God's Power in the Live of A Former Homosexual (David Davis)

My early childhood was filled with scenes of my father coming home drunk and smashing furniture. Mother, my older brothers and sisters and I would stay with a neighbor until he was sober again. When I was eight, he nearly died from a brain aneurysm and spent the next six years in a VA hospital. That ended any hope of developing a relationship with him.

About this time I was the constant companion of two brothers my age in our Atlanta neighborhood, and we began to experiment sexually with one another. Even though my family didn't go to church, my conscience still bothered me. I was too young to understand what was happening, but our activity introduced me to homosexual behavior.

My mother worked to support the family and was out of the home a lot. She worried that I didn't have a father-figure, so she sent me to live with my older sister and her husband stationed in the Panama Canal Zone. I was excited about that, but my brother-in-law had a drinking problem, too. One night he even slapped my sister and choked her in front of me and their two-year-old son. I was really frightened. Then he suddenly threw her aside and left the house.

I had two emotional reactions. First, I decided never to trust adults. Second, I hated myself for being male, thinking that the same anger I saw in my father and my brother-in-law was also in me. I returned home shortly after that incident.

When puberty hit, I had strong homosexual desires, but I didn't act on them since I had started attending church. I prayed all through high school and my first year of college that God would take away the urges, and when He didn't I couldn't reconcile Christianity and homosexuality. So I left the church--and college--and took off for San Francisco's homosexual community. It was 1975; I was 19 years old.

When I joined the gay bar scene, I wanted to settle into one relationship. But that didn't fill the void in my heart, and I turned to drugs and alcohol. I stayed in California for six months, then traveled to other major cities. Eventually, I moved to rural Georgia and took a job in a convenience store, trying to put the past behind me. There, a local pastor invited me to church--where, on separate occasions, two men asked me out. These guys were both married, and supposedly, upstanding Christians. That made me feel justified in my lifestyle. At least, I thought, I've lived more honestly.

By 1978, my alcohol and drug abuse was getting worse, so I began looking for answers in the Bible. Even though I didn't understand most of the passages, reading it gave me peace, and a longing to find people who really believed its message.

A few months later, I left Georgia and eventually wound up in Boone, North Carolina. I arrived with a back-pack and $60. I rented a room for a week, not expecting to stay, but I found a job immediately. After several lonely months, I went to a concert put on by a local church. The man who greeted me at the door shook my hand, looked me in the eye and welcomed me. I thought, This man knows the love of God.

That night I was moved not only by the words of the songs, but by the spirit of the people. When I returned to my room I flushed away my marijuana, and said, "Okay, God, I want to be clean, and I want to know You. What next?"

The following Sunday, I set out for that little church and was heartily welcomed again. For the next two weeks, I went to every service Watauga Christian Center offered, and I listened--and watched--carefully. After a while, I even went to the pastor and apprehensively told him about my homosexuality. To my surprise, he didn't condemn me. Instead, he answered my questions about the Lord. He also helped me see that my homosexuality was learned behavior, and that I could choose to leave it.

Then he helped me make a commitment to the only One who could fill my heart's need. The months that followed were the beginning of a wonderful adventure in learning loving acceptance from the congregation. I also began understanding that men in the church need encouragement to befriend those who struggle with homosexuality. I know now that the emotional makeup of homosexual behavior is rooted in self-hatred and the overwhelming sense of being different from heterosexual men, and therefore, not being able to relate to them.

But while I was confident when helping others understand homosexuality, I worried about dating women, since I didn't have a clue of how to go about it. I prayed, "Lord, I can't do this. So would You please bring the one You want to be my wife to me. And make it really clear who she is."

Freida, a second-year teacher, and I worked in a nursing-home ministry and became acquainted. After much prayer, I asked her to date me. Four months later, we were married.

We have five wonderful children ranging in age from 4 to 11 who daily remind me of the joy I would have missed if I had continued believing the lie that homosexual men cannot change. Praise God, we can! I'm proof of that.

The Transforming Power of God For A Homosexual (Jami Breedlove)

I literally grew up in the church: My parents were the custodians, and we lived in an apartment underneath the sanctuary. I was the oldest of three girls, but I always felt like the extra wheel. Although I wasn't a tomboy, whenever my friends and I played "boyfriend-girlfriend," I always wanted to be the boyfriend.

Growing up in small towns in Texas, I didn't have much interest in dating. I did like one boy I had known since grade school, however, and even when his family moved to another state, we always kept up our friendship. He was three years older than I, and a young evangelist. It was my heart's desire to marry a minister. But soon after I graduated from high school, he drowned. I was crushed.

I was attending Bible college at the time, and when my roommate saw how devastated I was, she took me under her wing. She was a couple of years older and reminded me of my mom. She had a car and pocket money--things I didn't have. We soon became fast friends.

Neither of us dated men much, and she always felt upset because no one loved her. I was struggling with the same feelings. My roommate and I started spending a lot of time together. It wasn't long before we began relating to each other on a deep, emotional level. I didn't set out to find a woman to love; I set out to find someone to love me.

The moment I crossed over the line into homosexuality was right out of "Movie of the Week." We were sitting in our room late at night, and it got very quiet. She extended her hand; I took it. We hugged, then we looked into each other's eyes. She kissed me, and we became intimate.

Although there was a physical attraction, lesbianism was an emotional attachment for me. We soon became an "item" on campus. The dorm mother began to suspect something, so she watched us very closely. When the pressure became too much, my roommate left college and moved back home to Illinois. I dropped out, too, and followed her. When my father found out I had left school, he called and insisted I come home. I did.

About six months later, I left home again to go live with my lover. My parents had it all figured out, but when they confronted me, I denied everything.

You may have seen stories on TV or in the newspaper about lesbian couples. You'll usually see a "butch" and a "fem" in the relationship. Butches dress in a more masculine style, have short haircuts and dominate the relationship. The fem, meanwhile, assumes a demure role. I was the fem.

Perhaps you've read that homosexuals have a lot of money--which may be true in the male gay community--but in the lesbian society, you usually have two $5 or $6 wage- earners living together. Financial hardship actually makes it harder for lesbians to seek a path out.

In the 12 years I was a lesbian, I never went to a gay-pride meeting, never paraded down Main Street, and never knew a pedophile. I still wanted a relationship with God, so I attended a Metropolitan Community Church, where gay people are welcomed with open arms. We used Bibles with translations that eliminated the word "homosexual." That's how much we were deluding ourselves. I fell in and out of several relationships, and twice I married other women, although the unions, of course, weren't legal. One time, I visited an infertility doctor and tried to be artificially inseminated from donor sperm so we could become parents.

Meanwhile, my parents were devastated. In their church one evening, the pastor spoke on how God wants to change homosexuals. He asked any parents of homosexuals to come forward and be prayed for. My folks stood up and walked down the aisle, even though it must have been very difficult to publicly admit their daughter was a lesbian.

