Kumpulan Renungan Kristen

[cute_charity]

Latihlah dirimu beribadah (1 Timotius 4:7)

Bacaan: 1 Timotius 4:1-11
Setahun: Yeremia 32–33; Ibrani 1

Ketika atlet Dean Karnazes menyelesaikan Maraton New York sejauh 42 kilometer pada bulan November 2006, hal itu menjadi tanda berakhirnya sebuah pertunjukan daya tahan tubuh yang hampir tidak mungkin terjadi. Karnazes telah mengikuti 50 lari maraton di 50 negara bagian dalam waktu 50 hari. Pertunjukan daya tahan ultra para atlet yang sangat langka ini mencakup: lari sejauh 563 kilometer tanpa henti, bersepeda gunung selama 24 jam tanpa henti, dan berenang menyeberangi Teluk San Francisco. Tingkat kebugaran tubuh semacam ini menuntut disiplin latihan yang harus dilakukan terus menerus.

Kebugaran rohani, demikian kata Paulus kepada Timotius, juga menuntut lebih daripada sekadar melakukan pendekatan yang santai untuk menjalani hidup yang menghormati Allah. Dalam budaya yang ditandai dengan pengajaran palsu dan disertai bentuk-bentuk ekstrem pemuasan dan penyangkalan diri, Paulus menulis, “Latihlah dirimu beribadah. Latihan badani terbatas gunanya, tetapi ibadah itu berguna dalam segala hal, karena mengandung janji, baik untuk hidup ini maupun untuk hidup yang akan datang” (1 Timotius 4:7,8).

Tubuh dan pikiran kita harus diarahkan kepada Allah serta disiapkan untuk melayani-Nya (Roma 12:1,2). Tujuannya bukan kehebatan rohani, melainkan ibadah, hidup yang menyukakan Tuhan. Mempelajari firman dengan giat, doa yang terfokus, dan disiplin tubuh menjadi bagian proses ini.

Seberapa baik latihan kita sangat menentukan seberapa baik kita menjalani arena kehidupan ini —DCM

LATIHAN YANG SESUAI KEHENDAK ALLAH
ADALAH KUNCI MENUJU KARAKTER YANG SALEH

1 Timotius 4:1-11
4:1 Tetapi Roh dengan tegas mengatakan bahwa di waktu-waktu kemudian, ada orang yang akan murtad lalu mengikuti roh-roh penyesat dan ajaran setan-setan
4:2 oleh tipu daya pendusta-pendusta yang hati nuraninya memakai cap mereka.
4:3 Mereka itu melarang orang kawin, melarang orang makan makanan yang diciptakan Allah supaya dengan pengucapan syukur dimakan oleh orang yang percaya dan yang telah mengenal kebenaran.
4:4 Karena semua yang diciptakan Allah itu baik dan suatupun tidak ada yang haram, jika diterima dengan ucapan syukur,
4:5 sebab semuanya itu dikuduskan oleh firman Allah dan oleh doa.
4:6 Dengan selalu mengingatkan hal-hal itu kepada saudara-saudara kita, engkau akan menjadi seorang pelayan Kristus Yesus yang baik, terdidik dalam soal-soal pokok iman kita dan dalam ajaran sehat yang telah kauikuti selama ini.
4:7 Tetapi jauhilah takhayul dan dongeng nenek-nenek tua. Latihlah dirimu beribadah.
4:8 Latihan badani terbatas gunanya, tetapi ibadah itu berguna dalam segala hal, karena mengandung janji, baik untuk hidup ini maupun untuk hidup yang akan datang.
4:9 Perkataan ini benar dan patut diterima sepenuhnya.
4:10 Itulah sebabnya kita berjerih payah dan berjuang, karena kita menaruh pengharapan kita kepada Allah yang hidup, Juruselamat semua manusia, terutama mereka yang percaya.
4:11 Beritakanlah dan ajarkanlah semuanya itu.

[cute_charity]

Since my father died on March 6 [2007], I have been looking through his papers. I found a small sheet with the following fifteen counsels, titled “Things I Have Learned.” He didn't make most of these up. Some of them go back to his college days when he was absorbing the pithy wisdom of Bob Jones Senior[1]. They have again confirmed the obvious: I owe my father more than I can ever remember. The comment after each one is mine.

Things I Have Learned...

