Devoted to Christ

Sometimes we take it for granted that the best things in life are free. Although wordpress is a free open source software that we can customize, I find it difficult to maintain the blog with so much errors happening in the background. After much troubleshooting, I find myself deciding to move towards a much better blogging software in which I hope I can carry or move over the content I have committed myself for a long time. I pray that I’ll be able to do so soon to bring you guys my devotional notes and thoughts upon our Lord. Speaking of prayer, don’t forget that this Thursday is our national day of prayer.

This was an awesome interview I witnessed during the Prophecy Conference a couple weeks ago. A double agent who worked for the Israels and saved many lives. This was a Muslim who went away from the practices of the Koran teachings and to the Bible.

I read Greg Laurie’s daily devotions almost every day. And I find this one to be so much concerning within my environment. It’s scary and it’s almost frustrating to see these people who attend every Sunday and other mid-week bible study not bring their bible! Am I venting? Probably. But oh woe is me to those who know God and attend church for years but forget to bring their bibles.

Now there are many Christians out there who tend to freely reach out to people with the gospel. And that’s awesome! Whether the person receives the word of God with open arms or reject-fully, it is something that has been accomplished for our sake and for God’s glory; not our own glory. For we do this upon righteousness’ sake. Not for our “own” self-righteousness. The righteous one will always be our God Almighty.

Now check this out. This is a piece of scripture from what is considered the greatest preaching ever told by Jesus.

Matthew 5:10-12 NKJV

10God blesses those people who are treated badly for doing right. They belong to the kingdom of heaven.

11God will bless you when people insult you, mistreat you, and tell all kinds of evil lies about you because of me. 12 Be happy and excited! You will have a great reward in heaven. People did these same things to the prophets who lived long ago.

Verse 11 – “God will bless you when people insult you.” Yes, this is something you can expect proclaiming the gospel. No matter who you preach it in front, you will get this result of people trying to pull you down.

“Don’t let people tell you what you can’t do.” That’s a quote from Chris Gardner played by Will Smith in the movie, “The Pursuit of Happyness.” For being happy is being blessed.

Continue reading verse 11 –>, “For great is your reward in heaven.” Read that rest of the entire verse and you will see that I myself have been thinking of proclaiming the gospel. Life as we know it and hear it, is short. I’m no prophet, but I just want to tell people the truth of how to live our life. We can’t control how long we live, but we can make it a full life. Live life to the fullest to those who have the ability to communicate the gospel. That is what Jesus Christ did. That is what God wants us to do. Use your talents wisely and choose what and who you want to use that talent for!

Here is what it comes down to. We can take as many classes as we want on how to share our faith. We can memorize verses. We can prepare ourselves. But unless we have a God-given burden for unbelievers, it won’t matter.

Happy to have brought my father to a Thursday night bible study with Greg Laurie tonight!

Giving money to the Lord is not something we are supposed to view as a burdensome obligation. Scripture says it is to be viewed as a spiritual act of worship and that it is to be the joy and responsibility of every believer. This is a radical and counter-cultural point of view. Because while the rest of the world worships money as god, we are to worship God with our money.

The Bible teaches that God has called every believer to give regularly, generously, cheerfully, and in proportion to what they have been given. This sacrificial kind of giving makes sense in light of the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross. No one can ever out give God. We also know that as we invest in God’s work, we are laying up treasure in heaven and participating in what the Lord is doing on the earth now. (2 Corinthians 9:7, Matthew 6:20, Proverbs 3:9)

In Romans 14:5-6 we can’t just force someone to church or into receiving Jesus Christ just to gain your own personal glory. Remember when someone is accepting to listen to the word of God, they are naturally opening their hearts to the Lord. Let’s not be selfish and let God to most of the work for us. We sometimes gotta learn to let go and “let God.”

Romans 14:5 NKJV

One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind.

Just a few scriptures on fellowshipping with God:

Colossians 2:6 NKJV
As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,

Galatians 5:16
I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

Romans 13:13
Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy.

Ephesians 5:2
And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

I am currently watching the 3rd installment of the Left Behind series, World at War.

***UPDATE AFTER WATCHING THE FLIM***

The film gave knowledgeable insight of what can come during the tribulation. Most notably Matthew 24 NKJV. The End of the World

3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all[a]these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences,[b] and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’[c] spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.
23 “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand.
26 “Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28 For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.

Matthew 5

The Sermon on the Mount
1 One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples gathered around him, 2 and he began to teach them.

Matthew 5:3-11

THE BEATITUDES
3 “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him,*
  for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
4 God blesses those who mourn,
  for they will be comforted.
5 God blesses those who are humble,
  for they will inherit the whole earth.

Blessed = Happy

- Money can’t buy you love
- Happy people are spiritual people ; therefore are Godly people
- bible says “Happy people are Godly people”

Verse 3
- Worldly biblical view  by Jesus: The Sermon on the Mount
- Only the believer can take in the sermon on the mount
- Blessedness, or true happiness, is independent from circumstances
- To be “poor in spirit” is to acknowledge your “spiritual bankruptcy”
 - “The way to rise in the kingdom is to sink in yourselves” – C.H. Spurgen

Verse 4
- Get a new perspective
- Jesus is a man, but also wept
- Jesus suffered and died to show you how much God loves you

Confess our sins, be sorry
John 1:9 
Hebrews 4:7

Verse 5
- A Happy person is a meek person. | a weak person can’t do anything but a meek person can do u but choosesThe Sermon on the Mount
- One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples gathered around him, 2 and he began to teach them.
- (Jesus allowed the soldiers to take him) – The meekest man who ever lived was Jesus Himself

Verse 6
- If you want to be a happy person they desire a righteous life