During this period I was struggling in one of my relationships. My partner and I had these long discussions. She would always ask me, "Do you really think if the Lord came back, we would go to heaven?" The question haunted me. I'd wake up in the middle of the night, thinking, What if the Lord came back? That was my greatest fear, being left behind.

About this time, a man entered my life. I had known Ben Breedlove from my childhood days, and he knew I was a lesbian. I wondered, Why would any man want to see a woman who had lived with other women for 12 years? But Ben wanted to reach me with the same love that Jesus had for me. He told me he cared for me, and he wanted to be my friend.

When I saw Ben's love was unconditional, I began falling in love with him. We dated a few times, and I learned that he was a sensitive, loving, caring man whom God had sent to me. I looked deep in my heart, and I knew I had been living a sinful lifestyle. I wanted out, so I repented and asked God to heal me.

Two verses that keep coming back to me are I Corinthians 6:9-10, which list the sins that will keep people from entering the kingdom of heaven. Homosexuality is one of them. But the next verse says, "And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." We have to remember what the changing power of God does. If we realize there are homosexuals in our church--and believe me, they are sitting in your church pews every Sunday--then we need to pray that God will change their lives.

God can change a homosexual's heart. I know, because not only have I seen it, I've experienced it.

(Jami Breedlove leads Restoration, a residental ministry for women who want to leave the lesbian lifestyle. She can be contacted through: Restoration, P.O. Box 7242, Loveland, CO 80537, (970)663-7778; fax: (970)667-7162. Copyright 1994. Focus on the Family. All rights reserved. International copyright secured. Used by permission of Focus on the Family)

A woman, how God delivered her from smoking (Dorothy forrest)

The night I received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, I had been at a week long revival. On the last day I was studying my lesson for Bible Study. I was also still a smoker (for almost 30 years) and wanted to stop. I prayed and asked to God to take the cigarettes from me and fill me with the Holy Ghost. I'd been asking God this for a long time but this time the Lord spoke to my heart saying, "Daughter, I know what you want but you have to turn your request around.

So, that day I asked Him again. I said, "Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit." I continued to smoke that last night of revival. I remember the preacher asked for those who wanted prayer to come up to the altar.

There was a very long line and as I got closer to him, the preacher kept looking at me. When it was my turn for prayer he reached to lay his hand on me but before he could touch me I was slain in the Spirit.

It was the most beautiful experience! There was a sweet smell of the presence of God all around me and I did not want it to end. I had thought I was in His presence for 10 or 15 minutes but my husband said they prayed over me for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

I remember I was smoking on the way to church that night. When we were going home my girlfriend's husband started to smoke and it made me feel strange. I said to myself, "Lord, make him put it out." Praise God, my girlfriend spoke to him and said, "Harold, do you have to smoke now?" He didn't say a word, just put it out!

I never wanted to smoke since that day, over 15 years ago. God is good, praise Him!

Still Spirit-filled and smoke-free.

"The Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me" (by Doris Glatt)

I was born in London, England. my father was a cabinet maker who came from Riga in Russia, and my mother was born in Latvia in Poland. I don't think they met until their wedding day. My mother was a wonderful lady. She kept a very Orthodox home.

As a child I attended Hebrew school - we called it Sunday school in our synagogue. In the synagogue the women would sit upstairs in the balcony and the men were down below,. Young children were not allowed in synagogue services except on Yom Kippur.

I came to America by ship on February 4, 1948 - the same year that Israel became a state. At first I was able to live with my aunt in Chicago, and my first priority was to find a job. I did think about religions now and then, but my first thought was, "I've got to get money and get settledor else I'll have to go back to England again." somewhere,

During the years I was definitely looking for something to believe in.I would sometimes see a church and ask friends, "What about this church on the corner? What about that one over there?" But for whatever reasons I never did find what I was searching for.

Eventually I retired from my -work, and would often go to the park near my home. One summer day in 1978 1 was sitting on a bench doing some handwork and a beautiful young girl came up and said to me, "Can I talk to you?"

I thought to myself "Talk to me? What does she want with an old lady?"

After inquiring about what I was making, she introduced herself (her name was Paula) and began to explain that she was a student in a program here in Chicago f'or six %weeks. Then she told me about the weekly Bible study that was being held where a lively group would meet to sing songs and study the Scriptures. She said it was the kind of thing that I might enjoy, and from the way she described it, I thought I might.

Then she invited me over for over before the Bible study and my,- first thought was, "Oh brother, I wonder how much this is going to cost me.

I was a bit reluctant to agree. I couldn't figure out why this girl would show such warmth and interest in me, a complete stranger. But I was interested in what she had to say, so I said, "Let me think about it."

She asked if she could phone me, and I told her I'd be glad to have her call. (I thought to myself, "I'm not going to in vite her to my house. I don't know who she is - she'll steal everything I've got.") When she did call, I was so glad to hear her voice. I agreed to be ready when she came to pick me up for the Bible study.

The whole evening really impressed me. I loved all the Hebrew songs, with the tambourine playing, and I thought to myself, 'Golly, I'm back home again!" It felt so good. Some songs I didn't know and some I did. I thought, They don't look like Jewish people. Why are they singing in Hebrew?" I couldn't understand it, but I loved it. And I didn't run out and go home. I stayed the whole night through.

Jose Jimenez had been playing the piano that night. He saw me leaving and called out, "Shalom, Doris!" and do you know I have never forgotten that; that he saw that I was leaving, remembered my, name, and said, "Peace." I thought that was so beautiful. And I Found myself looking forward to the next week's Bible study, and the next - it was the highlight of my week.

I hadn't been going there too long when I began to understand the message they were teaching,: that Jesus was the Messiah of Israel, that I was a sinner, and that it was because God loved me that He sent His Son to be my Savior.

I knew that this was what I wanted, but I thought to myself, "Doris, you don't do these things lightly,-. Don't rush into something you shouldn't. Think about it a little longer.” I could see that they were so sincere, and I just loved coming to the studies.

Finally one day I sat down with one of the AMFI staff and wrote down a list of pros and cons: the things I would gain by accepting Jesus, and what I had to lose. There weren't t many cons, and there was a whole list of pros. The most important thing was that I would have Jesus who would always be my friend. I thought to myself, "What else do I want.-- I need a friend all the time, not just during the Bible studies." And so I put my trust in Messiah Jesus, asking Him to forgive my sins.

One time I was trying to reach my landlord, and he would never come to the phone to talk to me. So I said to his secretary, "How come I can talk to God but I can't talk to Larry.

So she said, "You talk to God?" I said, "All the time." It's the best thing that's ever happened to me. I can recommend it to everyone.

