Conversion: The Littlest Giant Part 1

                                       

I am writing to share with you the story of “The Littlest giant. Are you wondering what this must be?  Well, read on! And if you can find the patience and time to read the whole thing, I think you will not be disappointed.  You will find out this is a true story of how God is lovingly touching and changing people’s lives today, just as he always has, and always will.   

“The Littlest Giant”

“The littlest giant” was born in a country were the religion has been Islam (Muslim) for hundreds of years.  He grew up listening to the call to prayer from the mosques around the city five times a day and hearing about fasting for Ramadan and about the prophet Mohamed. Yes indeed he grew up in a country were Jesus was hardly known, in fact he had never heard of Jesus as a savior. His family and friends were mostly Muslim: his grandmother a devoted Muslim was faithful to prayer five times a day. His mother is a modern and open minded Muslim woman who is not afraid to search for God wherever He may be.   And his father had a new age tendency and did not want to categorize himself into any religion, rather he simply believed in one all powerful God.

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“The littlest giant” grew up without knowing Jesus and like his father he did not chose any particular religion – he simply believed in GOD.  He did not know it yet, but Jesus had his name written in the palm of His hand.  Jesus knew him since he was in his mothers womb and he had great plans for him. 

“My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.  No one can take them out of my hand.  My father who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand.  The father and I are one.”  Jesus in John 10 (27-30)

“Everything that the father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me...”Jesus in John 6 (37)

At the right time Jesus would call “the littlest giant” to follow Him. Like the Bible says: when Jesus, the good shepherd, calls his sheep all His sheep recognize His voice. Each sheep may be called at a different time, but when they hear His voice they recognize their shepherd and happily come to Him. All are called by the gentile voice of Jesus, even those in other herds will come to Him.

“I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me…”Jesus in John 10(14)

“I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold.  These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd.” John 10(16)

Jesus started calling “the littlest giant” more or less when “the littlest giant” was 21 years old. As “the littlest giant” heard His voice he started drawing close to him Him.  Yes little by little coming closer to Jesus, attracted slowly, like a little bunny to a carrot in someone’s hand - cautious, gently and slowly but without being able to resist.

“And this is the will of the one who sent me that I should not lose anything of what He gave me, but that I should raise it in the last day.  For this is the will of my Father that everyone who sees the son and believes in Him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day.” Jesus in John (39-40)

 Each time, “the littlest giant” heard Jesus's voice more clearly, calling him louder.  As the years went by “the littlest giant” started to seek Him and know Him better and better.  At first as he drew closer, a thousand questions inundated his mind.  As time went on, he became a bit confused.   But slowly as the years went by, he allowed himself to be taken by the hand and directed by the delicate words of the Lord. Yes he surrendered to the gentle guidance of Jesus. “The littlest giant” now deeply believed in His word, but he was not yet able to call himself a Christian. He was hesitant to categorize himself into a specific religion.  He was afraid of opening up to his family and friends publicly acknowledging that he loved Jesus Christ.  Would they get angry?  Would he lose his friends?  Would he be made fun of?  

         But the voice of Jesus called louder and more intensely,  the “littlest giant” asked Jesus to guide him from within. Yes, instead of trying to find Jesus through his own effort, he decided to invite Jesus to come live in his heart so that Jesus would guide him from the depths of his heart, from the deepest part of his being.  Jesus always comes when we invite Him – always – without exception.  The “littlest giant” could feel His presence now, he felt His peace inside his own heart.  His love surrounded him, he felt a joy that only Jesus can give. 

“Whoever believes in me, as scripture says:

‘Rivers of living water will flow from within him’ Jesus in John 7 (38)

And so his faith began to grow.  Now, all the questions he had, did not need an answer any more.  Some of them were answered by Jesus, others he just set aside.  It was no longer necessary for him to find all the answers.  No because he felt peace, now he could feel His presence, and His presence satisfied the hunger and the thirst he had felt before.  “The littlest giant” could no longer hold back the desire he had to share the gift Jesus is.  To  share the joy He brings into our life when we welcome Him into our heart and get to know Him.

“Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.  But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly father.” 

