Can you be the Answer?

Today, at a quick store, I was reminded by a lady of how much the world looks at us as Christians and hopes that we have the answer to the brokenness of this world, yet so very often we disappointe the people around us by living as hypocrites and using God as the means of justification for our own mistakes. She told me of how the Christians in her life have only deceived her, lied to her, committed adultery, cheated, etc. yet they have rarely failed in bringing judgment to others and her who could really use God in their lives.

All I could say was, I am sorry an I gave her a hug. For I know that I have been that person myself many times. I also told her that we as Christians, should imitate Christ, but we usually fail. Our goal however, should always be to truly represent Him.

I pray to God to help me and you to not be hypocrites, but rather genuine followers of Christ who show this world the true character of Jesus.

Impostors of Faith

Lately the internet has been bombarded by words of hatred.  Whites hate blacks, blacks hate whites. People hate cops, they hate homosexuals, they hate Muslims, and the list goes on. The thing that is the most saddening and hurt piercing to me, is the fact that many who emphasize their words of hatred are amongst those who claim to be Christians. Although as Christians we are supposed to hate sin, yet we are called to love the sinners and bring the hope of eternal life that only comes through Christ, to all.

Well, I am here to tell you that if you have Christ in your life, you would not spew words of hatred, nor act hatefully towards others, for Christ died for the sinners and the lost sheep. If you claim to be a Christian and hate others, you dishonor the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. “If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1 John 1:6-7) If you have Jesus in your life, you do what it takes to share the Gospel of salvation with those whom you are against. In John 3:16-17 the Scripture doesn't says that Christ loved a group of people and only died for that particular group. It says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

If you claim to be a follower of Christ, yet you don't have the same love for others as Christ did for you, then you are merely an impostor. My fellow brothers and sisters, follow God with eternity in mind, not only for you, but even for those whom you dislike and disagree with. Mark 2:16-17 says, “When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” If you act so self-righteous, then you don't need the healer (Jesus) and you have already condemned yourself. Along with that, Jesus is most likely to hang out with those you consider sinners and the worst of worsts than spending time with you who claims to be self-righteous.

Pray to God to remove the veil from your eyes and allow you to see with His eyes and to love with His heart. Pray for your heart to transform and be renewed by the love of Christ. Pray for those whom you hate. Don’t let your hatred drag you into eternal punishment.  

Find Your Strengths

Recently I was reminded of a concept which provoked my thoughts quite a bit. As I was reading through a book called "Strengths Finder" Written by Tom Rath, I came across a quote that hit me hard.

“When we’re able to put most of our energy into developing our natural talents, extraordinary room for growth exists................ Across the board, having the opportunity to develop our strengths is more important to our success than our role, our title, or even our pay. In this increasingly talent-driven society, we need to know and develop our strengths to figure out where we fit in.” (Rath, Pg. 8-9) 

Why is this such an important concept to think about? Well, let me put it this way. We live in a society were at work, at school, and even at home we focus more on people's weaknesses rather than helping them develop their strengths. For example, at home, those of us who are parents, work hard with our kids to help them achieve things that they are terrible at, yet we never put any effort into their natural talents or abilities. At work, your boss might call you in his or her office to remind you of how terrible you did in something, yet he or she rarely focuses on the areas of which your are really good at and assign you tasks based on your strengths. 

When it comes to our personal selves, we spend an enormous amount of time to be things that we are not meant to be, whereas our focus should be on what God made us to be and what gifts He blessed us with. for instance, If you are not good with history, and studying history gives you a headache, you can put so much effort and time into developing yourself to be better with at remembering all the historical events and dates, yet it is not likely that you will become a historian. On the contrary, if your gift is in teaching and you actually focus on that gift and spend your time and effort into developing yourself, you will soon realize that you are not only growing, but you are also enjoying what you are doing.  

God's words says in Romans 12:3-8, "For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully."

So, the button line is, if we are each parts of the body and you are a "hand", don't try to be a "foot". It is just not going to workout well for you or anybody. Be what your are meant to be and if you don't know what that is, then try to find out your strengths by seeking help and guidance.

Work cited

Rath, Tom. StrengthsFinder 2.0: A New and Upgraded Edition of the Online Test from Gallup's Now, Discover Your Strengths. 1st ed. New York: Gallup Press, 2007. Kindle Edition & Web

Freedom Defined

Freedom Defined

Do you ever wonder about what freedom really is or means? Many think that freedom is the ability to say or do what you want, in fact the dictionary defines freedom as, “the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint”. But is freedom really that simple? If this is really the definition of freedom, then in my opinion no one is really free!!!! I look around and I observe people who claim to be free, yet it seems to me that they are more in bondage than those who don’t live in a “free country”.

