Thursday, September 17, 2009

Feeding on the Word

Feeding on the Word

Listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man’s whole body. Proverbs 4:20-22, NIV If we were to take all the advice on nutrition that’s offered us by the media, we would be changing our diet all the time! There’s so much information about what’s good for our health and what foods we should avoid. Some of the advice is sensible, but much of it has the effect of scaremongering and making people become preoccupied with diet.However, physical food isn’t the main source of life and health for us. Jesus reminds us in Matthew 4:4 that ‘man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ God’s word is living and active (Hebrews 4:12), and as we feed on it God’s able to impart life to our spirits through His Spirit. He’s able to speak to us through the Bible, with words of love, encouragement, guidance, and correction. But these verses from Proverbs tell us that the benefit of God’s word isn’t only spiritual. It also brings health to a man’s whole body. As we receive His word into our spirits, life and health flow through into our whole being.When the people of Israel were wandering in the desert, God instructed them to collect manna for their food (Exodus 16). They were to go out early in the morning each day to gather what they needed. That is an important principle for us. We need to be feeding daily on God’s word, which will nourish and sustain us physically as well as spiritually.How healthy is your diet? Prayer: Lord, please forgive me for the times I’ve been preoccupied with physical food and I’ve neglected to feed on the spiritual food that will nourish me. Please speak to me as I read Your word, and bring Your life and health to every part of me through it. Amen. Today's Writer : Jilly Lyon Taylor Jilly Lyon Taylor is part of the Leadership Team at Ellel Pierrepont. She worked in publishing and then with children in Hong Kong before concentrating on being a full-time mother and serving in the local church. Her desire to see people healed led her to the Luke Nine Eleven Training School (NETS) at Pierrepont, and now she teaches and ministers there.

Well Based

Well Based

The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. Matthew 7:25, NIV I have a book at home called ‘Men and Sheds', and I bought a shed recently. Being a man it was a significant event for me! In order to get the best out of my new resource I spent some time in preparing the ground to provide a sound base for its construction. The finished building is now sitting resplendent in green protective paint and has successfully withstood strong winds and rain without any damage to the structure or its contents. It has, however, become evident to me how much people lack a foundational understanding of the Kingdom of God. No wonder there are so many people who are still suffering from the damage of the past and unable to receive the healing that Jesus shows us is God's intention for us. It's difficult to install solid foundations for an existing building, because it involves complicated underpinning processes. But through biblical teaching and prayer we can install the solid foundations into people's lives that they have lacked, and see them well grounded for the futures in Jesus. The firm foundation restored gives the solid base that is needed for facing the storms of life. Rather than having to restore those foundations it would be so much better if they could have been built into the lives of new believers from the start. Praise God for the opportunities that Ellel 365 and the Living the Life series provide, but let's also keep encouraging those responsible for discipleship in the local churches to take seriously the foundational biblical teaching. If Kingdom principles such as the consequences of the fall, the reality of the work of Satan and the Healing power of the cross were built into young Christian lives from the start, then equipping the saints for their work of ministry would be so much more effective. The enemy would be disempowered and the Lordship of Christ firmly established. My shed will fall apart one day, however good the foundation, but lives built on Jesus will not! Prayer: Thank you, Lord, that you are the only foundation that will withstand the pressures of time and be sufficient for eternity! Help me never to try and build my life on any other foundation. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Knowing who Jesus is

Knowing who Jesus is

Jesus…asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?' They replied, ‘Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets'. ‘But what about you?' he asked. ‘Who do you say I am?' Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.' Matthew 16:13-15, NIV We live in a world that's in rebellion against Jesus Christ. It's hard to credit how people can reject so fervently the One with such love for us that He gave His life so that we, as sinners, could be reconciled to God and escape eternal damnation. Sometimes the rebellion is open and confrontational, such as the ban on Christian prayers and teaching in many state schools around the world. Sometimes, however, the rebellion takes on a more subtle character. It can be a seductive attempt to sidetrack people from the true Jesus to ‘another Jesus' (2 Corinthians 11:14). There are many religious organisations that use Jesus' name but they aren't worshipping the person of Jesus Christ revealed by Scripture as the Son of the living God. They try to give credibility to their beliefs and also to hoodwink immature Christians into believing that it's alright to worship anyone who goes by the name of Jesus. The ‘other Jesus' is sometimes presented as a good man who was a teacher, messenger, prophet or leader. But Jesus Christ stated emphatically that He was God when He said, I and the Father are one (John 10:30). When we're face to face with Jesus Christ and He asks us who we say He is, we need to be able to say with conviction ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.' So how do we identify a counterfeit Jesus? When we know the true Jesus well we'll be able to identify a fraud. We need to have a close enough relationship with Jesus to know deep in our spirits that: • He is the eternal God in human form • He became incarnate through the miraculous conception of the virgin Mary • He lived a sinless life • He atoned for our sins when He died on the cross • He rose from the dead and ascended to sit at the right hand of God the Father • He will come back to judge the world We may need to spend time searching the Scriptures to find the verses that back up these truths. It's good to have them at hand when challenged. Prayer: Lord Jesus I want to know You so well that when I come face to face with You, I will have no doubt who You are. Please help me to develop a close and abiding relationship with You so that I won't be duped by any fraud. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

He Knows

He Knows

Every moment you know where I am. You know what I am going to say before I even say it. You both precede and follow me, and place your hand of blessing on my head. Psalm 139:4 & 5, LB Perhaps a little child comes to his father with so much to say but his daddy says, “I know, I understand”, and just takes his child and hugs him. The child enjoys his fathers' embrace and feels secure that his daddy knows everything. So it is with our Heavenly Father. We come to him with so much to say. Many prayer requests and needs cause us to be talkative and busy - but He knows what we're going to ask and what we need. He knows what we've come through. He knows how we've been hurt, or afraid. He knows our hopes and dreams for the future, our family, our church, our nation, our world. He also knows the pain of those who've never known the love of a natural father. He knows how to embrace them and restore that which was lost. He knows our joys, our pain, our desires and our victories. He knows when we've done well and when we've failed. If we've fallen He picks us up again. He knows the love we have in our hearts for Him. So when I come before Him I can be silent for a little while. I can be still because my Father knows. I can be reassured that although he knows all these things - the past, the present and the future - His love embraces me just the same. We love our children despite what we know about them. We love them so deeply it hurts and we pray God's hand of blessing on them. Let's use the words of this song by Kelly Carpenter as a prayer: Draw me close to you, never let me go - I lay it all down again, to hear You say that I'm your friend. You are my desire, no one else will do. There's nothing else to take your place - To feel the warmth of Your embrace. Help me find the way, Bring me back to You.

