Marvel God with Your Faith

  “Only speak the word and my servant will be healed” (Matthew 8:8 NKJV) 

Knowing God is God and that He answers is the most essential factor for any miracle.

“Say the word”, the soldier thundered. 

It halted Jesus Who turned towards the man to go in motion to his home. This soldier interrupted Jesus’ way into the city, pleading to heal his servant. Moved with compassion, Jesus stilled the shaking of the soldier’s eye when He stared into them and noted that He will help him. 

“And Jesus said to him, ‘I will come and heal him.'”(‭Matthew‬ ‭8‬:‭7‬ NKJV)

This when the soldier stops Jesus and says:

“Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.” (Matthew‬ ‭8‬:‭8‬ NKJV)

Then he explained himself: 

“For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it. ” (‭Matthew‬ ‭8‬:‭9‬ NKJV)

This soldier was an officer, a centurion in the Roman army who commanded a hundred men. Being one who takes orders and gives orders, this centurion understood authority. Amazed at the presence of Jesus, the soldier realized that this simple carpenter also spoke with authority. A stronger authority. 

Taken back, Jesus turned to those following Him: “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!” (Matthew‬ ‭8‬:‭10‬ NKJV)

The faith of the centurion marveled God. He came to Jesus believing that He was God and that He would answer his request if he sincerely sought Him. 

Miracles happen in your life in the matter of Who you seek. 

No one can’t approach God without believing He is God! I believe a lot of my prayers hit the brass ceiling, because I forget Whom I’m talking to. I’m talking to God. 

We must approach God believing that He exists and that He cares enough to respond to us. 

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”(‭Hebrews‬ ‭11‬:‭6‬ NKJV)

Faith that marvels God is the confidence that when we come to Him, we will find the Source of all our wants and needs. “The assurance when we turn to Him”, adds Pastor John Piper, “we will find the all-satisfying Treasure”.* 

See God as God Who can and Who will. 

Miracles happen when you start with a miracle of seeking God as God in your asking. 

*John Piper, Desiring God is (Colorado Springs, Colorado: Multnomah, 2013), 71. 

Help Iraq with G.A.S., Lifegiving Acronym

Open Doors has provided 3 ways we can help Iraqi Christians suffering by ISIS. Remember the acronym: G.A.S.

Follow the link: http://blog.opendoorsusa.org/powerful-ways-iraqi-christians/

Iraqi HOLOCAUST: Children, BEHEADED, Displaced

You can say: War of ISIS is a War on Children.

Dr. Sarah Ahmed, from the Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East, shared with CBN some of the great horrors happening to Iraq’s small children.

“ISIS [is] shooting the kids and people, and they were laying them on the ground and they bring tractors that they walk [drive] over them in front of their families.”

CBN also reported that the Islamic State are beheading children and burying them alive.

ISIS’ attacks in Northern Iraq has forced thousands to flee from their homes. According to Al Jazeera, over 20,000 people are taking refuge in the mountains and neighboring countries.

People especially children are enduring horrific circumstances just to stay alive.

Sky News revealed this report: “One man has just told us how he saw four children die of thirst. There was nowhere to bury them on the mountain so they just put rocks on their bodies. Another man was saying the Iraqi children were so thirsty, their parents started cutting their own hands and giving them blood to drink.”

Families, desperate for asylum, have hired human smugglers to safely lead them out of Iraq. According to the Assyrian International News Agency, one nation, Turkey, is refusing Yazidi (another persecuted religious sect among Christians) children with no passports entry to their country.

Children continue to be targets by Islamic extremists days after reports of ISIS fighters beheading children at a park in Mosul and putting their heads on sticks.

Iraqi HOLOCAUST, Petition to Help Iraqis

The world knew about the Jewish Holocaust and did the least they could do about it except to win the war which at that point it was too late for 6 million Jews.

Now there is an ongoing Iraqi Christian Holocaust and we have an opportunity to not let history repeat itself.

We can do something.

There is a petition at whitehouse.gov that is persuading the President to help relieve Iraqi Christians suffering in this modern holocaust.

