Tag: Jesus

Jesus of Nazareth, also known as Jesus Christ, is considered by Christians to be the Son of God and the Messiah (or savior) prophesied in the Old Testament. He is one of the most important figures in the history of Christianity and his life and teachings form the basis of the religion.

Jesus was born in Bethlehem, in present-day Israel, during the reign of King Herod the Great. According to the Bible, he was born to Mary, a virgin, through the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus was raised in Nazareth and, at the age of 30, began his public ministry. He traveled throughout the region, preaching and teaching about God’s kingdom and performing healings and other miracles.

Jesus’ message centered on the idea that God’s kingdom was at hand, and that people should repent of their sins and believe in him as the Messiah. He called for a radical reorientation of life, urging people to turn away from their sins and to love God and their neighbors.

Jesus’ teachings and miracles drew large crowds, but also drew the attention of the religious leaders of the day, who saw him as a threat to their authority. He was arrested, tried, and sentenced to death by crucifixion. According to the Bible, Jesus died on the cross and was buried in a tomb, but on the third day, he rose from the dead.

The resurrection of Jesus is the cornerstone of Christian belief and the event that convinced his followers that he was the Son of God and the Messiah. After his resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples and many others before ascending to heaven.

The life and teachings of Jesus have had a profound impact on the world and continue to shape the beliefs of millions of Christians today. His message of love, forgiveness, and redemption has inspired countless works of art, literature, and music, and his example of selfless service has been a model for countless individuals throughout history.

It is worth noting that there are many controversies and debates surrounding the life and teachings of Jesus, and different scholars and religious traditions interpret his story in different ways.

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Blessings from God or Just Luck

This is the first of a two part blog series on the topic of ‘Blessings’. How do we view blessings? Do we see them as coming from God, or are they just luck?  

This first series focuses on my testimonial of blessings and whether we see blessings as just ‘luck’.

My Testimonial of Blessings

I want to start my first ‘proper’ blog by discussing something positive. ‘Blessings’.

I personally feel truly blessed in my life. Now I’m not saying this to boast or to show off. People who know me know that I’m not that kind of person. All I want to do is to just show you the wonderful things that God has done for me and can do for you too.

Now, I have the privilege of working and running my own business from home. I feel that I have now been blessed with this way of life which I have wanted for a big part of my adult life, and all my life as a parent. I can now spend time at home with my young children; I can take them to school, pick them up, help them with their homework, bathe them and put them to bed and make warm nutritious meals for my family. These are all the blessings that I am truly thankful to God for and don’t take them for granted even though I do sometimes moan about all the work I have to do.

As I said before, having a business is something that I have wanted for a long time. I have worked hard on business ideas which have just not come to fruition. And I believe that those times were not God’s times for me to start those businesses, and possibly were not the businesses that God wanted me to get involved in.

Now, some of you reading may ask, but didn’t you work hard to get to where you are now with your business? The answer is yes. I do have to work hard on my business now that I have it, but to be honest, my current business came about without me trying hard at all, and actually came about at a time when I had given up on business completely.

The reason that I got back into the business world was after I had read a report on something Pope Francis had said at World Youth Day in Krakow in 2016:

“Jesus can give you true passion for life.  Jesus can inspire us not to settle for less, but to give the very best of ourselves.Jesus challenges us, spurs us on and helps us keep trying whenever we are tempted to give up. Jesus pushes us to keep our sights high and to dream of great things”¦”¦”¦”¦..In life there is a dangerous kind of paralysis. It is not easy to put our finger on it. I like to describe it as the paralysis that comes from confusing happiness with a sofa. In other words, to think that in order to be happy all we need is a good sofa. A sofa that makes us feel comfortable, calm, safe”¦..A sofa that keeps us safe from any kind of pain and fear. A sofa that allows us to stay home without needing to work at, or worry about anything. ‘Sofa happiness’! That is probably the most harmful and insidious form of paralysis, which can cause the greatest harm to young people. And why does this happen?… Because little by little, without even realizing it, we start to nod off, grow drowsy and dull”¦”¦