The Folly of Worthless idols

The Folly of Worthless idols

Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs. But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the Lord. Jonah 2:8-9, NIV Jonah was in the belly of the fish. He lay there with seaweed wrapped round his head, having the ride of his life in an under-water roller-coaster from which there was no escape. It's amazing how being in impossible situations changes the intensity and urgency of your prayer life. Repentance comes easily when the only obvious solution to the problem is imminent death and an earlier than expected appointment with one's Maker! There was no doubt that Jonah was seeing things from a new perspective - very different from the perspective he had when running away from the appointment with destiny in Nineveh, which God had planned for him. Anything which comes between a servant of God and the God he is serving is an idol. Jonah did not want to go and preach to such a wicked people. The idol in Jonah's heart was selfishness driven by fear. But it was a worthless idol - and as a result he was now forfeiting all the grace that would have been his, if he had obeyed God first time round and gone to Nineveh. “Oh God - I'm sorry. I'll make good my vow to serve you! Whatever you want, I'll do! Even go to Nineveh, Lord. But God, it's rather difficult just now - I've got a bit of a problem. There doesn't seem any way off this roller-coaster. Is there anything you can do about it?” And with that the Lord commanded the fish to vomit Jonah up onto dry land. Jonah's premature appointment with his Maker had been postponed. There are so many lessons in this amazing story, but the most important one for today prompts me to ask the question, “Are you running from any of God's plans and purposes for your life?” If so, may I encourage you to get on your knees before God, deal with any worthless idols that have stood between you and obedience, and look to God for His grace as you ask Him how to put things right between you and Him. Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for this amazing lesson from your Word. Help me to examine my own heart and see if there are any ways in which I have been running from your calling upon my life. I want to put things right - please show me how. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Hidden Dangers

Hidden Dangers

Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12, NIV We were on holiday in Cornwall and had a day on the beach with our grandchildren. We went to a place where the tide goes out a long way to expose great stretches of sand, which is popular with families. The surf at the waters edge was frequented by dozens of wet-suit-clad surfers of all ages. The sea comes rolling in with waves which are good for the surfers, even though they don't seem very big to a non-surfer like me! We were puzzled however by a number of life-savers on duty at the scene, complete with rescue vehicles, quad bikes and life rafts. A bit over the top we thought, until on returning home we happened to see a TV programme about sea rescues which included a piece on the beach we were at. The documentary revealed that the waves were actually treacherous, in that there is an undercurrent which can drag people under the water, and a force in the waves which can cause damage to the human body, let alone cause exhaustion to those trying to battle against them. I was reminded about the hidden-ness of the power of the enemy. The principalities and powers and spiritual forces of evil against which we contend in this life are a considerable threat to us. Because they're hidden we can so easily dismiss them as being of no consequence, but like the waves, there's an unseen power which can cause great damage to the unsuspecting. The life-guards were at the water's edge ready to rescue those who were in difficulties, and send them off if necessary for further help by the medics. We frequently are asked to pray with people who have been damaged by the undercurrents of the Enemy, but some of the damage would have been prevented if the warnings of Scripture - God's Life-Guard - had been heeded. Let's not underestimate our Enemy, but be on our guard as we live our Christian life every day among the ‘waves'. Prayer: Thanks you, Lord, that you are concerned to protect your children from the attacks of the enemy. Help me to have eyes wide open to his tactics so that I will not be caught unawares by an unexpected wave. In Jesus' Name, Amen. Today's Writer : John Berry John Berry is Team Pastor and part of the Leadership Team at Ellel Glyndley Manor, with his wife Jennie, having previously been in Baptist church ministry for over 30 years. His heart is for the equipping of the church for its ministry, and he sees the healing and deliverance ministry of Ellel as an essential part of this. John has travelled widely in the course of his work, and enjoys being a grandfather 6 times over!

Rebuilding the Foundations

Rebuilding the Foundations

Oh my afflicted people, tempest-tossed and troubled, I will rebuild you on a foundation of sapphires and make the walls of your houses from precious jewels. I will make your towers of sparkling agate, and your gates and walls of shining gems. Isaiah 54:ll-l2, LB Two of the big steps in my garden were broken apart and crumbling with age and weather. They were quite dangerous. For years we patched them up and cemented the stones together on the surface, but they soon broke down again. The builder came and looked. He broke them up completely, removing all the stones and cement and underneath were the roots of a holly tree. He cut out the roots, re-laid cleaned stones and pointed them leaving two lovely steps, safe and firmly in place for people to walk on. I could make everything look good by putting another perfect layer on top, but eventually what was below would push through to the surface causing more trouble and danger. We need to allow the Master builder to come and break up the faulty and shaky foundations and to rebuild our lives. He can rebuild us with the best and most beautiful materials there are and our foundations will be of precious stone. For Jesus is our Foundation Stone. He is Precious to those who believe. When he breaks us, it's hard to bear, but we need to be broken, in order for him to rebuild us in this wonderful way. Sometimes it may seem He is saying, ‘For a brief moment I abandoned you. But with great compassion I will will gather you' (Isaiah 54:7) and ‘For the mountains may depart and the hills disappear, but my kindness shall not leave you. My promise of peace for you will never be broken, says the Lord' (Isaiah 54:10). Many will look back and see how this tempest-tossed and troubled one, is growing into a strong, steady and fruitful child of God, whose walls and houses, made beautiful, may shelter, protect and encourage others on the way. Prayer: Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me. Break me, melt me, mould me, fill me. Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me. In Jesus' name. Amen. Today's Writer : Pam Smith Pam Smith has a background in art and nursing, has a son and two daughters and a 'ministry to grandchildren.' She has been a friend and helper of Ellel Ministries since l992, and is involved with Healing Through Creativity Courses. As writer of the Shepherd Love Series, she has a passion for the comfort and encouragement that leads people towards enjoying abundant Life in Jesus. Related Links Ellel 365 - Online Training School Shepherd Love - Book by Pam Smith

Passing the test

Passing the test

By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”
Hebrews 11:17-18, NIV

God tested Abraham, and he passed the test with flying colours. No test could be more challenging. Isaac meant everything to Abraham. He was the child of promise through whom the purposes of God would be fulfilled and Abraham is asked to sacrifice him as a burnt offering.

Abraham believed God. He believed that in the end God would work it out right and so in faith he builds the altar on the mountain and lays his son upon it. The test seems to be God's way of revealing how much Abraham honours and loves Him.

The promise given to Abraham earlier (Genesis 12:2-3) rested on obedience. When Abraham passed the ultimate test, having proved his obedience to and love for God, the original promise was confirmed with a divine oath. The fulfilment of the promises is linked to Abraham's faithful obedience.

We too will have times when our faith is tested. The promises of God in Scripture are always linked to obedience. Faith is ongoing. We grow in faith as we trust God and take steps of obedience. As we obey in the smaller things He trusts us with the greater things.