1. The right road always leads to the right place; therefore, get on the right road and go as far as you can on it.


My father was totally persuaded that wrong means do not lead to right ends. Or, more positively, he was persuaded that living in the right way—that is, doing the right things—are means that inevitably lead to where God wants us to be. This is why he told me, when I asked about God’s leading in my life, “Son, keep the room clean where you are, and in God’s time, the door to the next room will open.”

2. There is only one thing to do about anything; that is the right thing. Do right.


This is what one might say to a person perplexed by a difficult situation whose outcome is unknown. The person might say, “I just don’t know what to do about this.” It is not useless to be told: Do the right thing. That may not tell you exactly which good thing to do, but it does clear the air and rule out a few dozen bad ideas.

3. Happiness is not found by looking for it. You stumble over happiness on the road to duty.


My, my, my. How was John Piper born from this? I would never say this. The main reason is that the Bible commands us to pursue our joy repeatedly. “Rejoice in the Lord, and again I say rejoice.” “Delight yourself in the Lord.” I think what he meant was: 1) Joy is always in something. Joy itself is not the something. So we seek joy in Christ. Not just joy in general. 2) When duty is hard and we do not feel joy in doing it, we should still do it, and pray that in the doing it the joy would be given. But what we need to make plain is that duty cannot be contrasted with joy, because joy is a biblical duty.

4. The door to success swings on the hinges of opposition.


Remarkably, this saying implies that opposition is not just a natural accompaniment or antecedent of success, but that it is a means by which the door opens. One can think of many biblical examples. The opposition of Joseph’s brothers opened the door to his leadership in Egypt. The taxing of the empire opened the door to getting the Messiah born in Bethlehem, not Nazareth, and thus fulfilling prophecy. The betrayal of Judas opened the door to the salvation of the world.

5. God in the right place in my life fixes every other relationship of life (Matthew 6:33).


I wonder if this was tucked away in my mind so that unknown to me it controlled my analogy of the solar system to our many-faceted lives. If God is the blazing center of the solar system of our lives, then all the planets will be held in their proper orbit. But if not, everything goes awry.

6. It is never right to get the right thing in the wrong way—like good grades, wealth, power, position. Don’t sacrifice your principles.


Again, he hammers away at don’t use bad means for good ends. Be a principled, not a pragmatic, person. O how we need to hear this today. Churches need to be principled, not endlessly adapting to culture. Persons need to make a promise and keep it no matter how much it hurts.

7. It is a sin to do less than your best. It is wrong to do [merely] well.


“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might” (Ecclesiastes 9:10). But be careful. Sometimes the “best” is a B+ sermon and spending time with your child. In other words, “best” always involves more decisions than the one you are making at the moment. That one means many other things are being left undone. So “best” is always the whole thing, not just the detail of the moment.

8. It is wrong to be yoked to one who refuses the yoke of Christ.


Don’t marry an unbeliever (1 Corinthians 7:39). Not all relationships with unbelievers are ruled out. Otherwise we could not obey Jesus’ command to love them and bless them. But “yoke” implies a connectedness that either governs where we go or constrains where they go. And you cannot constrain faith in Jesus. It is free.

9. The part of your character that is deficient is the part that needs attention.


This is the counterpoint to the advice: Go with your strengths. There is truth in both. Yes, be encouraged by every evidence of God’s grace in your life, and use your gifts and graces for his glory. But you will become smug and vain if you do not keep your deficiencies before you and work on them.

10. Don’t quit. Finish the job. God can’t use a quitter.


Warning: “He who endures to the end will be saved” (Mark 13:13). Promise: “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).

11. Anything you do that hinders your progress for God is wrong.


O how thankful I am that this was the dominant way my father pressed me to pursue my sanctification. He did not mainly impose lists of don’ts on me, though we had them. And they were clear. Mainly he said: Maximize your progress in knowing and serving God. That ruled out a hundred foolish behaviors, some bad and some uselessly innocent.

12. Beware of any society in which you feel compelled to put a bushel over your testimony.


This implies that you can go into a group of people who are evil if you are willing to open your mouth and take a stand for Jesus and righteousness. Nevertheless, 1 Corinthians 15:33 stands: “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company ruins good morals.’”

13. It isn’t enough to be good. Be good for something. The essence of Christianity is not a passionless purity.


This is what I have meant in talking about a merely avoidance ethic. Don’t just think of righteousness or holiness in terms of what you avoid, but what you do. As my father said in another place: Don’t be a don’ter; be a doer.

