Tag Archives: healing

Christianity, Current events, doctrine, faith, Human Right, security, Theology

HEALING THE DIVISION BETWEEN CHRISTIANS

I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. (John 10:11-16)

I have been getting into my Irish heritage by learning the history. Especially as a Catholic, I have been learning more about the issues of Northern Ireland where my ancestors are from (County Antrim). While those my age outside of Ireland saw The Troubles on the nightly news in America, and yes, there are still issues, the clip of the Real Derry Girls brings hope. You may wonder why I bring this situation up in relation to the opening verses. Simple.

While the issues arise from the conquering of the northern part of Ireland and forced submission to the crown in England centuries ago, that political divide is seen in a Catholic versus Protestant lens. I won’t go into the normal views of these two groups of Christians on the other. For me, the whole ‘No salvation outside the church’ versus the whole ‘the Church is the seat of the antiChrist’ mentality forget the words of our Lord.

I have been both Protestant (I was a huge anti Catholic Church person back in the beginning of my walk with Christ) and am now a devout Catholic Christian. Being devout does not mean I don’t question a few of the magisterial teaching of the church. It means that that the main tenets of faith, as held in the Nicean-Constantinople Creed (and yes, that is the full name) are the core beliefs of my faith. I am fully in understanding that Christ is fully resent in the Eucharist. Because it was said by Christ himself on many occasions. (John 6:48-59, Matthew 26:26-28, Mark 14:22-24, Luke 22:19-20). I bring this part of the faith up because it a big issue between Catholics and the majority of Protestants. Although, many modern Catholics question the Eucharist as well.

This is just of a few differences between the two groups. But from a basic look, the troubles in Northern Ireland are way beyond just differences in faith and politics. I won’t touch on either of those in this article. What I will talk about is the statement Christ made in the verses at the beginning of this article. ‘I have other sheep which are not of this fold’.

As I watched this, and other videos, of the conflict between the two sides, it was not only about the history of division and war. It was the stories of hope that got my attention. The Derry Girls video was the story of starting to build a bridge by bringing women from both sides together and hearing their stories. Hear how the Troubles personally effected them and how the peace walls in Derry may be a hindrance to reconciliation. Other videos also showed that, while yes there are still issues that need resolved, there is a hope of reconciliation and peace between the two.

I am not foolish enough to think that there are multiple facets to this issue. But I’m going to just center on all of those that proclaim Christ as their savior. Despite the differences in theological or doctrinal views, we are all family and heirs to the King Jesus Christ. Sons and daughters of the most high. And yes, like every family with multiple siblings, there will be issues between us. But at the end of the day, we are siblings and children of God through the blood of Christ at the Cross. It is not important about the sign out front of your building. Its not important that you seek intercession of Mother Mary or the Saints (its not command, only suggested).

There will be doctrinal and theological differences between Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant. But to say one is better or that God will only accept one or the other defies the sovereignty of GOD. The real way to end this, or any other conflict, secular or religious (between Christians) is a change of heart and mind. That is only done through prayer, fasting, and a total reliance upon God alone. Not referendum on a ballot for unity of an island. Not on driving a government out so another can take control. And not a blind reverence of one denomination or church over another. 

We are told the commandments of loving God first and our brother second. ‘And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him.  “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”  And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the great and first commandment.  And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:34-40) 

It seems that we have forgotten that his sheep are not of the same flock. Reread the opening verses of this article. Then as, why are we making enemies of other Christians? Why do we make them an enemy? And if one has the idea that if they don’t go to our church, they can’t be true Christians, and you see them as an enemy of the faith, remember the words of Christ. ‘You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,  so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.  For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?  And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?  You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.’ (Matthew 5:43-48).

While this is an issue in Northern Ireland, it is also an issue anywhere the different Christian groups are together. While we are to speak of our faith in Christ as our only link to salvation, we are to remember we are still family in faith to the only true Father in Heaven. Understand that there are differences. Understand that there will always be disagreements, both doctrinal and theological. But the one thing we all have in common is found at the foot of the cross and an empty tomb. That is where the divisions of the faith will start to heal.

