In the quest for more diverse emojis the most popular and widely translated works in history, ‘The Holy Bible” has been given a new update with millennials in mind.
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth, and then some time later ? created emoji ? they said.
Introduced as a “great and fun way to share the good news”, it supposedly interprets all 66 books of the King James Version with Unicode-approved emoji and commonly-used internet slang and a multitude of contractions.
Totalling just under 3,300 pages, the book — subtitled “Scripture 4 Millennials” — was made available on the iTunes store for US $2.99.
The translator told said that he or she preferred to remain anonymous, identifying only as the cool-dude-with-sunglasses emoji: ? which kind of says it all.
“I thought if we fast forwarded 100 years in the future, an emoji bible would exist,” said Mr ?. “So I thought it’d be fun to try to make it …
“I wanted to make it similar to how you might text or tweet a bible verse, by shrinking the total character count.”
It took about six months and used a program of the translator’s own creation that linked 80 emoji with 200 corresponding words,
“I started tweeting the verses out and it was sort of like a public proofread.” How profound.
The Emoji Bible had been met with a largely positive reception, said Mr ?: “Some really nice things, some not-so-nice things.” But it hardly a surprise as reflected in the response on Twitter.
“‘in the beginning angels created the stars & the earth’ i’m pretty sure it doesn’t go like that,” tweeted one user, prompting a correction from the @BibleEmoji account. Other have raised blasphemy allegations abound.
With the Pew Research Center finding “much lower levels of religious affiliation, including less connection with Christian churches, than older generations” in a May 2015 study of religious affiliation in the US population, its release comes with declining rates of religious affiliation across the current Millennial generation.
Mr Cool said “I think we should worry more about spreading ?? [peace sign emoji] & ?? [heart emoji] & less about what church affiliation we’re doing it under.”
Recently I have met quite a few people who are dealing with serious worries. To worry means to allow something to revolve in your mind over and over again without a solution. What are you worrying about today? God doesn’t want you to live worried or anxious about anything. He knows that worry steals your peace and joy. It affects every area of your life.
Have you heard the saying “don’t worry yourself sick”? That’s because worrying affects your physical body. It affects your sleep. You won’t ever gain anything by worrying; in fact, you’ll lose precious moments that you can never get back again. The good news is that God has promised that you can have victory over worry. It starts by making the choice to trust in Him. When you cast your cares on Him, He will give you His peace.
Today, make the decision to put an end to worry in your life. Choose to feed your faith and fill your mind with God’s promises. As you focus on God’s Word, you’ll drive out worry and fill your heart with faith and expectancy; and you’ll be empowered to move forward into the life of blessing God has in store for you!
“Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”
(Matthew 6:27, NIV)?
Pray With Me Yahweh, today I choose to put an end to worry in my life. Father, I choose to feed my faith by studying Your promises and declaring Your Word over my life. God, help me to totally trust You instead of worrying today and every day, in Jesus’ Name! Amen.
One Easter morning, several Seasons ago, I was removing the Crown of thorns from the cross outside my house, and the black drape that had displayed the reminder of His death for two days. I then placed the white flower wreath around the head of the cross and draped the arms in white. As I laid the pieces on the ground, I began to wonder whatever happened to Jesus’ actual crown of thorns. I recently saw on the news, during the tragic fire at Notre Dame Cathedral, that there was a relic housed there that is said to be that crown of thorns.
Thorns have been with us since the fall of Creation. The Scriptures tell us this in Genesis:
The ground is cursed because of you. You will eat from it by means of painful labor all the days of your life. 18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.
(Genesis 3:17-18 HCSB)
Thorns are a result of the fall of man. My Pastor recently said that they represent sin, and as you study them in the Bible, that sure makes sense. They show up in many ways. In three instances in Scripture, they are used as a metaphor for the people the Israelites did not drive out from the land. God says that these people would be thorns in their eyes and in their sides, and that their false gods would be a trap and snare to them. (Num. 33:55, Joshua 23:13, Judges 2:3) In this instance they are the result of disobedience in following God’s command. In the book of Judges, they are used as an instrument of punishment (Judges 8:4-17). People are said to be entangled in them; they are what overgrows everything when not tended to. They are mentioned often as what is gathered and burned.
Most famously we have the New Testament references of the Crown of thorns Jesus wore, and the thorn in the flesh spoken of by the Apostle Paul.
As I stood there pondering the question of Christ’s Crown of Thorns, God began to weave together for me the picture of each of us carrying a thorn in our flesh from Jesus’ crown.
As Paul spoke of these thorns in the flesh, he said this:
Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so I would not exalt myself. 8 Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times to take it away from me. 9 But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me.
(2 Corinthians 12:7-9 HCSB)
This picture of a thorn from Jesus’ Crown being given to each of us to carry, as a thorn in our flesh, has blessed me many times in my own personal struggles. Paul said the thorn was given to him to keep him from exalting himself. Even so, I believe our thorns keep us from this same snare. The thorn I asked to have removed early in life was social anxiety disorder. Instead of removing it, God is always placing me in situations, where I am used to speak, teach, share, or sing publicly. Each time, I do it afraid, leaning on Him for the ability and stability to bring Him glory. Writing is so much easier because I can hide behind this computer alone, typing away. I pray that the Lord will bless you with that picture as you struggle with your own thorns in the flesh. Picturing it as one of the precious thorns that pierced our Savior’s brow, and is tipped with His blood, may just make it feel more like a privilege than a burden.