We didn’t come into this world to “vegetate”, to take it easy, to make our lives a comfortable sofa to fall asleep on. No, we came”¦”¦ To leave a mark”¦”¦ But when we opt for ease and convenience, for confusing happiness with consumption, then we end up paying a high price indeed: we lose our freedom”¦”¦. Jesus is the Lord of risk, he is the Lord of “eternal” more. Jesus is not the Lord of comfort, security and ease. Following Jesus demands a good dose of courage, a readiness to trade in the sofa for a pair of walking shoes and to set out on new and unchartered paths. To blaze trails that open up new horizons capable of spreading joy, the joy that is born of God’s love and wells up in your hearts with every act of mercy”¦”¦ God expects something from you”¦.. God hopes in you. God comes to break down all our fences. He comes to open the doors of our lives, our dreams, our ways of seeing things. God comes to break open everything that keeps you closed in. He is encouraging you to dream. He wants to make you see that, with you, the world can be different”¦”¦ Unless you offer the best of yourselves, the world will never be different. This is the challenge.”

Not to go off the point too much, I have added this lengthy quote not only to show you how this moved me to do something more meaningful with my life, but also that it may motivate any of you out there who feel like you’re stuck with no direction to go and not worthy of doing much with your life. Just know that God wants you to work hard on your goals and make something great of yourselves which you are proud of.

So back to the point about blessings, by coming across this report from the Pope which was handed out in church, I feel completely blessed, as it got me out of my comfy sofa state to start my business. And as I said before, I am truly grateful.

So yes, I do believe that these blessings are from God. Of course, I do have to work hard to keep my business going, but I would always look to God to give me the motivation and diligence to continue to grow my business.

It’s Luck And the Choices that we Make NOT Blessings from God!

Yes, some people who have good things come their way say that it is good luck, and I guess when you don’t believe in God, then it is good luck. But if God is in your life, then you should believe that it is coming from God.

Some people may say that it’s about the choices that we make in our lives; the person they chose to marry; the school they chose to send their kids to; the area they chose to live in; the education they chose; how hard they chose to work; the medications they chose to take and so on”¦.

But if you believe in God, then you should understand that God puts these things, these ‘blessings’ in your life. God puts a good spouse before you, God puts a good school in your reach and so on”¦”¦

We then all have free will and are able to then decide whether to follow what God wants from us. Do we go for the good guy that God has put before us, or go for the bad guy who already has two girlfriends because he’s exciting to be with?

One example that I will give you is the choice of Primary school for my daughter. We had several ‘outstanding’ rated non faith schools in the area that we lived, and a ‘good’ rated catholic school. The focus of the outstanding schools were children excelling in different subjects and really pushing them to do well academically which is of course highly commendable.

In the Catholic school which myself and my husband chose for our daughter, their mission statement is “We love to learn in Jesus. In Jesus, we learn to love”. To me, that shows a Jesus centred school. And although we too want our children to excel academically, we always believe in putting God first, and trust that God will bless our children with the best education for them. So, I believe that our children will be blessed in whichever way God chooses because we their parents have put God first in their lives.

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Dead Man Walking

The need to bring the Gospel to the Lost has intensified during these Last Days. It is a terrible thing to walk about and see dead people everywhere and know that their numbers are most likely growing. The world has so many enticements and lies that people are more than happy to remain dead, instead of choosing life. These people may not be six-feet under or even ashes, but make no mistake, they are as dead as you can get because there is only one destination for them: hell.

