JNM * daily devotional
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] daily devotional Morning ... 2 Corinthians 7:6 God, that comforteth those that are cast down. And who comforteth like Him? Go to some poor, melancholy, distressed child of God; tell him sweet promises, and whisper in his ear choice words of comfort; he is like the deaf adder, he listens not to the voice of the charmer, charm he never so wisely. He is drinking gall and wormwood, and comfort him as you may, it will be only a note or two of mournful resignation that you will get from him; you will bring forth no psalms of praise, no hallelujahs, no joyful sonnets. But let God come to His child, let Him lift up his countenance, and the mourner's eyes glisten with hope. Do you not hear him sing- 'Tis paradise, if thou art here; If thou depart, 'tis hell? You could not have cheered him: but the Lord has done it; He is the God of all comfort. There is no balm in Gilead, but there is balm in God. There is no physician among the creatures, but the Creator is Jehovah-rophi. It is marvellous how one sweet word of God will make whole songs for Christians. One word of God is like a piece of gold, and the Christian is the goldbeater, and can hammer that promise out for whole weeks. So, then, poor Christian, thou needest not sit down in despair. Go to the Comforter, and ask Him to give thee consolation. Thou art a poor dry well. You have heard it said, that when a pump is dry, you must pour water down it first of all, and then you will get water, and so, Christian, when thou art dry, go to God, ask Him to shed abroad His joy in thy heart, and then thy joy shall be full. Do not go to earthly acquaintances, for you will find them Job's comforters after all; but go first and foremost to thy God, that comforteth those that are cast down, and you will soon say, In the multitude of my thoughts within me Thy comforts delight my soul. 1 Corinthians 13:13 (13) And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. Here, Paul lists hope as one of the big three virtues of Christianity. Whereas faith is the foundation on which the other two stand, and love is the object because it enables us to communicate, interact properly, and unite, hope is the quality that motivates, providing energy by keeping us in anticipation of greater and better things to come. Hope, as used in Scripture, is not difficult to define. It appears as both a noun and verb, and conveys the absolute certainty of future good. I Corinthians 13:13 lists it with those things that remain, abide, or continue. In other words, even in the Kingdom of God, we will always be eagerly looking forward to some blessing or accomplishment as age upon age unfolds before us. This will occur because God's revelation never ends, as He Himself is an inexhaustible resource. Ephesians 2:12 adds another dimension to Christian hope. . . . that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. Our hope is uniquely Christian because no other religion, no other way of life, can give its adherents a certain hope. Why? First, even though other religions may be moral in their teachings, they speak only from man's experiences. Second, their god is not living the life of God. Third, they have no expectation of the Messiah and all it implies. The Bible leaves no doubt that our hope is a direct result of God's calling: There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling ( Ephesians 4:4). Paul clearly links our hope with our calling, which is God's summons into His presence so that we may have a relationship with Him. In the context of the first paragraph of Ephesians 