14. Positive living produces negative effect[s].


This is wise counsel that affirmation of the good always implies negation of the bad. If you think you can live your life without negating anything, you have lost touch with reality. “Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good” (Romans 12:9). You cannot love without hating what hurts the beloved.

15. Learn to be sweetly firm.


This was what he said to my mother over the phone when she was exasperated with her one disobedient son: Be sweet and firm. I think she succeeded.

With abiding and deep thankfulness for my father’s wisdom,

Pastor John

[cute_charity]

Playing the state lottery, and frequenting casinos, have become prominent pastimes for millions of Americans. More and more people are participating, in the hope of becoming millionaires. While there have been a few exceptions and isolated cases in American history, it is really only recently that gambling has come to be considered socially acceptable. Though times have arisen when gambling became more widespread, overall public sentiment has frowned upon the practice. Gambling generally has been illegal in our society, and the word “gamble” was a slang term of reproach. People in polite society, who held virtuous and moral convictions, viewed gambling as an unacceptable, inappropriate, even sinful vice. Those who engaged in such practices were seen as the degraded elements in society who served only to weaken social sensibilities.
When legalized gambling arrives in a new community, does it raise the moral standards of that community?

The first modern state lottery was established in New Hampshire in 1964, while Nevada legalized the nation’s first casino in 1931[1]. The extensive opportunity of gambling activities did not capture the American public’s attention until the 1970s and 1980s. Now, however, horse and dog racetracks and casinos have sprung up all over the country. Several state governments now sponsor lotteries, complete with massive advertising campaigns. In 1988, the Federal Indian Regulatory Act opened the door to widespread casino development throughout the country. By 1993, riverboat gambling had been established in six states, and land-based casinos were legalized in several additional states. Gambling has become normalized across the nation, and various gambling activities are legal in all states except Hawaii and Utah. In 1995, more than $500 billion was legally wagered in the United States—a dramatic increase from the estimated $17 billion wagered in 1979, less than two decades earlier[2].

In Matthew 7:15-20, Jesus Christ laid down a test by which every activity or philosophy could be assayed, and its true value assessed. He said, quite simply, that “every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.” Jesus’ statement was addressed specifically to false teachers, but it certainly can be applied to various philosophies and activities of life (such as gambling). What kind of fruit does gambling produce? When legalized gambling arrives in a new community, does it raise the moral standards of that community? Does it help to lessen the hardships of families in that community? Or, is the opposite the case? Does legalized gambling place a burden on the communities by an appreciable lowering of the moral standard and an increase in the financial burden for those who already are working with a poverty-level budget? Let’s take a walk down the gambling produce aisle and see what it has to offer.

The social effects of gambling have been substantial. Current data indicate that more than 80% of Americans participate in some form of gambling[1]. Johns Hopkins University researchers reported that the social cost of excessive gambling “ranks among the most expensive illnesses afflicting society, though it is among the least expensive to treat” [2]. In the late 1980s, the National Council on Compulsive Gambling estimated that between four and six million gamblers are suffering from an addictive disorder that threatens their lives and the lives of their loved ones[3]. Now, gambling researchers say that at least eight million Americans are compulsive gamblers, with one million of these being teenagers[4]. A survey of 500 Gamblers Anonymous members reported that 21% of the participants stated that they had never thought of suicide, 48% said they had thought about suicide, and 13% had attempted suicide[5]. According to the Charter Hospital of Las Vegas, the suicide rate among active gamblers (especially women) is the highest of all illnesses[6]. Would anyone classify a highly addictive activity that often results in the participant’s contemplation of (or attempt at) suicide as a beneficial fruit that is good for society? On the contrary, such can easily be recognized as a rotten fruit that would suggest that the activity itself is not above reproach.

Furthermore, experts have expressed alarm at the rising numbers of teenagers who are gambling. They refer to gambling as “the growing addiction,” and predict that it will cause teens more problems during the next decade than illegal drugs[7]. In the first ten days of the Texas Lottery, counselors operating the hotline of the Texas Council on Problem and Compulsive Gambling reported alarming stories about teenage gambling:

An 18-year-old employee of a convenience store called on the second day of the lottery reporting he had scratched off hundreds of tickets belonging to the store, saying, “I thought it was a sure thing I would win enough not only to pay the store for the cost of the tickets but would have a bunch left over.”

