What Do You Believe In?

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Faith is unavoidable. Everybody believes in something. There are those who believe that there is no God; there are those who believe that there is one God; there are those who believe that there are many gods, and there are those who believe that the universe (or nature itself) is God.
Those who believe that there is one God have different beliefs about Him. Those who believe that there are many gods have different versions of those gods. Those who believe that everything is God have their own reasons why, and those who believe that there is no God have other beliefs about how life began. 
The atheists, for example, believe that there is no such being as God. Instead, they believe that the universe formed itself in the ways that scientists suggest.

Image from dailygalaxy.com

One of these suggestions is called the ‘Big Bang’ theory. The theory states that the universe began as a single particle which then exploded to form the planets and the stars. However, nobody saw such an event taking place. It is an imaginary event that was proposed by a Belgian Roman Catholic priest known as Georges Lemaître in 1927.
The reason given for this theory is that the universe has been expanding over time. However, this does not prove anything, because there could be a million other reasons why that has been happening. Imagining an answer is the same as composing a fairy tale, and it leaves the door wide open for misinterpretations.

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Another popular theory is the Evolution theory. The theory states that all life forms came from one common ancestor that slowly developed into the many different animals and plants that we have today. Once again, nobody saw the so-called common ancestor or saw it turning into all the species that exist, and so nobody can say without a doubt that that is what truly happened. The people who came up with this theory did not do so because they know that what they say is what happened. Rather, they BELIEVE that it did. Nobody can swear that the homo-whatever fossils of apes are not simply some extinct types of apes that lived alongside ordinary men and stole their tools. As it is, when speculations are made about something, there is no limit to the great number of ideas and assumptions that people can come up with. However, ideas are ideas, and falling for them just because they sound like a good explanation for something is not the wise thing to do.

I could go on and on about the many beliefs and theories that exist in this world, but that is not the purpose of this post. The purpose of this post is to ask an important question: Are you sure that what you have believed in is true, or have you believed in something that is false? Do you believe in what you believe just because other people told you, or did you take the time to thoroughly research it by yourself and personally find out that it is true? If you did not, how can you be so sure that it is not just an outright lie?

The Heaven's Gate cult mass suicide
Image from 10news.com

In 1997, 39 people committed suicide because they believed that the world was going to end on March 26th of that year. Their leader had told them that the Hale-Bopp comet that had come very close to the earth that year was being followed by a spacecraft, and that they would need to board it by their souls so as to escape this doomed planet. It sounded very sensible and logical to them because they could see the comet and it had never come so close to the earth before, but as fate would have it, they died for nothing. Such is the tragedy of putting ones' faith in something false. It costs the person his or her energy, time, money, effort and even life.

Image from hfa.ucsb.edu

Considering the large number of beliefs that there are in the world, each one being either slightly or greatly different from the other, it is obvious that there are false beliefs and true beliefs. The truth is the truth, and it is not something that changes to suit the whims and preferences of any particular person. If something is, then it is, and if it is not, then it is not. No matter how much someone believes in something that is not true, it will not become true just to suit them. It will remain false no matter how sincere the believer is and no matter how much he or she defends it. For this reason, it is important to first be very sure about what you are believing in before you believe in it. You may end up finding out that you wasted your valuable time, energy, effort and money believing in what you did.

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As a Christian, I have come to appreciate the value of knowing my faith well. There are many denominations that subscribe to the Christian faith, but a close look at them reveals quite a number of differences. However, a careful study of the Bible, a practical experience and observation of its principles and promises, and a deep look into the large amount of evidence available concerning what is written in it, gives someone a clear message of what the truth is. 
The Bible contains an accurate account of many historical events that have been proven, as well as hundreds of accurately fulfilled prophecies. Furthermore, the remaining prophecies are continuing to be fulfilled each day. Some of the websites that describe the truthfulness of the Bible are http://www.creationevidence.org/ and http://www.reasons.org/ . In addition, the presence and power of the God of the Bible is continually manifested in peoples day to day lives. People experience supernatural healing and answers to prayers by calling on the name of Jesus Christ.

