JNM - daily devotional
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Daily devotions for 10-12-2004: Devotion: Morning and Evening Morning Title: Nourishment Within Evening Title: Comforter Do you enjoy this devotional? Send it on to a friend! Morning: Nourishment Within "I will meditate in Thy precepts." --Psalm 119:15 There are times when solitude is better than society, and silence is wiser than speech. We should be better Christians if we were more alone, waiting upon God, and gathering through meditation on His Word spiritual strength for labour in His service. We ought to muse upon the things of God, because we thus get the real nutriment out of them. Truth is something like the cluster of the vine: if we would have wine from it, we must bruise it; we must press and squeeze it many times. The bruiser's feet must come down joyfully upon the bunches, or else the juice will not flow; and they must well tread the grapes, or else much of the precious liquid will be wasted. So we must, by meditation, tread the clusters of truth, if we would get the wine of consolation therefrom. Our bodies are not supported by merely taking food into the mouth, but the process which really supplies the muscle, and the nerve, and the sinew, and the bone, is the process of digestion. It is by digestion that the outward food becomes assimilated with the inner life. Our souls are not nourished merely by listening awhile to this, and then to that, and then to the other part of divine truth. Hearing, reading, marking, and learning, all require inwardly digesting to complete their usefulness, and the inward digesting of the truth lies for the most part in meditating upon it. Why is it that some Christians, although they hear many sermons, make but slow advances in the divine life? Because they neglect their closets, and do not thoughtfully meditate on God's Word. They love the wheat, but they do not grind it; they would have the corn, but they will not go forth into the fields to gather it; the fruit hangs upon the tree, but they will not pluck it; the water flows at their feet, but they will not stoop to drink it. From such folly deliver us, O Lord, and be this our resolve this morning, "I will meditate in Thy precepts." Evening: Comforter "The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost." --John 14:26 This age is peculiarly the dispensation of the Holy Spirit, in which Jesus cheers us, not by His personal presence, as He shall do by-and-by, but by the indwelling and constant abiding of the Holy Ghost, who is evermore the Comforter of the church. It is His office to console the hearts of God's people. He convinces of sin; He illuminates and instructs; but still the main part of His work lies in making glad the hearts of the renewed, in confirming the weak, and lifting up all those that be bowed down. He does this by revealing Jesus to them. The Holy Spirit consoles, but Christ is the consolation. If we may use the figure, the Holy Spirit is the Physician, but Jesus is the medicine. He heals the wound, but it is by applying the holy ointment of Christ's name and grace. He takes not of His own things, but of the things of Christ. So if we give to the Holy Spirit the Greek name of Paraclete, as we sometimes do, then our heart confers on our blessed Lord Jesus the title of Paraclesis. If the one be the Comforter, the other is the Comfort. Now, with such rich provision for his need, why should the Christian be sad and desponding? The Holy Spirit has graciously engaged to be thy Comforter: dost thou imagine, O thou weak and trembling believer, that He will be negligent of His sacred trust? Canst thou suppose that He has undertaken what He cannot or will not perform? If it be His especial work to strengthen thee, and to comfort thee, dost thou suppose He has forgotten His business, or that He will fail in the loving office which He sustains towards thee? Nay, think not so hardly of the tender and blessed Spirit whose name is "the Comforter." He delights to give the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Trust thou ly comfort thee till the house of mourning is closed for ever, and the marriage feast has begun. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ~--> $9.95 domain names from Yahoo!. Register anything. http://us.click.yahoo.com/J8kdrA/y20IAA/yQLSAA/IYOolB/TM ~-> -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Mailing List Jesus-Net Ministry Indonesia - JNM - Daftar : [EMAIL PROTECTED] Keluar : [EMAIL PROTECTED] Posting: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Bantuan Moderator : [EMAIL PROTECTED] WebSite: http://jnm.clear-net.com (Webmaster wanted!) -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://