Speaking about death seems quite gloomy, but it’s a necessary part of our lives, especially as Believers. I used to wonder about Luke 9:60 and what it meant for us as GOD’S people, but reading the first two chapters of Colossians has made the meaning as clear as day. Do you know that we deal with dead people every day? We speak to them, shake hands with them, do activities with them and even love them, but they’re dead. I don’t think that some of us actually understand the severity of this- these people are alive and breathing, but they are as good as dead if they do not know Jesus.   That’s what He meant when He said that the dead should bury their own dead. He was letting the ‘wannabe’ disciple know that to follow Jesus was life, but to go back and bury his father would mean death. That’s a ‘shut the front door’, ‘drop the mic’ type of Scripture (for me anyway). That’s our ultimate choice, isn’t it? The choice of life or death. For us Believers, we know that even though we may die in the flesh, yet we still live because Jesus has ‘delivered us from the power of darkness’ (Colossians 1:13), but those who have rejected him only have one destination after death and that’s hell. We have to just take a moment and realize that this is a hectic truth to know, especially if we are not doing enough to speak to people about Jesus.

This whole ‘zombie apocalypse’ thing seems more believable to people than the fact that Jesus died for their sins. I feel like telling them that they are basically the walking dead due to their unbelief! But that wouldn’t go down very well, would it? This gift of life is such a beautiful truth and needs to be spread like wildfire because the Last Days are upon us. You can just turn on any news channel and see what’s happening in the world for proof of this. Each and every one of us has a mission: to go out and preach the kingdom of GOD. It’s not just preachers and missionaries that have this charge, but each and every one of us who confess Jesus the Son of GOD. We don’t need to ram it down their throats or Bible bash them, but when the Holy Spirit moves you to talk to someone, you do it. It may seem embarrassing or scary at first, but look at it this way: if they reject you, don’t take it personally because they are actually rejecting GOD, not you.

I’m going to flip this around now and concentrate on us. This is the area that the Holy Spirit was most insistent about (at this moment): living to the basic principles of the world when we have died with Christ. Many of us are allowing people to cheat us out of Christ because we are giving into their lies. The people of the world think that they are wise and like to puff themselves up with false wisdom. They have all these philosophical things to say, ‘science-backed’ evidence of nothing but lies, and traditions that have no place in our lives. Why are we subjecting ourselves to the basic principles of the world when they are nothing but the words of dead people? It says in Colossians 2:20  ‘Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations-‘. We no longer live in the world, Family, so we have no business following the rules of the world. ‘As you, therefore, have received Christ Jesus the LORD, so walk in Him,’    (Colossians 2:6), we received Him in faith, therefore we have to live faith-filled lives, and that doesn’t include what the world has to say about anything regarding our lives. If we want greater wisdom and knowledge regarding anything, then just ask GOD: ‘…in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge’ (Colossians 2:3). GOD created everything, therefore He knows it all. We certainly do not need the world to tell us what we should be doing, how we should be doing it, and when we should be doing it, especially when it contradicts the word of GOD and leads us astray.

‘Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from GOD’ (Colossians 2:18-19).

Run if you must, but do not entertain the words of a man who professes to have wisdom but does not confess Christ. These people can and will cheat you out of your reward with their empty words. These people are convincing, let me tell you, freakishly convincing at times. That is why you need to be immersed in GOD’S Word and presence on a daily basis. You need that daily ‘oomph’ of strength, wisdom, and knowledge that only GOD’S Word can give you if you are going to survive these Last Days, but we’re also all here to help each other out.

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Ladies, Hope for A Joseph-like Husband

Ladies, Hope for A Joseph-like Husband

Many Christian women speak about finding a husband like Boaz, which is fine as he had many good qualities. However, I have yet to come across a Christian woman that expresses the need to find a husband like Joseph, the most beloved of Jacob’s sons and a godly man.

Recently I attended my cousin’s wedding and as a result, I was bombarded with questions about when I was going to get married. One of my aunties even tried to drag me over to the dance floor to stand a chance of catching the bride’s bouquet. Thankfully I was firmly behind the serving table when I argued the fact that technically, I wasn’t all that single and that I wasn’t even on the ‘market’. I firmly believe that GOD has the right someone for everyone and that if you’re patient and faithful, He will reveal that person at the right time. How can we say that we give GOD control but still choose to actively hunt for a husband? Our time is best spent drawing closer to GOD and letting Him handle that important aspect of our lives.

