Our God makes the impossible, Possible; and the possible, a Reality...

2008 had been a tough year for us. In April we had a small fire in our kitchen that cost us our stove. In June I had bleeding in my left eye that caused partial blindness in that eye (it's a testimony for another time). In late July we had a major car accident that totaled our minivan, though we were lucky to be alive and unhurt. One after the other, God had been delivering us, providing for us and answering our prayers, though the struggles seemed to be coming without end.

Now, it was the tail end of the summer, late August 2008, less than a week before our children's schools reopened on September 3rd for a new school year. My wife had recently graduated from nursing school (with honors, I must add, amidst all our struggles) and found employment with the North Shore Long Island Jewish health system. A hospital she wanted to work for and it was closer to home. She was also able to get a shift we wanted – the night shift. This was going to help us out tremendously with managing dropping off and picking up our children from their school. They would be attending the local public schools.

I would drop them off in the morning and head out to work, and she would pick them up after she gets off from work. But, there was a complication - our daughter was graduating from the 5th grade and would be going to a different public school and our son was going to start his schooling in our daughter's old school. Two separate drop offs and pick ups. We didn't know how we were going to manage this as their schools started and ended around the same time and neither school had after school programs. It was not an option for us to drop off our children at the school grounds earlier before school started or have them wait late after school without proper supervision as they were just minors. Our daughter though she was going to the 6th grade, she looked like a 4th grader – small for her age, and our son was starting kindergarten.

Also, it did not help when my wife heard bad reports about the new school in our district, that our daughter was to attend, from parents of students already attending there. We as a family had been praying for all our needs, my wife's graduation from nursing college, her RN exam, her employment at a hospital that would be close by and our children's schooling.  My wife had been following up on the development of another new public school close by that was going to be opening for the new school year and had grades K through 8.  But, again there was a problem, we lived outside of the school's district. Admissions would be for the residents of the school's district with seats for outsiders on a first come basis for any open seats. If our children could attend this school it would be just the perfect situation for us.

After much trying to get in touch with the school authorities all through summer, one day she was able to speak with the principal of the school over the phone. The conversation was very encouraging as the principal indicated that there was a good chance our children could get seats. So when the admissions started towards the end of the summer, my wife went there early on the first day of admissions with our children and it turned out to be a very disappointing day for her. The school authorities turned her away after she had been waiting in a queue for a while, informing her that admissions were full and there were no seats for our children. My wife was very upset. Dejected and disappointed she came back home and called me at work. Over the phone she gave me an earful. She felt that if I had cared as much, I would have been with her trying to get our children admissions. All through the year I had kept telling my wife to quit worrying as God was going to provide.  Whether it was this school or the other school, as it says in the Psalms, He will have his sights upon our children and guide them along the best pathways of their lives. Anyway, it seemed easier said than it was to keep the faith.

Couple of days later, one morning, I was sitting in the rental car provided by our insurance company following the accident earlier in the month, just warming up the engine, ready to go to work. As I sat there saying a small prayer, this thought crossed my mind, calling out my name “...Just because a school official said to Minnie – my wife - that there were not any seats available for your children, your God is yet able to open a door for you there. Have faith, there is still a few days to go before summer ends for the children and the new school year starts.” As I pulled out of the driveway, I honked for my wife as she had went in and closed the door. When she came to the door , I told her of the thought that the Holy Spirit had put to me. I told her that we should have more faith and she should sit and pray that morning for the children's admission to this new school and no matter what the outcome, God will take the responsibility for our children.

That morning as soon as I walked into my office, my phone rang and it was my wife. She said, “the school just called asking if we were still interested in sending our two children there” - the new school that first denied them admissions. She asked me what she should do. I guess she couldn't believe her ears. My answer was, “What do you mean by what should you do, isn't this what we wanted? Get going, get there fast with the children.” When she got to the school with the children, they walked directly in and both our children were admitted to the same new school that we were zoned out of. I praised this God for he opens doors that others shut in front of us! He turns our impossibilities into posibilities and our possibilities into realities!

Our God is a God who turns the impossibilities in our lives to possibilities, and the possibilities in to a reality.

Some verses from the Bible (NLT translation) that had strengthened me during this time...

