Gracias a Dios!!! Thank God!!!

I'm so happy to say that we finally have an update on Youcef! He has been released from prison after three years. He was acquitted of the apostasy charges and the charges were changed to evangelizing to Muslims which has a sentence of three years-time already served. For more on this story check out the link here.

Lamb of God

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!   John 1:29

Have you ever really thought of the meaning behind the phrase "Lamb of God" that we often use to describe Jesus Christ? Growing up I heard it many times and accepted it as one of the many names and phrases we use to describe our Savior.

Some time ago I decided I really needed to get deep into the Word of God on a daily basis. My Bible has a few different reading plans, so I started with a “Guided Tour of the Bible” which gave me a “big picture” view; later I did some of the themed readings, (Two weeks on the Holy Spirit, Two weeks on God and Nature, etc); and finally, I’ve reached the third plan: “Every Word in the Bible”—something that can be very overwhelming if you sit and look at how long the Bible is, but I find myself more and more really looking forward to the time I spend reading each morning.

What I slowly came to appreciate after reading chapter after chapter in the Old Testament, was how much work it was to stay in God’s favor in Old Testament days. While reading Leviticus, a book that repeats over and over again the rules and methods on how to make those blood sacrifices for our sins, one day it really hit me just how much Jesus really did for us on that Good Friday so many years ago. If you’ve never read those books in the Old Testament, I suggest you do, because I think it will change your understanding of the gift that Christ has given us.

He not only freed us from our sins for eternity, but he also freed us from all those rules, regulations and obligations of the atonement sacrifice that the Jewish people had to carry out time and time again. He freely gave Himself up, the perfect Lamb to atone for our sins and grant us access to God the Father. How amazing is that?? Words cannot describe how wonderful this gift is! Jesus loved us so much that he laid down His sinless, perfect life for us, according to the Father’s plan. We are so blessed to live in the freedom of Christ Jesus! Now let us live for Jesus!

I’m going to end with a video of one of my favorite songs:

God bless and Happy Easter!!!

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

Neither death nor life can separate us

If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me. John 15: 18-21

I mentioned this case back in July, and it seems there hasn’t been much progress, although it has gotten quite a bit of attention internationally. Unfortunately, it is unclear what his fate will be.  Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani was arrested for the “crime” of converting from Islam to Christianity and leading others to follow Christ.  He is accused of the crime of apostasy which is punishable by death under Sharia Law.

He is currently being given Islamist propaganda in prison in hopes that he will recant his faith in Jesus Christ, but he is standing firm in his faith in Jesus. It is my prayer first of all that he stay strong in his faith, that he may be strengthened by the Holy Spirit and that Jesus’ name be furthered in the world because of this persecution that Youcef is facing. I pray that he may know peace that surpasses all understanding. It goes without saying that I pray that the Iranian government do the right thing and release this innocent man from prison.

Youcef knows more than any of us, I think, that no one can take Jesus away from us as believers. I pray that he be comforted knowing that he is not alone, that God is ALWAYS with him and that many are praying for his release every single day. Please keep him in your prayers and remember to thank God for the freedom that we have to practice our faith in Jesus.

Check out a recent video here.

I’ll finish up with a couple of my favorite verses:

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 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

Tragedy in Norway

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Matthew 5:4

I don’t have too much to say about this except that I find it all very confusing and convoluted the way that it is being presented in the press. This man the media is labeling a “right-wing Christian terrorist” doesn’t have much to do with any Christians that I know—so why label him Christian? I’m pretty sure it has something to do with staying “politically correct” and saying that there are Christian as well as Muslim terrorists. Never mind the fact that he has absolutely NO ties to any church, any group of activists or any political party.

They are also saying that he is anti-Muslim. If that is the case, why didn’t he go blow up a mosque or target an area with a high Muslim population? (Obviously, I am absolutely in no way condoning anything of the sort--just trying to figure out the logic being used here.) None of it makes a whole lot of sense. Why, of all people, would he target Norwegian teenagers as young as 14 if his goal was to stop immigration from Muslim countries? It makes absolutely no sense.

