is flirting, but the lines can become blurred rather quickly. Flirting is a dangerous game for Christian women because it reeks of worldly ways. We have no business trying to attract men or be attracted to them with the use of smooth one-liners that have no purpose in the Christian life. Do you want a godly husband? Then you need to be a godly woman who seeks the LORD first, and because of your relationship with GOD, the man of GOD will see you as a potential wife. If you are married then you should only have eyes for your husband. Do not make light of your marital vows by entertaining a flirtatious manner.

  1. Accepting Gifts

Refusing a gift from a man is not looking a gift horse in the mouth. What are the man’s intentions by giving you that gift? What does he expect in return? I don’t care whether the man is Christian or not if you are not married or at least betrothed to the guy, you have no business accepting his gifts. That slab of chocolate may seem harmless at first, but if that man is interested in you and you’re not, then you’re heading for a difficult time trying to shake him off. Just be upfront with the guy and say that you would rather not accept anything from him.

  1. Not Nipping Unwanted Attention in the Bud

Okay, I understand the lure of having someone interested in you. It’s mighty flattering. However, if you’re not interested in the guy, why on earth are you leading him on? Why are you leaving him hanging? That is only asking for trouble. You need to remember that men and women think differently and we cannot read each other’s minds, so you can never comprehend what is going on in the interested guy’s mind. Keep it godly and keep your intentions clear. There is a very thin line between love and hate; the guy that professed love to you a month ago can seek your destruction now.

  1. Discussing Your Spouse

Discussing your marital issues with the opposite sex is inviting trouble into your life. Just think about. You have been talking to brother Fred about your husband’s shortcomings and he has been taking note. He begins to fulfill the role that you had hoped your husband would fill, and before you know it, you both succumb to adultery. It’s frighteningly easy to give into temptation, especially when you are outside the will of GOD. Keep your issues between yourselves and a trusted counselor,

  1. Seeking “Comfort” From Opposite Sex

When you are feeling vulnerable, receiving support from a fellow Christian is a natural thing to do. But when you actively seek out comfort from the opposite sex… So many scandals have started this way. A Christian woman sought the guidance and comfort of her pastor, spending countless hours in counseling sessions. Their willpower began to weaken and their flesh took precedence over everything else. Next thing you know, the woman is pregnant with the pastor’s baby. Or perhaps a man and woman in the church sought comfort from each other and committed fornication. The list goes on. Just take your troubles to the LORD first and then seek out suitable comfort and guidance from a sister in Christ.

  1. Inappropriate Speech

Ther are just some things that you cannot discuss with the opposite sex. Topics of a sexual nature are definitely a big no-no. We have to remember that the flesh is weak, and if you do not take care to watch your words or the words of others spoken to you, you’re opening yourself up to some sinful thoughts that you have no place thinking about. Do not entertain inappropriate speech from men and do not be the one speaking it. Out of your mouth will flow what comes from your heart, remember that.

  1. Entertaining Relationships with Non-Believers

Why would you want to be unequally yoked with a non-believer? Is there a problem with waiting on GOD for the right man for you? We cannot be seeking people that belong to the world because they can pull you away from GOD probably quicker than you can draw them to GOD. What we should be attracted to is a man who puts GOD first in everything, not a handsome face, an athletic body, a rich man, a charming man or even someone who makes you laugh. Look for that godly trait first and you might just find that the man that GOD sent to you is the perfect fit for you. If you are already married and your husband is not a Believer, then just keep on praying and being faithful and obedient to GOD.

  1. Too Much Physical Contact When Dating/Courting

I know that many women will argue with me concerning this, but let’s be honest: kissing, petting, cuddling… all inappropriate when you’re not married to the guy. Keep your hands and your lips to yourself until you get married. When you’re dating someone, it should be for the purpose of getting married, not companionship or love out of marriage. We all know that the flesh is weak, right? So when you’re dating a guy and you kiss him or he kisses you, lust is going to come speeding in faster than you realize. If we say that we are women of GOD, then we need to start acting like it in word and in deed. We are not like other women. We are the daughters of the Most High and Holy GOD. We have a standard to uphold before the world. It will not do for a non-believer to see us French kissing our boyfriends/intended like they do, or having him put a hand on our bottoms or even pressing up against us in an intimate manner. Until you are ready for marriage, dedicate yourself to things of the LORD and keep yourself pure. If your boyfriend tries to make you feel guilty, then he does not fear the LORD because he should know how to treat the daughter of the Almighty GOD.

 

Ladies, this is not the time to be living like the world and doing the things of the world. Keep your conduct holy and your thoughts pure. We are still living in the flesh and the flesh is a wicked thing- it fights against the things of GOD. There are many hardships and temptations that we face on a daily basis, we do not need to add to them by behaving inappropriately with the opposite sex. Always seek GOD before doing anything.

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How Different Are You from the Rest of the World?

How Different Are You From the World

Life is not easy. Many times it may feel as though you’re constantly dodging bullets. Sometimes you may get hit with a bullet in the form of financial distress, depression, slander, inequality and even death, and they are all enough to shake your foundation in Christ… if you allow it.

Recently, I had lunch with a few family members. There was the usual catching up session, plentiful dishes full of tasty homecooked food, and much laughter. But there was something else that I didn’t like: the gossiping and constant judgment of those who were not present. Some time ago, I would have been the one sitting with them and judging those relatives right along with them, but thankfully the LORD dealt with me concerning this. So I kept my distance and did not take part. Perhaps you’re asking yourself why I didn’t tell them that what they were doing was wrong? The simple reason is that the women were all elders (except one) in the family and do not take lightly to anyone younger than them saying anything against what they are talking about. They definitely knew that I did not like their topic of conversation, which is why I have been on the receiving end of much judgment in the past. Well, these women just kept on going on and on about our other relatives, picking out every problem and judging them for it. My spirit was so troubled by it, that I walked away and put my earphones on to listen to some praise music. I needed to drown out the ugliness of the conversation, and I got to thinking: how did I manage to be a part of such slanderous speech in the past? How did I continue to spew such ugly words and descriptions about other people? I did it under the guise of being ‘concerned’ about them, but truly, it was just an excuse to focus on the negative in someone else’s life rather than deal with the disappointments and rejections of my own life, as well as the ugliness that I allowed to multiply in my heart. Matthew 15:18 tells us that the words that we speak come from our hearts, and this defiles us.

There are so many things that we allow to dwell in our hearts, and they eventually come out in the form of words. These words are ones of negativity, doubt, self-beating, gossip, slander and so much more. This is normal for those who are of the world, but it is not normal for us as His people.   So, the question is: how different are we from the world? Do we immediately become angry when things do not go our way? Do we seek revenge when someone has wronged us? Do we talk about others in an effort to elevate ourselves? We have to be honest with ourselves when we ask these questions because GOD cannot be fooled. Sometimes we think that we are alright. We are kind to people, we keep away from bad company, we watch our tongue… until something happens out of our control. Maybe you were standing in line for an extremely long time at some government office (in South Africa, we have many stories about the Department of Home Affairs as well as the licensing department!), and you’ve been there since 7 am in the morning, but now it’s 12:00 pm and it’s lunchtime for half of them. Which means that the line is only about to go slower. Well, this just gets you into a tizz, doesn’t it? You probably join in the conversation happening around you about how incompetent the government workers are, how they are clearly not qualified for the job that they do, and so on and so forth. I’ve been there and done that, but just because everyone else is mumbling and grumbling, doesn’t mean that we have to do it. Instead, we could be sharing the gospel with the person sitting next to us (yes, I know that at first, it may seem awkward and you might get some strange or angry looks) or showing a good attitude when everyone else is in a bad mood. You’d be amazed at how many people you can get to smile just by being a cheerful person. You actually attract people to you and then you can tell them that your joy is all thanks to Jesus.

Luke 6:27-28 tells us to love our enemies, to do good to those that hate us, bless those who curse us and pray for those that mistreat us. Whoa. Is that even possible, Jesus? You know what’s going to come next: all things are possible for those who believe (Jesus just dropped the mic on that one). It’s easier for us to love those who love us, to hate those that hate us, to bless those that bless us, to pray for those that we feel like praying for, and to utterly forget about those that mistreat us. It’s far easier, right? But then, what would make us different from the world? In the Old Testament, we know the whole ‘eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth’ thing, right? But Jesus turned that on its head. He came and spoke about living a life so different, and so weird, that people would need to just stop and take a look at us. Jesus said that we are the light and salt of the world, and in order to maintain our light and ‘saltiness’, we are going to have to be different. Oh, it certainly is not easy, but it sure is worth it.

I would like to invite you to take your walk with Christ to a whole different level by being abnormal in the world. Be extraordinary in a world of mundaneness. Be weird in a world where sin is normal. Embrace your role as a servant of the Most High, daughter of a King, son of the Holy of Holies, warrior of the Great I Am. Choose to set aside your feelings of inadequacy, the need to fit in and be accepted, and all your embarrassment to live your life GOD-led and not people/situation-led. We were promised joy, peace, love and everything else that GOD has to offer us, but that doesn’t mean that there will not be suffering and persecution. As Jesus suffered, so will we suffer, but it’s only for a moment in the light of eternity with Christ. Let GOD take control and transform you into someone that even you would never have thought to become.

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Controversial Topics in Church Today

Controversial Topics in Church Today

The drama that we find in our churches today remind me of soap operas or telenovelas. We are one Church and have one Bible, and yet we act as though we are on opposites sides of the ring, just waiting for the referee to give us the go-ahead before we bash each other with our opinions about what GOD’S Word really means.