Faith and obedience go hand in hand. Our willingness to obey God is a measure of how much we trust Him. Is there a test that you need to pass? Is there some situation in your life today where you need to take a step of faith and trust God with the outcome?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your dealings in my life. Thank You that in all things You work for the good of those who love You. Help me today to put my trust in You and to walk in obedience to You. I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.


Today's Writer : Margaret Silvester
Margaret Silvester had a career as a teacher prior to being called into full time Christian Ministry with her husband, David, in 1986. They were involved in establishing a Healing Ministry in the local church and Margaret has a passion to see lost and wounded people found and restored. She and her husband joined the Ellel Ministries teaching and ministry team in 2000 after a clear call from God.

Comparing Ourselves

Comparing Ourselves

We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.
Romans 12:6a, NIV

Recently I spent some time in the woods around our centre in Hungary spending time talking with God. As I prayed I sensed the Lord gently correcting me, because I was comparing myself with others. I then realized I was taking for granted what I had been given by the Lord, and in doing so was inadvertently despising my own unique gifting and abilities.

Many of us do the same, yet God has uniquely given each of us abilities and gifting that we alone can excel in. So why do we look at what He's doing in the lives of others and say 'if I could only be like that' or 'why can't I be used by the Lord in that way?'

Sadly, it's in our fallen human nature to want to compare ourselves with others, and the fruit of that can be discord, envy, jealousy, and even rage, that can then lead us into disappointment and discouragement.

Moses had a similar problem believing in his own abilities, when God commissioned him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. He said, 'Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt'(Exodus 3:11)?

The Lord has made each of us with specific talents and has given us just the right gifting for us to be all He has designed us to become. God does nothing sparingly or inadequately. He lavished His creative genius upon us all! So today let's be encouraged and not regret who we are, but rejoice that He made us to excel and finish the race set before us.

Prayer: My Lord and Saviour, help me to not compare myself with others but to rest in the security of Your love. Help me to really see what You have done in my life and begin trusting in Your grace to be my sufficiency. Help me to not compare myself with my neighbour or grumble about my perceived lack of abilities. I want to look to You and see myself as You see me. Help me Lord to do this always. Amen.

Today's Writer : Jim Person
Jim Person and his wife and four children are missionaries to Hungary, and are serving as Assistant Directors for Ellel East Regional Nations, where they travel to Romania, Slovakia, Serbia and other countries teaching Ellel schools. They have a passion to see the church discipled and walking in God's fullness of life and freedom.

Let us go right in

Let us go right in

And since this great high priest of ours rules over God's household, let us go right in, to God himself, with true hearts, fully trusting him to receive us, because we have been sprinkled with Christ's blood to make us clean, and because our bodies have been washed with pure water.
Hebrews 10: 21-2, LB

Many reasons may stop us going right into God's presence. We may be afraid that we are unacceptable. We may feel guilty or ashamed, that we're not good enough. But, after repentance of our sins, the amazing truth dawns upon us that we are welcomed, forgiven, accepted, and unconditionally loved. We need have no more doubts, but can come with 'true hearts' and full assurance of faith.

In the Jewish Temple only the High Priest was allowed into the Holy of Holies, where the presence of God was, and only once a year, to make an atonement for the sins of the people, with the blood of a slaughtered lamb.

Jesus is our great high priest and he offered himself as the Lamb of God, a sacrifice once and for all, for the sins of the whole world. We have no need for any other priests, but can go right into God's holy presence because of Jesus.

The things we read in the Old Testament, the Law and the Prophets, are patterns or shadows of the heavenly truths to come. They came to us through the Jewish people, to whom we're eternally grateful. As we begin to understand the Covenants in the Old Testament we see God's incredible plan of Redemption and how it was fulfilled by the coming of the Messiah in the New Testament. There is a wonderful book called 'Christ in all the Scriptures', by A.M. Hodgkin where Jesus is shown in all the Scriptures, not only in the New Testament.

We know that we're all sinners and carry the stain and guilt of the past, but after turning away from our sin we can appreciate what Jesus meant when he said 'You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you (John 15:3, NIV). When we listen to the 'word' of Jesus and understand and receive His truth it's as if we're washed with pure water. There's a wonderful freedom in knowing that our heart is clean and our conscience is pure before Almighty God.

As Isaac Watts wrote in 1709, 'Not all the blood of beasts on Jewish altars slain, could give the guilty conscience peace, or wash away the stain. But Christ the Heavenly Lamb takes all our sins away; a sacrifice of nobler name and richer blood than they'.

Prayer: I stand amazed in Your awesome presence O Lord. I worship and adore You as I see the wonder of Your plan of Redemption for the world. Thank You for opening the way for us to come in. In Jesus' Name. Amen.


Today's Writer : Pam Smith
Pam Smith has a background in art and nursing, has a son and two daughters and a 'ministry to grandchildren.' She has been a friend and helper of Ellel Ministries since l992, and is involved with Healing Through Creativity Courses. As writer of the Shepherd Love Series, she has a passion for the comfort and encouragement that leads people towards enjoying abundant Life in Jesus.

God Versus Logic

God Versus Logic

‘My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,' says the Lord. ‘And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts'.
Isaiah 55:8-9, NLT

If there is one thing that I have come to realize, it is that we should not expect to understand the ways of God! In the above verse God makes it abundantly clear that His ways are not ours. This doesn't just mean that we see things differently but rather that we are unable to even imagine what He does and why!

The big problem for us is that we live in a very logical society. Each decision is worked out with its pro's and con's so that when we've evaluated all the options we can then make a ‘wise' decision. I hate to break the news to you though - this is not always how God works! He doesn't ask us to evaluate the options and follow logic - He simply asks us to follow Him.

I don't know about you, but this is a constant challenge. Everything in me wants to know how, why and, most importantly, when! But the God of the Bible doesn't seem to want to answer these questions and is definitely not willing to be boxed in by the constraints of man's logic.

I wonder what would have happened if David used logic to decide whether or not to fight Goliath; or how Gideon's attack strategy would have looked if logic had been his master; or how many of the Galilean disciples would have left their nets once they'd done a logic analysis of the new business proposition! No doubt these, and many other heroes of the faith, longed to understand why God was asking them to do something that made no logical sense. But the fact is they walked forward anyway, and this enabled God to do the extraordinary through them.

What is God challenging you with today? Is the voice of logic overtaking the leading of the Spirit? Why not ask God today, to help you step out in faith and trust with those things that you know are from Him - even if it doesn't appear to make sense!

Prayer: Help me, Lord, to hear your voice clearly, so that when I know that I have heard your voice I can step out in confidence to follow you. Thank you that your ways are always best. In Jesus' Name, Amen.


Today's Writer : Andy Taylor
Andy Taylor is the Director of Ellel Ministries USA and is a member of the Executive Leadership of Ellel Ministries. He joined the team in 1991 and has served the Lord at Ellel Ministries' Centres in the UK, Australia and now the USA. Andy is married to Cath and they have three boys.