An affluent 16-year-old male from an upscale suburban neighborhood reported he had lost “a considerable sum of money” on the lottery. Realizing he was under the legal age to buy tickets, he had asked older friends to purchase tickets for him. He admitted to heavy gambling in school restrooms.

A father of a 19-year-old from a rural town in East Texas was distressed because his son was gambling on cards and dice and had spent his weekly paycheck on the lottery[8].

The director of the National Center for Pathological Gambling made this apropos observation: “You have state governments promoting lotteries. The message they’re conveying is that gambling is not a vice but a normal form of entertainment”[1]. Just the fact that there is a “National Center for Pathological Gambling” should clue every legislator into the fact that there is something wrong with this type of activity.

In 1957, Gamblers Anonymous was formed, and has since grown to more than 800 chapters in the U.S., and more than 1,400 meetings worldwide. The experts are comparing compulsive gambling to alcohol and drug addiction. The official position of Gamblers Anonymous is the promotion of abstinence from gambling as essential to a person’s recovery. As one might expect, their strongest and most active group is in Las Vegas.

David A. Korn, in an article titled “Expansion of Gambling in Canada: Implications for Health and Social Policy” in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, noted that gambling often affects the lower-income families more dramatically than those of higher income, due to the fact that lower-income families spend almost four times as much on gambling (in proportion to their income). Korn wrote: “These data suggest that gambling expenditures may be regarded as a voluntary regressive tax that has a proportionately greater impact on people with lower incomes.” He further noted: “Several populations are vulnerable to the impacts of gambling, in addition to lower socioeconomic groups. The cost to families in terms of dysfunctional relationships, violence and abuse, financial pressure, and disruption of growth and development of children can be great.” In concluding his article, Korn commented: “The rapid expansion of gambling represents a significant public health concern that challenges our values, quality of life and public priorities”[2].

What then, could one conclude from even a cursory glance at the “fruits” of gambling? Gambling is addictive, it preys on those with lower incomes, it dramatically affects teens, and it often leads to dysfunctional family relationships and abuse. Surely these would classify as “bad fruits.”

[cute_charity]

FROM A CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE

A dramatic change in the social order of American culture has taken place. As the moral fiber of American civilization deteriorates and biblical values are jettisoned, activities that once were perceived to be harmful to society are now becoming acceptable. Many people no longer care what God thinks or what the Bible teaches. Nevertheless, there is a God in heaven who has given His written Word. That revelation is designed to govern human behavior. One principle that runs throughout the Bible is that of stewardship. The Bible repeatedly and consistently paints the picture that God is the ultimate owner of all earthly possessions. The psalmist observed that the Lord owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10). James wrote that every good and perfect gift comes from God (James 1:17). Jesus referred to humans as stewards—those who are entrusted to take care of another’s property (Luke 12:42). And He declared that every person has the moral responsibility to be a faithful steward of the money that has been entrusted to him (Luke 16:10-11). Yet, each year people shell out billions of dollars gambling away the money that has been entrusted to them by God. Imagine the good, wholesome projects that could be supported annually by such enormous stores of cash—children could be fed, the Gospel could be preached, houses could be built, and the list goes on. Instead of such worthwhile projects, however, these billions of dollars are pumped into a system that leads to addiction and abuse. It would be difficult, indeed, to conclude that gambling is good stewardship of the money with which God has entrusted a person. In reality, to pour one’s money into a system that mathematically and statistically has been proven, time and again, to benefit the “house,” and take from the gambler, certainly would fall into the category of unfaithful stewardship. Concerning unfaithful stewardship, Christ said: “Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon [money or riches], who will commit to your trust the true riches” (Luke 16:11)? To stand before the throne of Christ, having squandered the money God entrusted to you on an idle and degenerative activity like gambling, would be a frightening thought indeed.

Furthermore, imagine the potential negative influence of a Christian who participates in gambling. For one thing, many people, who are not even affiliated with the Lord’s church, view gambling as a sinful vice that respectable people should avoid. Looking over the fruits of gambling, it is not difficult to see why they would think such. If they saw a Christian in a casino, or buying a lottery ticket, what would that do to their opinion of that individual and the congregation of the Lord’s body of which that individual is a member? Would it not drastically reduce the chances of that Christian having a positive impact on the one who saw him gambling? Certainly, the Christian is responsible for the image he or she portrays, and for how “those who are without” view his or her actions. Paul told Timothy, for example, that a bishop (elder) “must have a good testimony among those who are outside” the body of Christ (1 Timothy 3:7). If many people outside the Lord’s church view gambling as a morally reprehensible activity, and a Christian participates in that activity, he or she would have a difficult time explaining how such could be good for his or her reputation.