Jesus in Matthew 10 (32)

“The littlest Giant” understood that there was no sense in having Jesus in his life if he was not going to share such happiness. Therefore the overpowering desire to share with everyone continued to grow within him, he was simply not able to contain it.  In spite of the fear that he had initially felt about telling his Muslim family and friends, “the littlest giant” shared with everyone that he could the great blessing that that it is to get to know and to get filled with the love of Jesus.  Some people criticized him, others failed to understand him, but he felt from the deepest place in his heart, that he had done what Jesus wanted him to do.  He had recognized and acknowledged his love for Jesus without fearing the consequences.  His love for Jesus had become so big, that it was impossible to contain it,  impossible not to share the good news.

 “For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather 
of power and love and self-control.” Paul in 2 Tim 1 (7)

Stay tuned tomorrow I post "The Littlest Giant"  Part 2

Lonely and Depressed: Don’t Let Your Faith Dwindle!

The Bible tells us: “Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.”(Hebrews 11:1) What do we hope for? We hope for God’s promises to become a reality in our lives. Faith believes these promises will be fulfilled. Faith is experiencing God’s love, even though we might not see Him with our eyes. Faith is the glasses, placed on the eyes of our heart, through which we see God. Faith is a gift.

In the Bible, God also tells us: “The victory that conquers the world is our faith.” (1 John 5:4) This is a huge statement to meditate on, because faith is something we should never take for granted.

Is our faith real, or is it a counterfeit? Does it arise out of the passing emotion of the moment, or is it everlasting? Is it there to stay, or will it be stolen by the enemy when trials, persecution or temptations come? In my opinion, a great benefit comes from second-guessing ourselves and not being too proud about the greatness of our faith. Why? We can become too excited and too overconfident, and then we will be in danger because this is when the enemy will attack us. Scripture says “Be sober and vigilant.  Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  Resist him steadfast in faith…”(1 Peter 5:8-9) Faith is a shield, and so we must always have our shield up and ready but if we are overconfident, we might not realize our shield is not as strong as it needs to be! We do not want to get too comfortable and let down our guard. Hence we must give our hearts and elevate our minds to God each morning, surrendering our will and placing our trust in Him, humbly asking Him to strengthen our faith.

How can we believe in someone we do not see? God is so good and loving to His children that He has revealed Himself to us. All we need to do is to want to get to know Him. It is difficult to believe in Someone we do not personally know, to believe in that Person’s goodness, love, mercy and power. If we say we have faith in God, but we have not taken the time to get to know Him, this could mislead us we might end up thinking it is enough to just say we have faith.

            Saying we have faith is not enough. It does not necessarily mean we have faith in our hearts. We might want to have faith, might even try to have faith, but without getting to know God, our efforts are in vain. Knowing requires learning. I know math only after I learn math. Likewise, I know my classmates only after I take time to learn about who they are and what is going on in their lives.

            In the same way, learning about God can lead us to knowing God. And knowing God will lead us to loving God, and loving God will lead us to having great faith and trust in Him. Why? Because, as we fall in love with Him, we will naturally desire to do His will. As we start to do His will, our life will be turned around, and His graces will fully flow into our heart. Faith, God’s greatest gift to us, will then become firmly established in us, and we will be able to see the difference that it makes to live our lives in the presence of God.

            As we get to know God, a great desire to love Him will be unleashed. As we come to understand the greatness of His love for us and see how He loved us first, we will desperately try to love Him back, and then we will quickly come to the realization that to love Him we need to align ourselves with His will. This takes work. We cannot just lean back and say, “I believe in God, and this is enough for me.” No way! We need to put time into our relationship with Him. Only then will we come to experience the fullness of His promises. Only then will we come to enjoy the fruits of His Spirit living in us. Only then will we come to live under the shadow of His wings.

            When we get to know God, we learn that we need to follow His ways in order to be fulfilled in this world and completely happy in the next. We cannot just try to do it our way! He is all knowing, and we are not, so we need to listen to Him and do what He tells us! Through prayer, meditation and Bible reading, we come to understand what He wants from us. If we are humble and we recognize that there is much for us to learn and much for us to change, we will allow His loving hands to mold us and make us brand new. Then we will start experiencing a brand new life.