It is a puzzling thing to behold when churches of different denominations have such differing views and beliefs of what a Christian is, what we should believe and how we should portray ourselves to the world, and here I’m thinking that GOD’S Word is very clear on the matter! Based on news around the world and arguments that I have come across, these are the eight most controversial topics that we have subjected ourselves to:

Alcohol

Why are we so obsessed with this fermented beverage? The Bible forbids drunkenness, full stop. What else is there to know? We shouldn’t be asking ‘Can I have that glass of wine?’ but rather ‘Will that glass of wine make me tipsy?’. I have found that there are three types of Christians when it comes to alcohol: 1. “Jesus turned water into wine at the wedding in Cana, surely it’s okay to enjoy alcohol?”, 2. “Alcohol is the devil! It has destroyed the lives of many people- we will not touch it!” and 3. “I know that GOD forbids drunkenness, therefore I will not drink to excess, but if I have a conviction within me to refrain from drinking alcohol, then I will do so without judgement for those that continue to do so.”

In high school, when we still had a period for Christian teaching (the school has since removed it), a pastor told me that wine in the New Testament was not a fermented drink, but grape juice. I was surprised, to say the least, but I wasn’t sure if I believed him. I know that there are some churches that have collectively decided to refrain from any alcohol, I once attended such a church a few years ago. Each member would eventually make a covenant with GOD concerning this, as the Holy Spirit moved them. I do believe that GOD calls certain people to keep themselves from fermented drink (not entirely sure if this includes vinegar?) just as he did John the Baptist. I grew up in an Anglican church and they always used Old Brown Sherry for holy communion- as a child, I used to wonder what on earth I was drinking! Currently, I attend a Methodist church and they use grape juice for holy communion, but I do know that the members enjoy an ice cold beer on a hot day or a good glass of wine during dinner time. I personally do not like the taste of alcohol when drinking it, but it does wonders for a meaty dish or a creamy white sauce.  

In all truth, should this really be a controversial topic? If you’re drinking to get drunk, then there is a problem.  

Baptism

Oh, but church members love to argue about this. Some can be near self-righteous concerning the act of baptism. Before I had taken the time to study GOD’S Word, I believed that because I had been baptized as a child, then it was not necessary to be baptized as an adult. My resistance to being baptized was also linked to my embarrassment at the thought of being dunked under water in front of other people. Questions such as ‘Will I still remain modest when my clothes are wet on my body? What can I wear to cover up my form so that no one looks at me? Will I even do it the right way? What if people laugh?’ I was worried about the physical aspects of it instead of the spiritual. When I took it upon myself to study GOD’S Word, I began to see the importance of being fully immersed during baptism, not just the sprinkling of water I received on my forehead as a three-year-old in the Anglican church.  

Some churches baptize babies and children, other churches have parents dedicate their children to the LORD, and others hold by a baptism that only takes place when you have personally accepted Jesus as your Saviour. This baptism takes place in a pool, a river, lake or anything that has enough water to thoroughly immerse the person.  

I think of it this way: Jesus was baptized, Paul was baptized, and anyone else who professed Jesus as their LORD (in the Bible, such as the Ethiopian Eunuch) was baptized in a body of water. I rest my case.

Spiritual Gifts

Let’s be honest, this topic is more of a case of faith. Do we have the faith that the Holy Spirit can and will bestow spiritual gifts upon us? You see, I’m finding that the faith of the Church is failing them, not GOD Himself, therefore people are making all sorts of excuses as to why those gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12: 1-11 are not what Paul states them to be. Crazy, huh? To cover up our own shortcomings, we distort the Word of GOD. Perhaps a pastor has fallen short because his faith is not true. We expect the pastor to have some spiritual gift, right? Maybe the gift of healing, speaking in tongues (not different languages in this case) or discernment of spirits. However, he doesn’t, so is he really Spirit-led? In order to avoid embarrassment, the pastor will create a lie and somehow back it up with Scripture, influencing the members of the church to believe his lie. I’m not saying that all pastors have to have the ‘big’ spiritual gifts, some have the gift of wisdom and knowledge etc, but it is true that many leaders in churches are twisting the Word of GOD and discrediting the Scripture that I mentioned above. Just because you cannot speak in tongues, does not mean that you won’t! GOD sees your heart. Do you want those gifts for His work, or do you want it for your own pride?

If you do not know what your spiritual gift/s is/are, then I would urge you to communicate with the Holy Spirit, to inquire of the LORD and ask Him about your gift/s. Quite a bit of fasting and prayer will be needed. Make sure that you do everything without doubting, because if you have some doubt, then you’re biting off your own nose to spite your face. Now, I do know that some people will receive their gifts at the very moment they accept Jesus, but that is how the LORD wills it for some. There’s no point in asking him about that. But be careful that the gifts are of the Holy Spirit and are not counterfeit gifts- this, Family, happens a lot in churches.

 Type of Worship Music

Do we stick to the hymns, or do we mix it up with more modern worship music? Is it really a problem which one we use when we are worshiping GOD? There is a time and a place for different types of worship music. There is a time when a hymn such as ‘How Great Thou Art’ and ‘Amazing Grace’ are the only songs that can describe what we are feeling for our LORD, and there are also times when songs like ‘My Future Decided’ and ‘Do It Again’ can communicate the words that we wish to express in song form. I will say that I am not so keen when Christian music artists take a secular song and just change the words to fit our faith music. With so much suspicion and many conspiracies involving how songs and their tunes are created in the world of secular music, why would we take songs and tunes like ‘Single Ladies’ and ‘Havana’ and turn them into Christian songs?

 There is a line that you should not cross when it comes to worship music. Every word, tune, tempo etc must be offered to GOD as praise, and only Him. The creation process must always have Him in mind. If the LORD Himself moves you to write a certain song and gives you the melody in your heart, then no amount of critics can take away that joy from you. We cannot take what is of the world, change up the words, and expect it to be okay.  

If you only enjoy hymns, then you go ahead and enjoy those hymns. If you identify with more recent worship music, okay then. Our ages seem to dictate our taste in music. I’m caught in between; I find myself howling (crying) in utter abandonment when worshiping the LORD singing hymns, and jump around dancing like no one is watching when praising GOD with a more recent song.

Women in Leadership

I don’t have much to say about this, but other people sure do. Paul the Apostle said that women should remain quiet in the church and cover their heads. I don’t really know what was going on in the church at that time that he needed to write that. Were women interrupting services? Was this said in an effort to maintain the roles of men and women in marriage? If I think about Christ and His Church (aka husband and wife), the Church should remain silent when Jesus speaks, but I am sure that He would not expect them to not take part in their relationship. Women also have a part to play in the Church, that fact is undeniable, and it’s not just in the supporting role to men. GOD sees us as equals; men are not better than women and women are not better than men. GOD bestows spiritual gifts upon all of us, and we are all to use them according to His will. He has a plan for each and every one of us. Think of Deborah from the Book of Judges, or even Rahab. These women had vital roles to play in GOD’S plan for His people.

 I agree, GOD made us differently, and we should rejoice in our femininity as women and masculinity as men. That’s not to say that women cannot be strong and men cannot show weakness, that’s quite stereotypical, isn’t it? I have probably ventured off the topic a bit, but it all boils down to the same thing. You do not need to have a woman in the pulpit in order to exercise equality in the church, but neither should you keep women from the pulpit. If the LORD has called a woman to preach, then don’t hinder her! Likewise, be mindful of the busybodies of the church that talk too much and cause dissension.

When it comes to hair covering, I do cover my hair when in church, when I’m praying and when I’m fasting. It was more of a personal decision, something between GOD and I. Women should pray about it, rather than start arguments about it.

Politics from the Pulpit

Talking about the political issues of your country in church so that the members may pray about it is one thing, but when you’re trying to get opinions swayed, trying to get support for a political party or causing division in the church because of politics, then it’s better left out. After all, people come to hear about GOD, not the latest news about the government or who is running for office for whatever agenda. If members of the church wish to know more about what is happening in their country concerning politics, then they need only watch the news. Let your time in the church be spent fellowshipping together, growing in wisdom, faith, and knowledge, strengthening love and praising GOD.

Abortion

Really? What part of ‘thou shalt not kill’ do people not get? If Jesus considers being angry with someone the same as committing murder, then why would we kill a defenseless baby? And that argument about the baby just being a fetus and therefore not human is absolute rubbish.

I covered a study some time back about Christians in Europe, and how there is growing support for legal abortion. What hope do these unborn children have if GOD’S people start to accept their murder? If GOD knew us before we were formed in our mother’s womb, then there is a plan for our lives. Each of those aborted babies had lives to live, but society decided that it was legal to kill them. It’s mass murder, really.

 That After Pill is an abomination as far as I’m concerned. Once life has been formed, it is a life and is acknowledged by GOD. No amount of science and lies will cover up the sin of murdering a defenseless unborn baby.

These are perilous times indeed if the Church chooses to argue about such a heinous crime. We are here to protect life before birth and after birth. I am not advocating that we cause a raucous or judge people who have had abortions, but neither can we ignore the loss of life.

 Gay Marriage

The Prince of the Air really is pushing this, isn’t he? Anything to defile the sanctity of marriage and GOD’S perfect plan for mankind. How can we, as the Church, water down GOD’S Word concerning this? Did GOD say that a man would leave his parents and be joined to his husband/partner? Nope. Did he create Greg as Adams helper? Nope. Was Eve created out of Samantha’s rib? Nope. We cannot use the excuse of love to turn a blind eye to this. Yes, GOD loves each and every person on this earth, but He certainly does not accept the sin in our lives. We should not confuse the two. We as Christians are called to love people, but that doesn’t mean that we agree with sin in their lives. If a gay/lesbian person calls themselves Christian, and yet they refuse to obey GOD concerning their sin, then we are told by Paul the Apostle to remove ourselves from them. But this concerns a Believer, not those who are not Christian. We have to understand that GOD hates sin! And it’s not just the sin of homosexuality, it’s also about lies, gossiping, slander etc.

Allowing a gay marriage in church is almost like flipping a bird at GOD, it’s unacceptable.

The early Church also had issues of their own. Paul talks about those who were teaching something other than what they had first heard and believed. Some were abusing the power that they had and were leading people astray- it’s all in the New Testament, I encourage you to go and read it. Those of us who have chosen to follow and obey GOD fully, who take the time to spend time with Him and study His Word, who take care in not grieving the Spirit and who discipline their flesh and make it subject unto Jesus, we are the ones that must remain immovable and the pillars of strength for those who are faltering. Speak the truth, no matter the cost.

