But one thing was undeniable. This Prophet Isa (Jesus) could certainly heal. I never ever suffered from those headaches again and I was extremely grateful for that. I acknowledged to myself that there certainly was undeniable power in the name of Jesus Christ.
The Master’s Call: A Family’s Discovery of the Way, the Truth and the Life
Athena D’Souza
p. 64
Christian hospitality is empowered by the Spirit of the hospitable God. We have been graciously invited to participate in this divine hospitality and given many gifts, many tongues, and many practices through which to meet, interact with, and perhaps even bless religious others. Along the way, the Spirit of hospitality will transform us precisely through the interreligious encounter into the image of Jesus, even as we hope and pray – to the point of daring to believe – that as guests and hosts we can be instruments of the hospitable God for the reconciliation, healing, and redemption of the world.
Hospitality & The Other: Pentecost, Christian Practices, and the Neighbor, p. 160
Amos Yong
The situation of Christians was not the same. Some had religious links with the Byzantine Empire, and may have incurred suspicion in times of war. They did not have the same close-knit communal organization as the Jews; in parts of the countryside they may not have been deeply Christian. In some places Christianity died out completely, although not for a long time; in others it remained as the faith of a minority.
A description of Christianity in the Middle East, Northern Africa and Spain during the 10th Century AD from: A History of the Arab Peoples,
Albert Hourani pp.47-8
David faces enemies who are after his life and asks for God’s help from a place where he is confident in his motives and actions before God. People who do what is right will have enemies, and they will face persecution. These are the facts of following Jesus. So it isn’t only the result of our personal sin that we encounter suffering. But God has promised us that those who follow Him, who act in obedience towards Him, will be vindicated either now or at the resurrection. This psalm could very well be the prayer of Christian brothers and sisters around the world who right now face persecution, imprisonment and death because of the relationship with Jesus. May we pray along with them that God would “rise up” and bring down those who oppress and bring freedom for the captives. Let’s also pray that the Holy Spirit would bring the truth of Jesus into those situations in a way that would not be able to be discounted or argued away.
the time of day 