4, the implication is that this hope is a factor that unites us into one body. Our calling is an end to pessimism, negativity, and despair and the beginning of a confident, bright, and optimistic life filled with endless possibilities because this unique hope gives positive expectancy to life here and now and beyond the grave as well. All men have hope occasionally, and some frequently seem hopeful. Many peoples' hope changes as often as the weather. The frequent fluctuations of the stock market indices often indicate investors' up-and-down confidence and hope about the future. Yet, our hope can be taken to higher level altogether because Christians can have continuous hope. Our hope is not a mere flash in the pan. John W. Ritenbaugh From The Elements of Motivation (Part Three): Hope Amos 3:1-2 (1) Hear this word that the LORD hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying, (2) You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities. This statement of relationship is vital to Babylon's end-time identification. Only Israel of
JNM * Menerima Roh Kudus; Ketuhanan Yesus; Yohanes 15:7-8 Karya Roh Kudus
From: Dewi Kriswanti MENERIMA ROH KUDUS Bacaan : Yohanes 20:19-23 Dan sesudah berkata demikian, Ia menghembusi mereka dan berkata: Terimalah Roh Kudus. (Yohanes 20:22) Yesus bukanlah mengutus pengikut tetapi Dia mengutus murid. Alkitab berkata, jadikan semua bangsa murid-Ku. Kekristenan itu mencari murid. Sebagai murid, berarti kita sudah tahu persis apa yang menjadi tugas dan kewajiban. Sementara Yesus mengerti akan kebutuhan murid-muridNya, dan sebelum Dia naik ke Sorga, Yesus memberikan kepada mereka Roh Kudus. Apa arti menerima Roh Kudus : 1. Menerima Roh Kudus adalah kebutuhan mutlak bagi setiap murid Yesus. Ada banyak orang mengikut Yesus tetapi dia masih tinggal dalam dosanya. Ada banyak bilangan orang yang mau ikut Yesus sejauh Yesus dapat berkati dia, sejauh Yesus mau tolong dia, tetapi apa yang terjadi dia tidak mau hidup dalam kehendak Tuhan. Itulah sebabnya kita harus mengingat kembali bahwa menerima Roh Kudus adalah kebutuhan mutlak bagi setiap murid. 2. Menerima Roh Kudus dan menerima Yesus adalah dua pengalaman yang berbeda. Seringkali Roh Kudus ada dalam diri kita tetapi kita tidak biarkan diri kita dipimpin oleh Roh Kudus. Inilah yang disebut bahwa menerima Roh Kudus dan menerima Kristus adalah dua pengalaman yang berbeda. Ada banyak orang berhenti hanya pada satu pengalaman saja, dan menganggap menerima Roh Kudus dan menerima Yesus itu satu pengalaman yang sama. Waktu kita menerima baptisan itu sebagai tanda pertobatan kita menerima Kristus dan setelah kita berjalan didalam pertobatan kita perlu seorang penolong yang akan menuntun sepanjang jalan kehidupan kita. Oleh sebab itu, kita perlu menerima Roh Kudus untuk menuntun dan membimbing kita. 3. Menerima Roh Kudus adalah awal memasuki kehidupan ilahi. Sewaktu kita menerima Roh Kudus kita akan memahami hukum-hukum yang lain. Ada 2 hukum, hukum daging dan hukum Roh. Setelah kita menerima Roh Kudus kita memiliki ciri yang lain lihat Galatia 5:16. Kita ada dibawah hukum Roh bukan hukum daging. Kehidupan kita akan senantiasa membuahkan buah-buah Roh. Karena dari buah-buah Roh itulah akan nyata kehidupan kita. Karena orang percaya hidup dan dikenal dari buah-buahnyalah. MP Doa: Yesus Kristus yang menjadi Tuhan dan Tuhan kami, terima kasih atas Roh Kudus-Mu yang telah Engkau berikan kepada kami. Amin! MENERIMA ROH KUDUS ADALAH KEBUTUHAN MUTLAK BAGI SETIAP ORANG PERCAYA === From: Wiempy KETUHANAN YESUS KRISTUS Yesus Kristus yg selama ini kita kenal merupakan Tuhan dan Juruselamat yg datang ke dunia