Hi dear readers! Allow me to share with you what I have learnt through the Bible! =)
I was reading the book of Matthew, from Matthew 4:18-20 it says "As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed Him."
(Isn't it awesome how both Peter and Andrew just followed Jesus at once? It is really amazing that at the first moment Jesus asked them to follow Him, they left what they were doing and headed straight to the LORD! What do you think made Jesus' disciples drop everything they were doing and follow Him? What exactly was it that made you want to turn over your life to His care and control? Think about it! =) )
Futhermore, I was reading Matthew 4:1-11, it was the moment where Jesus was lead to the desert to be tempted by the devil. It was rather amazing what had happened between Jesus and satan as Jesus battled satan with the Word of GOD! Notice how Jesus dealt with satan's challenges, He didn't abuse His power by doing the things satan wanted Him to do! Instead he steered clear of the temptations completely! He refused to do anything that might cause Him to sin! He used a weapon that satan has no defense against, 'THE TRUTH OF GOD's WORD!'. Each time satan tempted Jesus, Jesus fired back with Scripture, exposing Satan's temptation for the lies that it was! When you're facing your enemy, remember what weapons are at your disposal! (The Bible! :D )
From Matthew 5:5, it says "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth." Now, what does it mean to be meek? Who are the truly humble types? They are the guys who don't have to be first all the time! They are the guys who don't grab the spotlight every chance they get! They are the guys who don't have a problem doing thankless jobs! They are the guys who care more about the team than themselves! They are the guys who listen instead of always trying to dominate the conversation! In addition, they are the guys who realize they wouldn't have anything if it weren't for GOD - who recognize all that GOD has done for them and give Him all the credit instead of praising themselves! That's what being meek is about, you don't need to be first all the time! Remember, many who are first will be the last, and many who are last will be the first!
From Matthew 5:10-12, it says "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
(You see, these verses encourages us alot who are going through it! I was reading on the internet, 9 Christians are recently arrested in Malaysia for preaching to the Muslims, but they were eventually released by the authorities. [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090715/ap_on_re_as/as_malaysia_christians_arrested;_ylt=AtqN8yO7yf_Z6axK2tvHHO6s0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTFiNnVvb3RvBHBvcwM1NQRzZWMDYWNjb3JkaW9uX3dvcmxkBHNsawNtYWxheXNpYWFycmU-] You can check it out on this website. I am moved that the Christians in our country Malaysia is still sharing the Good News to the Muslims! This is what GOD would say to you when you are going through situations like that, "People will make fun of you when they find out that you're serious about your beliefs. Some will spread rumors about you, you may even lose a friendship over Me, but for every bad things that happens to you on account of Me, I will reward you a million times and more in heaven!" You can definitely count on that =) )
From Matthew 5:43-48, it tells us to love our enemies at all cost! Do you have an actual enemy, someone you really can't stand, or someone who really can't stand you, or both? Do you still remember what it was that made you both enemies? What do you think would happen if you swallowed your pride and apologized to that person for you part in conflict even if it's just for having a negative attitude towards him/her? What if you supported your apology with a few sincere words about your getting along? Do you think you'd be made fun of, ignored, yelled at or laughed out of the room? You might be, but your action of love might also reduce your enemy total by one! Nobody wants enemies, I'm sure not even you! So remember the next time you're in a conflict with anybody, be it your friend, family member or even your enemies, remember to gulp down your pride and humble yourselves, apologize to them even though you've got a little anger towards them, so that they may praise our Father in heaven! =)
Besides that, do you remember the LORD's prayer? Well, its in Matthew 6:9-13! It's the kind of prayer Jesus wants us to pray! For He knows everything we need! Here's an idea for the next time you spend some quiet time with GOD, try putting the LORD's prayer in your own words and using that as your prayer! Try to be creative with the words as even David the psalmist also did! He described everything really detailed!
Two more things I wanna share with you dear readers, from Matthew 6:19 it says "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where theives break in and steal." And yes that is so true! Let me give you an example, imagine you're a really rich person, you can buy almost anything you see anywhere! But suddenly, the police gave you a call and tell you that all your money in the bank has been stolen by thieves and they are nowhere to be found! Every single little bit of your cent is in ruin! You were so shocked by what had happened and it gave you a heart attack! Wouldn't every treasures you stored on earth become nothing? It would all just be a waste wouldn't it? Oh yeah it would be a total waste! Well, have you seen the bumper sticker that says "The one who dies with the most toys wins"? That attitude is not only wrong, but it's also dangerous! As far as GOD is concern, those who die with the most toys have wasted their time on earthly things and have put their eternity in jeopardy!
Finally, I wanna talk about worry! There are millions and billions of people all around the world who worry for at least one thing in their life! Some might be financial worry, some are family issues, some are relationship status and some worry about what their future might be! For me, I used to worry about my future, I was always afraid to take the next step forward and advance in my life! Well, I have learnt that worrying about something really kills your time! We might worry once in awhile, but we have to keep in our mind that GOD IS IN CONTROL! Here's a simple strategy for dealing with worry, take care of the things that you can do something about which are the things that are within your power to control! And leave the rest to GOD! Trusting Him is the best decision you can make when it comes to worrying! So do not worry my friends, GOD will help you no matter what kind of situation you are encountering with! He has done so with me, and He will help you too! Always remember this verse, from Matthew 6:33 "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." =)
Well, here comes to the point where I'll say farewell! May GOD BLESS YOU! Remember to look to the LORD in times of trouble, for HE is you refuge and tower at all times! Be strong and courageous, for the LORD your GOD is with you wherever you go! =)
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