The women and children crowd around the shelter, be it the hollows of a house or a tent in a camp, they live with the same fear only one in a war torn country can identify with. Their lives are in constant upheaval, the government is ambiguous, and the medical facilities unpredictable.  How do we implement basic human rights when families have their very futures in a perilous balance of life and death?

The rights of all individuals are to have the highest attainable standard of health, access to medical services, adequate standard of living, education, leisure, and a chance to live to their fullest potential. A families’ basic privilege is stripped away by the swift arm of the warring parties. Until good is secured for all of us and incorporated into our common life, only the hope of something good can be secured for ourselves.

I have been working on research projects for the International Rescue Committee for their resettled refugees and political asylees in the Washington DC metropolitan area. I sit down and hear the stories of each and every one of these suffering and going through these situations we can hardly imagine. One elderly gentleman sits down and starts telling me how he has a doctorate in law and was a law professor in a university in his home country. Rising in the political ranks his political beliefs ultimately led to his persecution and torture. This gentleman was tortured for what he thought was right and had to leave his family and home and all his successes to run through jungles and deserts across the border and somehow find his way as a political asylee here in America.  Coming here with nothing and having no money or home he would go to supermarkets and help elderly ladies unload their groceries in their cars and receive one or two dollars for his help. At the end of the day he might have twenty dollars to go buy some food. He has saved his money to take a home health course in order to get a job but in this struggling economy he is unable to obtain one and with no income he relies on the help of others. Still he says, ‘thank God that He is my source of hope.’

Another lady comes in desperately asking me to help her get her four children to America. This lady was also a highly qualified lawyer and a leader in a political party of her home country. She too was tortured and persecuted and had to flee from her persecutors alone without her children and husband, running to a strange and foreign country. Now she is struggling to send money to her children and has no finances to bring her small children to be with her and yet is thankful that God has protected her life and her children’s so far.

Throughout the world growing numbers of children and families face difficult circumstances being homeless, stricken with disease, or become internally displaced or refugees from war and natural disasters. They are often found helpless and without a voice against a host of other dangerous situations; being kidnapped as child soldiers, or forced and sold for labor and persecuted and tortured.

Developing countries constantly face environmental change, internal conflict; mass population movements and the collapse of basic services all of which rapidly overwhelm efforts to sustain life. Refugees and displaced populations are the most vulnerable as they have not only lost house and belongings but also security, peace and freedom.  Amidst the backdrop of poverty and neglect there is hope. We as Christians knowing the love and compassion of our Savior Jesus can be a light and hope to those in need. We do not need to go to another country to help, there are people right here around us where we can show Christ’s compassion and hope. We can give what we can and know that it will be a blessing to us as well as those we help. These refugees and asylees really are in need and as the holiday season of Thanksgiving and Christmas is near let us truly be thankful for what God has blessed us with and be ready to serve others as Christ came to serve and help us.

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go visit you?’ ‘The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25:35-40

Advancements in science have brought about a whole new level of ethical issues. In the past technological developments were in mechanics, but now the issues are turning inwards: towards genetics. We are now trying to change ourselves, from outward plastic surgery to internal genome changes. Ethical issues are being bombarded upon us. How do we as Christians respond? I believe that in everything we first should think as a Christian – as someone who believes in the Word of God and holds true to a moral and ethical code.

Why are we afraid to say that our purpose in life is to be a light to the world? Science brings skepticism and disbelief under the veil of logic and analytical skills. The search for the elimination of flaws in our species must not end in the elimination of the unique God given breath in each and every one of our species. This reminds of me a quote from C.S. Lewis – The Abolition of Man, “The whole point of seeing through something is to see something through it…”Are we losing sight of what God intended? Or are we just losing sight of ourselves?  

