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Rare Justice for Christians in Pakistan after Toddler’s Rape

Rare Justice for Christians in Pakistan after Toddler's Rape

Pakistani Christians are in the minority in their country, posing no threat to those who are of the Muslim faith, and yet they are being targeted. Two-and-a-half years ago Christians raised concerns about the growing influence of the Islamic State in Pakistan-government officials ignored their concerns.

Wilson Chowdhry of the British Pakistani Christians Association (BPCA) told CBN News, “Christians are a highly vulnerable and regularly persecuted body of people in Pakistan and justice is hard to come by as families are either forced to accept a bribe under duress in exchange for an acquittal of perpetrators, or face another family member being attacked or killed.”

So when little Saiba’s rapist was sent to jail for 25 years and fined the equivalent of $1300 for the crime he committed in December 2016, Chowdhry described it as a “highly unusual case of justice for Christians.”  

The day of the rape, then 2-year-old Saiba was left with her 10-year-old brother at home while their mother and older brother went to work. Mohammed Abbas, a neighbor of the family, knew that the adults were away, so he made his move. He visited the home and asked Daoud, Saiba’s brother, to go to the store and buy him some cigarettes. When Daoud returned home, he found the door locked.

“I could hear Saiba crying and screaming louder than I have ever heard her scream before. I knew there was a problem and banged loudly on the door but no one was opening the door for me,” he recalled.

After about 30 minutes, Abbas came out of the house and took the pack of cigarettes from the 10-year-old boy. He opened the package, lit a cigarette and smiled at Daoud before walking away. The young boy rushed into the home and comforted his baby sister as best as he could until his mother returned from work.

“When my mum came minutes later she cleaned the blood off Saiba’s naked body and wrapped her in a towel. We both hugged her to bring peace to her,” said Daoud.  

Two years later, Saiba is suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and is regularly having nightmares due to her brutal attack.

Due to the brutality of the rape, she suffered massive physical damage to her reproductive organs. The hospital officials who treated Saiba believe that her chances to bear children will be slim to none.  

Saiba’a family, who Chowdhry describes as ‘brave and devout Christians’, continue to receive help from their church family as well as the BPCA.

I cannot begin to fathom the pain and trauma that Saiba family is going through, especially Saiba herself, who is now 4 years old. Her legal victory gives hope to other Christians in the Muslim-majority country. As Chowdry says, it is showing the world that Christians are strong and brave people who are willing to fight and stand their ground, even when the odds are against them.  

I ask that we include Saiba and her family in our prayers, that Father would heal her both physically and emotionally, and continue to provide for her family in every way possible.

Resources: CBN News

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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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3 Prominent Figures of the Old Testament that Would Dominate in Sports

3 Prominent Figures of the Old Testament that Would Dominate in Sports

The Old Testament is riddled full of the rich, marvelous ways that God has walked with humankind, from our loving creation in the Garden of Eden to the shaping of the nation of Israel in preparation of Jesus’s arrival as a redemptive sacrifice. A constant throughout the process has been God’s willingness to use people to implement and enact his plans – a few of which bore some of the greatest athletic capabilities in history. Allow us to pause for a minute to go through three of these epic figures and daydream with the proverbial question: “what if?”

1. Samson

A name synonymous with ridiculous strength, Samson was raised up in “pre-dynastic” Israel, where God raised up Judges to rescue and coral the young nation as it constantly went astray and eschewed God’s covenantal protection and blessing. Some of Samson’s known recorded feats include tearing apart a lion with his bare hands, smacking a thousand Philistines dead with the jawbone of a donkey, and literally bringing down the house by pushing apart the columns of a Philistine temple – all with a set of flowing locks that would make Rapunzel jealous.

God used Samson for a specific purpose at a specific time in history, but it doesn’t stop me from wondering: what if he had been born today and channeled all of that strength into sports? In what sport would his talents be best served? There are so many choices here that would be obvious: powerlifting, strong man competition, arm wrestling”¦can you imagine? The guy would probably rip your arm off.

