My father, Pastor Ken Bell, had a very insightful thought posted on his Facebook profile that I wanted to share with you.
I’ll try to answer the question in the box,”What’s on your mind?” Phil.2:5 says, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” What is on the mind of Christ?
Others, simply others.
Praying for others, loving others, saving others. Others- in my home,down the street, on my job, over the oceans, across the continents. Others- hopeless, hurting, hungry. Help me, Jesus, to have your mind- on others.
Pastor Ken Bell is the pastor of International Baptist Church in the Caribbean island of Antigua where our family serve as missionaries for over 15 years. His TV program, “Bible Talk” weekly educates and inspires people to read and enjoy God’s Word.
Why did Nicodemus came to Jesus at night? Was it because it was the most convenient time for Jesus or was it because his fear of being seen with the Rabbi that many of his colleagues despised?
Being associated with Christ would severely damage his reputation as a prominent leader in the synagogue. He most likely lose that position.
His secret conversation with Jesus would become the nation’s headlines. All creditability that he produced in his years would dissolve. The only popularity he would accumulate from all this would be a favorite household gossip among the townsfolk.
Would it be worth it to Nicodemus to lose the much he kept to gain the kingdom of God that he inwardly desired?
Why did he hold acceptance by people at such a high esteem?
I know my life is shamefully marked with thousands of events where I risked my relationship with Jesus to receive the attention of people. So intangible is that ambition: it’s like a firecracker that blasts in the night, only to drown in the darkness of the sky.
Jesus said: “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:11, 12 NKJV)
Isolation, persecution, rejection are the birth marks of a sold out person for his God. But so great are their acceptance in God’s house when He will broadcast their name as thunder through the heavens, saying “Well done!!!! My good and faithful servant!!!”
The people whom you feel embarrassed to express your love for your God are not worth the company. Follow the Son of God who is worthy, profitable and everlasting.
(See how Nicodemus later publicly defended Christ! John 7:45-52)
I’m so happy that I saw my dear friend start a relationship with Christ tonight!
Praise Jesus! I see Jesus say to her just as He said to Zacchaeus when he chose Christ:
“And Jesus said to him, Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:9, 10)
Life changes like the wind: it alters in an instant and or another direction.
At college, I hoped to graduate with a minor study in Broadcasting. Today, upon my return, I discovered the school has dissolved that academic program.
This reminding to always secure your plans in Christ. Our guarantee in the future is like standing on sand that shifts and sifts between your feet.
“There are many plans in a man’s heart, Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel that will stand”. (Proverbs 19:21)
Let no one say when he is tempted, I am tempted by God; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. (James 1:13)
We must be aware that temptation does not derive from God, but from our own sinful nature. Our sinful nature seeks to appease our deep passions that gratify ungodly pleasures. Temptations lead to sin. God does not lead us to sin. Remember how Jesus experienced temptation by Satan in the wilderness (Matt 4). His temptation was to disobey God’s decrees.
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. (James 1:17)
All good things come from God, and His intent for us is to produce righteousness as the first fruit of His new creatures birthed by our faith in Christ (v.18; Rom 6).
Thank you Dr. King. My life is a product of your vision of seeing a people joined together. (Photographer Unknown)
Arrested 20 times. Travelled 6 million miles. Assaulted 4 times. These are numbers that are affiliated to the toilsome work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to equalize civil rights for all people in the US. His untiringly effort help produced a more diverse welcoming society that also influenced the rest of the world.
The labour of Dr. King and many other men and women to end racial segregation and discrimination is very significant to me. You see my family is a product of their vision.
My parents are bi-racial. My dad is a white American with a proud Scottish ancestry and also shares a part Cherokee Indian lineage. My mother comes from the beautiful, sunny island of Antigua. She appears prominently black, but her grandfather was Japanese, whom married a Antiguan whose roots were from South America. My grandfather was Afro-Caribbean who enjoyed an African and Anglo-European background.
Mom and Dad along with my incredible nephew
I see my parents’ marriage as a lovely symbol of God’s heart in His creation of men: “He has made from one bloodevery nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth” (Acts 17:26).
Maybe you have read the verse in Philippians (Phil 4:11) which Paul says that whatever state he’s in, he is content. Sounds great, but I honestly suffer from time to time to be happy where I am.