Attending the wedding got me thinking about marriage and the kind of man that I would one day marry. Joseph is one of my favorite people from the Bible and he holds many characteristics of an ideal husband. While many women consider Boaz and even Jesus’ earthly father, Joseph, as men with good husband qualities, the Genesis Joseph appeals to me more. Here’s why:

  • First of all, the name Joseph means ‘GOD increases or adds to’ so that’s a good start right there!
  • Joseph was a principled man. He was an honest man of character and integrity. Look at the number of times that he was tempted. But did he give in? Nope. Not once. A godly man like Joseph would not cheat on his wife because he honors GOD above all else.
  • He was humble. This man had all the power and prestige as a man who was second to Pharoah in all things. However, he didn’t let this get to his head. He was always aware of the fact that it was GOD who had put him in that position. As a husband, there would be no gloating and feather primping.
  • He was disciplined. This man was sold into slavery by his own brothers and spent time in prison for a crime that he did not commit. However, he didn’t let any of this make him bitter and forsake his GOD. He disciplined himself to make the most of his situation and remained faithful to GOD, knowing that GOD would come through for him. He had a long-term vision- it wasn’t a case of here and now, but of what was to come by GOD’S hand.
  • Faithfulness. Not once did Joseph’s commitment to GOD waver. Not once. He remained faithful to Him at his lowest moment and at his highest moment. A husband that remains faithful to GOD despite his situation is a keeper:)
  • Grace. Out of pure jealousy, Joseph’s own brothers sold him into slavery. That’s a hard blow. But still, he chose to show grace and mercy to his brothers and forgave them. Such a godly characteristic is a must in a husband.
  • He was a competent man. This man did his best in all that he did. He was a man of excellence- he truly excelled in all of his jobs! Whether as a servant, an interpreter, a ruler or manager of his family’s flock, he did it all to the best of his abilities.
  • Joseph was a wise man. Did you know that he was 30 when he stepped in to help set up Egypt for the famine that was to come? It’s not like he went to business school or something, but he managed to see them through the famine. Without a doubt, it was GOD that blessed him with such wisdom.
  • He was also strategic. I love planning and will often plan for events many months in advance (my family finds that rather irritating!). Joseph was a planner. He successfully planned for the famine by instructing officials to gather up food and store it during the years of plenty.

Not all women will share my opinion about a Joseph-like husband, but when in doubt about someone that you’re considering or possibly even getting married to, base their characteristics on the verses from 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 like so:

“Joseph is patient, Joseph is kind. He does not envy, he does not boast, he is not proud. He does not dishonor others, he is not self-seeking, he is not easily angered, he keeps no record of wrongs. Joseph does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. He always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

If you can honestly say that the man you are batting your eyelashes at embodies these values, then you have a godly man who is full of the Holy Spirit.

Now, it wouldn’t be right for me to talk about waiting for the right man without saying that you need to be a godly woman yourself. Often I receive compliments on my cooking skills and I’m told that because of it I’ll make a good wife, but a part of me always rebels against that. Sure enough, my future husband will be spoilt when it comes to food, but that cannot be the ruler that I’ll be measured against when it comes to being a good wife. The Bible has much to say about being a good wife, and that for me is a far better source. Scriptures speak about a noble wife who is worth more than rubies, a wife who her husband has full confidence in, and who brings him good. She is not a slanderer and is sober and faithful in all things. She loves her husband and children and she exercises self-control. She is pure and kind and is subject to her husband so that no one will malign the word of GOD. She respects her husband and loves him deeply, knowing that GOD has joined them together for His good purpose.

Whether you are a wife or a wife-to-be, put your name in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 and see how you stack up. Of course, no one is perfect and we all make mistakes, but we must remember to honor our vows and faithfully remain at our husband’s side. It is not good for a man to be alone, and with a marriage of two people who put GOD first in everything, he never will be.

