Sermon on the Mount

So, looks like I am back after my break, physically and spiritually. Just seeing everyone again in one accord got me into high spirit.

Stuffy, hot and crowded was our room today as there were 28 of us in that tiny room. Anymore and we will have to think of creating an overflow outside our door.

Today's topic was on Matthew 5: The sermon on the mount.

Pastor preached on this topic around 2 months ago, I have to say that this is my favorite part of the bible as I have read it over and over again to try to commit the whole thing to memory when I was in Japan since I was there for almost half a year and did not have access to a church. All I had was a few books. One was by Bill Gothard and the whole book was all about the sermon on the mount. By the time I finished my stay in Japan, I had memorised the whole of chapter 5 and was starting on 6. It was something about isolation and the lack of disturbances that brought me really close to God during that 6 months. I always recited what I memorised on the way home when I went out. Back in Malaysia, it all got really noisy and busy. I was really upset since I have now forgotten chapter 5.

We also discussed about how 'fit' we were and what our greatest challenge will be. According to the bible our greatest challenge is the sermon on the mount Matthew Chapter 5 to 7. I had read this through many times but it is difficult to understand what it really means. I was flipping through the bible after seeing a verse - Acts 8:26-40, which was when Phillip was sent to meet a man who was travelling from Ethiopia. This man was a treasurer of a queen in Ethiopia, he was reading the book of Isaiah which described of Jesus, so Phillip was sent to meet the man and to teach him who Jesus is.

This was familiar and makes sense since we all need help understanding the bible. God also goes through great measures to save even that one person, so our prayers for friends and families goes a great way.

After discussing about the first 6 verses of Matthew chapter 5. I came to realise that these few days might actually be God's way of bending me towards him.

The 1st teaching was about those who are poor in spirit. At first we were all puzzling over what that meant but it was about humbling one's self and to acknowledge that we were all sinners and do not deserve anything. The second was about those who mourn.

Personally I felt that these 2 were really important for me at that moment, and for me to realise it.

The discussion also led me to see how God has transformed us in ways that cannot be explained. I am usually very oblivious to my surroundings, but today, the change was so noticeable that even I could see it. How great is our Lord...

I also feel like a hypocript as I say all these things but rarely put it in effect in my own life, so I just want to say that this is just my feelings that I want to share, like a testimony, so yea...