Monday, September 7, 2009

Living Water and Crack-free Cisterns!

Living Water and Crack-free Cisterns!

My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
Jeremiah 2:13, NIV

There were many different things that God's people did when they turned their back on the living God - the list of sins that would be needed to describe all their ungodly activities would have been very long! But when, through the prophet Jeremiah, God began to speak words of rebuke, he reduced all their sinful behaviour into just two categories.

Firstly, they had deserted the only source of living water and secondly, they had tried to generate their own ‘water supply' as a substitute for the living water that flows from the heart of God.

In Israel, underground cisterns were vital for the storage of water for use during the dry season. Without a good cistern people would die through lack of water. A cracked cistern was useless, water would flow into it alright. But the water would all leak away through the cracks so that when the water was most needed, there would be no water there.

God uses this picture to speak to His people about what they had been doing. He uses the need for physical water as a parable of the need for the living spiritual water, which sustains God's people through all the ups and downs of life. The first sin of God's people was to decide that they wanted an alternative source of supply, so instead of constantly coming back to the only source of living water, they did what mankind has tried to do throughout history - they built their own cistern, which embraced everything from idolatry to sexual immorality. They finished up believing that good was bad and bad was good and going in the opposite direction to the ways of God.

God had provided for them everything that was needful for living in covenant relationship with the God who had created the world and everything in it. But pride in the heart of man will always want to build an alternative way, and say it's better than what God provided in the first place. Ultimately this is the foundation for every alternative belief system, false religion or moral order that has ever risen up in the heart of man and practised on the face of the earth.

It's easy to look at the people of Jeremiah's day and ask, “How could they?” But all we need to do is look at our own generation and see that 21st century man is no different. Part of the reason why I believe God put the vision for Ellel 365 into my heart was to ensure that within Ellel Ministries there's a constant flow of living water from God's Word and that people are able to know how to build a cistern in their own lives that is sound and without cracks.

Prayer: Help me, Lord, to only ever want the living water which flows from your heart to the heart of man. And give me the determination to rebuild sound and crack-free cisterns in my own life, so that the Water of Life will always be available to me throughout my days - even in seasons of drought. In Jesus' Name, Amen.


Today's Writer : Peter Horrobin
Peter Horrobin is the Founder and International Director of Ellel Ministries. His cutting edge teaching and compassion for the hurting have been at the heart of Ellel's ministry throughout its 23 years of development. He is the author of numerous books, most notably Healing Through Deliverance and Living the Life. At present he is busy writing material for Ellel 365, the new online training School which has now been launched. To find out more go to www.em365.org.

Worship

Worship

God is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.
John 4:24, NKJ

I was recently challenged about what I meant by ‘worship'. Someone who had listened to me teaching thought that I meant we all had to raise our hands when singing, and wave them about! I assured her that nothing could be further from the truth, even though raising one's hands can be a rightful physical expression of what is going on in our hearts.

Jesus tells the woman at the well that she must worship God in spirit and in truth (emphasis added). Our human spirits are very vulnerable, particularly when we are small, and can be easily damaged, either through rejection or fear, and when this happens we often find it hard to worship because our trust has been shaken.

Some of the most wonderful times of worship I have experienced have been on my own in our garden, gazing at the wonder of God's creation all around me, looking at a flower or watching a bird. I was wandering along a path between ploughed fields in Scotland not long ago, watching the shadows of the clouds, seeing how the sun was falling on the furrows and just praising God for the sheer beauty of it all. I sensed Him whisper to me, “I made it for you to enjoy too.” It was a very special moment. Recently my husband and I have celebrated our Ruby Wedding and the party we had with friends and family was such a wonderfully happy occasion, I couldn't sleep that night, so I spent the time worshipping and thanking God!

Worship can range from quiet contemplation to joyful exuberance, dancing and singing as David did (2 Samuel 6:14), but it's all about the relationship between ourselves and our heavenly Father.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I sometimes find it hard to reach out in trust. I long to draw closer to You, but seem to struggle sometimes. Please help me, Father, to worship you in spirit and in truth. In Jesus' name, Amen.


Today's Writer : Angela Weir
Angela Weir has been associated with Ellel Ministries from the very beginning, first as an associate member of the ministry team and later as an associate teacher. She trained as an actress and after her marriage and move to Cumbria, taught drama in a girls' school.

Your Last Rolo?

Your Last Rolo?

He called his disciples to him and said, "I assure you, this poor widow has given more than all the others have given. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has."
Mark 12:43-44, NLT

If you ever find yourself on 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire', and you get stuck on a particular question, then I might just be the 'phone-a-friend' you always wanted. I'm not talking about questions on World History or Classical Music - my specialty would be chocolate! In my opinion chocolate is one of the most fantastic creations of all time and I have a deep passion for this most wonderful delicacy!

One of my favourite kinds of chocolate is a tube of milk chocolate coated caramels called Rolos. A number of years ago in England, Nestle started a marketing campaign that very quickly became a household phrase - 'Do you love someone enough to give them your last Rolo?' The idea behind the campaign was simple. Are you willing to sacrifice these delicious chocolates? Not your first or your second in the tube, but the one right at the end. Do you love someone that much?

As human beings we all know the overwhelming sense of being loved when someone gives something to us that we know has been costly for the giver. I don't mean just costly in terms of money, but costly in terms of giving of themselves. It speaks to our hearts of such care and appreciation, of how they must value us so dearly!

I wonder why then, as Christians, we so often treat God differently. We slice off our 10%, or we give Him the pieces of our lives that seem reasonable and appropriate - the necessary requirement and no more. We hide behind our knowledge that God is love and wants good things for us. We harden our hearts with reason to hide from doing anything impulsive as an act of pure worship and sacrifice.

God doesn't need our offerings - the price of our relationship with Him has already been paid. But, what if, for a purpose beyond our own understanding, He's asking us to lay down something in our lives. Are our ears open to hearing Him ask this? What if He asks us to hand over some of whatever we hold dearest in our hearts - our time, our comfort, our own security, the respect of others, our hopes and dreams. Will we risk making a fool of ourselves for Him?

Only you know the answers to these questions in your heart. There's no guilt or shame as we're real about where we are at. But I want to challenge you today. Do you love Jesus enough to give Him those deep things in your heart that you hold so dear? Are you willing to lay them down, should He ask you for them? Are you willing to risk hearing Him ask? Do you love Him enough to give Him whatever is your `last Rolo'?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You that because of Your amazing work on the Cross, You paid the ultimate sacrifice. You paid the final price. Lord, thank You that we don't have to earn Your love or relationship with You. But Lord, if there are areas of my life that You do want me to lay down for You, will You give me ears to hear You ask and a heart that's so full of love and worship for You that I will have the courage to do it. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Today's Writer : Cath Taylor
Cath Taylor joined the Ellel Grange team back in 1992. Cath is married to Andy and they have three sons; Jake, Ben and Isaac. Together, Andy and Cath now live in Florida and lead the Ellel USA team.