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SOME THOUGHTS FOR THE LOVERS OF THE WORLD

SOME THOUGHTS FOR THE LOVERS OF THE WORLD

Beautiful landscapes, green vegetation, everywhere seem calm and peaceful. Hmm, I like it. Blue skies with wonderful birds hovering about it, lovely and beautiful creatures living in harmony. Everything is in order just the way I had intended it to be. Excellent! Excellent! This is good, very good. This is presumably God expressing excitement over the work of His hand. He was happy about His creation. So upon looking at everything He said it was very good. Genesis 1:3;

“And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good…”

Apparently in the beginning the world was very good, no pollution, no stains and there was no sin. Harmony thrived and peace rained. Nature enjoyed equilibrium. There was balance and the mechanics of the elements of the world was in order. It was a beautiful world.

We can see from the foregoing that the idea of creating the universe was exciting to God. The most High was happy about it. A major reason for God’s excitement apart from the beauty and splendor of the world, and of every other elements of nature, whether they are living or non living, was that, it was creation that marked the beginning of the existence of man, a creature that bears the image of God. Genesis 1:27;

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”

The scripture above explains why God was delighted in handing over to man, the dominion of the world. It’s simply because he (man) is a bearer of the image of God. So God gave him everything. Let’s take a look at Genesis 1:28;

“And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”

It is crystal from the scripture above that it was the will of God for man to have dominion over the earth and the air. A careful look at the words “earth and air” implies total dominion over the cosmos. Meaning man can go towards any length in the cosmos as far as his wisdom can take him. So while man celebrates his breakthroughs in rocket science, astronomy and the like, it was not a thing of marvel before God because He had declared it already in the beginning. The point here is that, the most High gave it all to the bearer of His image –man.

While being caught up in a misty cloud of deep wonder, the Psalmist gave the expression:

“What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?”

The words spoken by the Psalmists can be summed up as God, what’s so special about man? An answer has been presented to this question above. Man is special because he is a bearer of the image of God. He is so special that God gave him dominion over the cosmos. This “specialness” of man is of priority to God such that upon the derail of the first man (Adam) and his progenitors, God had to send His only begotten son “Jesus Christ” to place them back on track. See John 3:16;

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Apparently the key to getting back on track is to simply believe in the only begotten of God. To believe Him as the one sent to restore man. To believe Him as the savior of the world.

The world is ours. God gave it all. Apostle Paul knew this, his words to the Corinthians was: all things are yours. See 1 Corinthians 3:21-22;

21 Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;

22 Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours”¦”

We can see in verse 22 of the scriptures above that even the world is ours. God gave it all. He did at the very beginning of creation.

Nevertheless, many are ignorant of this reality. The reality that God has given man all things. So here is the problem, many have upheld the things of this world more than the creator of the world. In other words, they have given honour to the gift rather than the giver of the gift. It’s like lusting after what you own. It’s yours already so why lust after it. In the light of the foregoing, John the beloved instructed us not to love the world or the things contained in it. See 1 John 2:15;

“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

The use of the word “love” in the scripture above could imply “lust coupled with a strong attachment”. So the instruction is that we should not lust or attach our minds to this world or the things contained in it. Why? Because all things belong to us. The world and all its elements should not be given priority over its creator. Apparently what makes us lovers of God rather than lovers of the world is in detaching ourselves from lusting after the world and things contained in it. Anyone who has detached from the world and the things contained in it is attached to God.

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Domestic Violence in the Church

Domestic Violence in the Church

The words ‘domestic violence’ and ‘church’ do not belong together and do not exist in the same context. To deny this would seem traitorous and unfaithful, and yet, to ignore it would bring into question our faith, values, and beliefs as Christians. Domestic violence is alive and kicking in the church, and turning a blind eye to the plight of women, children, and men will only strengthen the excuses made for the abuse.

I once volunteered in a trauma center in a place where alcoholism, domestic violence, drug addiction and sexual abuse were rife in the area. The trauma center was situated in a police station which meant that I was exposed to countless cases that opened up my small town perception of the world. To a certain extent, I had been shielded from such situations- they always seemed far away from me, and thus not my concern. I always had sympathy for the victims and a sort of ignorance that only a naïve person could achieve, but I lacked the compassion and a sense of duty to help these victims.