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Christianity, Current events, doctrine, faith, Theology, Uncategorized

I Went Back to the Well

Revelation 2:4 “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love”.

We have all seen followers of Christ that have veered off course, started to follow the money and fame, or even left the faith. Something can happen to cause doubt and wandering in a Christian. Whether its the cares of this world, the money that can be had by fame, or simple a wrong turn. The losing of the first love, the fire and zeal one has for the study and preaching/teaching of Jesus and the only means of salvation, the Cross.

That was where I found myself for about the last year. I didn’t walk away or follow some money scheme.I just lost the fire and zeal of the love of Jesus the Christ. A couple years, I left the Catholic church and set out on what turned out to be a journey. I went from the Catholic church back to my Protestant roots.

I went from Roman Catholic to a local Pentecostal church, the Healing Ministries Church of God of Mountain Assembly. I had been there a few times, saw my oldest son saved and baptized there. But felt it wasn’t for me.

And I ended up being a partial Calvinist. I say partial because I could get behind all of the points of TULIP (Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, Preserving Grace). The petal of this flower I had issue with was the Calvinist view of election. I could merge this with the concept of freewill and the words “Whosoever” from verses like John 3:16 and Acts 10:43. So I knew I could no longer be a Calvinist.

Now I was at at point that I tried the Healing Ministries church again. This time it was an older pastor who had been pastor at the church before. He is an old-timey preacher. Everything in his messages leads one back to the cross. I knew people that went there and figured I need a church, so why not. Pastor Wright became a mentor to me. I suppose you could say more of a grandfather to me, although we are only 30 years apart.

But even that, after awhile, I felt like I needed to be there. So I left the board and church and found myself back in the Roman Catholic Church. I think it was more because I knew the mechanics of the faith. By mechanics, I mean the set prayers (Rosary, Magnificat), the procedure of the service (the ups, downs, kneels, etc), and the celebrations (required Holy days, the Eucharist). But after a time, I found myself being pulled to the Eastern Churches (Eastern Catholic and Eastern Orthodox). Having already determined that the Pope is the Bishop of Rome and not the prime ruler over Christendom, I became an Orthodox Catechumen in the Antiochian Church.

It still had the mechanics (although a slightly different style) and the belief were almost the same as the Roman Church. So I traded the Rosary for the Jesus Prayer, which I still recommend people to pray from time to time because it is the prayer that gives all 4 main points of a prayer and is scriptural. “Lord Jesus Christ (name and position on the faith), Son of God (who He is), Have mercy on me (what we seek), A sinner (what we are)”. But in time, I found myself praying for something more than mechanics.

I found myself prayer for the zeal and the fire I had when I gave myself to Jesus in 1996. During my prayer regime (the Orthodox call it a prayer rule), the point of prayers when the Jesus prayer is said, it is 10 prayers followed by a personal prayer. This is done 5 times for a total of 50 Jesus prayers and 5 personal prayers said in a prostate position. For those who don’t know, the prostate position is face to the ground, forehead touching the floor. A position of submission to God’s sovereignty. During the personal prayers I cried out to God to fix in me what was broken so I could have that fire for Christ and the Cross that I had decades before. It consumed me, this longing for the walk I once had. And while there were times over the decades that it would flicker, it never became full flame again.

This last week, before Sunday last, I was told that Pastor Wright was having health issues, so I decided to o to Healing Ministries so that I could check on him after service. Something in me started to make itself known, so to speak, during the sermon. Not much because of the message, although Pastor Wright always had a way preaching that makes one think the message is for them (that’s the prodding of the Holy Spirit).

Those under the umbrella of Pentecostal faith believe in healing. I also do because I have seen it in my own family. At the end of the service I walked down to see how Pastor Wright was doing. I didn’t even get to ask. I got to the point where I said how great the message was and how I felt like I belonged there (at least for that day) and that’s when things took a different turn. The floodgates opened and I found myself unable to talk.

