What does it mean to be a follower of Christ? That’s what I’ve been working out over the past few months. I know it’s a lifelong process but I think it’s important to earnestly seek this out right now. And the answer to this question is so important. We only have one chance at this life and then we face death. And there are only two options for eternity (that’s forever bro), Heaven or Hell.I think the thing that has been bothering me most about North America is that we all seem to assume that we’ve been called to be rich. Really? Did you really spend time in prayer and fasting, seeking God’s direction for your life and then came to the conclusion that He wants you to be rich? Or do you just want to be called to be rich. And when we pursue success (in the eyes of… read more
Insights
For the last couple years I’ve been thinking about life and death a lot. I’ve been thinking about eternal life and the importance of the spiritual world but how earthly-minded I really am. I’ve been feeling how meaningless and temporary everything that is earthly. Last morning I was listening to John Piper’s message “Don’t Waste Your Life,†and he said the words of the title of this picture which describe perfectly how I’ve been feeling for a long while now. In the evening I went to downtown and the lakeshore with a Christian Iraqi friend, and it was a fun day filled with taking pictures. We talked a lot about Christianity and our purpose on earth. When I came home I started post-processing my photos but I felt a very heavy burden. At around 4 in the morning I decided I needed to pray because I knew I couldn’t sleep… read more
Lets talk about creationism versus the theory of evolution in regard to the various disciplines of science. We have already spoken of the astronomical side of this question. We will now consider the study of cells. These cells make up every living thing. What evidence is there in this area, which will settle the question of evolutionism versus creationism? If the theory of evolution is correct, then the accidental synthesis of the DNA molecule had to have taken place. As biological science learns more and more about the complexity of the cellular structure, the realization that this feat is impossible has set in. The DNA molecule can only be replicated in the presence of certain enzymes; numerous, complicated enzymes. Those enzymes themselves can only be replicated in the presence of DNA molecules. So, which came first, the chicken or the egg? It is not enough to `simply` synthesize the DNA… read more
Jesus did not just say to dwell in his love only, but his truth as well. Love alone will not save anyone from Hell but love with the truth will. Jesus is the truth and told only the truth and we should as well. The love Jesus asks has loyalty it means for us to stand against opposition no matter where it will lead. Can love bring unity? If one wants to disregard the truth it certainly can! But it is not honored by God, only man. When we read Gods love was shed abroad in our hearts, this means we have his heart a new nature that cares differently than before. We were born by an incorruptible seed, the word of truth. When people say we should accept everyone to unite even if they do not believe the same, we compromise the truth. It is not true love to… read more
Road trip! Map, cellular telephone, written directions, friends to take turns driving and a tank full of gasoline. You prepared for the journey and went your way knowing that you would reach your destination. On the way everything was fine, until you took that wrong turn. You then had to adjust your plans and make every effort to get back on the right route to your destination. Have you ever been in that position or heard of a similar situation? When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and commiteth iniquity, he shall even die thereby. ~Â Ezekiel 33:10 He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness ~Â Psalm 23:3b Your Christian walk is similar to that journey, in that, you cannot afford to make the wrong turn. The word of the Lord clearly outlines the Path to Salvation. We are even warned not to make wrong turns. As a servant of God… read more
Today I want to talk about fasting. It’s not something that most people ever consider. You can say that it’s not clearly commanded in the Bible, but if you take a look you’ll see it comes up more often than you think. in Matthew Jesus says, “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.” Matthew 6:16 Notice here, Jesus says WHEN, not IF. There are many other passages that mention it as well. We might not think it’s specifically addressed but if so, that’s only because it’s assumed we will. So what exactly is fasting? It’s essentially giving up some, or all, kinds of food and drink. You might not think this is possible, but it is! Common fasts are 24 hours, 3 days, and 40… read more
I struggled with this photo a lot. Bahar didn’t like “the right side of her faceâ€, so when I came home I started Photoshopping the photo, you know, removing bores, scars, and wrinkles, etc. I did this because as a human I am influenced by worldly standards, we are led to believe that we have to be: thin, muscular, tall, clear skin, shinny hair, golden curls, big and bright eyes, long eyelashes, small and straight noses, full lips, etc. But that’s not God’s standards. The Bible says that we are created in God’s image, maybe not physically, but we should accept the way God created us and be grateful for His wonderful handiwork– not be grumbling and ungrateful. “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.†Genesis 1:27 Also, our Lord does not judge man according… read more
Next we will discuss “The Religion of Evolution”. First, a definition from Webster`s New World dictionary: Religion – a. A belief in a supernatural power; b. an expression of this belief in conduct or ritual; c. a specific system of belief or worship involving a code of ethics; d. an object that is zealously pursued. Obviously, if you are a creationist, one or more of these definitions would apply to you. You would probably believe that this supernatural power created all things. You should have a code of conduct that you try to make an integral part of your life, as outlined in the Bible, at least for all of us in attendance here. Also, you should also believe that this supernatural power, having created this magnificent universe, also has the power to override what we would call infallible physical laws. These “overrides” are called “miracles” by most people. Does… read more