One particular case stuck with me, not due to the severity of it (I had seen many horrendous cases of rape, violence etc) but because it involved a well-known church in the area. A woman, whom I had surmised to be in her early thirties, was being routinely abused by her husband. Her two daughters were witnesses to these beatings and were beginning to accept it as a way of life (they were around six and nine years of age). The woman had approached the church on more than one occasion for help, but their advice to her was always to submit to her husband, avoid doing anything that angered him and to pray for him. She followed their advice, but it did nothing to protect her from his fists. When she told me her story, I couldn’t believe that the church had basically turned their backs on her. They were quick to point out that a wife must respect and submit to her husband as the church does to Christ, but they failed to mention that a husband should love his wife as Christ loves the Church. Her husband had failed her, her church had failed her, and it seemed that GOD had failed her too. Her daughters had begun to see her abuse as a joke, no doubt a way for them to handle the situation. I believe that is what led her to seek help from the trauma center. I was assigned to her case (I suppose that they assumed that as I was studying Psychology at the time I would be perfect for the case, but I was way out of my depth) and I just started to speak to her from my heart, letting her know of the love that Jesus has for her. It took a couple of weeks, but she eventually got the courage to leave her abusive husband and her church. It was a scary thing for her to do, but once she understood the love that Jesus has for her, she mustered up the courage and started her life all over again with her two daughters, attending a different church.

This woman is just one example of the hundreds of cases where the church has failed to help their people. A research was done to reveal the prevalence of domestic violence amongst churchgoers, and it was found that one in four people have experienced abuse in their current relationship.

“Domestic abuse happens in churches too,” Dr. Kristin Aune of Coventry University, who led the research, said. “A quarter of the people we heard from told us they had, for example, been physically hurt by their partners, sexually assaulted, emotionally manipulated, or had money withheld from them. This includes 12 women who have experienced between 10 and 20 abusive behaviors and six women who are currently in relationships where they fear for their lives.”

Only two in seven churchgoers felt their church was adequately equipped to deal with a disclosure of abuse.

Although the research surveyed churchgoers in the north-west English county of Cumbria, I believe that it represents other areas around the world as well. The statistics may be different, but their situations remain largely the same. There are certainly many Christian organizations that are working to highlight domestic violence in the church and to address it accordingly, but individual churches themselves and the men within it (even the women) are not doing enough to challenge the attitudes and behaviors that promote this violence.

Scripture on marriage and relationships is often misinterpreted and used to justify abuse, but GOD will not be fooled. Abusers love control and will do anything to maintain it. They seem to find their identity in being respected and feared by others, and this fuels their desire to gain control through abusive behavior. What they lack is an understanding of their identity in Christ, so trying to build their self-esteem or suggest anger-management classes are not longterm ‘fixes’.

The church needs to step up to the plate and really address domestic violence. Abuse in the church has been going on for centuries, mostly due to powerful people within the church justifying it. We are no longer living in times where women are seen as property, where men are laughed at for having their wife beat them, or where children are seen as replaceable and used to bargain with. Yes, it may still happen around the world, but we are all aware of how wrong, barbaric and inhumane it is. We should give a voice to the voiceless, and protect those who come to us.

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3 Ways To Better Communication and Relationships

3 Ways To Better Communication and Relationships

The author of the book of James (credited to be Jesus’ half-brother) pens for us three ways towards better communication and relationships. In one simple and straightforward verse, Scriptures enlighten us on how to nurture fruitful communication and relationships. James chapter 1 verse 19 says, “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”

1. Quick to Hear.

Here, we pose ourselves to listen first and allow the other person to air out his sentiments. In being quick to hear, the intent is to understand first and to form judgments last. In being quick to hear, one becomes open to the possibility that he might be wrong and sees the benefit in listening to what others have to say.

