Perseverance
By Gareth Rennie, South Africa
We are struggling Christians trying our best to stay pure.
Constantly battling against temptation, resisting its allure.
Sin seeks to plunge us back, making us more distressed.
Its pull and push cannot be easily suppressed.
Pleasing God I know will take more than just living by His Law.
For He has sent us His Son and by His sacrifice has saved us all.
God has saved us from the wrath of God that we rightly deserved.
By God’s grace and compassion we have been preserved.
Jesus Christ who knew no sin took on sin for all mankind.
Fully God yet fully Man Jesus came to purify our heart and mind.
We know that we are sinners struggling through this sinful world.
But yet our Father through His grace takes care of us in the present and tomorrow.
So yes, we will always battle with our sinful natures but we are not without help.
For we have Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior to aid us reach our heavenly home.
Yes, we used to live a life of lawlessness and on the sharp edge of Satan’s knife.
But now let us repent and by God’s mercy and grace receive eternal life.
Our Sovereign and powerful God is the Creator of all things
The time will come when God will cut away our sinful strings
For God will destroy this earth of pain, sorrow and sin by fire
We then will live with God for all eternity and no longer be plagued by our sinful desire.
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading ...Fear and Hope
By Sunil T, Nepal
I could not sleep for the entire year when I was studying in Grade 10. I was gripped with fear as I was sitting for my School Leaving Certificate (SLC) examinations that year. It would be a test of my years of learning. I feared I would flunk the examinations as I had not been an attentive student. As a result, I had recurring nightmares about exams.
Similarly, fear about the end times had plagued the minds of many people. There have been speculations about the impending doom happening in 2012*. Due to the rumours concerning this dire catastrophe, some people have fallen victim to despair and are troubled about whether it would happen or not. This rumour has robbed the happiness of some people to an extent that they cannot sleep at night. Somebody even said that, “2012 is the prophesised year of end times” and the earth will be destroyed then. However, as Christian, we know that no man can specify the actual date. For Jesus said, “No-one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only Father” (Matthew 24:36).
While we may not know the exact date, our Lord Jesus has taught us what will take place during the end times (Matthew 24). Hence, we do not need to fret over any man-made predictions or imaginations because as Christian, we could rely on His revealed will (God’s Word) to discern reality.
We are told that in those days, there will be great tribulations. But, we need not fear for God has promised us: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do no give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27).
Meanwhile, as we wait for our Lord’s return, we must remain careful and alert, for He will come at a time when we least expect it (Luke 12:40).
Next:
1. How can you get ready for the Lord’s return?
2. Can you give answers to the questions that people ask about your hope and faith?(1 Peter 3:15)
* December 21 or December 23, 2012, is said to be the end-date of a 5,125-year-long cycle in the Mayan Long Count calendar. This view has been promulgated by History Channel which, beginning in 2006, aired “Decoding the Past: Mayan Doomsday Prophecy”, based loosely on John Major Jenkins’ theories but with a tone he characterized as “45 minutes of unabashed doomsday hype and the worst kind of inane sensationalism.” Discovery Channel also aired 2012 Apocalypse in 2009, suggesting that massive solar storms, flipping of the magnetic poles, earthquakes, super volcanoes, and more may occur in 2012. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_phenomenon)
(2 votes, average: 3.00 out of 5) Loading ...What We Take For Granted
By Julian Abraham Chua, 20, Singapore
Ever threw your tantrum before? Ever felt dissatisfied with your life? Ever battled with lust, selfishness, jealousy or greed?
Perhaps, that is because we often take life and the privileges we have for granted. For instance, having good health, being able-bodied, having our five senses intact, having close friends and family whom we can turn to for help—these are some privileges we took for granted.
Imagine waking up from a car crash only to find that you will never walk again. Imagine contracting HIV or cancer knowing your time here will be shortened, or losing a loved one. What if you went blind, deaf or even end up in a vegetable-state one day, how will you face these? Because we get too familiar with things, we subconsciously assume that they will always remain as they are.
As Christians, we have to live our lives seeing beyond the surface of things and appreciating what we have as much as we can. It’s good to remember that anything can happen and we are vulnerable to all sorts of dangers despite advance technology that enhances the safety of individuals. The most recent earthquake in Haiti is an example of how unpredictable life can really be. It left hundreds of thousands of Haitians dead and millions more needing aid.
Putting it across simply, the best solution against discontentment is to cherish each day, to appreciate people, and ultimately to embrace God’s Word.
(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...The Streets
By Tracy Phua, Singapore
Street evangelism was never really my kind of thing. I simply could not understand how a stranger can pray to receive Christ with another stranger, within minutes of his sharing. Thus, when the camp that I was attending devoted an entire afternoon to street evangelism, I was not excited.
When the time came for us to hit the streets, I trudged along with my partner, looking for a ‘suitable’ person to share my faith with. I noticed an old man sitting alone on a flight of steps. Since the ground was wet, he was sitting on a piece of newspaper. With my heart in my hands, my partner and I went forward and introduced ourselves. We started off by asking him about his New Year wishes, which we hoped could transit into a spiritual conversation, however God seemed to have other plans.
The old man seemed wary at first, but warmed up more when we assured him that we were students and sat beside him. His new year’s wish was simply for his family to be happy. That was it, no striking of lottery or for his son to get a promotion. He only wanted everyone to be happy. At that point, I felt compelled to ask him if we could pray for him, but he refused and left soon after.
The experience left me pondering about the condition of the old man’s heart, as well as mine. It dawned upon me that there are people out there who are seeking joy; a joy that they do not know where to find. We, however, have the joy in our hearts because God gave it to us when He sent His only Son to die for our sins and we accepted His gift.
At that moment, my perspective of street evangelism changed! It was not just a time for us to meet with random strangers and to convey the good news of His Gift of Salvation. It is for us to meet with strangers and be encouraged by them. This time round, I was helped by a non-believer, a mere chance acquaintance, with the simple and irrefutable reminder of what is in-store for all who believe in our Lord Jesus Christ—real joy! This opportunity for street evangelism has been indeed an unexpected blessing to me!
Luke 10: 1-3 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...
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