‘Increase our faith, Lord’

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” The Lord replied, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here immediately and take your place at table’? Would he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your apron and wait on one while I eat and drink. You may eat and drink when I am finished’? Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded? So should it be with you. When you have done all you have been commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.’”
—Luke 17:5-10



“Increase our faith!” The apostles were addressing Jesus. In our life, there comes a challenging time when we doubt God’s existence, if God really listens to our prayers. Sometimes, we feel uncertain and doubtful if God is really up there.  We question until we get tired of not getting any answer.

In the gospel, Jesus replied: “If you only have faith like the size of a mustard seed, then you can do what you want and wish to do.  ’You can even order the mulberry tree to be uprooted and be planted in the sea.’  Of course, this is an image of the power of faith.

Faith is not based on physics or any other physical sciences.  It is not founded on factual data or laboratory experimentations or scientific calculations.  It is not based on evidences that can be proven and defended.  Faith does not have to be proven for it is based on life itself.  Faith in the divine is innate to people who believe.  There are cultural studies available and would vary in the different processes every society undertakes, but faith is always at the core of every culture.

In the gospel, Jesus shared an example about the servant who just came from plowing or tending sheep, will you invite him to sit with you at the table or ask him instead to prepare something to eat?  And to further order the servant to put on the apron and wait on until the master finishes his meal.  Will he be grateful to the servant because he just followed what was commanded? The same is true for us, that having done what we were asked to do, we still say that we are undeserving servants  because we just do what we were obliged to do.  The Lord asks us to do his will and follow him.  And when we do this, it is faith that will guide us in our pursuit.

“Increase our faith Lord” is our prayer. Day in and day out, we are always tested by our faith.  But if we only have faith  even just like the size of a mustard seed (which is one of the smallest seeds in the plant kingdom), then we can do even greater things.

If we have strong faith, we also grow as a person.  By faith, we see God in others, in our brothers and sisters.  We see God in the people we meet and encounter in every moment of one’s  life.  By faith, we can see the face of the Risen Lord in others.  The song in the play Les Miserables echoes the faith of the convert that ‘to love another person is to see the face of God.’  Faith and charity is inseparable.  Our belief is not isolated nor separated from what we do.

Let us ask the Lord to help us when we become weak, uncertain and doubting.  Let us pray to the Lord to have our gift of faith grow. Faith the size of a mustard seed is enough, truly enough for us to add more meaning to our lives and help make this world a better place. Let us be faithful and loving at the same time.  Let us also increase our faith with one another.  We should have faith in ourselves as well that we can make a difference as a person, as a family, as a community and as a nation.

Time after time, as a people and as a nation, our faith is tested.  In our Christian families and communities, our faith is challenged.  As a person and as a child of God, our faith is purified.  Faith is always being tested, challenged and purified.   Faith is not static, it is alive and dynamic.  Faith increases or decreases.  As we experience the love of God more and more, our faith increases.

Let us then take time to evaluate our Christian life, our Christian faith.  Now that we are grown ups, are we inspired by the Word of God?  Do we read religiously and reflect on the messages of the  Scriptures?  Do we celebrate the living traditions of our faith in full enthusiasm and creativity?  Are we more sensitive and responsive to the needs of our brothers and sisters, especially the deprived and marginalized? Do we share our God- experience with others?  Do we share the story of Jesus and the love of God with others?

Let us pause, reflect, pray and ask ourselves:

Am I faithful to the laws and commandments of the Lord?

Is my Christian faith well- built and increasing?

Have I grown in virtues?

Do I live a virtuous life?

Does my faith help me experience and see God?  Have I lived my life in the Lord?

Prayer:  Loving Father, we thank you for the gift of faith.  May we grow in faith so as to be able to see more clearly and follow you more closely.  Strengthen our faith with your grace so we may give witness to your will and love and so we can inspire others.  This we ask through Christ our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

source: interaksyon.com

Suicide bombers kill more than 60 at Pakistan church

PESHAWAR—A double suicide bombing killed more than 60 people at a church service in northwest Pakistan on Sunday, officials said, believed to be the deadliest attack on Christians in the troubled country.