My pick? Underwater basket weaving. He would bend bars of pure steel into an indestructible basket in seconds flat. And yes, that apparently is a sport now.

samson.jpg

2. Goliath

There is hardly a name more infamous in history. Despite being evil to the core, Goliath was still used by God to show His glory”¦just on the wrong end of a speeding stone. With his incredible proportions and strength, it’s easy to envision him dominating on any field or court. Oh man, imagine playing basketball when you’re the same height as the hoop. Volleyball? Come on, spike city! You could make him a football receiver and just stick him in the end zone – he’d win the jump ball every time.

My pick: ice hockey goalie. Try scoring a goal on someone that takes up the whole net.

goliath.jpg

3. David

Since we already listed his nemesis, let’s shift focus to David. Now this one takes some speculation. We know that God influenced the outcome for David’s success in battle, but I’m going to go out on a limb here and assume that God also blessed David with natural skill on the battlefield that he worked through (though it certainly would be an obvious demonstration of God’s glory if David was just a klutz that could barely lift a sword).

In the age of sword warfare, to excel as a warrior meant possessing a tremendous amount of strength, agility, and hand-eye coordination, as well as having a heads-up mind that could think several moves ahead. Any combat sport such as boxing would be a great fit here, but I could also envision David being a beast on the soccer field. His quickness and small stature would allow him to weave past defenders with ease, while using battlefield tactics and leadership ability to adjust his team’s formation and exploit weaknesses in the opposing squad. Result? Ball in the net time and time again.

I am, however, going to defer to a less obvious choice with my pick here and go with golf. Hey, if you can sling a small round stone with that much power and accuracy, just think about what you could do with a golf ball!

David.jpg

Although this was mostly just a fun, whimsical exercise, it is true that the bible is full of everyday people like you and me that God chooses to work through, despite all our shortcomings. On the one hand, these recorded faults lend credibility towards the authenticity of Scripture. Who for example, would make up a story about themselves where they appear as dimwits and cowards? On the other, it is a testament to God’s love for us that He chooses to include us anyway, that He is perfect, and it is His grace and strength that carries us when we fail.

Hope you enjoyed the read. Have a blessed day!

– Nicolas C. Day

 

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Lessons I Learned Writing My First Book ‘God and Hamilton’

Writing a book has been a dream of mine twenty years in the making. On June 6th, I realized that dream when my first book, God and Hamilton: Spiritual Themes From the Life of Alexander Hamilton & the Broadway Musical He Inspired released on Amazon.com.

The process of writing a book was equal parts rewarding, frustrating, discouraging, and exhilarating. Throughout the entire process, God taught me invaluable truths that have transformed my relationship with Him and my perspective on writing and the creative act. I share some of those lessons learned here, in the hope that they will encourage you in your creative journey.

Lesson #1: Write for an Audience of One

I attended a writer’s workshop where the speaker challenged us with this simple idea: You have to write, first and foremost, for yourself. If what you write inspires, challenges, and encourages you, then it has the chance to do the same for other readers. Your writing has to start out as a project to learn, grow, and discover what you believe about your subject.

If what we write doesn’t impact our lives, then we have nothing to offer our readers. If you long to write, start here. Spend time and energy developing your craft, allowing the words you put down to work in your heart and mind first.

Lesson #2: Do the Work

82% of people dream of writing a book. Yet for most, the dream never materializes. Why? The predominant reason is a lack of discipline, routine, and structure. Writing a book requires one to put their butt in a chair and write and write and write. Whether you feel like it or not. Whether you have the motivation or not. Writers, or any creatives for that matter, simply have to do the work.

Author Steven Pressfield says this: “There is a secret that real writers know that wannabe writer don’t, and the secret is this: It’s not the writing part that’s hard. What’s hard is sitting down to write.”

Real writers say no to a thousand other distractions, discouragements, and excuses, and commit to the discipline of writing. Word after word. Page after page. If your dream is to write a book, the trick is to start today. Set a goal for how much you want to write each day and get to work.

Lesson #3: Surrender the Outcome to God

I won’t lie. I would love God and Hamilton to reach a wide audience, sell thousands of copies, and land on all kinds of best seller lists. But the truth is it probably won’t. The deeper truth is that I have very little control over whether this book reaches tens, hundreds, or thousands of readers.

When I worry about how many people will buy my book, I carry anxiety and fear around with me everywhere I go. It weighs me down and robs me of joy. When I surrender the outcome, I find enormous freedom and peace. I trust God, believing he will use this project to impact lives. How many lives simply isn’t up to me. I must learn to find peace in the truth that I was faithful to the creative act and put my work out into the world. The scope of that impact is largely out of my hands.