This election I think more so than others has brought to mind the magnitude of the reality of just how much our ethical values and issues in science and technology are changing. The abortion issue and teen pregnancy is on the rise…it has even affected the most prominently publicized figures. Reading and researching different public health and medical concerns it is obviously evident that no one problem has one solution. Everything is multi-factorial and interconnected in some way. Being a Christian and believing strongly in the fact that there is no doubt of life at conception, abortion is not the answer. Yet, even if abortion is made completely illegal there will still be medical professionals and others who will practice this method in unsafe conditions, which currently happens across the world. Our societal way of thinking and handling situations is drastically changing at a pace so fast I wonder how life will be for the next generation. Why are we as Christians not making an impact? Our voice is truly hidden amongst the celebrity, shallow television shows, pop culture and news media of today. We’ve allowed ourselves to be identified as the same, nothing different, and aligned right along with everything everyone is saying and doing. Where is the change? Across the other side of this world TODAY Christians are being forced to worship and bow down to idols and retract their Christian beliefs in order to stay alive or fleeing from torture and persecution, and standing up for believing in a Savior Jesus who came to give life and life more abundantly.  

Desensitization has definitely affected our generation. We live blindly drifting through this life seeing the craziness around us yet strangely unaware of the consequences. Our emotions locked, caged in unable to experience the outrage and shock of each and every image, scene, sound, and memory surrounding us. This is not to promote fear, worry, anxiety, and uncertainty about today or tomorrow. We live following a creator God and Savior who is victorious! Psalm 84:11 “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless.” I know it is not easy living differently in a uniform world but it is worth far more to walk with the Lord than anything you can achieve in your own strength, health, and wealth. Do not try to eliminate the uniqueness inside of us, live this life with a difference, a passion, and as an example. Prove that God’s will is good, pleasing, and perfect when we put our faith in Him first.  

“So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” Romans 12:2 (The Message)

History is continuously recorded with each passing day as individuals rise and fall, and amidst it all swift progress is hopefully attained. The daggers are out, weapons poised for attack, statements of grandeur and conquest proclaimed to instill both fear and excitement in hearts. Stories, rumors of fine work and bad deeds spread like wildfire among the crowds as their leaders face off and battle cries ring out across the land. Women and children their fates at stake, men run wild, fists shaking at their plight. The plans of action only in a form of words are bitterly argued left and right. No one leader ready to strike.

Lately the US presidential election has been the topic of conversation and soon the United States of America will have either its first black president or its first female vice president. Unfortunately this still shows that we are slightly behind the times as the rest of the world has seen many a female president and prime minster and notable famed black leaders who have led their nations to either war or some form of peace and stability. (Some historical notes: The first female Prime Minister in the world: Siramavo Bandaranaike; 1960 of Sri Lanka, followed by India’s Prime Minister Indira Gandhi; 1966, and even a first CO-Chairwoman of People’s Republic of China, Soong-Chin-ling; 1968, then Golda Meir; 1969 Prime Minister of Israel and how can we forget Margaret Thatcher; 1979 Prime Minister of England, as well as many female Presidents in Latin America. These were all among the first females to lead Nations.)

Sometimes I think it is quite ironic that Sri Lanka and India were the first countries to have female leaders since they are known, specifically India, as countries which do not have equal treatment of women. Of course there are many situations that exist in certain regions: FGM, gender based violence, and the rights and attitudes towards education, work, and marriage. Still, there is progress being made. I should mention that I am not a feminist at all; I just believe that each individual human being should be treated with respect and have access to all basic and life sustaining human rights. This said, now back to other politics and what’s at hand, I do believe historical milestones are finally being reached in the US with both a black leader and female leader being able to rise up the ranks of government.  

Today there are so many issues threatening our livelihood; STD’s are literally almost a plague, teen pregnancy is ever increasing and with an absolute disregard for the sacredness of the marriage institution and moral code of living the only possible solutions available are band-aid jobs. There is no complete solution unless peoples’ belief systems change because how are you going to control yourself? We only live by the grace of God and give and surrender our lives into the control of Jesus Christ our Savior.

The numerous issues affecting our lives continuously increase: the intensifying tensions between nations, talk of nuclear weapons development in regions across the world, the controlling powers over huge energy resources, the already existing wars in so many countries, immigration concerns and economic woes that are creating mountains of debt, job losses, inflation, taxations and not to mention healthcare, the current coverage is not quite cutting it: socialized medicine, anyone? And issues of whether and how much the US will contribute to increased and better public health and international aid programs is also at stake. It is all quite disturbing.