How’s your faith? Do you want to have more faith? Did you know faith can grow and increase? Notice the Bible doesn’t say, “faith comes by having heard the Word of God one time.” It says that faith comes by hearing – present tense. We have to hear the Word of God over and over again in order for it to take root in our hearts and transform our minds. God’s Word can transform us in an instant, but most of the time, our faith grows as we hear the Word of God again and again.
Like a seed needs water daily to grow, your spiritual seed needs the water of God’s Word daily. The more you hear God’s Word, the more you know Him. The more you know Him, the more you will be able to believe Him–and that’s what faith is!
Today, let your daily focus be God’s Word. Choose a few Scriptures to listen to and meditate on? Write them down and carry them with you. Let that truth sink down into your mind and heart. Let the truth of the Word transform your faith, and belief in a God that can move you forward into the abundant life God has prepared for you!
“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”
(Romans 10:17, NKJV)?
Pray With Me Yahweh, thank You for Your Word that is living and active. I pray that it will take root and grow in my life. Father, I submit myself to You and ask You to teach me Your ways. Give me the appetite to daily bask in Your promises in order to build my faith in You. God, give me a deeper insight into Your Word, so I will become more faithful to You and know You personally, in Jesus’ Name! Amen.
Christ on the cross symbolised redemption. The word ‘redemption’ means saving, or being saved from. Jesus’ death and His resurrection means we’ve been saved from our sin. Hallelujah! The Bible says: ‘there is salvation in no one else, but Jesus! And there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved’.
Without Jesus’ death, our sins would continue to separate us from God forever. Jesus fulfilled the law for us, therefore we have been declared righteous. Peter says, ‘He personally carried our sins in His body on the cross, so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right.’
Jesus is our substitute. He took our punishment, freeing us and giving us the opportunity of eternal life. (2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV). On the cross Jesus became what we were — sin — so we could become what He is — righteous. When He died, the curtain in the Temple was torn. At that moment the Bible says that ‘the curtain of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom.’ This symbolised that the sinful barrier between God and us had been removed.
Today, let’s remember, Jesus’ death freed us from a life of sin and shame, and opened up a life where we can personally come to God and enter His presence. Before the curtain in the temple was torn, only priests were allowed into the holiest place of the sanctuary, where they could meet with God on the people’s behalf (Exodus 40). Thanks to Jesus’ sacrifice, we’ve been redeemed. We’re no longer condemned, now we can go directly into God’s presence, where He will accept us and forgive us.
At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.’ (Matthew 27:51 NIV)
Pray With Me Yahweh, how can I say thank You for taking my place, my sin and my shame? Yahshua, thanks for removing the division my sin had caused, so now I can be close to You, and that You can always be close to me. God, after the reflection of this weekend, my love for You has become deeper, and I vow to commit my life to You, in Jesus’ Name! Amen.
Life is challenging. It is always full of ups and downs that can make or break you. At times, our situations seem to back us into a corner, and that is when we are most likely to make the wrong decisions. However, bringing the devil into the situation is never the answer. I knew that, but I did it anyway.
Recently, the LORD reminded me of a time in my life when I had been ready to turn my back on Him. He did it to show me how far I had come in my walk with Him, how I had spiritually matured in the past ten plus years. To tell the truth, I had actually forgotten all about it, or perhaps I had purposefully moved it to the back of my mind because of the foolishness of it. I was a young Christian then, having only become Born Again a few months prior to the incident. I liken becoming Christian to marriage; you first meet the person and fall in love with them. You then make the covenant or promise to spend the rest of your life with that person, to bond yourselves together in holy matrimony. The honeymoon is a wonderful time, and all is blissful, but once reality hits and problems begin to surface, it becomes harder to remember the vows you made to each other. Well, when I heard the Truth, I desperately wanted Jesus in my life. I made Him the LORD of my life and was mostly happy in the few months that followed. However, I soon found myself in situations that left me flabbergasted. I couldn’t understand why so many horrible things were happening to me. I didn’t know it then, but the devil was coming after me fully loaded with all my weaknesses, hurts, insecurities, and painful memories to bring me down.
I would say that the attack started about two months after I was Saved. I have always been a sensitive person, feeling things that others cannot. As a child, I experienced and saw things that I couldn’t explain and my parents shrugged off as an overactive imagination. Sometimes, I would be too frightened to sleep because of the vivid dreams I would have or the ‘things’ I would see during the night time. This continued on into my adult years, but I largely ignored it as best as I could. When I became Born-Again, these dreams and ‘feelings’ stopped, or, at least I thought that they did. So when the first attack came, it left me scared and confused. It was a dream about being chased, where I was running for my life. I remember waking up in a cold sweat, not understanding why I was having such a dream. I received the interpretation of the dream some hours later, and it just made me feel worse. The dream was warning me that the devil wanted to take my salvation away, that he was after me. I took the matter to the LORD in prayer, but the devil certainly didn’t stop there.