Now that my book is out in the world, I feel an enormous amount of pride and satisfaction. It feels so rewarding to have accomplished one of my life goals. I would never have anticipated how much God would teach me through the process. I am so grateful, not only for the finished product but for the lessons God has taught me. These lessons have transformed my life and my relationship with God.

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I’m White, Privileged With a Message on Racism That The World Is Missing

Racism is a pretty controversial topic, especially in the world we live in today. Among Christians, things can get especially dicey, as the rest of the world’s eyes are just staring and waiting for us to make a mistake.

Remember in Matthew 22:39 when Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as yourself?” Right there, the Bible is directly telling us that to loathe someone based solely on the color of their skin, is a sin. But I didn’t always understand that.

It’s easier to admit to sin when everybody else has done it, but here I am today doing something that’s far from easy; I struggled to love my neighbor as myself. It wasn’t how I was raised, but the environments I was around in every single job situation planted seeds of hate into my heart. I pushed away when God started to deal with me about it. I’d say things like, “I’m not racist. I have diversity in my life. I’m not a hater.”

Yet all the while, I wouldn’t speak up when my coworkers at a freelance writing gig would tell racist jokes, sometimes I’d even play along just because “everybody else was doing it.” I worked for almost eight months for an internet political publication; an environment that was toxic waste disguised as candy. Some of the articles I was assigned to write were satirical and entertaining, but then there was a vast majority that I was told to write, that made ugly and cringy remarks about other races, cultures, and people in general in ways I wasn’t comfortable doing. But like an idiot, I didn’t refuse to do the work; I played along in hopes of gaining everybody’s favor.

After a while, all the jokes and satirical remarks started to become more than just horseplay; I started to really believe the things I was being told and dwelled on how much I didn’t like people who weren’t like me. Still, when God would deal with me about it, I would shove it off and say that “I just wasn’t like that.” That it was all fun and games. I was living a lie.

Eventually, the publication went out of business, and I went on to pursue other writing opportunities. I was upset at the time, but now I thank God that he took me away from all that stress.

It was at a church conference that God started to deal with me again. I realized that though I wasn’t as “extreme” as people you might see online, I was enabling it, writing and promoting it, and thinking those thoughts. God told me that he did not call me to be a hater, and during the altar call I ran, fell to my knees and poured my heart out to Him and told him how sorry I was. I know that He has forgiven me, and restored me to a place of love rather than hate.

I’m telling you all of this because I know I’m not the only one who has struggled in this area. I didn’t like the person I let the world turn me into, and God didn’t either. God has commanded us to love, not hate.

Today I am not the same person I was when I began my pursuit of writing. God took away the ugly sin and created a beautiful testimony; one that I will not shy away from. Am I ashamed of all the ugly things I published during my first writing gig? Absolutely. But it is a reminder of who I was before God totally transformed my mindset. I am no longer addicted to outrage, hatred is not in my heart; instead, God’s love has completely and totally transformed me.

God wants to deal with you about some stuff too; stuff that may not necessarily be easy to admit to yourself that you’ve done. But once you’re honest with both yourself and God, and ask for His forgiveness, it will radically change your life.

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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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Forms of Godliness Won’t Solve Country’s Problems

Forms of Godliness Won’t Solve Country’s Problems

When I look at the current status of the country, it’s easy to sigh. Forms of Godliness aren’t working. People need to understand you cannot mimic God and be successful.

Everyone is analyzing everything.  Is it a gun issue? A race issue? Here’s my take: People want forms of Godliness without God involved.  They want the traits, characteristics, habits, systems, you name it. They just don’t want Jesus in the process. Because of this, society is experiencing a great deal of frustration, regret, depression, and hopelessness.  They’re frustrated because they don’t understand how to stop the evil, regret the things they missed leading up to the tragedy, are depressed at having to read it almost everyday, and have lost hope in real change.

Have we as Believers in Jesus Christ heard of this before? Yes we have. In 2 Timothy 3, Paul addresses this issue with Timothy in verse 5:

 “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” – 2 Tim. 3:5

What was Paul talking about? For that answer, we must look at what he says prior to this statement:

“…This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;” – 2 Tim. 3:1-4

We read in the text Paul is describing things that “shall come” (Most are already here if you ask me…) When you take a look at the list, we read of all the things men will evolve into. The observation is that after all of this, these men (yes, it addresses the men) will have a form of Godliness. Isn’t that crazy? Knowing that through man’s boasting, blaspheming, disobedience, unthankful attitude they will still hold a form of Godliness.

