"Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread."

Proverbs 30:8+9

"Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the Lord?' or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonour the name of my God."

Falsehood: false shows | false appearances of happiness | every vain expectation | trying to live up-to something that is shallow and materialistic. *Derived from the Hebrew word: SHAV = vanity.

Lies: words of deception | empty pretensions | false promises | words that fail.


Let my heart not be set on anything that is not solid, true, durable and eternal.

Keep me at a distance from material temptations. Our appetite should not hunger after ways to satisfy meaningless desires; our appetites should hunger after the true and eternal God and HIS ways. This is the prayer of a true wisdom seeker. He seeks from the Lord honesty in heart and sufficiency in Him. This is a prayer to stay dependant on God and not to be self-sufficient. 

Do not give me riches - preserve my heart from idolatry.
Give me my daily bread - that I may continue to depend on YOU alone.
Give me an honest heart that honours the name of my God. 

draw near to God and he will draw near to you

Isaiah 58

"For day after day they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God. They ask me for just decisions and seem eager for God to come near them. 'Why have we fasted,' they say, 'and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?'

How many of us can remember times when we've asked ourselves "where is God?" How many times have we felt like God has ignored our prayers or overlooked our hurts and needs. Maybe even now, you feel like God isn't coming near to you. Maybe you wonder why you can't feel God in your life the way you see and hear others describe… I absolutely love how Isaiah 58 starts out with questions just like these. If you skipped over the passage up above - go back and read it. The people are saying 'we've fasted and sought you out so that we can know your ways - get some direction - some help! We've come before you so why haven't you noticed us?!'

The problem is… the people 'SEEM eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God…' Its all outward. You can call it a show, call it fake, call it religious - their hearts just aren't in it. They are a nation that ISN'T doing what is right… they HAVE forsaken the commands of their God and yet they expect God to just answer their every request when they come before Him….

I imagine God thinking, "it's not going to work that way." The very beginning of Isaiah 58 (vs 1) starts with "Declare to my people their rebellion and to the house of Jacob their sins." Isaiah is about to do just that… so keep reading. We ALL need this wake-up call.

Isaiah is saying to the people… yeah right! Maybe you should focus first on what God wants to do IN you rather than being SO focused on what YOU want God to do FOR you. Look at your life, look at your heart; is there even room for God to do what he needs to do in there… you are so self-absorbed and insincere in your worship (fasting). Here's how...

"Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. Your fasting ends in quarrelling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high. Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for a man to humble himself? Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed and for lying on sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord?"

"you do as you please and exploit all your workers"… He's saying, how does it make any sense at all for you to spend a day fasting out of worship to me, yet you make your workers continue their work so as to keep you from losing profit!!!! You aren't willing to lay it all aside. In today's terms… sure we go to church, we spend a day in rest in order to focus our lives on God - but do we turn off the cellphones and the pagers? Can we leave the office at the office? Can we leave e-mails unchecked and phone calls unanswered OR are we so consumed and concerned about continuing our work out of fear of losing money or business etc.?

Is our day of rest - is our fast - truly focused on the Lord as it should be? Are we fully consumed by HIM or are we only giving him a piece of ourselves because we aren't willing to take our attention off of ourselves, our money, our joy, our pleasures etc.

"Your fasting ends in quarrelling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists"… Can we really fast - or go to church, yet continue to argue with others, fight with our family, yell at the kids, be bitter with the spouse, hold grudges against a friend, be angry with a coworker… does it work that way? NOPE! "YOU CANNOT FAST AS YOU DO TODAY AND EXPECT YOUR VOICE TO BE HEARD ON HIGH!"

BAM! You won't be heard. You aren't sincere. You aren't humble. You aren't selfless… and he won't have any of that.

Can you fast one day and feel all tingly inside and the very next day just be back at the same old life routine - nothing changed - no growth? NO! Can we seriously just walk into church and then walk out again - feel all spiritual on Sunday and then on Monday be completely back at our selfishness? NO! And then when we feel like we need an extra hand, we'll cry out to God and expect Him to respect our plea? 

"Is is only for bowing one's head like a reed and for lying on a sackcloth with ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord?" Are you doing what you should be on the outside? Back then, a genuine sign of a fast was marked by tearing of the clothes and putting on sackcloth and pouring ashes over the head - but unfortunately the people took away the significance of these things when they started to do them in a shallow and insincere, heartless way. It wasn't genuine… they did what they needed to to look all spiritual on the outside - but on the inside, they were dirty. They would bow low to the ground, call aloud to God - but it was a show. They wanted to get God's attention by using the symbols, but without having to surrender their hearts. 

and Isaiah is saying it's not going to work.