I, for one, am not really buying the story that the media is putting out there. It seems a bit complicated and unlikely that this man was able to bomb a government building in Oslo and then go to Utoya island and proceed to murder in cold-blood so many people all by himself. (He himself first claimed that he did everything himself, then that others were helping him, and now I believe we’re back to him acting alone.) Where were the police? How is it that many local Norwegian civilians were able to help and rescue more people than the police themselves? What's your take on it?

Every day I see the world getting worse and worse and it really and truly pains me. I look forward to the day that all of this evil is banished for good and we will be in paradise with God. For now, the only thing I can say is that this man has to be severely mentally unstable to think that what he did was good. It is absolutely disgusting. Please pray for the families of the victims of this terrible crime—for God to give them comfort and peace in their time of suffering.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

What does persecution look like?

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:6, 10-12

Many of us can probably not even fathom what persecution is like. Insults? Sure. But life-threatening persecution, not so much. Lately I seem to be coming across more and more stories of what I’m going to call “civilized persecution” of Christians in the United States. From an atheist group protesting a street sign dedicated to New York firefighters that uses the word “heaven”, to various teenage valedictorians who were prohibited from sharing the impact their faith has on their lives, saying a prayer, or even using the word “God” in their graduation speeches, to a lawsuit from an anti-religion organization that is now suing Governor Rick Perry for participating in an all-day prayer event in his free time.

The first example I mention comes from New York City where an atheist group is protesting the name “Seven in Heaven Way”—a street sign dedicated to the memory of seven firefighters who died rescuing victims of 9/11. They claim it is insulting to them as atheists since they have decided that for them there is no heaven and there is no hell.  The group says, “People died in 9/11, but they were all people who died, not just Christians. Heaven is a specifically Christian place. For the city to come up and say all those heroes are in heaven now, it’s not appropriate.” Excuse me for a moment—how is heaven a “specifically Christian place”?  Am I wrong in saying that Christians, Jews and Muslims all believe in heaven?  (And dare I say, what’s the harm in wishing someone well in the afterlife?)

Now back to the point. Does their non-belief in heaven mean that we no longer have the right to believe in heaven or to mention it? Are they planning on outlawing the word “heaven”? This may sound like an extreme overreaction, but really, what is the point? How can they be so offended by a place they claim doesn’t even exist? If someone told me they were going to Blue Planet #1874 when they died I would not be offended. I may tell them that I don’t agree with them, but to be offended? It just doesn’t make sense.

This graduation season we also saw in different schools all over the country the censorship of a number of valedictorians. In Texas, Angela Hildenbrand was initially told that she was not allowed to lead a prayer or use words like “amen” because the parents of one of the graduating children filed a lawsuit. In the end, Angela was able to pray, beginning with the disclaimer that it was only for anyone who wanted to join in and felt comfortable—however, the school did remove “invocation” and “benediction” from the graduation program. Kyle Gearwar from Vermont is another valedictorian who was censored. He was told he was not allowed to read nearly half of his speech where he talked about how God had changed his life and how he depended on Jesus for his success.

The most recent case of civilized persecution involves Texas Governor Rick Perry who is participating in an all-day prayer event on August 6, 2011. The Freedom from Religious Foundation claims that his participation is in violation of separation of church and state. Now let me ask you a question—is Rick Perry the government or is he a man? Is his participation in a prayer event on a WEEKEND DAY when he is not working forcing anyone to participate in it? Is he forcing anyone to go or to listen to his prayers or to those of others? I cannot get past the backward logic this group is using. It would be one thing if he took every citizen of the United States and forced them all into a room and told them they would not be let out until they prayed, but this is NOT what is happening.

When did it become politically correct to be anything BUT a Christian? Would this group be doing the same thing to a Muslim or a Buddhist? Would they tell a Jew not to uphold the Sabbath or that they could no longer circumcise their boys? Oh, wait.