Suddenly, I was the focus of rumours, ridicule, and false accusations. Strangers began to laugh at me out of the blue, literally pointing at me and laughing. I thought that I was going mad at one stage, that I was reading into things that were not there until a woman stopped me on the street and called me a monster. I remember going numb and walking away, hardly aware of where I was going. This had never happened to me before, and before long, it became an everyday occurrence. Whether I was walking with friends or walking alone, people would begin to point at me and laugh, calling me all kinds of horrible names. Many times I would rush to the bathroom to see what they were talking about, but all I saw staring back at me was, well, me. I couldn’t understand where all of this was coming from, and I didn’t know how to handle it. I didn’t tell anyone about it because I believed that they would also laugh at me or would not believe that such an odd thing was happening. The only days that I escaped such ridicule were when I refused to leave the house.
Rumours started to surface about me and being a reserved and respectful person, I was shocked. I was confronted by my parents regarding these rumours, and I had to defend myself, but they didn’t seem convinced at first. Apparently, I attended a church that had frogs and snakes coming out of people (they exist, people), and I was carrying on with the type of men that my parents would not approve of. This may seem small to others, but with my parents, it was a major thing. I was basically bringing dishonour upon the family name by my supposed antics in college, and they were embarrassed to hear about it from other family members. During this time, I was still having nightmares nearly every day, hardly sleeping for fear of what I would see. My marks started dropping, and with always having been an academically strong student, it affected me terribly. Thoughts of failing soon consumed me, but no matter how much harder I would try to do well, I just couldn’t do it. My health also began to worsen with my endocrine disorder affecting my entire life. Hair loss, acne, unexplained weight gain despite my small portions of food, hirsutism, persistent swelling of my face and limbs, fatigue, hormones that were all over the place… I was a mess. As my self-esteem and confidence dropped, so did my will to live.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, my family was also being targeted by some witches. I cannot believe that there are still Christians who do not believe that there are witches or the damage that they do. I don’t know about witches in other countries much, but in Africa they are hardcore. In my case, they have all been women who were jealous about what my family has, so they sought our destruction. Crazy, right? I cannot tell you the number of times they have attempted to kill my mother, bewitch my father, or bring about the ruin of my sister’s and I. Imagine having to rush your mother to the hospital at one in the morning because she’s gushing blood from her nose and mouth and can hardly breathe? To make matters worse, the doctors couldn’t find anything wrong with her despite having done numerous examinations. Or perhaps sitting on your bed at night playing games on your phone when you suddenly hear a loud voice speak into your ear and ask you what you’re doing? Or your cousin waking up in the morning only to find that the palm of his hand had been stitched and having no recollection of it? For those who do not understand what this means, it’s basically the first stages of a witch turning a person into a ‘zombie’, not the flesh-eating ones you see on TV, but the walking dead. They put something into the hand and stitch it closed, ready for the next stage. It sounds crazy, but it happens. Put it this way: when it comes to the forces of evil, expect anything to happen.
I was pretty much feeling rejected by GOD at this stage, and although He had ‘interfered’ (thank you, LORD) in my suicide attempt, I still believed that He had rejected me just like everyone else had. My depression was so great that I literally just wanted to curl up into a ball and just die. Every single area of my life had been affected, and I was not coping. So, I decided to make a deal with the devil. I told him that he could have me if he would but destroy the people who had hurt me and were hurting me. I wanted those peoples’ lives ruined, I wanted them dead. I actually cringe as I remember the darkness that had taken over me at that stage. I even had thoughts of taking those people out, putting an end to their lives myself. I wanted the satisfaction of them knowing that they died because of what they had done to me. Revenge sounded sweet to me, sweeter than anything I believed that GOD would give me. But do you know what happened? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
I cannot even begin to understand the hedge that GOD put around me that day. I knew that the demons were about, listening to what I was saying, but they couldn’t do a thing. I was sinning, but they couldn’t take advantage of that open door and fully take over my life. But I didn’t think in that way at the time, I just assumed that the devil was also rejecting me. Jesus must have told those demons not to touch me, and obviously, they listened. They must have been mad, though!
Jesus showed me mercy, He showed His love for me and saved me. Again. I didn’t deserve it, but He saw past my evil intentions and words to the person who was hurting inside and was lashing out the only way she thought would bring her relief. When I had calmed down, I knew that I could never have hurt anyone, and I was deeply remorseful of everything that I had thought or said. I eventually repented of it and then began the long walk to my healing. Fast forward ten years, and I am certainly not that person that I used to be! GOD has done an amazing work in me, having transformed me into someone that I cannot even recognise, but He knew that I would become. However, learning and the change that comes with it is never complete. As long as we are still in the flesh, we continue to have temptations, but we know that we can overcome them because sin does not have a hold on us in Jesus’ name. We have the victory, it’s as simple as that. I am walking proof of GOD’S mercy and grace upon my life, of His love for His people. He meant it when He said that He would never leave us or forsake us, and we can all take comfort in that truth.
I can’t imagine how depressed those disciples must have felt when they awoke to the reality of Saturday morning. The day after having lived the most horrific day in history. Good Friday is what we call it, but from their perspective is was anything but good. For three years they had followed Him. Three Years of transformation, expectation, reformation. Three years of physically being with Jesus every day. Waking up every day to a new adventure. Who would he heal today? What would He say? Where would He take us? Wonderful questions to wake up to. Everyday filled with anticipation.
