Hope

Titus 2:11-13 (NKJV)
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,
12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,
13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,

Titus 2:11-13 (AVB)
11 Hal ini demikian kerana kasih kurnia Allah yang menyelamatkan seluruh umat manusia telah nyata.
12 Kita diajar supaya hidup warak, tidak memburu keinginan duniawi, mengawal diri, ikhlas, dan menghormati Allah pada zaman ini.
13 Kita sedang menunggu hari yang penuh berkat yang kita harap-harapkan, ketika kemuliaan Allah Maha Besar dan Yesus Kristus Penyelamat kita akan terserlah.

Don’t Let Go Of Eternal Life

1 Timothy 6:6-12 (NKJV)
6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain.
7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.
9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.
10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
11 But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.
12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

1 Timotius 6:6-12 (AVB)
6 Kesalihan yang disertai dengan rasa puas membawa keuntungan besar.
7 Kita tidak membawa apa-apa ke dalam dunia ini, dan pasti sekali kita tidak dapat membawa apa-apa apabila kita meninggalkannya.
8 Oleh itu, jika kita ada pakaian dan makanan, kita harus berasa puas.
9 Orang yang mahu kaya tergoda dan terperangkap oleh pelbagai keinginan yang sia-sia dan berbahaya, yang menjerumuskannya ke dalam kerosakan dan kemusnahan.
10 Cinta akan wang punca segala kejahatan. Sesetengah orang memburu wang dengan begitu tamaknya sampaikan tersesat daripada iman dan akhirnya menanggung berbagai-bagai kesengsaraan jiwa.
11 Tetapi kamu, wahai hamba Allah, jauhilah segala ini. Amalkanlah kebenaran, kesalihan, iman, kasih, kesabaran dan sikap lemah lembut.
12 Berjuanglah dalam perjuangan iman yang benar. Berpegang teguhlah kepada hidup kekal; kepada hidup itulah kamu telah dipanggil ketika kamu membuat pengakuan yang benar di hadapan saksi yang ramai.

Acts 5

Verses 2-3

 

But with his wife’s agreement he kept part of the money for himself and turned the rest over to the apostles.

Peter said to him, “Ananias, why did you let Satan take control of you and make you lie to the Holy Spirit by keeping part of the money you received for the property?

 

okay, the first thought i had.

Did i just see Peter calling Ananias’s wife “Satan”?

thats just mean. i hope Peter doesnt do that to MY wife when she makes a mistake hahaha.

so i checked in the later verses, Peter did NOT call Sapphira (Ananias’s wife) “Satan” while confronting her.

 

so how does Satan take control of us and make us sin?

Well. he just does.

If God can use us to bless others,

Satan can use us to stumble others.

 

Also, I found a key word.

…why did you let Satan take control of you…

Let

Satan cannot use us if we don’t let him.

He can’t touch us or do anything to us, if we don’t let him.

choices. choices. choices.

yet, we DO allow him, don’t we?

i have concluded that we humans are just weak.

we are weak because we naturally do bad things.

the word of God says that we are born sinners.

Ps 51:5

Surely I was sinful at birth,
    sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

that makes sense, since everyone in the world agrees that it is easier to give in to doing wrong,

and it is so hard to decide to do right.

 

but it is possible to do good and we need to strive for holiness.

this is a reminder to myself.

choices. choices. choices.

 

 

 

Verses 12-16

 

 Many miracles and wonders were being performed among the people by the apostles. All the believers met together in Solomon’s Porch. Nobody outside the group dared join them, even though the people spoke highly of them. But more and more people were added to the group—a crowd of men and women who believed in the Lord. As a result of what the apostles were doing, sick people were carried out into the streets and placed on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. And crowds of people came in from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing those who were sick or who had evil spirits in them; and they were all healed.

 

this reminds me of a thought i’ve been having some days ago.

what is the church, really?

why do people come to church?

we come to church because we admit that we are broken, and sick, and needy, and we are looking for the answer.

we come back to church because we have found the answer and we need more.

 

but i’m reminded that Jesus said He wasnt here for the rich and the healthy.

He was here for the sick and the needy.

i think that as a church, we need to be more open to these people.

and we need to remember that we are like a hospital of some sort.

when we say “i went to the hospital”, surely someone will ask “oh what happened?”

correct?

because the hospital is the solution of a problem.

and in the hospital the problem is usually a physical problem, and that is the place we trust to have a cure.

 

but everyone in the world has spiritual problems. whether we know it or not.

 we should be the solution of a problem.

people with problems will come to church and be touched by God.

just like people flocking to go and touch Peter’s shadow to be healed.

 

let us be a church that is a vessel of God’s spiritual, mental, and emotional solutions.

 

 

 

Chosen Ones

Israel

 

we are God’s chosen ones.

just like the Israelites.

God gave so much to them.

blessing upon blessings.

mercy and grace upon mercy and grace.

but He also commands them to obey Him.

these days i’m reading of a time when the Israelites have disobeyed God one too many times.

even after warnings.

 

it reminds me of someone.

me.

i have been chosen.

i been given blessings upon blessings.

yet, i fail to grasp the ultimate holiness that i’m supposed to reflect in my life.

how do i reflect Jesus if i am the way i am in public?

how do i reflect Jesus if i am the way i am in private?

 

i keep wondering why these Israelites just fail to obey God.

it’s so so clear that they should.

yet, they don’t see it.

then i reflect on myself.

i’m not a bad example of a weak human myself.