Archive | January, 2021

The Jab

30 Jan

Writing about spiritual things isn’t a light matter. I’d love to upload posts more often than I do, however, they often end up as drafts. I am very careful about what I share as I feel humble dealing with anything pertaining to God.

Take the topic about unity for instance; once I started writing and researching, I no longer felt moved to share it. I now understand that true unity is something that only Jesus can do, any other artificial way is destined for ruin. Whether we accept it or not, where there is Freedom of thought, there will always be differences. Freedom, therefore, is the enemy to those who wish to forge unity.

What I really want to share is this fear of the vaccine. I know that I am treading on dangerous ground, but I have been reading and hearing views from both sides, and I’ve finally found peace. My question is, as believers in Jesus, which stance should we take?

Is the vaccine powerful enough to separate me from Jesus?

No.

38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38,39)

Who should we fear?

But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. ( Luke 12:5)

I read “In God’s Underground” by Richard Wurmbrandt. It was a faith-filled book about a believer who dedicated his life to sharing Christ in a communist prison. One amazing account was that he suffered greatly due to perforated lungs caused by the horrible conditions he was subjected to. The doctors did not expect him to live, but, he survived the entire ordeal and lived to ninety-one.

When you are walking with The Lord your God, your life is in his hands. He will do miraculous things through you.

And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”(Luke 16:17,18)

Should I focus on what I fear, or on What I was called to do?

Even though the disciples were threatened with imprisonments and death, they chose to obey God rather than the laws of man. They placed their lives in danger for the sake of the gospel.

God has put leaders in place to govern us. He does expect us to follow rules. However, the time will come when we will have to follow God instead of man. Daniel did it. The disciples did it. Even Jesus did it. When God’s holy spirit falls on you to go and share the gospel, what will you say? I cannot travel because I don’t trust the vaccine? Or I cannot because we’re not allowed to proselytize? Taking the vaccine is not the issue; following Jesus is. Have faith. I encourage all of us to seek a closer walk with God, so that we can all hear his voice and do confidently what he wants us to do. Courage.

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The Call

9 Jan

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. John 6:44

The Creator deals with us as individuals. It’s the most amazing feeling in the world; a tailor-made relationship that makes one know they’re special.

When I chose to follow the teachings of Jesus, it wasn’t because the teachings of a physical church convinced me. Rather, it came in the form of a dream, and it was a warning.

I had just returned to my country after spending some time in the USA. My intentions were not to stay, I had only returned to obtain a student visa to attend a college that accepted me. But when I was refused the visa, I went into a deep depression.

My dad, who was a member of the SDA church, saw my sadness and decided to give me some space. Without him “interfering”, I felt free. I accepted my dilemma and started a plan B.

I decided to become a professional singer, so I found a manager. Then I got a job as a freelance journalist at a newspaper company. With this came the opportunity to be an interviewer on a popular local TV show geared towards the youth. I had a very cool boyfriend, and our favourite pastime was playing pool at a bar with my brother and his friends. I was very carefree and would come home after 3am every morning. But one of those mornings, my dad left a letter on my bed. In it, he questioned my behaviour and asked if I was still living a pure life. This troubled me, because I knew in my heart that I was going in the wrong direction. Then I fell asleep and dreamt.

In the dream, I watched myself in two visions. In the first, I was at a wedding reception standing near a buffet table. I proceeded to dig my whole hand into a beef lasagna and ate. When I saw myself do that, I quickly shouted “I don’t eat beef!” As soon as I said that, the scene rotated to another, and in it, I was dressed as a bride. A man also dressed in white with golden hair came to stand beside me. I understood that we were about to get married. As I watched myself, I blurted out, “I’m not marrying this man, I don’t know him!” As soon as I said that, the man disappeared and I was left alone. Then, instead of being a watcher, I was now in the dream, and frantically cried out, “Come back! Come back! I’ll marry you!” Then I woke up.

Amazingly, I woke up knowing what the dream meant. It wasn’t about diet, or getting married to a random guy. This was the interpretation that was embedded into my mind:

YOU ARE DOING THINGS THAT YOU KNOW ARE WRONG. I AM CALLING YOU. IF YOU DON’T COME, YOU WILL NOT FIND ME.

After that experience, I made a 180 degree turn. I dumped my boyfriend then I gave up my job. Why? Because all of a sudden I couldn’t walk to it! It was the strangest thing. I had to take a bus then walk a kilometre to work. I’d take two steps and couldn’t move. It was as if my brain stopped coordinating with my legs. I finally gave up and miraculously found another job much closer to my home. It was through this job, that God set my future in motion.

I became an avid reader of the Bible. I wasn’t actively attending a church, just spending time with God. I had many beautiful experiences with the Holy Spirit. Then finally, I chose to be re-Baptized and join a church.

What I want to underline, is that my relationship with God wasn’t based on the church I joined, it was based on a call to follow Christ. I see the physical church as a means to Christ, not the end. Unfortunately, after some time I became distracted. I began trying to win people to my church instead of winning them to Christ. This is something many of us are guilty of.

In Christianity, we have a dilemma when it comes to denominations. Are we called to Christ or a church? Outsiders question our faith because we appear to be very divided. Jesus prayed for unity, for by it, He said, the world will know that the Father sent Him.

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. John 17:20,21

I believe that this topic of unity is very important. I think I’ll write about it in more detail in my next blog. See you then!