I can’t imagine the confusion of Saturday, with the glaring reality of His crucifixion still throbbing in their memories. The way a fresh cut throbs, and we wince every time we accidentally bump it. That stab of pain shooting through us, reminding us that we are wounded. Heads pounding from dehydration as they cried out all their tears ‘til none were left to cry. Eyes swollen from the constant stream of salty moisture. That broken-hearted realization of knowing there would be no adventure today. No one healed, no new word from Him, no place to go, no one to lead them. Saturday is barely even mentioned in the narrative of the Gospels. The Gospel of Matthew reveals what happened.
The Closely Guarded Tomb
62 The next day, which followed the preparation day, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate 63 and said, “Sir, we remember that while this deceiver was still alive He said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ 64 Therefore give orders that the tomb be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, His disciples may come, steal Him, and tell the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead.’ Then the last deception will be worse than the first.”
65 “You have a guard of soldiers,” Pilate told them. “Go and make it as secure as you know how.” 66 Then they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting the guard.
Just ponder those words for a minute. Jesus is referred to as a deceiver. The last deception would be worst than the first, they say. Isn’t it just like satan, the great deceiver of the world, to point the finger at Jesus, claiming he is the one who deceived?
Jesus had told them he would rise again on the third day, but grief and confusion had caused them to all but forget that promise. They wrapped him up with 75 pounds of spices. They did not anticipate Jesus rising. Do we wrap Him up too? Do we forget his promises on our own Despairing Saturdays? Let’s sit in wonder at that day of hiding in fear the disciples went through, that day of grief beyond their ability to express. We know the end of the story they forgot that day. Meditate on its dark wonder.
When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we ere asleep. If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. (Matthew 28:12-15)
I do love a good conspiracy theory. As I’m studying a postgraduate degree in criminal investigation, I’m very keen on having many hypothesis and theories when researching a case that has multiple conclusions, so that each can be eliminated to find the right answer. What about the events of 9/11 or the disappearance of Madeleine McCann? Does the Illuminati actually exist? The whole Flat Earth Theory? The disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370? How about the one where Jesus’ body was stolen from the tomb?
The Bible itself contains the first mention of the Stolen Body myth. After the Resurrection, some of the soldiers who had been guarding the tomb reported to the chief priests what had happened. The chief priests bribed them to say the body had been stolen while they slept.
Hide-and-Seek
Some people today still imagine that the disciples played a game of hide-and-seek with Jesus’ body. But a load of facts make this conspiracy theory impossible to believe. The stone, for example, that sealed the tomb wasn’t the kind of stone you can skip across a pond. According to textual information and the calculations of two Georgia Tech engineering professors, it might have been a five foot high circular stone weighing around two tons. When the tomb was first prepared, a team of labourers likely would have set the stone in place, using a wedge to keep the stone from rolling down a trench that sloped down to the opening of the tomb. When Jesus was buried, the wedge was removed and gravity did the rest, sealing the tomb so it could only be reopened by a gang of noisy, grunting, strong men. That’s why the women, on the way to the tomb on Easter Sunday morning, wondered who could roll the stone away.
Mark 16:1-3 says,” When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”
As well as this, the chief priests requested a detachment of soldiers from Pilate, the Roman governor, to guard the tomb. The Roman guard unit could have numbered as many as sixteen highly trained soldiers. Those who entertain the Stolen Body myth suppose that a scared little group of disciples confronted a guard of heavily armed, battle-trained soldiers. The disciples either overpowered the soldiers or snuck past them in their sleep to heave a two-ton stone up an incline without waking a single man. Then, so the theory goes, the disciples carted off Jesus’ body, hid it and – over the next several decades – endured torture, ridicule and martyrdom to spread what they knew to be a lie!
This is hilariously ridiculous! I was reading an article this week about the research of a Harvard Law professor called Simon Greenleaf. He lectured for several years on how to break down testimony and to determine if a witness was lying. He said, “It was… impossible that [the disciples] could have persisted in affirming the truths they narrated, had not Jesus actually risen from the dead and had they not known this fact as certainly as they knew any other fact.”
What Does This Means To Me?
As Easter Sunday is tomorrow where we remember Jesus’ resurrection, I find it incredible how one man can be raised from the dead. This cements itself in my mind that Jesus WAS and IS the Son of God, the reason for my existence and the purpose of my life. Like the first Christians who saw that open tomb with their very eyes, I can have complete confidence that my Christian faith is based on the solid, historical fact of the empty tomb and the risen Christ… and that is why I believe in the right answer!
WILLS POINT, TX — Gospel for Asia (GFA) — Discussing the state of a billion children in the world who live in extreme poverty who are worth every effort and measure to be given love, care, education — a Bridge of Hope.
The world has more than 7 billion people. More than 2 billion of them are children. Half of these little ones live in poverty the likes of which is difficult to understand. Extreme poverty affects every aspect of life, from physical and emotional health to education and the possibility of a better future.