Sign the Petition

Sign It and Share It

Let’s write our own history.

IRAQI CHRISTIAN HOLOCAUST

Innocent young girl beheaded because she was of a Christian family. (photo by Catholic Online)

ISIS is senselessly slaughtering Christians in Northern Iraq.

The Isalmic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) have strategically targeted Christian communities and attack its churches, crucified men and systemically raped and beheaded women and children.

Chaldean American leader Mark Arabo stated recently in an CNN interview that “they’re killing absolutely every Christian they see.”

The Inquistir reports ISIS “cleanses” towns Qaraqosh, Tal Kayf, Bartella and Karamlesh of their original Christian population.

Arabo told CNN that “there is a park in Mosul where they actually beheaded children and put their heads on a stick and have them in the park.”

On July 14, the Isalmic extremists told the Christians in Mosul that they had until noon of that day to completely evacuated the city. ISIS have signaled out Christians for persecutions by marking Christian homes in that city with the Arabic letter “N” (“Nasrani”) for the Christian name Nazarene. Similar to the German Nazi’s marking of Jews with the yellow Star of David in WWII.

Catholic Online has described these atrocities as “the purest manifestation of evil witnessed since the Rape of Nanking during WWII” as Islamic militants in Mosul made music videos of themselves murdering innocent people.

ISIS’ crusade in Iraq has become more than a religious war. It is a genocide. 

Men crucified for not recanting faith. (Photo by Catholic Online)

Child of the global terrorist group Al-Qaida, ISIS has been existed since the US Iraq War in 2003. Fragments of unrelented Iraqi rebels and Syrian rebels from the recent war in Syria make up the terrorist group today. Their aim is to forcefully established an Isalmic regime that supports Sharia Law.

“From a splinter group of Al-Qaida, [ISIS] today, has grown to be a complex threat to peace and security in Iraq, the entire region and beyond,” documented Nickolay Mladenov, head of United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) in an UN Security Council that met late July (UN Security Council 7224th Meeting).

ISIS continues uncounted massacres in north Iraq under their pledge, “convert to Islam or die.”

Together, we can come as ONE and end this holocaust.

Iraqis should enjoy religious freedom and not be terrorized because they share different religious beliefs. This brutal massacre with all its vicious acts especially on children must immediately cease. The killing needs to end.

With this petition, we can draw worthy international attention and pressure our governments to act.

Woman’s throat is slit and her blood captured in a bowl. (Photo by Catholic Online)

HOLOCAUSTS won’t happen under our watch.

 

>Hashtag your voice: #noiseforiraq
>Watch Mark Arabo’s Interview with CNN
>Draw attention
>Pray

The Want For Escape

When we are confronted with a personal issue, more often than not its sin, there is this natural want to escape from it. 

To get away. Just not worry about it.

Cain ran from God because he did not want to be accounted for killing his brother. We have Jonah traveling entirely opposite from God’s sovereign direction for Jonah to preach to his enemies at Nineveh.

We cannot hide. Especially if it is sin. God clearly stated that will “bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:14 NKJV). 

God found Cain as he ran from the scene of the crime. He exposed him, exclaiming to Cain, “The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground” (Genesis 4:10 NKJV). Then Cain faced his judgment.

God forced Jonah to go to Nineveh with a fierce storm and a whale.*

Truth is you can’t run from confrontation. All of us need to learn that we need to run through them.

Even Jesus sought an escape from His mission to suffer and die. This act was necessarily for all of us.

Jesus revealed his humanity when He wrestled with the thoughts of the immense suffering that waited for Him. He even pleaded with Father God asking, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42 NKJV). 

We are human. Confrontation honestly is uncomfortable. Here are some things to consider when faced with confrontation.

1. The Confrontation could possibly be God’s divine fingers, pointing out our sin or pointing us to do the right thing. 

We saw God confronted Cain with his sin in killing his brother. God also confronted Jonah to do the right thing which was to go to Nineveh.