ini diutus oleh Bapa di surga, yg mendasarkan segala apa yg diperbuat dan yg dikatakannya menurut arahan Bapa yg mengutus-Nya. Kata2 yg diucapkan oleh Yesus sungguh bermakna dan meresap ke dlm hati org2 percaya melalui iman. Yesus itu merupakan perwujudan dari Roh Tuhan yg menjadi manusia, lewat perantaraan kandungan Maria. Yesus begitu perkasa membuktikan bahwa Dia itu kekal dgn mengalahkan kematian, dan bangkit kembali dari kematian. Hanya Yesus saja yg mampu berbuat demikian. Lalu naik ke surga, diam di tahta surgawi sampai tiba saatnya akhir jaman nanti akan menyatakan diri-Nya. Tuhan Yesus menginginkan kita semua bersandar kepada-Nya sbg sumber kekuatan sejati. Yesus Kristus adalah Tuhan itu sendiri karena Dia mempunyai sifat2 ketuhanan. Yesus itu kekal (Yesaya 9 : 6), Yesus memiliki kemuliaan dgn Tuhan sebelum dunia dijadikan (Yohanes 17 : 5). Yesus sangat berkuasa dlm kehidupan org2 Kristiani karena Yesus telah membayar secara tuntas semua dosa2 kita dgn kematian-Nya di kayu salib. Jika kita percaya dlm hati bahwa Yesus itu adalah Tuhan, maka kita akan diselamatkan. Mari kita buka Roma 10 ayat 9 yg menulis demikian: Sebab jika kamu mengaku dgn mulutmu, bahwa Yesus adalah Tuhan, dan percaya dlm hatimu, bahwa Tuhan telah membangkitkan Dia dari antara org mati, maka kamu akan diselamatkan Kita semua harus menyadari bahwa Tuhan Yesus itu adalah Tuhan, hal ini jelas tertulis dlm 1 Korintus 8 ayat 6 yg menulis demikian: Namun bagi kita hanya ada satu Tuhan saja, yaitu Bapa, yg dari pada-Nya berasal segala sesuatu dan yg untuk Dia kita hidup, dan satu Tuhan saja, yaitu Yesus Kristus, yg oleh-Nya segala sesuatu telah dijadikan dan yg karena Dia kita hidup Yesus sendiri menyatakan bahwa diri-Nya adalah Tuhan, berikut ini beberapa pernyataan-Nya: A. Yesus menyatakan diri-Nya kekal (Yesaya 9 : 6) B. Yesus menyatakan diri-Nya serupa dgn Tuhan (Yohanes 10 : 30) C. Yesus menyatakan diri-Nya bebas dari dosa (Yohanes 8 : 46) D. Yesus menyatakan diri-Nya jalan satu2nya menuju Tuhan (Yohanes 8 : 24 ; Yohanes 14 : 6) E. Yesus menyatakan diri-Nya berkuasa mengampuni dosa (Markus 2 : 5-10) F. Yesus menyatakan diri-Nya berkuasa meramalkan hal-hal yang akan terjadi di kemudian hari (Yohanes 14 : 29) G. Yesus menyatakan diri-Nya sanggup menaklukkan maut, dan berkuasa membangkitkan (Yohanes 11 : 25 ; 6 : 47,51) H. Yesus menyatakan diri-Nya berkuasa untuk menghakimi
JNM * Gods Work Ministry E-Mail
From: Dwayne Savaya [EMAIL PROTECTED] Gods Work Ministry Inspirational and Encouragement E-Mail Dear Friend, It is important for us to stand firm in the difficult times of life and know that the storms will soon pass and calm will be restored. We must remember the goodness of God and see that He has not left our side, but will be there to strengthen us and place our feet on His solid ground. Trust the Lord in every area of your life and confess with your mouth that all will be well. Just as the Lord has delivered you in the past, He will do it again and show you His infinite strength. Be encouraged to praise God for the love that He offers which is immeasurable. (Ephesians 6:10-18) I hope today's message inspires your heart to see that the storms of life will soon pass away and will be restored with the peace of God which passes all understanding. LIFE IS A BAG OF FROZEN PEAS A few weeks after my first wife, Georgia, was called to heaven, I was cooking dinner for my son and myself. For a vegetable, I decided on frozen peas. As I was cutting open the bag, it slipped from my hands and crashed to the floor. The peas, like marbles, rolled everywhere. I tried to use a broom, but with each swipe the