This is what we’re dealing with. Their form – the people who carry these natures, are being covered by a form of Godliness. The problem with that is it doesn’t last long before they’re discovered.  Why? Because their functions are not of God.

How does this affect women? Verse 6 states:

“For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts…” 2 Tim.3:6

Notice the text states they will lead astray “silly” women. The KJV defines that from the Greek word gynailkaria  (prnounced goo-nahee-kar’-ee-on ) meaning “weak women”. These would be women not spiritually strong, susceptible to influence, and unable to break away from these types of men.

How do we respond? Believers must get back to the sharing of the Gospel. We cannot allow the world to dictate to us the gospel and how to share it when they’re consistently being led astray by spirits that pose in one form but are something else.  We should aspire within ourselves to want to represent a form and a function that is pleasing to God. That begins with faith (Hebrews 11:6). We need to share that as well. Men and women in God’s kingdom must reach out to those who we  know are weak in their nature and present to them the love of Christ. Otherwise, this only gets worse.

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The Significance of the Wild Boars Thai Soccer Team Rescue to Believers Today

Thailand Cave Rescue The Science Behind Thailand's Unstable Caves

Like other after-soccer practice times, the 12 kids of Wild Boars Thai soccer team entered the Tham Luang Cave together with the team’s assistant coach.   The Tham Luang cave is deemed “one of the longest caves in Thailand. It cuts into a mountainside near the border with Myanmar.” An outside signage warns visitors not to enter between July to November (the monsoon or flooding season).

It was June 23, 2018, a full week away from the rains. The group planned to stay for just an hour. One of the team members was about to celebrate a birthday. Some thought they might have planned to keep up with local tradition in which boys etched their names on the cave wall as a rite of passage. The sudden rain caught them by surprise. It was unexpected. That the rainwaters rapidly filled and flooded the cave was even more surprising. The group had to go farther into the cave to find a safe, dry ground. They would stay there until the “D-Day” came upon them on July 9.

An international rescue effort achieved the impossible. The challenge was to extract a group located 4 kilometers deep into the cave through hours of deep diving in pitch black, muddy water. One spot had only reportedly about 15 inches of crawling space. The deep dive out will take hours and most of the team members didn’t know how to swim. Over an hour of walking over a steep slope would follow and it was highly doubtful the kids could accomplish that.

Local authorities invited skilled and professional British and Australian divers and one doctor for collaborative efforts. This was considered an impossible feat. The odds were highly against them. The danger and requirements were so great. Even with great expertise, a Thai Navy Seal lost his life in the early stages of the rescue. Everyone on the force looks back with utmost relief and surprise that all 12 children and the 25-year old assistant coach were rescued out of the cave.

The world kept close watch as the 18 days of ordeal unfolded into an extraordinary success. Some who didn’t believe in prayer tweeted about “adopting a God and prayed just to help better the odds for the team.” Some locals and authorities reportedly prayed to the Hindu God of Rain to withhold waters so that rescuers desperately pumping out water from the cave wouldn’t have to deal with further complications. On the third and final day of rescue, the official Facebook page of the Thai Navy SEALs said: “We are not sure if this is a miracle, a science, or what. All the 13 Wild Boars are now out of the cave. Everyone is safe”.

This extraordinary tale is an encouragement to Christians everywhere. A reading on an online synopsis of this miraculous account is recommended. Read and realize once more that God is still in the business of doing miracles. Anyone, anywhere can be an instrument of His miraculous, divine workings, whether they believe and perceive Him or not.

This extraordinary tale is also an eye opener to Christians everywhere. The world remains lost. Hopes are misplaced on people and false Gods. Somewhere out there, someone needs to have his eyes opened to the identity of the One True God.

Hopefully, those Christians who knew about this incident joined in prayer for the rescue of the Wild Boars team. It’s a sad indication of indifference if a believer’s heart was not touched enough to pause from their personal affairs and make intercession for them. Not praying could also be a sad indication of one’s unbelief in the miraculous workings of God. God is not dead. True faith in Him is not in vain. Only in Him is enduring hope that bears fruit in this life and in the next.

