Overwhelming peace.

The days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone. (Luke 21:6)

If you’ve been to the movies recently, you’ve probably noticed that the world seems to be ending a lot lately! In World War Z, the earth is threatened by zombies who are victims of a global pandemic. When the film Oblivion opens, our planet is already a wasteland. In Man of Steel, Superman has to save the world from destruction by aliens. The fact that these films are so popular may well be a sign that people are looking at the world today and not finding much hope for the future. 

But Jesus would advise us to look at the “signs of the times” differently. When we hear of wars and global catastrophes, we shouldn’t be terrified. When films and television shows try to whip up a fear of the end times, we shouldn’t listen to them (Luke 21:8-9). Of course, we shouldn’t try to ignore reality when a very disturbing event takes place. But we should also know that none of these are the end. They’re not even what the end is going to look like!

In fact, the end is really a beginning, and it isn’t something we should fear. Why? Because that’s when Jesus returns in glory! Yes, some catastrophic events may take place before that day. But Jesus tells us that they are “labor pains,” (Matthew 24:8). They are necessary because the world isn’t ready for Jesus to come back yet. But if we keep our hearts fixed on the Lord, we can be ready. He will keep us in perfect peace if we put our trust in him (Isaiah 26:3). 

How do we maintain that peace? When negative and despairing thoughts come, remind yourself of his promises. You don’t have to fear “the terror of the night nor the arrow that flies by day” (Psalm 91:5). You can call out to the Lord, “My rock, my fortress, my deliverer” (2 Samuel 22:2). Tell yourself that no matter what happens, Jesus will “never fail you or forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6). Your mind is where the battle rages most fiercely, not the world. So take those thoughts captive, and rest in his mercy! 

credit: www.wau.org

WHO ARE YOU TO JUDGE???

It’s interestingly amazing how we see the things people do, but most often never bother to ask why...

We seem to know people so much and so well, even the ones we never met and that has made us self-righteous and all-knowing and very judgemental...

·   On your way to church on a Sunday morning, you see a group of young men playing football on a field; and after church, you see some men and women at a bar having that ‘Sunday special’....

You don’t ask, but you conclude by making yourself look ‘obedient’ and righteous in your own eyes. You never bother to ask and be told that: they are Adventists or Moslems or Witnesses who have had their Sabbath or field work ahead of yours.

·         You see a 13year old girl with a baby on her back and carrying the weightiest load on her head.

You conclude that the ‘youth of today’ have low moral standards; you beat your chest out of pride and say, “how righteous, pure, holy and morally upright I am; I never thought of babies at 13”. You never bother to find out that: she was raped and the baby was the scar of that rape though a gift OR that the baby is her sibling- she’s only helping her mother to take care of the baby OR they both lost their mother whilst she was having the baby and their father lost his job and his mind as a result or is probably nowhere to be found OR that the baby is her older sister or brother’s child.

·         You are in church and it’s time to sing a hymn, the young person seated beside you starts scrolling/ thumbing up and down on their iPad/ tablet/ phone/ palm top.

You never bother your sense of curiosity to find out that: they hymnal they chose and could afford is the one they are thumbing through and that is what they are gadgets are for.

·         In church, everyone stands to make a contribution to the ongoing discussion; but he sits to make his point and you conclude that he is disrespectful and plain pompous...

You are so so ashamed when you find out during collection time that: he has one leg amputated and walks by the help of his clutches.

·         You are on your way to work or school, and you see a young man/ woman tottering and swaying left and right as they move on and then suddenly, they fall down. As better than them as you are, you say to yourself: “look at this aimless person, drank at this hour of the day...”

You never bother to get close enough to find out that, (s)he is on her way to the hospital but has no one to take him/ her OR (s)he has just left the hospital but had spent all they had on the prescribed medication and couldn’t afford food or water to take the drug right away OR that the person has not eaten for days...

·         You are too busy to listen to that young person who is so weighed down by their tears and just can’t spare time to listen to another lazy-miserable person whose life didn’t turn out right and has too much time on their hands to spare feeling sorry for themselves...

You didn’t even have the heart to listen or even to obey that still small voice telling you that: the miserable young lad or lass whose life (in your eyes) didn’t turn out right is the very one whose parents made sacrifices for your parents to get you where you are OR that: that is the one soul you should have encouraged and helped get into heaven.

·         You know someone who is always laughing and makes jokes out of everything you regard as serious and always finds something to laugh about... You just shake your head at them and decide that they are not people you should mingle with because they are not serious and don’t have any worries and would definitely not have anything sensible to share with or tell you... 

You never bother to even get close to find out that the weight on that persons heart and shoulder is much more you even imagined or bothered to think about and you never even opened your eyes and mind and heart to learn from them that: no matter how heavy or ugly your problems look, life is beautiful and that once you profess to trust God, He always gives you something to smile and even laugh about and you tend to have a brighter outlook on life regardless of how heavy your burdens...

·       You see a man or woman whom everyone ( including yourself) knows is rich and so you stay away thinking this person has it all and doesn’t need any more or has no problem and that God has been so fair to him/ her but not you.

Maybe you should get close enough to know that they also need true friends in their lives and though they look like they have it all, there may be something that they need and only you can give- yes, you!

The instances go on and on and on...

We are too busy judging people...

We judge people (un)knowingly, (un)consciously; the Good Book in all its wisdom and authority says: “Do not judge, that you may not be judged...” (Matt. 7:1) and we think that that judgement will come years after; that judgement comes the instant we judge another.

If it never occurred to you, then today it will hit you (or slap you right in the face) and you with all due respect are finding out that:

The instant the index finger stands accusingly judging another, the thumb, middle, ring and little fingers also lie down in all comfort accusing you and reminding you that:

“No matter how holy, righteous or ungodly you think you are, you are no better or worse than the person you accuse or praise...”

Get closer and stop judging!!!

For once, consciously STOP judging people and see how beautiful life would be...

By: Owusuaa. 

He calls....Are you listening?

 Great crowds were traveling with Jesus, and he turned and addressed them… (Luke 14:25)

Try to imagine yourself among the people following along behind Jesus. Questions are swirling around you; some are laughing, and some are crying, as the crunch of feet on the ground grows. Suddenly Jesus stops, turns around, and looks right at you. Did I do something? Jesus begins to speak, and it is as if everyone else disappears.

Luke’s little detail about Jesus stopping, turning, and speaking seems deliberate. He wanted to emphasize Jesus’ desire to get the people’s full attention as he spoke words crucial to their faith. This was not a time for idle chatter or casual conversation. It was a time to let every word soak in. And for those who did pay close attention, the words changed their lives.

Every day, Jesus, the Son of the living God, wants to speak to you! He wants to take your face in his hands and say, “Look at me. Listen closely. This is important. I want you to receive it.” He asks you to set aside your own thoughts, ideas, and plans, and try your best to imagine looking into his eyes. This is a holy moment, when he can move your heart and form your mind. It’s a sacred time, when he can give you the grace you need to love him and follow him. It’s a golden opportunity for him to chip away at the hard outer layer of your heart so that he can find new ways to teach you and love you.

Day in and day out, we are surrounded by distractions—both interior and exterior. There is so much “chatter” trying to pull us away from Jesus and from one another. How encouraging, then, to know that we have a Redeemer who will never stop trying to get our attention! Day after day, he wants to turn to us, look us in the eye, and tell us about his love, his will, and his salvation. So don’t let the chatter drown him out! 

“Jesus, thank you for calling my name and speaking to my heart. Open my ears to hear you above all the noise in my day.”

Taken from wau.org.