Conversations mostly lead to arguments and shouting matches when no one wants to listen and when both parties keep judging and reacting to statements rather than purposing to understand the cause and context of what’s being said. In being quick to hear, the goal is to discover what is true or to reach a compromise on something that is right and fair to both parties. Conversations fail when no one wants to consider the needs and wishes of another. Conversations never work when one simply wants his own way or when one is closed to other people‘s views. Needless to say, in order to be quick to hear, we must allow the Holy Spirit to rid us of pride and self-centeredness.   To be quick to hear, we need to learn humility and to be more considerate and patient with others.

2. Slow to Speak.

Here, we pose ourselves to remain objective and tackle issues with our mind reigning over our emotions. It can be difficult to hold our tongue when there are hurtful or untrue words against us. But, it is more beneficial to delay speaking back until our mind gets a full hold and understanding of what is being communicated to us. In the heat of arguments, a lot of details get lost. Emotions overwhelm both parties and conversations often lead to blaming and rehashing old hurts. More rift is created and things end up farther from resolution.

In being slow to speak, the goal is to respond with words that bring understanding and clarity to the issues being tackled. To be slow to speak is to take account of the words we choose to use in order to deal with the matter at hand. To be slow to speak is to avoid sharing thoughts that have no relevance to the present matter. To be slow to speak is to maintain awareness and care that we don’t just react with hurtful and retaliatory words. To be slow to speak is to desire understanding to hopefully take place.

3. Slow to Become Angry.

Even with great care, consideration, and patience, not all discussions end well. Not all relational conflicts resolve in an instant, hence, the need to be slow to anger. Declare your views, explain your side. Make an effort to bring clarity. Seek to right any wrong on your part. What’s important is you’ve done what you could to communicate and resolve conflicts. Rightness needs no constant explaining or convincing. Let the matter go and choose to allow the other person to maintain his own view. Choose “not” to resent. In time, what is right and true will be made plain. And even if they don’t, at least you know then which relationships are good to keep and which are best to let go.

Also, there are times when it’s okay to end with opposing views. Not all people think alike and it’s okay. Don’t desire people to agree with you all the time. Don’t desire your own way all the time. Understand that you can’t always be right. Know that your ways are not always the best ways. Be mindful of this and you will experience growth in your communication and relationship skills.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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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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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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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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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Why John D. Rockefeller Could Teach Christian Millionaires?

It’s been said: If you’re a believer in Christ you need to shy away from the trappings of wealth and affluence. Christian millionaires or “Christian (gasp!) billionaires” are not good role models.  And that is completely true.

Or is it?

Well”¦it turns out you can be a Christian millionaire (or billionaire), love God,  and do great things in the world.

According  to a study  from the nonpartisan wealth research firm New World Wealth, of the 13.1 million millionaires in the world, 7.4 million, or  56.2%, identify themselves as Christian.

This is in contrast to:

  • 6.5% who identified themselves as  Muslim.
  • 3.9% who identified themselves as  Hindu.
  • 1.7 % who identified themselves as  Jewish.

In other words: IT IS possible to love God, do His work, AND be affluent.

And one person who exemplified that was John D. Rockefeller.

John D. Rockefeller became the the richest American  ever

His wealth was 1.5% to 2% of the U.S’s GDP (his personal wealth  $1.4 billion; the US GDP  $92 billion)

Some historians will paint him as simply a ruthless, greedy businessman.

But the facts are this:

  • He was a devoted father.
  • A devoted husband.
  • His “monopoly” brought order to an industry full of discord.
  • He loved the Lord and his philanthropy was birthed out of that love.

In this post we’re going to delve into the lessons future Christian millionaires could learn from Rockefeller.

1. HE UNDERSTOOD THE IMPORTANCE OF MONEY

The Bible says,

“A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things.” (Ecclesiastes 10:19 KJV)

As a young man John D. Rockefeller had the financial “plan” for his life:

“I remember clearly when the financial plan–if I may call it so–of my life was formed. It was out in Ohio, under the ministration of a dear old minister, who preached, ‘Get money; get it honestly and then give it wisely.'”