Furthermore, as Colossians 3:17 notes, “whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to god the Father through Him.” It is not enough for a person to ask, “What is wrong with an activity?” Instead, the question actually should be phrased: “What is right with this activity?” The burden of proof falls on each individual to show that what he is doing has a positive, encouraging effect on himself and on others. One would be hard pressed to find any evidence that would classify gambling as something that could be done “in the name of the Lord Jesus.” In fact, when Christ returns, what person would want the Lord to find him in a casino?

CONCLUSION

Gambling is first and foremost a moral issue. There was a time in American society when the majority of people considered such things as lewd dancing, drunkenness, cursing, and gambling to be wrong. Obviously, times, circumstances, and culture have changed. But God and His Word have not. His Word warns that those who do not respect His will, and who choose to live life according to fleshly desires, will spend eternity in the fires of hell (Revelation 21:8). A genuine Christian is the one who eliminates from daily life the vice and immorality that is characteristic of a society that continually desires to abandon God’s will. Instead of “going along” with such a society, he or she studies the Bible in order to learn how God would have people to live. Only then can one eagerly look forward to the joys of heaven.

[cute_charity]

God is happy when two Christians join their lives and commit themselves, and their marriage, to Him. Christianity, Christian life, and marriage all go together as priorities for two spiritual people who follow the Lord. Here are some suggestions to help you prioritize your Christianity and Christian life in marriage.

Christian Marriage Commitment #1: Commit to praying together

St. Paul exhorts us to "pray without ceasing." This of course applies to all of us as individuals, but it should also be a main concern of your Christian marriage. Your Christianity offers you access to the power of God, so harness that power and set up a protective prayer coverage around your Christian marriage.

Christian Marriage Commitment #2: Commit to personal growth

Christian life and marriage are dependent on each individual's pursuit of spiritual growth. The closer each of you comes to becoming who God has created you to be, the closer you'll move toward each other, and of course toward the Lord.

Christian Marriage Commitment #3: Commit to your emotional relationship
A Christian marriage is just like any relationship; it takes work to maintain it. Communication, trust, commitment, fidelity, respect: all of these are absolutely required to maintain emotional intimacy and to deepen the connection between you. Work hard at strengthening your emotional bond, and you'll reap rewards in the depth of your Christian marriage.

Christian Marriage Commitment #4: Commit to your sexual relationship
As a Christian married couple, your physical intimacy is a very important part of your relationship. God created you in such a way that you're each able to receive bodily pleasure from your mate, and to give it in return. So be generous with each other in this facet of your relationship, and know that God smiles on you as you deepen the physical connection within your Christian marriage.

Christian Marriage Commitment #5: Commit to having fun together
Maintain the joy in your Christian marriage by finding frequent opportunities to laugh together. To go on dates. To call each other with funny stories. To talk deeply about yourselves and further get to know each other as friends. The more you can enjoy your time together, the stronger the bonds between you will grow, allowing your spirits to join so that your Christian marriage can go places you wouldn't have dreamed possible.

[Gregory House]

mengingat ada masalah disini thread ini akan saya closed sementara
segera setelah ada penyelesaian untuk masalahnya akan saya buka kembali

dimohon untuk tidak mengepost renungan dulu dengan membuka thread baru

[cute_charity]

ini gua mo buat tuk artikel kristen...

[cute_charity]

Minggu ini saya punya kehormatan mengadakan pertemuan dengan Jackie, wanita 54 tahun yang keluar dari penjara pada Februari 2003. Dibebaskan dari penjara tanpa modal apapun kecuali baju yang ia pakai dan sejarah suram masalah kecanduan, Jackie cukup beruntung diundang untuk ikut acara makan siang suatu komunitas wanita Kristen. Dia meninggalkan tempat itu dengan dibekali modal 400$ untuk membeli satu mesin jahit.