What Are My Motives?

What Are My Motives?

I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.
Jeremiah 17:10, NLT

When I read this scripture it made me stop and think! What are my secret motives? What do my actions deserve? The truth is, all of us sin, and the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), so what I deserve is death! If we read on in Romans though, we get to the good news; 'the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.' If we're in Christ, He has paid the price for us.

However, we're still accountable for our actions and need to allow Him to show us any secret motives we may have and help us walk in His ways. Then we can let our actions show the love of Christ and His truth to the world.

How often do I do things that might be good, but I do them with the wrong motive? When I do things with the wrong motive, then Christ's love is not compelling me. So I won't be reflecting Christ to the world. Jesus said that people will know we're His disciples by our love for one another. Now, more than ever, the world needs to see true disciples of Christ who love one another.

We need to allow Christ to show us what's in our hearts, so that we can change and become more like Him. Then we can be a light to the world. Let's be compelled by His love to be better witnesses to the truth of God.

Prayer: Lord, please help my words and actions to be motivated by Your love. Thank You for paying the price that I may have eternal life with You. I want to live in a way that will reflect You to all those around me. In Jesus' Name, Amen.


Today's Writer : Tanya Person
Tanya Person and her husband and four children are missionaries to Hungary, and are serving as Assistant Directors for Ellel East Regional Nations, where they travel to Romania, Slovakia, Serbia and other countries teaching Ellel schools. They have a passion to see the church discipled and walking in God's fullness of life and freedom.

Paper Crowns

Paper Crowns

Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises loving-kindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,' declares the LORD.
Jeremiah 9: 23-24, NIV

You may not be shocked to discover that the local Salad & Sushi Bar wouldn't be my kids favourite place to eat! No, they prefer the more 'royal' option... Burger King! First, there's the complimentary toy which always causes the greatest enthusiasm. Secondly, there's the staple 'kid friendly' menu of chicken nuggets, fries and soda. Lastly, to seal it all off, there's the free cardboard gold crown you can wear as you eat your meal!

My kids love nothing more than wearing their crowns. They take turns issuing decrees and commands, and generally revelling in their newly self-appointed position of splendour as they boss each other around.

On returning home and emptying the car of the empty bags and, now discarded, paper crowns, I was reminded of how similar these fake crowns are to the ones we can wear on our own heads as Christians.

How easy it is for us to boast in our own cleverness and works. We can so easily wear crowns (appointed by ourselves) that reflect our service to the Lord, or our faith, or even our humility! Revelling in our own self-appointed splendour, we build ourselves paper thrones on which to sit. Before long we begin to pass cheap judgment and criticism on the lives of the people around us.

I would encourage you today to look at your own heart and ask God to show you any paper crowns you may be wearing. Lay them down at His cross and ask Him to destroy the cheap thrones where you've sat and passed judgment on others.

As we lay down the crowns bought with our own achievements and good deeds, and turn our eyes instead to the One who deserves all glory and praise - only then can we wear the true crown of splendour that He designed. This crown boasts only of who He is!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I'm sorry for the pride and arrogance there has been in my heart. Lord, I'm sorry for the cheap judgements I have made about other people, when only you see the true heart of all men. Help me to take my eyes off myself and instead keep them on You. To You be all the glory and all the praise in my life. In Jesus' Name Amen.

Today's Writer : Cath Taylor
Cath Taylor joined the Ellel Grange team back in 1992. Cath is married to Andy and they have three sons; Jake, Ben and Isaac. Together, Andy and Cath now live in Florida and lead the Ellel USA team.

Answered Prayer - or Coincidence?

Answered Prayer - or Coincidence?

Then he, (Abraham's chief servant) prayed, “O Lord of my master Abraham, give me success today and show kindness to my master Abraham."
Genesis 24:12, NIV

An un-named trusted servant was sent on a mission, a mission that would affect history. He had to go on a long trek of a few hundred miles, on camel, to find a wife for Isaac, Abraham's only son. What a responsibility! The servant had his orders - not a Canaanite woman who worshipped foreign gods, but a woman from Abraham's country and from among his relatives.

The servant had his doubts. ‘What if?' was in his thoughts. So when he arrived at the place where he had been instructed to go, he prayed. He asked God to give him a sign so he would know which young woman God had chosen to become Isaac's wife. The sign he was looking for to indicate the right wife for Isaac wasn't about outward beauty alone, but inner beauty. He didn't have to wait long for his prayer to be answered. Before he had finished praying, Rebekah arrived at the well and he knew without doubt that this was the woman he would take back with him to be Isaac's wife.

God acted in response to prayer. The servant knew this was no coincidence. God was guiding him in a very ordinary way. God guided because he prayed. His response to God's answer to his prayer was to bow his head and worship.

Sometimes what seems like a coincidence is a God appointment. Knowing God's way ahead for our lives often takes time to discern. Nevertheless, God does guide. His ways are clear when our hearts are set upon Him and we lay our lives before Him. The question is how open are we to being led by God? Do we constantly seek the affirmation of other people, or do we put our trust in God believing that He will act in response to our prayers?

Sometimes we have to wait for God to answer prayer, and He doesn't always answer in the way we think He should. However, He does act on the behalf of those who wait for Him and His ways are always best.

Prayer: Thank You, Father, that You are the same as of old. You never change. Thank You that You have purposes for my life that will be fulfilled for Your glory. Please teach me how to pray and wait for You to act. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Today's Writer : Margaret Silvester
Margaret Silvester had a career as a teacher prior to being called into full time Christian Ministry with her husband, David, in 1986. They were involved in establishing a Healing Ministry in the local church and Margaret has a passion to see lost and wounded people found and restored. She and her husband joined the Ellel Ministries teaching and ministry team in 20

