Takeover Post #019 - Past, Present, and Future...

Hello peeps!

So this week is a continuation a bit. Mike shared about the 3 benefits of Easter. If you have no idea what Easter is about, and you have the false commercialized idea that Easter is about eggs, bunnies, and goodness knows what...please read the previous post. Har har!

So what are the 3 benefits of Easter?

1. God forgives you of your past.
By now, you should know that for every action you do, there is a consequence to pay (whether it may be reaping good benefits, or the bad consequences to account for).

Romans 6:23 ~ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

If you've ever wondered whether God will forgive you due to whatever you've done in your past, wonder no more cause He will.

1 John 1:9 ~ If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Stated in the Bible. Clear cut. He does not care how big apparently some of your sins might me, or maybe just a white lie. He forgives you as long as you genuinely repent. Besides, sin is sin. No big, no small.

2. God gives your present a purpose in Christ.
I don't know about you, but I've come to a place where I've asked and wondered why am I even on Earth? Surely it's not to live, eat, work, and eventually die. The answer is in Christ. Easter gives us purpose to live for Him, to work out our salvation as someone once put it. If you're wondering what the heck is your purpose on life, God has it for each and everyone of you.

What you gotta do to find it?

Believe in Him, trust in Him, and ask Him for directions. After all, if He's created you from the very start, don't you think He knows where you're headed?

Think about it....

3. God offers you a future.
Now that He's forgiven you of your past, working out His purposes in your life...it's time you know that He's taking care of your future.

Jeremiah 29:11 ~ For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

As He continues to reveal and show His plans in your present, He offers you an awesome future ahead as you continue to trust in Him and walk with Him. Sounds simple yes?

Everything's taken care of. If you don't know your Maker, He's the One and only...Jesus Christ.

Cheers

Takeover Post #018 - Easter's True Meaning...

Firstly, apologies for the long hiatus. It wasn't really planned, but yours truly lost all his notes on the previous weeks' sharing due to the fact it was saved in my phone's motherboard which crashed quite a while ago.

Anyway, Happy Good Friday and Easter!

Since it was the week of Good Friday and Easter where we remember the death of our Lord Jesus Christ as well as His resurrection (which is what Christianity is about), sharing was based on Christ, the love of Christ, forgiveness, and essentially the story of Easter.

Maybe too many a times, we sin because we have absolutely no idea how much God loves us. Question for you...

Would you send your only son, whom you love with all your heart to pay for someone's sins by dying a gruesome death on the cross?

My guess is a blatant no. I mean, for a total stranger to sin and then for you to show that kinda love that you would send your only son to die on the cross is beyond human understanding. Then again, did you know that God did it for you out of love?

Forgiveness is easily available now. All it takes is 3 simple steps of confessing that you've sinned, asked for forgiveness, and finally accepting Christ as your personal saviour. And yes, it's that simple.

Romans 4:7 ~ Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.

Romans 4:8 ~ Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.

How so? If someone totally innocent, blameless, and without sin is placed as the needed sacrifice for atonement of sins in your place, aren't your sins then forgiven as long as you've accepted Him who has done it for you?

His death on the cross shows us 2 things.

1. The price of forgiveness and grace is free, but not cheap.
It's free for you and I, but heck it wasn't cheap. It cost God His only Son. Things are never free, but in this case at the expense of His son, you can now receive forgiveness and grace and be assured of a place in heaven. Find any better offer than that? Let me know...

2. Your value to God.
And yes, that means every single one of you. No matter how you deny it, He died for every single one of you. Can you value a life? If priceless is your valuation, then you've successfully managed to value yourself.

Easter is definitely not just another occasion to celebrate. And no way is Easter related in any way whatsoever with bunnies and eggs. Easter, the most victorious day in Christianity for without it, all hope is lost. With Easter, our hope of glory is found in Him, Jesus Christ....the Son of God.

Cheers.

PS: The rest of the post will be up and backdated once I've gotten the notes. Stay tuned. = )

Takeover Post #014 - To be found in Him...

G'day mates!

This is a prolonged post, but the series on Christian living is still going on. Its just that busyness has caught up and hence the lack of updates. So, second point of Christian Living is this...

God Found You...

Interestingly enough, though all of us found Him and made that vital decision of accepting Him as our personal Saviour, it was He that found us first.

Psalms 139:13 ~ For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb.

Its simple. Even before we were conceived, developed, and then emerging into the real world, we were already known by Him, made by Him, and even our very life planned and laid out before us involving even the most minute and mundane details. Which gives us the assurance that He holds our tomorrows...

How such love can exist is beyond our human capacity to understand or even comprehend its depth and width. Instead, the very fact that someone could show such amazing love is the very reason for worship.

1 John 4:9 ~ This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him.

Now the question is, would you send your only Son to die on behalf of anybody else? I have a strong inkling the answer would be a plain 'no' involving no hesitance or even given any thought to be considered.