Ultimately I feel that people should stand firm in their choices and decisions and not be swayed back and forth by popular opinion. As Christians we should stand by our Biblical principles of life and hold firm to the sacred institutions which God created for our good. Also God is always in control of every situation and has created this world from beginning to end, after all it says in the Word of God; ‘I knew you before you were even formed in your mother’s womb.’ I know that God has given us life and placed inside of us our unique qualities to be in this period of time. Although at times His voice may be inaudible, His presence rare, and it does not seem as if He is there, but through it all God is always working. In the story of Esther, annihilation was inevitable and there seemed no way or no hope to change the kings’ edict. Yet, God’s ways and thoughts are higher than ours, God’s will not comprehensible to us, and He is at work in the hearts of kings, leaders and people. There is no situation small or great that He is not there.

It seems this world is full of different ideologies, facts, figures, and thoughts on concepts of dating and marriage. Lately all I hear is how marriage is no longer sacred and frankly we live in a world where it is easier to hook up with someone and be accepted rather than waiting for the right guy/ girl and get married. I spent this summer trying to test and counsel kids aged 11- 21 coming in to find out if they are HIV positive or not. A 15 year old girl comes in quiet and with kind of an attitude, as we talk I come to find out that not only is she here to find out her HIV status but she just found out today that she’s pregnant. I ask her if she has any Pastor or anyone to talk to about this, she says she doesn’t and that she’s going to have an abortion.

She is no longer with her boyfriend; she has no parents, and wants to finish high school. Another boy comes in: he’s smoking marijuana daily, working in a cemetery now that he’s finished with high school. He doesn’t feel like he can go to college and he’s here because he’s losing weight and afraid his hook ups may have given him HIV. Yet another girl, 14 years old, comes in and does not know what STDs are or the ramifications are of her being with her boyfriend; who is much older than her. Her two older sisters; 16 and 18 already have two kids and no husbands. Honestly my heart feels like it’s going to overflow with pain for these children coming in every single day.  

We get so caught up with whether or not some guy/ girl may like us or whether we can go out alone on a date, get to know them or whether our parents will allow us to go out in a group. Yet, we’re losing focus of something much bigger. Most of us who read this site are so blessed to have generations of Christian heritage, God fearing parents and a really blessed life. We are forgetting or just not realizing the principles that should be leading our lives to live with a greater responsibility and intensity.  

God has been with you and directed your every footstep, if you have been taught to pray daily for Him to do so. When you are young it is easy to go with whatever the rest of your friends are into and lose interest in standing up for something that is harder to stand up for. Dating is not something to just up and say, ‘ok cool let’s go out and get to know each other.’  Our lives are a process of learning and growing more in the Lord and becoming more mature in Christ. God has allowed you to be born into such a blessed life and not have to struggle too hard. We are so blessed to know God at such early ages, be able to grow up knowing how loving God is, to know that He has a plan and purpose for us, and He wants the absolute best for our lives and nothing less.  

The way in which we meet that right person which God has designed just for us will always be unique; it may be arranged, or it may be through an introduction, or it could be someone you meet, or under a rainbow or whatever it may be. Once you meet that person you may not even know it’s the right person, there’s always a process and it is a process of maturity and patience.  

Each of us is unique, our experiences differ and our situations are never exactly the same. Our lives are not going to magically get better once we meet that right person and get married, I am pretty sure that we will still go through different situations where we will need to look to God even more than when we were single. For me I believe we are given seasons in this life where through each of them we should realize that God gives us different opportunities. In these opportunities we can either allow God to use us, bless us, and direct us or not.  

There is a purpose and plan detailed in the palm of God’s hand for each of us, meeting and getting to know the right person will be a part of God’s plan for us and help fulfill what each of us are destined to accomplish. There is a beautiful orchestration of our lives going on as we walk out this life. As a man of God continue to walk out God’s plan for you, growing in a stature and measure of what God is building you to be. As a woman of God you are being beautifully woven into the masterpiece you are intended to be. As you pray and wait and enjoy each season of life God will ordain your every footstep. Remember how blessed you are already, and realize the greater responsibility you have. Understand this life is given so that we can enjoy and stand with a purpose much greater than we could ever comprehend.  

