Encouragement Continues! =)

Dear readers, I'm back with more stuffs to share! Allow me to begin my sharing!

From the book of Acts 4:1-4, it writes "The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand."
(What just happened!? Peter and John were courageously speaking to the crowd about Jesus and how he was resurrected from the dead, and there came a bunch of high ranking people who just threw them into jail! What was going on in Peter and John's mind!? Why would they risk their lives for something like that! Well, that's because they were TAKING RISKS FOR GOD! Peter and John knew the Jewish religious leaders were out to nail them! They knew that talking to people about Jesus could get them arrested, or worse! They knew the risks, but they also knew the potential payoff! So they gambled...... and came up BIG! Yes, they were arrested, but not before introducing 2000 more people to Jesus! What are the risks you face in talking to people at school and in your neighbourhood about Jesus? What's the potential payoff? Are you willing to put your own life on the line for Jesus? For those in Malaysia, there is a law that states whoever who tries to preach or tell the Muslims about Jesus could get jailed, sentenced to death or even kicked out of the country! Here's my advice, since there is a need to share the Good News to the Muslims and there is a barrier in the middle, instead of preaching straight in the face, try sharing about your life, how it has become better and what made it better! Ask and pray to the Lord to open doors and give opportunities for you as you make your way saving your friends from eternal destruction! The Lord will definitely guide you on this!) =)

Escalating to Acts 4:13, it says "When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus."
(What does this tells you? Well, Peter and John never had a Diploma in Preaching or Degree in Encouraging! Neither did they had any professional classes! They were just normal people, not even from a rich family! Does this means that God doesn't only pick important people, but also ordinary men and women? Oh yes that's right! One of the most popular excuses for not talking to people about Jesus is, "I'm just a regular guy; I don't know about theological stuff." But Peter and John were "regular guys." That's what made their ministry so incredible! Only God could have empowered them to speak, heal and minister the way they did! So it doesn't matter what background you came from or how normal you think you are like everybody else! God might just use anything you have if you would allow him! You've just gotta ask Him!) =)

Let us now climb to Acts 4:32-35, it writes "All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyoned as he had need."
(One thing they say about sharing, is that sharing is caring! And yes that is absolutely true! When we share something, we care for something or someone! Based on the verses, it writes that even those who owned lands sold the land, took the money from sales and gave it to church! Now that is something we should think about! Most people think that they should keep all the money to themselves! But we should think of the needy and the poor! Perhaps by contributing a portion of money to the church, you might just save some kids starving of hunger and water! Do you think an arrangement like this could work in your church today? What kind of message do you think it would send to your community if your church made sure everyone's needs were met? What could you do to help make it possible? Many things have changed in the past 2000 years, but God's heart isn't one of them! The Lord still expects His people, all of them, not just the rich to take care of the poor and needy! If you wanna do something with the money you have for God but you don't know where to invest it in, try giving it to the church! You might just as well save lives!) =)

Did you read the story about Ananias and Sapphira? Where they died immediately after lying to the church that they were giving the full sum of money they sold for the house, when in fact they were actually keeping a portion of them! If you haven't, do read Acts 5:1-11 to understand what really happened!
(This sobering story raises a couple of questions. The first is this: What prompts us to do the things we do? Why do we act in certain ways? Why do we not act in other ways? The answer is MOTIVES! We all have them! Those deep, secret desires that influence us! We long internally for security or respect or power or popularity! And so we adjust our lives externally! However, we need to be very careful in this area! MOTIVES MATTER! God takes deception, dishonesty and pride VERY SERIOUSLY! Especially among His own people! The fact is, if our souls hunger for the wrong things, we will engage in wrong acts! We must guard our hearts! As it is said in Proverbs 4:23, "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." The second question is this: How should we respond when other Christians willfully engage in wrong acts? As men and women of God, we must be willing to step forward and confront others! Unlike the apostle Peter, we don't have the authority or power to pronounce a judgement of death on someone; however, we do have the responsibility to hold our friends accountable! We should never be cocky or self-righteous, but we must humbly look out for others!) =)

Let us move on to Acts 5:41-42, it says "The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the Good News that Jesus is the Christ."
(Now hold on there! Did you realized what the verses began with? They were rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name! Wow! Isn't that just spectacular!? Peter and John were the original "Jesus freaks." They were proud of the fact that their faith cost them something! If they had to take a beating for Jesus, they were happy to do it, anything to show their love for Him! If you're wondering what Christian manhood looks like, just remember Peter and John! They're the people who just won't give up in telling the Good News!) =)

Have you read the story about Caiaphas and Stephen? If you haven't read it yet, read Acts 6:8-7:60!
(This is a classic good guy VS. bad guy match-up! If you just look at the surface of the story, Stephen was the clear loser of the bout, squashed like a bug by the powerful Caiaphas! To those who can see beyond the surface, however, Stephen was the victor! He was received into heaven by Christ Himself! The man whose name means "crown" received the ULTIMATE CROWN which is ETERNAL LIFE with Jesus! He was full of faith, grace, power, wisdom, courage and love! And Caiaphas? He was just full of himself!) =)

Going on to Acts 7:2-53, this is the part where Stephen gets his point to the Jewish religious leaders! Now if you read closely, Stephen knew the secret to getting his point across was to find a way to capture people's attention! And yes that was exactly what he did! That's why he mentioned Abraham, Joseph and Moses, three of the most beloved people in Jewish history! Stephen knew the Jewish religious leaders would listen to any argument based on Jewish history, so he used that in his talk about Jesus! Learn from Stephen's example! Before you share your faith with someone, think about the things the person is really into! Whether it's sports, music, video games or something else! Use those interests as a mirror and spring board for talking about Jesus! It will surely help alot!) =)

Finally, I just want to share a Bible verse that a friend of mine named Miss Cassie has shared with me just a moment ago! This verse made a huge impact on her, and I decided to share it to you dear readers! From Isaiah 40:8, it writes "Grass may wither and flowers fade, but the Word of God will last forever." And O'yeah that's totally true! If it made an impact to her life, it surely will to yours! =)

Well, I pray and hope that at least one of the things has encouraged and reminded you what's important in life right now! Studies, work, exercise, family and all the other things are important, but what's more important is to read the word of God and bring people to Christ! That's what were were called here for anyway! =) Have a great and blessed day, good night! =)