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Religious War? Christians and Muslims Clash in Nigeria

Destroyed vehicles and debris is strewn across the road as police attempt to restore calm in the town of Jos, Nigeria ( AP )

On June 24, Nigeria was full of the blood of Christians as Muslim herders clashed with Christian farmers. Fulani herdsman, who are predominately Muslim, attacked six villages in Nigeria’s Plateau state. These villages are home to many Christians. Many of those killed were Christians, and they were reportedly hacked to death.

As a result of this violence, many people have been forced to leave their farms and villages or face the threat of a grisly death. President Muhammadu Buhari has deployed military and police units to stop the bloodshed.

He tweeted, “The grievous loss of lives and property arising from the killings in Plateau is painful and regrettable. My deepest condolences to the affected communities. We will not rest until all murderers and criminal elements and their sponsors are incapacitated and brought to justice.”

The fuel behind these recent clashes between the religious groups is due to dwindling water and pasture resources, a direct result of Nigeria’s rising population. The estimated number of people killed by these clashes just this year is around 500 with central Nigeria being the most affected as people fight over access to land, water, and food.

However, some Christian farmers were not content to sit idly after being attacked. Many of them led an attack of their own on Muslim villages. These deadly clashes are not just seen as a battle over scarce land and farming resources; but as a religious war between Christians and Muslims. Some are claiming that the president, who is of the Muslim faith, is not doing enough to protect Christian communities.

These sentiments were expressed by Bosun Emmanuel, a secretary of the National Christians Elders Forum and a prominent Nigerian Christian leader. During a recent forum, he expressed his views over the matter, “Realistically speaking, Christianity is on the brink of extinction in Nigeria. The ascendancy of Sharia ideology in Nigeria rings the death knell for the Nigerian Church.”

Boko Haram holds the title for the most well-known Islamic terrorist group in Africa. They have claimed responsibility for the many attacks on Christians homes and churches and currently, hold many young girls captive. Many people, the majority of whom are Christians, have lost their lives due to this terrorist group. Some estimate the death toll to be more than 20,000 since 2009.

Due to this threat that Nigerian Christians are facing, Emmanuel believes that Christianity will cease to exist in Nigeria 25 years from now.

“In 2018, we can say in 25 years from now, we are facing the risk of being the last Christians in Nigeria. Therefore, Christians should be in the frontline of defending democracy in Nigeria.”

In an effort to control these violent clashes, the governor of Plateau state has imposed a curfew of 18:00 pm to 06:00 am.

While many believe that these continuous killings of Christians might spell doom for the Christian faith in Nigeria, I firmly hold the belief that GOD’S true people will continue to stand, even in the face of death. I appeal to all Christians to pray for their fellow brothers and sisters in Nigeria.

Resources: CBN News ‘The Death Knell for the Nigerian Church’: New Massacre Sparks Fear for Christians

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The Top 5 Christian Movies

The Top 5 Christian Movies

We all love inspiring movies that are based on the Scriptures, whether they are a retelling of Biblical history or a movie with a message of faith, love, forgiveness and many other values associated with Christianity. Here are the top 5 movies of 2018.

I Can Only Imagine

This music biopic tells the story of Bart Millard, the lead vocalist of MercyMe, an American contemporary Christian music band founded in Greenville, Texas. The title of the movie is the actual name of the song that Millard wrote for his father after he died, which went on to become the best-selling Christian single of all time. The movie shares Millard’s life with us, his volatile and difficult relationship with his abusive father, his need to be accepted by him, discovering his talent for singing and eventually a tear-jerker of a reconciliation before joining MercyMe and writing the song that would lead to the band’s success on Christian and mainstream radio.

Paul, Apostle of Christ

This Biblical drama tells the story of the Paul, the Apostle that we have to thank for most of the New Testament letters. The plot focuses on his life, how he went from being a ruthless and zealous persecutor of Christians to becoming a powerful and zealous man of GOD, charged with bringing the Good News to the Gentiles. The movie brings us the highs and lows of his ministry on earth before being executed by Emperor Nero in Rome.

Mary Magdelene

A woman, once known to be a prostitute but was redeemed by Jesus Christ, our LORD and Saviour, the movie retells her story, giving her more of a voice than the few but powerful lines written in the Gospels. Her story is set in 33 AD when much of the world was under the rule of the Roman Empire. We see her devotion to Christ as she follows Him, and the supposed conflict it caused with the other male disciples. Her story draws to a close as she follows her Messiah all the way to His crucifixion.

GOD’S Not Dead: A Light in Darkness

This is the third installment of the GOD’S Not Dead series, following the 2014 film and its 2016 sequel. Although this movie has not proved to be as popular as the previous two films, it nevertheless should be watched for its message. We see the struggles of Reverend Dave, his desperate need to keep his church open and his anger directed towards Adam Richertson, a struggling Christian that makes the fatal mistake of throwing a brick into the church window, resulting in the death of the reverend’s close friend. Their lives become intertwined, overshadowed by anger, fear, and death. Repentance, forgiveness, and love bring the story to its end.

Samson

In Sunday school, we were all told about Samson and Delilah, about his hair that gave him his strength and his ultimate demise at the hands of a woman. Samson, a Hebrew from the tribe of Dan, is blessed with strength from GOD, a strength that is valid as long as his hair remains long. This movie takes multiples liberties and fleshes out the story of Samson from the Book of Judges in such a way that we are left with a 109-minute movie out of a 10-minute read (sans Scriptural studying). The pivotal part of the film is when Samson asks GOD for forgiveness and brings an end to all the Philistines (and himself) who were in the building. The movie ends with the beginning of King David’s story, of how a humble shepherd boy came to defeat the Philistines and became the greatest king recorded in the Scriptures.

As with all movies that seek to tell the lives of Biblical people, we should watch them with caution. There have been too many movies created that take away from the glory of GOD and highlights the achievements of man, as well as giving inaccurate information. Movies are a wonderful way to bring the family together for entertainment purposes, and when there is a good Christian movie, loved ones, and popcorn involved, it is a joy indeed.

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Transform Your Prayer Life and Become A True Prayer Warrior

Become A True Prayer Warrior

At times our prayer lives may seem stilted and rather mechanical in nature. We find it difficult to communicate with GOD, and perhaps even feel disheartened by our lack of zeal in approaching Him and being in His presence. Having a consistently powerful prayer life takes time, patience and commitment, but the true mark of a prayer warrior is one who takes GOD’S Word and puts it into action.

There are three things that you can do to transform your prayer life. With discipline and sincerity of heart, they can be adapted into your daily life leading to greater breakthroughs, hearing the Holy Spirit’s voice more clearly as well as walking in full understanding of the authority that you have in Jesus’ name.

Prepare Your Heart Before You Pray

Look at this as praying before your intended prayer requests. 2 Peter 1:3 has wonderful advice on how to go about preparing your heart to seek GOD.

  • Ask that you would have the proper inner response, that is being humble and coming before Him with an open heart
  • Pray for His divine power to help you as you pray by giving you complete focus (no straying!) and discernment (knowing if a word is from Him)
  • Seek to know His holy character, nature, and attributes so that you may better trust in Him and rely on Him alone
  • Ask to receive His glory and goodness in your life, understanding that His love is a perfect gift and that it cannot be earned
  • Pray that Father will enrich your life through your private prayer time with Him (your prayer closet) so that you may go out and spread the richness of His love and His Word to others

Give GOD All the Praise

Many Believers do not understand the power of praise and worship during their prayer time. When we give Him all the praise and glory, we magnify His importance in our lives, we strengthen the inner man within us and we probably invite angels to worship with us (unbeknownst to us). One powerful way to incorporate praise and worship into our lives is by meditating on and repeating Bible verses that focus on the wonderful character of GOD. King David was a man who knew the joy of praising the Almighty, he could quite easily strip down to his essentials and dance around in joyful abandonment without any care for the opinions of others. He wanted to praise Jehovah, the Great I Am, and by golly, he was going to give everything that he had within him! Here are some scriptures to consider, but I encourage you to search Scripture for many more.

  • Psalm 18:30 * His way is perfect, He is your shield.
  • Psalms 28:6-7 * He hears you. He is your strength.
  • Jeremiah 10:6 * No one is like Him. His name is mighty.
  • Jeremiah 32:17 * Nothing is too hard for Him.
  • Isaiah 40:28 * His understanding is unsearchable.
  • Isaiah 41:10 * He is with you. He will uphold you.
  • Isaiah 57:15 * His name is Holy. He will revive you.

Speak His Word

We all understand that praying is essentially having a conversation with GOD. However, it’s not just about seeking His hand but also seeking to spend quality time with Him. It costs us virtually nothing to ask Him what He would like, what would please Him and what you can give Him (He’ll most likely say more of your time and being mindful of Him in all that we do). Seeing as how we always need Him in our lives, to provide for us, to get us out of tight spots and to guide us when we cannot see past our nose, we should pray with purpose. What I mean is that you should find a verse in the Bible that best fits your situation. Speaking GOD’s Word means that you’re walking within His will, which means that He will most definitely hear you and answer your prayer, perhaps not quite in the way that you would like, but we can rest assured that He knows what is best for us. Once you have that Scripture verse, you need to meditate on it and:

  • Claim the verse for yourself and your situation by repeating the verse out loud and as many times as it takes to memorize it. The more you say it, the more you will be inclined to think about it, even when not trying to
  • Personalizing the verse is a great way to apply it to your situation. Add your name to it or use a pronoun. For example, GOD has not given me a spirit of fear or timidity, but of power and of love and of a sound mind (2 Tim 1:7)
  • You can even pray the verse by putting it into your own words- this is another way of personalizing it, but take care not to twist it to fit your needs. There are many people who distort the truth to cover up their own sinful deeds

Go ahead and apply these to your prayer life and reap the benefits of a being a powerful prayer warrior. Sometimes the benefits may not be for you but for others (especially if you’re an intercessor), but we are to lay our lives down for our sisters and brothers in Christ, that means putting their needs above your own. I for one always enjoy a sense of peace when communing with GOD.