I know there are some areas in my Christian walk that are still lacking, and it’s frustrating. I want to be 110% sold out for Jesus, but I’m not, and it’s seriously worry’s me, because what does it mean to be a follower of Jesus? It means to be lead by The Spirit, each and every day, but if I’m honest, I don’t always want to be lead by The Spirit. I think that my biggest issue right now is pride, I’m okay with being a follower of Christ, that’s something I want the world to know, but I don’t want people to think I’m weird by trying to tell them about Jesus. Here’s the thing, I’m willing to do a lot of things for Jesus, If He tells me to sell everything and go do missions, sure! If He tells me to give up my current career path for… read more
In the past year there were many tragic cases of teen suicide, so I decide few months ago to write about my experience with depression and suicidal thoughts. I hope this writing will be of help to someone who needs it. Background As you might know I grew up in Iraq to a Roman Catholic family. In the Middle East depression and suicide are almost taboo because of ignorance. Many people equate depression with mental illness (not that mental illness is something to jeer about), and so the general thought patterns goes something like this, “You can’t marry him because his brother has depression and tried to commit suicide once!†To them depression is like bad genes you really don’t want your children to have. So people often times become depressed but don’t tell anyone and don’t get any treatment because they feel ashamed. And if a family member attempted… read more
The end of December 2010 was probably the craziest time of my life. After getting home from Bible school I told God to do whatever He needed so that I could fully live for Him. I found out that is a very dangerous prayer. Through circumstances I was brought to a place where my whole future (that I had planned) was gone. I was left in a broken state and I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t have anywhere to turn but Him. So that’s what I did. I vividly remember curling up into a ball and just crying out for God to take the pain away. It wasn’t a physical pain but it sure felt like it. The next few weeks went by slowly and I didn’t feel like I was making progress in life. But I just kept my focus on God and eventually I began to… read more
Today I’m going to tell you a part of my testimony that I’ve hidden for a long time. I hid it because of pride, guilt, and shame. I hid it because that was exactly what Satan told me to do. That way I’d become a useless Christian immobilized by my own actions. I was ashamed that my life didn’t reflect the promises in Romans 6:6-7 “We know that our old life died with Christ on the cross so that our sinful selves would have no power over us and we would not be slaves to sin. Anyone who has died is made free from sin’s control.†Boy, that sure didn’t reflect my life… You see for more than 10 years (I honestly can’t remember when it began) I had an addiction to pornography and masturbation. These are two of my least favorite words in the world, the very words themselves… read more
Next we will consider the fossil record. If there is anything that can tangibly “prove” the theory of evolution, the fossil record would be the most likely. Fossils can of course be seen, handled, and examined. It has been instilled into this generation that the age of anything can be absolutely proven. As we have seen from our study of the various dating methods, there is very little that is absolute in the `science` of dating. The methods and results are at best questionable. Recent advances in science has shown that there are questions regarding things once thought absolute. I have read that scientists have discovered that the speed of light is slowing down. There is evidence that atomic clocks do not run at a constant rate. They, too, are slowing down. Concerning the fossil record, let me read what a leading scientist has said: “The fossil record reveals the… read more
This past week a group of us watched the message “The Holiness of God†by Francis Chan. It was good and I just thought I’d share some random thoughts from it. The first is this; when you face God, and every one of us will face God, you will be terrified. You won’t be able to do anything else except fall flat on your face, I’m not kidding about this. It will be the most intense moment of your life. Some people go around with a chip on their shoulder, they think that when they face God that He’s going to have to answer some pretty tough questions. You couldn’t be more wrong. Every single person who has faced God has done so terrified for his or her lives. Prophets and even he whom Jesus was closest to (John), those who had lives probably far holier than any of ours,… read more
This week I wanted to look into the idea of God’s will for our lives. Isn’t that what The Church longs to know? What does God want them to do with their life? This was what I was struggling with last week but I’ve figured out why it was going so poorly. The best advice I’ve heard is to stop worrying about God’s will for your life. You see, this isn’t some sort of puzzle that we can figure out by thinking about it. The way God works is by changing you inside so that your entire life is transformed, He doesn’t just give us the answers to life. He never promises us a long-term plan because that would defeat the whole idea of relying on Him daily. You want to know what God wants you to do with your life? What He wants you to do with… read more
Last night something happened that made me contemplate my relationship with our heavenly Father. Here is what happened. My 8 years old nephew, Daniel, asked me to play a cartoon movie for him, so he gave me the name of the cartoon characters and the name of the movie. I went to YouTube and started searching for the movie. As I was going through the pages of the search results Daniel was getting impatient, and every time he saw the cartoon characters on a video thumbnail he pointed to the video and jumped up and down, and every time I went to the next page of results he grew more impatient with me—he wanted to watch the movie now! Finally, I grew impatient with him so I asked him to read what the title of one of the thumbnail he was pointing to said. He read the name of the… read more