When we are confronted with sin, we need to remember that He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13 NKJV). 

“For whom the Lord loves He chastens…” (Hebrews 12:6 NKJV). We are God’s children, therefore he will confront us on our wrong and discipline us.

We need to always do the right thing because we have to as Christ’s followers. God says its sin to not do what you know you ought to do:

“Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” (James 4:17 NKJV)

When confronted, we need to always do the right thing.  (Check out Doing Good Because You Have To)

2. Whenever confronted, see God’s desire in the matter. 

God has called us to “be imitators of God as dear children” (Ephesians 5:1 NKJV). He desires that we “be conformed to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:29 NKJV).  God will even use trials and circumstances to shape you into His desired image.

Know also that God wants us to be a better person. As He molds us, especially in undelightful confrontations, it’s always for your good. As you endure confrontations, remember that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6 NKJV). 

3. Always depend on God’s strength. 

Remember Mary, Jesus’ mother. Here she is minding her own business, when she is suddenly approached face to face with an Angel whom declares her assignment to carry the Son of God. Talk about confrontation!

When Mary listed the impossibilities, the angel responded boldly, “For with God nothing will be impossible” (Luke 1:37 NKJV). 

“If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small” (Proverbs 24:10 NKJV). 

You can’t afford to shrink and hide from your problems when they confront you. That weakens you.

Any confrontation you face, you can always bank on God to see you through it. Cast all your anxiety upon Christ because He cares for you**.

Mary understood she could make it through this confrontation that included incredible responsibility and supernatural elements only on God’s strength.

She gave the right answer for the angel. “Then Mary said, ‘Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word’ (Luke 1: 38 NKJV). 

You can do all things through Christ who gives you strength, even in confrontations.*** Trust in Him.

*Jonah 1

**1 Peter 5:7: “Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

***Philippians 4:13:  ^“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

RENew Your Mind Because You Need To

If you’re child of God, you belong to a new life that will outlive the one now.

You need to renew your mind to adapt yourself to thinking with an eternal perspective.

I illustrated this point on my dad’s TV broadcast by pointing at his gray hair. Okay, it may have been a little personal, but I wanted the viewers to grasp the understanding that the life around us is dying.

Because of our sin, us and the world as a whole is decaying to the point of death. We will all die someday as the consequence of our sinful nature. We can dye our hair, conduct plastic surgery all we want, but the truth is our body is degrading. Bible describes man’s life as “his days are like grass” (Psalms 103:15 NKJV).

But we who belong to God shouldn’t fret at this because we understand life here is temporary. Rather we anticipate a new life where we will enjoy new glorifying bodies according to what Christ has promised us.

“And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, ‘I believed and therefore I spoke,’ we also believe and therefore speak, knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you.” 2 Corinthians 4:13-14 NKJV

We enjoy a shared faith in Christ that we “believe” and we profess to others, because we know that God who raised Jesus will raise us up as well someday.

1 John 3:2 advertises us the new bodies we will all enjoy:

“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”

When we will unite with Christ, we will be like Christ. We enjoy a glorious body that has yet to be revealed and is so marvelous to describe. We won’t need to exercise and diet to modify and maintain it. It is an eternal body.

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.”  2 Corinthians 4:16 NKJV

We shouldn’t running around like the world, anxious to “immortalize” themselves with the latest cosmetics, because we know that we can’t preserve this body. Our focus is on the man who is being renewed within us.

This man is the new man who Christ has raised from spiritual death and made alive to walk in newness of life. This body is transformed into a new creation in Christ. The body is actually our human soul that is actually the true body. We are not body with a soul, but a soul with a body.

Being made alive to a reality that observes eternity, we “put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him” (Colossians 3:10 NKJV)

Our focus in life should be to nourish, build, mature, shape the new body to conform the wants of Christ and to be content in the pursuit of glorifying God.  We understand that we are not our own because we belong to God in Him making us*, and in Him choosing us to become like Him.** And at salvation, we became doubly owned when God purchased us by Christ.***

We need to escape the world’s thinking. It’s still depraved to sin and it’s blinded from beholding eternity.

