Matthew 18:12-14: How think you? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, does he not leave the ninety and nine, and goes into the mountains, and seeks that which is gone astray? And if so be that he find it, truly I say to you, he rejoices more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.

Should you be ready to join the flock under an extraordinary shepherd, know this: the shepherd will seek you out and go to every length to keep you.

God actively pursues you when you have strayed. You will feel His presence as He gently guides you toward opportunities to return, sometimes even using others as an instrument to reach you. Though these signs are often obvious, it is often our own ego that blinds us to them.

I am living proof that God pursued my return. He watched over me through every mistake I made, and when the time was right, He called me back to Him, instilling a renewed faith far stronger than the one I started with.

You could be shouting “Lord give me a sign” when in fact you are surrounded by people of faith, yet you ignore these people.

Guard your heart of the world’s smoke and mirrors that manipulates you to put your faith in fallible people, organizations, governments and hollow pseudo-intellectual matters rather then enduring the truth. The truth is that your shepherd is joyful to welcome you back with open arms, much like how the father embraced the prodigal son. That is where your faith is truly rewarded.

Psalms 118: 8-9:

⁸ It is better to take refuge in the Lord
    than to trust in humans.
⁹ It is better to take refuge in the Lord
    than to trust in princes.

Arguing with a Satanist

I have a dear friend who has embraced Satanism, choosing to believe that Satan holds the answers rather than Christ. Before diving into the details of our conversations, I must admit that I genuinely enjoy these discussions. We share a fundamental agreement that both Christ and Satan exist; our only disagreement lies in where to place our faith.

I found that in most of my conversations with Satanists, they had a lot of experiences that shook their faith. Most of these so-called Satanists were actually people who had been devoted to Christ before; it is just that unfortunate circumstances had made them do a complete 180-degree flip to the other side.

People who feel let down by God

I cannot even begin to imagine the deep pain people go through, or how it can drive someone who once loved Christ to turn to Satan instead.

A great example is a close friend of mine whose mother underwent exhausting cancer treatments, only to ultimately lose her battle. It was my friend who stood faithfully by her deathbed, holding her hand as she took her final breath.

Although he couldn’t share the entire story, my own investigation and conversations with those who knew his family revealed a harsh reality. His mother was the sole provider, while his alcoholic father resorted to frequent abuse to control both her and the children, including my friend.

His mother constantly went above and beyond, taking on odd jobs while running a small eatery, whereas his father would squander any spare cash on alcohol. When money got tight, she swallowed her pride to borrow from neighbors, relatives, and friends. She was an amazing woman who did everything to care for her children. That is why her son, my friend, loved her so much, knowing how deeply she cared for them all.

Driven by anger and pain, my friend said to me during one of our conversations, “Why couldn’t it just have been my dad?” I cannot begin to fathom the depth of his suffering, nor can I know if that pain has finally subsided. Yet, I can completely understand why he said those words.

It was difficult to hear that a dear friend of mine is in such pain and to know that he now believes in Satanism due to the series of unfortunate events that have happened to him.

He said, “I like Satanism because I am not bound by the ridiculous traditions of the church and moral obligations. All I need to know is to enjoy my life, indulge in the world’s pleasures, and ensure I do no harm to others. It’s simple.”

Because he has suffered so much, he is the right person to say, “Ensure I do no harm to others”

I challenged his perspective, telling him, “If causing you pain is what it takes to help you heal from the loss of your mother and find your way back to Christ, then I am willing to bear that burden.”

I continued, “If hurting you with my words is what it takes to pull you from Satanism and lead you back to God, then I will do so.”

As our conversation continued, I gently encouraged him to take a renewed step of faith and reconnect with Christ, simply by beginning to pray. He resisted, stubbornly listing all the reasons why it was impossible and arguing that, as a self-proclaimed Satanist, he was simply too far gone for redemption.

The table fell silent. He then shared the story of his life’s collapse, recounting the moments he had angrily demanded answers from the heavens, consumed by confusion and desperately begging for a sign. Still, his prayers went entirely unanswered.

He said, “I want to believe again in your so-called God, but I need a sign,” as he looked up, gestured his arms upward, as if he were about to receive a blessing from the sky—or, in this case, the ceiling of our apartment.

From the other room, my wife had been eavesdropping and could no longer contain herself. She chimed in, “What if the very fact that you are speaking to my husband, and that he is already urging you to surrender your worries and anxieties to the Lord, is the sign you’ve been looking for?”

The room went quiet as my wife’s words hit us. We realized that maybe he had spent a chunk of his life asking for signs, completely missing that his prayers had already been answered. His stubbornness could be what blinded him, making him ignore the very help he was looking for.

As the night drew to a close, we dropped the heavy topics of philosophy and religion, returning instead to the effortless joy of laughing and talking with close friends.

Despite all our debates, I firmly believe that, by God’s grace, the seed has been planted within him.