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the chords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter - when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?"

We want God to hear us? We want him to draw near to us so we can experience him on a deeper more intimate level? Well then we first need to deal with our sin as Isaiah previously touched upon (I imagine he was more-so yelling at the people to get it together…) and then we need to hear God's words on how to get it right…

Loose the chains of injustice and untie the chords of the yoke. Get rid of the sin in your life that is holding you down and holding you back. Sometimes we have blatantly obvious sins that we KNOW we need to deal with {pornography, lust, lies, alcohol, addictions, anger, jealousy, greed, the list goes on.. and on.. and on} so start DEALING with them! Not alone, but by the power given to us through Christ! We CAN overcome because He HAS overcome. Galatians 5:1 "it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery!" Sometimes there are things that we are chained to that we aren't even fully aware of, so pray that the Spirit will open your eyes to those things and that he would help you feel release and freedom; freedom to start walking in the right direction without anything burdening you or slowing you down. Get right before God. Thats where we need to start.

Whats next? GIVE to the needy and HELP those who need help. Don't wait for someone else to come along, some homeless shelter or humanitarian - take action yourself. We all need to get this - its OUR job! Care for those who need help taking care of themselves, give to those who need help financially, feed those who are hungry, clothe those who are left on the streets in the winter, encourage those who need it, love those who feel lonely… start ACTING! The Freedom mentioned above, that freedom we find in Christ WILL express itself outwardly in our actions. If we are set free - we will work to help free others. 

and.. once we begin to pull ourselves together…

"THEN your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here I am!"

How amazing is our God? Seriously… GET THAT! Isaiah is telling the people to get it together and THEN they will experience God on a new level. They will feel that deep personal love for Christ that will change their mindset - that will change their life. Healing will come - they will be seen as righteous people. Isn't that what we want? To be seen as righteous? Living a life that when tempted is able to choose Christ. Living a life that is reflecting the life of Christ? Isaiah says that "the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard"… AMAZING! God will be there with us all the way - all the time - through it all. He will be watching us, protecting us, guiding us… that is OUR GOD! There will be times of trouble, but when we call for help he will answer us, he will not delay!

I guess in the end, this entire passage just remind me of the verse in James (4:8) "Draw near to God and he will draw near to you." We need to give our full-hearted attention to God - all of who we are - truly - sincerely. Realize that we NEED him. We WANT him. Draw near to God - put aside your sin - stop living for yourself - stop living for the world - live for the King and for the Kingdom. Let Christ manifest in our hearts so that we reflect Christ himself - giving to the needy - caring for the orphan and the widow - sharing the gospel with the lost. When we do our part - God is more than willing to blow our minds. He is just waiting for us to GET IT. His gift of grace and mercy is free - but it came at a price - we need to realize what that price was and let that work in our hearts to change our attitude and our mindsets.

lay aside your religious pride

"I have been crucified with Christ 

and I no longer live, 

but Christ lives in me. 

The life I now live in the body, I live by faith 

in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20

It was awhile ago now that I started this blog, 'Alive in You', almost 3 years ago I think. I have continually come back to say, 'how cheesy is that title - I should change it…' I've had plenty of ideas and thoughts in regard to a new look for my blog… but, I've never followed through with any of them. To be honest, blogging to me isn't about being trendy or being heard {although at times it is tempting to think this way}, rather it is about putting into words what God is teaching me… and of course I blog because I LOVE to write… you should see the amount of books and notes I have down here in our small apartment… ;) Anyways, the point is, today I was reminded as to why I chose that silly little title {which isn't really silly after all}. The whole point as to why I chose 'Alive in You' was because I wanted the over-all theme to be about laying down my life at HIS feet and picking up my cross for HIS purposes. It's a pretty central idea to the bible. "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me…" this is a motto we as Christians need to continually adopt for our lives. 

Galations 2:20 reminded me of this.
End of side-trail.
Back to what I really wanted to write about today…

We as Christians are to be Ambassadors of Christ. "We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God" | 2 Corinthians 5:20. So what is an ambassador? It is a person who represents his country in an alien land. A person who is given authority by their government to represent the best interests of their nation. An Ambassador exercises enormous power and influence, especially when they represent a powerful kingdom. If you claim to be a Christ-follower, then you are to be an ambassador of Christ. WE have been given the enormous responsibility of representing Christ in this dark world, and our citizenship is in Heaven… the most powerful kingdom. 

