Just like any other students, we always want to have good grades and leave great impressions/image in professors' thoughts. However, reality is not exactly what we hope it to be. There are various ranges of people; some of them are fast learners and some are slow learners.
Is it OK for us to have hatred feelings toward people that constantly seem to be doing better than us? In James 3, verses 14 and 15 says: "But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic." Clearly, jealousy and selfishnes are excluded from the knowledge and wisdom God intended us to possess. Nevertheless, one may ask if we stop comparing and wanting to be at their level, how can we improve ourselves? The answer to that is doing it with a Christian perspective and using the Bible as our guide.
We must look up to what good others have achieved, be happy for them, and be happy for what we have. It will not only make life more meaningful, but it can also help us to draw each other closer and eventually all closer to God.
Brothers and Sisters in Christ, we are all intelligent and hard workers. I pray for our happiness in life and that the Lord will be present in every step we make.
God bless.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
How Do We Value God?
I wrote this essay shortly after I came to Liberty. I hope it will encourage us brothers and sisters.
Have you ever think of God and the role he plays in your life? Or you just go through your lives trying to find the greatest benefit that you can earn from the things around you, such as excelling academically, win your favorite sports, write your beloved stories, and so on. How do we precede God in our lives?
You say you are a Christian, but does that really mean anything to you? Or is it just because you go to church every Sunday and feel the presence of God at the moment you hear your favorite worship song. Or maybe, you “think” that you are living your Christian life because the prayer you whispered has been answered. Do we see God in our lives only in the times of our struggle, anxiety, trials, problems, heartbreak, and dissatisfaction? Or we see Him in the opposite ways such as when we earn an “A” in our Economics class and say “God is great” without really meditating the words we say. Or when we earn a raise from our job, and say, “God is good.” Well, yeah maybe at the moment, our emotion subconsciously made us say these things because “maybe” it only becomes a norm, “maybe” a ROUTINE.
As you are reading this short essay, I want to tackle some things that we, as Christians, should consider as we go through our lives. What is God’s role in our lives? Most of us probably say: “Oh God should be the first, then family, friends, and so on.” But, do you really think that will work? Or you just go through things in your life just because majority of the “Christians” around you are doing the same thing? Having the chance to consider my own personal problems and how I see my own struggle around me, I found the very most efficient way to make God as the center of our lives. At the moment we open our eyes in the morning, we have to bear in mind that there is a battle going on. I mean spiritual battle. Now, how are we going to face these battles in our lives and how do we ask God to help us in these battles? There is one simple answer to this very simple question: Read the word of God!
Now, how does this answer the question of you being a real Christian? Do we call a person “Real Christian” just because he or she reads the Bible? Well, everyone can read the bible, that doesn’t mean they are already a Christian. It’s the conviction of the Holy Spirit and how we allow God speaks in our heart, and when we follow God words. We have to live our lives according to what the bible tells us. Meanwhile, I have mentioned that the typical thought of most Christian families regarding God is He should be first, then Family, Friends, and so on. However, this is not enough in the essence that God is positioned in the beginning and then when it comes to family, he is out. It must be this way: God alone, family and God, Friends and God, works and God. God must be in everywhere around you. You, as sons of Christ, must consider Him in EVERYTHING you do. When we do this, we have our armor as we go through our battles in life. According to 1 John 5:5 who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the son of God. When we believe in Jesus Christ, it is expected that we follow his words, and to follow his words, we must READ the Bible everyday and meditate from it in order for us to hear what God wants us to do in our lives.
I hope this simple message will help us re-think about our lives and live according to what God wants us to be.
In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
Have you ever think of God and the role he plays in your life? Or you just go through your lives trying to find the greatest benefit that you can earn from the things around you, such as excelling academically, win your favorite sports, write your beloved stories, and so on. How do we precede God in our lives?
You say you are a Christian, but does that really mean anything to you? Or is it just because you go to church every Sunday and feel the presence of God at the moment you hear your favorite worship song. Or maybe, you “think” that you are living your Christian life because the prayer you whispered has been answered. Do we see God in our lives only in the times of our struggle, anxiety, trials, problems, heartbreak, and dissatisfaction? Or we see Him in the opposite ways such as when we earn an “A” in our Economics class and say “God is great” without really meditating the words we say. Or when we earn a raise from our job, and say, “God is good.” Well, yeah maybe at the moment, our emotion subconsciously made us say these things because “maybe” it only becomes a norm, “maybe” a ROUTINE.
As you are reading this short essay, I want to tackle some things that we, as Christians, should consider as we go through our lives. What is God’s role in our lives? Most of us probably say: “Oh God should be the first, then family, friends, and so on.” But, do you really think that will work? Or you just go through things in your life just because majority of the “Christians” around you are doing the same thing? Having the chance to consider my own personal problems and how I see my own struggle around me, I found the very most efficient way to make God as the center of our lives. At the moment we open our eyes in the morning, we have to bear in mind that there is a battle going on. I mean spiritual battle. Now, how are we going to face these battles in our lives and how do we ask God to help us in these battles? There is one simple answer to this very simple question: Read the word of God!