As one famous quote says, “The man with an experience is not at the mercy of the man with an argument”. Being absolutely sure of the truth makes someone immune to and able to disprove any elaborate arguments, opinions and deception that they may be presented with.
Having taken the time to establish that what I believe in is absolutely true, I can now confidently testify without any doubt that the God of The Bible is true, that Jesus Christ lives and He is who He said He is, and that The Bible is God's Word.

Every human being has the opportunity and personal responsibility to seek the truth for themselves and not just rely on hearsay, suggestion, tradition, opinion or imagination. As the Bible says, “faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” - Hebrews 11:1
Bother to find out more about what is and is not true. Do not live a life that will end up having been a joke on yourself.

Who Will Sit on The White Throne of Judgment?

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As human beings, we have a tendency to want to be liked by other people and have them think well of us. We want them to admire us, say nice things about us and hold us in high regard. This is despite the fact that we may be doing some not-so-nice things behind their back that they know nothing about. I have often seen people looking very embarrassed and ashamed when some hideous thing that they were doing in secret is exposed on national TV. They do not want to be seen and known as not-so-good people. They would rather have people continue to think of them as the most wonderful people in the world. It does not matter that God knows all of their dark and sinister secrets. What matters is how other people see them.

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This tendency to want to look admirable to others has a way of making us less concerned about pleasing God and more concerned about how to please and be accepted by other people. For example, if those whom we associate with think that it is foolish to still be a virgin, we go ahead and sleep around. If they think that drugs are cool, we go ahead and become addicts. If they think lowly of certain people, we go ahead and develop a hatred for those people and start discriminating against them. Whatever they are doing, even if it is something bad that is obviously contrary to God's will, we join them lest they reject us.

This brings us to the question that has been asked at the beginning of this post: Who will sit on the throne of judgment on judgment day? Will it be our friends whom we work so hard to please and be accepted by? Will it be our neighbors who speak well of us? Will it be those whom we are really nice to while at the same time being not-so-nice to others? Will it be those whose demands we make sure that we meet even if it means pushing God aside?

Obviously, the answer is no. God is the one who will sit on that judgment throne. His judgment will not be based on what people know. His judgment will not be based on what people think. His judgment will not be based on what people feel about us. Rather, His judgment will be based on His Word and on His flawless knowledge about each one of us.

We may seem good to others but have wicked thoughts and hearts. We may do many praise-worthy and celebrated deeds but have the wrong motives. We may do some things just to look good and get praise but not because that is what we truly want or love to do. We may smile at others but not really love them at all. We may do things that seem good to us and to others but are actually wrong before God.

God sees and knows everything about everything that there is to know under the sun. He knows everything about our thoughts; He knows everything that is in our hearts; He knows everything about our actions; He knows everything about our motives; He knows everything about our desires, and He knows everything about our plans. The Bible says that there is nothing that is hidden before God. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before Him to whom we must all give account (Hebrews 4:13).
Therefore, when that momentous day of judgment arrives, what other people thought about us will be of no value to us. It is God who will have all the say, and it is He alone who will determine our future destiny. If we ignored Him and pushed Him aside for the sake of our friends and those we loved and wanted to be loved by, all that will come crushing down in a moment. The popularity that we had will turn into disgrace; the pride that we had will turn into shame; the joy that we had will turn into grief, and the contentment that we had will turn into regret.

It is therefore up to us to decide who and what is more important for us to live for, and to count the cost of our choices here on earth. Eternity will be a never-ending experience, and any wrong decisions and choices that we make here on earth will cost us forevermore.

"Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." - Matthew 10:37

"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever." - 1 John 2:15-17
"For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." - Mark 8:36-38

Everything Will Be Judged

 If you are reading this post, then you are one of those to whom God has granted the gift of life this day. It may look like no big deal, because after all we have seen so many other days before this one and are still expecting to see many more.
It is easy and common for us to take a new day for granted and not regard it so highly, seeing it as just another 24 hours that will soon pass away to usher in yet another more or less similar day.
Nevertheless, as insignificant as those hours may sometimes seem, the Bible tells us that each and every moment of each and every day matters greatly before God. It informs us that God will judge us for every single thing that we did during our time on earth, be it our words, thoughts, actions, intentions, ignorance, negligence and so on. As the following scriptures show:

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” – 2 Corinthians 5:10

"For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open." - Luke 8:17

“God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” – Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 

"But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned." - Matthew 12:36-37

"And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books." - Revelation 20:12

"Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account." - Hebrews 4:13

"So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God." - Romans 14:12

As mentioned above, God will judge not only wickedness but also righteousness. Those who will enter His kingdom will be given rewards of various kinds depending on how well they served Him. The Bible informs us that:

"the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames." - 1 Corinthians 3:12-15

"From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." - Luke 12:48b

"I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve." - Jeremiah 17:10

"Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done." -Revelation 22:12
 
“For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them...to each according to his own ability...After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them...So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents...His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord'...Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man...and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’...But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant...take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’" - Matthew 25:14-30

It is therefore clear that everything that we have done and are doing will have a great impact on us, and that it will all be brought out into the open later on to undergo a careful analysis by God in the full view of everyone. Furthermore, we will all be judged and rewarded individually according to how we personally walked with God, and the glory or shame, joy or misery that we will receive for our actions will be ours to carry alone.
As we go through each day therefore, it is good to take note of this fact, because as the Bible says, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God, and we will all be held personally accountable and responsible for all our decisions and actions on earth, given the fact that we are always free at all times to choose to do what is right.

The Liebster Award

I was recently nominated for The Liebster Award by Ms. Patricia Townsend, who runs the blog Voice From the End Of Town at http://hsmentormom.blogspot.com. The blog is about her Christian faith and life in Christ. My heartfelt appreciation goes out to her for this warm gesture, and I am really touched and humbled by it. The Liebster Award is a real award that allows bloggers to give recognition to other bloggers and encourage them to continue blogging. To qualify for this award, you must follow the rules below:

1. Acknowledge the nominating blogger, and link back to their blog.
2. Tell 11 random facts about yourself.  
3. Answer the 11 questions that the nominating blogger came up with. 
4. List 11 bloggers who (as far as you can tell) have 200 followers or less and you believe deserve a little recognition and encouragement to continue.
5. Post 11 questions for the bloggers you nominated to answer.
6. Go to the pages of those you have nominated and tell them. 
7. Do NOT nominate someone who has nominated you.

I should have done all this sooner (as I had informed Ms. Patricia), but have been so busy that I haven’t had time to post as much as I would like to. Well, so much for the delay. I have to do this and do it now, so here goes:

11 Random Facts About Me

1. I am the first born in a family of five kids: four girls and one boy.
2. I got born again in 2004 after listening to a sermon on TBN.
3. I’m single and see it as an opportunity to devote more time to seeking and serving God (1 Corinthians 7).
4. I recently shaved my hair and find that it is easier for me to manage it that way.
5. I would love to visit Israel sometime so as to see and experience the places and things I read about in the Bible.
6. I have only been out of the country (Kenya) once in my lifetime, when I was 5 years old and accompanied my mum to the UK.
7. My favorite childhood pastime was to write, read and narrate fairy tales.
8. I used to be a Catholic before I got born again, and now I’m the only one in my family who is not one.
9. My favorite-est snack is roasted peanuts.
10. When it comes to pets, I prefer cats to dogs. I find them to be so much more graceful and elegant. Maybe this is because I grew up surrounded by as many as eight cats at a go. As I write this, there are actually eight cats in my mum’s house right now.
11. I hate pessimism. I like to keep a positive outlook at all times.

Patricia’s Questions To Me 
1. How long have you been blogging?

I started blogging in April last year. That is nine months ago.

2. What made you start blogging?

I started blogging so as to shine back the light that God has shone upon me in this dark world that I too was once blinded by (Matthew 28:19-20).