Whats the point of me saying this? Well, are we doing our duty? Are we doing our job? There is this quote that I just found today, the author is unknown but I'll share it anyways… "if self is on the throne, then Christ is on the cross. If Christ is on the throne, then self is on the cross." Christ DID his part. He DIED and he ROSE. He IS currently on the throne which means we should be on the cross. But if we place ourselves on the throne, that means we have not actually come to realize the true meaning of the cross, and therefore we leave Christ there - not embracing the authority and power given to us through his death and his giving us the holy Spirit. We leave Christ on the cross and say 'thanks for dying to give me this awesome gift of eternal life, I'll take my seat now on my throne'. Wake-up call, the gift of salvation IS amazing, no words can really do justice, but thats not the end of the story - we were given a task - a task that we should WANT to do well. We need to let Christ take his rightful place on His throne and we need to pick up our own cross and get to work.

The problem is, we don't seem to be placing our lives on the cross. KP Yohannan says, "the measure to which I will manifest the life of Christ is the same measure to which I am willing to put my self to death". Amen! We expect great things of God, but we aren't willing to make room for Him in our lives. The more we give up ourselves, the more of Christ we will see manifested in us… so why wouldn't we want to give all of ourselves up? Well, because our sinful appetites are too strong… and truthfully, it IS hard to change our appetites when our sinful nature is constantly battling our spiritual nature. When we are born again, our old nature doesn't just disappear {wouldn't that be nice!} rather a new nature is introduced and a minute by minute battle begins. Galations 5:17 "…for the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other…"
As ambassadors of Christ, we are supposed to change our appetites to reflect the appetite of Christ in order to better represent HIM to this world. Are we satisfying our own cravings or do we strive to hunger in a new way? It's not about just satisfying ourselves in 'good' ways, no its about completely changing your appetite. Every decision you make through-out your day {what you view, what you listen to, what you eat, what you drink, what you laugh at, what you talk about, what you wear, how you act, what you read etc.} needs to start with Christ. Its no longer about me, myself and I, its about what would HE have me do…

Sometimes as ambassadors however, we can get pretty caught up in ourselves, which is another sinful craving we satisfy without even knowing it because all the while, we think we are putting Christ first. Our religious pride {regarding knowledge, traditions and denominational identities} however will get in the way of Christ manifesting himself within us so we need to lay it aside. Whether you are fundamental, evangelical, spirit-filled etc. whatever your label is, it doesn't change the fact that the bible STILL says, "if you live after the flesh, you shall surely die!" - living outwardly the way your little group says to, but living inwardly after the flesh will still get you the same result… death. Do we really think that on judgement day, the Lord will ask us about our fundamentalist beliefs? Or whether or not our church can be traced back to the apostles? Or what manner we were baptized in? Do we really expect God to say, "you had it right because your denominational label was 'such and such'…. NO! The ONLY thing that will matter when we stand before God will be what is spoken of in Romans 8:13-14, "For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God."

Some of the most knowledgable people I've ever known, who live 'good' lives doing 'good' things are so confused because they are living by code. Outwardly they are following all their traditions and rules but inwardly they are not changed, Christ is not manifesting himself in them and they are still sitting on their throne, leaving Christ on the cross. They put themselves first, they would never jeopardize their comfortable lifestyle or abundance of 'stuff'. They live in financial debt, or materialistic greed, all the while giving a bit to the church or to an organization to mask their inner sin. 

the point is… Christ IS on the throne, seated at the right hand of God our Father...and for us that means the cross is OURS to bear. We need to place ourselves on the cross, crucifying our old nature and letting Christ manifest in us to give us a new one.

a culture of spiritual babies

How can a 'Christian' culture, one that has SO much access to the gospel and supposedly 'knows so much truth', still fail to preform? Why is that we, who have endless services, studies, groups, meetings, programs, seminars, conferences, books, magazines, websites, broadcasting and MORE, are still so self-absorbed and as a result, unproductive…?

All too often, we're willing to be students of Christianity, rather than disciples of Christ. We're willing to take the title, but not the cross. We're willing to have the knowledge, but we keep in stored in our heads where it can't transform our hearts. So many Christians could quote the Great Commission to you, but their lives don't reflect the very words they speak. All too often we fall short. 

