Do You Know Him?

Few years ago there was a period in my life where I struggled with the reality of God. I stopped praying and reading the Bible. I was in search for the truth. I was confused and disorientated. It was the “black age” of my life. To cut the story short, the Lord invaded my life once again and now I am totally convinced that there is nothing more real than God.

One of the things I have to struggle with after that period was my conscience. I felt as if I have betrayed the Lord over that period of time. I kept asking myself why I ever doubted God. I have experienced His love and grace, He has been so good to me, yet I doubted Him.

I was reminded of Judas and Peter, two of Jesus’ disciples, who both betrayed and denied Christ at some point of their lives. What is interesting was the outcome. Peter became the first pastor of the church but Judas killed himself. As I began to research these both characters, I realized that one knew about Jesus and His works and the other knew Jesus and His works.

We read the Bible and we hear sermons after sermons and that by doing this it helps us to know about God. We hear about His saving power and about how Jesus healed the sick and the countless number of miracles listed in the Gospels. But is knowing about God good enough?

Judas knew about Jesus but Peter knew Jesus. Judas saw the miracles but Peter experienced the miracles. Peter was the first among the disciples to have a clear revelation of who Jesus was. He was the only disciple who walked on water. Judas killed himself when he betrayed Jesus but Peter ran to Jesus for forgiveness because he knew the Jesus who lifted him when he was sinking will lift him up again.

Today I am free of my guilt. I know my Jesus has forgiven me and has restored me. I know that He has great things in-store for me and my family. At the end of the day, what really counts is not how much I know about Him but how well I know Him. No one can take away the experiences that I had with Jesus. I know and I know that I know that He is more real than ever.

When the Bible says Jesus is a healer; let’s experience His healing. When the Bible says that He is mighty to save; let’s experience His salvation. When the Bible says Jesus loves us; let’s walk in that love. It is not enough to know about Him but let us know Him.

By Kater B

Love Makes Life Beautiful

For a moment let’s put our imagination to work. Imagine a world without hills, mountains and the valleys that outline the painting of earth. Imagine a world without flowers, plants and trees that colors this canvas with its gorgeousness. Image a world without streams and falls, rivers, lakes and seas that brings life to this work of art. Imagine a world without the sun, the moon and the stars that frames these creations. Imagine a world without the birds of the skies, the fishes and the creatures of the waters and the wildlife that wander the lands, giving details to this drawing. The world will be a very sad place to be in without all this brilliant elements of nature.

The same could be said about love. Imagine a life without love. Life will be a tragedy. As much as humans need air to stay alive, we need love to live that life. Love gives us purpose and it motivates us to be a better person each day. When we fall, love carries us back to our feet and love helps us to find our way back when we are lost. Love turns our smiles into laughter and love gives meaning to our tears. With love we are able to feel and because of love we could stand the pain. Love creates and love builds to greatness. Love destroys and defeats evil. Love sacrifices and love gives without expectation.

Mother embracing her newborn close to her breast and a son holding his mother near to his heart, there is love. Father holding the hands of his girl as she takes her first step, and a daughter leading her father by his hands as he takes his few last steps, there is love. When two very different individuals commit to treasure each other for the rest of their life, there is love.

The Creator of the universe taking a form of His creation, humbling Himself to the point of death on the cross, forsaken and rejected and conquering death itself is the ultimate expression love.
Now for a moment, switch-off the television and the iPod, walk to that window and take a look at the world outside. It won’t take long for you to realize that love makes life beautiful.

By Kater B.