I want to finish college. I want to be living on the sea again (I once lived on a ship). I want to live at home. I want to be married. I enjoy being single. Joy seems to roll back and forth like waves in the sea on the bank.
But sometimes the life we want will disarray us from the life that we should value.
(Photo by Colton Bennett)
Jesus told the story of young man who was discontent living under the umbrella of his father. He roughly demanded his immediate share of his inheritance, uprooted his presence at home and moved into the city.
He was finally on his own. Feeling so muddled living at home, he wanted to find his own perfect place. He was tired living a life seemly like a script written for some one else.
The Bible says: “And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living”. (Luke 15:13)
He jumped at opportunity and seized the life he so wished to enjoy. He finally arrived! But his life turned for the worse, and he found himself at the pig sty, longing to fill his stomach with the pods of the pigs.
Jesus said, “he came to himself, he said, How many of my fathers hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father” (Luke 15:17-18).
The young man looked for a perfect life, but the best life he could enjoy on earth was right under his nose.
Friday, Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani refused to publicly renounce his faith in Christ in an recent, immediate exchange for his freedom.
Imprisoned Pastor Nadarkhani, presently on death row, resilient to renounce Christ. (Photo by ACLJ.org)
Nadarkhani was arrested three years ago for protesting against teaching Islam in his children’s school. His charges were changed to evangelizing to Muslims which is against the law in Iran. He was sentenced to death unless he renounces his religion.
Since his imprisonment, Iran has been pressuring Nadarkhani to deny his profession in Christ. Nadarkhani has been resilient against these continual pressures.
Nadarkhani’s imprisonment has received international attention including reiterating voices by the European Union, the United States, France and Great Britain to repeal the pastor’s death penalty.
The pastor still waits for a final verdict which has been recently postponed to another four months to a year.
WHAT GOD DID
Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego in Babylon stood on the line of death for violating the new law which demanded all citizens to worship the new image crafted after their king. When urged to recant their God, they replied,
“O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.
If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king.
But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up” (Daniel 3:16a-18).
In full fury, the king had them tossed into a fiery furnace. Nebuchadnezzar thought he had made his point to those three defiant men until he observed a Fourth man who stood among them in the furnace, whom they described “like the Son of God (Daniel 3:25).”
God saved them in the fiery trial, but regardless of the outcome, these three men were resilient to stand in their faith in God no matter the pressure of their opponents.
WHAT WE CAN DO
>Pray for Pastor Nadarkhani’s release.
>Take the pastor’s action as an example to never be ashamed of the Gospel
I am still tangled with all the turmoil that’s going on in Africa. When I shared with my mom the atrocity happening in Nigeria and South Sudan, she commented these incidents as reasons to be grateful with the blessings I enjoy.
After an exchange of nods in agreement, she added, “–I mean look at Somalia: people are so thirsty that they are drinking their own urine.”
Water: something so vital and something I disregard everyday. (Photo derived from the UN Relief Agency website)
Somalia
Last summer, a widespread famine swept across East Africa, killing thousands. New York Times reports that nearly 1 million people has left Somalia to neighboring countries.
Aid to Somalia is severely hindered by the malicious presence of Al Shahab, a radical Islamic group that controls the most famine afflicted regions. Al Shahab is infamously known to kill aid workers that come to bring relief. According to the BCC, last month, 3 aid workers were shot dead in attempt to bring aid to famine victims.
3 million people remain at the risk of death from the effects of this famine.
WHAT GOD DID
Exodus 17 depicts the event where Israel is in dire need of water. When they complained to Moses, the Lord instructed Moses to struck a rock with his rod. Upon His command, Moses struck it, and the waters came forth.
Hundreds of years later, Jesus promised a thirsty woman water that will eternally satisfy her.
We serve the God that can provide both physical and more importantly spiritual water to the needy.
WHAT WE CAN DO
>Pray God will bring a miracle:
1. Ask Him to send needed rain for crops.
2. Open door for relief workers to safely administer help
3. Cease the radical groups’ oppression and pray for an establishment of a stable, just and righteous government.
>Prayerfully consider supporting a trusted humanitarian organisation that is actively involved in bringing help and hope to Somalia. (Our family supports Samaritan’s Purse, http://www.samaritanspurse.org)
FOLLOW THE SON 