"We have shamefully hoarded Christian knowledge, preventing the rest of the world from finding out the truth - while not taking advantage of the knowledge it possesses." K.P. Yohannan

2 Timothy 3:1-8 speaks of Godlessness in the last days. "People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God - having a form of godliness, but denying its power…they are the kind who are… always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth."

I think these verses speak so boldly to Christians in our North-American, Rich and self-absorbed culture. We live in a culture that is greatly obsessed with pleasure and comfort. "How can we get the most out of life in a way that is most pleasing to me?" We are lovers of self rather than lovers of God. We are called a 'Christian Nation', but we are FAR from such a thing. We are not a nation that worships and serves the one true God, no, we are a nation that worships and serves itself. There are so many that have this 'form of godliness' that Timothy speaks of, but even though they have the knowledge and the moral code of a Jesus-follower, they deny the power of the very thing they believe, or the very ONE whom they supposedly 'follow', {DENY} meaning their lives contradict it all. There is no action, no desperation to serve… rather there is empty words and empty conversations had by people who are more eager to debate over shallow religious preferences rather then pick up their cross and walk the narrow path. 

Seriously? We would rather sit around the coffee table and debate over baptism and church music styles rather than challenge ourselves to actually DO what the bible says?

The bible says, "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. DO what it says…" {James 1:22-25}

How many have deceived themselves? How many have our cookie-cutter churches deceived? How many believe truly that they are saved because they walked the aisle to the alter and repeated 3 heartless sentences after the pastor? How many of us go day-by-day, week-by-week, year-by-year absorbing knowledge but seeing no transformation in our lives? How many of us can have an hour long conversation with a group of Christian friends, but when the conversation leads to 'So where does all of this play out in your life personally', we are silenced?

If you UNDERSTAND the Gospel, you will be GRIPPED by the Gospel and you will be CHANGED by the Gospel, all through the grace of our amazing God. We are called to be salt and light. We are called to be a lighthouse. The problem is we ARE a lighthouse, we have all that we need to be a strong, sturdy and powerful structure - and light is shining, just not outside of our own walls. What good is that? What a waste…

We cannot be selfish. We were not given this gift of salvation so that we could enjoy our selfish lives even more selfishly having no fear of death. NO, we were shown salvation for a purpose, for a mission. Don't waste your time, don't waste your opportunities, don't waste your life. 

Empathy at its deepest

Hebrews 13:3

"Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, 

and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering."

We are called to suffer WITH the persecuted church. To be an onlooker or a bystander is actually completely missing our calling. To send some money out to an organization without a heart of empathy is still missing the point. The dictionary definition of Empathy is the "Identification with and understanding of another's situation, feelings and motives." Empathy is the ability to actually put yourself in their shoes and feel what they're feeling. Romans 12:15 says, "Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep." Be there WITH them, carry their pain, carry their joy. When it comes to the persecuted church, we are supposed to feel empathy at its deepest. The greatest amount of empathy comes from a heart of Christ-like love. Hebrews 13:1 tells us to "keep on loving each other"… without love, true empathy is not possible. 

Yet, often when we hear of those who are suffering, it doesn't even phase us. Or maybe it does - but only while it's popular in the media - eventually it fades and we forget. It takes no root in our hearts or in our souls… but it MUST! If we are lacking in TRUE empathy for the persecuted and the suffering - we are lacking in love {Christ-like Love}. The author of Hebrews tell us that we must be a fellow prisoner to those in chains. Maybe we aren't there with them physically, but we are connected to them spiritually. When they face persecution for the gospel, we carry their cross with them, through prayer, through encouragement, through support, through creating awareness. 

We are lucky in our north-american society to be free of the kinds of persecution that our brothers and sisters in Christ face around the world… for now anyways. We thank God for our freedom to worship, to meet together, to pray openly… have we forgotten though that Jesus tell us "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you; 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also." (John 15:18-20) We ARE persecuted. When a Christian somewhere in the middle-east is imprisoned for proclaiming the gospel, a part of us is imprisoned with them. Sooner or later, we will all feel the kinds of persecution that Christ  himself faced. We do NOT belong to the world, we will not be treated as one of their own. PRAISE GOD that he has called us apart. It is a cross to bear, but it is a gift to bear it. If we don't currently face persecution first-hand, that does not mean we should not feel the heaviness of the global church facing pain and tribulation. "Remember those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering…" This is DEEP empathy and we are called to feel it. 