Now, how does this answer the question of you being a real Christian? Do we call a person “Real Christian” just because he or she reads the Bible? Well, everyone can read the bible, that doesn’t mean they are already a Christian. It’s the conviction of the Holy Spirit and how we allow God speaks in our heart, and when we follow God words. We have to live our lives according to what the bible tells us. Meanwhile, I have mentioned that the typical thought of most Christian families regarding God is He should be first, then Family, Friends, and so on. However, this is not enough in the essence that God is positioned in the beginning and then when it comes to family, he is out. It must be this way: God alone, family and God, Friends and God, works and God. God must be in everywhere around you. You, as sons of Christ, must consider Him in EVERYTHING you do. When we do this, we have our armor as we go through our battles in life. According to 1 John 5:5 who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the son of God. When we believe in Jesus Christ, it is expected that we follow his words, and to follow his words, we must READ the Bible everyday and meditate from it in order for us to hear what God wants us to do in our lives.
I hope this simple message will help us re-think about our lives and live according to what God wants us to be.
In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Evangelizing a Profane World
As a believer, one of my biggest struggle in life is the difficulty of influencing the nonbelievers around me. I know with a hundred percent assurance that I can not do things on my own without Christ's presence in my life. While I was reading the passage 1 Peter 3:1, it says "But make sure in your hearts that Christ is Lord. Always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks you about the hope you have. Be ready to give the reason for it. But do it gently and with respect," it made it clearer to me that I have to recognize Jesus as my Lord and that I have to set my faith in Christ as a believer so that when I have to face the secular world, I have a stronger foundation. Most of us Christian believers are so uptight with our own beliefs that when we are surrounded by non-believers, we feel intimated. When we hear them spitting unpleasant words, our faces switch from eating a sweet honey to a bitter lemon. Yes, it affects us to a point where we should be concern about them. It is not for us to take them in our hands, like a clay, and mold them into a figure that we want them to be. Our role as Christians is to water them in order for them to be soft so God can mold them into a refined-new believer.
Our generation is moving towards profanity, and that is just reality. I have to admit myself to that fact that no matter how much I try to insist my own Christian understanding to the world, it will never be heard unless I bring it to God. I pity the unbeliever. They need help. For us Christians, it is sad that we have our own world. A world where it is not as bad as the secular world. Little that we know that if we are sitting in our own comfort zone, we are more than sinning simply because we do not care about the people who mostly need our help. Faith without work is dead, as well all know.
So, to my brothers and sisters in Christ, I pray that we should give it a try to be around people who has not heard of the gospel. You never know how much it will bless you when you help God change lives one person at a time.
In Christ,
Junie
Our generation is moving towards profanity, and that is just reality. I have to admit myself to that fact that no matter how much I try to insist my own Christian understanding to the world, it will never be heard unless I bring it to God. I pity the unbeliever. They need help. For us Christians, it is sad that we have our own world. A world where it is not as bad as the secular world. Little that we know that if we are sitting in our own comfort zone, we are more than sinning simply because we do not care about the people who mostly need our help. Faith without work is dead, as well all know.
So, to my brothers and sisters in Christ, I pray that we should give it a try to be around people who has not heard of the gospel. You never know how much it will bless you when you help God change lives one person at a time.
In Christ,
Junie
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
True Encouragement
As prayer center ministers, and as Christians, one aspect of our job is to offer encouragement to those suffering during difficult times. For me, it is easy to write a simple prayer message, to tell someone I will be praying for them, or to share an encouraging Bible verse. Human contact and empathy may even encourage people for a short time. But this passage from AW Tozer convicted me:
“For it is not mere words that nourish the soul, but God Himself, and unless and until the hearers find God in personal experience they are not the better for having heard the truth. The Bible is not an end in itself, but a means to bring men to an intimate and satisfying knowledge of God, that they may enter into Him, that they may delight in His Presence, may taste and know the inner sweetness of the very God Himself in the core and center of their hearts.”
People who need encouragement do not need us, they do not need kind words or concerned smiles. They need God. David described this need eloquently, “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” (Psalm 42: 1-2) This cry is true of every human—and especially true of those who are enduring hardship and suffering. Although the caring prayer messages are an important part of what we do, the most important part is leading people to Christ. Often, there is little we can say/do towards someone to directly impact this. But there is always one thing we can do—pray. Pray, not just for someone’s request, but pray that they will experience God like never before. This prayer, offered on behalf of the souls of others, is what will make the difference between a “nice ministry” and a powerful one.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Encouragement During the Storms of Life
Tonight, I would like to share with you one of my favorite passages in the Bible. It is Romans 8:28, 31, 35, 37 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose... And what shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, then who can be against us?... Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?... No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us."
These verses greatly encourage me and I hope you too. It comforts me to know that even through the hardships in this life, God is still there loving us and working for the good of those He loves. Next time you feel overwhelmed or discouraged, I pray that you will remember these words and remember that no matter what God will always be there. He never changes or leaves us. We are not orphans, but rather His children.
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