So many people are in need of love, care and compassionate help. Solving their complex problems might seem like an insurmountable task. But not if we all work together. Every child who receives life-saving care and access to education is precious in God’s sight. Each one is worth the effort.
With tens of thousands of children in developing countries dying every day, often from preventable diseases, education might not seem like the most important problem to focus on. But the devoted workers at Bridge of Hope centers see it differently. They help care for the whole child, and that can affect broad and sweeping change that ripples out for generations.
The Poorest Children Begin Life at a Disadvantage
So many children in the world are born into an environment with roadblocks between them and even the most basic needs and goals. Clean water isn’t at the tap. Vaccines to prevent disease aren’t readily available. No school bus arrives down the street each morning, and books for learning aren’t given to them freely.
These impoverished little ones, many of them living in Asia, can’t take anything in life for granted. The complicated barriers to success can dash all hopes of a life-changing, good education. This is a heartbreaking realization, as education can empower them in so many ways.
The poorest of them may have parents who don’t have an education. When a child of illiterate parents does attend school, no one at home can assist with homework, even if they did have the time after a day’s labor to sit with their child and help. Learning barriers can encourage children to quit school altogether. Many of the children that Bridge of Hope centers help have lived on that fragile edge.
Some of these little ones may have only one parent who labors to provide for their family. Education for girls is viewed as less important than for boys (for myriad reasons), which also means girls are more likely to quit school early. They may help with chores and earn what little money they can, or a lack of safe, sanitary facilities might be the root of the problem. Nearly 33 percent of girls living in parts of Asia quit school after they reach the age of 14. The majority of girls are expected to work, whether or not they attend school.
Bridge of Hope centers strive to share the love of Christ and remove roadblocks for the most innocent and needy of His children, one boy and girl at a time.
What is a Day in the Life of a Poverty-Stricken Child Really Like?
In the Western world, a typical Monday morning for children begins with breakfast, a hug from one or both parents or guardians and shuffling off to school. In class, boys and girls have equal access to education and educational tools.
At noontime, there may be a break for meals and physical exercise or extra study time. They may bring a meal for lunch from home or buy lunch at school. Less fortunate children may have access to a free or reduced cost meal. But, usually, every child has access to something to eat.
At the end of the school day, these children return home. They may study. They may play games. They may have their evening meal with family, have a warm bath and sleep in a safe bed. The next day, the cycle begins again. But this is not the life of a child living in extreme poverty.
For the least fortunate children in the world, the day may begin with work. If there’s no clean water nearby, girls may be tasked with fetching it. The journey, usually on foot, can take hours or even all day. If so, it leaves no time for school. If there is clean water at home and girls can attend school, barriers still exist.
Upon waking, there may or may not be a nutritious meal for breakfast. There may be no clean clothes to wear. Mom and Dad may leave home early to labor and support the family. If so, elder children, especially girls, may have additional tasks, such as household chores and caring for younger siblings.
If these unfortunate children attend school, and not all of them do, help and support at home might not exist. Perhaps their parents come home late after working all day. And perhaps Mom and Dad lack the education necessary to help their children with their studies, which can easily lead to falling behind.
Who is there to help these at-risk children move forward in life with love and support? Anyone? Or will their future be the same as generations before? Poverty and a lack of education can bury all hopes of a better life. But with generous hearts, the workers at Bridge of Hope centers can make an incredible difference. They offer children nutritious meals, a quiet place to study, tutoring, and even basic medical care. Most of all, they offer much-needed encouragement.
Every Child is Precious and Worth the Effort
Dr. KP Yohannan, founder of Gospel for Asia, says it doesn’t matter if a child is born into the best or worst of circumstances, they all have worth and are all worthy as individuals. Every child has potential and is worth whatever it takes to help them succeed.
He explains that while nutritious food and educational help are important parts of what Bridge of Hope centers offer, the heart of it is something both simpler and greater: kindness.
“The kindness of the staff, who in many cases are giving up better-paying jobs to be able to serve these children and help them develop their true potential; and of the administrative staff of Bridge of Hope, who work behind the scenes out of love for the children; and of the children’s sponsors, who give and pray for them and write to them, telling them of their value, is what is changing their lives.” –Dr. K.P. Yohannan
This short video gives a peek into the love, care and hard work that goes into every Bridge of Hope center.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMVs56nuAUw
Bridge of Hope centers have an invaluable staff that includes cooks, social workers, project managers, tutors and more. They provide medical services, one-on-one help with studies, books, beautiful uniforms that children are proud to wear, and special programs.
Some children may become active in sports. They may have time for art and music. All of these combine to give children a well-rounded education with a full tummy, a healthy body and a mind that’s eager to learn.
But none of this can happen without help.
How often have you had the opportunity and power to transform the life of a child? When you sponsor a child, you join with others to share the love of God through healthy food, medical care, support and the educational tools to reach their full potential.
On this weekend where the focus is on the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, joy – not sorrow – should be our spiritual response. Did you know that it’s God’s will for you to be joyful always? God wants you to be happy and carefree. He wants you to love your life no matter what your circumstances look like. In fact, when you have joy in the midst of difficult circumstances, it’s the evidence that you have faith and trust that God is going to bring you through.