peas rolled across the kitchen, bounced off the wall on the other side and rolled in another direction. My mental state at the time was fragile. Losing a spouse is an unbearable pain. I got on my hands and knees and pulled them into a pile to dispose of. I was half laughing and half crying as I collected them. I could see the humor in what happened, but it doesn't take much for a person dealing with grief to break down. For the next week, every time I was in the kitchen, I would find a pea that had escaped my first cleanup. In a corner, behind a table leg, in the frays at the end of a mat, or hidden under a heater, they kept turning up. Eight months later I pulled out the refrigerator to clean, and found a dozen or so petrified peas hidden underneath. At the time I found those few remaining peas, I was in a new relationship with a wonderful woman I met in a widow/widower support group. After we married, I was reminded of those peas under the refrigerator. I realized my life had been like that bag of frozen peas. It had shattered. My wife was gone. I was in a new city with a busy job and a son having trouble adjusting to his new surroundings and the loss of his mother. I was a wreck. I was a bag of spilled, frozen peas. My life had come apart and scattered. When life gets you down; when everything you know comes apart; when you think you can never get through the tough times, remember, it is just a bag of scattered, frozen peas. The peas can be collected and life will move on. You will find all the peas. First the easy peas come together in a pile. You pick them up and start to move on. Later you will find the bigger and harder to find peas. When you pull all the peas together, life will be whole again. The life you know can be scattered at any time. You will move on, but how fast you collect your peas depends on you. Will you keep scattering them around with a broom, or will you pick them up one-by-one and put your life back together? How will you collect your peas? By Michael T. Smith Read and meditate on these scriptures: Philippians 4:6-7 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Colossians 3:15-16 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Psalm 56:9-11 When I cry unto Thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me. In God will I praise His word: in the LORD will I praise His word. In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me. Proverbs 6:20-23 My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck. When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee. For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life. All of these scriptures can be found in the King James Version Bible. Today's Selected Poem: MESSAGES TO REMEMBER Click here to read --- http://www.Godswork.org/inpoem110.htm Today's Selected Testimony: GOD HAS A PLAN Click here to read --- http://www.Godswork.org/testimony169.htm = From: Dwayne Savaya [EMAIL PROTECTED] Gods Work Ministry Inspirational and Encouragement E-Mail Dear Friend, With the short time
JNM * Renungan Pagi, Kamis 22 Februari 2007
From: Yollie Wauran Renungan Pagi, Kamis 22 Februari 2007 Maka Yefta ikut dengan para tua-tua Gilead, lalu bangsa itu mengangkat dia menjadi kepala dan panglima mereka. Tetapi Yefta membawa seluruh perkaranya itu ke hadapan TUHAN, di Mizpa. ( Hak 11:11 ) Mungkin . Saat ini . Kita dipercaya untuk memimpin ... Mungkin . Saat ini .. Banyak perkara dipercayakan pada kita .. Namun .. Kapan terakhir kali . Kita libatkan Dia . ? Kapan terakhir kali . Kita bawa perkara kita pada-Nya . ? == Hal ini kutuliskan bukan untuk memalukan kamu, tetapi untuk menegor kamu