Pastor Wright laid his hand on my shoulder and started praying. I felt a heat inside that I hadn’t felt in almost three decades. By the time he was done, a small group (including a dear friend) were at my side praying jointly with Pastor Wright. I went to check on his health and the Holy Spirit used him to heal my struggling soul.

The stories of well’s in scripture are a metaphor and symbol of the life giving water that is Jesus. “Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)   Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?  Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:6-14).

I found on that Sunday that sometimes, the best place for a Christian to go is back to the well. For us country folk, going back to the well means going back to the beginning. For me, this meant going back to my Protestant roots to a place and person that are so dear to me. While the fire is still starting to reignite, its no longer smoldering in ash. I had forgotten the Cross and replaced it with church mechanics. I had to be shown the thing that matters in this life. The Cross of Christ, the cleansing blood, and the empty tomb. The Cross and the cleansing blood washes away the sin and the empty tomb is the sign of hope of redemption in Christ. Something I needed reminded of.

People today expect concert style entertainment and a soft message in church. And God may use those (He is Sovereign and does as He wills). But never putdown a grandfatherly Cross/Sin/Hellfire/Need of redemption preacher in a backwoods little throwback church. Because I found that the well in those old country walls has the most refreshing Living Water of Christ one can ever drink.

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Christianity, faith, Uncategorized

A Personal Reflection

Having taken a sabbatical prior to Lent, I realized that the call of God was stronger. So I threw myself into Lent, giving up social media and television to focus on reading and studying. It led me to start a diploma course in Divinity studies and strengthened my desire to be in God’s Holy Scriptures.

While I attend Catholic mass and am a confirmed Roman Catholic, the readings and studies have drawn me closer to my Evangelical roots. I was washed by the blood of Christ in 1996 as a Seventh Day Adventist. I was confirmed Catholic in 1999. But for almost 20 years did not attend mass on a regular basis. Because of rules of the church, I was not allowed to take Eucharist. So for that 20 years, I went to various churches.

Since 2019, I was allowed to receive Eucharist again, but from time to time felt the need to step away from the building of the church but not my faith. So I since that time, I have taken a few personal sabbaticals to immerse myself into scripture and prayer.

That leads me to today. At Easter, me and some of my children went to the local Methodist church that my daughter attends. My 22 year old son was to go but had been placed in the hospital with a life threatening issue. At that point, I did what I could do. I opened up payer warriors from everywhere and everyone I could. Having seen the power of miraculous healing before (during my Evangelical years) I knew it was the only way to fix the situation.

My son was born with a congenital heart defect where he was born without the main pump chamber of the heart. He had various surgeries that remedied it but still lives with complications at times. This night, he was admitted for a saddle embolism and clots in the lungs, A saddle embolism is a massive clot that blocks the aortic entry into both lungs.

I knew that only God Himself could deal with the problem. He was transferred to another hospital where he had his surgeries and was the place his cardiologist was. When they took more x-rays and another CT scan the next day, the prayer had worked. There was no sign that he had ever had the clots or embolism. The doctors could not explain it. There was nothing there. He went from an 80% chance of death to a full removal of all clots and the embolism. There will be nobody that will ever tell me it was not a healing of Divine intervention.

That week, he asked something he had never asked. He wanted to go to church that next Sunday. So, we found a church but something led me to take him to one that I had been to a couple times a few years ago. It is a Pentecostal church. We went.

Another prayer was answered this last Sunday. My son, an avowed Odinist was touched and made the altar call. We were both crying. Me from happiness and him from finally understanding God’s love and forgiveness. Why we went there and not my normal Catholic church or the church we had decided on was because at that time on that day, God was going to deliver my son’s soul only a week after delivering his physical need.

Those two acts by Christ Jesus and the pull on me to go back to the well, so to speak, have led me to a point of not only reaffirming my faith in God through the power of Christ’s cleansing blood, but has started to rekindle that fire I once had inside me.

Praise be to God, in Christ, through the Holy Ghost.

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