HEAR AND LIVE ! (By Ernst Loewy)

"Far better to be blind than deaf!" This was the considered opinion of a dear friend of mine who is hard of hearing. "After all," he continued, "those to whom sight is denied keep in close touch with the world around them through an intensified sense of hearing. They arc able to enjoy music and they can converse with others, whereas we are shut up to ourselves and cannot really communicate. If only we could hear!"

Yet many who have been endowed with the faculty of hearing do not exercise it to receive God's communication to us. "O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord," was the cry of Jeremiah of old. "If only you had paid attention," was the lament of Isaiah to an even earlier generation. Again and again the Bible draws our attention to the importance of listening carefully; "He who has ears, let him hear." Any organ of our body which we do not use will deteriorate, and it is a solemn fact that if we turn a deaf ear to God, our ear will turn deaf. The following paragraphs will illustrate how God's promise was fulfilled in the life of the writer: "Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live" (Isaiah 55:3).

Earliest Days

Born into a Jewish home in Berlin, Germany, I am able to look back on a very happy childhood. My parents were in a position to grant the wishes of their children, so that very little, if anything, remained to be desired. But I remember even in those far off days a longing after deeper things. Unfortunately, neither my father nor my mother had any religious convictions; on the contrary, they had rather inclined toward agnosticism. Consequently, the only way I could give vent to my feelings was by uttering a little prayer which one of our children's maids had taught me.

Another event stands out from my childhood days, namely, an open-air meeting held by the Salvation Army on a Sunday afternoon in one of the open squares of Berlin. Our family had gone for a walk and as we passed by, the service was in full swing. I cannot remember anything about the message given, for none of us were interested enough to stay and listen, but the last line of a chorus which they sang impressed itself indelibly upon my mind. "Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?" Strictly speaking, these words did not convey anything to me, but the challenge they presented could not be evaded. God did not allow me to forget them, but from time to time, they would be on my lips and in my heart, "Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?" What about it?

Adolescence

Years passed, pleasant, carefree years, yet all the time the storm clouds were gathering. The hydra-headed monster of anti-Semitism was stalking through the land, gaining followers everywhere. In January 1933, a wave of persecution was unleashed which grew in intensity, reaching dimensions unparalleled in the history of mankind. It did not leave our immediate family unscathed either, although God in his goodness preserved us from irreparable loss.

The inauguration of the Third Reich influenced the life of every Jew within its reach and, though only a teenager at the time, I was no exception. My high school education was cut short and, having always been interested in electromechanics, I was apprenticed to become a tradesman. About this time my real soul struggle began.

A legion of questions occupied my mind. Why this sudden outbreak of fury? Why should so many innocent people suffer? Why did God allow all this? Why did he not intervene? why? Why? WHY? The religious instruction received at high school could not supply the answer to any of these and many other queries. Not in any way bigoted, my parents had allowed me to learn the Old and New Testaments at school, but the prevailing rational approach to the Bible had robbed us of reverence for it, leaving me with a greater void in my heart. Consequently I turned to the one and only path open before me, the synagogue. I began to study Hebrew, knowing that it would help me to enter more deeply into the services and thinking it would be a good preparation for going to Erets Israel when that way would open up.

However, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Our family decided to emigrate to South Africa and although left at liberty to stay behind to pursue my plans regarding what was then Palestine, I came to the conclusion that it would be best to leave the circle unbroken and set out with my parents for "Africa's golden shore."

A New Beginning

Busy months followed during which every one of us had to shoulder his part of the responsibility of making a new home. I must pay special tribute to my mother's selfless efforts and unceasing labors which contributed most toward this achievement. But neither this, nor the regained personal freedom in a free country, nor congenial work could end my quest. Regular attendance at the synagogue services, keeping of the dietary laws as far as possible, trying to learn more about the oral law, none of these could satisfy the inner longings of my heart. Friends told me that I was far too serious. "Enjoy life while you are young and leave deeper things to the old people; there is plenty of time later on!" Were they right after all? So far I had not succeeded in my search for truth and for God; was I perhaps chasing a will-o'-the-wisp?

Crisis

During this critical period I made the acquaintance of a Christian who was on the office staff of the firm where I was employed as a scientific instrument maker. The difference between her and the other members of the personnel was so marked that it could not go unnoticed. In the course of numerous conversations I realized that this was the first person I had met who knew God as a living reality. At last one who had not only sought, but found. So there was a way back to God, but oh, how disappointing it was to hear that Jesus Christ was that way. As he said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Christians accept this, but how could a Jew believe in the one whose followers have persecuted us throughout the centuries? (I had yet to learn the difference between Gentiles and Christians. While the former may participate in acts of violence and hatred, the latter love our people.)

The very idea seemed so absurd that I tried to put it out of my mind once and for all; but in vain. Judaism had been "weighed in the balances, and found wanting!" If there is no other way besides Jesus Christ, what then? Pride and prejudice barred the road to further inquiry, but God dealt with them in his all-wise manner. He suddenly took away a very good friend of mine while in the prime of life, and this proved a great shock to me. Where would I have gone if the call had come to me instead? "But that is quite impossible," argued the adversary of our souls, "you are even younger than he was, healthy and strong; don't worry about it." Yet God showed me that such a possibility was not nearly as remote as we may think. An accident on a plateau of Table Mountain, which might have been fatal under different circumstances, was a further warning not to delay. "Prepare to meet your God, 0 Israel" was the message of the prophet of old. "Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near."

A Deepening Conviction

Remembering that my father had sought comfort and consolation in the Bible at a time of crisis, I also turned to this precious book. Following the counsel of that Christian friend, I began reading in the Old Testament, namely, the prophecy of Isaiah. Nobody, except perhaps one who is utterly indifferent, can read the messages of this zealot and remain untouched; they did not fail to make a profound impression upon me. "A virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call his name Immanuel." Who else could this be, but the prophet of Nazareth? "For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." What son or child would dare call himself El Gibbor? Only Yeshua, who claimed to be one with the Father. "See, a king shall reign in righteousness .... Each man will be like a shelter from the wind ... and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land." Again, no one fitted into this beautiful picture but "the man born to be king"; the Anointed, the Rock of Ages.

Thus the light became brighter day by day and my conviction deepened. "You were sold for nothing, and without money you will be redeemed." What balm to a troubled spirit! But the reading of Isaiah 53 brought the peace so keenly sought. In it the sufferings of the Messiah on behalf of Israel and the world at large are depicted in sublime language. "Surely he took our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted." This was the superficial view once held by myself and by multitudes of my Jewish brethren all over the globe. Now, however, the eye of faith looked beyond the external. "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity f us all."

These solemn verses led me to the knowledge of the truth of God, and in him, who is the true center of Israel, I found the answer to my every problem. Confessing my sin and unworthiness, I looked away to Jesus Christ, my Corban (atoning sacrifice), suffering anguish, dying in my place,

and I received him into my heart by faith. That night anther one of the wandering "lost sheep of the house of Israel" returned to the fold of the redeemed; home at last!