JNM - Gods Work Ministry E-Mail
From: "Dwayne Savaya" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Gods Work Ministry Inspirational and Encouragement E-Mail Dear Friend, There are moments in life when we become complacent in our faith and do not heed the voice of God to stand strong in Him and continue to do what is right in His eyes. We must remember that the temptations of the enemy have only one purpose and that is to draw us away from God to live a rebellious life that is promised to end in death. The Lord has given us the complete instruction manual on life that is called the Bible and in its timeless pages is written very clearly the result of rebelliousness and sin. The Bible declares in James 1:13-15, "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." (John 10:10) (Psalm 119:11) I encourage you to resist the devil's temptations and stand strong on God's Word committing to Him your life and asking the Lord to lead you on to the best path as He sees fit. The Lord is faithful to hear and answer your hearts cry. (1 Corinthians 10:12-13) (Isaiah 30:21) (Proverbs 3:5-6) I hope today's message ministers to your heart to continually follow the Lord so that His presence and sense of direction will be felt by you all the days of your life. STEADFAST IN FAITH You have been born again. Saved. Following your conversion to Christ, life changed. The Bible became a new book and the services of your church a delight. Christian fellowship was important to you. Peace filled your heart. The future seemed bright. No one could have convinced you that your love for Christ would decline and your zeal cool. Nevertheless, here you are - defeated. Your Bible is neglected. Church attendance is irregular. Old habits have been returning. Sin seduces. Joy has departed. Perhaps you have been experiencing the chastening of God. Things have not been going right. The Bible teaches that God corrects His children when they stray (Hebrews 12:5-11). How well I remember the bitterness of backsliding in my own life! Let me share the end of that experience with you: The moment of truth came while on the way to a meeting where I was to play my accordion. I was traveling at 65 M.P.H. in an effort to maintain my reputation for punctuality. Somehow I lost control of the car and it rolled over, landing on its top in a ditch. In a moment I knew the reason. Hebrews 12:6 flashed through my mind: "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth." I crawled out of the car and looked at the damage. It was a total loss. I remembered how I had stopped tithing some time ago and had used the money to make car payments, reasoning that it was all right since I was using the automobile in the Lord's work. Now the tithe money was lost, as well as much of my own investment, since the insurance was inadequate to cover the loss. My expensive accordion was inside the overturned car, and as I stood there I was unsure of the damage to that instrument so important to me. I was at the end of myself - ready to get right with God. By now a sizeable crowd had gathered. It was a busy highway and within moments the police had been summoned and the number of gawkers was increasing steadily. Nevertheless, oblivious to the onlookers, I knelt in the ditch beside the wrecked automobile and confessed my sins to the Lord. I knew what I had to do, and I did it. I didn't care about those who were watching. Long before I had memorized I John 1:9: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Now its message became personal to me. I felt the release as I claimed God's promise of forgiveness. It was as if a great load had been lifted. I told the Lord that I was through backsliding; that I would get back into church, and that I would study the Bible in order to be equipped to give its message to others. Now, it is time for you to rid yourself of that heavy load you have been carrying. The forgiveness that was extended to me as I knelt beside that overturned car is available to you. Confess your sins to Jesus. Forsake them. Claim His forgiveness. Commit your life to Him and get busy in His service. Return to your church and let others know what has happened in your life! By Dr. Jack Van Impe http://www.jvim.com Read and meditate on these scriptures: 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." James 4:7-8 "Submit yourselves therefore
JNM - OVERCOMING ACCUSATION - TRUSTING THE LORD TO BRINGYOU INTO VICTORY
