Weekly Reflection

“When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it.  Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order.  Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”

Do you remember who you were when Jesus Christ rescued you? The need to be saved involves being captive or enslaved by someone or something? Jesus says those he sets free are free indeed (John 8:36). I remember the day that I came out of the water of baptism, it was a Sunday afternoon when I declared Jesus is Lord. I recall the room where I was when tears of joy flowed down my eyes to have learned that Satan has no authority in my life unless I give it to him by rebelling against God’s will for my life. To know that I no longer live but Christ lives in me as my Lord and savior (Galatians 2:20), compels me to fight against Satan and his demons’ schemes from becoming an enemy of God (1 John 3:1-6). Have you taken the time during your journey with Jesus to take a pulse about where you are in your relationship?  

Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”

There was a time in my life as a young Christian when I had the concept of God’s Salvation twisted in my mind. I thought that there is something I could have done to stay free from sins when I said Jesus is Lord and surrendered my life to him.  I will never forget the day that the Holy Spirit convicted me. He said Annaika, if you were perfect and able to keep yourself from Satan’s pollution you would not need Jesus’ blood.  This was about the time I began to understand and process what apostle Paul meant when he declared what a wretched man, he was in Romans 7:24. Paul understood that his earthly body is subject to death and there is nothing he can do within his own strength, knowledge and will to get to heaven.  

Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

I would like for you to imagine the worst thing you have ever done in your life.  Maybe nobody knows about it but you.  You feel ashamed and worthless.  You feel unforgiven or rejected by your own conscience.  Or maybe people know, and they are always ready to shame, reject, ridicule you or write you off as hopeless and remind you no redemption is available to set you free.  Perhaps, this might not apply to you but there is someone you know who is drowning under Satan’s bondage because of their past mistakes or decisions.  Maybe like the sinful woman, your community wants to stone you to death.  Maybe not physically but by their words and actions toward you.  You feel alone and seek different ways to fill the void that is swallowing your existence.  The more you try to fix it, the more disconnected, helpless, confused and angry you feel. You might get up every day after drowning in tears through the night or during your private moment.  

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Have you seen the old cartoons where there are two figures on each shoulder of a character trying to convince them the right actions or path to go? One is depicted as an angel, and the other as a devil.  This visual picture is a daily battle for every human being in this world. It is easy to say that we believe in God. The question is, do we believe in God or know of God?  What does it mean to profess that God through Jesus Christ is our only source of life?  I would like you to think about this passage, “Thou believes that there is one God; though doest well:  the devils also believe and tremble (James 2:19- KJV).  

For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. Therefore, we are always confident and know that as lo ng as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. For we live by faith, not by sight.

Have you reflected on how fragile and unpredictable your life is? We all have some knowledge about the cycle of life. We are born and we will die. Yes, this life cycle is inevitable, and it does not discriminate against race, age or socioeconomic. There are some people, before they get to the end of their lives, who will struggle with enormous physical and mental pain. Apostle Paul pleaded with God to remove a thorn that he encountered as a servant of the living God and gave every living soul a vision that is worth fighting for while we are living in this earthly body (2 Corinthians 12:8).

Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never!

There are many passages where the Bible tells us the importance of our body. We can study different topics relating to our body from scriptures. I believe the most important mystery in our newfound birth in Jesus Christ is becoming a new creation. In Galatians 2:20-21, apostle Paul reminded us we have been crucified with Christ; Jesus lives in us. "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.”  For the purpose of this reflection, I am compelled to focus on the visible outer appearance transformation that should take place in our lives when we said Jesus is Lord. "You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ" (Romans 8:9). Your body is the temple of the living God where his Spirit lives if we have declared Jesus is lord. The passage above talked about not using our body for prostitution and in verse thirteen of the same chapter it explains “The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.” I believe there are different ways that we can defile our bodies without engaging in sexually immoral acts. Let me share a story with you. Growing up my parents always said the way you carry yourself as a young woman is how society will judge you. My parents made sure we had clothes and dressed nicely according to what our peer group wore at the time. However, there were rules, we were not allowed to wear shorts that showed our thighs and buttocks, nor clothes that exposed our breasts or belly buttons. In addition, our skirt/dresses had to be no shorter than knee high and my mother would always say it's proper for women to wear tights under their dresses and skirts because you never knew when you had to run or when the wind would suddenly blow and lift up your dress or skirt. Then I became a teenager. Should I say more? I rebelled and decided I only wanted to wear everything that my parents said was not allowed. My styles were Poom poom shorts, tight jeans, short clothing, etc. I enjoyed all the attention and praise of everyone around me.