107. Murid-murid Yesus – Matius 16:5-12

107. Murid-murid Yesus – Matius 16:5-12
5Pada waktu murid-murid Yesus menyeberang danau, mereka lupa membawa roti. 6Yesus berkata kepada mereka:”Berjaga-jagalah dan waspadalah terhadap ragi orang Farisi dan Saduki.” 7Maka mereka berpikir-pikir dan seorang berkata kepada yang lain: “ Itu dikatakanNYA, karena kita tidak membawa roti. 8Dan ketika Yesus mengetahui apa yg mereka perbincangkan, Ia berkata,”Mengapa kamu memperbincangkan soal tidak ada roti? Hai orang-orang yang kurang percaya?9Belum juga kamu mengerti? Tidak kamu ingat lagi akan lima roti untuk lima ribu orang itu dan berapa bakul roti kamu kumpulkan kemudian?10 Ataupun akan tujuh roti untuk empat ribu orang itu dan berapa bakul kamu kumpulkan kemudian? 11Bagaimana mungkin kamu tidak mengerti bahwa bukan roti yg Kumaksudkan. Aku berkata kepadamu: “Waspadalah terhadap ragi orang Farisi dan Saduki.”12Ketika itu barulah mereka mengerti bahwa bukan maksud-Nya supaya mereka waspada terhadap ragi roti, melainkan terhadap ajaran orang Farisi dan Saduki.
Nah, saudaraku yang kekasih dalam Tuhan, dari ayat-ayat bacaan ini. Ada beberapa hal yang menarik yang akan kita pelajari bersama:
1.Kita pelajari bahwa murid Yesus adalah manusia biasa
Orang yg percaya kepada Yesus adalah orang biasa. Ada banyak orang pikir, kalau saya percaya Yesus, maka saya menjadi orang yg tidak mungkin sakit, saya menjadi orang yg tidak mungkin bermasalah, saya menjadi orang yg tidak pernah gagal, bukan itu persoalannya. Tetapi persoalannya adalah waktu kita percaya kepada Yesus. Waktu kita sakit ada mujizat Tuhan yg menyembuhkannya, waktu kita jatuh ada Kuasa Tuhan yg mengangkatnya, waktu kita gagal ada pengharapan dalam Yesus yg memberikan masa depan yg indah bagi orang yg percaya. Ingat, ayat ke-5 berkata,” 5Pada waktu murid-murid Yesus menyebrang danau, mereka lupa membawa roti.” Mereka manusia biasa, itu sebabnya mereka bisa lupa. Tetapi, bukan roti yg dituntut Tuhan, bukanlah kesempurnaan yg dituntut oleh Kristus, tapi kesungguhan daripada mereka.
Ini yg perlu dimengerti, bahwa jangan engkau bersungut-sungut hanya karena engkau gagal. Persoalannya bukan karena kita ikut Yesus kita tidak mungkin gagal. Tapi persoalannya, kita percaya bahwa di balik kegagalan sekalipun kita bisa melihat mujizat Allah yg membela orang yg berharap kepadaNYA. Bukan berarti bila kita percaya Yesus, kita tidak bisa difitnah orang, bukan itu maksud saya. Tapi, waktu anda difitnah orang, Allah turut bekerja sama untuk mendatangkan kebaikan bagi semua orang yg mengasihi dia. Bukan berarti jadi pengikut Yesus, saudara tidak lagi menghadapi masalah. Tapi waktu saudara menghadapi masalah, saudara lalu bersungut-sungut, bukan itu maksudnya! Murid Yesus adalah manusia biasa yg bisa menghadapi persoalan, manusia biasa yg bisa menghadapi kekecewaan, kita bisa menghadapi sakit penyakit. Tetapi, di dalam Yesus kita punya jawaban. Di dalam Yesus kita punya mujizat, di dalam Yesus kita punya jalan keluar, haleluya!
Itu sebabnya, mungkin engkau sedang menderita sakit, mungkin engkau sedang menghadapi kegagalan, kekecewaan dan masalah. Jadi pengikut Yesus bisa saja mengalami seperti itu, karena murid-murid Yesuspun mereka hanya manusia biasa. Tetapi ingat, di dalam Yesus kita mendapat pertolonganNYA, haleluya!
2. Sebagai manusia biasa, mereka bisa terpengaruh
Itu sebabnya Yesus ajarkan hati-hati dengan ragi orang Farisi dan Saduki. Mereka bertanya,”apa maksudNYA.” Murid-murid Yesus juga tidak mengerti. Mereka pikir Yesus berbicara mengenai roti yg ketinggalan. Mereka terkejut ketika Yesus bilang “Tidak kamu ingat lagi akan lima roti itu untuk lima ribu orang dan berapa bakul roti kamu kumpulkan kemudian? Murid-murid Yesus tidak mengerti, waktu Yesus berbicara tentang ragi. Ragi itu yg membuat adonan mengembang. Roti akan dicampurkan dengan ragi yg membuat adonan itu mengembang. Tapi, apa yg terjadi? Sebenarnya itu kosong, karena ragi hanya membuat roti mengembang, tetapi inti dari adonan itu kosong.
Itu sebabnya Yesus mempertanyakan kemurnian mereka, itu sebabnya Yesus mempersoalkan mereka dan berkata,”kalau mereka tidak hati-hati, kalau mereka tidak dituntun oleh Roh Kudus, tidak berjalan dengan Kuasa Roh Kudus, tapi mereka hanya berjalan dengan kekuatan mereka sehari-hari.” Yesus kembali mengingatkan “hati-hati.” Sebagai manusia biasa, kita bisa terpengaruh. Jangan bilang,”oh..saya sudah ikut Tuhan, saya tidak akan terpengaruh dengan kesenangan dunia.” Yesus berkata,”Roh memang penurut, tetapi daging lemah.”
Tak seorangpun yg kebal terhadap dosa. Bapa/ibu/saudaraku, jangan coba menyerempet di jalan dosa, dan bilang,”oh..saya tidak apa-apa nonton film-film biasa, ohh..saya tidak akan terpengaruh.” Ada orang yg bilang.”walaupun saya pacaran di tempat yg gelap, ohh...saya tidak akan terpengaruh! Ada orang bilang,”ohh...bila saya bergaul dengan orang yg minum mabuk, saya tidak akan terpengaruh!” Bila saya bergaul dengan orang yg suka judi, saya tidak akan terpengaruh! Alkitab berkata,”pergaulan yg buruk akan menghancurkan kebiasaan yg baik.” Itu sebabnya Yesus bilang,”hati-hati dengan ragi orang Farisi.” Kenapa? Karena, kelihatannya adonannya mengembang, kelihatannya saudara masih tetap ada di gereja, dan bilang,”oh..saya masih suka baca Alkitab dan berdoa.” Tetapi sebenarnya iman dan hati saudara kosong, dan tak lama kemudian saudara akan terpengaruh dengan jalan orang Fasik.