I believe that there are two kinds of freedom! A false kind which the culture and the world teaches us, and a true freedom that only comes from God.

So what is true freedom you ask?

• Freedom is respecting the price that was paid (in my case remembering the sacrifice of Christ on the cross)
• Freedom is the recognition of your weaknesses and taking actions before you are enslaved by them
• Freedom is not the ability to say what you want, but the ability to build people up whit what you say
• Freedom is not the capability of doing what you wish, but it is the ability to make a difference and leave a legacy behind
• Freedom is knowing that hatred for others is a bondage on its own
• Freedom is the acceptance of differences, while not participating in evil
• And most importantly, freedom is the realization of boundaries

In my opinion, there is also another idea which I personally call the Absolute Freedom. Though many of us think we are free to say and do what we want, or practice any religion, yet no one on earth has absolute freedom. What I mean is this, even those who think they live in a free country are still under the authority of the laws of that country. Break the law and you will have to face the consequences. So if freedom is defined to be as “acting as you wants”, does it mean that you can drive 25 miles over the speed limit without being pooled over by a cop and having to get a ticket or going to jail? So, you are only free if you are within the premiers of the law and therefore that means you do not really have what I call the absolute freedom.

Now, the Bible says in John 8:36 “So if the Son (Jesus) sets you free, you will be free indeed.” In my understanding of God’s love, true and absolute freedom comes from faith in Jesus Christ and nowhere else. Don’t get me wrong, as long as you are alive on this earth you will never experience absolute freedom, but if you believe in Jesus as your Lord and Savior, and you follow His ways, then you will not only get a glimpse of peace and true freedom, but you also have secured your eternal destiny in a place where absolute freedom is the only freedom mankind will ever know.  

Hear Me, Lord!

I don't know about you, but at times I find myself confused and lost in my own thoughts. I feel as though I am forsaken. I cry out to God, "hear me, o Lord!”, “Please hear me”. There seems be no voice of response, other than the deafening noises of anguish echoing in the depths of my heart and my mind. There seems to be no comfort other than knowing that I am not the only one who has felt this way. I find my comfort in Psalm 69 as the author pours out his heart to God.

Psalm 69:16-18

Answer me, LORD, out of the goodness of your love; in your great mercy turn to me.

Do not hide your face from your servant; answer me quickly, for I am in trouble.

Come near and rescue me; deliver me because of my foes.

“God will you deliver me?”, “Are you even hearing me?”, “I need you!!!” The loud noises in my heart become even louder. I have to stop myself. I have to quiet the noises. I have to find peace. But, how? Then I think about Jesus. I think about the CROSS. I think about why He died. Suddenly the noises are quiet. I can hear! It is His voice. The same gentle voice of the savior that called His disciples one by one by saying, “Follow Me”. There He is, telling me to follow Him, but here I am sitting and wondering why He has forsaken me.

Deliverance sounds simple and easy, but it is not! He had to die for me! He had to be tortured and crucified. “Follow me”, He says. But, where? How? “………. Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." (Matthew 16:24)

Now, I understand it again. How could I ever forget? I am reminded again just like the psalmist. 

Psalm 69:29

But as for me, afflicted and in pain may your salvation, God, protect me.

Psalm 121:1-2

I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

I am not alone nor forsaken. I never was. I was just looking down, not up to Him! I praise Him, for being my deliverance indeed. What would I do without the hope of salvation?

Need Vs. Faith

One of the common things that lately I seem to hear a lot is the concept of need as a justification for lack of faith. Today as I am writing this, it is a Tuesday afternoon and to be honest, I have heard the same justification, at least three times in the past two days.

Why is it that it is so easy for us to justify our desires as a need? Is that what God teaches us? From what I see in the Bible, the only need in our lives is following Jesus with all of our hearts. The rest are just temporary things. Here is the truth, if we are not willing to give God all of our needs, then we don't really trust Him to be our provider and savior.

Here are a list of a few things I have heard this week:

• I need to drink alcohol. It is a need. 
• I need the money, so I can't give it to God.
• My sexual life is a result of a need, I have no way of controlling it. 