Pakistan's small and largely impoverished Christian community suffers discrimination in overwhelmingly Muslim-majority Pakistan but bombings against them are extremely rare.

The two bombers struck at the end of a service at All Saints Church in Peshawar, the main town of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which has borne the brunt of a bloody Islamist insurgency in recent years.

Doctor Mohammad Iqbal of Peshawar's Lady Reading Hospital told AFP that 61 people had been killed and 120 wounded. Fellow doctor Sher Ali confirmed the numbers.

Sahibzada Anees, one of Peshawar's most senior officials, told reporters the bombers struck when the service had just ended.

"Most of the wounded are in critical condition," Anees said.

"We are in an area which is a target of terrorism and within that area there was a special security arrangement for the church. We are in a rescue phase and once it is over we will investigate what went wrong."

Former minister for inter-faith harmony Paul Bhatti and provincial lawmaker Fredrich Azeem Ghauri both said the attack was the deadliest ever targeting Christians in Pakistan.

School teacher Nazir Khan, 50, said the service had just ended and at least 400 worshippers were greeting each other when there was a big explosion.

"A huge blast threw me on the floor and as soon as I regained my senses, a second blast took place and I saw wounded people everywhere," Khan told AFP.

Grieving relatives blocked the main Grand Trunk road highway with bodies of the victims to protest against the killings, an AFP reporter said.

Sectarian violence between majority Sunni and minority Shiite Muslims is on the rise in Pakistan and Sunday's attack will fuel fears the already beleaguered Christian community could be increasingly targeted.

Islamist militants have carried out hundreds of bombings targeting security forces and minority Muslim groups they regard as heretical, but attacks on Christians have previously largely been confined to grenade attacks and occasional riots.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is a deeply conservative province bordering the tribal districts along the Afghan frontier, which are home to Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants.

Provincial lawmaker Ghauri said there were about 200,000 Christians in the province, of whom 70,000 lived in Peshawar.

"Now after this attack Christians across Pakistan will fear for their lives," he warned.

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif strongly condemned the bombings.

"Terrorists have no religion and targeting innocent people is against the teachings of Islam and all religions," he said in a statement.

Sharif said such "cruel acts of terrorism reflect the brutality and inhumane mindset of the terrorists".

Only around two percent of Pakistan's population of 180 million are Christian. The community is largely poor and complains of growing discrimination.

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom has warned that the risk to Pakistan's minorities has reached crisis levels.

Christians have a precarious existence in Pakistan, often living in slum-like "colonies" cheek-by-jowl with Muslims and fearful of allegations of blasphemy, a sensitive subject that can provoke sudden outbursts of public violence.

In the town of Gojra, in Punjab province, in 2009, a mob burned 77 houses and killed seven people after rumours that a copy of the Islamic holy book the Koran had been desecrated during a Christian marriage ceremony.

Last year a young Christian girl, Rimsha Masih, spent three weeks in jail after being accused of blasphemy. The case was thrown out but she and her family have been in hiding ever since, fearing for their lives.

source: interaksyon.com

Protests Greet Lady Gaga's Arrival in the Philippines

Hundreds of young Christians took to the streets Friday and Saturday in protest as Lady Gaga arrived in Manila for the latest leg of her Asian tour, the Associated Press reports.

The protesters, members of a group called Biblemode Youth Philippines, are calling for the cancellation of the pop star's concerts in the majority Roman Catholic country. "She declared a distorted view toward Jesus Christ and for us Biblical Christians it is offensive," protest leader Ruben Abante told the AP. "Her music and everything about her is different from what our values are."

Lady Gaga's Born This Way Ball has been beset by similar incidents throughout Asia. After Christian groups complained about her racy lyrics and costumes in Seoul, South Korea, authorities banned fans younger than 18 from attending the tour's kickoff show. Gaga was then forced to cancel her sold-out June 3rd appearance in Jakarta, Indonesia, when she was denied a concert permit following objections from Islamic hard-liners.