Now let`s consider the demands of creation versus the demands of the theory of evolution. First, creation demands the presence of a Creator. The theory of evolution demands the absence of a creator. Second, creation demands the creation of matter. The theory of evolution has no explanation for the origin of matter. Third, as for the time span of the existence of the universe, creation demands the time span of recorded history. The theory of evolution demands eons of time, billions of years. Fourth, creation demands a `spirit world`. That is, the presence of a `higher power`, one who created this universe and governs its operation. This `higher power` is the giver of life. The theory of evolution does not allow for a higher power or a giver of life. The theory of evolution says life emerged spontaneously from non-living matter. Fifth, there is the fossil record. Creation demands a… read more
Today I have a note from a great friend named Scott, hope you will be blessed by what he wrote: If you asked me today if I was religious, I would tell you “no”. This might seem weird if you knew that I go to church as often as I can, read and believe every word of the Bible, and pray to God. The reason I would say that is because of what people think when they hear “religion”. People tend to think things like laws, judgmental people, power, repetition, and as the result of some recent and unfortunate events, crazy people predicting the end of the world. Feel free to add your own words to the list. Chances are it’s not what Jesus Christ and His way is all about. – It’s not about religion and obligation, it’s about freedom and love. You might not know but the word… read more
I went for a walk alone downtown and I spent it pretty much talking to the Father. When I reached the harbor front I was very pleased with the beautiful scene of the full moon and its light reflection on the water. But deep inside my heart was heavy as I had many worries. So I decided to walk back and keep talking to the Father, then I thought, “Why so busy and always in a rush? Sit down for few minutes, rest, relax, enjoy the scene and focus on your prayer.†So I sat down looking at this serene sight, and I started praying again but my worries were still there–I still didn’t have inner peace. Then I decided to pray the words of John the Baptist in John 3:30 “He must become greater; I must become less.†So I prayed those simple words with all my heart fully… read more
The boy stood with back arched, head cocked back and hands clenched defiantly. “Go ahead, give it to me.†The principal looked down at the young rebel. “How many times have you been here?†The child sneered rebelliously, “Apparently not enough.†The principal gave the boy a strange look. “And you have been punished each time have you not?†“Yeah, I been punished, if that’s what you want to call it.†He threw out his small chest, “Go ahead I can take whatever you dish out. I always have.†“And no thought of your punishment enters your head the next time you decide to break the rules does it?†“Nope, I do whatever I want to do. Ain’t nothin’ you people gonna do to stop me either.†The principal looked over at the teacher who stood nearby. “What did he do this time?†“Fighting. He took little Tommy and shoved… read more
I wanted to look at the book of Acts because I always hear about how different the Church is today compared to the early Church. Armed with some lessons from Hans Peter and my Bible, God has already been putting things on my heart! It’s something we’ve all heard before; the Church isn’t the building, it’s the people inside the building. Take this deeper though, and this you’ve heard as well, wherever you go you bring Jesus with you. You don’t go to “church†(the building) to meet with God; He’s with you wherever you go, YOU bring the Church wherever you go. Does your version of Church change throughout the week? What does it look like with your co-workers? How about around your friends? Does it differ from your church attitude on Sunday? I ask these questions because if your version of church is simply changing your attitude you… read more
This photo to me, encompasses the beautiful basics of photographing the ocean, the water rushing over your feet as it makes it’s way back to sea while a fresh wave brings a cleansing flood. Experimenting with different shutter speeds to get different motion in an ever-changing environment, all while breathing in the refreshing air that only comes from the sea, It’s just pure bliss! Right now life is simply amazing! I am just constantly filled with joy and I’ve finally found my true purpose. I can’t even find the words to describe it; perhaps comparing it to a mountain top experience is the best way. Last night a bunch of us went over to a friend’s house and we just talked about God and how He has been working in us lately. I wish you could have been there, I wish you could have seen the passion, felt the joy,… read more
I have this message on my heart, it’s one that I’ve had for a long time. It has been a subtle theme in many of my messages but I’ve finally identified the root of it. It’s not a nice message; it’s one that I have spent many hours thinking about and studying. It’s based on Matthew which says, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’†Matthew 7:21-23 During our trip to California something happened to me. Spiritually, it was a very difficult… read more
I want to talk about a topic I think most Christians won’t like, but I feel burdened to talk about it, so please if you start reading the next line, keep reading to the end…otherwise you will get the wrong idea. Growing up in a Christian family meant I had neutral feelings towards Israel or the Jews. But as I started reading the Bible starting from the Old Testament at the age of 16 I started to be really impressed by the Jews because of their rich history, God’s mighty work among them, and their lasting legacy. When all other civilizations disappeared they still existed. And being a teenager and wanting to find a purpose in life and belong to something, I really considered going to Israel and becoming a Jewish Rabbi!!! Later on when I came to Canada and started reading novels about the Holocaust I again admired the… read more
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