In Christ, joy is strength. When you have His joy, you can stand strong, no matter who or what wants to crucify you. You might say, “I’m just not a real jovial person. I’m more serious. I never laugh much.” I realise God made us all differently, but you can experience real inward joy, which should externally make you happy and excited. So let yourself laugh and have fun, because that’s why Christ came and died. I read where the average child laughs over 200 times a day, but the average adult only laughs 4 times a day. What happened? We’ve allowed the pressures of life, stress and responsibilities to steal our joy.
Today, on this Spiritual weekend, make the decision to get your joy back. Decide that you are going to look beyond Friday’s problems, to Sunday’s resurrection and hope, and know that God will see you through. Ask Him every day to fill you with His supernatural peace and joy, so that you can live in Christ’s strength and victory all the days of your life!
“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”
(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NLT)?
Pray With Me Yahweh, I humbly receive Your Word today. Father, on this weekend, I choose to open my heart to You, and invite You to fill me with Your joy and strength that the resurrection brings. Yahshua, thank You for showing me Your goodness, and empowering me with Your grace. I bless You today for Your amazing sacrifice, in Jesus’ Name! Amen
This weekend, Christianity will celebrate the resurrection of Christ, which all started when they crucified Jesus, on that Friday. It was the darkest, most painful, discouraging day of His life. In fact, it was so bad that He sweat drops of blood. It looked as if His enemies had gotten the best of Him. But God had other plans.
On Friday, they put Him in the grave as they celebrated their demonic victory, but by Sunday morning it was a different story. The grave could not hold Him! Death couldn’t contain Him! The forces of darkness couldn’t stop Him! On the third day as He had promised, He came out of the grave and said, “I was dead, but now I am alive forevermore!” Hallelujah!
Today, one lesson that we can learn from the resurrection is that God will always finish what He started. No matter how dark it looks, no matter how long it’s been, no matter how many people are trying to push you down; if you will stay in faith, God will always take you from Friday to Sunday as He has promised. He will always complete what He started in you!
“He was buried…he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.”
(1 Corinthians 15:4, NIV)?
Pray With Me Yahweh, thank You for the reassurance that You will complete what You started in my life. Father, I trust that no matter how dark things may seem on this Friday, by Sunday things will change by faith. Yahshua, You are my shining light of hope. Thank You for the resurrection which gives me confidence of victory in every area of my life, in Jesus’ Name! Amen.
I often wonder what real humility looks like. This week marked Jesus’ Kingly entry into Jerusalem riding on a donkey. He comes not as a military conqueror, or as a King riding on a stallion, but as a humble servant riding on a donkey. Jesus didn’t just ride on a donkey; Jesus rode on a donkey and a colt. He rode not just on a beast of service, but also on its young, weak, vulnerable offspring.
In the gospels we are told Jesus rode the donkey and its colt into Jerusalem. As well as making a statement about humility, I believe he was also making a statement about vulnerability. Can there be any true humility without a true realisation of weakness? Is it possible to really be humble and at the same time be shielded from hurt, pain and rejection? He enters the world through the vulnerability of a baby in a lowly manger, and prepares to end his earthly sojourn by riding into Jerusalem on a donkey and a vulnerable tender colt.
Some years ago I was looking for a Counsellor. I sought someone who would understood my pain, my perplexities and my problems. I am told that true intimacy can only be shown by letting one’s defences down and becoming open and transparent. In politics, we like candidates who identify with our deep-seated struggles.
Today, as we approach what Christianity calls the holy weekend, the humility of Jesus is not a lofty virtue, but it connects all of us who struggle with the stresses and strains of everyday life. And it tells us that our power is not in covering our weaknesses, but in recognising our weaknesses, and acknowledging the vulnerable places where we hurt together. As we say in addiction “there is only one who can heal. It is the one who has been wounded.”
“They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them.”
(Matthew 21:7)
Pray With Me Emmanuel, thank You for being humble and vulnerable for me. Yahshua, teach me to be humble in every area of my life, especially as I try to deal with life’s hostile situations. God, show us how Your strength is made perfect in our weakness. In Jesus’ Name! Amen.
There is a reality
to be faced, and it is not something that we should worry about, but neither
should we take it lightly. While we go about living our everyday lives, we are
mostly oblivious of the eye that is always on us, watching us. Many of the Body
have gone into hiding to live their faith, the question we should be asking is:
when are we next?
These eyes come in
different shapes, sizes, and forms. You would think that there would be some
sort of security about us when we come together whether it be on a social media
site or in church, but the truth is that there are always infiltrators up to no
good. When someone attacks you because of your faith in Jesus, it is easy to
react with either anger, fear, or even shame. It is not that we do not expect
it, because we know that persecution will come about, but just the fact that
someone chose to attack us is something that doesn’t sit right with us.
Sometimes it doesn’t come across as a direct attack on us, but a difference of
opinions. However, if someone deliberately goes onto a Christian site to
discredit our Saviour, there is a problem there.