            We must make a commitment to learn His ways, doing what He tells us, obeying His loving words of advice for us. Like the psalmist, we need to pray: “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light for my path. I make a solemn vow to keep your just edicts…Your decrees are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart. My heart is set on fulfilling your laws; they are my reward forever.” (Psalm 119:105-106,111-112) This psalm reflects a true understanding of the fact that God loves us with an everlasting perfect love. All He wants is for us is to be safe under the shadow of His protection. His desire for us is for us to experience the joy that it is to have His love living inside our hearts. His desire for us is for us to come to everlasting life.

            We must take to heart words of advice that have been said by Christians before us. Great saints give great advice. I once read that “In the deepest solitude, God speaks to our hearts.” Maybe that is why sometimes He allows us to become a bit lonely, so that we can let go of all that is preventing us from listening to Him. Only then, when we are ready to listen, can He lovingly speak to our hearts and show us the way to be followed.

Faith makes us act. If faith does not make us act, then we have fooled ourselves, and perhaps we have no faith at all. As it says in the book of James, faith without actions is dead. (James 2:17) And faith that is dead is no faith at all. True faith saves us because it leads us to go to Him and to follow Him with our hearts and with our actions. Have we come to know God yet? What are we waiting for?!

Wisdom to contemplate:

“But without faith it is impossible to please him, for anyone who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8)

“No trial has come to you but what is human. God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength; but with the trial he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)

“For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7)

“Jesus said to him, ‘“If you can!” Everything is possible to one who has faith.’ Then the boy’s father cried out, ‘I do believe, help my unbelief!’”

 (Mark 9:23-24 )

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me.” (John 14:1)

Advice and Help: The Uselessness of Planning Ahead!

One day we are here, the next day who knows? Everything changes. Everything can always get better if we look forward to tomorrow. All we know for sure is that we know nothing about what is ahead for us; therefore, we need to trust that every change that happens in our life will be for the best. Every day is an opportunity to change our lives, every second an opportunity to leave our mistakes, our sorrows and our fears behind. It is all up to us. We can choose to look forward to better times, or we can choose to be swallowed up by overwhelming circumstances. Let’s choose to have faith and to hold on through shaky times.

            What use is it for us to plan five or ten years ahead? Tomorrow we might be dead or then again maybe not. Think about job interviewers’ favorite questions: “Where do you see yourself in five years? Where do you see yourself in ten years?” The fact of the matter is that we have no idea where we will be tomorrow, let alone five years from now.

            Relationships might not last forever, but memories of these relationships do! Memories of being in love or of having good friends, a good teacher, a wonderful neighborall of these add up to the beauty that is our life. We need to live every moment fully and give our hearts completely. And when the time to say goodbye comes, we must be strong and know that we will have other chances to love and be loved. And we must keep in mind that every situation can teach us many things if we take the time to learn.

            I am confident that we will find happiness if we keep an open mind and an open heart. By giving a second chance to friendship, to love, to forgiveness, to opportunities that come our way, we give a second chance to ourselves. If we live with hope and a joyful heart, we will certainly find happiness I am convinced of this. By looking forward to tomorrow but living today to the fullest, we can ensure that we do not miss out on the best that can come into our lives.

Wisdom to contemplate:

“Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil.” (Matthew 6:34)

“But the plan of the LORD stands forever, wise designs through all generations.” (Psalm 33:11)



“Entrust your works to the LORD, and your plans will succeed.” (Proverbs 16:3)

“In his mind a man plans his course, but the LORD directs his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9)

“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the decision of the LORD that endures.” (Proverbs 19:21)

Match this!: O Death, Where Is Your Sting?

When tragedies happen, when people we love die, we tend to wonder why God let it happen, especially if death seems unfair, untimely or just plain wrong. We hurt, our heart is overwhelmed with loneliness, and we long for the person who has died. We are sure that God must have made a mistake! Our emotions fluctuate madly, from sadness to anger, from rage to depression. We develop doubts about everything we hold dear, and we feel afraid. But, worst of all, we feel betrayed by God.

 In the book As I Lay Dying, Richard John Neuhaus talks about death and about grieving. He expresses many deep truths about this topic, but there are two statements that were specially striking to me: “There is a time simply to be present to death whether one’s own or that of others without any felt urgencies to do something about it or get over it. The time of mourning should be given its due.” and “This life is now coming to an end; this life never lived before and never to be lived again.”[1]

Grieving is something we all have to go through. The more we are aware of God’s love for us in our life and in our situation, the faster we will heal. Only God can and will bring healing to our heart. Only God will fill us with the peace we so badly need. Only God can surround us with His loving presence and help us from within.  All in His time.