The Manila concerts, scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, were approved by authorities in the Philippines – with some caveats.

"Although we respect artistic and musical expressions, I won’t allow anyone or any group to provide acts which may be questionable in a way at any venue under my jurisdiction," the mayor of Pasay City, part of Metropolitan Manila, said in a statement. "We reminded the producers of Lady Gaga’s concert that the show and the event as a whole shall not exhibit any nudity or lewd conduct which may be offensive to morals and good customs."

The Biblemode Youth Philippines group plans to hold a vigil near the concert venue starting on Sunday.

source: rollingstone.com

Obama sends Easter, Passover greetings

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama extended Easter and Passover greetings Saturday as Americans celebrated the Christian and Jewish holidays.

"These holidays have their roots in miracles that took place thousands of years ago. They connect us to our past and give us strength as we face the future," Obama said in his weekly radio and Internet address. "And they remind us of the common thread of humanity that connects us all."

Passover began at sundown Friday and ends on April 14. It commemorates the Israelites' exodus from slavery in Egypt, receipt of the Torah at Mount Sinai and eventual journey into the Promised Land.

At a festive dinner called a Seder, unleavened bread is consumed during the seven-day holiday to re-live the hasty flight from Egypt, during which there was no time to allow the bread to rise.

The Gospels say Jesus rose from the dead after his crucifixion and burial on the morning of what has become known as Easter Sunday -- the most important day of the year for Christians.

"For me, and for countless other Christians, Easter weekend is a time to reflect and rejoice," Obama said in the address stressing his own religious fervor.

"Christ's triumph over death holds special meaning for Christians. But all of us, no matter how or whether we believe, can identify with elements of His story. The triumph of hope over despair. Of faith over doubt.

"The notion that there is something out there that is bigger than ourselves."

Obama, a Christian who attends church regularly with his family, has faced slurs in the past from opponents who painted him as un-American and even a "closet Muslim" -- his middle name is Hussein.

Saying the core values at the heart of Easter and Passover "help unite Americans of all faiths and backgrounds," Obama wishes all Americans "a weekend filled with joy and reflection, focused on the things that matter most."

source: interaksyon.com

Today's Christians

In writing this article, I’ve interviewed quite a few so-called Christians. Sad to say, these are mainly Jamaicans. I’ve interviewed a few others who are from different nationalities, and they basically have the same response.

I’ve found out that as much as they say they are Christians, and they’re never without their Bibles, which they consider the ‘word of God’, they do not know, or for those who do, they do not understand the contents.

People who have become Christians over the years are dependent on traditions; things they have seen, or things they have heard from their fore-parents, are the same things they’ve continued with along the line. For example: the tithes. Of all the Christians I have interviewed, not one of them could show me anything about the tithes in the Bible; they don’t have a clue as to where they can be found. However, if you find it and show it to them, they will not accept what it says. The only thing they can tell you is the part the pastors have told to them over the years, and that is Malachi 3:8, where God said, "Can a man rob God? You have robbed me, because you have not bring your tithes and offerings into the store room.”

While growing up, I was told that most Christians were brainwashed. Over the years I’ve come to realize that this statement is actually the truth. The people who I’ve interviewed are some of the most gullible people I have ever met, and this is mainly because they’ve developed an unnatural fear of God, based on what the pastors have told them. People will not question the pastors for fear that God may turn His wrath against them if they do so. Hence, the pastors are taking advantage of this, and they will always tell the congregations that whatever they preach, it was given to them by God. This, the congregation will gladly accept, because it cemented their beliefs that this pastor was actually called by God.

When I was a child and I would question people about God, they would tell me that God is a mystery, and that I shouldn’t question Him or His ways. That was after they would tell me things that did not make any sense. For example, they would tell me that Christ is God and yet God raised Christ from the dead. Now to me, this didn’t make any sense then, and until this day, it still does not.