These may seem like minor setbacks or mere annoyances to many of us because we are in such a privileged part of the world where we normally don’t see the kind of persecution seen in other parts of the world. The truth is, someone is trying to silence the voice of Christians and they will continue to do so and they will become more and more bold in their demands. This is just the first step in a long-range plan to get rid of Christians, or at the very least, to get them out of positions of power. They want us voiceless. This is not the first time in history the tide has turned—we are just the last Christian nation to fall. Our morals and laws are being turned upside-down and inside-out and we seem to think nothing of it. I guarantee you that if we do nothing, we will end up not in a more peaceful, progressive, humane society (as no doubt those who are persecuting Christians claim) but in a more violent, intolerant and inhumane society.

Yesterday as I was planning this post on civilized persecution I came across an article about a Christian pastor in Iran named Yousef Nadarkhani who was arrested in 2009 and was sentenced to death last year because of his faith.  He has been told that his sentence will be suspended if he recants his faith, which he refuses to do. Please pray for him to be encouraged and for God to give him strength and to let him continue to be a witness for the gospel of Jesus Christ.

You may ask what the plight of this man has to do with what I’ve called civilized persecution in the United States? Well, it has EVERYTHING to do with it. This is the direction we are heading if we do not stand up and come together in prayer and ask God for direction. So, practically, what can we do?

The first thing we need to do is to strengthen our personal relationships with Christ. That means we need to get in the habit of reading the Bible every day and praying every single day. We can connect with other believers in homes, in coffee shops, at church, in the street. There is great strength when believers come together and ask God to intercede on our behalf and ask him to guide us. Jesus tells us, “Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there I am with them.” Matthew 18:19,20 This is the time to come together and ask God for guidance and strength.

There may be someone reading this that is not sure about who God is or what they believe. I sincerely encourage you to investigate what the Bible really teaches. Forget everything that you think you know. Many of us in the Western world think that we know the story—and that it’s old news. We’ve seen scandals, controversies, hypocrisy and that’s enough for many to turn away in disgust. It’s important to note that Jesus was indignant at these VERY SAME THINGS. He hated that the church was being used for profit, he hated the pompous, holier-than-thou attitudes of the teachers of the law. He even called the Pharisees a “brood of vipers” (Matt. 12:34). Don’t let human sin stand in the way of a relationship with a God who loves you and sent his son to die for you! Give him a fair chance.

If you are already a believer, I challenge you to immerse yourself in God’s word, pray, and listen to what God is asking you to do. Connect with other believers and pray for the persecuted all over the world (you can get more information here.) Pray for those who do not yet know Jesus and tell them your story. May God bless and encourage Yousef Nadarkhani, Amanda Hildenbrand, Kyle Gearwar, Rick Perry, and anyone else who is being persecuted.  Keep your eyes on the prize—fight the good fight, finish the race and keep the faith. God bless!

How to pray

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

How many of us only pray when something is not going well in our lives? We are afraid or we need something and only then do we turn to God. Let me ask this, do any of you have “friends” who only seem to come around when they need something from you? How does that make you feel? Does it make you feel loved and special or just like someone is trying to use you? I think we all know the answer to this question.  So why do we do the same thing to God?

Having a relationship with God is just like any other relationship in certain aspects. It requires work and communication. Imagine yourself in a marriage. How long do you think it would last if you lived separately, were not involved in each other’s lives and only called up the other person when you needed money because you ran out again? Not long. That’s why it is SO IMPORTANT to communicate with God through his son Jesus Christ on a regular basis! God wants a RELATIONSHIP with you, not just lip service! You should let God into every aspect of your life—your work, your friendships, etc, etc. This is how we are transformed, by letting God into even the little things.