The creator of the universe and the One who created you has created a person just for you. Each and every one in this world has a plan and purpose, you may not have had the opportunity to know your One true Savior from early childhood days, but there is a beautiful and amazing grace given so that you can fulfill that destiny and have the opportunity to allow your Heavenly Father to complete your love story in His very special and unique way.  

The choice remains for you to choose how to walk out the process of knowing and understanding what God has set before you. This is not about looking to what traditions, culture, society, or people may inform you to do, this process of meeting, waiting, and getting to know the right person is about learning to value the plan and purpose God has destined just for you.

Imagine the mud and filth floating, surrounding you, the wrecked homes and buildings of safety and comfort now ruined. The mass carnage and stench covering land as far as the eyes can see. Families are torn apart by natures’ violent force. Storms and floods have raged and demolished the livelihood of many in China, Myanmar, here in America and many other countries.  Through the wreckage a glimmer of hope appears as people struggle together to rebuild their lives.  

In the midst of the storms He is there. A week or so ago the torrents of rain completely drenched me from head to toe as I walked out of the metro station (with an umbrella) and the lightening and thunder screamed and shot across the skies seemingly too close for comfort.  It appeared as though the downpour was going to cease thus my foolish bravery in literally running across the parking lot to my car hoping the lightening does not come anywhere near me. Yes, I was a little scared wondering what I was doing and why I was out here and not huddled underground in the humid stink of the metro station? I suppose the pounding, heart- shattering thunder bolts must have been easier to brave than underground? As I sat shivering and shaking in my car trying to pull myself together to drive through the blacked out streets, I suddenly remembered Jesus was peacefully asleep as the storm raged against his boat. Ahhh…how amazing it is to know the calm, wonderful reminders of God’s sweet presence in the middle of our tempest.    

The bleakest portrayal of circumstances was depicted; visions of the destruction and news of the horrors all around were frightening and to top it all the country felt as though it were on its own. The surrounding territories captured, at arms or uncertain, during this time of the Second World War; Winston Churchill vividly outlined the dire events unfolding into a rather ominous future. Then he proceeded to calmly respond to his officials with a faint smile, saying; ‘Gentlemen, I find it rather inspiring.’ What a leader, a man people follow because fear of failure never seemed to dissuade him. Being able to have a calm understanding and discernment in the middle of troublesome times is necessary as we go through this life. A discernment of not just whether a person is trustworthy or capable or nice but an understanding of the magnitude of importance each situation and person has in their effect on our lives. It is an ability to understand how our lives will change and where our life’s path will detour as we face the challenge. Tossed and turned and confronted with an unpredictable situation will definitely have uncertainties but there is always one thing we should be certain of and that is the peaceful courage in the midst of the storms.  

Esther made the decision to face an uncertain fate of death or life as she carefully and prayerfully made the preparations to enter unbidden into the Kings’ Throne room. Gathering together both the Jewish people and her maidservants to pray and fast for three days, calling on the counsel of the only one she knew she could trust, and waiting patiently for the right time, Esther obediently acted on her faith. There must have been a sense of peaceful courage knowing that there was an unseen God moving behind the scenes making a way for her to fulfill a purpose and plan she could never have imagined.  

                Each of us unique in our characteristics, qualities, personalities, quirks and all have been chosen, set apart, destined for our own role of leadership. A challenge is placed before us, a decision to discern what is right and what is good. There is a choice: opportunity or obscurity. Discernment is not obtained by trusting in your ever changing feelings and emotions, but by seeking God’s truth first.  

In the dim shadows of the pouring rain and the murky depths of the flood waters, a step is taken in the right direction towards the shelter from the storm. The waters may not seem to decrease, the darkness looms ahead, and you may have only just enough visibility to put one foot in front of the other. In your heart you may be crying out, ‘if I perish, I perish’, yet there is a brave peace that embraces you with the knowledge and certainty of this opportunity.  

