Belajar Mengasihi .. Jimmy Padede

Pernikahan dipakai Allah untuk membentuk kasih. Di dalam pernikahan kita dilatih untuk mengekspresikan kasih dengan benar. Kadang kita mempunyai kebiasaan untuk menyatakan diri dengan seenaknya. Apa yang saya rasakan, itulah yang saya bagikan, atau apa yang saya pikirkan, itu yang saya keluarkan.

Itu bukan cara Alkitab. Alkitab tidak mengajarkan kita untuk mengabaikan respons orang lain. Perlu kebijaksanaan untuk memiliki ketepatan, baik di dalam memberi teguran untuk kembali kepada Tuhan, atau di dalam memberi kekuatan untuk setia ikut Tuhan.

Tetapi mungkin ada yang berkata, "kalau saya punya cinta kasih , baru saya bisa mengekspresikannya. Tetapi kalau tidak ada bagaimana mungkin saya lakukan?" tidak ada hati, maka tidak ada tindakan.

Sebelum lanjut mari kita bertanya, apakah hati dan tindakan dua hal yang terpisah? Bukankah hati dan tindakan adalah bagian dari diri? Mana yang lebih utama? Hati? Atau tindakan?

Apa yang Alkitab katakan tentang kasih? Kasih adalah tindakan yang membuat diri menjadi sesama manusia bagi orang lain. Ingat kisah orang Samaria yang baik hati? Apakah dia mengasihi? Ya. Karena apa? Karena hati? Bukan. Karena tindakan.

Wah, tindakan yang tidak datang dari hati itu munafik. Pura-pura! Benarkah? Tidak? Tindakan kasih akan selalu mempengaruhi hati! Orang munafik adalah orang yang pura-pura mengasihi tetapi bermaksud jahat.

Jadi, tindakan kasih yang terus menerus dilakukan akan berdampak besar kepada hati. Belajar mematikan ego, mematikan sifat kekanak-kanakan.

Let Your Service is for God.. Jeremiah 38

Judah's leader persecuted Jeremiah repeatledly for faithfully proclaiming God's messages. For 40 years of faithful ministry, he received no acclaim, no love, no popular following. He was beaten, jailed, threatened, and even forced to leave his homeland.

Only the pagan Babylonians showed him any respect. God does not guarantee that HIS servants will escape persecution, even when they are faithful. But God does promise that HE will be with them and will give them strength to endure. 

As you minister to others, recognize that your service for God and not just for human approval. God rewards our faithfulness, but not always during our lifetime.

Trust Does Not Come Easy.. Jeremiah 32

It wasnt easy for Jeremiah to publicly buy land already capture by the enemy. But he trusted God.

It wasnt easy for David to believe that he would become kingeven after he was anointed. But he trusted God.

It wasnt easy for Moses to believe that he and his people would escape Egypt, even after God spoke to him from a burning bush. But he trusted God.

It isnt easy for us to believe that God can fulfill HIS "impossible" promises either, but we must trust HIM. God, who worked in the lives of biblical heroes, will work in our lives, too, if we will let HIM.

Run and Hide or Call on God.. Jer 11

To Jeremiah's surprice, the people of Anathoth, his hometown, were plotting to kill him. They wanted to silence Jeremiah's message for several reasons;

1) economic--his condemnation of idol worship would hurt the business of the idol makers;

2) religious--the message of doom and gloom made the people feel depressed and guilty;

3) political--he openly rebuked their hypocritical politics and;

4) personal--the people hated him for showing them that they were wrong.

Jeremiah had two options : run and hide, or call on God. Jeremiah called, and God answered. Like Jeremiah, we can either run and hide when we face opposition because of our faithfulness to God, or we can call on God for help. Hiding compromises our message, calling on God lets HIM reinforce it

God's Chosen Servant .. isa 53

How could an Old Testament person understand the idea of Christ dying for our sins--actually bearing the punishment that we deserved? But God has pulling aside the curtain of time to let people of Isaiah's day look ahead to the suffering of the future Messiah and that resulting forgiveness made availabe to all people.

We have the hindsight to see and know the identity of the promised Messiah, who has come and died for our sins. But if we know all that Jesus did and still reject HIM, our sin is much greater than that of the ancient Israelites.

Have you given your life to Jesus Christ, the good shepherd, or are you still going your own way like a wandering sheep?

Here, the sinless servant of the Lord offers HIMself for our sins. HE is the lamb offered for the sins of all people.

The Messiah suffered for our sake, bearing our sins to make us acceptable to God. What can we say to such love? How will we respond ti HIM?

Today's Idolatry--Money Fame Power.. Isaiah 44

Isaiah tells us , "who but a fool would make his own god--an idol that cannot help him one bit?".

we think of idols as statues of wood or stone, but in reality idols is anything natural that is given sacred value and power.

If your answer to any of the following questions is anything or anyone other than God, you may need to check out who or what you are worshiping;

1) who created me?

2) whom do i ultimately trust?

3) whom do i look to for ultimate truth?

4) whom do i look for security and happiness?

5) who is in charge of my future?

Being Young--A Life Without God.. Ecc 12

A life without God can produce bitterness, loneliness, and hopelessness in old age. A life centered around God is fulfilling and can be richer and more bearable when we faced with disabilities, sickness, or handicaps.

Being young is exciting. But the excitement of youth can become a barrier to closeness with God if it makes young people focus on passing pleasures instead of eternal values. 

Make your strength available to God when it is stil yours--during your youthful years. Dont waste it on evil or meaningless activities that become bad habits and make you callous.. Seek God now.