How sad is it that so many people live their day-to-day lives completely unaware and unaffected by the persecution that is going on around the world. YES, we know that God is in control and that HE is working because HE is good! But does this mean that we don't cry out to God for freedom for those in the deepest waters? We should cry for them, mourn for them, but also thank God for their courage and their strength. Our churches don't mention the persecuted enough - and I think it's time that this changes. 

What can WE do? Pray. Give. Create Awareness. and that isn't an exhausted list. Do what you feel in your heart GOD calls you to do. But we are ALL called to pray - and pray often, because every day more and more of our brothers and sisters fall into persecution, persecution of every kind. 

Here are some quotes from fellow-sufferers for the gospel:

"You can help others in proportion to what you yourself have suffered. The greater the price, the more you can help others ... As you go through the fiery trials, the testing, the affliction, the persecution, the conflict ... life will flow out to others, even the life of Christ." 

--Watchman Nee

"We don't pray to be better Christians, but that we may be the only kind of Christians God means us to be; Christ-like Christians; that is, Christians who will bear willingly the cross for God's glory." 

--a note smuggled from the underground church in Communist Romania

"We are not praying that our borders be opened. We are praying that heaven be opened." 

--The prayer of a church under persecution in Vietnam

" A martyr is, he who has become the instrument of God, who has lost his will in the will of God, not lost it but found it, for he has found freedom in submission to God. The martyr no longer desires anything for himself, not even the glory of martyrdom." 

--T.S. Elliot

"All past persecutors of the Church are now no more, but the Church still lives on. The same fate awaits modern persecutors; they, too, will pass on, but the Church of Jesus Christ will always remain, for God has pledged His Word to protect Her and be with Her forever, until the end of time."

--Don Bosco

China: 2013

There has been an aggressive crackdown on house churches. Believers are forced to call their gatherings 'patriotic' assemblies, or be sent to prison and possible torture. Government persecution of Christians rose 42% in 2012. China feels threatened by any movement that galvanizes a large sector of the population. Thank God for the bold witness of Shouwang Church in Beijing which continues to hold outdoor services as officials continue to deny them access to their building.

Pakistan: 2013 

The country's blasphemy laws are some of the strictest in the world, and the World Council of Churches has called them "a major source of victimization and persecution" of religious minorities (Christians comprise just 1.6% of the population). The mere accusation of blasphemy is enough to spur angry mobs to violence and in March 2013 some 3,000 Muslims stormed Christian churches, torched hundreds of homes and burned hundreds of Bibles in a Christian neighbourhood of Lahore.

Nigeria: 2010

On 7 March 2010 some 500 Christians were murdered in the night by rampaging Muslim gangs near the city of Jos.

Germany: 2013

In August 2013 a task force of 20 police, social workers and special agents raided the home of a Christian family in Darmstadt. The four children (7-14 years) were forcibly removed from devastated parents after a court claimed that the children had "adopted the parents' opinions".

Operation Christmas Child:

A group of secularists who are threatening to take legal actions against public schools who participate in Operation Christmas Child as it is an 'overtly christian program'. The mission state of Samaritans purse is "to follow the example of Christ by helping those in need and proclaiming the hope of the gospel." A handful of public schools across the USA have already agreed to stop supporting Operation Christmas Child so as to not face lawsuits.

the persecuted church: Saeed Abedini

Ephesians 3:20 

"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think…"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

SO much goes on around this world that we aren't even aware of. So many of our brothers and sisters in Christ are being beaten and persecuted and murdered… we don't spend time thinking about them or praying for them and we aren't willing to open our eyes to see the reality of this world. Things aren't so bad for us, not yet anyways, and because we tend to spend so much of our time forgetting that there is more to the battle of Jesus than what we see personally each day - we are completely ignorant. We spend our day {our lives} building for ourselves a comfortable life, a beautiful home, a better status and reputation. We want to advance ourselves in society to make things easier for ourselves. We forget that we are in a war - a spiritual battle. Events are taking place all over the world that we can't even fathom because in our american culture - everyone has rights to believe what they want… but we all know the end of that is coming soon. To hear of a fellow christian serving in a brutal prison is heartbreaking, but in some parts of the world - that is THEIR reality! That is their day-to-day threat.

Pastor Saeed Abedini.