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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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Loving the Life You Are Living

Why Real Faith Is Never Perfect

Man can overlook the preciousness of life. Minutes that turn to hours, hours that turn to days; one can easily spend them on trivial pursuits and activities. The young and distracted may feel he has loads of time and strength. The old and burned out may feel he has little strength and lose interest in doing anything more. But whatever season of life we are in, as long as there is breath, there is precious time being lavished upon us. And however we spend our time, that is the composition of our life. Time spent is the life we are living. Are we loving it? Are we loving the life we are living now?

Ptr. Chuck Swindoll shared, “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.” Ptr. Mike Meñez shared, “If you don’t like the life you are living then it’s time to start making changes.” True. We decide on the kind of life we want to have and if it’s something we don’t love, we are ultimately responsible for that. We can’t keep looking back and putting blame on the past and on the people who messed up our lives. Aaron Lauritsen was right in saying, “At some point, you just gotta forgive the past, your happiness hinges on it.” We can’t keep allowing past circumstances and offenses to inflict consequences upon us when we have the capacity to break free from them. In Romans 8, Paul reminds us that in all troubles and setbacks, we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us; and nothing will separate us from that love. We are secure in God’s love. Our future is secure in Him. Our joy and satisfaction is secure in Him. Therefore, we can love the life we are living right now.

Seeing opportunities in struggles

Hardships can easily bring us down; it’s normal. However, we are called to the spiritual. And from a spiritual perspective, struggles can very well lift our spirits and strengthen our faith. Through all the difficulties, there are opportunities God presents our way: moments of learning, moments of realizing He is real and at work, moments of discovering true friendships and deeper family ties, moments of realizing that it is the struggles that strengthen our character and forges more meaningful relationships. Seeing opportunities in struggles cause us to love and value this life more and more.

Seeing blessings in times of need

In this world, it seems that needs will always be greater. Focusing on all the things we lack can bring us down; it is normal. However, we are called to trust and contentment. God will never withhold what is good for us. He will come to our aid in His perfect time. We must learn trustful contentment in a God who never fails. Like Job, we need to remember that this life is all by grace. God has given us much more than we deserve, much more than we can hope for. And He will continue to give in the same way. In times of need, remember and appreciate all that He is putting at your disposal and trust Him to come through for the things you require.

God assures us in Jeremiah 29:11 that all the plans He has for us are always for good. Romans 8 says He is always working out our life for our good. Involve Him in every moment of your life. He will always be the key to loving the life you are living now.

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Feeling Low? Here are 2 Certainties About God

Every religious sect has its own idea about God. The idea about God can greatly vary depending on the sources or references of belief. One who professes true Christianity finds God in Scriptures and in his daily experiences of doing life with the God He has put his faith in. A deepening faith discovers more and more about God. By faith we see that God is more and more certain. He is trustworthy. He is unwavering and never changing. These hold true when life is hard and unsure.

God is just.

To be just is to be righteous. It is to be on the good and right of all things. God is unprejudiced. He is fair-minded. He is impartial. He is non-discriminatory. Psalm 145:17 says, “The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does.” At all times we can be sure that God treats us with fairness and faithful love. Parents may be guilty of playing favorites. But to all His children, we can expect God’s love and support to be the same on us all. The abiding Christian and the wayward one are both loved greatly. Now, He may deal with them differently according to their spiritual need at the time. But all His actions and purposes for the 2 remain the same, that is, to guard and guide them in His Agape love.

The Bible also says that even to the unbelieving God remains just. In Matthew 5:45 Jesus reminds us to have the just heart and mind of our Father who “causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”

As for prayer requests and heart desires, there is no bribing God. There is no manipulating Him. He will not grant the request of someone because he “does Him lots of favors”. When God responds to our prayers, He does so out of wisdom. He grants what will benefit us in the long run and His denials will always have our best interest in mind.

God remains good when life is bad.

Job couldn’t understand what was happening nor why. He tried his best to delight Himself in the Lord, living for His pleasure and honor. He dared not question God, He just wanted understanding. At his lowest point his wife told him to just forsake God and resign himself to “fate”. But Job chose to keep faith and trust in a God who knew what He was doing. In Job 13:15 he said “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in Him.”

