God Helps in your Deep Need

 If we have no need, we do not need a miracle from God. If we can manage it humanly on our own, we often try to do just that.

• Barak Obama became president and tried to win the support of the world with the well-known words, ‘Yes, we can!’ But despite these words, he has failed in many ways.

•  Angela Merkel has taken the same line: ‘We can do it!’ She still says so, but has it worked?

• Politicians claim that Islam is a religion of peace, but where do we find peace in the Middle East?

   After 1990, a new era began, where the Russians were supposed to be our democratic partners in a new world order, but now we see a not-so-friendly leader in Moscow.

  Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will protect you with my victorious right hand. Isaiah 41:10
   
  God does not deceive us with false assurance and hollow promises. Where there is no threat, we do not need encouragement to overcome fear.
   
  The prophet David, king of Israel, had to confront real threats. He left us many psalms that testify to his struggle against fear.
  
  Be merciful to me, my God, for my enemies are in hot pursuit; all day long they press their attack.
  My adversaries pursue me all day long; in their pride many are attacking me.
  When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. Ps 56:1–3 NIV
   
  These are our invincible weapons against fear, the testimonies of those who have overcome danger and fear.
   
  God's word is not just made up of dogmas and commandments, but also of totally reliable promises. They are reliable for two reasons.
  
  Firstly, they come from God, who will never let us down because he is completely truthful and also almighty.
  We can also rely on God's promises because they have been proven in hard times of affliction.
  
  God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Ps 46:1 NASB95
   
  The words in the Bible are not just words. God has kept his promises again and again in the Bible stories.
  
  I have seen time and again how God has saved me and others from death, illness, poverty and unemployment.
   
  So often we expect our parents, partners, friends, doctors, communities, employers or politicians to provide the help we urgently need. Sometimes we get help from people and sometimes they let us down.
  
  But God has never let me down. I have often seen God intervene in humanly impossible circumstances.
   
  It is often precisely in impossible situations that we have to make a decision. Should we panic or just seek human help? Panic doesn't work at all and passive resignation is like death itself.
  
  But we have a God who gave his son to death but then raised him from the dead. Jesus died so that we can always find a way out of any situation.
   
  Jesus said before his death:
  
  Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies,
  and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” Jn 11:25–26 NASB95
  
  God has work for the unemployed, healing for the sick, joy for the depressed, a future for the hopeless.
   
  When Christian children in Syria or Iraq are beheaded by terrorists because they refuse to become Muslims, they are immediately caught up and their souls appear in God's heaven, where they immediately receive God's comfort and love.
   
  Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also rests secure.
  For you do not give me up to Sheol, or let your faithful one see the Pit.
  You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Ps 16:9–11 NRSV

What is Healthy Self Love?

God loves you and me. We have all gone wrong. We are all unworthy sinners, we need God's forgiveness. Without God's forgiveness, we must always strive to hide our shame and disguise our failure.

You and I long for love, but we always doubt whether we can be lovable.

Many react with excessive self-centredness. For this reason, religious Christianity has rejected all self-love as a sin. Many strive to resist self-love. They try to love others but not to love themselves.

But this does not work well.

From social science, we learn that a great many patients visit a doctor, get a prescription, but do not buy the medicine.

‘Imagine a hundred people being prescribed a medicine. What happens? One in three doesn't even go to the pharmacy. Two-thirds pick up the medicine but take it incorrectly. They just forget to take their pills, for example in the morning when they have to rush.’

Peterson, Jordan B.. 12 Rules For Life:

Why do we neglect our own health? Because of a lack of genuine healthy self-love.
But social scientists have revealed an even more astonishing finding.

When they get a prescription from the vet, almost all people are very reliable and use the medicine exactly right.

Jesus tells us to love ourselves. But no! Really?...

… ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ Mk 12:31 NIV

But many preachers have always claimed that each of us loves ourselves too much. We must therefore strive not to love ourselves.

And the very many people who despair and commit suicide, do they really love themselves?
So many people do not respect themselves, do not take care of themselves, do not protect themselves.

Yes, there are people who seemingly worship themselves, but there are also so many who hate or despise themselves.

I visited a church in Germany where the pastor prayed with longing for revival. He once asked God why the long-awaited revival had not yet come.
He told us that God gave him an amazing answer.

We are still waiting for revival because so many Christians do not love themselves. 

Once I had a problem because a pastor had dominated me arrogantly.

Again and again I thought about how I should have resisted his domination. Again and again, anger and resentment welled up in me. Then I repented every time. I prayed to God for forgiveness. I proclaimed my forgiveness over the pastor.

But a few days later the anger came up again.