I’ll give you an example of how God has changed me recently. I work in a job that is very, very frustrating—I’m an English teacher in Spain and let’s just say the children I teach are not very enthusiastic about spending an hour with me every day during their two-hour recess/lunch time.  I won’t go into detail here about why this is such a difficult and frustrating job, but I will tell you that for almost three years I came home from work completely discouraged and angry most days. For a long time, I did not connect with my coworkers who are largely in their late 50s and have their own families and friends established already. My students would be outright rude to me on many occasions—in short, I felt rejected in every way possible. The only thing keeping me in Spain was my then fiancé.

One day I decided I had to change my attitude about work. Instead of thinking of it as low-paid torture, I would ask God to help me get through the day, to help me be a good example and witness for my students and even thank him for the opportunity to work (not a small thing with the SUPER HIGH unemployment rate in Spain). Things changed. I’m not saying it was overnight or even that my students turned into little angels. No. But I have seen an improvement in my relationship with coworkers as well as with my students. One day a student even said to me, “Miss Kristen, you’re being nicer than before!” It made me laugh, but it was true. I learned how to be patient and stay calm instead of getting upset all the time. God transformed me into a better teacher and a better coworker.

It may seem silly and trivial, but God can transform us in any part of our lives, be it small or big. I can tell you from experience that this seemingly small change has really been for the better and has made a huge difference in my life. My husband noticed that I was happier and calmer than before and told me so. Another coworker said to me on another occasion that I “looked so happy”—I guess I was smiling without realizing it.

So how/when should we pray? We can pray anywhere, anytime. Some people like to pray in private, some as they walk down the street, some in the subway or in the car. Some aloud, some silently. However you pray, just pray.

It’s a good idea to not only ask God for things, but also to praise him and thank him! Think about all the wonderful gifts he has given you! Look at the world and how beautiful nature is-a gift from God. Taste the food he has put on your plate and how delicious it is—a gift from God! Do you have clothing on your back? Do you have somewhere to sleep? These are gifts from God. Do you have a job? Another gift from God.  No matter how bad things are, we have to remember that God has given us LIFE. By all means, if something is bothering you or you need help with something, ask God for help! That is part of being in a relationship—just don’t forget to be thankful and to give him the praise he is due.

Praise the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty. He wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind. He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants. Psalm 104: 1-4
What a wonderful God we have! :)

Love your enemies

Remember that old saying, “Kill them with kindness”? I’m pretty sure it comes from Proverbs 25: 21, 22 “If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.”  What’s the goal here? Are we literally hoping to heap burning coals on someone’s head? NO! We are to show (genuine) kindness in order to win them over for Christ.
I’m sure most of us know that Jesus told us to love our neighbor as ourselves, but he also told us to love our enemies and to pray for the very people that make our lives more difficult (Matt. 5:44). That’s a pretty hard pill to swallow for most of us. Your “enemy” can be that person at work who is constantly annoying you or belittling you or bad-mouthing you to the boss. It could be something much worse. The point is, today you see a lot of people preaching superficial peace and reconciliation, without ever getting to the real issues (political correctness at its finest). “You believe what you believe, and I’ll believe what I believe.” There is some good in that, of course, because we must respect and listen to others in order to have a real conversation.  Unfortunately, we’ve gotten to the point where there is only one acceptable political opinion and type of spirituality and we all know what that is. This is not genuine and it is not truthful. I, for one, am sick and tired of it. If we want honest change and honest reconciliation, we have to be honest with ourselves and each other.
We also have to remember that we, at one time, were also enemies of God, in that we were not reconciled with him and did not recognize our need for him in our lives.  He chose to love us and pursue us anyway. Well, now that we have accepted him, how is that showing to others? Like Paul said, people are ultimately going to see if we have been transformed by looking at our lives and how we interact with others (2 Cor. 3:1-6). Are we facilitating people coming to Christ, or are we making it more difficult?
When we humble ourselves before God and pray for the people who are our enemies, we make ourselves open to being changed as well by the Holy Spirit. We have to ask: Is there something that I could be doing better? Is my attitude right with God in regard to this person?  How are we going to witness to this person if we are not being kind to them? This is something that God has put on my heart recently. There are a few people that I can think of that I can start praying for. What about you?