3. What was one of the greatest moments in your life?

When I finally understood God’s plan of salvation and got born again.

4. If you made a "bucket list", what would be #1?

Lead the whole world to Christ.

5. What's your favorite color and why?

Truth be told, I really don’t have a favorite color, but I prefer cool colors because I find them to be easier to blend and more professional-looking.

6. What season do you prefer?

Spring.

7. Maserati or minivan?

Maserati

8. Paris or Vegas?

Paris.

9. Moonlight serenade or dinner & a movie?

Dinner.

10. What one thing do you wish everyone understood about you?

I do not like to dwell on the past or on the negatives. I perform better when I'm encouraged rather than picked on or torn down.

11. In 100 years, how do you want to be remembered?

As a true lover and follower of God.

My 11 Nominees

1. Frank King, Frank King’s Blog: wwwefrankking.blogspot.com
2. Amircar Diaz, Christian Living: http://amircarmickydiaz.blogspot.com/
3. Richard Hobart, About The Master’s Business: http://www.heismyallinall.com
4. Scott Lolmaugh, Do You Believe That: http://dontbeliveit.blogspot.com/
5. Mel Libre, Blotfree: http://www.blotfree.com
6. Carl Jones, I’d Laugh…But All This Happened To Me!: http://youthguy07.blogspot.com/
7. Anthony (untonyto), Life and Times of Antony: http://antonyhimself.blogspot.com/
8. Freddy Winter, Media 4 Life Ministries: http://freddywinter.blogspot.com/
9. Sonam Dorji, Living Through My Thoughts: http://somdoji.blogspot.com/
10. Desmond Desyboy’s Blog : http://desybo.blogspot.com/
11. Krissy K, July Flame: http://krissyk-julyflame.blogspot.com/

My 11 Questions

1. Why do you blog?
2. What do you value the most in life?
3. If you were to start your life all over again, what things if any would you do differently?
4. What is your worst habit?
5. What is your best way to relax?
6. What is your favorite food?
7. What gets on your nerves (i.e. irritates you)?
8. Which human being do you admire the most?
9. What is your favorite quote?
10. What is your favorite TV show?
11. Who is God to you?

 

It's a New Year

We are now in the year 2013. You and I are among those who have been blessed with the opportunity to usher it in. There are many people who cannot join us in the celebration because they are not here with us. Some of them died just a few minutes before the new year began. Out of these, there are probably those who would rather be where they are now. Others, however, might want to come back (Luke 16:19-31).
We should therefore treasure and be thankful for each day that we see, because it is a God-given opportunity to do things that truly matter and that make a positive difference in our lives and those of others, both here on earth and thereafter.
Unfortunately though, this is not what always happens. Many are the things that we do that make our lives worse instead of making them better. Such things weigh us down, drain us, fill our lives with stress, depression, misery and regret, and also act as a barrier to God’s plans and blessings in our lives. They include bitterness, unforgiveness, hatred, rage, ethnic divisions, rudeness, jealousy, strife, drug abuse, drunkenness, sexual promiscuity, arrogance, and so on (Galatians 5: 19-21, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, Colossians 3:5-8, 2 Timothy 2:16, etc). They are of no benefit to anyone and only add unnecessary complications and gloom to our lives.

When we begin a new year, if we do not get rid of such things, then the new year ends up being just a continuation of the previous ones’ turmoil, baggage and setbacks. We end up rotating in a vicious cycle of unprofitable clutter that becomes harder and harder to break out of as days pass. As one famous quote says,

“Watch your actions for they become your habits;

Watch your habits for they become your character;

Watch your character for it shapes your destiny.”

It is therefore good to do some spiritual, mental, emotional and practical spring-cleaning so as to break out of the vicious loops that keep entangling us and holding us back, and move on to the greater things that God plans for us. This makes life more worth the while and less strenuous.

In addition, we should use the time that we have as wisely as we can, because just like those who have not seen this year, we do not know how much time we have left and whether or not we will see the next one.

“Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” – Ephesians 5:15-16