Permanent Tenant

"..so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith."

Ephesians 3:17

This is taken from Paul's prayers to the Ephesians after he tells the people in Ephesus the importance of evangelism, and I'd really like to focus on that part. 

Now, I haven't always had the heart for Evangelism. In fact, most time, I'm terrified of ministering to strangers and friends alike. There's always the fear of rejection and being uncertain of the right things to say - they are unnerving. Somehow, for me at least, Evangelism feels like a confrontation. That is, one is confronting the other about their faith, or lack thereof. And with those in mind, it makes it hard for a person (me) to work around it. 

And then there were and are people like Paul who, despite grave circumstances, still manage to spread the word and proclaim God's love and grace for everyone. Then I start to wonder why I can't be as brave or eloquent or faithful as he is. But then, that really isn't the problem. Comparing myself to another person - someone who did many great things for God while he was alive at that - won't help me minister to others or evangelize to them. So what's the point? I say, we - all of us who have this fear - should just suck it up and give it a try (and if they reject you, at least you tried and at least the seed has been planted). 

Besides, when we accepted Christ into our lives, we basically signed a contract and that involves evangelism. And we have to follow through with that contract (or we'll get sued for breach of contract, or unfaithfulness to Him whom we owe our Salvation to). 

I think an excerpt from one of my articles should aptly end this:

"When we feel shy or fearful, we should just bear in mind everything that the Lord has done for us – and I think that helps. After all, if we truly are in love with our God and our happiness is uncontainable, then spreading the gospel, sharing them to those who need it the most would come as naturally as breathing."

If we say that He dwells in our hearts, talking about Him shouldn't be so hard. :)

A Friendly Reminder

"And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit"

Ephesians 2:22

I think it's safe to say that most - if not all - Christians sometimes get too caught up in the pleasures of this world that we all  just kind of forget that they are not important in comparison to what we have waiting for us in the eternal. Is it our fault that we forget? Highly likely. Because sometimes, we just get too busy, too wrapped up in our own little world that our clear vision of God's promises for us gets blurred all of a sudden. Worse, sometimes we try to justify the mistakes we have committed - whether it be drinking, smoking or some other things that keep us from being like Jesus.

The first half of chapter 2 of Ephesians reminds us of how we have been saved; how there really was nothing we could have done to earn that gift of salvation - how there is still nothing we could do to say that we saved ourselves from God's wrath. It was his grace, his love that saved. And believing that, accepting that fact means that we have accepted the Spirit to dwell in us - to be with us constantly. So how do we expect the Spirit to have a pleasant stay in us when we haven't cleaned our even prepared a room for it to stay at? 

We can never be God-holy. But he helps us to be so; and I think it is just rude to bite the hand that feeds you right? If we want to be holy, if we want the Spirit to have a pleasant stay, then we need to commit ourselves to doing, saying, thinking things that is pleasing to God - even if it means discomfort and conflicts on our parts. He's God, and he always has the final say on everything.

And if we say that we truly and sincerely love him, then there really shouldn't be anything that should stop us from doing this. Right?

Hay. Dear self, please be reminded of this, ok?

God Speaks

"So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature."

Galatians 5:16

What happens when your want is in conflict with what God wants? Well, the word conflict should already give you an idea. I won't delve into too much into what I've decided and what had happened. Know only that I'm partially happy. I won't be fully happy until I am one with God's will (Bible says so too). 

Why like this? :<

Gideon I

After reading chapter 6 of Judges, specifically the chapter of Gideon's calling, I am with these questions: Is it wise to ask God to keep on proving his self to us? Isn't that what faith is for? 

Although, I understand of course. If I would to suddenly hear a disembodied voice or see God's angel face-to-face, I' probably be just as scared as he was, maybe even more. But that would only be a natural reaction to a supernatural experience. Gideon was threshing wheat for goodness sake. He was minding his own business when all of a sudden, this angel comes up to him and practically says: "How you doing?" Granted, if it was any other person, they probably would have had the same reaction as Gideon did. 

But that wasn't all, when Gideon was a bit certain that the angel was a messenger of God, he asked God if He could do things for him, like a vendo machine. Having read this, I really thought: Kapal naman ng mukha ng lalaking 'to. He kept on asking proof from God, and I just thought: He's God. What other proofs do you need to know? Only now do I understand that if I were in his situation, I'd also like to make sure I'm not going crazy. When he asked the angel what God has been doing now that He sees how his people suffers, it just goes to show just how many years have passed since God has brought the Israelites into the promised land. It's something that they know, sort of like a legacy, but had never experienced for themselves. 

Hate on Me Haters

(Just to clear things up, no, no one hates me... I think)

"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first."

John 15:18

I'm not really sure what made me to go search the Bible for verses on persecution. I suppose it's the Holy Spirit nudging me about it after someone I know shared their troubles with me. And ok, granted, not my best moment. After he told me about them, I couldn't say anything to him that he hasn't already heard from his mentor or from other people. I suppose, it was an opportunity to share to him, but I don't know. Maybe I didn't see it right away, but back when he was telling me all about how he'd get bullied by some of our batch mates, I didn't know what to tell him exactly. And it sucks since I've been in that situation too before. Somehow, college seems to be a lot like high school. There maybe those who think that college kids are more mature, but that's not really the case. Sometimes, people who take pleasure in harassing others just exist. 

Even though the connection between his bullying and a Christian's persecution isn't really there, somehow, this is what I remembered. No matter what we say or do, there would be some people who would find fault in us, needing to as though their lives depended on it. Although Jesus talks about following in His footsteps in this passage, I just though that whether or not someone's a Christian, they would still be bullied - whether it be through words or through actions. I suppose, what sets us apart as Christians is what we plan and choose to do about it afterwards. 

It's something to think of as well. What would I do if the time comes that I'd be judged and persecuted for my faith? I know deep in my heart what I should do, but there's the fear that my instinct or my fear might cause me to act another way. I suppose this is something to be truly reflected on.

Although I'm disappointed in myself for not taking the chance to share (it would have been good too, seems like he really needed the encouragement), I'm just hoping that I'd be more alert and aware the next the opportunity presents itself.