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Pagan Europe? Most Europeans Identify As Christian

Pagan Europe? Most Europeans Identify As Christian

The Pew Research Center conducted a survey last year April-August 2017 in 15 Western European countries. Their aim was to examine religious beliefs and practices in Western Europe and included over 24, 000 respondents who were telephonically interviewed. In light of the news concerning Europeans, such as their stance on abortion, GOD, and the LGBT community, it was a surprise to read that most of the participants identified themselves as Christian. However, non-practicing Christians outnumbered the church-attending Christians. Which begs the question: What is the meaning of Christian identity in Western Europe?

Respondents were asked about their present religion- if they indeed practiced any. Most adults surveyed consider themselves to be Christian, even if they seldom go to church. Out of the 15 countries, it seems that Portugal leads the pack with 83% of participants who identify as Christians, with Italy, Austria, and Ireland coming in close with 80%. The countries with the least amount of participants who identify themselves as Christians are Sweden (52%), Norway (51%) and the Netherlands (41%).

The study also revealed that Italy has the highest amount of church-attending Christians at 40%, but just as many are non-practicing Christians. Portugal and Ireland are not far behind with 35% and 34% stating that they attended church, but the lowest number of church-attending Christians can be found in Finland, who trails behind at a mere 9%. However, when comparing non-practicing Christians to church-attending Christians, the UK seems to take the cake. Church-attending Christians come in at 18%, while those that did not practice Christianity outnumber them at 55%, that’s roughly three times the number of church-attending Christians!

Across the 15 countries, 91% claimed to have been baptized, 81% were raised Christian, 71% are currently Christian, and just 22% attend church monthly. The 71% who are currently Christians are largely non-practicing Christians. They outnumber the religiously unaffiliated population (ie atheist, agnostic, “nones”) as well as people of other religions (Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, etc).

It’s interesting that many non-practicing Christians do not believe in the Biblical depiction of GOD. Christianity is solely based on believing that GOD, the Creator of man and the universe itself, sent His Son to die for our sins so that we may be reconciled to Him. Instead of the Almighty, they simply believe in some other higher power or spiritual force. For example, Spain is known as a country that largely identifies itself as Catholic, however, only about one-in-five non-practicing Christians (21%) believe in GOD “as described in the Bible,” while six-in-ten say they believe in some other higher power or spiritual force.

Non-practicing Christians express more positive than negative views toward churches and religious organizations, saying that they serve society by helping the poor and bringing communities together. The majority of non-practicing Christians favor legal abortion and same-sex marriage. While church-attending Christians are more conservative about these issues, there is rising support among them for legal abortion and same-sex marriage.

Another surprising find is that both non-practicing and church-attending Christians are more likely that the unaffiliated to hold negative views of immigrants, Muslims, and Jews. Although Jesus came to save all mankind, He was born into the Jewish faith and culture. Imagine my dismay when I read that Christians at all levels of religious observance are more likely than religiously unaffiliated adults to say that they would not be willing to accept Jews in their family! It doesn’t end there. The study finds that Christians are more likely to agree with highly negative statements about Jews, such as “Jews always pursue their own interests, and not the interest of the country they live in.”   It seems that our own brothers and sisters in Christ (which many are most likely wolves in sheep’s clothing) may be directly involved in the move of antiSemitism in Europe.

This study is further evidence of the Great Falling Away. Jesus said that not everyone who calls on His name will be saved, but those who do the will of His Father in heaven. The name Christian has become a loose term- it’s no wonder that many people are unwilling to hear GOD’S Word. Why pay attention to a bunch of Christians who live like the rest of the carnal world? True Believers need to step up to the plate and be true ambassadors of Christ, showing through our actions and speech that we are truly not of this world, and that we serve a mighty GOD.

Resources: Being Christian in Western Europe, Pew Research Center, www.pewforum.org

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Guatemala’s Fuego Volcano Claims Lives in Deadly Eruption

Deadly Guatemala Volcano Claims Lives

All over the world, there have been many natural disasters that have claimed the lives of many, from earthquakes and floods to hurricanes and volcanoes. On June 3 Guatemala’s Fuego volcano erupted, sending a pyroclastic flow that devoured coffee farms and a golf resort, descending even further to cause terror and destruction to all those it encountered.

The Fuego volcano is one of the most active volcanoes in Central America and in the Ring of Fire chain. Volcan de Fuego, which means “Volcano of Fire”, erupted on Sunday, the most devastating eruption that the country has seen in four decades. Miles of thick plumes of ash were shot into the sky, raining down on nearby towns, covering them in a thick layer of ash and volcanic rock.

Dangerous flows of lava, ash and toxic gases continue to pour down several canyons below the crater of Volcan de Fuego, killing many people in its path of destruction. The violent eruption has claimed the lives of 109 people, with time running out for rescue chances. Thousands of people have been displaced and have sought refuge in shelters, with many of them mourning the loss of dead loved ones or holding onto a fading hope of finding missing family under the thick gray ash covering the stricken region. The rainfall that followed the eruption has made it difficult for rescuers to dig through the debris, rocks, and mud, and with many of the bodies already charred, heavy machinery will only result in tearing the corpses apart.

The most recent eruption of Kilauea on the Big Island of Hawaii that began just a month ago is a clear indication that volcanoes are significantly different, ranging in their ability to create destruction, loss of life and speed. In Hawaii, most of the lava has oozed from fissures, traveling at a slow pace, posing little threat to people. However, many houses and buildings have been destroyed by the lava’s chosen path.

The Fuego volcano’s eruptions, on the other hand, have been explosive and deadly, with fast-moving and scorching hot clouds of volcanic ash and gases that have claimed the lives of over 100 people with many more still missing. Typical lava flows do not kill people, as they move slow enough for you to get out of the way, but pyroclastic flows are dangerous with temperatures reaching as high as 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit. One cannot hope to survive a pyroclastic, as the ash clouds can fall at speeds of 100 miles an hour or more, easily overtaking people trying to run away from its deadly path.

Alfonso Castillo, who lived with his extended family on a plot in Los Lotes, described the huge ash that came pouring down as a “sea” of muck that destroyed homes, people, pets, and wildlife.

“In a matter of three or four minutes the village disappeared,” Castillo said.

We need to take the time to include these people in our prayers, that our Father would have mercy on them and help those who are suffering from the destruction caused by the deadly volcano.

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Muslim Lands: Where Are Your Jews?

“I declare a Holy War, my Moslem brothers! Murder the Jews! Murder them all!" ⁃ Haj Amin al-Husayni, Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and Chairman of AHC

We are all aware of the growing anti-Semitism in Europe, but we fail to address the persecution of Jews at the hands of the Muslims. From ancient times the Arab world has sought to remove the existence of Jews, thus it is understandable that the Jews desired a nation of their own to escape from the hands of the Muslims.

Many anti-semitic massacres have been carried out by the Muslims for centuries:

– Year 627- In Medina, Saudi Arabia Muhammed beheads 900 Jewish males
– Year 628- In Khaybar, Saudi Arabia, 93 Jews are killed
– Year 1013- The Jews of Cordoba are slaughtered when Sulayman ibn al-Hakam attacks
– Year 1033- A Muslim leader conquers Morocco’s former capital city Fez and massacres about 6,000 Jews
– Year 1066- A Muslim mob stormed Grenada in Spain and slaughters 4,000 Jews
– Year 1090- Again in Grenada 2,000 Jews are slaughtered in another massacre
– Year 1146- The Almohads conquer Tiemcen in Algeria and slaughter any Jew that doesn’t convert to Islam
– Year 1146-The Almohads take Sijilmasa in Morocco and slaughter 150 Jews who refuse to convert
– Year 1146- The Almohads capture the Moroccan cities Fez and Marrakech and slaughter over 100,000 Jews
– Year 1232- The Jews are allowed to return to Marrakech, but this enrages local Muslims who slaughter all of them
– Year 1247- Jews were again offered Islam or death in Meknes, many were massacred
– Year 1275- Moors massacre 40 Jews in Fez
– Year 1290- The Jews of Baghdad in Iraq are massacred
– Year 1465- The entire Jewish community of Fez is massacred
– Year 1492- Abd al-Karim al-Meghili orders the destruction of Touat synagogues and massacres many Jews
– Year 1518- Ottomans rape and massacre Jews in Hebron, Israel
– Year 1736- The Jews of Algiers in Algeria are massacred
– Year 1776- The Jews of Basra in Iraq are massacred
– Year 1785- Ali Gurzi Pasha murders hundreds of Jews in Tripoli, Libya who refuse to convert to Islam
– Year 1790- Sultan Yazid orders the murder and rape of dozens of Jews in Tetuan, Morocco
– Year 1805- Muslims massacre 500 Jews in Algiers, Algeria
– Year 1815- Muslims burn 8 Jews at the stake in Algiers
– Year 1828- The Jewish community of Baghdad in Iraq are massacred
– Year 1830- The Jews of Algiers are massacred
– Year 1830- The throats of 400 Jews are slashed in Tabriz, Iran
– Year 1834- Half of the Israeli city of Safed were Jewish, but the city was subject to a vicious massacre in which Muslims raped, murdered and expelled the Jews
– Year 1839- In Mashad, Iran 36 Jews were murdered and 7 young girls kidnapped and forced to become Muslim brides
– Year 1864-1880- There are continuous pogroms against the Jews of Marrakech
– Year 1867- In Barfurush, Iran 22 Jews were murdered, with women and children being kidnapped and forced to become Muslim brides
– Year 1903- 60 Jews were slaughtered in Settat and Taza, Morocco
– Year 1907- 30 Jews were slaughtered in Casablanca, Morocco
– Year 1910- 12 Jews were slaughtered in Shiraz, Iran
– Year 1912- 42 Jews were slaughtered in Fez, Morroco
– Year 1925- Numerous Jews were massacred in Damascus, Syria
– Year 1934- In Constantinople, Algeria 34 Jews were butchered
– Year 1941- Inspired by Nazi Germany, the Muslims of Baghdad massacre 750 Jews
– Year 1945- The Tripolitania pogrom in Libya leaves 140 Jews dead
– Year 1947- 75 Jews dead after the Aleppo massacre
– Year 1947- Muslim mob slaughtered 82 Jews in Aden

This is by no means a thorough and comprehensive list of anti-semitic massacres carried out by Muslims- there were many other gruesome killings that took place. To date, over one million Jews have fled to Israel from Muslim lands.