It never fails to amaze me when I think about and realize just how God truly is there for us no matter what we face or where we go. How He has chosen us to be born in this day and age, regions of the world, backgrounds, families, and have all our life experiences, just for such a time as this.  

As we take a day to honor our fathers this month, I remember what an awesome example my own father had of a loving, discerning, Godly leadership and the ability to be inspired by a determined faith in God despite any obstacle and turn it into an opportunity.

What is going on? I can not find the right job; doors keep getting slammed in my face. I wanted to start my own company but once again the opportunity was unavailable. I need a promotion at work but someone else keeps stealing my ideas, and they keep getting all the glory. When am I going to get married or is this the right person? When will my child get saved and how do I raise my child to fear God? How am I supposed to survive when I am old, will I have to go to a nursing home? What am I supposed to do? How am I going to get through school? How do I face these people again? The daily problems and situations we face are only part of life’s never ending lessons teaching us about joy and sorrow, encouragement and disappointment, hope and fear.   

The world seems to spin around faster than you can say…help! Fast food, fast cars, and fast diet tricks. We all want everything to be quick, easy, sooner than later and unbelievably satisfying. Amidst all this we are supposed to not just patiently wait but happily patiently wait for God’s wonderful plans to unfold in our lives. In our different stages of life we wait for a variety of dreams to come true, with a commonality of patience tying them all together.  

We pray, we fast, and we pray some more asking God to give us the grace to patiently wait for His will to unfold in our lives. The funny thing is that everyday we live is a step taken in His will. I look back on my own life and see how God has truly been there every step of the way guiding me, directing my every footstep and though my plans and dreams seem bigger and bigger everyday, the steps I have taken really have been a part of those dreams unfolding right before my eyes. By no means is it going to be easy, we have to put in that deliberate effort to trust God and learn to have a faith to endure this race that is set before us. Then we can look back in hindsight and truly see how amazing God’s hand of mercy is upon us daily as we continue to seek the Lord to serve Him obediently in everything we do.  

Sarah barren and old had to wait for her dream of having a child to come true, but in God’s perfect timing a child was born. Abraham and Sarah never saw how God’s ultimate plan came to be as the nation of Israel truly did outnumber the stars in the sky but their lives were part of God’s bigger plan. Abraham’s faith never wavered he knew God’s promises were true and faithful. It was a daily task for Abraham to faithfully live serving His Maker each day patiently waiting.  

Even with the curse of death now upon their lives God granted hope to Eve saying, “You will bear children and your offspring shall crush the head of the serpent.” Eve never saw how Christ came, died, rose again and crushed the power of sin and death. It all unfolded in God’s way.               

Joseph a man driven by dreams God himself placed in his heart had to patiently wait till God’s plan was revealed. Thrown in a pit, despised by his own brothers, he slaved away working for other rulers. Living a godly life was not easy, being handsome, strong and liked by all he did not fall into temptations, he refused to live as the society did around him. Joseph was a man who knew God had something greater for him. His faith, patience and endurance showed his faithfulness to the Savior, Creator, and Maker of all things wonderful and new.   

Sarah, Abraham, Eve, and Joseph’s actions, decisions, and faith in God affected not just their lives, but generations. We are a significant yet small part of God’s plan, our patience and faith in God and the decisions we make based on that trust have repercussions throughout the future.  

                God’s will for our lives is not some great unforeseen plan that is painted into the clouds; it is a daily faithfulness to His call for us to trust Him and seek Him in everything we do. It is about living out an example through our lives, sharing Christ’s love in our actions towards others, letting others see and hear how different we are, digging deeper into the Word of God, and daily increasing our faith that He will take care of our every need. With each step we take as long as we keep our eyes focused on Jesus we come to realize that we can passionately serve the Lord and patiently wait as we grow more and more in Christ. His plans for us are beyond our understanding, far higher than our thoughts and ways, whatever you may be waiting for keep your trust and hope in the Lord. His plan for you is good.  