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God”  Romans 12:2 NKJV

Renewing our mind pretty much is changing our appetite. I once hated celery. I had to change my mind to understand that celery is good for my body. Now I eat celery, not because it tastes good, but because I know it does good for my body.

Once we build towards eternity, problems don’t bring us down.

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 

while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. -2 Corinthians 3:17-18 NKJV

The world doesn’t bog us down, because we are setting our eyes in eternal perspective. Quickest idea that comes to mind is a passenger given a parachute during his flight. The stewardess comes to him and informs him that the plane will eventually crash, and that he needs to take the parachute in order to survive. The passenger immediately takes the parachute and prepares himself for the jump to come. Let’s say during the course of the flight, the plane experiences turbulence, and a passerby spills hot coffee unto the lap of the passenger.

The passenger does react in pain, but he doesn’t mediate on it. He observes the coffee burn as a light affliction compared to the crash that would have incinerated him had he had not a parachute.

We don’t involve ourselves in the moans of this world, because we know that all our sorrows will all be evaporated one day in eternity. Instead, we run towards God against all odds, because we walk in faith on the promises of God that mark the path for us to walk against any logic that denounces it.

Faith is the eyes that beholds the visible against the invisible and moves out already in sheer confidence towards what he believes in his heart.

We are running towards God. We live by faith that all His promises in the Word are true to the ultimate extent that we act upon them.

But to do this, we need to be renewed in the spirit of [our] mind (Eph 4:23).

Don’t become so adjusted to the culture around that you fit right it. It’s dying! Set our eyes on heaven. It’s eternal! It’s real!

“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.

Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 

For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”  Colossians 3:1-4 NKJV

 

 

 

*Genesis 1:27:

Then God said, “Let Us make man in our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over allthe earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” ²⁷ So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

**Ephesians 1:3-4 :

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, ⁴ just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love…”

***1 Corinthians 6:20:

For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your bodyand in your spirit, which are God’s.

 

Christmas Tragedies

Christmas is a joy in itself. Ultimately, we joy in the gift of a Savior who is Christ Jesus coming to earth to save us from the consequence of our sins against God and restore true, eternal peace. We also delight in joyful memories that are produced around loved ones as we gather together to celebrate Christ’s birth.

But while we sang glad songs to our Messiah, across the sea many shed great tears of tragedy.

Nigeria

Early Christmas morning, 12 Christians were killed by gunmen. These killings occurred during open attacks against the Christian community that included raids upon two churches and in numerous Christian homes. While the assailants have yet to be confirmed, the BBC strongly believes it to be none other than the aggressive Islamic terrorist group, Boko Haram that has claimed the lives of over 700 Christians in 2012.

Boko Haram is devoted to convert the entire nation of Nigeria into an Islamic state and since beginning of this year has demanded every Christian to leave the country. Last Christmas, Boko Haram massacred 44 believers.

Iran

Pastor Nadarkhani with his beloved family.

We all rejoiced in September when we received the news of Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani’s release from prison. On Christmas Day Pastor Nadarkhani was rearrested by Iranian authorities.  According to the Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), Pastor Nadarkhani has to complete the remainder of his time in prison (45 days) and finish uncompleted paperwork.

Since October 2009, Pastor Nadarkhani has been detained in prison without bail for his protest against his children being taught the Qur’an in school. Later on, Iranian authorities also charged Pastor Nardarkhani with apostasy and converting Muslims which is illegal in Iran.

During his time in prison, Pastor Nadarkhani has suffered aggressive persuasion to recant his faith and also had been sentenced to be executed on several occasions that were continually dropped because of the overwhelmingly outcry by the international community on Pastor Nadarkhani’s behalf.

WHAT GOD DID

While here on earth, Jesus did promise to those who would testify of Him, will suffer persecution. In fact Jesus said,

“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (John 15:18-19 NKJV).

As followers of Jesus, being persecuted is part of what it means to belong to Christ. Paul made this evident to us in Philippians 1:29: “For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.”