God's Call to Service

The newly-found joy in the Messiah, the peace of heart, the assurance of the forgiveness of sins and eternal life were exceedingly precious in the difficult days that followed. Severe tests of faith were encountered, but nothing could undo God's work of grace in my heart. It was my earnest desire to make this blessed salvation known to others, and some months later I heard God's call to my present sphere of service. It came through the words which commissioned Ezekiel, the prophet, to his life task. "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me."

Epilogue

That was years ago. But throughout all this time it has been a great joy to serve the Master, in spite of multitudinous difficulties and trials. As long as life shall last it will be my privilege to invite my Jewish brothers and sisters with the words of that great Jew on the shore of the Galilean lake centuries ago: Matsanu et hamashiah! "We have found the Messiah." Hear, and live!

A JEW WHO FOUND JESUS (Testimony Of Rabbi Max Wertheimer)

Born in Germany of devout Orthodox Jewish parents, my first fifteen years were saturated with training in Orthodox Judaism. Then I began my studies toward a career and was apprenticed to a manufacturer doing office work. Although I continued to read the prayers and attend synagogue, my worldly associates led me into sinful pleasures, and I drifted from the faith of my fathers.

My parents sent me to America to pursue a classical education at the Hebrew Union College in Ohio. There were major adjustments to be made, but I finished my training in all phases of Hebrew learning. Four years after completing my undergraduate work I received my master's degree.

Having become proficient in the translation of Hebrew into the vernacular and with a broad knowledge of Jewish history, I was ordained and inducted into rabbinical office.

I served ten years in my first charge, receiving many tokens of affection from my flock. I contributed much to their knowledge of the social, industrial, and economic problems of the day.

I spoke on monotheism, ethical culture, and the moral systems of the Jews. On Sabbath mornings, I gave addresses on the Pentateuch, and on Sundays I taught from eight in the morning to five in the evening with only an hour's break for dinner.

I became popular as a public speaker and was often asked to speak in Christian churches. Well do I recall the day when I proudly stood before an audience of professing Christians and told them why I was a Jew and would not believe in their Christ as my Messiah and Savior. I gloried in the Reform Judaism that acknowledged no need of atoning sacrifice for sin-a religion of ethics which quieted qualms of conscience through a smug self-righteousness.

In that audience sat a humble, elderly woman who prayed, "O God, bring Dr. Wertheimer to realize his utter need of that Savior he so boastingly rejects! Bring him, if necessary, to the very depths in order that he may know his need of my Lord Jesus Christ."

What did I need of Jesus? I was perfectly satisfied with life. My wife was young, attractive, and accomplished. I was rabbi of the B'nai Yeshorum Synagogue, lived in a beautiful home, enjoyed a place of prominence in the community where I spoke in every denominational church, was honorary member of the Ministerial Association, served as chaplain in the Masonic Lodge, and fared sumptuously every day.

Suddenly, there came a change. My wife became seriously ill and soon died, leaving me a distraught widower with two small children. I could not sleep. I walked the streets striving to find something that would make me forget the void in my life. My dreams were shattered. Where was comfort to be found? I called on the God of my fathers, but the heavens seemed as brass. How could I speak words of comfort to others when my own sorrow had brought me to despair? I delved into Spiritism, Theosophy and Christian Science, only to find them futile and hopeless.

I decided that I must resign and take time to think things through. I was perplexed about one thing in particular: Where was the spirit and soul of my loved one who had made my existence so sweet? What had become of all her faculties, the intents and purposes of that active, keen mind? I turned to the Bible for an answer.

Again I studied Judaism, but it answered no questions; it satisfied no craving in my heart. Then I began to read the New Testament, comparing it with the Old. As I pondered over and meditated on many passages, one in particular made a definite impression. In the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah, I was perplexed by the expression, ". . . My righteous servant," found in the eleventh verse. This was the only mention of that phrase I could find in either Testament. We have, "David, my servant," "Isaiah, my servant," Daniel, my servant," but here it is, "My righteous servant."

I said to myself, Who is that righteous servant? To whom does the prophet refer? I argued, Whoever that "righteous servant" of Jehovah is, of one thing I am sure: He is not Israel, because the prophet declares Israel to be a sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a leprous nation. The righteous servant of Jehovah must be one who is holy. If it isn't Israel, who could it be? I decided it must be Isaiah. But in Isaiah chapter 6 I found it could never be the prophet, for he confesses himself to be a guilty sinner and a man of unclean lips in God's sight. "My righteous servant." Who could it be?

I began to study the context and in Isaiah 50:6 I found, "I offered my back to those who beat me." Then I read how the chapter began: "This is what the Lord says." I asked, Does God have a back? Did he give it to those who beat him? Then I read, "My cheeks to those who pulled out my beard," and how he did not hide his face "from mocking and spitting." I asked myself, When did Jehovah have these human characteristics? When and why did he suffer these indignities?

In my confusion, I began to read Isaiah from the beginning. I was stopped at the sixth verse of chapter nine: "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Here was a most incomprehensible thing!

I was suddenly faced with the doctrine of the Trinity. What now about our familiar monotheistic slogan, Shema Israel, Adonai Eloheynu, Adonai ehad ("Hear 0 Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord")? Upon that word ehad ("one"), the entire philosophy of Judaism is based. I had been taught by the rabbi.,; that ehad means "absolute unity." I began to study that word, and found to my amazement it was used of Adam and Eve who became "one." It was used again when the spies returned from Canaan with a cluster of grapes (eshkol ehad). Again it is found when the "men of Judah" stood up as "one man" (eesh ehad). Suddenly, I was struck with the error l had believed and proclaimed all through my ministry. Ehad cannot mean "absolute unity," but must refer to a composite unity.

Next I began to search for the name of Jesus in the Old Testament. In my study, I found that 275 years before Christ, King Ptolemy Philadelphus summoned men from Palestine and commanded them to translate the Hebrew Scriptures into the Greek vernacular. They took the Pentateuch first, and when they came to "Joshua" they translated it Yesous, written with a circumflex over it to show that there had been a suppression of the Hebrew that could not be expressed in Greek. When Joshua went into Canaan with the other eleven spies, he was called Yehoshua ("Jehovah is Savior"). That is exactly what the word "Jesus" means.

I could hold out in unbelief no longer. I was convinced of the truth of God as it is in Christ Jesus. I cried, "Lord, I believe that as Jehovah Yesous you made the atonement for me. I believe you made provision for me! From henceforth I will publicly confess Yeshua as my Savior and Lord!" Thus, after months of searching, I was convinced that Jesus was the righteous servant of Jehovah, Jehovah-tsidkenu, "The Lord our righteousness."

While I served as a rabbi, I had yearned to give the bereaved some hope and comfort, but I could not give what I did not possess. Now I could approach those in heart-breaking grief and tragedy and give them the satisfying words of the Lord Jesus, "I am the resurrection and the life, He who believes in me will live, even though he dies-, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die." And again, "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life."