From: "Lauw Eng Tjun" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> OVERCOMING ACCUSATION - TRUSTING THE LORD TO BRING YOU INTO VICTORY By Chuck D.Pierce One of the ways that Satan comes against us and keeps us from moving forward is to accuse us. In the book of Job, we see Satan in the role of accuser. In Job 1:6-7 we read, "Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. And the Lord said to Satan, 'From where do you come ?' So Satan answered the LORD and said, 'From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it." Let's think of this exchange as though it were taking place today. Notice how the Lord asked Satan, "From where do you come ?" That's good question for us to ask when we feel the presence of evil. Where does it come from and how does it have a right to be there? And Satan says, "I have been walking through this certain city trying to see what is opposing me there." The Bible then reports, "Then the LORD said to Satan, 'Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil ?' So Satan answered the LORD and said, 'Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side ? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land'" (Job 1:8-10). The enemy has something to say about all of us on a very consistent basis. It may be a good thing, as he said about Job, or it may be something like, "Look what so-and-so is doing. She's right in line with me. She's not doing anything to affect change on the earth or to grab hold of what God promised her." What does the enemy have to say about you ? The exchange concludes this way with Satan saying, "'But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face !' So the LORD said to Satan, 'Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.' So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD" (Job 1:11-12). In the midst of any hard circumstance that comes our way, we must remember that the Lord has already set the boundaries of Satan's freedom to operate within that circumstance. How Does Satan Accuse Us? Satan will find a way to enter into that which God has given you and to try to take authority over it. The enemy does not want you to have authority within your boundaries. If you ever get committed to your territory and your boundaries, you're going to war with the enemy. The enemy is going to roam through those boundaries saying, "Wait a minute ! I do not want to lose dominion in this area. Let me find a way to accuse those who are threatening me. We see another exchange between the Lord and Satan in Zechariah 3. In this story we see the Father, the Son (who is called the Angel of the Lord), Satan, and Joshua the high priest of Israel. "Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. And the LORD said to Satan, 'The LORD rebuke you, Satan ! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you ! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire ?"' (Zech 3:1-2). The scenario here is once again in the throne room of God. Where is Jesus seated ? At the right hand. Where are we positioned? With Him. Now here we see that Satan is at the right hand opposing. Have you ever felt that you were in intercession and the devil is just opposing you ? If you are in the Throne Room and the devil is eating your lunch, the Lord's going to take care of it. Our problem is that we don't usually get in the Throne Room. We stay down here in self pity. We whine and stay in all the messes we can stay in all the messes we can stay it. We complain about our circumstance instead of getting up with God where we can do something about it. We are like Joshua, a brand plucked from the fire. Zech. 3:3-4 says, "Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the Angel. Then He answered and spoke to those before Him, saying, 'Take away the filthy garments from him.' And to him He said, 'See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes." There was the Lord, Joshua and the devil, all in the Throne Room. There, the devil was accusing Joshua based upon everything Israel had done wrong in the past. Has the devil ever done that with you ? You make that one little mistake and it mounts up so that the enemy accuses you over and over. Satan has a record of everything we've done wrong. That's what he was doing, railing at Joshua over all the junk is Israel's past. When we make mistakes, we wear those mistakes. But the Lord said, "I'm sick of this ! I don't care what they did ! I'm going to remove that filthy garment off of them. I'm going to put a new garment on them and you're not going to ha
JNM - Berdiam diri & JAKARTA SINGING SCHOOL
