Month: June 2014

Posted in FAITH, PRAYER, WORD OF GOD

How long, Lord?

Posted on by Uplifting Christ

It’s easy to get discouraged when God doesn’t answer the door as soon as you press the doorbell. Actually, no one keeps to time like God. But, God doesn’t fix or reckon with time the way we do. So, our sense and appreciation of time differ from His. The scripture says he makes everything beautiful in its time. He has set time for your needs to be met. Your Father is always on time.

As human, you may be tempted to get worried and ask questions when you don’t see results at your set time. You may feel that God hasn’t heard you, or he is keeping long in responding to your needs. Maybe you are praying for Job in the first half of the year but nothing seems to be working. Or you are praying to meet the right person and no one seems to be interested in you. It could also be that you are expecting miracle in a particular area of your life. David faced similar situation when it looked like God wasn’t answering his prayers.  In Psalm 13, he asked;

How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?

How long will you hide your face from me?

How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart?

How long will my enemy triumph over me?

(Psalm 13:1-2, NIV)

This is what it means when you find yourself at a point where you feel that you have been left alone; God wants you to act on your Faith. An example is what happened in the ship when the disciples of Jesus asked Master, carest thou not that we perish? (Mark 4:38, KJV). In verse 40, Jesus said to them “why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?

God already has your days written in his book. His word says that “Can a woman forget her nursing child and have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you” (Isaiah 49:15). He will never leave you, nor forsake you. Thus when you will have started to feel that God has left you in your situation, the loving Father whisper from above that “No child, I am with you. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. Do not be afraid, for I am with you.”

 

Posted in FORGIVENESS, LOVE, Uplifting Christ

The New Law of Retribution

Posted on by Uplifting Christ

iranian1Balal (in Iran) was at the brink of losing his life when the mother of Abdollah Hosseinzadeth, the person he stabbed some years ago, approached, slapped him in the face and then decided to forgive her son’s killer.

It was told that seven years ago Balal, who is in his 20s, stabbed Abdollah Hosseinzadeh during a street brawl in the small town of Royan, in the northern province of Mazandaran. In a literal application of qisas, the sharia law of retribution, the victim’s family were to participate in Balal’s punishment by pushing the chair on which he stood. The big surprise was that the victim’s family did the contrary. Instead of avenging their son’s death, the couple decided to forgive their son’s killer at the last minute. They spared the life of their son’s killer. This news was welcomed by people around the world and I believe there are some lessons we can learn from it as Christians.

How many Christians can do what the victim’s family did?

The Law of Retribution

Quite a lot of people (Christians) believe that people should face the consequences of their evil deeds. In the case of Balal, such people would have argued that he deserved death because he killed.  Some quote this scripture to buttress their point: “You must impose on the accuser the sentence he intended for the other person. In this way, you will purge such evil from among you. Then the rest of the people will hear about it and be afraid to do such an evil thing.  You must show no pity for the guilty! Your rule should be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.”(Deuteronomy 19:19-21, NLT).

The New Law: Forgiveness

We were condemned to death but One Man decided to sacrifice his life for us. In John 15:13, Jesus said “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends”. He went through hostility from man so that you and I can be set free. Even on the Cross, he prayed for forgiveness for those who had crucified him. This was the life of Jesus and he has commanded us to love one another.

God showed you mercy when you least deserved. He forgives you when you deliberately do something wrong. When people condemned you, He stood by you. He loves you so much that he sent his dear son, Jesus, to die in your place. And now, he wants you to love your neighbour by forgiving them when they sin against you. When I read the news article about Abdollah Hosseinzadeh’s death, I felt the pains his family went through in 2007. Society would have judged them right for Balal’s death but they chose to let him live. I could imagine Hosseinzadeth’s mother telling Balal’s mum (in my own words) that “I know how it feels to lose a son. I have been there and I know it hurts. I can’t afford to put you through that situation. I have forgiven your son though it is not easy”

“Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the LORD.” (Romans 12:19, NLT).

Let us learn to forgive when it hurts most. Look around you today; Is there anyone you have to forgive? That person might have lied about you, disgraced you, insulted you, killed your relative or friend, abused you, destroyed your properties, witnessed against you, etc. Let us forgive one another just as God in Christ has also forgiven us. In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught us to say “Forgive us our debt as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Jesus concludes by saying “For if you forgive other their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”

I will close with this:

“You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also.  If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too.  If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile,carry it two miles. Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow.” (Matthew 5:38-42, NLT)

Posted in DIVINE PROTECTION, GOD IS WITH YOU, THE END IS NEAR, Uplifting Christ

Relax! God is Watching Over You.

Posted on by Uplifting Christ

The Lord watches over you.

(Psalm 121:5, NIV)

There is violence in our schools, on our streets, malls, and other places. If we are not careful, we will end up living in fear instead of faith. The good news for you, as a child of God, is that your Father is watching over your life. The scripture says

“Indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you – the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm – he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. (Psalm 121:4-8, NIV).

angelsecurity_niv

God protects you everywhere you go. He protects when you go out and He guards you when you return home both now and forevermore. He works behind the scenes so you don’t see what He does. He wants you to relax and enjoy life as His angels guard you and your family. When you wake up in the morning, or hear any bad news about shooting, terrorist attacks, accidents, outbreak of diseases, etc. say this in Faith; “RELAX! GOD IS WATCHING OVER ME”

Friend the things you see on TV, Internet, listen to on radio, or read in Newspapers; Economic hardship, suicide attacks, Islamic militants attacking Christians, enforcing unjust laws, rumors of war, earthquakes, tsunami, hurricane, etc.  are signs that THE END is at our door step.  Jesus is coming soon.

As we wait for our Lord’s return, let us encourage ourselves with these words that “The Lord will keep us from all harm – he will watch over our lives”.  He will protect you from sicknesses, shooting, suicide attacks, militants, Jihadists, unjust laws, and any evil you could think of in Jesus’ Name.

I will close with this:

Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you. (Jeremiah 32:17. NIV)