As you read this, go an and add the things that you say are your needs. My challenge for you who read this is this that you would identify the things in your life which you call a need, and see if they are opposing what God is teaching you to do. 

The only thing you need is Jesus. 

Psalm 9:10 

And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.

Isaiah 55:1-2 

Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare.

He Intercedes

Are there times in your life were you are wordless? You want to pray, but words would not flow from you lips? Your mind is so troubled that it simply can't handle the pressure of  prayer added to it? So, what you do is try to pray, but you can't. You try to tell God how you feel, but you just cant.
Well, if you do feel like this at times, it's OK. I want you to know that you are not the only one!

There is some good news though. God's word tells us in Romans 8:26 that God's Spirit is aware of our weakness and when we are in those situations, His Spirit is interceding on behalf of us.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.(Romans 8:26)

So, next time when you are wordless, but you want to go before God, don't worry, because He already knows and His Spirit is already praying for what you can't pray for.
Isn't this great news? I find it absolutely amazing that my God is so great and loving that He knows my weaknesses and still provides a way for me to communicate with Him. 

What If It Hurts?

Are there times in your life where something just hurts you from deep within? Perhaps something that someone did, or a relationship just causes you to hurt. At times you feel like you want to cry, and you can't stop thinking about it. You just can't focus! You keep asking yourself, "When is it going to stop?", "Will I ever have peace?"

I wish I had a magical solution for this kind of pain, but the reality is that there is no cure other than God. There are times that you might feel all alone, yet He is with you and knows the hurt and pain in your heart. I know that you have probably heard what I am writing here before. Perhaps when you were hurt, some of your Christian friends told you to not worry because God will give you peace!

The reality is that God will truly give you peace, however, it is not always as you think it would be. Sometimes, pain and hurt is good for us to develop character and patience. So, here is my suggestion, if you are going through  a hurtful situation, remember that everything in this world is just temporary. Nothing lasts. There is only one thing about you that lasts forever an it is your soul. Make, the decisions to use the pain and hurt in your life, to draw closer to God. Forgive. Because you can spend eternity with Him.

James 1:12
Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

Greatness of His Sacrifice

If we truly understood the greatness of Jesus' sacrifice, then our lives would look much more different than they are now. Many can't stop but think to themselves, wasn't he God? The creator of everything? Then why is it a sacrifice to create a way for his creation to go to heaven?

Instead of asking the above question, ask yourselves, if God hates sin, why would he create a way for the sinner to come face to face with Him? Why would he love me and you? The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross was the most difficult thing for God to do. God had to create a bridge between his holiness and our unholiness. A bridge that would cost Him a lot of pain and grief. A bridge that would cost His humiliation.   Think about this for a second, if you are the owner of of a very large company, would you humiliate yourself so you can raise the lowest of lows to be in the same office as you? Yet, the owner of existence humbled himself as a man. His sacrifice is something you and I will never understand because we barely live a life that represents sacrifice. Don't get me wrong, there are many people who live their lives for God and give up everything they have. They do it because they have understood a bit of what Jesus sacrifice was really meant to be, but for the most part, Christians just live their lives like anybody else. But like I said earlier, if we truly understood the greatness of Jesus' sacrifice, then our lives would look much more different than they are now.

Kindness Never Fails!

Many years ago, when I still lived in Iran, my dad and I along with a couple of my cousins went fishing in a small beautiful pond in the city of Babol (Northern Iran). While Fishing was my favorite thing to do, I always enjoyed goofing around and catching frogs or playing in the mud to find warms to use as bait.

In one occasion as we were fishing, one of the natives of that area, who spend most of his time around the pond to provide for his family, asked my dad for help with something. To be honest, I don't even remember what he needed, but I do remember that my dad was happy to help him. As soon as his problem was solved, he took his shirt off, jumped into the water (the same pond water that we would not dare to jump into due to all the plants that your feet could get caught on, or all the leaches). After staying down there for a little while he came back up with some green plants in his hands which he handed one to each one of us. He had gone down there and collected lily pad seeds. He taught us how to eat them, and I have to tell you that after trying them, I fell in love with the flavor immediately. He had returned a small favor to my dad, by jumping into that water and getting us each some lily pad seeds.

This story might not have a significant meaning for you, but as a child, I learned that when you bless someone, you get blessed even more. In this case, my dad blessed someone, and through that, his whole family was blessed with something new and unique. There is always a reward for an act of kindness.

Luke 6:38 
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”