Tag Archives: denominations

Standing Alone Before God

4 Sep

8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 1 Peter 5:8,9

One of the many confusing elements about Christianity is how divided we seem to be. Within our religion we have many denominations and even within them there are further divisions. This has puzzled unbelievers preventing many to take us seriously.

Yet Jesus prayed specifically for unity among believers so that the ‘world’ would believe:

20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 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

This does not mean that everyone who calls themselves Christian will be united in Christ, only that remnant of believers who stand for the principles of their Creator. See Matthew 7:21

It is easy to stand strong with a large group, but how hard it is to stand alone! In these last days, the believer will feel like Elijah:

He replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” 1 Kings 19:2

But God reminded Elijah that he wasn’t the only one. During these times many are feeling like they are alone but many share their sentiments.

Standing alone is not easy, yet, this is going to be our experience in the last days. We will have to choose God in difficult circumstances and let our conscience be our guide. Jesus Said:

Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn “‘a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-la)—36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household. Matthew 10:34-36

Isn’t this happening now? Yes. I just read an article about a mother and father who went to court over inoculating their child in Quebec. This is not an isolated incident. The entire world seems to be polarized.

As our opening verse suggests, this is the time to be sober minded and alert. This is the time to resist the enemy and stand firm in our faith. We can no longer stand firm in a group. It’s time to think, reason and follow our own conscience before God.

It does not matter what our church think the seal of God is, if we don’t have the faith to stand alone in whatever we believe, we will be in trouble.

These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they remained virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among mankind and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. Revelation 14:4

Therefore, let us follow Jesus wherever he leads us. Let us be like brave Peter who obeyed and went to Cornelius despite the teachings of his church. (See Acts 10) Stand firm and follow The Lamb.

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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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