Revenge and God

Revenge is sweet! Or so the saying goes.... What does God say about taking revenge and getting even. For about one year now I have been subjected to a severe, unwarranted attacks obviously originating from the enemy of God and man - Satan. I have been through the fire for the past year and have thought several times of dealing with those who are trying to destroy my life with 'an eye for an eye' attitude (they 'do' me and I 'do' them back worse). This would have brought great satisfaction to me...if i were of the world. But Christ lives within me, sooo what did I do? Welll...I started to pray as never before. I began to take my Christianity more seriously (not that I hadn't been serious before). I started studying the Bible and the writings of Ellen White to discover why this was happening to me and by extension my family. As I read the Bible I was struck by how the prophets of old in many instances did NOTHING when oppressed by enemies. Even our beloved Saviour did nothing when His enemies taunted Him on the cross. The Bible even says in Romans 12:17 that we ought not to Recompense to no man evil for evil. Furthermore it states in Romans 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
So then if God will deal with those who oppress you and are determined to make your life miserable because you are a Christian, why should I try to do God's work? Let us leave God to do what he has promised to deal with those who treat us thus. Now some who name the name of Christ do justly get opposition due to their inconsistent lives. So I (and you) need to examine ourselves to see if there are aspects of our lives that are not in accordance with God's will. Now God has entrusted to us our work: To carry the gospel to the entire world. So I now leave the scheming and plotting to those agents of Satan. I will stand still and see the glory of the Lord.
The past year has been highly challenging as never before, but God has taken me through each trap set for me by evil persons and I am here still. Make no joke about it Satan wants to destroy all who obey Christ. So far I have seen one person who sorely oppressed me start to come to church on a Sabbath. I think this is great as Jesus died for all of humanity even the wicked. May God have mercy on us all but more so on those who oppress His people. Be blessed.


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The blessings of the Seventh day Sabbath

It's sabbath morning again! I have had a really terrible week and I'm really thankful for the Sabbath day. This week was terribly challenging: problems with my health, spouse, financial but not the kids thank God. So it's with a grateful heart that I spend this sabbath day. I can and have put aside all these problems/ challenges for one whole day. Imagine that- a problem free day! An entire day devoted to God. The weekly sabbath day has been a real blessing to me and my family for many years. It is like a soothing shower of rain after a drought. The sabbath offers us a chance to recharge ourselves after a week of challenges, trials, downfalls and triumphs. It prepares one to be ready for the challenges of the coming week which as usual will be filled with lots of temptations and stress etc. So come on and rest awhile in God's appointed day of rest the seventh day sabbath. You will be glad you did! Be blessed!


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Is it hard to be a Christian?

I have often pondered this question... Is it hard to be a Christian? Jesus states that His burden is easy and His yoke is light. This sounds like it easy to be a Christian. But it is not easy for some people. At times I feel quite despondent over personal issues in my life at present. It's quite difficult being a Christian in a home of non Christians. There are moments when I feel like giving up but at those times I remember the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus made for me on the cross. I think it can be a challenge given one's circumstances but it is worth every sacrifice, insult or humiliation one has to face. God allows trials to make us better people and for us to be more like Christ. I now pray for God to help me through each day. So being a Christian can be difficult at times but God is still in control of everything. This gives me the assurance I need at those times I feel like giving up. So don't give up, God will see you through it all. Be blessed.


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My Health My Wealth

It maybe an old worn out adage but it is still true... "My health is my wealth". The Bible is full of health counsels that we can all benefit from. It tells us how to live pleasing in the sight of our God and Creator. The foundation of our health as Christians is God. Does God care about my lifestyle choices, habits and vices? Does it matter what we do as long as we accept God as our saviour? Actually it does matter to God and it should to us. The Bible explicitly says in 1 Corinthians 3:16-18 "16Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are."
Many of our diseases and ills today are lifestyle diseases. These result from our unhealthy choices in entertainment, food, drink and even job. Added together with our varied and complicated relationships with spouse, kids, relatives etc its easy to see why our health is in chaos. So today God is appealing to me and you, us to make those healthy choices that will bring much needed relief to both body and mind. We as Christians need to avoid any and everything that would defile the body temple of God. This would include illicit drugs, narcotics, alcohol and foods that contribute to unhealthiness like red meat, lots of sugar, caffeine etc. So may God give you and I the inner strength to make healthy choices that are pleasing to Him. Be blessed.

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Young people leaving the church?

More than ever our young people are leaving the church... Why is this happening? Can the church leaders stem this exodus? According to research done about 7 out of 10 young adults are leaving the church. This trend is a source of tremendous concern for many as the youth are the ones to carry on in the future. They are the future elders, leaders, pastors etc. Therefore we all should be concerned about this alarming trend. Various reasons for youth leaving the church include: 1. wanting a 'break' from church, 2. judgmental or hypocritical church members, 3. moving away for higher education, 4. work related issues, 5. relocating far away from home church, 6. too busy, 7. not connected with members, 8. disagreement with church doctrines on current issues, 9. hanging out with non church friends, 10 went to church to please parents, friends etc.
Now this being said we now have to examine why those young people who chose to stay did so: 1.church is vital to maintain a relationship with God, 2. it helps with everyday decision making, 3. assists in helping to make the individual a better person, 4. am following the example of a family member or someone else, 5. am involved in a lot of the Church's activities, 6. the church is supportive when individuals are going through hard times, 6. fear of living without the guidance of God.
Therefore the onus is upon church leaders to examine these issues that are causing so many of our youth to abandon church and God. In my home church there are many youth oriented social events and programmes that has had a great measure of success thus far. In my church(adventist) great value is placed upon the youth and we have had several teen deacons, church board members and young people elected to many offices traditionally occupied by the more mature persons. We as older adults need to support and encourage the youngsters in our churches, remember they are the younger members of God's family. Treat them as such! Be blessed.

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