There is but one eternal life, and one source of eternal life; that is God's Son. What a great and glorious message we, his redeemed ones, are commissioned to deliver today.

Persepsi Kristen Yang Harus Diubah

Pandangan sebagian besar manusia di dunia terhadap agama itu ternyata sama. Mereka menganggap bahwa untuk melakukan perintah agama itu sulit bahkan sangat sulit. Sebagai Kristen, pandangan kita perlu dibaharui pula; jangan sampai hal-hal yang dikehendaki Allah kita anggap terlalu sulit untuk dilakukan. Bagaimana cara membaharuinya? Tentu dengan pertolongan Roh Kudus juga, kita harus memandang secara terbalik; yakni: justru kalau melakukan hal-hal dosa, itu yang sulit, dan melakukan kebenaran firman Allah itu lebih mudah (karena kita disertai Yesus).

Justru kalau membenci (=membunuh) manusia itu sulit, mencuri itu sulit, menipu itu sulit, berzinah itu sulit, tidak menolong sesama itu sulit, tidak mengasihi itu sulit. Mengapa sulit? Karena kita tidak akan merasa kedamaian di dalam hati jika berbuat hal-hal demikian. Sebaliknya kalau kita melakukan kebaikan kepada sesama karena kasih Allah itu, itu yang “keren” dan “lebih mudah”. Karena dengan melakukan kebenaran firman Allah saja maka hati kita merasakan kedamaian hati yang sejati. Dan berbicara soal kedamaian, maka hanya Allah Sumber Damai yang sejati (Yohanes 14:27; I Tes 3:16; Kolose 3:15, Timotius 1:2).

Ada 2 hal yang membuat hati kita merasa kedamaian surgawi:

1. Kalau segala dosa (kejahatan dan kenajisan) kita diampuni (Mazmur 32:1,2; Yohanes 8:2-10)
2. Kalau kita melakukan kehendakNya (Yesaya 48:18; Lukas 11:18)

Jarak Paling Jauh di Alam Roh

Di alam lahiriah/jasmani, jarak itu tidak ada artinya bagi mahluk roh, seperti Tuhan atau malaikat atau setan, jika mau pergi dari kota satu ke kota lain itu kecepatannya hanya sekejap saja seperti satu kedipan mata, bahkan dari negara satu ke negara yang lain, benua ke benua, planet ke planet, bahkan dari bintang satu ke bintang yang lain, galaksi satu ke galaksi yang lain.

Tetapi, kalau di alam roh, lain lagi kendalanya, ternyata yang menjadi jarak terjauh di alam roh, yakni jarak antara:

1. KEJAHATAN dan KEBENARAN
2. KENAJISAN dan KESUCIAN/KEKUDUSAN
   

VIDEO - Elham, Former muslim women's journey from Islam to Christ

VIDEO - Former Muslim Woman Layla's journey from Islam to Christ

VIDEO - Abdul's Testimony - Convert from Islam to Christianity

VIDEO - Jesus Christ Heals a Muslimah in Indonesia

VIDEO - Mohamed, Son of Muslim Sheikh's Journey from Islam to Christ

VIDEO - How a Muslim lady found Truth - From Islam to Christ !

VIDEO - How Nasrin found True Jesus ! Journey from Islam to Christ.

VIDEO - How Lord Jesus Changed Former Muslim Imam Mohammed !

VIDEO - Hanife, Former Muslim Women's Journey from Islam to Christ !

VIDEO - Toufik, An Arab Muslim's journey from Islam to Christ !

VIDEO - From Islam to Christ, Former muslim women lydia's journey !

VIDEO - ZAMZAM's JOURNEY from ISLAM to CHRIST

VIDEO - Manal leaves Islam for Jesus Christ

VIDEO - How Lord Jesus Changed Former Muslim Imam Mohammed !

VIDEO - Shekhar, Testimony of Ex-Hindu Brahmin, Journey to CHRIST !

VIDEO - KAMRAN's Testimony - From ISLAM to CHRISTIANITY

VIDEO - Woman Healed of Blindness

A Caucasian woman is ecstatic with joy when she receives her sight back from the Lord Jesus.

As the man born blind in John 9 said, "If this man were not from God, he could do nothing..."

This happened at T.B. Joshua's church in Nigeria.

Baptisan Roh Kudus

Mengapa sebagian Gereja belum menyadari betapa pentingnya supaya mereka dipenuhi oleh Roh Kudus? Karena sebagian menganggapnya bahwa baptisan Roh Kudus itu adalah ajaran dari aliran Kristen Pentakosta; padahal sebenarnya tidak demikian, karena itu adalah merupakan kebenaran Alkitabiah, kebenaran yang sejati, kebenaran yang hakiki.

Karena hanya dengan dipenuhi Roh Kudus, maka hidup kita akan semakin serupa dengan gambaran Anak-Nya. Pada saat Anda menerima Roh kudus, maka Anda menerima Roh Kebenaran, Roh Wahyu, Roh yang menerangkan ayat-ayat Alkitab (yang tersulit sekalipun) kepada Anda, Roh yang mengambil perkataan-perkataan Yesus dan menghidupkannya bagi Anda. Oleh Roh Kudus, kita menjadi mengerti bahwa kita adalah anak-anak Allah, dan bukan hanya anak, melainkan juga menjadi ahli waris, dan bukan hanya ahli waris, tetapi ahli waris bersama-sama dengan Kristus. Karena itu, semua janji Allah adalah “ya” dan “amin” untuk kita melalui Yesus, di dalam Roh Kudus. Oleh Roh Kudus, kita "ditandai" oleh Allah bahwa kita adalah milikNya dan mengalami perlindungan sampai pada Hari Penebusan / Kelepasan sepenuhnya dari dosa, dunia, dan iblis. Oleh Roh Kudus, kita dapat merasakan manisnya Kasih Allah dan Kemurahan yang begitu besar di dalam hidup kita.

Orang yang menerima dan penuh Roh Kudus, dibuktikan dengan: berkata-kata dengan mulut, suatu bahasa lidah yang tidak dapat dimengerti (bahasa roh) dan hati selalu yang memuliakan Allah. (Kis 10:45,46)

Apakah Anda mempunyai kerinduan yang besar untuk dipenuhi RohNya sekarang??!

Terimalah Roh Kudus, jangan hanya menunggu seperti yang dibiasakan beberapa Kristen untuk dipenuhkan Roh Kudus, tetapi terimalah Dia SEKARANG, Roh Kudus sudah ada di bumi, rasakanlah hadiratNya sekarang, rasakanlah aliran RohNya di dalam hati anda, rasakanlah getaran RohNya di dalam diri anda, rasakanlah…, penuhlah sekarang dengan RohNya dan kuasaNya yang dahsyat…sekarang dan selamanya.