We may find it hard to grasp this truth during trials and persecutions because of the hardships and pain we are currently suffering. But God remains good and He remains loving. He is never indifferent to our plight. Psalm 119:68 says You are good, and what you do is good.” Romans 8:28 assures us that as we try to walk in His ways and abide in His love, we know that He is continually working things out for our good. Psalm 9:10 encourages us to keep trusting and discovering more about God thru our circumstances. It says, “Those who know your name trust in you, for you Lord have never forsaken those who seek you.” Proverbs 3:5,6 exhort us to trust in the Lord and not depend on our limited understanding. In due time, He will straighten things out for us and make things clear for us.

God is just and He remains good when life is bad. Don’t believe otherwise. Stay the path. Keep the faith.

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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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Fathers to the Fatherless

Fathers to the Fatherless

Father’s Day didn’t have any meaning to me for most of my life, my biological father was abusive, and it was just a bad reminder of the past, but Father’s Day brings new meaning since I met my spiritual father.

According to the U.S. Census, approximately 15 million people in the U.S are fatherless. My earthly father was not a good father at all. He provided none of the essentials that I needed as a child or even now as an adult. My relationship with my biological father was anything but loving and trusting, and for the first 9 years of my life, it was torture.

After being placed in a foster home for a substantial portion of my childhood even there I did not have a father. At church, I was told that God was my father,  but to me, that did not equate because of the experiences that I had already had. How could I see God as my Father when my biological Father caused me so much pain and abuse?

I have always loved God but accepting him as a Father was difficult. I had such a tainted view of what a Father really was, and I couldn’t grasp the magnitude of God’s love for me as Father.

It took the love of a spiritual father to change my mind about what a father was. A spiritual father is a father figure within the Body of Christ.  

It was because of his relentless love and acceptance that I could finally see the Heavenly Father in a true light.

Seeing A Loving Father for the First Time

 My Spiritual Father

I did not know I needed a Father figure, but God knew I needed a Father figure. It was amazing, God gave me so much more than just a Father, he gave me a Dad. We have a trusting, healthy father/daughter relationship and I thank God every day for that blessing in my life.

I can’t thank him enough for his love, and commitment to me. My Dad corrects me when I am wrong, and he forgives me even when I don’t deserve it. That’s the thing, a real father always forgives, and moves on, just like our Heavenly Father. A Spiritual father will always express and exemplify knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. A spiritual father will always give sound counsel and pour out blessings.  A spiritual father will nurture and protect. He never leaves you even when you have messed up. A spiritual father will use those moments as teaching moments. A spiritual father should always be a representation of the heavenly father.

My Dad has also taught me a few other things, like how a real father is supposed to be.

1. My Father will never leave me.  

God promises, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).

God is deeply, unshakably committed to you. You never have to ask whether he will stay or leave.

My Dad shows me that a real Father will always be there no matter what. I never have to worry that he will get tired of me one day and be done with me, that’s not how a father/daughter relationship works.

2. The Father knows what I need.

Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.” (Matthew 6:8)

My spiritual father always seems to know what I need spiritual and mentally and offers loving advice with respect to who I am a daughter.

3. The Father takes great delight in his children.

God says, in Isaiah 43:44″ you all “his children” are precious in my eyes,”

Without any love or encouragement from my dad, I could easily question whether I was loved at all. I used to constantly battle with how much I was worth.

 4. The Father loves Unconditionally

 (Romans 5:6–8) He is a hope for the abandoned, a refuge for the fearful, a Father to the fatherless.

Thankfully, our heavenly Father’s love for us is not conditional. He does not love us based on what we do to deserve his love. God loves us just because he loves us. Even when we’re disobedient and rebellious, He loves us.

God reaches out to you in great love even when you are at your worst.

Father’s hold such a vital role in our lives. In a Christian home, they are the beginning foundation of what our relationship will look like with our Heavenly Father.

If you don’t have a Father, consider reaching out to someone that has a close relationship with God and accept them as a mentor and if you are approached reciprocate. Maybe you don’t have a father, but you have a person in your life that has made an impact in your life, thank them for this.

Lastly, remember we all have our Father in Heaven. You can’t get any better than that. Make sure you honor him this Sunday and every day after.

Happy Father’s Day!

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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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