God sees our brothers and sisters suffering for His cause. We should honor their work to proclaim Christ, and God has stored great eternal rewards for their exchange to risk their lives to expand God’s kingdom.

WHAT WE CAN DO

1. PRAY

>These people are suffering at the hands of sinful, depraved people who are plagued by Satan’s hatred for God’s people. We hate their sin, but desire that these sinners be reconciled to God. We need to PRAY that God save them.

>PRAY for the peace of Nigeria from all the mass genocides, especially the attacks against Christians.

>PRAY for Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani’s immediate release. God got out once. He can do it again. Also PRAY for him to remain unharmed while detained and for strength for his family.

2. PUBLICIZE

The social media is a very powerful tool of influence today. Get the word across – wherever, however – telling the world, we don’t tolerate these social injustices.

Feel free to repost this blog for the purpose of promoting public awareness of these social injustices.

Following Jesus When He is Hard to Understand

There is a lot about Jesus that you will believe but won’t understand. Following Jesus is accepting who He is, even when He is the stone in the way.*

Jesus became quiet the stumbling block in John 6:41-69. Jesus proclaimed Himself as the Bread of Life to be fed upon. He even details that to receive eternal life, one must eat His flesh and blood.

Here is a part of what He said: Then Jesus said to them,

“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. (John 6:53 NKJV)

This was a harsh blow to Jesus’ popularity. Verse 66 says because of His statements, many of His followers abandoned Him.

I won’t explain this passage. This is not my point. I want to challenge you to follow Jesus even when you can’t handle what He says.

There are places in God’s Word that are just theological stumbling blocks. But they are God’s Words.

An aspect of following Jesus is denying ourselves.** It is more than a daily sever of your pull to selfish pursuits and ungodly pleasures. It is also removing your will that will want to deter from God’s hard teachings.

We who want to wholly follow Jesus must respond to Jesus as Peter did:

“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. (John 6:68 NKJV)

It hard to trust what is difficult to understand. But Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life***

 

 

 

*Chris Tiegreen, The One Year At His Feet Devotional, Tyndale, 2003.

**Luke 9:23

***John 14:6

On Suicide

What you won’t see in someone taking their life: taking their life in front of someone they sincerely love.

They won’t do it.

Because two things.

(1) They are too (honestly) selfish to value the feelings of those who actually really, really do care about them. (2) And they are too proud to tell them what is burdening them to the extent that they want to take their life.

It is selfish to assume that no one on the entire earth will miss you if you died. It is proud to be “too scared” to tell someone because you will “freak” them out.

Life does suck, but I believe you have enough life in you to change it than to escape it by your own hands.

One thing about wearing a mask is that it isn’t a face. You can take it off.

If you are scared what’s happening to you, don’t endure it alone: please tell someone you trust.

For Me, I trust Jesus. Not because He’s clique. But because I can’t see Him to attempt to hide myself, but He can see me and know that I am lying with my face.

It’s confronting, but it’s also relief. The relief comes because He says things like “I will give you rest”* and “I will never leave you”**.

This relief He offers is produced by His personal extravagant love.***

I do somewhat enjoy unable to see God Jesus, because as God, He already knows everything and everything about me so my masquerade with Him is pointless; But also as a man, He understands hurt, pain, depression, loneliness, rejection, isolation, peer pressure, apathy, etc.****

You may feel too weak to carry on with life, but you bulk immense strength not to leave life early at your own will.

Life is a War that is Fought with Will.

*Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28 NKJV)

**For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5 NKJV)

***The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you. (Jeremiah 31:3 NKJV) This also applies to you. Because God loves all of us, He has provided the “bridge” over His anger against your wrong for you to enjoy Him:
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16 NKJV)
Accept His free forgiveness of your sins by trusting that He did actually rid of them by dying as God on the cross for payment and coming back to life (Rom 3:23-26); And switch to His plan for your life (Rom 12:1-2)

****For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted. (Hebrews 2:18 NKJV)