A 33-year-old American Pastor who is serving an 8 year sentence in one of Iran's toughest prisons simply for sharing his Christian Faith. 

"On 28 July 2012, during a visit to Tehran to visit family and to finalize the board members for an orphanage he was building in Iran, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard detained Saeed, asserting that he must face criminal charges for his Christian faith. After intense interrogations, Saeed was placed under house arrest and told to wait for a court summons. On 26 September 2012, instead of receiving a summons telling him where to appear, five members of the Revolutionary Guard raided Saeed’s parents’ home in Tehran, confiscated many of Saeed’s belongings, and took him to an unknown location. After four days the Revolutionary Guard informed the family that Saeed was in solitary confinement in the notorious Evin Prison. During solitary confinement, Saeed was only brought out of his small, dark cell to be subjected to abusive interrogations."

• "Saeed had been denied medical treatment for infections that resulted from beatings. The ward doctor and nurse refused to treat him because, as a Christian, he was considered “unclean” and an infidel. Saeed’s family in Tehran may visit Saeed on Mondays, but he is not permitted to make phone calls, cutting him off from his wife and two young children in the U.S."
• "In late February it became known that Saeed was suffering from internal bleeding, an injury from beatings he endured during interrogations. Doctors examined Saeed in early March and determined that his injuries warranted immediate attention, and, in their medical opinion, he needed to be treated in a non-prison hospital. For a month, the Iranian regime ignored this advice. In an attempt to appease international pressure, on 8 April 2013, the Saeed was taken to a private hospital. Before doing so, guards forced Saeed to change his prison uniform to that of a murderer. Saeed resisted, the guards beat him, and forced him to wear the uniform. When Saeed arrived at the hospital he was never admitted or treated because, according to the guards, the doctor on staff was not present. Saeed has reported that several cellmates, who appear to be connected to the Iranian intelligence police, have threatened to suffocate Saeed while he sleeps."
• "Recently, Saeed’s condition became even more serious. Having been denied medical attention, he was thrown into solitary confinement. Beforehand, Saeed complained of kidney pain. He and the several other prisoners wrote a letter to prison officials in peaceful protest of lack of access to medical attention. In response, Iranian officials placed ten prisoners under solitary confinement, Saeed among them. Last time he was in solitary confinement, his medical condition substantially worsened. There is no reason to believe this time will be different. Saeed is now cut off from any visitation."
• "A petition has been started in Saeed’s name, and it quickly received overwhelming media attention. Secretary of State John Kerry has called for his release, the White House has called for his release, and the House of Representatives held an emotional hearing that highlighted Pastor Saeed's plight. Multiple nations have called for Saeed's release, and ACLJ attorneys have argued his case before the United Nations. Saeed’s petition has over 610,000 signatures and a letter writing campaign to encourage Saeed has garnered over 50,000 letters. Artists such as Toby Mac, Michael W Smith, Steven Curtis Chapman, Mercy Me, Skillet, Relient K, and Audio Adrenaline have been involved, and lent their voices to raise awareness."
•  - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
• Pastor Saeed has been in prison for now 414 days.
• Leaving 2506 days left to be served.
• All because He proclaimed the gospel in a dark world.
• Unfortunately, in a disturbing turn of events, Saeed has very recently been transferred to one of the deadliest prisons in the world: Rajai Shahr
• "Rajai Shahr is the place where political prisoners who are seen as a nuisance, are stowed away. Going to Karaj is a severe punishment. Once in there one stops to be a human being. One is put out of sight, even of human rights activists and the press. In Rajaï Shahr, political prisoners have to share cells with dangerous criminals like murderers, rapists and drug addicts who don’t hesitate to attack their cell mates. They have nothing to lose: many of them are condemned to death anyway. Murders or unexplained deaths are a regular occurrence."
• Rajai Shahr was built to house 5,000 inmates, but at present the prison holds roughly 22,000 inmates. Such overcrowding has led to deadly and inhuman conditions. There is no access to fresh air or proper nutrition. Diseases are widespread. This prison is a place where those who are 'hopeless' to be free are sent for their remaining life - which has been proven to decrease significantly due to the conditions. I was considering sharing a few pictures of this prison, but the brutality of the events which take place here keep me from doing so. Images are too graphic to even glance at. 

•  - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

How much time do we spend praying for the persecuted church? It's time we start… It's time to start praying ceaselessly for our brothers and sisters in Christ. Pray for Pastor Saeed Abedini. Pray for his release, for his protection, for his courage. Pray for his family in the USA who have no communication with him at this point. Pray and Pray hard. 