Then I gave up the fight. I simply said to God,
‘Dear God. You see my thoughts. What do you think about this?’
The Holy Spirit answered immediately:
‘You can't forgive the pastor because you can't forgive yourself. You should have resisted and you failed. You have to forgive yourself for your failure.’
Then I was set free.

It was a lack of self-respect. There is a God-given self-respect. This is one aspect of the healthy self-love that Jesus talks about.

Paul covers the same ground.

He warns against extreme servility, which is also an aspect of a lack of self-love.

In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or puts on airs or slaps you in the face. 2 Cor 11:20 NIV

Jesus also warns us against authoritarian preachers.

“But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. Mt 23:8 NIV

Extreme submissiveness is terrible, but rebellion and selfishness are no better.
When a man pays a prostitute, he despises not only the woman but also himself.

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 1 Cor 6:19 NIV

Healthy self-love is also an antidote for drug addiction and porn addiction.

You can only truly love yourself when you learn to experience the love of God, when you learn to value yourself as God values you.

Finding Meaning and Purpose in Your Life

Is the story of your life interesting?

A church member once stood up and testified.
“Before I was saved, I was wicked, sinful and boring. I want to thank God I am not sinful any more.”

When you respond to the call of Jesus, God forgives all your sins and changes your character. God’s purpose is to make you like Jesus.

Most of us will never walk on water or die on a cross. But if you are like Jesus, the story of your life will never be boring. If your life is routine, ordinary and predictable, ask Jesus to show you what is missing, and he will answer.

Please don’t misunderstand me. Many people today demand constant entertainment. I am not suggesting every moment must be exciting. We also need to cultivate patience. But spiritual patience is not the passive acceptance of a mediocre life.

Are you actively pursuing a big dream for your life? Are you living an adventure story?

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11 (NKJV)

The peace God gives is not a domestic tranquillity where nothing exciting happens. It is the peace of Jesus who slept through a terrible storm at sea because He trusted in His heavenly Father’s care.

The prophet Jeremiah was in prison when God spoke to him.

'Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.' Jeremiah 33:3 (NKJV)

Prison can be a place of dark suffering because you stand for God in spite of persecution. Prison can also be a life dominated by a grey routine.

God can deliver His children out of both kinds of prison.

"The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;  Luke 4:18 (NKJV)

Even if you are trapped in domestic slavery with no means of escape, God can give you adventures in the Spirit.

'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;

Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions,
Your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. Acts 2:17-18 (NKJV)

God created you with a purpose. When you repent and believe, you are forgiven. But the plans of God do not stop there.

Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. Romans 8:30 (NKJV)

God has a plan and a destiny for your life. He wants you to experience His glory and to reveal His glory through you.

Why not read the story of Jesus of Nazareth? Fast-forward to the book of Revelation and see Jesus in Heaven. Then you will understand that glory can never be boring.

If your life has no adventure, ask God to put you on track to glory.

I hope you will allow me to conclude with some essential practical wisdom. One thing which imprisons so many good people is the tyranny of the urgent.

Of course, you must not neglect essential practical duties. But are you setting aside time every day to work on your life dream?

For example, if you are called to minister the Good News of Jesus, start a house church or do something special for God, you need to make time to prepare, to read and pray.

What are you doing today to advance towards your destiny?

Faith is a Choice

 Faith is a decision.

I cannot trust God without the enabling presence and power of the Holy Spirit. God always wants to help me to trust God, but you must choose to believe and trust.

He speaks to me through testimonies. I hear or read stories of how God has supernaturally helped other people. 

I saw a video on You Tube. An American pastor prayed for hundreds of people suffering from Covid. Almost every person miraculously recovered, even those in intensive care.

Ken Fish Covid Healing

Pastor Ken Fish commanded the spirit of destruction to leave the sick people.

You will not be afraid of the terror by night, Or of the arrow that flies by day;
Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon. Ps 91:5–6 NASB95

We can be strengthened in faith by the spiritual gifts of others, by the testimonies of miracles from others and by putting our trust in the promises of God in the Bible.

Two years ago two members of my family were in bed with Covid, while I cared for them. God protected me and I didn't get sick.

I encourage myself with this memory of God’s protection. I read Psalm 91.

For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease.
He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armour and protection. Ps 91:3–4 NLT

A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you. Ps 91:7 NKJV

God encourages and enables us to trust in so many ways but in the end, faith is a decision. You must choose to believe and trust.

Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. Ps 56:3 NKJV

Christian Love for Muslims

In 2001, two planes were hijacked by Islamic terrorists and destroyed the Twin Towers in New York. Since then, the world has not been the same. Islamic extremists have been engaged in Jihad, religious warfare, both with weapons and propaganda.

