Money matters, encouraging others and how Jesus changes our hearts

Monday, 11:00am – Mandaluyong, Philippines
Yesterday was insightful and such a blessed day as always and always will be. God’s message delivered in Sunday’s service was about money and Pastor Joey Bonifacio’s verses that he referenced and examples he used were clear and concise. Overall the message was that there are 2 aspects to money: (1) that it is good if it’s considered a slave for you, that you use it responsibly and (2) that it is bad if it becomes your master, where you end up lying, cheating and stealing for it, and that you turn or push yourself further away from God because of it. You can not serve two masters and when money is loved, there is a great conflict.
After service spent time with two brothers, Pooh and Louie. We headed to my buddy PJ’s DJ gig at Karport at the Fort for another Reggae/Dancehall/Dubplate night. A whole bunch of people were there, vendors selling clothes, people enjoying music and skateboarders doing demos. After that we went to a Gospel House event which was nice to see a whole bunch of people come together to a venue that played House music, both to praise God and to enjoy the company of other Christians.

Going home later that night, we stopped at Chow King for a snack and the topic came up in discussion about integrity and encouraging others based on our lives and love for Jesus. I mentioned to them that it’s important to me, that even in the smallest things, I push to change my heart for good and with Jesus’ help, so that small things that are bad do not turn into something greater. The example I chose was downloading mp3s illegally or buying DVDs that have been pirated from the local Tianggea or swap meet/street vendors. I expressed that these small things of not having integrity may lead to bigger things, maybe, it will lead to other bouts of trying to save money, cut corners, or bigger purchases where you know the items or products have been acquired illegally or from bad intentions.

The danger of this is two-fold: (1) it can effect your heart and lead you to do worse and worse things, pushing you away from God and leading you down a dark path of destruction of yourself and others and (2) that if you are a Christian trying to encourage other Christians or non-believers that are inquiring about God, if they do not see your life changed by knowing Jesus based on your actions or speech, how will they know that Jesus can change their lives?

The point here is not to “try” to do good things, the point is to look to God to change you. I feel guilty when I do bad things. This is the Holy Spirit telling you that there is something wrong with the situation that you need to fix. Guilt is good! It’s like pain, it’s an indicator that it’s something wrong for you. What God has shown to me is that I am to encourage others, to lift others up when they are down, and to spread the Gospel of salvation any chance I can get. If Jesus hasn’t changed my heart in all aspects of my life, if I don’t strive to achieve God’s standard on how He wants us to live, if I don’t obey His commands for us, then I can not do these things. We are not perfect as humans, but with God, He can change our lives. All I want now is of God and to seek goodness in everything.

My brother Rocky shared this chapter in the Bible with me before when he was sharing with me how husband and wives should be toward each other and how they should be with their children. I read further and found a verse that I have held close to my heart. It’s about encouraging others and setting an example. This was a letter from Paul to Titus, a man sent to Crete to organize and oversee churches there.

“Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.”
Titus 2:6-8

Reading further, I came across this:

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.”
Titus 2:11-14

I will be careful on what happens in this world that will effect and influence me to love this world. I will be careful to balance my life in seeking to know more about the life and death of Jesus and to know God so that I do not get burnt out and push myself away to be satisfied with things in this world. I will be careful on balancing my life by doing things of this world, so that I can enjoy fellowship with friends and Christians, but still hold Jesus close to my heart. I will look and pray to the Holy Spirit, to guide me and change my heart so all of it is good and of love, and that I can show that love back to God and to everyone I am connected with.

Posting pics and write-up laters of last Saturday’s ministry and outreach. So much to share of that day as well.