            Dying is also something we all have to go through. Let’s think carefully about this fact: We all die. Yes, we are tired of hearing that, but think carefully. In one hundred years, almost every person currently on this earth will be gone everyone in Brazil, in Russia, in the USA. Even babies now in their mothers’ wombs, even they will most likely be dead in a hundred years. “How does this help me?” you may ask. “This does not help make things easier when someone I love dies.”

It may not help with the pain we feel, but it will help us not to fight with God. It will help us not to feel that He did something unfair or cruel. Once we understand that God did not do something cruel, but that death is simply something that we all have to go through because without death there is no life, then we can surrender our pain to Him. Then we can say, “Lord, I have no strength, and I feel as if I am drowning in my sorrow. Please help me. You are my everything, You love me, and I know You will help me out of this sorrow. Please make me whole once more. Please heal my heart.” This is the key that makes the difference between healing and moving on or drowning in our sorrow.

If we try to ponder these things in advance, then, when the time comes, we will be able to better bear the situation and remain afloat. When someone we love dies, the pain we feel is all about us we feel lonely, we miss that person, we have a hole in our lives. We ask questions. Will we survive the pain, or will we become the walking dead? Will we recover and become a blessing to others? Will we “finish our race”(2 Timothy 4;7), or will we be finished?

Jesus said that unless a grain of wheat dies, it will not flourish and grow into a brand new plant. (John 12:24) On earth, we are made brand new by God’s mercy but only if we are able to open up to His truth and surrender to His will. Only through death can we really flourish and be renewed to the fullness of the promise God gave us through His Son, Jesus.

Death not only brings new life to the person who goes to heaven, but many times death brings new life to the people who stay behind on earth. The death of someone we love makes us look deeply into our lives; it obliges us to reconsider the way we have been living up to that point. In the beginning, when we lose someone, we are overwhelmed by intense emotions: deep pain, immense emptiness and great sorrow. But this time is also a time of great grace. Happy the person who can say, “I kept faith, even when I said ‘I am greatly afflicted!’” (Psalm 116:10)

In times of great sorrow, we need to lean on those who are trying to reach out to us, trust those who are trying to console us and share their love with us. God is always reaching out to us through others. If we recognize our utter helplessness and extend our hand to hold the hand that is being extended to us, we will find comfort. In due time, we will find peace. And, little by little, we will heal and regain enough strength to carry on with our lives. Before we know it, we will be completely recovered, and we will be able to say: “Gracious is the LORD and just; yes, our God is merciful…Return, my soul, to your rest; the LORD has been good to you.

 For my soul has been freed from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling. I shall walk before the LORD in the land of the living.” (Psalm 116:5,7-9)

            God is not unfair or unjust when someone dies. He simply has called home a beloved child. We all have a different time appointed for our death. In the Bible, God reminds us that “To live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21) How beautiful it is to know for sure that to die is gain. God is not being cruel when someone dies. All have died. All will die. We have to die, or else how could we come to Him? How could we enjoy the promises of heaven? The Bible also says: “All these died in faith...But now they desire a better homeland, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.” (Hebrews 11:13,16) We have a life to live, a mission to fulfill, and when our time is up, we have a home to go to.

Wisdom to contemplate:

“But the souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them. They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead; and their passing away was thought an affliction, and their going forth from us, utter destruction. But they are in peace.”  

(Wisdom 3:1-3)

“But the just man, though he die early, shall be at rest. For the age that is honorable comes not with the passing of time, nor can it be measured in terms of years. Rather, understanding is the hoary crown for men, and an unsullied life, the attainment of old age. He who pleased God was loved; he who lived among sinners was transported—snatched away, lest wickedness pervert his mind or deceit beguile his soul.” (Wisdom 4:7-11)

Note:  If you like this chapter please leave me a comment or send me an email!  

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[1] Richard John Neuhaus, As I Lay Dying: Meditations on Returning (Basic Books, 2002), pp. 44, 30.