This is not some conspiracy theory webpage…hello I’m Esther :p. However, I had an incredibly spine-tingling, hair-raising conversation with my housemate on the book of Revelation, and the end of the world. Well the main insight I gleaned from this:
- the big bird john was talking about could have been aeroplanes
- microchips are being developed: the best places for them are in the hand and the forehead. Moreover when the battery of these leak, boils erupt. This is a multi-million dollar project currently ongoing between Australian Uni & U.S. Uni.
I faced up to the calling to the poor, needy and those on the fringes of society. I was walking to Laguna and passed the homeless man with ‘1 or 2 gold coins’ sign. I walked past like the stuck-up Asian. Then I felt God drawing me, if it were Jesus, what would He have done? By walking by so hard-heartedly it just hardens that homeless man’s heart more toward mankind, the gospel. I don’t think Jesus would have gone by and done nothing, He was a man of action, and He would have done something.
Moreover my quiet time this morning was from “drawing near” written by John Bevere (he’s an awesome author, so Spirit led) this book was talking about Christians who do not know truly what the term “worship” means. It is not a quiet song, singing songs to God or appearing ‘Christian-like’…God says that is fake and we are trying to draw near to Him on the basis of our goodness, rather than accepting His mercy toward us which we are unable to earn ourselves. (verse)
It was talking about Christians who sing praises, and lift their arms and however that is not pleasing to God if the lifestyle reeks of sin. God is disgusted by worship that is not according to his instruction in the Word.
As I was walking to Laguna, God began to convict me of His Word. You see, when one has encountered, has tasted God one cannot deny it.
“If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?” -1John 3:17, New Living Translation
“Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.” – 1 John 3:18
For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.
And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’
Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’
And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’ -Matthew 25:34-45, abridged version
Here was me, the well-fed International student how could I walk past the homeless man with a hardened heart? Jesus specifically cautions against hardening heart… I couldn’t jump, shout and cheer in church with a clear conscience if I did not put my faith into action, in this case meant talking to this man like any other, and giving him food to eat, from the budget I had.
In laguna I got him some gummy’s (everyone likes to feel like a child again) and paid for the groceries I got. I was still 30 mins early to meet A. Went back, and God gave me the peace and confidence to go up to Him, ask how he was and say I got something for him from the supermart. I gave him 5 dollars.
I know some might say he deserves the place in society, he’s just lazy and not working. Well I used to think that way till God changed my mindset. We don’t deserve anything He did for us either… we are all sinners… if I don’t take this chance to reach out to him, will I ever get to again? Well he appreciated the chocolate biscuits very much and had a conversation about his day, which was “not too bad”, and my studies in university. When he shook my hand, murmuring “God bless you” and looked straight in my eyes…
Homeless people on the streets are just like you in God’s eyes.
Everyone has a facade on the outside; “don’t talk to me”, or harsh, “I don’t care”, but inside they are all broken. It takes someone different to reach beyond that facade and say “Hey I love you because Jesus died for my sins and I am set free, because He loves me.” =) People desperately need God. People are just like that without God, becacuse we are created to be made complete in God. It’s that simple. Without God, man is incomplete.
This verse also convicts me.
“If there is a poor man among you, one of your brothers, in any of the towns of the land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand to your poor brother; but you shall freely open your hand to him, and generously lend him sufficient for his need in whatever he lacks.” -Deut 15:17
How could I walk away and say I am worthy to come into God’s presence? And expect Him to draw near to me, and bless me? If I cannot clothe the brother in need?
Everyone wants the same things as we are human. I am so glad that God put me up to this. And I am able to see man in the way He sees them, which is full of potential and in the image of their maker. Don’t see people for what they are now, but what they can become.
http://www.zompist.com/meetthepoor.html This is an excellent site to visit on God’s words on the poor, btw.
I do this because out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. It is written in Matthew 12:34.
And another noteworthy thing is what Ps Matt said, which I think is so true: A misconception is that SIN means you are a bad person; it doesn’t mean you are a bad person, SIN means seperated from God. Sincerely, God doesn’t hate sinners, He cannot be together with them because Sin is bad and God is good, bad and good cannot exist together.
But God sent Jesus who put to death sin by His death on the cross, and we are now able to fellowship with God if we accept His Son as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins.
I had an excellent lunch & exercise. The salad-pasta thingy in Flinders lane is really quite yummy. Then A and I went around city looking for converse shoes (ai, someone is more concerned about how he looks eh! :p) to buy an ink cartridge and ran…a lot. Actually was good, hadn’t exercised in a.g.e.s. It is awesome to hear of the good works God is performing in OCF and had inspired conversation. God restored my faith in men-kind through occurrences today. I am just so excited, inspired to see what Jesus has in store for my life.
Had to make phone calls today, 1 was an extremely difficult one, 2 were ookay. What happens determines how right my heart is with God. But He’s stretching me in such ways. I am being challenged everyday. My character is being moulded… I love u Lord… sincerely…
Tonight will I have a jam-packed schedule of reading for issues in linguistics class, reading for literature review, reading for research methods assignment, reading, reading, reading, reeeedin, reedinng… redddding..
J I recieved the belated birthday Corrine May CD – listening to it now, thanks!! Love it! =) It made my day to recieve a package from Singapore…