Saat ini Jackie telah memiliki enam mesin jahit dan usaha yang berkembang pesat. Bekerja di apartemen yang ia sewa, Jackie telah membangun satu reputasi untuk pakaian dengan kualitas tinggi dan gorden cantik serta aksen kain pelapisnya yang indah. Saya menolong dia membentuk usahanya dengan menentukan harga yang tepat, menentukan pemasaran dan manajemen waktu produksi yang baik.

Jackie akan tayang di televisi bersama saya sebagai contoh seseorang yang memulai segala sesuatunya dengan kondisi yang tidak lazim dan kemudian berkembang penuh menjadi kehidupan yang berarti, termasuk kembali bergabung bersama keluarganya dan menjadi nenek yang dicintai.

Jackie dapat saja memakai semua alasan seperti yang biasa kita dengar : dia terlalu tua, terlalu hitam, terlalu tidak berpendidikan, terlalu miskin dan juga terpenjara. Namun ini adalah pernyataan Jackie pada saya ketika kami bertemu, dia mengatakan : "Pak, saya tidak mencari sedekah; saya mencari satu kesempatan".

Ini adalah suatu kerangka referensi diri yang menyegarkan. Daripada mengharapkan sistem tunjangan kesehatan, dukungan gereja, keberuntungan atau belas kasihan keluarga untuk menyelamatkan dirinya, Jackie membaca dan mencari peluang unik yang paling cocok dengan dirinya.

Segera setelah makan siang kaum wanita itu, Joanne istri saya memberikan Jackie satu kopian 48 Days to Creative Income. Saat ini halaman-halaman tulisan itu hampir usang karena berkali-kali prinsip yang ada di dalamnya Jackie baca dan pelajari. Saya percaya tulisan itu hanyalah bagian kecil bagi wanita yang memiliki konsep berpikir menolak semua kegagalan dan mengambil tanggung jawab secara pribadi untuk kondisinya sekarang dan masa depan yang berhak ia dapatkan.

Ingatlah bahwa kesempatan itu terus berjalan dan mencari siapapun yang akan menangkapnya. Saya tidak mencari sedekah.... saya mencari kesempatan.

[cute_charity]

Menghadapi kegagalan memang menyebalkan, gimana engga. kita baru saja mulai bermimpi indah untuk mencapai kesuksesan, eh tiba-tiba semuanya lenyap. Perasaan sedih dan kecewa kadang membuat kita merasa sepertinya dunia runtuh, Tapi apa iya sampai segitu?

Memang, kadang-kadang terasa berat untuk kita hadapi. Entah itu kegagalan dalam sekolah, keluarga, pekerjaan mau pun dalam urusan asmara. Kita perlu melihat persoalan ini dengan pikiran yang jernih sebab kalau di pikir ulang kegagalan itu merupakan hal yang biasa, yang mana setiap orang pasti pernah mengalaminya. Jadi kita bukanlah satu-satunya orang yang mengalaminya, yang membedakan hanyalah bagaimana cara kita memandang kegagalan tersebut.

Kita tidak selalu mengerti mengapa kegagalan itu harus kita alami. Tetapi Allah tahu mengapa kegagalan itu perlu. Allah mempunyai rencana untuk membantu kita mengatasi setiap kesulitan dan kegagalan. Tidak ada kegagalan yang tidak berarti dalam kehidupan orang percaya. Sebab melalui kegagalan-kegagalan itu, Allah mengajarkan kita untuk berjalan denganNya meraih keberhasilan yang lebih besar lagi.

Kegagalan merupakan salah satu jalan untuk menunjukkan betapa lemahnya kemampuan kita. Kegagalan memaksa kita untuk mengevaluasi kembali arah hidup kita. Kita dapat memilih untuk terus berputus asa dengan memusatkan perhatian kita pada masalah-masalah yang kita hadapi sekarang atau kita dapat memilih untuk tetap berharap dan memiliki iman serta percaya akan rencana Tuhan dalam kehidupan kita.

Kegagalan seringkali digunakan Allah sebagai alat agar maksud Allah dalam hidup kita dapat terpenuhi. Kita tidak akan pernah mengenal kasih setia Tuhan kalau kita tidak pernah belajar menantikan perlindungan dan penghiburanNya. Melalui kegagalan Allah ingin kita berjalan dengan iman, bukan dengan apa yang kita lihat atau rasakan. Kegagalan hanyalah salah satu cara yang Allah gunakan untuk menuntun kita menuju kemenangan.

