Senin, 20 April 2020

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.

Rabu, 04 April 2018

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.

Senin, 19 Maret 2018

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.

Selasa, 13 Februari 2018

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

Jumat, 29 Desember 2017

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?

Jumat, 15 Desember 2017

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?

Jumat, 29 September 2017

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.

Senin, 25 September 2017

It Is All Decided by Chance--by Being in The Right Place at The Right Time.. Ecc 9

It isnt difficult to think of cases where the fastest and the strongest dont win, the wise are poor, and the skillful are unrewarded with wealth or honor. Some people see such examples and call life unfair, and they are right.
The world is finite , and sin has twisted life, making it what God did not intend. Solomon is trying to reduce our expectations. The book of Proverbs emphasized how life would go if everyone acted fairly; ecclesiastes explains what usually happens in our sinful and imperfect world.
We must keep our perspective. Dont let the inequities of life keep you from earnest, dedicated work. We serve God, not people.

Minggu, 24 September 2017

Prosperity is not always good--adversity is not always bad.. Ecc 6

Solomon shows that having the right attitude about God can help us deal with present injustices.
Prosperity is not always good, and adversity is not always bad. But God is always good; if we live as HE wants us to, we will be content.
Many people died without being able to enjoy his wealth and honor. Many people work hard to prolong life and improve their physical condition. Yet people spend little time or effort on their spiritual health. How shortsighted it is to work hard to extend this life and not take the time for eternity.

Minggu, 29 Januari 2017

Jealousy One Step Short of Murder.. 1Sam18

Saul's appreciation for David turned to jealousy as people began to applaud David's exploits. In a jealous rage, Saul attempted to murder David by hurling his spear at him. Jealousy may not seem to be a major sin, but in reality , it is one step short of murder. Jealousy start as you resent a rival, it leads you to your wishing he or she removed, then it manifest itself in your seeking ways to harm that person in word or action.
Beware of letting jealousy get a foothold in your life.

Jumat, 06 Januari 2017

What Made David Effective... 1Sam17

David was able to move faster than Goliath because David Carried no weapons or armor. David was expert marksman with a sling, and as he advanced on Goliath, he stayed out of range of Goliath's huge weapon. What made David effective, however, was more than his ability with a sling, it was his courage and his faith in God. To fight like David we need David's kind of fearlessness. David had grown strong in his confidence by trusting God when he had encountered wild animals while guarding his father's sheep.
When you face towering problems, recall how God has helped you in the past. Take heart because God goves you strength. Use the skills God has already given you and move forward.

Rabu, 21 Desember 2016

Kasih adalah Ujian Akhir dari Agama.. Billiy K,. Aku, Diriku dan Kebajikan

Kasih itu menerima. Salah satu kesulitan dalam kehidupan manusia adalah tidak bisa saling menerima mengapa? Karena kita selalu mendapati bahwa sesama kita memiliki kelemahan yang kita tidak suka, yang mengganggu kita. Namun, jangan lupa , kita pun memiliki kelemahan yang mengganggu orang lain. Orang yang hanya peka atas ketergangguaan pribaidnya saja sesungguhnya belum memiliki kedewasaan dalam kerohaniannya. Sebailknya mereka dapat menerima sesamanya bukan karena menyenangkan, namun karena kekuatan kasih Allah terlebih dahulu menerima dia.
Jika Allah saja menerima, masakan kita tidak menerima? Dan bukan hanya itu, kita sendiri juga diterima Allah bersama dengan segala kekurangan kita, mengapa kita tidak mau menerima orang lain dengan kekurangan mereka? Mereka yang sulit menerima sesamanya hanya menyatakan betapa dangkalnya pemahaman diri mereka tentang penerimaan Tuhan atas diri mereka sendiri.
Kasih mencapai kepenuhannya melalui pengampunan. Hanya kasih yang telah menjelajah ke hati yang terluka dapat disebut sebagai kasih yang sesungguhnya.
Yesus bukan hanya terluka, DIA bahkan mati di atas kayu salib. Di situ Allah menyatakan kasih NYA kepada kita, bukan karena kita hidup berbakti kepada NYA, melainkan dalam keadaan kita membunuh Yesus. Ya, dosa-dosa kita telah membunuh Yesus di atas kayu salib! Allah menyatakan kasihNYA kepada kita ketika kita masih berdosa. Inilah yang disebut dengan kasih pengampunan.
Kalau kita belum terluka, kasih kita belum teruji kedalaman serta keluasannya. Banyak orang mengasihi orang yang juga mengasihi dia sendiri. Bagi Alkitab, ini bukanlah gambaran orang percaya melainkan praktik orang kafir. Orang percaya menyatakan kasihnya ketika ia sanggup mengampuni orang yang bersalah kepadanya. Kuasa pengampunan mendekatkan kita dalam persekutuan dengan Yesus Kristus. Disitu kita menjadi satu dalam persekutuan penderitaan Kristus.
Akhirnya, Drummond mengatakan bahwa ujian akhir dari agama bukanlah keagamaan itu sendiri, melainkan kasih. Injil mengatakan bahwa bukan mereka yang berseru "Tuhan, Tuhan!" yang akan masuk kedalam kerajaan Surga, melainkan mereka yang melakukan kehendak Allah. Dan kehendak Allah adalah supaya kita hidup saling mengasihi satu kepada yang lain.
Sikap keagamaan bisa dipalsukan agama bahkan bisa menjauhkan kita dari tindakan mengasihi. Namun mereka yang memiliki kasi yang sejati , tidak mungkin tidak beragama. Karena kasih seperti itu hanya mungkin diperoleh melalui sumber yang lebih tinggi, yang didalam diri NYA telah dinyatakan tindakan kasih yang teragung sepanjang sejarah manusia: Allah mengorbankan Anak NYA sendiri untuk menebus dan membebaskan kita dari kuasa dosa dan kuasa diri.

