Ketika Cinta Harus Memilih

Cinta sejati bukan hanya rayuan di mulut. Cinta yang sejati dibuktikan lewat tindakan. Cinta Tuhan terhadap kita bukanlah hanya sekedar wacana. Bukti utama cinta Tuhan kepada kita ialah dengan dikirimkanNya Tuhan Yesus ke dalam dunia untuk mati bagi manusia.

Kerinduan tiap orang yang mencintai ialah supaya cintanya tidak bertepuk sebelah tangan. Demikian pula Tuhan. Alangkah bahagianya Tuhan jika kita menerima cintaNya. Ketika kita memutuskanuntuk menjadi kekasih Tuhan, malaikat di Surga bersorak sorai. “Oh Hip hip hura hura…hura hura..uh uh uh.. dapat satu jiwa, satu jiwa..uh uh uh…”

Sebagai seorang kekasih Tuhan, biasanya ada keinginan  untuk melakukan hal hal yang menyenangkan hati Tuhan. Kita ingin mempersembahkan segenap hidup kita kepada Tuhan. 

Maka timbullah berbagai halangan dan rintangan. Kita yang terbiasa hidup mengikuti  keinginan sendiri , sekarang harus ikut keinginan Tuhan.

Saat itulah cinta harus memilih….Mau turut keinginan hati atau keinginan Tuhan.

1.      Saat mobil lain menyerobot  jalur kita, cinta harus memilih. Sumpah serapah, atau kendalikan lidah.

2.      Saat orang lain menggosipkan kita, cinta harus memilih. Balas dendam atau tunggu pembelaan Tuhan.

3.      Saat orang lain bersalah kepada kita, cinta harus memilih. Simpan dendam atau memaafkan.

4.      Saat terima gaji, cinta harus memilih. 10% untuk rumah Tuhan atau untuk rumah kita ?

5.      Saat ada yang minta tolong, cinta harus memilih. Mengabaikan atau menolong?

6.      Saat terbuka kesempatan untuk melayani pekerjaan Tuhan, cinta harus memilih. Berkomitmen kepada pelayanan atau menolaknya?

7.      Saat anak kita nakal, cinta harus memilih. Mendisiplin dengan lemah lembut atau mendisiplin sambil bersumpah serapah.

Ketika cinta harus memilih, ingatlah bahwa  Tuhan sudah memberikan pertolongan kepada kita. Roh kudus yang ada di dalam hati, mendampingi, menasehati, serta menegur. Ketika kita peka terhadap keberadaan Roh Kudus, kita akan dipimpin untuk melakukan kehendak Tuhan. 

Jika kita melakukan kesalahan, jangan takut atau menjauhkan diri dari Tuhan. Bangkit lagi dan coba lagi, karena sudah tidak lagi penghukuman di dalam Tuhan Yesus.

Marilah kita memilih tindakan tindakan yang menyenangkan hati Tuhan. 

Images taken from fastweb.com 

Patterns, Patterns Everywhere...

This world is full of patterns. They are on the skin and fur of animals, surface of the earth and seas, and sky above us. We can also find patterns inside the science, languages, music and art. They are also on people’s mind and behavior.

pattern of pepper

People who love patterns wear them on the fabrics of their clothes, or even ink them on their skins. Tattoos and Henna, anyone?

Patterns are the repetition of a design. We, humans, also think in patterns.

The Bible said, “Do not conform to the patterns of this world. Instead be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve of God’s will for you. His good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Rome 12:2)

Many patterns of this world are different from God’s designs or God’s pattern. For example; God did not design cannibalism. But it happens in animal or even human behavior. God did not design sex before marriage. It is considered as normal these days. God did not design people to be workaholic. People do it to achieve their goals. God designed people to sleep and rest. Reality is people take caffeine 

to keep going like energizer bunny.

Are you aware of the patterns that you follow in your life? 

Are those patterns in agreement with God’s principles?

Are You a Crowd or a Disciple?

During His ministry, Jesus had two types of followers
Disicples and crowds
Although both are loved by Him
Jesus treated them differently
Although both got many benefits from Him
Jesus' degree of closeness with them were varied
Although both were redeemed by his death
Jesus' expectancy of them were not the same

with his disciples

Jesus communicated his feeling to his disciples
He spoke plainly with them
He showed his glory and revealed their future
He told them what to do and they obeyed
They were aware of Him

teaching the crowds from a boat

With the crowds, Jesus was different
He spoke in parables
He fed them and healed them,
He taught the Scriptures and revealed some truth from the scriptures to them
Jesus knew their hearts
but He's not opening his heart to the crowds

Which type of followers are you ?
Are you a crowd ?
Are you a disciple ?

It's all depend on you
He's always waiting for you to be closer to Him
He wants you to be one of his disciples
What do you want yourself to be ?

Jeremiah 29:13
You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart

pictures taken from
http://www.dstcorp.com/james/PaintingsOfJesus/Jesus11.jpg
http://cfwinlock.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/imgres-1.jpg

3Cs for the year 2017

Time goes by so fast
Christmas's gone and new year's come

As usual, with the beginning of the new year
People make new year resolutions
Have you planned any resolutions for the year 2017 ?

My friend Andy Widjaya, proposed a good one
3Cs for the year 2017

1. Christ
Adopting the mind and the feeling of Christ as our own.
Having Christ as a role model.
Having Christ as a go to guy, through our prayers.
When facing any kind of problems, 
instead of googling to find the solution
or texting someone to ask for help, 
let's try praying to Jesus first. 
After praying, do what you need to do: 
googling, asking, executing, etc.  

2. Commandments
There are two. Love your God with all your heart, soul and mind. Love others as you love yourself. The two commandments should be done everyday, not only performed on Sundays during service.

3. Commision
Jesus last instruction was the great commision. He asked his disciples to go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them all that he had commanded them to do. 

In doing them, we don't need to be afraid because He is always be with us till the end. In doing them, we don't need to be timid because all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him. So, when we face obstacles in the process, remember our go to guy, Lord Jesus who has the highest authority. 

Matthew 28:18-20
“All authority (all power of absolute rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations [help the people to learn of Me, believe in Me, and obey My words], baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always [remaining with you perpetually—regardless of circumstance, and on every occasion], even to the end of the age