Ingat, kehidupan kristen adalah sebuah proses. Kita belajar dan berkembang melalui kesulitan hidup. Karena itu pandang terus pada Jesus, dekatkan diri pada Allah melalui doa dan penyembahan. Praktekan FirmanNya, Ia akan menuntun kita melewati masa -masa sulit.

Jelaskan, kegagalan kita hanyalah setitik kegagalan, asli cuma setitik. Selama kita memiliki Jesus dalam hidup kita, harapan selalu ada. yang pernah ditulis oleh Philp Yancey.

Ia memberikan definisi yang indah tentang anugerah/grace. Ia menulis, "Grace means there is nothing you can do to make God loves you more. Grace means there is nothing you can do to make God loves you less." Sebuah cinta yang tulus dan murni, yang terlepas dari kondisi apapun dari penerima kasih itu. Sebuah cinta tanpa syarat sama sekali.

Sebuah cinta yang dirindukan oleh semua orang. Kabar baiknya adalah : semua orang layak untuk menerima anugerah Allah ini. Allah menyadari bahwa manusia membutuhkan cinta tanpa syarat, oleh karena itu Ia memberikannya. Rasul Paulus pernah menulis bukti cinta Allah yang tanpa syarat itu. Ia menulis, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us"(Rom 5: 8; AV). Cinta tanpa syarat itu bukan hanya kata-kata tetapi nyata di dalam diri Yesus Kristus.

Tidak hanya di dalam kematian Yesus Kristus saja kita melihat cinta tanpa syarat, tetapi juga di dalam seluruh hidup Yesus Kristus. Ia senantiasa menerima dan mengasihi orang apa adanya. Ia menerima dan mengampuni seorang perempuan yang tertangkap basah sedang berzinah. Ia menerima dan mengasihi pemungut cukai yang telah memeras uang orang lain. Yesus Kristus menyadari bahwa tidak ada kekuatan yang lebih besar daripada kekuatan cinta tanpa syarat. Cinta tanpa syarat mempunyai kekuatan yang luar biasa untuk mendorong perubahan hidup seseorang. Zakheus, sang pemungut cukai itu berubah hidupnya setelah menerima cinta tanpa syarat dari Yesus Kristus.

Pernahkah terpikir oleh kita bahwa cinta yang kita butuhkan adalah cinta yang tanpa syarat? Pernahkah kita memikirkan bahwa orang-orang yang kita cintai sebenarnya mengharapkan cinta tanpa syarat dari kita?

Saya rasa kesanggupan kita untuk mencintai seseorang tanpa syarat, akan muncul ketika kita juga menemukan bahwa sebenarnya kita telah dicintai tanpa syarat oleh Yesus Kristus. Sudahkah kita mengalami cinta tanpa syarat dari Yesus Kristus itu? Sebuah cinta yang juga menyelamatkan kita dari kebinasan kekal.

Apabila kita sudah menerimanya, maka rasa bersyukur karena keagungan cinta-Nya kepada kita, semestinya bisa membuat kita menyemai bibit-bibit cinta yang tanpa syarat itu kepada orang lain juga.

Berapa banyak orang di sekitar kita saat ini yang sebenarnya tengah merasa sunyi, sepi dan sendiri?

Sunyi, sepi, dan sendiri karena belum pernah berjumpa dengan cinta tanpa syarat dari Yesus Kristus? Mereka yang merasa lelah, kalah dan kecewa karena merasa telah dimanfaatkan dan bukannya dicintai. Jumpailah mereka, pantulkanlah cinta tanpa syarat yang telah Anda terima dari Yesus Kristus. Selamat meyemai cinta tanpa syarat.

[unyu]

ga bisa di translate dulu yah
gw bingung bacanya dari mana

[Bo Tat]

Ini siapa sih penulis aslinya?
Kalo memang orang lain penulis aslinya, mohon hargai hak ciptanya dengan menulis siapa penulis aslinya.

[Bo Tat]

Copy paste dimana-mana, capek banget ngeliatnya...

[cute_charity]

Bo tat : sori gua juga ga tau nama penulisnya... gua dpt dari email dimana itu forwardan dr org... gimana gua mo nulis nama penulisnya...
lagian bukan hanya gua aja deh yg copy paste deh...