This is what I have found out about the Christians that I have interviewed. In 1 Corinthians 8:6, the Bible says, “Yet for us, there is one God, the Father.” When I quote this verse to the Christians in regards to who God is, they would not accept this, even though it’s coming directly from the Bible. They would want me to accept what they call “The Holy Trinity.” And this is their explanation of the Holy Trinity: “God, the father, God, the Son, and God, the Holy Spirit.” Now this is what they want me to accept, and this is not in the Bible. Now why do you have the Bible when you will not accept any quote from it, and you cannot quote anything from it yourself?

Now as Christians, one would think that God and Christ should be the most prominent people in your life; they should be the ones who come to mind as soon as you get up and just before you go to bed at nights. Now I was having a conversation with a Christian who was telling me that it didn’t matter in what order you thank God. This is a Christian whom I think should have known better. The conversation started with me telling the Christian that I didn’t think it was right what Kirk Franklyn did when he went up to collect a gospel award he got from some organizations for one of his albums.

Kirk Franklyn said first of all he had to thank his beautiful wife and a host of other people, then finally he thanked God. I said I thought that that was wrong. The lady told me that nothing is wrong with that, it doesn’t matter in what order you thank God.

Now did I expect to hear something like this from a Christian? Certainly not. If you’re a really a Christian, no one should have to tell you that your creator should be the first person you thank. He should be the first person you honour; He should be first in everything, and not only in your mind, you should make Him the first person in everything so that the whole world can see.

God has feelings, and He said that He is a jealous God. We need to use our feelings and judge those of God’s.

We wouldn’t want anyone to get the praise that we deserve, so why should we give God’s praise to someone else?

From observation, I have not seen a Christian who goes entirely by what the Bible says. The Pastors do not do it; neither do the members of the congregations. In churches these days, the doctrines of Christ are not preached, because then it wouldn’t benefit the pastors. In 2 John 1:9, the Bible says, “Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrines of Christ, does not have God, but he who abides in the doctrines of Christ has both the Father and the Son.” This means that the only doctrine that can give us eternal life is the one that Christ preached.

This woman was telling me that as long as you thank God, everything is okay, as long as you have a good heart and God knows it, everything is okay. What most of these so-called Christians do not know is that as much as God can read your mind, He needs to hear you say you love Him; He needs to hear you say thanks to Him before you thank anyone else. You might think that God knows everything, so He knows that you put Him first. But thinking that God is first in your life and actually putting Him first, are two different things. Obviously the so-called Christians are not aware of that. Even when we pray to God, He knows what we want before we pray, but we still need to pray and ask.

Prior to Christ leaving this earth, He asked Peter on three occasions if Peter loved Him. Peter was getting angry at being asked so many times, and he said, “Master, you know all things, and you know I love you.” On each occasion He told Peter to feed His sheep. And who are His sheep? The members of the congregation. So if Christ asked Peter to feed His sheep, isn’t that an indication that He was asking Peter to be a shepherd?

And what does a shepherd do? He takes care of his sheep all right. He makes sure that they are properly fed and ensures that they have some where safe to sleep. Why is it that the sheep are the ones who are taking care of the Shepherd? Christ didn’t tell Peter to take as much as he could from the sheep and asked them to wait on God. No, He told him to feed them, in other word He was asking Peter to make sure that the people are properly fed and properly taken care of, and of course it just wasn’t with spiritual food as some people seem to think, but also with physical food. If someone is hungry physically, I don’t think he will be interested in spiritual food, so he needs to be fed with something for his stomach as well as his mind.

Peter was right when he said that Christ knew everything; Christ knows all things and He knew Peter loved Him, but He still needed to ask. The rest of the disciples were there; Christ wanted to hear that Peter loves Him too, and He wanted to hear it from Peter himself. It’s the same thing with us; we need to do things so that God can see that we put Him first at all times. Christ said that he who loves mother and father more than he loves Him (Christ) is not worthy of following Him.

WHO IS THE “WORD OF GOD”?

And why do men call the Bible ‘the word of God’? Don’t they know that the ‘Word of God’ is Christ as is mentioned in Revelation 19:13? This is a trend I have noticed and it goes from one to the other; it has become a norm. We are taught that we have word, which is one word, and when it is more than one, it is called words. The Bible contains words, why do men say ‘word of God’ when referring to the Bible? Aren’t they aware that the “Word Of God” is Christ?

