Filed under: Uncategorized
January 30, 2010 • 3:48 pm 0
Why People Don’t Follow Jesus
There are many reasons I am sure. However, not knowing enough about him is not the reason. It may be an excuse, but not a reason.
Often people think that the more I know about him the easier it’ll be for me to make the decision. How about all those who were alive when Jesus was with them? Can’t possibly know about him than that right? I think many people know about Jesus, they may even know He is who He says He is. That’s not the reason why they don’t follow though.
In Acts 24:25, as Paul was explaining to Felix, on righteousness, self-control and judgement to come. Felix said “That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you”. It’s exactly that, we find lust, pride, greed and selfish ambitions continually inconvenient to change. As Jesus had said, if you want to follow me, carry your own cross. Whoever loses life for me will gain it, and whoever hold onto life will lose. Anyone who values spouses, kids or parents more than Him are not worthy to follow Him.
There is a cost to following Jesus. That’s what stops people from following. When Jesus asked his disciples if they’d turn away too as the others had turned after seeking Jesus simply for the physical bread. His disciples said ‘to whom shall we turn to? you have the word of life’.
It’s not about knowing more about Jesus. The enemy knows about Jesus. The difference is whether we are willing to count the cost and still say I will surrender.
So at what point is the cost too high? Well, I suppose the cost is never high enough once we have a clear self-awareness just how screwed up and needy we are of Jesus.
When we realize that we are not gods, we are hardly in control of anything, we don’t even know why we are the way we are and ultimately, doesn’t matter how much of the ‘good’ we think we are doing, we are headed for hell. Not only that, but on the journey getting there, you’ll always feel the emptiness, nothing you turn to will fill you, nothing will be ever meaningful enough, nothing will satsify you just right. If you don’t believe in hell, then you are in for a big unpleasant surprise.
Then again, unless God draws us to Him. We won’t ever want to.
Filed under: Christianity, Life, Rambling
January 26, 2010 • 11:38 pm 0
Don’t Give Up
Whether the road ahead is easy or difficult should not be used as an indication for if the original decision was right or wrong.
I think many people have the mentality that a right path is always the easy path. When encountered difficulties, they think that the original choice must have been wrong. Or, at least somewhere along the way, there must have been mistakes or else it should be smooth sailing.
One of the biggest lies that people have bought into is that at certain point in our lives, we lose control of what’s happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate.
Stop giving up!
I get very worked up when talking to people who with the attitude of giving up. You see their life, and they’ve already checked out. Going on about the days just surviving. Exactly, just surviving to die. Instead of living. Instead of staying in the game, they’ve became a spectator on the bench.
Door won’t open? Keep knocking.
Dream seems so far away? Keep running.
Can’t find the solution? Keep seeking.
Sure there is a difference between pursuing for your ego, vs. pursuing for your passion, and I am talking about passion here. I’ve seen more people giving up pursuing for the passion in exchange for pursuing their ego.
I’ve read in a book before that, walls in our journey to our dream are there to test just how badly we want to realize the dream. Have the faith that moves mountains. Faith that stops the earth from rotating.
Don’t check out just because you are old, you’ve hit a bump or you’ve hit a wall. Don’t throw the towel in just because an interviewer gave you a no. Don’t believe in the lies.
Live until you drop dead. Don’t go down without a fight.
• 4:22 pm 0
What Drives Your Dreams?
I came across this article and love it. So I am sharing it here.
The key ingredient to a good dream is WISDOM. What does it mean to really have wisdom? It’s not as mystical as one might think.
Maturity.
Are you making a decision taking into account all of the life lessons you have learned in the past? Do your experiences validate the truths you have put into practice? Are you relying on all of the truths you have gleaned over time?
Head and Heart.
Do your head and heart both have a say?
Trusted People.
Are you working in isolation? Or are you willing to listen to the sound judgment of a few trusted people in your life?
A Plan.
Do you understand what it takes to achieve your dreams, or are you waiting for someone to knock on your door and grant all your wishes?
Self-View.
Do you think more highly of yourself than you ought? Are you wise in your own eyes? Or in all your ways, do you acknowledge Him?
Limits.
Are you being irrational? How feasible is this dream of yours? And do you trust God to do the impossible? There is a difference between faith that can move mountains and delusions of grandeur.
Read the full article here.
Filed under: Inspirations, Life
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