Most people are taught that money is a necessary evil. They say,

“Yes we need it but it doesn’t have much importance in our lives.”

Yeah, ok!

That is completely wrong

Rockefeller wanted options for his life and the life of his family. He understood how money would give him those options.

2. HE LEARNED HOW TO BE A GIVER

Over time John D. Rockefeller’s philanthropy equated to hundreds of millions of dollars (billion adjusted for inflation)”¦

”¦ and he did this because he learned how to give at an early age.

His giving began with his first job as a clerk at age 16. By the time he was twenty, his giving exceeded 10% percent of his income. According to his biographer:

“During his first year on the job, the young clerk donated about 6% of his wages to charity, some weeks much more. ‘I have my earliest ledger and when I was making only a dollar a day I was giving five, ten, or twenty-five cents to all these object, ‘ he observed. He gave to the Five Points Mission in a notorious lower Manhattan slum, as well to ‘a poor man in church’ and a ‘poor woman in church.’ By 1859, when he was twenty, his charitable giving surpassed the 10 percent mark. Despite a pronounced tilt toward Baptist causes, he gave early hints of an ecumenical bent, contributing money to a black man in Cincinnati in 1859 so he could buy his wife out of slavery. The next year, he gave to a black church, a Methodist church, and a Catholic orphanage.”

Rockefeller was always under the belief his success was divinely inspired. He said, quite emphatically:

“God gave me my money.”

Why did God single John D. Rockefeller out for stupendous wealth? He believed it was because he was a good steward. In his seventies he said:

“It has seemed as if I was favored and got increase because the Lord knew I was going to turn it around and give it back.

There is enough statistical data that shows a correlation between tithing and wealth.

Now to be clear–I’m not suggesting that if you tithe:

  • someone is going to pay off your debt
  • a check is coming in the mail
  • or you’ll be a millionaire overnight

Not at all.

I AM saying that there is story after story of affluent people who loved God, who testify to the power of tithing and giving. So whether you are a millionaire or just starting out”¦learn to give now.

3. HE MADE MONEY HIS SLAVE

He knew from early on that money was important. But he also knew he wanted to be the master of money– not its servant.

By the time he was 12 he had saved $50, about $1400  in today’s money. He then loaned a farmer the $50 at 7% interest. At the end of the year he collected $3.50  with absolutely no work. He later said,

“The impression was gaining ground with me that it was a good thing to let the money be my slave and not make myself a slave to money.”

When Jesus spoke about good stewardship it wasn’t just about handling money”¦it was about  multiplying  money:

For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.” (Matthew 25:14-18 KJV)

Another translation says verse 16 like this:

he servant who had received five talents went and  put them to work, and gained five more.” (Matthew 25:16 Berean study Bible)

Rockefeller was a hard worker. When he worked as a bookkeeper he would sometimes put in 12 hour days. But even while he was an ordinary laborer he would trade his own money in different futures and commodities.

In other words, he was always looking for ways to put his money to work.

Jesus also saidAnd he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, ‘Occupy till I come.'” (Luke 19:13 KJV)

And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, ‘Occupy till I come.'” (Luke 19:13 KJV)

That Greek word “occupy” is the Greek word “diapragmateuomai” (pronounced  dee-ap-rag-mat-yoo’-om-ahee).  It has different meanings:

  • “Gain by business trading.”
  • “Busily engaged in making trades.”
  • “Increase by trading.

It implies active, detailed trading that “buys right” and then knows just when to exchange.

Wow!

So in other words:

  • “Gain by business trading” till I come.
  • “Be busily engaged in making trades” till I come.
  • “Increase by trading till I come.

Selah.

Here’s the Next Step”¦

Now to turn it over to you:

Which of these Rockefeller lessons are you going to implement today?

Are you going to focus more on wealth?

Are you going to strengthen your never-ever-give-up muscles?

Or maybe you’re going to start tracking your money like John D. Rockefeller.

Either way let me know by leaving a comment below.

 

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