Kesembuhan ilahi

Anda akan menemukan bahwa orang yang disembuhkan dengan kuasa Allah - khususnya orang percaya - akan menyadari bahwa kesembuhan yang mereka alami adalah sebagai “insentif” untuk mendorong mereka supaya mereka hidup lebih suci dan kudus.

Jika kesembuhan ilahi hanya menyempurnakan tubuh, maka nilainya akan sangat kecil. Kesembuhan ilahi adalah kemurahan Allah terhadap tubuh Anda yang fana. Dan setelah Anda dijamah oleh Yang Maha Kuasa, apakah Anda tetap “sama”? Tidak. Sama seperti saya, Anda akan menyembah dan melayani ALLAH.

(Keluaran 15:26, Mazmur 103:2-3, Mazmur 147:3)
(By: Smith.W)

Youth Delivered from Drugs, Porn, Masturbation, Depression

I'm Isaac Snuffer, 15, and here is the story of how God has changed my life completely.

I was raised in a Christian home, attending a church where God moved greatly as young as 2, and saw God move all the time. During this time I gave my life to Christ, but did not fully understand the power of God nor even who he was. All I knew was the basics of the faith taught in the nursery classes at churches.

Now skipping on, about the time I got into sixth grade, about the time I was 11, because of peer presure I started to get into pornography and masturbation, getting worse as time went on, not acually knowing that these things were sinful at the time. This was about 2003. The next year I got in with a bit of a worse crowd. For about a year I was fine, but starting about summer 2005 I started swearing, and listening to somewhat Satanic music. Also about this time depression hit me. I started to hate my life, wishing it would end. I was ready for suicide. Then in winter 2005 I started skateboarding, as a release for all of my feelings of depression. This worked for about half a year, about mid-spring 2006. About this time it started coming back, yet I didn't want to just end it all.

Though I hated life I had something in me telling me not to end it, a fear of death, which I know now was God watching out for me even though I was against him. So about that summer I started looking up ways to get high. I wanted an escape from the pain I felt inside. So in November 2006 I tried to get high for the first time, taking Diphenhydramine HCL(an OTC medicine which I will not mention the brand name incase of someone wanting drugs reads this). It wasn't all that good, but I needed to get rid of the pain, so I continued to take it in low doses, until one Sun. night in Nov. I decided to take some until I really got an effect. I ended up taking 18 times the reccommended dose, and in this started hallucinating heavily, which scared the crap out of me, but I convinced myself it was fun. After this point I was taking OTC drugs heavily, even stealing some from Wal Mart to meet my need for drugs. I was getting
high at least twice a week. I know I was addicted, and even once saw a demon come out of my television. I once again began to contemplate suicide, unbeknownst to my friends, who thought I was happy. Even my friend who I did drugs with, who was ironically from my youth group,
thought I was happy. But I wasn't.

Then, on March 9, 2007, my youth group went to a 3 day youth rally in Knoxville. On the second night me and my friend were saved and filled with the Holy Spirit, and I was freed. Freed from the hold drugs had on me. Freed me of my masturbation. Freed on my depression. Freed of the bondages of sin.

Since then, God has done great things in my life. I'm happy. My personality was changed from the mess it was in to a loving personality. I don't swear anymore. I'm a completely different person. Thank you God, for accepting even me into your family.

Isaac Snuffer, Victory Skater!
isaacsnuffer AT@ gmail.com

Ciri-ciri orang yang di undang ke Perjamuan Suci di Surga

1. Percaya kepada Yesus Kristus
2. Percaya kepada Kuasa Firman Kristus
3. Penuh Kasih dan Kemurahan Hati
4. Berani berkorban untuk Tuhan dan sesama, bahkan sampai mati
   

KEBENARAN SEJATI

Kebenaran Sejati itu adalah segala hal yang dirumuskan oleh Allah.

Orang yang menemukan kebenaran–kebenaran alamiah saja sudah merasa sangat bahagia, terlebih lagi mereka yang menemukan Kebenaran yang hakiki.

Hanya kebenaran sejatilah yang paling mampu memuaskan hasrat hati manusia.

Hanya kebenaran sejatilah yang mampu membebaskan jiwa dan hati manusia.

Kebenaran Sejati itu sekokoh Batu Karang.

Kebenaran Sejati itu tidak terpengaruh oleh segala situasi, keadaan dan kondisi, musim, bahkan perasaan dan pendapat manusiawi.

Kebenaran sejati yang sudah berabad-abad bahkan ribuan tahun didambakan oleh manusia, kini telah diwujudkan oleh Allah dan telah ditunjukkan kepada manusia sebagai sesuatu Pribadi yang Agung dan Elok.

Siapa Pribadi itu? Dia adalah Kristus Yesus. Siapa Dia? Dialah Pribadi yang sanggup memerdekakan semua orang. Memerdekakan orang dari apa? Dari semua tuntutan hukuman dosa dan kuasa iblis, yakni maut, kebinasaan dan penderitaan kekal di neraka.

Yesus Kristus sanggup memerdekakan orang-orang yang diperbudak oleh dosa dan iblis, asalkan orang itu siap mempercayai Yesus sebagai Tuhan dan Juruselamatnya. Berbahagialah orang yang Penyelamatnya adalah Kristus. Berbahagialah orang yang Tuhannya adalah Pribadi Kristus.

Segala kebenaran yang dirumuskan oleh Allah terdapat dalam Pribadi Kristus.

Bahkan segala kesempurnaan ilahi, kuasa ilahi, dan semua sifat ilahi berdiam secara permanen di dalam Pribadi Kristus.

Bagi yang belum percaya atau yang kurang percaya, sekarang, percayalah kepada Kristus sebagai Pribadi Kebenaran Sejati, percayalah dengan segenap hati, percayalah dengan teguh, seteguh batu karang ! Maka engkau akan dilahirkan kembali menjadi pribadi yang baru di dalam ALLAH dan kebahagiaan sejati akan datang kepadamu bagaikan gelombang laut yang tak pernah berhenti.

ASTRAL PROJECT, Salah Satu Pengalaman Elaine (Mantan Tokoh Utama “Brotherhood”, Kelompok Penyembah Setan di Amerika) sebelum menerima Yesus Kristus

Pada kunjungan terakhirku di California itulah, terjadi suatu peristiwa yang merupakan jalan bagiku untuk menerima Kristus. Aku mulai mempertanyakan janji Iblis yang mengatakan bahwa ia lebih berkuasa daripada Allah.

“Imam kepala pria” (dalam kelompok penyembah Setan) mengumpulkan kami (para imam kepala) bersama dan mengatakan kepada kami, bahwa ada satu keluarga Kristen di dekat daerah itu yang telah mencampuri urusan Iblis; mereka telah mempertobatkan beberapa anggota kelompok penyembah Setan menjadi milik Kristus. Iblis memberi perintah untuk membunuh mereka.

