To be a Christian or Disciple of Christ??

"As a new Christian, an individual doesn't take a "second step" toward becoming a disciple. Instead he embarks on a seamless journey of growth that passes through spiritual childhood, adolescence, and adulthood to maturity. Of course, all disciples experience good seasons and bad ones. All enjoy victories and suffer defeats. All experience stagnant times, and even times when they seem to travel in the wrong direction. But a disciple's heart consistently yearns for and desires to please God."

"Discipleship flourish when we present the gospel as a seamless journey of transformation that begins with new life given by God and moves right along with the joy of following Christ everyday...... But because we've preached a different gospel, a vast throng of people think they are Christian/saved/born again when they really aren't! We've made the test for salvation doctrinal rather than behavioral, ritualizing it with walking the aisle, praying to receive Christ, or signing a doctrinal statement. Perhaps we've made it so easy to get into "the life" that we've made it nearly impossible for people to live the life. The life that Jesus calls us to - a life of following Him - a life of humility, sacrifice, submission, and obedience."

Bill Hull

You know what I mean??

"Give me a man in love; he knows what i mean. Give me one who yearns; give me one who is hungry; give me one far away in this desert, who is thirsty and sighs for the spring of the Eternal Country. Give me that sort of man; he knows what i mean. But if i speak to a cold man, he just doesn't know what i am talking about... You are surprised that the world is losing its grip? That the world is grown old? Don't hold onto the old man, the world; don't refuse to regain your youth in Christ, who says to you: "The world is passing away; the world is losing its grip, the world is short of breath." Don't fear, for thy youth shall be renewed as an eagle."
Augustine

The bible

This is God's story, the story of his unfathomable love n grace, mercy n forgiveness- and that is how it also becomes our story. The story tells us that we deserve nothing but get everything; that we deserve hell but get heaven; that we deserve to be wiped out, obliterated, but we get his tender embrace; that we deserve rejection n judgment but get to become his children, to bear his likeness, to call him Father. This is the story of the bible, God's story, which at the same time is also our own.


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Do it with gentleness and respect

¹³Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? ¹⁴But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear^a]">[a]; do not be frightened."^b]">[b] ¹⁵But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, ¹⁶keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 1Peter 3:13-16

¹³ 你 们 若 是 热 心 行 善 ， 有 谁 害 你 们 呢 ？ ¹⁴ 你 们 就 是 为 义 受 苦 ， 也 是 有 福 的 。 不 要 怕 人 的 威 吓 （ 的 威 吓 ： 或 译 所 怕 的 ） ， 也 不 要 惊 慌 ； ¹⁵ 只 要 心 里 尊 主 基 督 为 圣 。 有 人 问 你 们 心 中 盼 望 的 缘 由 ， 就 要 常 作 准 备 ， 以 温 柔 、 敬 畏 的 心 回 答 各 人 ； ¹⁶ 存 着 无 亏 的 良 心 ， 叫 你 们 在 何 事 上 被 毁 谤 ， 就 在 何 事 上 可 以 叫 那 诬 赖 你 们 在 基 督 里 有 好 品 行 的 人 自 觉 羞 愧 。彼 得 前 書 3:13-16

Something really caught my eye in the above verses, ".... But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander." The "do this" is to give an answer to everyone who asks us to give the reason for the hope that we (Christians) have, in short witness Christ or sharing the gospel of Christ.

Most of us knows that we need to do this but just how many understand that we need to do it with gentleness and respect. Are there times, where we spend more time explaining to seekers why some Christians say disrespectful words than explaining to them the words of Christ?

There's a saying that action speaks louder then our words. Are our actions that of what we preach or our faith as a Christian? The last part of the verse that i quote is that, "..., so that those who speaks maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander." The important words is "your good behavior". Are we putting our action in our words?

This verse reminds me the behavior and attitude I should have as a Christian, a disciple of Christ, hope it does to you too.

A Meaningless Life

Don't settle for second best

I ask my friend, "Why do you have to work?"
He replied, "To earn money."
"Why do you have to earn money?" I asked him.
"To buy food to eat," He replied.
"Why do you need to eat?" I asked him again.
"So that I have energy," was his reply.
"Why do you need energy?" I wanted to know.
He replied, "I need energy to work."

Life sometimes feel like a circle that just goes round and round, doesn't it? Do you sometimes wonder what Life is all about? What is the purpose of Life? Is there an ultimate meaning of Life? These are really important questions. The answers can lead us to live a really meaning life instead of wasting it away....
By Huang Sabin

1在耶路撒冷作王，大卫的儿子，传道者的言语。2传道者说："虚空的虚空，虚空的虚空，凡事都是虚空。"3人一切的劳碌，就是他在日光之下的劳碌，有什么益处呢？4一代过去，一代又来，地却永远长存。5日头出来，日头落下，急归所出之地。6风往南刮，又向北转，不住地旋转，而且返回转行原道。7江河都往海里流，海却不满；江河从何处流，仍归还何处。8万事令人厌烦（注：或作"万物满有困乏"），人不能说尽。眼看，看不饱；耳听，听不足。9已有的事，后必再有；已行的事，后必再行。日光之下，并无新事。10岂有一件事人能指着说："这是新的"？哪知，在我们以前的世代早已有了。11已过的世代，无人记念；将来的世代，后来的人也不记念。传道书1：1-11

1 The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem: 2 "Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless." 3 What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun? 4 Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever. 5 The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises. 6 The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course. 7 All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again. 8 All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing. 9 What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. 10 Is there anything of which one can say, "Look! This is something new"? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time. 11 There is no remembrance of men of old, and even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow. Ecclesiastes 1:1-11

Look and ponder no further as someone who is the Life and the provider of Life had an answer for us. Would you believe in him?

6耶稣说："我就是道路、真理、生命；若不借着我，没有人能到父那里去。约翰福音14：6

6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:5

I have seen the Lord

Read this sermon by Pastor John Piper given on Easter Sunday.
It does matter that Jesus had risen from the dead and it does matter that you had seen the Lord,
May you experience God and can say that you had seen him.

I have seen the Lord - By John Piper

Submission to Authorities Romans13:1-7

1在上有权柄的，人人当顺服他，因为没有权柄不是出于神的，凡掌权的都是神所命的。2所以抗拒掌权的，就是抗拒神的命；抗拒的必自取刑罚。3作官的原不是叫行善的惧怕，乃是叫作恶的惧怕。你愿意不惧怕掌权的吗？你只要行善，就可得他的称赞，4因为他是神的用人，是与你有益的。你若作恶，却当惧怕，因为他不是空空地佩剑。他是神的用人，是伸冤的，刑罚那作恶的。5所以你们必须顺服，不但是因为刑罚，也是因为良心。6你们纳粮也为这个缘故，因他们是神的差役，常常特管这事。 罗马书13:1-7

1 Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.2 Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you.4 For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. Romans 13:1-7

Vs1 -2 For us to submit to the authorities.
Vs3 - 5 For the authorities on how they should treat others.