Jadi ingat, murid Yesus hanya manusia biasa, dan sebagai manusia biasa bisa saja terpengaruh. Itu sebabnya Yesus tantang, itu sebabnya Yesus tekankan buat mereka tentang kemurnian, karena kemurnian adalah bagian yg sangat penting dalam Kekristenan. Dunia saat ini sangat sulit untuk menjumpai yg murni. Di mana-mana ada yg imitasi, di mana-mana ada yg palsu. Dunia ini begitu canggih, dunia ini begitu modern sekarang. Sehingga apa yg terjadi? Imitasi dan palsu, sulit sekali dibedakan dengan yg asli. Ada banyak orang yg bilang sekarang,”aduh...tas ibu itu sebenarnya palsu/imitasi, lho! Tapi, tasnya ibu itu mirip sekali dengan yang asli. Kenapa? Karena dunia ini begitu canggih dan modern, sehingga dapat memalsukan dan mengimitasikan sesuatu, sehingga hasilnya mirip sekali dengan yg asli.
Tetapi ingat, Allah tahu persis membedakan mana yg murni dan mana yg tidak murni! Itu sebabnya Alkitab berkata,”pekerjaanmu akan diuji melalui api.” Dan api yg akan memurnikan segala sesuatunya. Ayub berkata,”waktu Allah menguji aku, aku keluar seperti emas murni di hadapan Allah.”Alkitab berkata,”sebagian ada yang terdiri dari emas, perak dan batu permata, sebagian lagi terdiri dari kayu dan jerami. Yang 1 tidak habis terbakar dan yg lain habis terbakar.”Karena perak dan emas semakin dibakar, semakin menjadi murni. Tetapi kayu dan jerami, semakin dibakar, habislah seluruhnya. Yesus ajarkan bahwa kemurnian adalah merupakan bagian yg sangat penting dalam Kekristenan. Mungkin saudara berkata,”bahwa saya tidak bisa berkotbah.” Tetapi, saya mau beritahu bahwa saudara dapat menyenangkan hati Tuhan dengan hidup murni di hadapan Tuhan. Mungkin saudara berkata,”saya tidak punya suara bagus sehingga dapat nyanyi dan bergabung dengan anggota koor di gereja.” Tetapi saya mau beritahu bagaimana saudara bisa menyenangkan hati Tuhan, waktu hati saudara murni di hadapan Tuhan.
Mungkin saudara berkata,”saya bukan orang yg bisa tampil untuk mengorganisir sesuatu.” Tapi, saya mau beritahu bagaimana anda bisa menyenangkan hati Tuhan? Jalannya sederhana, yaitu:dengan memiliki hati yg murni di hadapan Tuhan. Ada banyak orang pintar di dalam gereja, tetapi seringkali hatinya tidak murni. Ada banyak orang kaya dalam gereja, tapi sayang hatinya tidak murni, ada banyak orang yg aktif di gereja tapi sayang hatinya tidak murni. Tuhan membutuhkan orang-orang yg hatinyg murni.
Itu sebabnya Alkitab bilang,”Tuhan dekat dengan orang-orang yg hancur hatinya dan remuk jiwanya.” Kenapa? Karena orang yg hancur hatinya dan remuk jiwanya adalah mereka yg murni di hadapan Tuhan, mereka adalah orang yg sungguh-sungguh, bukan untuk dilihat dan dipuji oleh manusia, tetapi mereka adalah orang yg tulus untuk menyenangkan hati Tuhan. Itu sebabnya ingat, murid Yesuspun manusia biasa, yg bisa menghadapi masalah, persoalan, kesedihan. Tapi janganlah kita menjadi larut, karena kita masih memiliki Yesus yg merupakan sumber kekuatan kita.
Sebagai manusia biasa, bisa saja kita terpengaruh, oleh sebab itu kita harus hati-hati, karena Roh memang Penurut, tetapi daging lemah! Dan yg terpenting adalah bukan berapa banyak yg telah kita perbuat untuk Tuhan, tapi berapa murninya kita di hadapan Tuhan. Saya mau berdoa untuk saudara, mungkin saudara sudah bertahun-tahun menjadi orang Kristen, tapi hati saudara tidak murni. Hati saudara telah dipenuhi oleh perzinahan, dan berbagai sifat/karakter, cara hidup yg tidak berkenan terhadap Tuhan. Maukah saudara berkata pada Tuhan,”Tuhan, murnikan aku, begitu banyak hal yg belum beres dalam hidupku.” Atau mungkin sedang menghadapi masalah dan bertanya, kenapa saya mesti menghadapinya?” Dan hari ini saya mau beritahu bahwa Yesus adalah sumber kekuatan saudara, jangan takut karena Roh yg ada di dalam saudara lebih besar daripada Roh yg ada di dunia ini.”
Engkau sakitkah, engkau berbeban beratkah? Yesus bisa tolong saudara, engkau sedang di ambang perceraiankah? Engkau sedang kecewa dan tidak karuankah, saya mau berdoa buat saudara, saudara cukup taruh tangan anda di dada, buka hati saudara dan kita berdoa:Bapa dalam Nama Yesus, hamba berdoa untuk setiap pendengar sekalian dengan beban, dengan masalah, dengan pergumulan hidupnya, dan hamba berdoa sekarang “Dalam Nama Yesus kerjakan mujizat, kerjakan kuasaMU. Mereka yg sakit, mereka yg berbeban berat dan hatinya tidak murni, dalam Nama Yesus biar darah Yesus yg memurnikan, api Kristus mulai menyucikan, mulai membentuk, agar serupa/segambar dengan Kristus dan menyenangkan hatiMU, Kerjakan berkat/mujizat dan kuasaMU, agar mereka boleh lihat pertolongan Tuhan, haleluya, amin!