Obviously not.

HEAVEN

Why do pastors continue to tell people that when they die they go to heaven, despite the fact that Christ had never told anyone that, despite the fact that it’s not anywhere in the Bible? We all know that God and Christ despise lying, so why do pastors lie? One would think that the church would be one place where you wouldn’t hear lying, and the people do believe that their pastors do not lie, and so they are willing to go along with whatever the he or she says. Even when a pastor is caught in the act of deceiving the people, they’re still willing to believe that he has done nothing wrong.

There is nowhere in the Bible where it says that when men die they go to heaven. As a matter of fact if one goes to John 6:39, 40, 44, 54, one will see what Christ said about the people who believe in Him. In each passage He promised He would raise them on the last day.

WAS IT GOD WHO DIED?

In one tract that I read, and one that is encouraging peoples to turn to God, it beseeches a person to say a prayer, which goes like this. “Dear God, I admit I’m a sinner, going to hell. I know that I cannot save myself. I repent of my sins and put my faith in the blood that you shed for me on the cross to pay for all my sins. I now accept you as my savior and trust you to take me to heaven. Thank you for saving me. Amen”

Immediately below this, it says, “Salvation does not depend on feelings or emotional experience. It comes when you believe what God has promised in His word, ‘That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

While Christ was on earth, He spoke about the Pharisees burdening the people and giving them burdens to carry that they themselves wouldn’t lift a finger to carry.

This is the same thing that is happening in today’s society, the pastors are burdening the people by giving them more than they can carry. The pastors are telling us that God died for our sins, but yet in order for us to gain eternal life, we must believe that God raised Christ from the dead. Now how can one do that? How can one believe that it was God who died, but yet it was Christ who was raised from the dead?

Of course they will tell you that God and Christ are one and the same, but if they are, that means that when Christ died, then God died too, so who raised whom? And if God had died and He is Christ, then where did the power originate from, which brought Him back to life?

Here are some things to consider when thinking of Christ as God. In Daniel 7, here it says a man sits on a throne; He is called “The Ancient Of Days.” The Son of man who is Christ is brought to him, and He gave Christ authority. Who is this man who gave Christ authority?

In Revelation chapter 4, this man is called “He who lives forever and ever”. He has thousands bowing down to Him, He has a seal in His hand no one could take and open, it was only the Lamb of God, who is Christ who could take it from Him. Who is this man who lives forever and ever and who all these people were bowing to? Remember, only God and Christ you are allowed to serve.

In Revelation, the very first verse, it says, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him to show unto His servant things which must shortly come to pass.” If Christ were God, who is this man who gave this revelation to Him? It says God.

When David in spirit said, “My LORD said to my Lord, sit at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool.” Who was this man who told Christ to sit at His right hand?

When Christ said to His Father in John 12:28, ‘Father, glorify thy name.’ Was it Christ who answered Himself when a voice was heard from heaven, which said, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again’? Of course not, Christ was talking to God who is His Father.

God made us different from the birds and from the animals. He made the animals with instinct and made us with senses. We can determine if something makes sense and if it doesn’t, we can dismiss it as nonsense. Yet, there are men who called themselves scholars who would like us to accept that Christ is God as well as the Son of God.

I would like you look at this statement and consider it for a while. The statement is the answer to the question, “Who is God?” First of all a Christian will answer by saying that Christ is God. Now if the person is asked ‘Who is Christ?” The answer will be that He is the Son of God. Now I’ll summarize. The answer to “Who is God” is this: “God is the Son of God.” Now if you can accept this as a sensible answer then that means that we are not displaying the traits that God has in Himself. Remember, we were made in God’s image, in His likeness and with a lot of His traits. God is wisdom and because we were made in His likeness and because we possess some of His traits, we need to display some of that personality of God. We need to start reading our Bibles and not allow people to read it for us. When we read our Bibles, then no one can trick us, because we know what is right and what is wrong.