Created in His image and He said it was good.

Showing posts with label NT90. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NT90. Show all posts

Sunday, March 15, 2015

Mistake of Doing Nothing

What do we think about living the Christian life?
Sometimes we run through life as if we're perfectly fine of this plateau-ing life that we just "follow" His calling, "follow" Sundays, and "follow" church people thinking we are doing what we are called to do. We're so afraid of trying new things... going on missions, preaching the gospel to someone, leadership, community outings, fellowship opportunities, outreach and etc.
Francis Chan makes a really good point here. In the message, he talks about Apostle Peter and how he writes to all of us, saying that we are equals in faith as Christ Jesus has sacrificed His life for us. We are all equals because of Jesus.
He also talks about how scripture recites this same message over and over again.
"Be fruitful and multiply." (Genesis 1:28), "fishers of men" (Matthew 4:19)
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age
Matthew 28:19-20
tumblr_mq43sshb7r1qltv4io1_1280Well, if this is the case..., why are we so hesitant to just try things? If we walk with Jesus, and believe that we are equipped by the Holy Spirit, then what's the harm in trying? The worst that can happen is just failing, learning something new about yourself and making a new direction. As children of this perfect God, we wouldn't be able to get everything right, but the mistakes we make will only help us grow in Him.
Jesus said to 'Love God and love your neighbours', so we should do everything possible to share the love of Christ.
God is the one who will open the right door and close the wrong doors to let you know anyways. Pray, and ask God, and just try as long as it is in line with His words. He will show you if that is the right path or not just like he did for Paul, Jonah, David and so many others. God gave you all the equipment, and now it's up to you to just do it.
Don't make the mistake of not doing anything. It is the most simple mistake not to make.

Love is Sacrifice

Love is Sacrifice.
Sacrifice is hurtful. Maybe not always, but it surely was for the most important sacrifice of all.
Sacrifice means letting go, suffering, and even losing everything to reset your life.
The biggest part that I struggle with the notion of sacrifice is the goodness that comes from it.
In life, we don't see the goodness of things until much later, and we have to think of what I really would have happened if things were done differently. As a follower of Christ, and a believer in God's plan, I really struggle with this, although I shouldn't. Most of the times, I cannot wait until I find out the best, and I end up leak all the fun and joy out of it even before I get the sense it.
I mean, I get it, sometimes I do ruin it for myself, but it's just so hard to see what's good about all the pain I am going through....
This got me thinking.
Sometimes, I wonder if Jesus felt that it is good when he was closing in on his last breath. Right after when He said: ...“Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46), I wonder if He knew 'this is good, My Father is in motion and everything is golden'? It boggles my mind, on how when someone is suffering through so much pain, one can say :
This would be my comfort;
I would even exult in pain unsparing,
for I have not denied the words of the Holy One.Job 6:10
I sure have a hard time on giving up, letting go and laying it down for myself. but I think Jesus puts it in a perspective that strikes us to be awaken in this.
This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.John 15:12-17
Jesus laid Himself down for His friends... and well, in fact, called us friends, for sinning against Him and even chose us to bear fruit. This sense of adoption is the only way we will find the light at the end of the tunnel. I want to leave you with this last verse that to remind us that we can endure through all the pain and suffering.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Phil 4:13

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Body of Church, Body of Christ - Part 1

10:26 AM Posted by Unknown , , , , , ,
What does the Bible say about the church?
People of the world tend to have an idea of the church but have negative connotation of the fellowship and unity of the church.

In the next couple blogs, I will be talking about the church and where it belongs in terms of the Bible. What does the church represent? In fact, what does Jesus represent?

In this world, the church is misinterpreted as a building or an institution. 
I believe that the most important thing about church is that "Church is not where we go, but who we are." It is an abstract concept rather than a physical place.
The church in the bible was never a building. There was no billboard directing to a "CHURCH" or a flashing cross to attract people.

The church in the bible was simply a group of people who are passionate about God and the salvation through Jesus.

In Ephesians 2 says,
"Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit."

This group that was built in the foundation of Christ Jesus is the church. This church binds the members of the church to love and be passionate about God and the people.

He is absolutely amazing. Jesus loves me so much to have such passionate people around me and I am so thankful. He has given us this opportunity to be a church and build one another up, not to build a building or a mansion or anything like that. 

Don't just go to church. Be the church. Make it your own and feel for the members of the church and other people. 

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

All of His Desires

5:54 PM Posted by Unknown , , , , , , , ,
Hillsong United - Oceans


Joel Houston makes a great point in this clip.

God is just looking for more of our heart. The Grace is there for you, not the other way around. It's never about performance.

A first step, it's the heart's first step. God is calling us but He is just calling more of our heart. Step is not about missions, not about creating a new ministry, but be a faithful husband, a faithful members of church, or even a faithful friend.

The end goal is as such, "My faith will be made stronger in the presence of my Saviour.".

The Spirit will lay upon us, not for our actions, but for our yearning. A yearning that is for God, not for our sake.

Luke 19 talks of the Zacchaeus climbing up the tree to see Jesus and Jesus says:
"Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." Luke 19 : 9-10
Saved by climbing the tree.

All he wanted is to see Jesus. All he wanted is to be with the Lord.

The Amazing Grace saves us.