[cute_charity]

renungan harian (dr mailist)



[Allah] yang membuat pantai pasir sebagai perbatasan bagi laut
Yeremia 5:22

Bacaan: Yeremia 5:20-29
Setahun: Yeremia 34-36; Ibrani 2

Tidak ada tahun yang berlalu tanpa bencana alam yang menyebabkan kekacauan di suatu tempat di dunia ini. Banjir, badai, dan tsunami menghancurkan kehidupan, rumah-rumah, dan sumber penghidupan.

Tak seorang pun berpendapat bahwa laut memiliki “hak” untuk melanggar batas yang ditetapkan dan menerjang garis pantai. Sebenarnya, semua orang setuju bahwa bencana akan muncul jika laut melanggar garis pantai. Allah sendiri telah “membuat pantai pasir sebagai perbatasan bagi laut” (Yeremia 5:22).

Allah juga menetapkan batas-batas untuk perilaku manusia. Namun, tak ada hari berlalu tanpa pelanggaran yang tak terhitung banyaknya terhadap perintah-Nya. Dan, itu semua menyebabkan kerusakan fisik dan rohani. Yang mengherankan, kita sering berpendapat bahwa kita memiliki “hak” untuk melanggar batas-batas ini.

Pada zaman Nabi Yeremia, umat Allah juga telah melanggar batas. Mereka menggunakan tipu daya untuk menjadi kaya dan menolak untuk membela orang-orang miskin (5:27,28). Akibatnya adalah bencana. Allah berkata, “Dosamu menghambat yang baik dari padamu” (ayat 25).

Dalam diri setiap ciptaan Allah, terdapat suatu tatanan yang sudah melekat sejak awal. Melanggar tatanan berarti menanggung konsekuensi yang melekat pada pelanggaran itu. Allah dalam kebaikan-Nya, dengan penuh kasih dan dalam cara yang mudah dipahami, mengomunikasikan tatanan tersebut kepada kita supaya kita bisa menghindari akibatnya. Mengetahui dan tinggal dalam batas-batas yang telah ditetapkan-Nya adalah tindakan yang bijaksana —JAL

MENGABAIKAN TATANAN ALLAH
MEMBAWA KEPADA KEKACAUAN!



Yeremia 5:20-29
5:20 Beritahukanlah ini di antara kaum keturunan Yakub, kabarkanlah itu di Yehuda dengan mengatakan:
5:21 "Dengarkanlah ini, hai bangsa yang tolol dan yang tidak mempunyai pikiran, yang mempunyai mata, tetapi tidak melihat, yang mempunyai telinga, tetapi tidak mendengar!
5:22 Masakan kamu tidak takut kepada-Ku, demikianlah firman TUHAN, kamu tidak gemetar terhadap Aku? Bukankah Aku yang membuat pantai pasir sebagai perbatasan bagi laut, sebagai perhinggaan tetap yang tidak dapat dilampauinya? Biarpun ia bergelora, ia tidak sanggup, biarpun gelombang-gelombangnya ribut, mereka tidak dapat melampauinya!
5:23 Tetapi bangsa ini mempunyai hati yang selalu melawan dan memberontak; mereka telah menyimpang dan menghilang.
5:24 Mereka tidak berkata dalam hatinya: Baiklah kita takut akan TUHAN, Allah kita, yang memberi hujan pada waktunya, hujan pada awal musim maupun hujan pada akhir musim, dan yang menjamin bagi kita minggu-minggu yang tetap untuk panen.
5:25 Kesalahanmu menghalangi semuanya ini, dan dosamu menghambat yang baik dari padamu.
5:26 Sesungguhnya, di antara umat-Ku terdapat orang-orang fasik yang memasang jaringnya; seperti penangkap burung mereka memasang perangkapnya, mereka menangkap manusia.
5:27 Seperti sangkar menjadi penuh dengan burung-burung, demikianlah rumah mereka menjadi penuh dengan tipu; itulah sebabnya mereka menjadi orang besar dan kaya,
5:28 orang gemuk dan gendut. Di samping itu mereka membiarkan berlalu kejahatan-kejahatan, tidak mengindahkan hukum, tidak memenangkan perkara anak yatim, dan tidak membela hak orang miskin.
5:29 Masakan Aku tidak menghukum mereka karena semuanya ini?, demikianlah firman TUHAN. Masakan Aku tidak membalas dendam-Ku kepada bangsa yang seperti ini?"

[Gregory House]

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