1. Psalms 118:8-9, It is better to trust the Lord than to put confidence in people. It is better to trust the Lord than to put confidence in princes.
2. Psalms 37:23-24, The steps of the godly are directed by the Lord. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will not fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.
3. Psalms 37:7, Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act.
4. Psalms 37:34, Don't be impatient for the Lord to act! Travel steadily along his path.
5. Proverbs 3:5-7, Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths. Don't be impressed by your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn your back on evil.
6. Psalms 146:3-7, Don't put your confidence in powerful people; there is no help for you there. When their breathing stops, they return to the earth, and in a moment their plans come to an end. But happy are those who have the God of Israel (Jacob) as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God. He is the one who made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He is the one who keeps every promise forever, who gives justice to the oppressed and food to the hungry.

God bless you!

Hillsongs - Came to my rescue

God's Covenant Promise...

I had been struggling with an enormous project that I've been entrusted to accomplish at work. The daunting task of accomplishing the project and the vice fringe politics surrounding this undertaking has been very distracting and discouraging. I had joined the department a little over a year ago. Prior to joining the department I had fasted and prayed about it and I was very much at peace with the decision to take the job.  God had taken away all my doubts through the messages I received from the Bible over the course of my fasting and praying, and just from seeing his favour by how he opened doors for me and gave me favor in the eyes of those who had to do something for my move to happen.  I enjoyed the work at my new place.  It was challenging and exciting.

Few months ago my department lost a key manager as a better opportunity had come by his way and the work politics made his decision easier for him.  He left and the overall responsibility for this major project fell upon me.  For not having a good command of the overall program mechanics, the stress of the demands and the poisonous atmosphere of the work politics, the fear of failure took over me. I had gotten so stressed out and the fear was so absolutely paralysing that I couldn't even bring myself to concentrate on worship and prayer when I sat by myself in the presence of my Lord.  A two week vacation didn't help! There were times that I would find myself so helpless that I would get down on all fours on the ground with my face buried in my hands asking God to take it all away.

I'd been praying to God for four things: I asked him to give me wisdom, knowledge, and understanding; and for him to remove the fear that was paralysing me.

One night, I was praying past midnight, following which I sat down to read my Bible (quite often when I am in my prayer closet - my children's bedroom - hours go by like they were minutes during my lone time with God...this is where I find solace, refuge, peace, his counsel, in his presence).  I had been reading the Book of Exodus and I had gotten up to chapter 34, but I didn't recall much of what I had been reading because of the state my mind had been in.  When I got to Exodus 34:6 (NLT), the Spirit of the Lord bracketed out the following and got my attention...

He passed in front of Mosses and said, "I am the Lord, I am the Lord, the merciful and gracious God.  I am slow to anger and rich in unfailing love and faithfulness."

After reading this, I didn't know why but I thumbed back through the pages of my Bible and went to Exodus chapter 31. I will write below in the same order in which the Spirit revealed the rest of His covenant promise to me.

Exodus 31:3-5 - I have filled him {Bezalel - God spoke to Moses about Bezalel who was to build the Tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant and all other furnishings required for the Holy Place} with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, intelligence, and skill in all kinds of crafts. He is able to create beautiful objects from gold, silver, and bronze. He is skilled in cutting and setting gemstones and in carving wood. Yes, he is a master at every craft.

I stopped and wondered out loud, "Lord are you talking to me...? are you talking to me...? are you promising to give me your Spirit who will give me wisdom, knowledge and understanding to accomplish this monumental task ahead of me...?

But, Lord I also need appropriate staffing, a support structure...

And I continued reading as the Holy Spirit kept bracketing out his promise,

Exodus 31:6 - ...Moreover, I have given special skill to all the naturally talented craftsmen {this God spake to Moses about Oholiab and all the craftsmen with him} so they can make all the things I have instructed you to make:

Again, I didn't know why, but I thumbed forward through the pages to chapter 34 and the Holy Spirit bracketed out,

Exodus 34:14 - ...for he is a God who is passionate about his relationship with you.

And then the Holy Spirit bracketed out what the Lord required of me...

Exodus 34: 10-11 - The Lord replied, "Alright. This is the covenant I am going to make with you. I will perform wonders that have never been done before anywhere in all the earth or in any nation. And all the people around you will see the power of the Lord - the awesome power I will display through you. YOUR RESPONSIBILITY is to obey all the (my) commands I am giving you...