Please share this with YOUR friends to help create awareness.

*listen to Pastor Saeeds Letter*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvTS-V0nxc0

*sign the petition and learn more*
http://beheardproject.com/saeed

the forgotten definition of marriage

God rightly compares marriage to a vine. You’ve got to invest a lot, and you’ve got to wait a long time. You’re going to need to be patient and tending to it if you want it to grow and be fruitful. Adultery is like a Weed eater that carelessly severs the vine’s base, killing it in an instant." Marc Driscoll

As a young married person (married at the age of 20) something that I've been learning a lot in my first year of marriage is just how against the grains marriage is in-itself, let alone getting married so young. My eyes have really been opened to how confused our culture and society is when it comes to the topic of marriage. The definition of marriage has taken a hit. Actually, no... the definition of marriage has been forgotten altogether, and in its absence, sinful humankind has created 'make-shift' definitions which acquire to their sinful and selfish ways. It's at the point where people in my generation don't even grasp what marriage was made for... marriage has become about 'me' 'myself' and 'I'. 

Let me marry who 'I' want.

Let me marry how 'I' want.

Let me marry as often as 'I' want.

Let me marry as many as 'I' want.

Let me do as 'I' please in my marriage.

As a result marriage is no longer sacred between a man and a woman. 

Marriage is no longer even necessary for those who choose to live common-law.

Statistics of divorce are mind-blowing.

Marriage isn't even necessarily between 2 people...

Marriage is about pleasing oneself and serving ones own desires.

Entering into marriage as a sexually pure individual is humorous in our society and almost un-heard of.

What is Marriage Anyways?

 1. Marriage is a COVENANT (Malachi 2:14)

 - our culture says that marriage is just a contract/written agreement between two people. WRONG. Marriage is a covenant between God and 2 people and therefor those two people to each other. To be in covenant with one another, we first must be in covenant with God. Which is why it doesn't work for a believer to try and come into the covenant of marriage with one who is not saved. 

2. Marriage is Consummation. Genesis 2:24 says "the two became one flesh"...

 - pretty much consummation is the big word that says marriage allows for two people to have sex. This is the part that society laughs at. How can you even think about waiting until marriage to have sex... well, because we understand the value and sacredness of MARRIAGE. The mindset that says, 'having sex with multiple people right now is preparing me for marriage. It is teaching me not only what I need and what I like, but also how I can make my future spouse happy.." 

... thats insanity. Completely STUPID.

"Fornication is simply an internship for Adultery."

Having sex with multiple people, or maybe just one person, before marriage is only teaching you ONE thing: how to be unfaithful. You are practicing to cheat. To Lust. To Crave. The pattern of the bible is chastity before marriage and fidelity in marriage. They go hand-in-hand. So does fornication + adultery.

 >>><<<

Our generation needs a wake-up call.

Unfortunately, I am convinced that all of this insanity is only going to get worse in my day.

Sinful humankind will continue to create their own definition of marriage in order to satisfy their cravings and sinful desires, in order to make life easier and more comfortable for them.

What can we do?

pray.

be an example.

start attacking adultery and idolatry. 

be the change. 

Stand firm.

stay true to the TRUE definition of marriage.

a sad statistic

I find it disheartening that as I continually come across people of my past, those from elementary school, high-school, camp life etc. I am seeing a horrible statistic come to reality that many young people walk away from the church. Only 50% (maybe less) of my graduating class {from a Christian school} still show spiritual fruit and growth in their walk with the Lord. A large number of people from past churches and youth groups have also evidently decided to change paths. 

Maybe church was too big of a commitment,

maybe God was too big of a picture, 

maybe the narrow path was too demanding,

maybe the world was too enticing, 

or maybe they never really grasped the saving love and grace of God.

"Nearly three out of every five young Christians disconnect from their churches after the age of 15" (http://www.christianpost.com/news/study-why-young-christians-leave-the-church-56722/)

Thats a big number, and its a growing number.

We can't focus on the problem. 

We need to focus on the solution.

We need to focus on the individual. Hearing their story, 

listening to their questions, understanding their frustrations. 

Too often do Christians sit around in circles and look outside their walls and see many that have stopped attending church, maybe even have openly admitted that 'Jesus doesn't seem to make sense anymore'. We watch it happen, we talk about it but what do we DO about it? What steps are we taking among the people who are in OUR reach to encourage them with the love of Christ.