From: Anton b. Silangit Berdiam Diri Sepasang muda-mudi duduk di bangku taman menikmati suasana mesra bulan purnama. Mereka berpegangan tangan. Mereka berangkulan. Mereka berciuman. Selama beberapa jam mereka duduk di situ tanpa berbicara. Seorang nenek dan kakek duduk di ruang tunggu bandar udara. Mereka menunggu pesawat yang akan membawa mereka ke rumah anak, menantu dan cucunya. Wajah nenek dan kakek itu tampak tenteram. Mereka tampak larut dalam lamunan. Nenek itu tampak seperti tersenyum sendiri. Mungkin ia sedang membayangkan menciumi cucunya. Kakek itu mungkin sedang membayangkan diri bermain ayunan dengan cucunya. Selama beberapa jam nenek dan kakek itu duduk di situ tanpa berbicara. Berada bersama orang lain dan saling menikmati kehadiran memang tidak usah selalu dalam bentuk berbicara. Kehadiran tanpa berbicara juga bisa merupakan perbuatan solider dan bersimpati, memberi dukungan, tanda persahabatan atau itikad menunjukkan pengertian atau perasaan. Komunikasi bisa terjadi baik melalui berbicara maupun melalui berdiam diri. Keduanya mempunyai keunggulannya masing-masing. Komunikasi melalui bicara bisa mengungkap pikiran dan perasaan secara gamblang. Di situ bisa terjadi saling bagi pandangan dan paham. Namun, di lain pihak, komunikasi bicara juga bisa mengandung kepalsuan. Kita lebih mudah berdusta dengan bahasa kata daripada dengan bahasa tubuh. Bukankah sekian persen dari komunikasi bicara sebenarnya merupakan retorik belaka, berupa rayuan gombal, pujian palsu, janji kosong, hiburan picisan atau nasihat murahan. Sebab itu, komunikasi tidak selalu harus berbentuk kata. Perlu ada keseimbangan antara komunikasi bicara dengan komunikasi berdiam diri. Pengkhotbah mengingatkan, "...ada waktu untuk berdiam diri, ada waktu untuk berbicara" (Pkh. 3:7). Dalam jiwa yang sehat terdapat keseimbangan antara berbicara dan berdiam diri. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, pakar teologi Jerman tahun 1940-an, menulis dalam The Day Alone, "Let him who cannot be alone beaware of community, and let him who is not in community beaware of being alone." Artinya: "Orang yang tidak suka berada sendirian hendaknya berhati-hati terhadap kebersamaan dengan orang lain, sebaliknya orang yang tidak berada bersama orang lain hendaknya berhati-hati terhadap keadaan berada sendirian." Bonhoeffer mengajak kita belajar menciptakan keteduhan diri sebagai buah dari keteduhan spiritual. Orang yang berkepribadian matang tahu kapan harus bicara dan kapan harus berdiam diri. Ini berlaku juga dalam hubungan kita dengan Tuhan. Berhubungan dengan Tuhan tidak selalu harus dalam bentuk kata-kata. Justru jika menghadap Tuhan kita harus lebih banyak berdiam diri, sama seperti seorang murid berdiam diri ketika memasuki ruang kerja gurunya. Menurut Bonhoeffer berdiam diri di hadapan Tuhan terwujud dalam tiga bentuk, yaitu meditasi, doa dan syafaat. Pertama, kita bermeditasi atau merenung sambil merendah secara jiwa dan raga di hadapan sabda Tuhan. Kita membacsa Alkitab dan buku-buku rohani dengan dambaan agar kata-kata di situ diubah oleh roh menjadi sabda Tuhan. Oleh sebab itu, kita membaca dengan upaya untuk memahaminya. Kita membacanya kata demi kata secara cermat. Kalau perlu kita berulang kali membacanya. Kedua, kita berdoa namun bukan dalam arti berkata-kata kepada Tuhan, melainkan membiarkan Tuhan berkata-kata kepada kita. Maksudnya, bermawas diri tentang apa makna sabda Tuhan itu untuk diri kita dan membiarkan diri kita disapa, ditopang, diajar, dididik, diberi tahu, dimarahi, ditegur dan dibelokkan ke arah kehendak Tuhan. Ketiga, kita bersyafaat bagi orang yang membutuhkan tempat dalam hati kita. Kita seolah-olah duduk bersama orang itu: Audri yang minggu depan akan diwisuda, keluarga Pak Budi yang sedang sibuk pindah rumah, Pak Cecep yang sedang bingung mencari pekerjaan, Desi yang kena demam berdarah, Bu Eli yang gelisah menunggu-nunggu surat dari anaknya. tanpa mengucapkan sepatah kata kita berdiam diri di depan Tuhan sambil merasakan keadaan yang konkret dari seseorang yang konkret. Tanpa kata kita bersujud bersama di depan Tuhan sebagai sesama yang butuh pengasihan Kristus. Tentu saja pada kesempatan yang lain kita bisa berkomunikasi dengan Tuhan melalui bicara. Kita boleh berbicara sepuasnya dan sebebasnya dengan Tuhan. Tuhan terbuka untuk menjadi pihak yang mendengarkan. Tetapi masakan komunikasi dengan Tuhan selalu berbentuk bicara? Bukankah perlu ada keseimbangan antara berbicara dan berdiam diri? "Ada waktu untuk berdiam diri, ada waktu untuk berbicara," tulis Pengkhotbah. Berdiam diri di hadapan Tuhan bisa merupakan pembuka pagi hari sebelum kita melakukan segala kesibukan. Bukankah Dia yang empunya kata pertama? Lalu pada malam hari seusai segala kesibukan kita mengakhiri hari dengan berdiam diri kembali di depan Tuhan. Bukankah Dia empunya kata terakhir? Mungkin kita berdiam diri di depan Tuhan selama lima menit, mungkin juga setengah jam. Panjangnya waktu tidak penting. Yang pe