At the UN Human Rights Council, March 20, 2017, many Muslim countries had much to say against Israel:

Palestinians- “Israel has used the worst kind of abuse, ethnic cleansing and imposing a regime of apartheid…”
Qatar- “Israel continues to exercise apartheid in Palestine which constitutes a crime against humanity.”

Sudan- “Violence and Terrorism are being exercised against the Palestinian people…”
Syria- “Violations include building apartheid walls to legitimize the theft of land and to Judaize Jerusalem…”

Bahrain- “Separation wall is an example of the apartheid policy practiced by Israel…”
Saudi Arabia- “Israel’s practices of discrimination and extremism…”

When Hillel Neuer of UN Watch took the floor to respond, he effectively silenced the U.N.: “Egypt, Iraq and the others, how many Jews live in your countries? How many Jews lived in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco? Once upon a time, the Middle East was full of Jews. Algeria had 140, 000 Jews- Algeria, where are your Jews? Egypt used to have 75, 000 Jews- where are your Jews? Syria, you had tens of thousands of Jews- where are your Jews? Iraq, you had over 135, 000 Jews- where are your Jews? Mr. President, where is the real apartheid? Why is there a U.N. Commission on the Middle East that does not include Israel? From the 1960s and the 70s, they refuse to include Israel. Where is the apartheid, Mr. President?…”

The wall that they speak of is the Israeli West Bank barrier. It is a separation barrier in the West Bank or along the Green Line. Israel says it is a security barrier against terrorism, while the Palestinians call it a racial or apartheid wall. Being South African and knowing all about apartheid (seeing as how the term originated here), I do not see that wall as an expression of apartheid. This regime was inflicted upon the people of color to remove them from areas that the Afrikaaners deemed worthy for white people alone- it was not done for security purposes. Israel, on the other hand, is trying to protect its people. Is it wrong for Israel to protect itself against those who seek its annihilation?

Recently, Hamas leaders in Gaza have offered a long-term ceasefire to Israel, which would lead to a green light for large-scale infrastructure projects and a prisoner exchange. The only reason why they are more open to discussing such a cease-fire is that they are in dire and unprecedented strategic distress. This does not sit well with me. Back in 2012, a top Hamas official, Sheik Akhmad Bahr, called for the annihilation of Jews and American alike in a sermon broadcast on Hamas’s Al-Aqsa TV. He even prayed “Oh, Allah, destroy the Jews and their supporters,” and “the Americans and their supporters.” With such a deep-seated hate for Jews, I cannot help but think that this is a strategy on their part to fool Israel into dropping their offenses and attack them at a more opportune time. People such as this would not hesitate to use any opportunity to get rid of Jews.

At the end of the day, GOD has continued to protect His people. During 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict, an Iron Dome commander explained that a missile was fired from Gaza, which could have killed hundreds of Israeli civilians. The commander said, “We know where the missiles are going to land down to a radius of 200 metres. We fired two interceptor rockets. They both missed. This is very rare. I was in shock. At this point we had just four seconds until the missile lands. We had already notified emergency services to converge on the target location and had warned of a mass-casualty incident. Suddenly, Iron Dome (which calculates wind speeds among other things) shows a major wind coming from the east, a strong wind that… sends the missile into the sea. We were all stunned. I stood up and shouted, ‘There is a GOD!’ I witnessed this miracle with my own eyes. I saw the hand of GOD send that missile into the sea. If that Hamas strike had succeeded, it would have been the worst terrorist attack in Israel’s history.”

Also, Col. Ofer Winter, commander of the Givati Infantry Brigade, described a mysterious fog that favorably covered him and his troops as they advanced on an enemy position in morning light after their nighttime raid was postponed. Winter labeled the covering as “clouds of glory.”When most of the modern world is against Israel, we, as Christians, must continue to support Israel.

Resources: Europe’s Rising Anti-Semitism Forces Jews to Leave or Hide

 

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Countries Where It’s Hardest to Be Christian

In 2017, Open Doors released their World Watch List (WWL). The findings and trends noted by Open Doors are both shocking and grim. The modern persecution of Christians has risen to an all-time high, and the primary cause of this- Islamic extremism- now has a rival: ethnic nationalism.

The WWL data is compiled from reports spanning November 1, 2015, to October 31, 2016. The list is audited by the International Institute for Religious Freedom.

In order to rank the top 50 countries where Christians face the most persecutions, the pressures faced by Christians in five spheres of life- church, family, private, community and national- are examined, as well as levels of religiously motivated violence. In 25 years of noting the political and societal restrictions on religious freedom experienced by Christians throughout the world, Open Doors researchers identified 2016 as the “worst year yet”. It is now 2018, can you imagine the levels of persecutions happening? Many of us are ignorant of the atrocities that are being committed against Christians.

  • Approximately 215 million Christians experience higher, very high or extreme persecution. For 14 consecutive years, North Korea remains the most dangerous place to be Christian.
  • Islamic extremism remains the main reason behind persecution, responsible for initiating oppression and conflict in 35 out of the 50 countries on the 2017 list.
  • Ethnic nationalism is fast becoming a driving force behind persecutions. In Asia, it seems to be a common thing for vulnerable governments to gain quick support by scapegoating Christians. Israel seems to be another state in the role of a scapegoat.
  • The most violent country has been Pakistan, which rose to No. 4 on the list for a level of violence surpassing that of northern Nigeria. The killings of Christians in Nigeria increased to more than 62 %.
  • The worst increase has been Mali, which has moved up on the list from being No. 44 to 32.
  • Asia is a cause for concern with their persecutions rising sharply in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Laos, and Bhutan.

Open Doors states, “ In many countries, governmental raids of suspected Christian households increased, certain Christian books have been banned and the membership requirement to remain a legal church doubled, resulting in many churches to be deemed illegal overnight.”

Over the past 25 years, only three countries have topped the list: North Korea (2002-2017), Saudi Arabia (1993-1995; 1998-2001), and Somalia (1996-1997).

The top 10 nations where it is most dangerous and difficult to practice the Christian faith for 2017 are:

  1. North Korea
  2. Somalia
  3. Afghanistan
  4. Pakistan
  5. Sudan
  6. Syria
  7. Iraq
  8. Iran
  9. Yemen
  10. Eritrea

Persecution is defined by Open Doors as “any hostility experienced as a result of identification with Christ.” They also state that Christians continue to remain one of the most persecuted religious groups in the world. It stated that “Christians throughout the world continue to risk imprisonment, loss of home and assets, torture, beheadings, rape and even death as a result of their faith.”

“The Open Doors World Watch List is the most accurate, thorough and intensive research available on the persecution of Christians,” said David Curry, president, and CEO of Open Doors USA. “It calculates not only the deaths reported in the news but also persecution at a grassroots level, where family-to-family persecution is tracked. The 25-year research shows where the most unstable areas for Christians have historically been and, in many countries, remain.”

Since this list was published, persecution of Christians has risen to astronomical levels. Places like California are trying to control Christianity, many people are voicing their hatred for Christians in the western world and because of this (and other factors), we are facing the Great Falling Away of the church. Christianity has become synonymous with violence, aggression, hatred, fear, and doubt. This is when we, as those who still enjoy some freedom in expressing our faith, should show our fellow brothers and sisters across the world that we love them and that we are praying for them. If we need to send some sort of provision such as money, food or even provide shelter, and we are in the position to do it, we should do so. We cannot profess to walk in love but ignore the plight of those being persecuted. They may believe that we have forgotten them or choose to ignore what is happening to them. For the time being, many of us do experience freedom to practice our faith openly, but there will come a time when we will not be able to, and that will be a dark day indeed. However, even in the most forsaken places, Jesus continues to shine His Light, bringing the lost out of the darkness and revealing the truth as well as His love for them.

“Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed My teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of My name, for they do not know the One who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates Me hates my Father as well” (John 15:20-23).

“When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the Word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, ‘How long, O LORD, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’ Then white robes were given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed” (Revelation 6:9-11).

The persecution is only going to get worse. It is time that we stand as the Church, full of faith, courage, obedience, and strength from our Heavenly Father. Put on your armor of GOD, bringing your prayers and petitions before the LORD. It is time for fasting, a time for prayer warriors, a holy army and a people who seek the LORD with all of their hearts and strength. Read GOD’S Word, see what He has to say to you as His people- do not be destroyed by the schemes of the devil due to your lack of knowledge. Beloved, draw near to God with a pure heart, and He will draw near to you.

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Ireland: Yes or No to Abortion?

Stunning Photos of Babies in Womb Expose Pro-Abortionists lie About Human Development.

On the 25th of May, Ireland will vote to either keep or relax their strict abortion laws. Presently, Ireland’s abortion referendum states that unborn babies are human beings, but as the world falls further into sin, the pro-choice voters are gaining ground, saying that abortion laws punish women and that women have the right to abort a helpless fetus because, after all, it is their body.

For a country that was once known as the most Catholic country in the world, they have become increasingly secular in these recent years. Three years ago, the Republic voted in favor of same-sex marriage- the first country in the world to do so by public vote. This time, Irish voters will decide whether to ‘liberate’ or keep their ‘restrictive’ abortion laws. Voters will be asked if they want to repeal article 40.3.3- also known as the eighth amendment- which gives unborn fetuses and pregnant women an equal right to life, making it the sole Western democracy to do so. It was back in 2013 that high-risk pregnancies (where the mother’s life is in danger) were allowed termination. Currently, illegal abortion can put you away in prison for up to 14 years.