Imam kepala itu mengatakan kepada kami bahwa kami harus bersatu bersama-sama di dalam roh kami dan membunuh mereka. Jadi, kami duduk di dalam lingkaran di depan kami dan secara sadar membiarkan roh kami keluar (yang juga disebut "Astral Project", yakni mengeluarkan roh dari tubuh sendiri dengan menggunakan kuasa Iblis), dan pergi ke rumah keluarga itu untuk membunuh mereka. Aku sendiri sebenarnya tidak antusias dengan rencana ini, namun aku tidak mempunyai pilihan lain; jika tidak patuh, maka aku akan dibunuh.

Alangkah terkejutnya kami saat tiba di rumah keluarga itu, kami tidak bisa maju lagi karena rumah itu dikelilingi oleh banyak malaikat berjubah putih. Malaikat-malaikat itu berdiri merapat bahkan sampai bahu mereka bersentuhan sambil bergandengan tangan. Mereka tidak bersenjata, namun tak seorangpun dari kami yang mampu menerobos pertahanan mereka bagaimanapun kerasnya kami mencoba. Setiap senjata yang kami gunakan terpental kembali dan mereka tidak terluka sama sekali. Mula-mula mereka menertawakan kami, menantang kami untuk maju lagi dan mencoba melalui mereka.

Anggota kelompok kami makin lama makin marah, tiba-tiba roman wajah mereka berubah dan pandangan mereka yang tajam membuat kami semua terjatuh di tanah. Suatu pengalaman memalukan yang pernah ku alami. Namun aku tidak pernah melupakan saat aku duduk di atas tanah memandang mereka. Salah satu malaikat itu memandang langsung ke arah mataku dan berkata dengan suara penuh kasih,”Bersediakah engkau menerima Yesus sebagai Tuhanmu? Jika engkau di jalan yang kau jalani sekarang, engkau sedang menghancurkan dirimu sendiri, Iblis sesungguhnya membencimu, namun Yesus amat mencintaimu sehingga Dia mati untukmu. Arahkan hidupmu kepada Yesus.”

Itu merupakan akhir perlawananku. Aku menolak untuk menyerang mereka lagi. Aku benar-benar “terpukul”. Anggota kelompokku yang lain masih mencoba terus namun tetap gagal. Aku tidak tahu apakah keluarga itu tahu, kalau ada “pertempuran” di luar rumahnya. Namun keluarga itu benar-benar terlindung. Kami menyebut para malaikat semacam itu sebagai Link Angel (Lingkaran Malaikat). Tidak ada satupun yang dapat mengganggu keluarga itu. Aku secara diam-diam bersyukur bahwa kami tidak bisa mendobrak mereka, dan Link Angel itu telah memberi pelajaran yang amat baik kepada kami. Dua tahun setelah perjumpaan dengan para malaikat itu, aku menerima Tuhan Yesus.

Saling Mengasihi adalah Tanda Hidup Baru di dalam Kristus

I Yohanes 3

3:14	Kita tahu, bahwa kita sudah berpindah dari dalam maut ke dalam hidup, yaitu karena kita mengasihi saudara kita. Barangsiapa tidak mengasihi, ia tetap di dalam maut.
3:15	Setiap orang yang membenci saudaranya, adalah seorang pembunuh manusia. Dan kamu tahu, bahwa tidak ada seorang pembunuh yang tetap memiliki hidup yang kekal di dalam dirinya.
3:16	Demikianlah kita ketahui kasih Kristus, yaitu bahwa Ia telah menyerahkan nyawa-Nya untuk kita; jadi kitapun wajib menyerahkan nyawa kita untuk saudara-saudara kita.
3:17	Barangsiapa mempunyai harta duniawi dan melihat saudaranya menderita kekurangan tetapi menutup pintu hatinya terhadap saudaranya itu, bagaimanakah kasih Allah dapat tetap di dalam dirinya?
3:18	Anak-anakku, marilah kita mengasihi bukan dengan perkataan atau dengan lidah, tetapi dengan perbuatan dan dalam kebenaran.
3:19	Demikianlah kita ketahui, bahwa kita berasal dari kebenaran. Demikian pula kita boleh menenangkan hati kita di hadapan Allah,
3:20	sebab jika kita dituduh olehnya, Allah adalah lebih besar dari pada hati kita serta mengetahui segala sesuatu.
3:21	Saudara-saudaraku yang kekasih, jikalau hati kita tidak menuduh kita, maka kita mempunyai keberanian percaya untuk mendekati Allah,
3:22	dan apa saja yang kita minta, kita memperolehnya dari pada-Nya, karena kita menuruti segala perintah-Nya dan berbuat apa yang berkenan kepada-Nya.
3:23	Dan inilah perintah-Nya itu: supaya kita percaya akan nama Yesus Kristus, Anak-Nya, dan supaya kita saling mengasihi sesuai dengan perintah yang diberikan Kristus kepada kita.
3:24	Barangsiapa menuruti segala perintah-Nya, ia diam di dalam Allah dan Allah di dalam dia. Dan demikianlah kita ketahui, bahwa Allah ada di dalam kita, yaitu Roh yang telah Ia karuniakan kepada kita.

Kita adalah Generasi Terakhir

Mungkin kita heran dan bertanya, mengapa banyak orang Kristen dipenuhi / dibaptis Roh Kudus dalam dekade tahun 1990 – 2000 ?

Jawabannya adalah karena Tuhan sedang mempersiapkan SATU GENERASI TERAKHIR sebagai Pasukan Rohani Kristus yang besar, Pasukan rohani yang dikuasai oleh Roh Kudus untuk memberitakan Injil Kerajaan Surga ke seluruh dunia. Pasukan rohani yang besar ini dipakai Tuhan untuk menjadi Saksi Kristus, dan menyatakan Kabar Baik ke seluruh dunia: bahwa Yesus Kristus sudah bangkit dan menang atas kematian, dengan demikian Kristus sanggup juga melepaskan kita dari hukuman dosa, yakni menderita di dunia dan menderita di neraka selama-lamanya. Pasukan Besar ini akan menyatakan Kuasa dan Kemuliaan Yesus Kristus kepada tetangga/sesama mereka. Pasukan rohani ini banyak melakukan tanda-tanda, mujizat, kesembuhan, dll; dan pada akhirnya menyelesaikan Amanat Agung dari Yesus Kristus (Matius 28:19,20).

Pasukan Rohani yang besar ini akan menyatakan Kabar Kelepasan dan Keselamatan dari Yesus Kristus ke seluruh dunia, supaya banyak kehidupan manusia di dunia ini dapat diselamatkan dari sergapan mulut Neraka. Bukan hanya diselamatkan tetapi juga disucikan, bahkan disempurnakan, ya, disempurnakan pada hari kedatangan Tuhan Yesus Kristus, Raja di atas segala raja dan Mempelai Pria Surgawi.

