His Words

For sure we all know all the gifts and promises that He has for us. That when we reach the kingdom, there will be endless happiness and will be fulfilled with love. Of course, all we need to do is to obey Him and give Him the highest praise and continue to put our trust in Him. But let's see what are the eternal rewards that we will receive after accomplishing our tasks here on earth. As we all say, we must be strong and full of endurance in this game called life. We should never stop in doing good and spreading His words. Since we are in this game, we will also have our own medals after the race.

1. Medal of Extreme Joy. Since we have accomplished the discipleship tasks, aren't the new believers that we helped would be our greatest joy and glory?! I mean, the happiness in our heart is priceless once we see those people who were lost but now with our help, were saved and walking towards the journey of Christianity. In the presence of our Lord, these new believers will be our gift to Him and the feeling can't be compared to anything on how we succeed in the spiritual development of others. (1 Thessalonians 2:18-20 "¹⁸ For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan blocked our way. ¹⁹ For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? ²⁰ Indeed, you are our glory and joy.")

2. Medal of Life. Problems, trials and hardships are unavoidable in this game. During the race, we will be encountering tests that will determine the level of trust and love that we have for Him. Whether the test is an uphill climb or a rocky road, just be reminded that spiritual growth happens in adversity. We should never give up, instead continue to love and trust Him and the eternal reward will be an unending life. (James 1:12 "Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.")

3. Medal of Triumph. If we are effective in our ministry, executed a perfect discipleship and victorious over sins then there is a triumph that awaits for us in the finish line. That reward will be imperishable and the light that it brings will enlighten and inspire others. (1 Corinthians 9:25-27 "²⁵ Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. ²⁶ Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. ²⁷ No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.")

4. Medal or Righteousness. There will always be temptations, there will always be hardships, oh yes, Christian life is not easy but if we live righteously then these things are nothing. As a believer, we should always pursue godliness and should strive to meet God with a pure conscience. (2 Timothy 4:5-8 "⁵ But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. ⁶ For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. ⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸ Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.")

So after gathering all these medals, what should we do about them? Well, it will be our gift to our Lord in the time that we meet Him. Offer them into His feet as sign of appreciation for all the things that He have done to us: saved us, equipped us, guided us, protected us and loved us unconditionally.

Last 6th of February, my shepherd taught about me the importance and the "fruits" of reading the bible. He mentioned that bible stands for Basic Instruction Before Leaving Earth. This holy book is not just a "thing" that after reading the entire pages then will proceed to the next book. At the first instance of reading it, the messages might be not that clear but after reading it over again, different revelations and meanings will be presented to you. In 2 Timothy 3:16-17, "All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work".

You will get many benefits in reading the bible. As they say, all the answers to your questions are in the bible and yes it is true. It also serves as a guide in our decision making. If the food nourishes our body, His words nourishes our soul. We will also be guided with our characters and thoughts, on how we will interact with others. God has a plenty of promises to us and we can discover it by reading the bible. As we go on reading this book, many messages will make your faith to be increased by His power and love to us. As for myself, when I am reading a bible and found a very good and perfect verse that spoke to me, I use a highlighter to emphasize it. Sometimes I share what I have learned using this blog and I believe that many will be blessed. We should keep on reading the bible and for sure you will feel the hunger for His words as many lessons will be learned for sure.

With what we have learned, we can give a helping hand to others so that they can also discover the wonder of His words and how it changed our lives. As for myself, a former officemate lend his hand to invite me and convince me to join him for almost one year and a half. I am very thankful to this guy who brought me to this family as I became closer to God. Outreach was our topic during our shepherding last 13th of February. Aris told me the importance of being connected to others and encourage them to let Him lead the path for them. In Matthew 28:18-20, "Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age'".

In outreach, there are two ways that my shepherd taught me. First is through evangelism (we call it evax). This is the way of inviting other persons to come and join our fellowship and experience His presence. Honestly, this part is the hardest thing as I am not used to talk to strangers but I am a work in progress. The second is discovery on which we explains how God really loves us by giving His only son to pay for our sins. The first time I ever did a discovery in our fellowship was also a learning experience for me, I was able to understand and feel more His love for me and what blessings await. In outreach, we can use testimony on how our lives were changed so that it can be an inspiration to others. Sharing is also the best way to connect to others, let them tell their stories and find ways how to be related and give them encouragement and some advise. Then in return, share ours and be open to every feelings, comments and suggestions. It is a great feeling seeing others who has a closer relationship to God with your help.