“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. (‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭9-11‬ NIV)

love + obey = joy.
we want joy but a lot of time the joy didn't come into our mind when we think of obey. Jesus said that we need to keep the command (obey) so that joy will be in us. we have a community and Christian around us will speak the truth (it could be hurting us and create conflict). their truth is something we NEED to hear unlike those worldly friend that speak only the truth that we WANT or PLEASED to hear. yes, the truth is painful and unpleasant but they speak the truth in love. by acknowledge and obey the truth spoken by disciples that truly love us, the joy will with us.

Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice. (‭Proverbs‬ ‭27‬:‭9‬ NIV)



This post has been edited by iwubpreve: Aug 7 2014, 12:45 PM

Luke 18:18-30 NIV

A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’ ” “All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said. When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy. Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” Peter said to him, “We have left all we had to follow you!” “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.”

I thought of this scripture. the young ruler thought he done enough when Jesus point out clearly the obstacle he have. of course here not asking u give everything to God but the readiness u have for God. I believe many of us have our own obstacle to draw closer to god. it could be intense working hour, heavy responsibility in career, timidity in share ur faith and etc that give us an opportunity to refuse ourselves from pleasing god eg. attend church, share our faith to people, and etc.

tl;dr
just joking. i think the salvation is really easy. just declare Jesus is our Lord and we are saved. but of course it has to come v action. (eg. u agree that fast food is not healthy. by doing the action [abstinence from eating fast food], u will not unhealthy.)

by declare Jesus is Lord also have to be coupler together v action which is do something u agreed v Him by being set free. free from worldly standard so u no longer afraid of being judge by other by doing those godly deeds.

it's just my thought.

I disagree. don't talk like it's so difficult to obtain salvation. it's easy when u were set free. anyway I don't wanna argue further.

cheers

agree that we shouldn't use shortcut in the context. but doesn't mean it's difficult.

Luke 18:9-14 NIV

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

inb4 don't misleading by quote wrong scripture.

sorry for all the hardship u went through. glad u already moving on.

anyway the way u talk is like the Pharisee pinpoint the tax collector's wrongdoing. it's graceless. want to get salvation? do this and that, get a "bachelor of degree in Christ" then we talk. when what God want is just u to say sorry to him and his door will always open for u. what so hard? what u do is just scare off pipu to know the gospel which is all about love. God is love.

when the comment is disable, usually it's fake

Matthew 25:11-12 NIV

“Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’ “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’

apparently, those who shout the "Lord, Lord" mean they are aware of Law of God. in other word, they were Christian, but God said that He don't know him. being a Christian doesn't mean u are saved.

inb4 captain obvious.

just crack a little humor here anyway I'm quite a pessimistic person so will thought of this la. Christian journey could be very fulfilling if u allow God to utilize u

This post has been edited by iwubpreve: Aug 29 2014, 04:20 PM

when tomorrow u got an 5am flight to catch up for Tokyo trip, u will put best effort to wake up in order to catch the flight. but worship God

This post has been edited by iwubpreve: Aug 29 2014, 04:24 PM

just a comparison side by side la

anyway anyone can declare themselves as Christian. not going to judge whether they are nominal or not, just wanna mention that u can declare urself as Christian but doesn't mean u are saved la.

even those put faith in Jesus doesn't mean they practice it too.

John 12:42-43 NIV

Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved human praise more than praise from God.

here talking abt Pharisees. they are in top position. some believe in Jesus. believing in Jesus enough? devil believe in Jesus better than us but he still did his own way. these Pharisees believe but they fear. what they fear of? they afraid of expelled from synagogue (they love God's word that's why they also afraid being expelled from synagogue where they can read/listen to the Word) deep down they know Jesus is savior but they cannot follow because they fear of human.

This post has been edited by iwubpreve: Aug 29 2014, 04:40 PM

that's alright. important is u acknowledge it's sin, confess and repent. David done the same yet he repented and move on and never repeat that again. that's also why he is a man after God's own heart.

This post has been edited by iwubpreve: Aug 29 2014, 04:47 PM

watch this, God love u too. hope u can relate


This post has been edited by iwubpreve: Aug 29 2014, 05:10 PM

I think those fee is just for reimburse the rental and expenses arise due to those events. not for profitable purpose?

for them as long as they are not greed and they also give tenth of their earning to god, it should be fine.

for us, should view that they serve god too. so deserve an earning better than us as their job are noble, saving the soul unlike we work for a living

this parable from Buddhist is really relatable when come to this context. anyway actually a lot of people will think that, "yes the old monk break the rule but he already put down" which is wrong. the fact is this is not what the parable try to tell. monk had been trained to forget about love and lust. the young monk think they shouldn't touch the woman because he still practicing forget about love and lust. the old monk fully understand that hence to him carry woman is just like carry man. at the end when the old monk confronting young monk that "why he still carry the woman" mean that why he still bear v the thought of love and lust. when he ask that question to old monk which mean he still haven't let go that. young monk failed to perceive the meaning behind the creation of the law.

so is old monk break the law? no he isn't. the old monk know where the law came from. there is always a fundamental when a law created.

don't be so narrow sighted

2 Timothy 2:23 NIV

Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.

inb4 accusing someone ignorant

UW, this church is ur church?

St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church

http://standrewschurch.org.my/

saw they also post similar Malaysian day service something like that.

ohh. just curious

no, I'm not coming la

anyway to be honest I actually also avoid attend other church activity. coz sometimes dunno what they really doing, eg. clash of conviction. u know different church different practice. especially when come to those practice which is so contrary to your believe, it create insecurity and awkward.

maybe I'm wrong. do enlighten me