Maukah Anda tergabung dalam Pasukan Besar ini ? Nyatakanlah kerinduan hati Anda kepada Allah maka Dia akan memenuhi Anda dengan RohNya !

Beberapa Mata Rantai yang Hilang dalam PENYEMBAHAN

Gereja-gereja saat ini banyak yang memuji dan menyembah Tuhan dengan menggunakan alat musik yang beraneka ragam. Beberapa di antaranya menegakkan bulu roma dan hadirat Allah pun dimanifestasikan. Hal-hal ini menjadi suatu ritual yang rutin dalam kebanyakan gereja. Sebaliknya pada masa Perjanjian Lama, perwujudan Awan Kemuliaan / Shekina Glory ALLAH di dalam Tabernakel Israel adalah suatu peristiwa yang biasa terjadi (Keluaran 40:34-35; I Raj 8:11; II Taw 5:13-14; 7:1,2)

Pertanyaannya adalah mengapa kita, para imam Perjanjian Baru, tidak mengalami sedikitpun Shekina Glory Allah pada saat kita beribadah??? Seharusnya kita, imam Perjanjian Baru, dapat mengalaminya lebih banyak lagi. Karena apa? Karena:

1. Sudah dijanjikan Allah (Hagai 2:10)
2. Kita telah memilki Roh Kudus di dalam diri kita (Yoh 14:17)

Pasti terdapat beberapa mata rantai yang hilang dalam penyembahan kita, sehingga kita tidak mengalami kepenuhan berkat-berkat Allah.

Beberapa mata rantai yang hilang itu adalah:

1. KEKUDUSAN.

Kita harus dihiasi dengan kekudusan saat menyembah Allah (Mazmur 29:2). Kita tidak dapat menyembah Allah saat dosa masih berada di dalam hati kita (Matius 5:23-24). Seperti halnya pakaian imam Perjanjian Lama tidak boleh bernoda atau kotor saat menghadap Allah, demikian pula imam Perjanjian Baru harus memiliki hati yang bersih dan murni dari noda dosa. Tertulis dalam Firman Tuhan, bahwa dosa dalam hati kita akan memisahkan kita dari hadiratNya dan menyebabkan Allah menyembunyikan wajahNya (Yes 59:2).

2. PENGHORMATAN (RASA HORMAT DAN TAKUT AKAN TUHAN).

“Sembahlah Tuhan dengan keindahan dari kekudusan, gemetarlah di hadapanNya, dan hormati/takutilah Dia, hai seluruh bumi” (Mazmur 96:9 - Amp. Bible).

“Tetapi aku, aku akan memasuki rumahMu melalui kelimpahan kasih setia dan kemurahanMu; aku akan menyembah ke / di baitMu yang kudus dengan takut akan Engkau” (Mazmur 5:8 – Amp. Bible)

Pada kedua ayat di atas, kata hormat dan takut dapat ditukar penggunaannya. Mari kita selidiki dalam bahasa Ibrani dan Yunani:

Kata TAKUT adalah:

1. Yare (Ibr) artinya menjadi takut, perasaan khidmat, ketakutan
2. Yirah (Ibr) artinya takut, hormat.
3. Phobos (Yun) artinya takut, ngeri, terror; mempunyai arti yang sama dengan: takut yang disertai hormat, yaitu ketakutan yang luar biasa apabila mengecewakan Tuhan.
4. Eulabeia (Yun) artinya hormat, takut yang saleh. Juga mempunyai arti yang sama dengan ketakutan, tapi khususnya adalah takut yang kudus., takut yang bercampur dengan kasih.

Alasan mengapa kita kurang/tidak hormat dan takut akan Tuhan adalah karena kita hanya memandang Tuhan sebagai Anak Manusia dari Nazareth yang rendah hati dan lemah lembut. Namun Firman Tuhan menyatakan bahwa kepenuhan Allah secara jasmani berdiam di dalam Tuhan Yesus Kristus (Kol 2:9). Walaupun Dia adalah Allah yang rendah hati dan lemah lembut, namun Allah juga adalah Api yang menghanguskan (Ul 4:24, Ibr 12:29), Api yang menjilat (Maz 50:3), Allah yang dahsyat / mengagumkan / menakutkan (Kej 28:17, Ul 10:17, Dan 9:4).

Tuhan bisa bersahabat dengan kita, tetapi kita tidak bisa bermain-main denganNya. Seperti ada pepatah,”bermain-main menyebabkan penghinaan”, demikian juga Tuhan tidak mungkin “bermain-main” dengan kita. Allah mengasihi dan memperlakukan kita sebagai sahabatNya, seperti Dia memperlakukan Abraham dan Musa, tetapi Dia tidak bermain-main. Musa mencoba untuk bermain-main dengan Tuhan, tetapi ia harus membayar harga yang mahal untuk pelajaran tersebut (Bil 20:7-12, Ul 3:23-28).

3. KERENDAH-HATIAN

“Sebab beginilah firman Yang Mahatinggi dan Yang Mahamulia, yang mendiami kekekalan, yang namaNya adalah Kudus: Aku bersemayam di tempat yang tinggi dan kudus, tetapi juga bersama orang yang remuk dan rendah hati, untuk membangkitkan semangat orang yang rendah hati dan untuk membangkitkan hati orang yang sungguh-sungguh menyesal (karena dosa)”. – Yesaya 57:15.

Kita tidak dapat menyembah Allah dengan hati yang sombong. Contohnya seperti Lucifer, kerub yang diurapi, yang diberikan hak istimewa untuk berjalan di atas gunungNya yang kudus, jatuh ke dalam dosa karena kesombongannya sendiri (Yes 14:13-14, Yeh 28:17).

Kerendahhatian merupakan pengaruh yang dihasilkan dari kesadaran kita akan ketidaklayakan kita di hadapan hadirat Tuhan yang mengagumkan.

Menyembah adalah merendahkan hati dan meninggikan Allah.

Teladan utama dari kerendahatian adalah Yesus, walaupun Dia adalah Allah, namun telah merendahkan diriNya sendiri sebagai manusia biasa, bahkan rela mati di kayu salib demi menebus dosa manusia. Untuk itulah Allah Bapa paling meninggikanNya melebihi segala yang ada di langit dan di bumi.

(Selvaraj)

Percaya Saja !

Percaya saja!

Percaya saja!

Segala sesuatu itu mungkin!

Percaya saja!

Puji Tuhan, Dia membuat segala sesuatu itu mungkin. Ada kemerdekaan untuk semua orang, apapun masalahnya. Dia memberikan kemerdekaan dari semua kesulitan, atas semua kuasa jahat, atas semua kebobrokan moral.

Semua dosa telah ditebus di KALVARI.

(Smith.W)