“No eye has seen, nor ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him.” I Corinthians 2:9

In the crowded back corner of the room the woman trembled slightly as she slowly made her way through the guests. No one noticed her even if they did they assumed she was there for the scraps of left over food. Quietly moving with her eyes focused only on one thing, she finally knelt at the feet of her Beloved tears streaming down her face as the glass of alabaster broke and the precious perfume overwhelmed the senses. She poured it all out before him, Jesus, and with her hair wiped away the tears mingled amidst the perfume.

The air electrified with whispers of “who she was, why was she here, and how dare she” filled the room. Even the disciples questioned the meaning of this act. The woman quietly wept as she anointed Jesus’ feet with her precious perfume and tears, her eyes and attention focused on Jesus alone.

Coming to her defense Jesus said, “leave her alone, why do you bother her, she has done a beautiful thing to me.”¹ Imagine, Jesus is defending this poor outcast woman, whose background was a little shady and no one in the room would have even looked at her much less regarded her with any respect.

What is your obsession? What do you pour your heart out for? Is it your friends, family, a relationship, the latest new gadget, partying at the clubs, watching or listening to something you just know is wrong? People pay millions to obtain a possession for which they are obsessed about. Things of no great value ordinarily will be bought for hundreds of thousands due to the significance of whom the owner was, a guitar owned by a renowned musician, or even maybe their toothbrush. The things we value most in this world will drive us to obsession to do what we can to obtain that happiness of finding whatever ‘it’ may be.  

Some friends were saying the Bible doesn’t really say, ‘don’t drink, don’t go out to the club, or don’t do this or that,’ so it may be ok to have a little ‘clean’ fun as long as you do not go into excess with it. I think not! When your heart is forever changed, your eyes focused on this new relationship with Jesus, your past is forgiven, you are now completely a new creation, why should you go back to even ‘doing a little bit’ of your past?

Our desires change, our needs are different. Our obsession cries out for a greater purpose and meaning in life, to please the Lord. To cry out with our whole being, God use me to bring glory to Your Name. Our obsession should shout from the rooftops saying let the character of Jesus now be seen in me so that whomever I meet let them say, ‘wow, she/he is different…I wonder how?’ It may seem ridiculous, and maybe a little crazy, but hey we are dancing to a different drummer now! David of the Bible danced without a care in the world before the Lord. Confronted by his embarrassed and proud wife, David says, “It was before the Lord who chose me…when he appointed me ruler over the Lord’s people Israel – I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes.”²

It is time that our generation set the standard higher. Why are we wasting our time fueling our selfish desires when there is more to life than this? This is not about going into seclusion and not having any friends whatsoever or becoming a hermit. No, C. S. Lewis said, “Sameness is to be found among the most ‘natural’ men, not among those who surrender to Christ. How monotonously alike all the great tyrants and conquerors have been; how gloriously different are the saints.” To become obsessed about this new relationship with Jesus is to stand up for something different, to go against what everyone else is saying and doing; there is nothing easy, boring, or trivial about it. If you want something easy, be like the rest of society and do whatever they do; it is nothing unique. If you want to live with a greater purpose in life then pour out your life with an adventurous passion and obsession for something, someone who is of greater value.

Pour out your devotion to the One who deserves it and do not let the pressures of society and what others think get in the way. Focus your eyes on the Lord and allow His will to unfold in your life. Each day is journey through His will and each step we take is beautifully designed and perfect as long as we allow our obsession to be directed towards Christ.  

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”  Matt 13:45-46 

¹ – Mark 14:6

² – 2 Samuel 6:21-22

What does it mean, “To live is Christ and to die is gain”? What does it mean to have the power of the Holy Spirit living inside of us? We so often forget that to live in Christ is to take up the cross daily and follow Jesus. Imagine going back in time and seeing the crowds pressing up against each other. The busy crowded streets are overwhelming. Dust rises through the air as the throngs of people swarm through the city. Shouts and cries of the masses, the noises of horses, cattle, donkeys, and birds flood the ears of those passing through Jerusalem.