1 John 4:19 ~ We love because He first loved us.

Think about it. = )

Takeover Post #013 - Are you a child of God?

We recently started a sharing with 10 effective points on being a Christian. Therefore, we will be covering what we've shared on a weekly basis. So, here we go for topic 1.

You are a Child of God
Being a Christian simply means you've become a child of God. How do you know you might ask. Through the Bible of course...

Read on...

Being a child of God is not just a title. Its a priviledge and an honour to be chosen to be one. As any other child (mostly at least), love comes from the parents. However, the amazing thing about God is He already loves us even while we were yet sinners and have yet to know Him and experience Him.

Romans 5:8 ~ But God demonstrates His own love for us in this; While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Such overwhelming love surely cannot be kept to ourselves, which is why we show love to others. But human love has many limitations unlike the love of God. But...

1 John 4:7 ~ Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

1 John 4:8 ~ Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

Basic interpretation simply means if you've loved someone, it shows you're born of God simply because love was created by God and comes from God.

However...

God shows the ultimate love by sending His only Son, Jesus Christ to die for our sins over 2000 years ago.

John 1:12 ~ Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.

Takeover Post #012 - Of Decisions, Purpose, and Hope...

Happy Chinese New Year in advanced!

I get questions like "Ei, you're a Christian right? You celebrate Chinese New Year?" Well, I'm still Chinese ain't I? Besides, how can we miss out on all the fun and food (not to mention those tiny little packets called 'ang paus'). Don't everyone around the world celebrate Christmas too, though maybe some without knowing the real reason for the season.

Anyway...here's a summary of what Mike shared @ Harvest Crew last week.

Making choices is inevitable as we go about living our lives. No doubt there will be the daily small choices we have to make, and also the big choices which bring about consequences (whether good or bad) that will affect the future. The current state of the world will not get any better (in fact, it'll get worse) and thus it all comes down to making the right choices.

Complicating matters are the influential forces that work their hands to influence how we think and ultimately how we make our choices in life. Sometimes (more often than not) making the right choice may not be an easy decision. Doing the right thing sometimes require you to stand out and be the odd one out. True we may be mocked and laughed at, but hey Christians are supposed to stand out, yes?

So what is the right choice as a Christian?

We're to go into all the world and preach the good news of Christ.

Matthew 28:19 ~ Go therefore and making disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

However, to go means to be empowered for what can we achieve without His empowerment and enablement? Empowerment brings about signs and wonders that follow after the Word has been preached and shared. So do we actually know we're empowered? Do we wait?

The answer is yes...

But when are we empowered?

We already have been by the Holy Spirit. So when is the time? The time is now. Time is of the essence, and no I'm not kidding. In a time where wars are happening, turmoils are loose, and chaos seems to be taking a grip on the world...we need hope and hope alone can be found in no other than Jesus Christ.

The question is, do you know you are saved?

Ultimately only God can give satisfaction, assurance that there is hope and life is not so bleak as the world's condition shows. So why not look to the only hope, the author and finisher of our faith and give Him our best as we look to serve Him for a greater purpose than this, and one that is eternal and not a temporary earthly purpose.

Takeover Post #011 - Do you know your "weapon"?

Greetings Earthlings.

Time for another update. Just the final chapter to the whole armor of God and the focus today is on the Sword of the Spirit a.k.a. the Word of God.

Basically, God's word never changes. Hard to believe? Believe me, I've seen His promises come true though it was written over 2,000 years ago.

Firstly, it acts as a mirror in that we see ourselves and measure how we're living according to His standards that have been said. Worried about spiritual blemishes and pimples? Use the Bible to cross-reference and check (and more importantly, correct) them.

The Word is a lamp in that as we walk along the dark aisles and alleys of life, it lights up the paths. I believe when the future holds so much uncertainty, fears, and doubts, the only thing I trust to lead me through life is the Word of God that never changes. This lamp ensures that we do not fall into sin even as we strive to live for Him.

The Word of God brings life and life brings about a certain radiation that comes within. Meditating on the Word of God is like a tree being planted by rivers of water.

Psalms 1:2 ~ But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

Psalms 1:3 ~ He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaves does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

The Word of God can either be offensive in terms of fighting against the Devil and in engaging spiritual warfare, or soothing in terms of protection. Protection from what? The fiery darts, fiery arrows of fear, doubt, and everything else negative that you can ever imagine that will be hurled at us.

Conclusion: The Word of God is of EXTREME importance. You don't wanna leave home without it...

Takeover post #010: Happy birthday Andrew Johnson.

Hello dear netizens,

Welcome to another exciting year. Year 2009!
Matt Chang is busy studying for finals, so i'm taking over the birthday dedication tonight. ^_____^
Happy Birthday Andrew Johnson. You are special!