Maybe we have a conversation once or twice with someone who has left the church, but then we get frustrated and we give up. Maybe we leave it for someone else to handle. Maybe we believe, 'if they are meant to be saved, God will make it happen..."

Enough is Enough.

Its time to get to work.

We need to be intentional about sharing the love of Christ.

We need to have real conversations with people,

most of them will have hard questions, painful stories and real struggles with sin.

There needs to be room for people to TALK honestly.

We need to make the focus:

Showing others the amazing and saving love and grace of Jesus Christ.

Set Free. Live Freely

Set free to live freely.  

Exodus: 6: 2-8 

“I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the Lord I did not make myself fully known to them. I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they resided as foreigners. Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant. “Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.’”

Exodus 14: 30+31

 ^"That day the Lord saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. And when the Israelites saw the mighty hand of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant."

Slavery to Freedom:

*read about it in Exodus chapters 1-20*

The Israelites have been enslaved to Egypt and the Pharaoh for 400+ years.

God sends Moses to the people and he uses him as a tool to speak to Pharaoh.

After multiple attempts to demand that Pharaoh let the people go, after multiple plagues that destroyed the land and the people, Pharaoh finally obeys.

God holds true to his covenant and the people of Israel are set free.

Though the journey continues...

Freedom to Slavery:

This new found freedom for the Israelite people turns cold.

Though they are free from the slavery forced upon them by the Pharaoh and the Egyptians, they begin to enslave themselves through their freedom.

The Israelite people were SET FREE, but they chose not to live freely.

They become enslaved to their sin.

lust, coveting, lying, stealing, idolatry, and the list goes on...

They did not use their freedom correctly.

They used it selfishly and sinfully.

"Set Free to Live Free"

What does that mean? Freedom is not the ability to do what you want. Freedom is the ability to do what you were made to do by God. When God set the Israelite people free, His chosen people, he did not intend for their freedom to open the door for them to indulge in their selfish and sinful desires. No, he set them free so that HE could further HIS kingdom by using these people in HIS plan and for HIS purpose.

How does that look for us? Rather than being set free of a literal slavery like the Israelites were when God sent moses to the people, God sent his one and only son {that being, Jesus Christ} to die on a cross, bearing our shame and iniquity {our sin} so that we can be free. Free to live. Free even in death. 

Yet so many choose to live in slavery. Enslaved to this world, to this oh so temporary life. Maybe you've heard the name of Jesus, maybe you know what the gospel message is about, but you choose to ignore it. You choose to say, 'it can't be true'. Enchained to naivety and ignorance. Maybe you claim to follow Jesus, to have a heart for his ministry. You praise God for his death on the cross, for his sacrifice that paid the weight of your sin and my sin. Yet your life does not portray that freedom. Your actions, thoughts, words, lifestyle - none of it is free.

Exodus 20: 1+2 says, "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the Land of slavery.." 

The problem then was slavery. The solution was God.

That rings true yesterday, today and until Christ returns again.

The problem will always be slavery and the solution will always be God.

2 Peter 2:19 says, "For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved..."

What do we poor our time and energy into? What do we think about most often? What do we hold closest to our hearts? What bring us the most happiness? What overcomes us?

Money? Jobs? Status? Wealth? Materials? Beauty? Health? Reputation? Popularity? Skills? Sports? Media? Husband/Wife? Children? we all have our idols... 

"You shall have no other Gods before me..."

the First Commandment...

You can't live freely until you KNOW and hold true to the fact that there is ONLY ONE GOD. The God of the Bible. And we must continually get to know Him. Back then the Israelites {after being set free from the Egyptians} fell into a new form of slavery, as I already mentioned, and though they worshiped physical idols {as many still do in this world} that promised them good things... this form of idolatry is no different from our idolatry today... its had merely been 're-branded'.

Is there a disconnect between your god and your functional god?

Do you claim to believe in the one true God yet you worship a completely different functional god? There can't be a disconnect. If you believe in Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour, then you must claim that freedom in your life and live it out daily. 

use your God-given Freedom to do what God has purposed you for. 

Use your freedom to worship HIM.

use your freedom to become more like Him.

Jesus did not die to set us free so that we can indulge in the ways of this world, 

rather he died to set us free so that God could further HIS kingdom by using US in HIS plan, for HIS purpose.

Are you Free...