Ireland is most certainly a nation divided. For Yes voters, they believe that a repeal would be the most humane decision. At the moment, women in Ireland who seek to have an abortion have to travel to Britain, they do it quietly and in secret, feeling great shame. They also have to pay quite a bit of money to get the abortion done, with costs rising as the pregnancy progresses. Costs including accommodation and transport are included, which makes abortion an option for those that can actually afford it. Others are buying abortion pills secretly on the internet, knowing that if they were found out that they would face years in prison. Pro-choice voters believe that Ireland’s harsh abortion laws only serve to control and repress women and take away their right over their own bodies. When Savita Halappanvar died due to complications of a septic miscarriage at 17 weeks’ gestation- after being refused an abortion- Irish pro-choicers were in an uproar and have since referred to her whenever speaking of a woman’s right to make decisions when concerning her body. Abortion, they believe, is synonymous with women’s empowerment and individuals’ rights.

Voters who are pro-life believe that abortion is mass murder. They hold a deeply held conviction that abortion at any point after conception is the killing of a baby. Some are voicing their concerns about the vanishing children of a country that prizes family, children and the less fortunate. They believe that Ireland is built around community, protection of the vulnerable and faith. Others fear that if abortion becomes legal, it would lead to the eradication of people with Down’s syndrome. They claim that prenatal screening teamed with legal abortion would lead many women to make the decision to abort their unborn babies. They look at countries like Iceland, where only 15% to 20% of women who find out that the fetus potentially has the condition will decide to keep the baby.

What does GOD’S Word say about abortion? While the word abortion is not used, Scripture is far from silent about the sanctity of human life, especially pre-born life in the womb. As Christians, we value life, but why should we value life?

“Know that the LORD Himself is GOD; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture” (Psalm 100:3).

“For you formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works and that my soul knows well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in secret and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed, an in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them” (Psalm 139:13-16).

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5).

“Then GOD spoke all these words, saying…’You shall not murder'” (Exodus 20:1,13).

But what if a child is conceived as a result of rape or incest? “Father’s shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their father’s; a person shall be put to death for his own sin” (Deuteronomy 24:16). You cannot blame that unborn baby for the atrocities committed by others. Oh yes, society will tell you to get rid of that baby, but will that heal you? Just as you become a victim of rape and incest, that baby receives a death sentence because of your need to get rid of any evidence of that tragedy.

Should a child who might be born deformed or disabled be aborted? “So the LORD said to Him, ‘Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the LORD?” (Exodus 4:11). I also believe that GOD is a Mighty and All-Powerful One who can work miracles of all sorts- He specializes in the impossible. Instead of listening to what the doctors have to say, know what GOD can do for you. Also, understand that a deformed or disabled person is no less deserving of love than the next person. GOD knows each person by name, and He knows the number of hairs on your head- it is not the outward appearance that GOD sees, but the inward man.

How should a woman view her body and the pre-born life growing in her womb? “Behold, children are a gift from the LORD; the fruit of the womb is a reward” (Psalm 127:3). “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from GOD, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify GOD in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

Does GOD forgive those who have had abortions? “In Him, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace…” (Ephesians 1:7). “I, even I, am the One who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins” (Isaiah 43:25).

We must understand that killing an unborn baby is a sin, even if you try to convince yourself that it is a fetus and is thus not a life or human. GOD sees everything – there is nothing that we can hide from Him. On Judgement day, we will give an account of everything that we have ever done in our lives, every idle word said, every evil intention and any disobedience. I do not say this is in judgment to women, but as one who wishes that your eyes would be opened and that you would understand the Truth. Father loves each and every person, regardless of what you have done and who you are. However, sin is a sin, and each person will be punished for that sin. GOD’s Word is clear about the end of those who continue to sin, and that is death. When we repent, GOD is just and merciful to forgive us, but we cannot continue to knowingly sin and expect everything to be okay- you mock GOD if you believe that.

Step away from the world, stop being swayed and influenced by society as it changes. Lawlessness, debauchery, idolatry, adultery, fornication, selfishness, covetous, murder- all these and more are increasing on the earth. People are allowing all sorts of abominations and labeling it liberalism and a human right. GOD will not contend with this generation forever, once He comes, He will take His own and send the rest of the world to hell.

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Kanye West’s Breakdown: A Christian Weighs In

Godinterest - Kanye West's Breakdown: A Christian Weighs In

In recent months, the internet has been abuzz with reactions from Kanye West’s latest tweets which have become quite reflective, political and controversial. As Christians, we may not necessarily be concerned about this sort of tabloid news, but amidst all the emotional and irrational responses of people, there is certainly more to it than what meets the eye.

On November 21 (2016), Kanye West was hospitalized following a series of bizarre on-stage proclamations and ultimately the cancellation of twenty-one Saint Pablo tour dates. A mixture of exhaustion and depression over his mother’s death reportedly contributed to his break. TMZ claims that Kanye was at his trainer’s house when the cops received a call because he was “acting erratically”.   He was then forcibly hospitalized at the UCLA medical center. Apparently, he was actually handcuffed to a gurney during transport to the hospital, which cops claimed was a standard protocol. He was later released on November 30 with a higher dosage of prescribed medication than when he went in. He stated that he had been addicted to opioid after having had liposuction, which was done to avoid people calling him fat during his wedding to Kim Kardashian. He had been prescribed the opioid after his plastic surgery and had been taking them ever since, but states that when he decided to stop taking the pills, he landed up in hospital two days later. Prior to his forced hospitalization, he used one of his concerts as a platform for a political rant, claiming that he loves Donald Trump.

After his hospitalization, Kanye West resurfaced with bleached hair, which reminded me of the rapper, Eminem. A few years ago, he went through the same process after he began to speak out about certain issues, and when he returned from hospitalization, he not only came back with Baphomet horns on his album cover but with the bleached hair too. If you begin to look back on the public breakdowns of other celebrities, you begin to see a pattern. Celebrities like Amanda Bynes, Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears, Michael Jackson and his daughter Paris Jackson have all attended this hospital. We may say that it is merely a coincidence, or that it probably means that the hospital is one of the best in the country, but I believe that something far darker lurks behind the walls of the hospital.

At one point in the history of the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, it was home to the top mind control programmer and psych ward head, Louis Jolyon “Jolly” West. In the years 1974 to 1989, he received at least $5,110,099 in grants from the federal government, channeled through the National Institute of Mental Health, a major funding conduit for CIA programs. Many other millions were poured into the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute that West led, including over $14 million in federal funds in one year before he stepped down. There are stories circulating about the mind control programs inflicted upon the patients of the hospital. Reports of people being admitted one way but coming out completely changed have surfaced, with some patients claiming that their memory prior to hospitalization had been completely wiped out. It was stated that the program had stopped, but evidence seems to suggest that it still continues today.

You would need to be living under a rock to not have heard about conspiracies such as the Illuminati, MK Ultra Mind Control, Cloning etc. These conspiracies are circulating around the web like wildfire, with some believing them and others tooting them as made up stories, with some even making fun of them. When it comes to celebrities acting strangely or breaking down, people will automatically associate it with drug abuse, mental health problems, and exhaustion, but if you took the time to listen to these people during their moments of “odd and erratic behaviour”, you may just find yourself realizing that there is a hidden powerhouse that seems to be controlling everything, from banks to the media and even governments. These celebrities refer to this powerhouse as ‘they’, but never seem to reveal just who ‘they’ are.

In one of his tweets back in April, Kanye said “be fearless. Express what you feel not what you’ve been programmed to think.” He believes that people are being programmed to think a certain way, but he says that expressing your feelings is the way to get out of that programming. As Christians, we know that our feelings are not reliable and that we should base our thinking on the truths of the Bible. In another tweet, “Don’t follow crowds. Follow the innate feelings inside of you. Do what you feel not what you think. Thoughts have been placed in our heads to make everyone assimilate. Follow what you feel.” Once again, the idea of programming is brought into this tweet, and his solution is (again) following your feelings. One of his tweets centered around GOD says, “I don’t subscribe the term and concept of GOD fearing. That’s a dated mentality that was used to control people. We are in the future. If GOD is love and love it’s the opposite of fear then… to fear GOD makes no sense…” In his search for truth, he totally misses what the fear of GOD means. It’s not about being terrified of Him, but showing respect and fearing the loss of His presence in our lives. In some way, we fear our parents, not because we’re worried about what they can do to us, but because we understand their authority and position in our lives. A loss of fear can result in a lack of respect. The fear of GOD is the beginning of all knowledge, but it is our love for Him and His love for us that cultivates the relationship that we have with Him.

In his interview with radio personality, Charlamagne, he said that his breakdown came from “fear, stress, control, being controlled, manipulation… stressing things that create, like, validation that I didn’t need to worry about as much.” He also spoke about fearing that he would be killed in the hospital, “…I can’t express to you how traumatizing that moment is, and then you wake up drugged the f-k out.” Although some would brush off his words and think nothing more of them, I cannot help but think that he is trying to say something or even warn the public about something without saying too much. For a man who has been described as ahead of his time, a forward-thinker and a maker of his own rules, why would he turn around and say that he was fearful? That he was being controlled and manipulated? And then to fear for his life in hospital? There is definitely a lot more to this story than what meets the eyes.

Kanye West has also expressed his love for Donald Trump, which has earned him disdain from other celebrities. He has received a lot of criticism for his new way of thinking, with some even going so far as to say that the person that came out of the hospital isn’t Kanye West. Could Kanye have been ‘reprogrammed’? Or is he waking up from his programming?

Although we are not of the world, I believe that we should take note of what is going on to avoid being fooled. I know that many Christians continue to listen to secular music and do not censor what they watch on TV. We are being bombarded with irrelevant information to keep us in the dark of what is really taking place in the world. We are being lulled into thoughts of safety when the reality is that hidden powerhouses are plotting our demise through the control of the media, Hollywood, the music industry and the government. There is a hidden agenda, and Kanye West is just one person in a sea of celebrities that is being controlled to influence us and program our thinking to fit into dangerous ideologies. The next time a well-known figure suffers a breakdown, is labeled as crazy, commits ‘suicide’, is taken to a hospital, prescribed drugs and seems changed, take note of it. We need to open our eyes to what is happening in the world, even the smallest of events is part of one big event: preparing the world to accept the Anti Christ.