There is also a stench of evil in the air which is already thick with anxiety and hate. People peer around each other to get a glimpse of this man Jesus Christ whom they had just accused and sentenced to death by crucifixion. Finally coming around the bend you see the Roman soldiers proud and defiant walking by, beside them a cross large and heavy being dragged up the hill, Jesus carries it with blood and sweat dripping down, huge gashes run down his back, his wounds bare and exposed. Crowds of people continue to leer and mock him, but Jesus walks on carrying the cross to Calvary.  

We definitely live in a world where everywhere you turn there is something that drags your life down and takes you one more step backward in your spiritual walk with the Lord. We get so caught up with our lives and what we have to do today, tomorrow, and what we should have done yesterday. It is so easy to get complacent and to lower our standards. Lately I have been thinking a lot about how much we need the Holy Spirit to live an overcoming life. We know we’ve been saved by grace and that salvation comes by acknowledging that Jesus died for our sins and accepting Him as our personal Savior. Yet, to be able to live carrying that cross daily, to be able to look outside of me, myself, and I, to be able to lay aside our feelings and emotions, to have a life truly hidden in Christ, is to allow the Holy Spirit to enable us with power, strength, and grace to realize and put aside ourselves. Carrying the cross daily is not only just remembering what Jesus did for us but realizing what it takes to live a life of surrender.

I volunteered at an HIV/AIDS clinic and realized even more the importance and the meaning of having Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. We can provide a myriad of treatments, procedures, programs, and preventative services but the one and only thing that can truly save and help us is our personal relationship with Jesus Christ. As I witnessed young twelve year old girls living life HIV positive and being taught the methods and treatments that can hopefully reduce the transmission and disease incidence rates, I realized the need for positive Christian influencers.  

Centuries ago people from every nation and tongue were in town and came running towards one of the stone carved buildings as they all suddenly heard and felt the sounds of mighty rushing winds moving, swirling, whipping through each of them with fire and sound. Then out of nowhere a voice could be heard above all the noise, the words comprehendible in all languages. The crowds looked up to see Peter standing and calling out to them saying, “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.” “And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Peter continued warning them, pleading with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” [Acts 2:17-40].  

Now back to reality and modern times and this warning remains the same, ‘please save yourselves from this corrupt generation. Live a life for Christ, for others.’

The barbed wire fences tear through the clothing of those desperately trying to cross over, the cement and brick walls crumble to rubble extending 6 feet deep around the crowds. Thick metal dividers of the nations fall stretched and hammered to the ground. In another part of the world the war persists, its’ unyielding hand defiant to the ways and instructions of peace. Young children lay cold and dead, women with their unborn babies are slain in the offensive strikes, men die young leaving behind their families.  

A verse that has been on my heart lately is 2 Chronicles 7:14 “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 

Our generation has been saved, restored, and called by the name of Jesus, why are we still hesitating and unwilling to set the standard higher? The situation depicted above is a reality; countries around this world are facing death, war, destruction, disease, and an ever decreasing moral value system. What is holding us back from intensifying our relationship with the Lord, or taking that risky step in obedience to God?  

In the Bible Lot and his family made one bad decision after another from the initial choice of town to the way their lives ended. Satan has a way of reminding us of not only the pain, hurt, and condemnation of the past but of all the fun and good times that make us look back. Lot’s wife stole one last glance that cost her everything. What is holding you back from getting closer to God? Do not be like Lot and his family who lacked the ability to trust in a perfect God. They failed to put their faith in a God who wanted to give them something much better than they could ever imagine. Instead they kept hesitating and looking back to the dead things of their old ways not realizing the power of God’s mercy and grace that was waiting for them to turn around to see hope, a future…life. 

If only…if only we humble ourselves and pray and seek God’s face, then God says He will hear us and heal our land. We have a responsibility, a calling and it is simple. Let us set the standard, let us come together and make a difference. This world, our communities, our friends, our families, they need us to start truly seeking God’s face, crying out to Him for the lost, crying out to Him for those who are hurting, in pain, and dying. There is no better time than this to start turning from our ways of comfort and conformity to paving the way for change.  