Believers are all
over the world, therefore social media is a good way of interacting with
like-minded followers. We sign up to different sites, newsletters, etc. to
connect, right? So what are non-Christians doing on the site? If they are there
to learn about our faith, then I am all for it, but if their intention is to
attack our faith, then I feel sorry for them. Sorry that they felt the need to
look for a Christian site and proceed to speak against our faith. Sorry that
the Truth is not in them, nor do they understand it. Sorry that they have a
veil over their eyes so that they cannot receive the Good News. Sorry that they
do not have a relationship with Christ.
Recently, I posted
something that I felt strongly about. Well, someone commented saying something
that surprised me because I wasn’t expecting it. The commenter basically said
that Jesus was just a man and Christianity made Him GOD. I do not feel any type
of way against the person, I’m just surprised that they chose to read a post on
a Christian site that clearly believes that Jesus is not only the Son of GOD,
but GOD Himself (John 1:1, John 1:14, John 10:30, Isaiah 9:6, John 20:28, John
8:58). This has not been the only instance of someone commenting on a post in a
similar manner, but something about this one made me pause and just think about
it. I am not against people wanting to read posts on a Christian site, let them
read and hear the Truth. But to, in a sense, troll the site is something
altogether different. They are basically looking for a ‘fight’ of words, isn’t
it? I don’t like to argue, especially when it is pointless. I have already
stated my beliefs, so I have nothing else left to say. Sometimes I will clarify
what I have said if someone has genuinely misunderstood me, but I’m not about
to have a war of words with anyone. Sometimes, the Holy Spirit will prompt me
to speak, but more often than not, I will just listen, observe, and pray.
Perhaps my words may come across as too direct at times, but there is never any
malice or anger behind them.
This is just a
minor incident, it is nothing compared to what is happening to Believers all
over the world. Look at Believers in North Korea, for instance. They have to go
underground just to come together and worship GOD because they are being
closely watched. Should they be caught, they face harsh persecution. Or what
about the Christians in Muslim countries? The ones who are being beheaded and
killed on crosses for their faith? I cannot sit and complain about a few
comments in the light of all of this happening.
Back to social
media. Many people have taken it upon themselves to look for, and attack
Christians on social media, which I suppose is tit for tat seeing as how
so-called Christians have attacked them too. The problem is that we who are
true to our faith are not the ones going about giving hate speech (I mean words
that are intended to hurt and attack, not the truth in GOD’S Word), but the
ones who call themselves Christians but have no idea what it means to follow
Christ. Or they do, but have an agenda against us and wish the world to hate us
(a lot do already). It’s that whole ‘wheat from the chaff’ thing going on; we
who are wheat will be gathered into barns but those who are chaff, well… Fake
Christians will always be among us as long as this world continues as it is, so
what we should do is shine bright and let the world see our light.
I suppose some
people may call me paranoid for believing that governments, secret societies,
and entities are also keeping an eye on Christians, but it’s not as far-fetched
as some would assume. We are in a spiritual war, right? This war manifests in
the physical realm in different ways, and some people are used to bring about
certain situations, be it false news, a change in education systems, tapping of
phones, mass hysteria about global issues etc. In my opinion, this is just a
well-orchestrated plan by the powers of darkness to bring about the total
destruction of man. However, we are confident in GOD, knowing that He has the
last say in everything. So, watch us all you want, but we have a Greater One
watching over us:)
With Easter only being a few days away, it’s easy to listen in on the story where Jesus tells the disciples that soon He will be betrayed and suffer, be nailed to a cross and die, and after three days rise again, and think, “dumb disciples, why didn’t they ever get it? Why couldn’t they hear what He told them so plainly and not just once but three times?”
Thinking about it, I’m not sure the disciples were dumb, or at least that I am any smarter than they were. There are lots of times when I switch off, I hear only what I want to hear, not what was being said. And there have also been quite a number of times that I’ve been speaking to congregations, especially ones where people are angry and frightened, and I’ve noticed that their capacity for hearing what’s being said, or seeing what’s going on can be zero. Truth can be spoken over and over and we just don’t seem to hear it. Strange!
So why did He tell them what was about to go down? I feel that somehow, later, they would recall His words subconsciously. They would say, “I remember, now I get it.” And what exactly would they be getting? That when our plans and predictions go bust and our expectations aren’t fulfilled, God is still God. God is still working and is able to bring about His purposes in spite of our sin.
Today, just because what we thought would happen or should happen doesn’t, it doesn’t mean the whole story is over. The story is God’s story, bigger than we can grasp, better than we can imagine. So let’s listen and not just hear, let’s see and not just look. How? With our spiritual hearts and mind.
But they understood nothing about all these things; in fact, what he said was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what he said.
(Luke 18:34)
Pray With Me Yahshua, forgive me for being a dumb disciple, for the times when my heart goes hard, and the eyes of my heart are closed, and the ears of my heart are stopped. God, keep working with me, leading me in Your will, healing my heart and opening my eyes and ears to Your grace. In Jesus’ Name! Amen.
God wants to take you to the next level in every area of your life! He wants you to rise higher in Him. He wants you to know Him more, so He can reveal His glory through you. He wants you to be blessed so that you can be a blessing to others. He wants you to reach heights you never dreamed of.
Rising higher looks different for each of us. For you, it could be doing the impossible. It may be seeing your family restored. It may be healing in your body. It may be a promotion at work, or new friendships that you’ve desired. No matter what it is, know that God has your best in His heart. He desires to do exceedingly abundantly above and beyond what you could ask, think or imagine.