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Europe’s Rising Anti-Semitism Forces Jews to Leave or Hide

Study: Europe's Rising Anti-Semitism Forces Jews To Leave Or Hide

The rise of violent anti-Semitism in Europe has made Jews justifiably concerned about their personal safety. In 2017, a study authored by Dr. Johannes Due Enstad of the Center for Research on Extremism was released, providing the public with a methodological and comprehensive report that dissected the growth of Europe’s anti-Semitism problem.

The study spans the years 2005-2015 with seven countries being analyzed. The countries include France, the U.K., Germany, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Russia. Due to a direct consequence of violent anti-Semitism, one in five Jews in Sweden and the U.K., one in four in Germany, and half of the Jews in France have considered emigrating. In 2015, many Jews took action and about 10,000 Western European Jews left Europe for a better life in Israel, the largest number leaving the continent since 1948. What was interesting was that the period measured did not show an upward or downward trend level of anti-Semitism. When compared with data from the 1990s, there is a consistently elevated level of anti-Semitism.

It seems that French Jews are more likely to have personally experienced a violent attack during the last five years of the study. The Swedish and German Jews are not far behind in their experience of personal attacks, but the largest gap in anti-Semitism lies between British Jews and Jews living in Norway, Denmark and Russia.

Out of all the European Jews mentioned, it is those living in France and Sweden that are less likely to attend Jewish events or even visit Jewish sites because they do not feel safe. More than half of them will avoid wearing, carrying or displaying anything that would reveal their identity as Jews. Although this behavior is not reported to be at the same levels in Germany and the U.K., nevertheless a growing number of Jews in those countries also tend to avoid doing things in public that would label them as Jewish out of fear for their safety.

French Jews have more of a reason to be fearful for their lives as France has experienced more violent, dramatic and fatal anti-Semitic incidents than any other European country. In 2012, three Jewish children and a rabbi were murdered in Toulouse. Mohammed Merah, a 23-year-old al-Qaeda terrorist, had carried out the Toulouse attack, stating that he wanted to kill the Jews because of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Fearing for the lives of the Jewish people in France, the head of the Jewish community of Marseille cautioned his fellow community members not to appear in public in any way that would identify them as Jews.

The main people responsible for these attacks are of Muslim background. These attacks are on the increase due to certain trigger events happening in the Middle East. What has been surprisingly dumbfounding is German authorities refusing to classify anti-Israeli incidents as anti-Semitism. Germany should know better, especially with their history.

The only country where the perpetrators were not necessarily of Muslim background, was Russia. In Russia, the Jewish and Muslim populations are separated by a vast expanse of land, with most Jews living in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, and most Muslims living in the Eurasian Caucasus region.

As refugees continue to make their way into Europe due to the war in the Middle East, anti-Semitic attacks are rising. On the 14th of May, 2018, The U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv was moved to Jerusalem, sparking outrage among the Palestinians. This move coincides with the 70th anniversary of Israel as a state- a prophecy from the Bible that came to pass in 1948. We, as Christians, need to open our eyes to the world events taking place. It is alarming that there are so few people today, especially in the Church, who recognize how important the modern state of Israel is in GOD’S plan. GOD has predicted many times in Scripture that the sons and daughters of Israel would return to the land of Israel just before Jesus would come again. What more do you need to convince yourself that our LORD and Saviour is on His way?

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Letter to a Backslider

Letter to a Backslider

Harvest time is approaching, will you be the wheat that is stored in the barn? Or will you be the chaff that is burned up in an everlasting fire? Backsliding happens, but will you allow it to steal your salvation?

I know what it’s like to backslide and feel guilty while you’re doing it because of your own conscience that convicts you. I didn’t just backslide one, twice or even three times, but several times. Each time was different and each time was even more sneaky than the last one. You don’t even realise it, but you begin to be pulled away from GOD by seemingly innocent things, like going on holiday with family and forgetting to allocate a separate private time to spend with GOD, being swamped with work and making time spent with Him a second priority, or not even a priority at all. Perhaps you had stopped listening to secular music, but one day a song caught your attention, and, because it didn’t seem too bad, you decided to listen to it. You listen to it again and again, and before you know it, you start wondering if secular music is all that bad- surely GOD doesn’t think that? The truth of GOD’S Word starts to get muddled up with the pleasures of the world, and you begin to backslide, bit by bit.

Whenever the LORD brought me back from my backslidden ways, I always wondered as to how I could have allowed myself to be deceived again. How did I replace GOD’S truth with the lies of the world? I would begin to backtrack, just to see what exactly ensnared me, and I could always trace it back to the influence of Satan, either in my thoughts or others. “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but GOD is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13). Did you know that running away from temptation is a form of escape? Just as when Joseph ran away from Potiphar’s wife- he even left behind a piece of clothing! His body may have been tempted, but he was obedient to GOD and ran out as though hell’s fires were after him (which they probably were). Our Heavenly Father never lets us be tempted above what we are able to handle, but it’s up to us to take that escape route. I also had ways to escape my temptation, but I ignored them because I had taught myself to do so. Because that’s what we do, we have to work ourselves out of obeying GOD and into obeying the hedonistic commands of our flesh, which is relatively easy to do when you have a superficial relationship with GOD.

Instead of being ruled by love, I was being governed by fear. Fear of death, rejection, failure, ridicule, anxiety, depression- you name it, I had it. In my second year of being born-again, I fell into such a deep depression that I attempted suicide- I just didn’t want to live. I didn’t want to continue experiencing the pain that I had, the gut-wrenching emotional pain of being rejected by those that were meant to love you, being verbally attacked by strangers on a daily basis, having my body image suffer because of a sickness that has no cure, not having anyone to talk to because everybody assumed that you could just handle everything- I was Christian after all, surely the LORD would help me. That was the first time that I had backslidden, and the darkness that I felt was so severe that even trying to open my Bible was an effort. I remember overdosing on pain medication and waiting for death to take me, but death didn’t come, because GOD wouldn’t let it. You see, when GOD has a purpose for you, not even death can take that away. I still had a heart for Him, but I couldn’t stand in faith because I was being heavily attacked by dark spirits. I eventually came back to the LORD, stronger in faith than before. GOD had taken what Satan meant for my demise and turned it into an opportunity for me to grow in faith and in His Word.

My backsliding ways didn’t end there though. I can remember two years of my life when GOD was but an idea for me, a distant Being that didn’t love me enough to take me out of my problems. So I looked for other ways to fill the void of His absence in my life. It wasn’t because He had failed me, but because I had not yet learned to depend on Him, to give Him control. So if He didn’t do what I wanted Him to do, then He obviously didn’t love me enough, just like the other people in my life, and that He had failed me, just as my loved ones had done. My thinking was ‘me, me, me’ and I was basically having a pity party for myself. I was incredibly jealous of other Christians who seemed to have a personal relationship with GOD, they all had better jobs than I had, more people seemed to love them while I was being routinely rejected by people- they were living a life that I wanted but didn’t have, and I was angry at GOD. I watched as these Christians made mistake after mistake and I made sure to tell GOD about it (as if He couldn’t see it!), but they still seemed to come out on top- I couldn’t understand what was going on. With tears, I begged GOD to tell me what I should do so that my life could change, but I didn’t receive an answer. I think that was one of the most painful things to go through, believing that GOD wasn’t listening to me because He had rejected me. Thoughts of suicide once again began to plague me- I even researched ways to do it! But I could never go through with it because something would stop me. The number of times that I cried myself to sleep are too numerous to count, and then the next day I would wake up and put on a happy face so that people couldn’t see that I was suffering. I knew that no one wanted to hear of my troubles, so I pretended that everything was okay. There were some days that my pain took the form of anger and impatience, but I would always feel ashamed and regretful after my outbursts.

For seven years I went through times of backsliding, some lasting a year or two, and other times a month or less. I was a mess, and I didn’t understand why. When the LORD would bring me back to Him, He would show me an area of my life that was displeasing to Him and causing me trouble. So I would repent of it and ask for forgiveness, which I was mercifully and graciously given. It was only late in the year 2015 that the root of all of my troubles was revealed to me: the spirit of unforgiveness. I had steadfastly refused to forgive the people that had hurt me. It was a brother in Christ who revealed that to me by the Holy Spirit, he told me that I had a big heart, but that my unforgiveness was squeezing it and as a result, it was stopping the Holy Spirit from working in me and through me. You see, Jesus commanded us to forgive, but I wouldn’t. I believed that I was justified in holding onto the bitterness of unforgiveness- people had hurt me so deeply that it was only normal to bear grudges. My pride refused to forgive these people because I believed that it would make me weak, and then people would take that as an opportunity to walk all over me and use me to an even greater extent. The spirits of pride and unforgiveness were choking me, and I was letting them do it. I didn’t want to hear what that brother had to say at first, I think that I was too angry at the time. It took me several months to overcome those sins, but once I did, I felt a lightness and peace that I had never felt before. You see, GOD never gave up on me, and He will never give up on you. Joel 2:12-13 says: “Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “Return to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, weeping and mourning…” I got down on my face and asked the LORD to deliver me from these sins, to forgive me and help me. His answer was: “But the LORD is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.” (2 Thessalonians 3:3).

Even when you cannot see a way out, you need to understand that the night will not last and that GOD’S Word will come to pass in your life. His promises still stand, no matter what you’re going through, His faithfulness is greater than our problems. Our confidence is that GOD never fails, and that He never changes. He can move those mountains in your life. Even if your situation looks hopeless, know and believe that nothing is impossible with Him. I have seen Him move mountains in my life, mountains that I thought would drag me down into the abyss, but He always comes through and saves me. Jesus has saved me from drowning each and every time I got myself into troubled waters. I disobeyed Him, but He still came after me. He didn’t just let me wander off. We are the sheep of His pasture, He is the Good Shepherd and He will protect us.