Minggu, 18 Desember 2016

Dari Iman dan Memimpin Kepada Iman.. Billy K

Apakah ini berarti kita mulai dari iman natural menuju kepada iman yang supernatural? Atau iman sederhana menuju kepada iman yang semakin lama semakin dalam?
Calvin mengatakan bahwa ketika iman kita mengalami kemajuan, maka kebenaran Allah juga bertambah dalam diri kita dan kepemilikan kita atas kebenaran itu semakin diteguhkan.
Penekanan Calvin disini bukanlah pada iman kita yang semakin lama semakin besar, namun pada fakta objektif bahwa kebenaran Allah menjadi semakin nyata dalam hidup kita.
Kita perlu berhati hati dengan kecenderungan spiritualitas yang menekankan pentingnya iman dan akhirnya bukan membawa orang kepada pemahaman akan Allah yang semakin besar, melainkan iman yang semakin besar.
Corrie ten Boom mengatakan kita bukan membutuhkan iman yang besar, melainkan iman kepada Allah yang Mahabesar. Kita tidak dipanggil untuk melihat kepada Tuhan Yesus. Kita tidak beriman kepada iman itu sendiri melainkan beriman kepada Allah. 
Iman hanyalah alat anugerah. Instrumen, yang melaluinya kita melihat kemahabesaran Allah yang sedang bekerja melalui kita.
Iman adalah percaya atas kesetiaan Allah. Kesetiaan Allah akan mendorong kita untuk tetap beriman (tetap setia kepada Allah).

Billy K., Aku, Diriku, dan Kebajikan.

Senin, 12 Desember 2016

A Difference Perspective.. 1Sam17

What a difference perspective can make. Most of the onlookers saw only a giant. David, however, saw a mortal man defying almighty God. Goliath was a target too big to miss. He knew he would not be alone when he faced Goliath; God would fight with him. He looked at his situation from God's point of view. Who or what are the giants are you facing? Viewing impossible situations from God's point of view helps us put giant problems in perspective. Once we see clearly, we can fight more effectively.
Critism couldnt stop David. While the rest of the army stood aroung, he knew the importance of taking action. With God to fight for him, there wasno reason to wait. People may try to discourage you with negative comments or mockery, but continue to do what you know is right. By doing what is right, you will pleasing God, whose opinion matters most.

Jumat, 09 Desember 2016

Obedience is Better Than Sacrifice.. 1Sam15

Saul thought he had won a great victory over the amalekites, but God saw it as a great failure because Saul had disobey HIM and then lied to Samuel about the result of the battle. Saul may have thought his lie wouldnt be detected, or that he did was not wrong, Saul was deceiving himself.
Dishonest people soon begin to believe your own lies, you deceive yourself, you alienate yourself from God, and you lose credibility in all your relationships, in the long run, honesty wins out.
Obedience is better than sacrifice, was Samuel saying that sacrifice is unimportant?
No, he was urging Saul to look at his reasons for making the sacrifice itself. A sacrifice was a ritual transaction between a person and God that physically demonstrated a relationship between them. But if the person's heart was not trully repentant or if he did not trully love God, the sacrifice was a hollow ritual. Religious ceremonies or rituals are empty unless they are performed with an attitude of love and obedience.
Being religious (going to church, serving a committee, giving to charity) is not enough if we do not act out of devotion and obedience to God.