Many of us Christians have not known how to respond. I know an ex Muslim from Saudi Arabia to fearlessly shares the Christian gospel with every Muslim he sees.

God sent him to a secular university, where he completed his doctorate. There were many Muslims at that university and every one of them heard the message of Jesus.

One Muslim tried to kill him with poisoned food. A week later he met him and was astonished to find him alive. He had put enough poison in the food to kill a camel.

My Christian friend calmly answered with a promise from the Bible.

And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;

they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” Mk 16:17–18 NIV

The Muslim assassin was convinced by the power of God and became a Christian himself.

A Christian girl from England went to a holiday island in Thailand to reach out to people for Jesus. Many Muslims came to faith in Jesus, so other Muslims were determined to kill her.

When she was caught in an ambush, God made her invisible and she quietly walked away.

We must not be intimidated by Muslims. I have met a number of ex Muslims who no longer believe in Islam. Some have become Christians but others are in no-mans-land. They no longer believe in Islam but they are not converted to Christianity.

Some still believe in God and are appreciative if Christians pray for them.

I knew a young Muslim woman who wanted to know more about Christianity. She said her next door neighbour was a Christian who cared for her as if she was her own sister. They were both refugees and spoke the same language.

This woman asked me to help her learn more about Christianity, so I went to a Christian bookshop and bought a cassette tape with a reading of Mark’s Gospel in Persian.

If you are friendly with Muslims, you may be surprised to find how many are open to Christian love and truth.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Mt 28:19 NIV

Millions of Muslims are becoming Christians today. How is this happening?

Christian TV, friendship and love from Christians, miracle healings, supernatural dreams in which they encounter Jesus.

Pray for Muslims and don’t be afraid.

The Answer is the Love of God

 There are so many people who are not satisfied with money, things, sex and empty entertainment. They are hungry for something more, something spiritual. Many turn to New Age meditation, or even witchcraft, but they don’t find real contentment there.

There is a God, a loving heavenly father. He wants to reach the lost souls who stumble from one thing to another.

As Christians, many of us are partly to blame for the confusion around us.

Many Christians read the bible and believe in a supernatural God, but they don’t let God step into their own lives with miraculous answered prayers, even though they have serious needs that they try to deal with in their own human ways.

I have experienced many miracles, but I still often fail to trust God.

There are other Christians who are so upset about divorce, homosexuality and abortion, that they become self-righteous culture warriors and forget to love the people around them.
God is holy, but we must never forget that God is love.

There are also Christians who believe for miracles, but then get trapped in pornography or some other vice.

Many children believe in God, but then turn away because of the failures of Christians.

“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! Mt 18:6–7 NIV

As a Christian, I was always zealous for truth, but I have had to learn to be gentle and understanding with my own family and others around me.

We must learn to be kind and loving, as well as strong in our spiritual and moral beliefs.

If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 1 Cor 13:2 NIV

If I am constantly open to receiving the love of God and sharing that love with others, I will not be a spiritual policeman who offends people who need love.

People need Jesus, but they will not recognise Jesus in us unless we love like Jesus loves.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Jn 3:16–17 NIV

If you are not yet committed to believing in Jesus, I pray you will meet Christians who love with the love of Jesus.

If you have not yet found the reality you long for in Christianity, talk to God about it. Ask God to show you more of His love and truth.

Paul. Greatest sinner became God's Messenger

 God used the shameful past of Rahab and other prostitutes as a testimony to help other sinful people believe and be forgiven.

Paul's sinful past was not adultery or witchcraft, but self-righteous religious pride.

Paul's religious ambition drove him to be an outstanding biblical scholar, but there was no humility of love in his heart. His religion led him to persecute and murder followers of Jesus.

Paul became an enemy of Jesus and an enemy of the God he thought he served. Then came the day when everything changed.

As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.
He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

“Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied.
“Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” Acts 9:3–6 NIV

God never forgot Paul's sin. It is recorded in the Bible, in the Word of God.

Paul also remembered his sin.

Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.

But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. 1 Tim 1:15–16 NIV

Paul was a living example of the mercy and grace that were at the centre of his message and ministry.
If there is extreme shame in your life, be encouraged.

“Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood. Is 54:4 NIV

How can the deepest shame lead to eternal blessing in God's hands? Jesus hung stark naked on the cross to open the door to eternal glory for you and me.

Jesus forgave prostitutes and brutal religious leaders when they believed and repented. What can we learn from this. Pray for pimps, drug dealers and hypocritical preachers. No one is too bad to be forgiven.