Love’s Reaction

Do you remember the very first time when you fell in love? I still do…

I was in school then and she was sitting at the desk behind me. She was sitting there almost every day for past five months but I barely noticed her then the day came. It was a normal schooling day and like usual, we finished assembly and we walked back to our classes. I sat down at my desk and, as usual, was trying to think of excuses to tell the teachers why I could not finish my homework. As I was focusing hard on my creativity, I heard my name being called by the sweetest voice that I have ever heard. I turned behind to give her my full attention and there she was, in her usual light blue uniform and her hair tied the way she always did. She placed her hands on mine and said “Good morning!” Suddenly, in a fraction of a second, I felt electricity of a thousand watt rush thru my veins. An unexplainable emotional explosion took place in my heart. My brain stalled as it failed to compute this unexpected strange phenomenon that was rapidly escalating throughout my whole being. My eyes and neck lost its ability to turn away from her sight as my ears continued to recreate the melody of her voice. Her eyes were like a gateway to a whole new revelation of who I ever could be. For the next few days all I could ever think of or dream of was her. Her name began to surface in all my conversations as my life started to evolve around her. It was love’s reaction.

I can only compare this experience to one other time but the authenticity was multiplied by a million time. As real as this is to me, so was my experience with my Creator. I heard that same voice which called the world into existence, called my name. I felt the touch of the same hands that was nailed to the cross for me two thousand years ago. It was a blast of an incomprehensible power through my soul as I stood amazed in awe of Him not able to move a single muscle. I saw the revelation of who I can be in Him, my destiny and the purpose of my existence. Since then my mouth was filled with His praises as He becomes the center of my life in worship. It is love’s reaction.

It’s amazing how love proves the existence of God. I am real and so is my experience of love and that makes God the source of love and this experience real. To deny God is to deny love. To deny love is to deny my existence. One denies God only because of his lack of experience with God. But as for us who have experienced His love there is no denial that God is real and that God is Love. He is there near you always and all you need to do is to listen to Him calling your name and experience love’s reaction.

By Kater B

What About Grace?

Inspired by Luke 15:11-32

I have heard the story of the prodigal son so many times in my life. Growing up as an “active” church going Christian and serving in the fulltime ministry for more than 13 years, has always made me wonder, why the elder brother is labeled the bad guy in this parable. Come on and think about it... he is the good guy here. He was faithful in doing his father’s will; he had always stayed with his father and had never left his father to enjoy what the world had to offer. If this is the case why was there no celebrations for the elder son ever? (v29)

Sometimes it makes us wonder why people who have just heard the gospel experience more notable miracles than those who have been believers for ages, why there are more healings among the “newly converts” rather than church goers, why those who have left the Father are brought back with extraordinary testimonies. Does the Father love the prodigals more than His people who are totally devoted to Him? Do I need to be a “prodigal” to win the Father’s attention and favor?

The real issue here is the condition of the heart, the mind set, the attitude. The prodigal comes before the Father knowing that he has done badly, that he has failed the Father in every way and that he has destroyed everything and nothing that he has done nor nothing he does will regain the Father’s favor (vs. 18 - 21). This is the attitude that qualifies one to gain God’s blessings. One needs to understand and realize that it is the “unmerited favor of God” that releases God’s unlimited blessings.

Most believers, like the elder brother, unconsciously reason that their faithfulness and commitment win them the favor of God. And this is precisely the kind of attitude that disqualifies one from God’s blessings. We think because we serve Him or because we have fasted and prayed or because we obey His entire commandments we deserve God’s blessing. Sad to say but this is how the church has been programmed to think. Growing up in church, I have heard numerous preachers say that we need to do this and that to gain God’s blessings. The truth is, there is absolutely NOTHING we can do to earn the favor of God.

We serve Him because we love Him, not to gain His blessings. We pray because we have a relationship with the Father, not to secure His favor. We worship to exalt Him, giving Him what is due and not to manipulate Him into blessing us. Everything that we do must be founded and motivated by love. Love is an act of selflessness. It does not require anything in return.

The elder brother, like the Pharisees, disqualified himself from the blessings of the father because he thought that all his doings could earn him his father’s favor. Though everything was his, (vs. 31) he never enjoyed it.

Let us walk in this truth, that everything which belongs to the Father is ours and we have it because of whatJESUS has done for us on the cross not because of what we have done or can do or will ever be able to do. It is the grace of God, THE UNMERITTED FAVOR OF GOD. Grace is not just the point of salvation but it is everything after that, we are SAVED by grace and we LIVE by grace.

By Kater B