I read the scriptures in the order that I wrote above and I was awestruck and amazed at His response to my prayers!

As I usually do, I wrote in the margins of these two chapters making references back and forth between the chapters and the thoughts God gave me.   I recalled God's covenant promise to David through Nathan and how David prayed over the covenant promise for God to act upon.  I did the same.  I closed my bible and sat worshipping and praising him for how he had answered my prayer for wisdom, knowledge and understanding, his promise to see me through if I was obedient to his word, obedient to him.

A couple of days later I went back to read these scriptures again from the book of Exodus and I noticed that I had written down Isaiah in place of Exodus while making the references between the Exodus chapters 34 & 31.  I was about to cross it out and write Exodus, when my curiosity prompted me to go into the book of Isaiah to read the sections...Isaiah 31:3, 5, 6 and Isaiah 34:10-11. Let me write below what it says and let you make your conclusions...He is amazing!

Isaiah 31:3, 5, 6 - 3) For these Egyptians are mere humans, not God! Their horses are puny flesh, not mighty spirits!  When the Lord clenches his fist against them, they will stumble and fall among those they are trying to help.  They will all fall down and die together. 5-6) The Lord Almighty will hover over Jerusalem as a bird hovers around its nest.  He will defend and save the city; he will pass over it and rescue it.  Therefore, my people, though you are such wicked rebels, come and return to the Lord. {He is asking that you seek him and walk with him. And He will protect you.}

Isaiah 34:10-11 - This judgment {God's judgement} on Edom {which had been persecuting the Israelites - your enemy who has been persecuting you} will never end; the smoke of its burning will rise forever.  The land will lie deserted from generation to generation.  No one will live there anymore.  It will be haunted by the horned owl, the hawk, the screech owl, and the raven.  For God will bring chaos and destruction to that land. {And vs. 12 says, It will be called the Land of Nothing, and its princes soon will all be gone.}

Why should you fear these Egyptians in your life? Why do you fear the Edomites in your life? This was his promise addressing the fourth part of my prayer request, my fear! When the Lord answers you, there are NO half answers, NO partial answers. He gives you a complete answer and when you hear it, it leaves no doubt in your mind that your Lord has spoken! Glory to God!

PS:  I still find the day to day tasks daunting, but the fear not overpowering. Every day I see the Lord's grace at work in my life. When I stand still and think of what has happened in my life each day, I have no doubt that I did not accomplish them on my own. He is walking with me! His Spirit goes ahead of me!

Yoseph (Jossy) Kassa - God has a covenant with me!

an Ethiopian christian spiritual song

Hillsongs - Desert Song

Are You Prepared? (Pregnant Women & Nursing Mothers - Mark 13)

One Saturday morning as I read the Book of Mark, chapter 13, Jesus foretold of things to come – the end times!  My eyes caught what he said in Mark 13:17 & 18, "How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for mothers nursing their babies in those days. And pray that your flight will not be in winter." As I read this, I wondered what God had against pregnant women and nursing mothers... for as long as humanity was going to be on earth, women will get pregnant and have babies.  There will be mothers nursing babies. It did not make sense, and I wondered why God would say such a thing...

As I sat in my room wondering about these scriptures, my thoughts drifted to imagining a pregnant woman. I thought of a woman's pregnancy advancing. I saw her walking, turning, bending to pick up things. Just going about her daily business.  How difficult even the most routine tasks seemed carrying the child in her belly. I saw my wife pregnant with our two children and her difficulties during those pregnancies. If she was to be in danger of something, I imagined how swift she would be (or not) in sidestepping or outrunning that danger. Even if she wanted to, it wasn't as if she would be able to put aside her pregnancy, but would have to carry it and run!

Similarly, with a nursing mother... there is no bond as strong as that between a nursing mother and her child; even in the animal kingdom. Her attention, no matter what she was doing would always be on that baby.  Paying attention to each need of the baby, her ears trained to pick up the baby's cry even when she's going about her daily chores.

The Holy Spirit raised the following questions to me, What are you pregnant with? What are you nursing?  It kind of blew me away!! What was I pregnant with? What were the things that kept me away from God? What preoccupied my time and kept me from spending time with God? My selfish ambitions, lust for the world, pride for my job, my position or status in life, my family, family ties, my children, my abilities, my children's abilities, my intelligence, my race to accumulate wealth, my bank accounts, my house, my cars, my looks, my clothes, my efforts to control the world's perception of me – my image, what else? Mathew 6:21 teaches us, " Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be."