Selasa, 15 November 2016

When God Said He Was Sorry, Was He Made a Mistake?.. 1Sam15

When God said HE was sorry that HE had made Saul king, HE was saying HE had made a mistake? 
God's comment was an expression of sorrow, not an admission of error. An omniscient God cannot make a mistake; therefore, God did not change His mind. HE did, however, change HIS attitude toward Saul when Saul changed. Saul's heart no longer bellonged to God but to his own interest.
Saul thought he had won a great victory over the Amalekites, but God saw it as a great failure because Saul had disobeyed HIM and then lied to Samuel about the result of the battle. Saul may have thought his lie would not be detected, or that what he did was not wrong. Saul was deceiving himself.
Dishonest people soon, begin to believe the lies they construct aroung themselves. Then they lose the ability to tell the difference between truth and lies. By believing your own lies, you deceive yourself, you allienate yourself from God, and you lose credibility in all your relationships. In the long run, honesty wins out.

Senin, 07 November 2016

Why Sometimes Ungodly People Win Battles?.. 1Sam14

Why was Saul so successful right after he had disobeyed God and been told that his reign would end. Sometimes ungodly people win the battles. Victory is neither guaranteed nor limited to the righteous. God provides according to HIS will. God might have given Saul success for the sake of the people, not for Saul. HE may have left Saul on the throne for a while to utilize his military talents so that David, Israel's next king, could spend more time focusing on the nation's spiritual battles. Regardless of God's reasons for delaying Saul's demise, his reign ended exactly the way God had foretold. The timing of God's plans and promises id known only to HIM. Our task is to commit our ways to God and then trust HIM for the outcome.

Minggu, 06 November 2016

Courage to Admit a Mistake.. 1Sam14

After being King for several years, Saul finally built his first altar to God, but only as a last resort. Throughout Saul's reign he consistently approached God only after he had tried everything else. This was in sharp contrast to the priest, who suggested that God be consulted first. How much better if Saul had gone to God first, building an altar as his first official act as king. God is to great to be an afterthought. 
Saul made foolish vows because he was overly anxious to defeat the Philistines and wanted to give his soldiers an incentive to finish the batlle quickly. God never asked people to make vows, but if they did, HE expected them to keep them.
Saul had issued a ridiculous command and had driven his men to sin. But still he wouldnt back down even if he had to kill his son. When we make ridiculous statements, it is difficult to admit we are wrong. Sticking to the story, just to save face, only compounds the problem. It takes more courage to admit a mistake than to hold resolutely to an error.

Sabtu, 05 November 2016

God is never intimidate by the size or the complexity of a problem.. 1Sam14

Why would Jonathan go alone to attack the Philistines? Jonathan may have been weary of long, hopeless standoff in the battle; he trusted God to give the victory and wanted to act on that trust. He also knew that the number of Philistines was no problem for God. Perhaps he didnt tell his father about his mission because he thought Saul would not lethim go.
Jonathan and his armor bearer were not much of a force to attack the huge philistines army. But while everyone else was afraid and brave action of these two men with a tremendous victory.
Have you ever felt surrounded by the enemy or faced overwhelming odds? God is never intimidated by the size of the enemy or the complexity of a problem. With HIM, there are always enough resources you have to God, and rely upon you to victory.

Rabu, 02 November 2016

God uses delays to test our obedience and patience.. 1Sam13

Rather than waiting for a priest, Saul offered the sacrifice himself. This was againts God's laws. Under pressure from the approaching Philistines, he took matters into his own hands and disobeyed God. He was doing a good thing , but he did it in the wrong way. 
Like Saul, our true spiritual character is revealed under pressure. The methods we use to accomplish our goals are as important as the attainment of those goals.
It is difficult to trust God when you feel your resources slipping away. When Saul felt that the time was running out, he became impatient with God's timing. In thinking that the ritual was all he needed, he substituted the ritual for faith in God. 
When faced with a difficult decision, dont allow impatience to drive you to disobey God. When you know what God's wants, follow HIS plan regardless of the consequences. God often uses delays to test our obedience and patience.
Saul had plenty of excuses for his disobedience. But Samuel zeroed in on the real issue. "you have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you". Like Saul, we often gloss over our mistakes and sins, trying to justify our actions because of our 'special' circumstances. Our excuses, however, are nothing more than disobedience. 
God knows our true motive, HE forgives, restores, and blesses only when we are honest about our sins. By trying to hide his sins behind excuses, Saul lost his kingship.