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

Makes you think doesn’t it?

Don’t talk about me when you don’t know me. The most frustrating thing to hear is when people make remarks about you when they hardly know you. When someone makes a remark about someone that they don’t know, they are merely making assumptions. They assume that this person is as such. The conclusion is mostly based on the things they have heard or read somewhere. Remarks or comments as such hold no credibility. The same applies for those who deny God. When someone argues that God does not exist, it is merely an assumption of a God they never knew. These are the same people who are provoked when people make assumptions about them.

My friend asked me why are you so into arguing the existence of God. Well won’t you be upset if someone tells you if your father doesn’t exist? I will be very upset if someone tells me that my father is not real. It will be a statement that undermines my being. My friend replied I won’t deny your father’s existence because you are here.

Well that’s exactly my argument. How can you deny God’s existence when we are here? You rather believe in the assumptions that your ‘father’ was a monkey than you were created by the hands of God? Which is easier to believe - that the universe came into form by a case of accident or that it has been crafted by a greater intellectual being? As far as I know, science should explain things to be more rational and not to complicate rationality itself. Throughout history, people have manipulated us in the name of so called science only to spread their own religious belief that there is no god. To believe that there is no god is just another religion not science. Science must be based on proven facts.

If you are out there and believe that there is no god, you are just as religious as us who believe that there is One. The difference is that should we be wrong, then we have nothing to lose but if you are wrong, then you have everything to lose. Makes you think doesn’t it?

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.

Your heartbeat

A glisten of dew on a blade of grass
bursts of gold and orange upon the sky
the unblemished crisp of air
the pregnant silence of the dawn,
Lord, I hear Your heartbeat.

as the measure of time called day shuffles to its feet
and life finds it voice; chirp, buzz, chatter;
scream, cackle, whimper, shriek, roar, murmur...
Yet, the stillness of Your presence,
Lord, I hear Your heartbeat

a woman holding a fragment of herself;
the newborn taking his first breath;
as she draws him to her breasts,
two hearts beating as one,
knitted together by love... complete and perfect,
Lord, I hear Your heartbeat

Here I am, down on my knees,
humbled...
I opened the windows of my soul
You shone love into every recess, corner, curve, edge
the walls I so carefully built,
crumbled...

With Your gentleness You make me great
I could not begin to comprehend Your majesty,
in my humanity, I am but dust.

Words fail to frame my thoughts, Lord
I could only be still,
and know that You're God.
Here, in the stillness of Your beauty
and peace that surpasseth understanding,
in Your love's perfect purity,
Lord, my heart...beats after Yours.

By Cynthia Phillioux