Each and every one of us has a calling, our gifts and talents are ready and waiting to be used. God’s plan for us is greater than we can ever imagine. Why are we hesitating? Why look back at things already doused in sulphur? Let us take our relationship with the Lord to the next level. Pray! It is our lifeline, and paves the way to our hope, our dreams, our ambitions, our life. 

As the sun slowly sets on another day a girl struggles with the decision to keep her unborn baby, the father has already moved on, deserting yet another fatherless child; in a half lit room a kid sits dazed, high, and alone in a corner; and across the world someone throws a grenade onto a busy and crowded railway station platform. The pulsating vibrations of the explosion temporarily deafening the people to the screams of terror around them, arms, legs, hands, bodies, thrown in all directions, and blood bathes the survivors with memories forever etched of the lives fatally lost in the moment. A reflection of sorrow, pain, and past reveries revealed as a tear falls into the dry earth.  

“If my people, who are called by my name, humble themselves and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and heal their land!” There is something we can do, there is a hope, there is a way for change, and it is up to us to make that difference. Turn around, stop living for what is temporary and seek to make an eternal difference. Pray for the children losing their futures, pray for the women crying over her husbands’ grave, pray for the people dying lost and alone without salvation, pray for the healing of our land!  

Walking through the meticulous garden where the trees were abloom with vibrantly colored fruits, her eyes were still getting accustomed to the variety of greens, yellows, and hues of blue red, purple and orange. Each flower shone with colored brilliance, the grass so soft to walk through, a river swept across the landscape bright and with a crystal like blue. The coolness of the gentle wind that slowly yet so sweetly wound around the garden gave her such a peace and the comfort of feeling her Father’s presence.

Everything she could possibly need was right here. Suddenly out of nowhere a strange voice started talking to her, she ended up getting into discussion about her Father’s instructions of not eating from a certain tree in the garden. Her eyes saw something so tempting and something inside her changed. It all seemed to happen so suddenly and now both she and Adam were disgraced from their Father’s majestically created garden.

A perfect place to live and a wonderful life were all laid out before them with nothing to lack, yet they chose to give it all up to fill their own selfish desire for more. How many times do we make decisions based on what we ourselves can gain? How many times do we walk into the wrong situations and places and then rationalize it all away? Do we also make life altering decisions based on deceiving appearances? As we enter into another new year, the first thing many of us do is make resolutions to change or make a difference and become something new. Oftentimes as the January days go by the resolutions soon take a backseat to the daily routines and mundane tasks of everyday life.

Another story comes to mind, one with a completely different ending. In the rugged, savage rainforests of Ecuador five young missionaries made the decision to give up their lives for a cause that would change the lives of many not for a temporal end but an eternal difference. The choices made by Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, and Pete Fleming were because they knew by allowing God to control every aspect of their lives they truly gave what they could not keep to gain what they could not lose. (Jim Elliot) 

Can you imagine leaving all you know behind for humanity that you can barely even communicate with? Learning to live in thick jungles filled with spears aimed to take your life. Yet, you keep building and working towards the goal of one day conversing with the very people holding those deadly spears. The world around you is focused on gaining more and lining their own pockets to only fulfill their desire to survive another day. Their lives satisfied with enjoying their momentary pleasures without a single care. Looking around you in the modest home you were able to build, the river rushes past just over the bend, the humidity is overwhelming, the wildlife intimidating, conveying your message primarily with hand gestures. Still you are determined to venture into these primitive tribes of which no other man has survived the first meeting. Those which have inadvertently encountered these tribes never lived to be able to make a friendly contact. The desire to live for God propels you to give your life up for this group of humanity and sends you on a compassion motivated cause. The words of the Gospel of salvation and the knowledge of everlasting peace and hope drive you to go to these not-so-God-forsaken places. You have come to the realization that it is the intent and essence of that which drives you to accomplish the mission, which makes a difference.  

“People who make a difference may have not mastered many things, but have been mastered by the few things that are important. What or most importantly who controls you?” (Quoted from John Piper)