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Sacred Mind

7 Jan

Do you ever wonder if everything you are is truly you?

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2

Born in India? Most likely Hindu and speak Hindi or English. Born in Pakistan? Most likely Muslim and speak Urdu . Born in Spain? Most likely Catholic and speak Spanish; it’s because of where you started and who raised you. It was handed down to you, and you accepted it. Your religion, your culture…so the question is; in what did you have a say?

For me, the most powerful weapon of being, is the ability to think for ourselves; to step out of our birth-boxes and form our own opinions and make choices. We may end up where we began, or in another place, but, at least we thought.

This is a very complicated topic but equally important. I remember at the age of thirteen, I discovered that I could influence other people. It was very enlightening, but scary. I didn’t like the so called power of encouraging others to accept my ideas. I felt manipulative and rejected that power very early. I didn’t feel I was mature enough to use it. I also remember the freedom of reading a published book and not agreeing with its author. Before that, I thought everything in a book was to be eaten and digested without question. Discovering that I didn’t was liberating and I embraced it.

Now, as a mature person, I use my so called power for good. I love to encourage people to think for themselves. If they end up agreeing with me, I make sure they chose and owned the choice. I encourage freedom.

In our present world, the war is on our minds. They are masters out there working hard to persuade, dissuade, even numb us. Many of us do not realize that we do not do our own thinking.

During life, circumstances can heavily influence our choices. If weak, the effects of pain can navigate us to dark places, similarly, happiness can lead us to light. For example, a broken or dysfunctional family can have adverse effects on children. Anger and unforgivable attitudes can unwittingly steer them off their course.

Imagine this: The Creator of Heaven and earth gave us beings the power of choice. We don’t choose where we start, but we have a say in where we end. Believers in Jesus ought to read and pray their way through life, for no one knows the future but The Creator. God even encourages us to reason and think for ourselves.

When reading the Bible, pray for wisdom; respectfully say you disagree and need understanding. God will answer you. I’ve learned that God loves sincere thinkers and looks forward to answering their questions.

Truth is, our minds are sacred. Treat it as such. Guard your individuality: think carefully, then choose.

« Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. John 8:32 »

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The Power of Guilt

6 Jan

From 2000 to 2007, I was a student in Cuba. It was very challenging for many reasons. But the most challenging of them all was controlling my inner-temper while lining up for a bus. Let me explain: I’d get to the bus stop with only two people in front of me, then when the bus came, dozens of people would come out from nowhere and get in the bus before me. Just as it would be my turn to enter, the driver would say, « Ya » and close the door. What happened? Well, the two people in front of me kept spaces for their friends. It was an accepted practice which seemed to be embedded into their culture.

I used to get so angry because I was often late for class. We did have buses at the dorms but the same thing would happen: friends would guard spaces for their friends, who would come out the building at the last minute and make it in the bus before me!

I hated this so much that it affected my attitude; and yes, I called quite a few people « idiota » and « estUpida ». I sucked every tooth in my mouth and also tried to roll my eyes out of my hot head.

As a result of my bad attitude towards this cultural experience, I felt burdened. Negative feelings weighed heavily on me and I couldn’t seem to shake them off.

One day, after leaving a friend’s home, I paused at the nearby pharmacy and began to reflect on my feelings. Why was I feeling this way? Why couldn’t I seem to shake them off? Then it hit me. It was guilt! This feeling was more powerful than the act that caused it in the first place. I then told God how I felt and how sorry I was. I forgave myself and accepted His forgiveness, then I brushed my left shoulder off as a tangible sign to myself that I was moving on.

When I identified the problem, I remembered this verse:

« But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth onto those things which are before. » Philippians 3:13

I was condemning myself and was unforgiving. I was rejecting the forgiveness of God.

This may sound silly to you. But this was my spiritual dilemma at the time. I’ve since had to beat back guilt on parenting strategies and in other areas as well, but knowing the culprit helped me to push forward.

What about you? What have you done that has caused you immense guilt? Don’t compare it to mine. Sin is sin, and guilt is guilt. Don’t let them hijack you forever. Let guilt do its job, which is to provide that stepping stone to repentance which leads to forgiveness. If we confess what we feel guilty about, God will forgive us. Accept this forgiveness and move on. Keep growing in Christ and kick guilt to the curb.

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Afraid?

5 Jan

Of what? Vaccines? COVID-19? Military occupation? 5G? Listen. There’s only One to fear.

But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. Luke 12:5

If we are not spiritual thinkers, the above verse would have no meaning. This is because most of us only care about life in the body. We are afraid of dying because we have no hope. Everything that’s happening right now is causing us to panic. But I want to remind you that there’s just one way to deal with all of this mess: Get closer to your Creator.

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-8

Do not be anxious, pray, ask, be grateful and receive peace from God through Christ. Meditate on this and remember who is really in control. It may seem that we are on the losing side; it may seem that we are heading towards disaster, but remember, it was through suffering and death that Jesus gave us life.
7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. James 4:7-10

You may be okay during this time and even declare yourself a good person, but don’t ignore the state of the world around you. We are living in very dark times. Be aware, but keep the faith. Pray for believers who are suffering around the world. Stay sober.

Light shines brightest in the dark. If there ever was a time to shine, it is now. Speak hope, pray for opportunities to share the gospel, and finally, do not be afraid.


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