sebagai anak-anakku yang kukasihi. ( 1 Korintus 4:14 ) Mengapa kadang .. Kita tak bisa tulus dalam menegor . ? Mengapa kadang . Terselip satu dua keinginan lain di dalamnya . ? Mengapa kadang . Kita tak bisa bedakan ... Antara menegor dan marah . ? Mengapa kadang .. Kita kehilangan tujuan mula-mula .. ? Bukan lagi supaya mereka berbalik dari kesalahannya .. Namun . Supaya mereka malu .. ? Adakah kita sedang menegor . ? Adakah kita sedang memberi nasehat .. ? Ataukah . Sedang mempermalukan . ? === Bersorak-sorailah, hai orang-orang benar, dalam TUHAN! Sebab memuji-muji itu layak bagi orang-orang jujur. ( Mazmur 33:1 ) Mari kita renungkan pagi ini . Adakah kita ini . Termasuk di antara orang-orang jujur . ? Termasuk di antara . Mereka yang bersorak-sorai .. ? Termasuk di antara . Mereka yang layak memuji Tuhan .. ? Adakah kejujuran . Dalam rumah tangga kita . ? Adakah kejujuran . Dalam pekerjaan kita . ? Atau . Kita sedang disibukkan .. Menutup kebohongan .. Dengan kebohongan . ? Setiap ranting pada-Ku yang tidak berbuah, dipotong-Nya dan setiap ranting yang berbuah, dibersihkan-Nya, supaya ia lebih banyak berbuah. ( Joh 15:2 ) Adakah . Kata dipotong-Nya . Masih menggetarkan hati kita . ? Masih membuat hati kita gentar . ? Gemetar .. ? Adakah firman itu bagi kita .. Masih merupakan peringatan yang keras . ? Atau . Jangankan menggetarkan .. Menyentuh hati pun tidak . ? Masihkah kita bisa rasakan .. Kapan Tuhan marah pada kita . ? Atau .. Kita sudah tidak menggubris-Nya sama sekali .. ? Mungkin pagi ini . Ada baiknya kita mengingat . Bahwa Tuhan . Tidak pernah main-main dengan firman-Nya .. Kalau Dia katakan dipotong-Nya . Maka artinya juga dipotong-Nya .. Setiap orang yang mendengar perkataan-Ku ini dan melakukannya, ia sama dengan orang yang bijaksana, yang mendirikan rumahnya di atas batu. Kemudian turunlah hujan dan datanglah banjir, lalu angin melanda rumah itu, tetapi rumah itu tidak rubuh sebab didirikan di atas batu. ( Matius 7:24-25 ) Melakukan firman Tuhan . Bukan jaminan tanpa hujan dan banjir . Mungkin saat ini pun . Hujan dan banjir juga menerpa hidup kita .. Dan . Inilah saatnya .. Kita melihat .. Adakah kita seperti orang yang bijaksana .. Yang mendirikan rumahnya di atas batu . ? == Siapa memalingkan telinganya untuk tidak mendengarkan hukum, juga doanya adalah kekejian. ( Amsal 28:9 ) Adakah kita lakukan itu . ? Adakah kita tidak mendengarkan hukum . ? Adakah kita tidak dengar firman . ? Mungkin kita dengar .. Karena telinga tidak dibatasi .. Tidak perlu diarahkan .. Mungkin kita dengar ... Bahkan lebih dari satu kali .. Bahkan boleh dikata sering ... Tetapi .. Bila kita hanya sebatas dengar .. Dan tidak melakukannya .. Tidakkah kita ... Sama dengan memalingkan telinga ... ? Hukum memang kita dengar .. Firman itu memang kita dengar .. Namun . Adakah kita mau dituntun dan diubah olehnya .. ? Adakah doa kita selama ini . Bukan termasuk kekejian .. ? Adakah kita layak .. Menunggu jawaban doa kita .. ? = Aku bersyukur kepada-Mu oleh karena kejadianku dahsyat dan ajaib; ajaib apa yang Kaubuat, dan jiwaku benar-benar menyadarinya. ( Mazmur 139:14 ) Ya . Hanya bila kita menyadarinya . Hanya bila jiwa kita menyadarinya .. Bahwa kejadian kita ajaib . Bahwa kejadian kita dahsyat . Bahwa kita istimewa di mata-Nya .. Maka . Kita tahu . Apa yang kita lakukan atas tubuh kita . Kita tahu .. Apa yang kita lakukan .. Untuk mengisi hidup kita . Dan . Ucapan syukur itu . Akan mengalir tulus .. Keluar dari diri kita . Jadi . Sudahkah jiwa kita . Benar-benar menyadari . Betapa dahsyat dan ajaibnya kejadian kita . ? == Maka datanglah seorang perempuan Kanaan dari daerah itu dan