“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy…” (Jude 1:24). If we would trust Him, lean on Him and let Him guide us, He will keep us from stumbling and keep us blameless in His sight. I believed too many lies of the devil, he wanted to destroy me and to have me reject GOD, but what he didn’t seem to understand is that GOD loves His people with a love that cannot be explained. When I gave my life to Him, I meant it.

I have come through those fires stronger in faith and in love with my LORD. As the End approaches, I realize that there is no time to be backsliding, there is no time to be doubting GOD, to being lukewarm and thinking that you still have time to live a GOD-filled life.

Jesus means more to me than anything else- He is my very life and I live for Him, as should all of His people (2 Corinthians 5:15). Beloved, you may be going through tough times, but just hold on. Hold onto the promises of GOD, return to Him and let Him take care of you. He loves you with an everlasting love. If you feel that your relationship with Him is not where it should be, then seek Him with your whole heart, He said that we would find Him if we would seek Him with our whole hearts. Maybe you believe that you’re not good enough to be a Christian- those are all lies of the evil one! You are a new creation, first of all (2 Corinthians 5:17), you’re not even your old self! The only way to renew your mind is to read GOD’S Word every day, to speak with Him every day, to immerse yourself in His presence and to trust Him. Come back to Him, He will forgive you.

Ending Thoughts: “Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.” (2 Timothy 1:14).

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Is God Racist or Is It My Church?

Is God racist or is it my church?

The world has come far in many respects, but in other areas, we have either remained the same or have worsened. In a time of even greater confusion and moral decline, we expect the church to set an example for all the world to see, but it seems that we are failing to be the light that we are called to be or the salt of the earth that the perishing world needs. We have allowed racism to continue in the church, perhaps under many disguises, but it is nevertheless racism.

You are first and foremost a Christian, a child of GOD. Your salvation was not dependent on your race, but on Jesus, on your acceptance of Him. It seems that we have forgotten this truth when we look at the demographics of some of our churches. I’m South African, living in a country with a history that many people throughout the world will probably know something of. My country went through decades of forced segregation, and despite Apartheid coming to an end with Nelson Mandela becoming the first black president in 1994, it seems that South Africa remains a country that is still segregated, perhaps not so much physically, but certainly mentally. This segregation extends into many churches where ‘white churches’ have predominately white people and ‘black churches’ will have predominately black people. I used to think that it was due to a language barrier- not everyone speaks English- and perhaps comfort. Comfort in the sense that you prefer to be around people who are like you in culture, language, likes, and race. But, wouldn’t the fact that we are all children of GOD be the ultimate deciding factor when choosing a church?

I’m sure that it’s the same elsewhere in the world- America in particular. If there is any country that is spoken of in the news with regards to racism, it is America. Rarely a week goes past without hearing about some racist remark that a person made, a racist action taken against someone or some march happening in protest against racism. It seems that America is building up racism, rather than working together to destroy it. It’s the same in my own country. Afrikaaner farmers are being butchered to death by angry black South Africans, white women are being put in jail for racist remarks, the Black Economic Empowerment plan has excluded white people and given many black people jobs that they are not qualified for. There are many other situations that I can speak about, but the main thing on my mind is the racism still lurking in our churches.

Crumpled paper ball with words Racism on gray background. Black and white.

I cannot tell you the number of times I have heard so-called Christians make a racist remark. I have even heard the word ‘kaffir’ used, which is a derogatory word used for black people, the equivalent in America would be ‘nigger’. I have noticed, that in black churches, whenever a white person would visit, that person would get special preference- it’s as if the church feels blessed to have a white person grace their church with his/her presence. Whereas in the white church, if a black person came to sit in on one of the services, then the white people would speak kindly and act welcomely, but they would do so as if they were speaking to a child, a child that does not understand much. And if it turns out that the black person speaks perfect English, then the usual remark of ‘You speak English so well, who taught you?’ will be said. It doesn’t seem to occur to them that our schools are now integrated, which means that even black people can speak English as well as them, and still have their own mother tongue of isiZulu, isiXhosa, Sotho or any other Nguni language.

They each take the practices of the world and bring it into the church, not understanding that it is a sin. When I hear of these underhanded racist remarks in the church, it saddens me. These people have not allowed the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives to remove that spirit of racism. Not all churches are guilty of this, but there are too many that sneak in racism and call it honesty.

As I look back over the struggle for racial equality, not just in South Africa, but also elsewhere in the world, I see that the church has played a significant part. The revivalist and evangelist Charles Finney (pre-Civil War days in America), preached about the evils of slavery and even said that it was impossible to be right with Christ and still tolerate slavery. He went so far as to establish probably the first integrated college in America, in Oberlin, Ohio.

John Newton, the author of one of the most loved songs ‘Amazing Grace’, was an ex-slave trader who became a preacher. He saw the suffering that the inhumane practice of slavery inflicted on its victims and influenced William Wilberforce, another godly British Christian, to fight for the right of black people. As a powerful politician, he became the primary instrument in pressuring England to make slavery illegal.

It would be a shock if no one knew of the great evangelist, Billy Graham. He spoke of racial equality early on in his ministry and even refused to hold a crusade in the 1950s unless both black and white people were able to sit together as one. Our very own Desmond Tutu (archbishop now), did not shy away under the cloak of the church, but publicly spoke of the Apartheid practices, even when faced with being locked up and perhaps never returning home alive.

How is it that today, with a rich history as this, racism is left to continue in the church? Have we learned nothing from the past? It seems that the church needs healing when it is the church that should be healing the world with the Word of GOD.

GOD is strongly opposed to injustice and oppression. Leviticus 19:34 says: “The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself…”

Here GOD makes sure that his people, the Israelites, would not become proud and uncaring for other races, just because they had a special covenant relationship with Him. In Mark 12:31, the second great commandment that Jesus gave was to love your neighbor as yourself. He didn’t specify any race, He just said neighbor. For Jesus, to love your neighbor as you love yourself was to practice justice towards your fellow human beings. Where is that justice in the church when we continue to be prejudiced against someone just because of the color of his/her skin. You need to understand that the media has lied, manipulated and influenced the minds of people, fueling their hate for one another. It is wrong, Family, to be influenced by the world! I cannot stress this enough. Saved or not, you stand in judgment of this sin. What are you doing putting your nose where it doesn’t belong? What have you to do with the evil affairs of the world? Do you not understand that the main entity behind all of this hate is Satan? Unless you are Jewish, then we are all Gentiles, that means that there is no white and black, Indian or Chinese, Eskimo or Polynesian- there is no subtype of Gentile that is supposed to get special treatment while the other is oppressed.

Revelation 7:9 says: “After this, I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.”

Is there any mention of prejudice? Segregation? Hatred? Injustice? Oppression? No. The only prerequisite to being saved is believing and confessing Jesus as our Saviour, after that it is a matter of obeying GOD in all areas of your life. We have enough problems in the church without having to hold onto the race card. Let it go, examine yourselves, get right with GOD. If you can (you can do all things through Christ by the way), begin to see each person as someone that GOD loves, look past the color of their skin. Evil is evil, no matter who does it. Your job is to love them, and that’s it. We are commanded to do everything in love- remember this.

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Study: Adults Say Coffee, Sweets and Social Media Are More Essential To Their Day Than the Bible

61% of adults identified as 'Bible Centered' chose the Bible over the other three choices, Bible Engaged adults came in at 43%, with the Bible Friendly adults coming in last at 21%.

The American Bible Society is a Christian Ministry that seeks to engage people with GOD’S Word and has been doing so for as far back as 1816. Every year they take it upon themselves to conduct a research that reveals Bible behavior, perception and engagement among American adults. In March this year, they released results that included statistics based on how necessary the Bible was in the daily lives of those that they interviewed, and the findings were not encouraging.

The participants were given four choices (the Bible, coffee, something sweet and social media) and were asked to choose which one they felt was a daily necessity. A whopping 37% of participants chose coffee as their daily necessity, followed by 28% for the something sweet crowd,   19 % choose social media, and trailing behind at 16% were those who felt that the Bible was the most important aspect of their day.

The study showed that those who were most likely to choose the Bible were households with children under the age of 18, college graduates, married adults and residents of the South.

61% of adults identified as ‘Bible Centered’ choose the Bible over the other three choices, Bible Engaged adults came in at 43%, with the Bible Friendly adults coming in last at 21%.

Now, I’ve got to wonder about the other 39% of the Bible Centred adults. It seems that coffee, followed by social media and lastly something sweet was more important to them than starting their day with GOD. Which begs the question: do they not understand that it is how you start the day that sets the tone for the rest of the day? Coffee is not going to give you comfort when a problem crops up, social media is not going to do a good job of guiding you throughout your day, and something sweet is not going to satisfy your spiritual needs. Only GOD can do all of these things and more, but if we do not take the time to spend the start of our day with Him, we are cheating ourselves and replacing Him with choices that do not give life. Sure, coffee is a delicious beverage that has the ability to jolt you out of drowsiness, social media can have some inspiring words (especially if you follow sites such as Godinterest:)), and something sweet (who doesn’t enjoy a croissant with jam and butter?) is a momentarily satisfying taste sensation. However, if you put GOD first, and then followed with the rest of these choices, your day will be even better – I guarantee you that!

61% of adults identified as 'Bible Centered' chose the Bible over the other three choices, Bible Engaged adults came in at 43%, with the Bible Friendly adults coming in last at 21%.

If you were honest with yourself, what would you have chosen? Are you God-centered? I believe that we ought to all examine ourselves and identify our level of obedience to GOD because let me tell you, our GOD is an all-or-nothing type of ‘Person’, you’re either with Him all the way, or you’re against Him – there is no grey area. Don’t let the comforts of this world distract you from your walk with GOD – you were bought at a high price, do not think that you own yourselves? With all the love in my heart for my fellow Believers, do not make the mistake of choosing the world over GOD, it only leads to death.

 

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