Again, these questions were raised in my mind:  Where was God in my life? What place did he have in my life? Was I prepared for the afterlife if I should die this very moment? Did I have the assurance for my life that I was going to be with God when my life on earth ended?

The previous day during our Friday night prayer with a group of friends, a young man mentioned that there were folks who were predicting that Jesus' second coming would be in year 2012. Conversation turned to Nostradamus' predictions and the book - the Bible Code. These conversations flooded back into my mind as I was reading and pondering over the Book of Mark. As children of God, as Christians, should it matter when Jesus will come again? Rather, shouldn't the question be, if it was NOW, am I or are we ready? Whether it's this moment, tomorrow, 10 days from now or 10 years or a 100 years from now, the question will always remain, “Are you and I ready and prepared if the moment was right now?” Death is at our front door, whether we are young and strong, old and frail, rich or poor. The line between the conscious and the unconscious state, life and death, is just a stroke away!

This point was driven home to me in the year 2007 when a young 36 year old relative passed away in his sleep. He went to take a nap in the afternoon and never woke up. He was a vibrant young man full of life, hopes and dreams, newly married, with many plans on what he wanted to be and where he wanted to be - an ambitious young man. Another young man, an acquaintance, died in a construction accident within that same week. A freak crane accident at the construction site took his life. Death came without a moment's notice!

Are we ready to meet our maker? Are there things in our lives that preoccupy us and prevent us from being ready? Like a pregnant woman or a nursing mother are you nursing something that will become a burden that you would not be able to set aside?

The second part of the scripture that I quoted earlier from the book of Mark - "And pray that your flight will not be in winter" – became apparent to me the following Sunday morning as I walked in to attend the Sunday worship at our church. That weekend was one of the coldest in the city. The sidewalks were covered in sheets of ice.  Myself and everyone else walking in to the church had to take baby steps navigating over and around the sheets of ice.  Taking care not to slip and fall! When stepping out into the winter cold we have to prepare ourselves... wear long johns, dungarees, multiple layers of clothing, scarf, hat, gloves, thick socks and winter boots to keep the winter chill away. It takes time to prepare to step into the cold outside!

The passage from book of Mark was a caution to not slip into the Winter of our faith life, a time when we will not be in a state of readiness to meet the Lord. When the Lord comes, there will be no time to get ready, for the Bible says in the same chapter, Mark 13, "no one knows the day or the hour of his coming – not angels, not even the Son. Only the Father knows." He will come like the thief in the night. Don't be caught sleeping! Be alert and prayerful! Be in the summer of your christian life! The youth of your christian life! Prepared At All Times! Be prepared like the 5 virgins waiting for their bridegroom with oil in their lamps!  Be prepared as Apostle Paul says... with the Whole Armor of God!

This is why, Mark 13:14 (NLT version), towards the end of the sentence warns, “ - reader pay attention!” It screams out to grab our attention! Verses 21-33 says, “21. And then if anyone tells you, “Look here is the Messiah or there he is, don't pay attention. 22. For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform miraculous signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God's chosen ones. 23. Watch out! I have warned you! ... 31. Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will remain forever. 32. “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. 33. And since you don't know when they will happen, stay alert and keep watch.”

As the Church of Christ, the children of God, let us not be in a state of pregnancy, pregnant with our selfish ambitions, nursing our worldly desires.  Rather, let us be vigilant, watching and praying at all times that we will not be caught sleeping, in the winter of our christian life. The Old Testament events in the lives of King Jehoshaphat and Solomon are a testament to what I write here. Solomon from his life's experiences writes in Ecclesiastes,

• Ecclesiastes 11:9 – Young man, its wonderful to be young! Enjoy every minute of it. Do everything you want to do; take it all in. But remember that you must give an account to God for everything you do.
• Ecclesiastes 12:1 – Don't let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and no longer enjoy living.

Let me conclude with what Apostle John wrote in Revelations 16:15 – Take note: I will come as unexpectedly as a thief! Blessed are all who are watching for me, who keep their robes ready so they will not need to walk naked and ashamed.

Don't let him find you sleeping!

Petra - Grave Robber