Today, know that God loves to do above and beyond and show Himself strong on your behalf. Meditate on that fact that God loves you and want you to be the best you can be. As you submit every area of your life to Him, He will cause you to rise up higher like on eagles wings. He will give you strength and take you to the next level in every area of your life.
“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
(Isaiah 40:31, KJV)?
Pray With Me Yahweh, I humbly come to You giving You every area of my mind, will and emotions. Father, I submit my desires to You knowing that Your ways are higher than mine. God, thank You for leading me and causing me to rise up to the next level in every area of life, in Jesus’ Name! Amen.
A special word from the Lord, from Pastor Ray Patrick
Christianity has
taken on many forms in past centuries. It started out with righteous purpose,
but people soon realised that there was power to be had, and they took it. Fast
forward to the present, and we have hoards of people openly mocking our faith
and our LORD Jesus with little or no consequence- yet.
Let me stress that
although the religion of Christianity changed due to the hands it fell into,
our LORD Jesus and His message have never changed, and I am confident that
there were faithful people throughout the ages. However, the world has gathered
together to mock us in the most demeaning and disgusting manner that leaves me
in no doubt that we are in the End Times. It seems that people are taking these
changes through time and using them as ammunition to prove how senseless and
false our faith is, blaming us for all that is wrong in the world. Funny that.
We’re essentially being blamed for the wrongdoings of others because it is
easier to do that than find out the truth of GOD’S Word. Go figure.
Anti-Christian
movies have been a firm favourite, a hobby with Hollywood (or Hellywood as many
have started calling it!), always portraying Christians as arrogant, annoying,
mean-spirited, and dangerous Bible-thumpers. It is ridiculously easy to find a
film that misrepresents Scripture and Christians, disrespects GOD, and overall
seeks to make our faith into a joke. In the 1960 movie Inherit the Wind,
Hollywood tried to falsely represent the Scopes trial in an attempt to smear
Christianity. Basically, the Darwinists were portrayed in a positive light
while William Jennings Bryan was made out to be a deceitful low-life who died
in the courtroom in a fit of madness. The reality is that he won the trial and
kept his Christian values to the end, while Darrow (a Darwinist) was the real
snake. Footloose, 2012, Father Ted, The Exorcist, Religulous, Monty Python and
The Holy Grail, 12 Years A Slave and many more are all examples of attempts to
misrepresent our faith.
Netflix seems to
have taken this hobby to new lengths with that offensive series Miss Magic
Jesus. It’s centred around a teenage girl who loses 70 pounds and enters the
Miss Magic Jesus Pageant in which the winner dons a “crown of
thorns.” The series carries several LGBT storylines, promotes all sorts of
sexual and gender identity exploration, has fat shaming, and the most
horrendous of all, it has sexual references to Jesus and the Holy Spirit. There
is one particular scene that is one of the most offensive (read about it but
couldn’t bring myself to watch it), in which a song is sung with words that
disgusted me to no end. I will not even bother to give a line, you can easily
find it on a google search.
It is not hard to
find examples of mockery. You can find it on Broadway, Hollywood, schools,
places of work, comedians, restaurants, and anywhere else that I have not
mentioned. I also honestly believe that we are one of the reasons for the
mockery. Oh, I can blame history (which I did), the devil, Hollywood, etc., but
it wouldn’t be fair if I did not put us into the equation as well. It’s so easy
to make ourselves into victims, but we forget the part we play in not only
mocking ourselves but Jesus as well. Whenever we have knowingly sinned, we have
made a mockery of his sacrifice upon that cross. Whenever we have not taken His
Word with all sincereness and respect, we have mocked His power. And yet, we
are forgiven if indeed we truly repent.
You know, I can
take mockery if it is for Jesus, but I’m not so understanding when people
openly mock GOD. You can mock how seemingly boring I am because I do not need
alcohol to loosen up and have a good time, you can mock me for not joining in
when you cuss out someone. You can mock me for refusing to wear clothing that
highlights any part of my body, telling me that I might as well be Muslim for
the amount of skin that I show. You can mock me for quoting Scripture for every
occasion, you can even ridicule me for following my Saviour, a Man whom you
think is an average man we have merely idolised for the sake of control. I’ll
not concern myself with all that mockery (at least, I try not to), but when you
make a mockery of Jesus, GOD, or the Holy Spirit, then the only thing that will
keep me from reprimanding you is the Holy Spirit Himself.
It’s not a case of
‘I hate you for saying that’, but a case of ‘Do you realise what you are
saying? Whom you are talking about and mocking? Is there no fear in you?’ I am
fearful for these foolish people because to fall into the hands of the Almighty
is a frightful thing indeed. I will not sit back and not warn them if it is
within my ability to. Perhaps they will not listen, but that is no excuse for
not telling them the truth, especially if the Holy Spirit is prompting you to.
There will always be opposition to GOD’S Word, but that is never a reason to
stop proclaiming His truth. You may not reach that person now, but whose to say
that your words will not echo in their hearts in days or years to come? It’s
not Bible-thumping when done with a sincere heart, a genuine fear for their
souls.