106. Tanda-tanda Kuasa Allah –Matius 16:1-4

106. Tanda-tanda Kuasa Allah –Matius 16:1-4
1Kemudian datanglah orang-orang Farisi dan Saduki hendak mencobai Yesus. Mereka meminta supaya IA memperlihatkan suatu tanda dari Sorga kepada mereka. 2Tetapi jawab Yesus:”Pada petang hari karena langit merah, kamu berkata,’hari akan cerah, 3dan pada pagi hari karena langit merah dan redup, kamu berkata: Hari buruk.’ Rupa langit kamu tahu membedakannya tetapi tanda-tanda jaman tidak. 4Angkatan yang jahat dan tidak setia ini menuntut suatu tanda. Tetapi kepada mereka tidak akan diberikan tanda selain tanda nabi Yunus. Lalu Yesus meninggalkan mereka dan pergi.”
Nah, saudaraku yang kekasih dalam Tuhan, ini menarik untuk kita bahas dalam program kita ini, yaitu tentang tanda. Karena orang Farisi dan Saduki sedang mencobai Yesus, mereka meminta supaya IA memperlihatkan suatu tanda dari Sorga kepada mereka. Dan pertanyaan ini selalu menjadi pertanyaan yg dibuat terhadap Yesus. Sampai hari ini orang masih bertanya kepada kita,”Kalau Yesus betul Tuhan, kenapa orang Kristen itu percaya Tuhannya tiga.”
Selalu, pertanyaan ini yg diajukan. Kalau Yesus betul Tuhan kenapa IA disalib? Kalau Yesus betul Tuhan, kenapa IA mau dilahirkan dari rahim Maria dan mau jadi manusia? Tetap saja ada pertanyaan yg meragukan bahwa Yesus itu Tuhan. Bahkan ketika Yesus dicobai, setan datang kepada Dia dan berkata,”Jika Engkau Anak Allah...”Saudaraku, pertanyaannya,”tidak tahukah setan bahwa Yesus anak Allah? Jawabannya adalah setan tahu persis bahwa Yesus itu adalah Allah sendiri. Tetapi, dia mulai mencobai dan meragukan Yesus dengan mulai berkata,”Jika Engkau Anak Allah.”
Nah, saudaraku tanda-tanda ini yg akan selalu diminta orang dari kita sebagai orang percaya. Tetapi, yg saya pelajari dari ayat-ayat bacaan ini:
1.Tanda-tanda Kuasa Allah bukanlah tanda-tanda jasmani
Dengan lain kata, kalau orang hanya mau mengerti dengan kekuatannya sendiri. Orang mau mengerti dengan kemampuan berpikirnya sendiri. Orang tidak mungkin bisa mengakui bahwa Yesus itu Tuhan, kenapa? Karena, Yesus itu Tuhan yg bukan dapat dimengerti oleh manusia tetapi yang hanya dapat dialami. Itu sebabnya lepas daripada percaya atau tidak percaya, Yesus itu tetap Tuhan. Lepas dari saudara memuji atau mengutuk Dia, Yesus tetap Tuhan! Saudara mau menolak atau menerima Dia, mencaci maki Dia, mengejek Dia, Yesus tetap Tuhan!
Yesus bukan hanya Tuhan. Saya mau beritahu saudara, bahwa Yesus akan datang kembali sebagai Imam Mahdi, sebagai Hakim yg Adil untuk menghakimi dunia ini. Saudara mau percaya/menolak/memuji atau mengutuk, atau berkata,”Yesus hanya manusia biasa/Yesus hanya nabi.” Tapi, saya mau beritahu buat saudara, “Yesus adalah Tuhan!” Tanda dan kuasa Allah bukan tanda-tanda jasmani. Itu sebabnya, kadang kala kita tidak bisa mengerti dan memahami.
Tetapi waktu kita buka hati dan percaya. Itu berarti dengan Roh kita menerima, maka Roh Kudus akan memberi pengertian buat kita. Bahwa Yesus bukan hanya salah satu Tuhan atau bagian dari Allah, tetapi Yesus adalah Allah sendiri, kuasa Allah sendiri, yg mengerjakan mujizat dan kemenangan buat hidup kita. Jadi ingat tanda-tanda Kuasa Allah bukan tanda-tanda jasmani.
2. Tanda-tanda Kuasa Allah adalah tanda-tanda dari Firman Allah
Berarti kita harus memahami, kita harus mengerti Firman Allah. Sehingga kita dapat mengenal benar bahwa Yesus itu adalah Tuhan. Dikatakan pada ayat yg ke-4Angkatan yang jahat dan tidak setia ini menuntut suatu tanda. Tetapi kepada mereka tidak akan diberikan tanda selain tanda nabi Yunus. Lihat saudaraku, Yesus memberikan tanda dari Firman. Mengapa? Karena nabi Yunus ada dalam Firman Tuhan yang berbicara bagaimana ia berada di dalam perut ikan dan akhirnya dimuntahkan. Ini berbicara mengenai Yesus yg ada di dalam perut bumi yg akhirnya bangkit dari kematian.
Tetapi hal yg menarik, Yesus tidak menjelaskannya secara terbuka, tetapi Yesus berkata”Tidak ada tanda lain selain tanda nabi Yunus.” Tidak ada penjelasan apapun mengenai nabi Yunus. Dengan lain kata Yesus mau berbicara,”kalau kamu mau memahami Kuasa Allah, lihat Firman Allah, kembali pada Firman Allah, kembali pada Alkitab, kembali pada Kebenaran! Kita tidak bisa memahami Kuasa Allah hanya dengan kira-kira. Kita tidak bisa memahami kuasa Allah hanya dengan kepandaian kita.
Itu sebabnya banyak orang yang stress, bahkan tidak sedikit yg mundur dari Tuhan. Karena berpikir, koq saya sudah pergi ke gereja, tapi saya selalu menghadapi masalah. Saya sudah hidup baik, tetapi tetap difitnah orang. Tetapi saudaraku, bila kita mempelajari Alkitab, saudara mengerti makna Alkitab, makna Firman Tuhan, saudara tahu bahwa kadang kala hal itu diijinkan Tuhan, tetapi dengan maksud kebaikan bagi setiap orang percaya. Jadi tanda-tanda Allah adalah tanda dari Firman Allah itu sendiri.
Itu sebabnya kita perlu untuk rajin baca Alkitab, kita perlu untuk berada dalam persekutuan. Bila anda tidak suka baca Alkitab, Kekristenan anda perlu diragukan, karena kekristenan kita tidak dapat dipisahkan dari Firman Allah. Alkitab bilang;”Lewat Firman Allah, iman kita dikuatkan dan dibangunkan.” Iman kita dibangunkan bukan dari berapa lama kita iring Tuhan. Iman kita dibangunkan bukan berdasarkan pada berapa banyak cerita dari Alkitab yg kita mengerti. Iman kita dibangunkan pada saat kita berada dalam persekutuan dengan Firman Allah.
3. Tanda yg kita percaya adalah mati dan bangkit bersama Yesus
Cerita tentang Yunus bercerita tentang Yunus yang ada dalam perut ikan. Sebagian orang berkata,”Yunus tidak mati.” Sebagian lagi berkata,”Yunus mati.” Tetapi, di dalam kitab Yunus sendiri berkata,”dari duni orang mati, aku berseru kepadamu.” Kalau saudara pelajari dalam Firman Tuhan, Yunus 2:2, dikatakan,”Dalam kesusahanku pada Tuhan dan IA menjawabku dari tengah-tengah dunia orang mati, aku berteriak dan Engkau dengarkan suaraku.
”Berarti Yunus mau jelaskan bahwa ia berada dalam masa kesusahan sampai akhirnya Yunus berada di tengah-tengah dunia orang mati. Berarti, Yunus mati! Berarti tanda bagi kita orang yg percaya, yg pertama adalah:kita harus mati bersama Yesus, bukan berarti fisiknya yg mati, tetapi perbuatan lama kita, ikatan dosa kita, keinginan-keinginan kita yg lama, pengaruh-pengaruh dunia kita yg lama. Itulah yg harus kita bersihkan dan sucikan. Dalam bahasa Alkitab,”Kita harus mati.” Artinya sekali lagi, bukan tubuh kita yg mati, tetapi keinginan-keinginan daging, agar kita dapat bangkit bersama Yesus.
Paulus berkata,”Aku hidup, namun bukan Aku lagi yg hidup namun Kristus yang hidup di dalam Aku.” Waktu kita menjadi orang percaya, maka tandanya sudah jelas, yg lalu sudah berlalu, Paulus berkata,”Aku melupakan apa yg ada di belakangku, dan mengarahkan diri kepada apa yg ada di hadapanku.” Kenapa saudara lemah, kenapa saudara sering kali putus asa? Karena saudara terlalu banyak melihat ke belakang, saudara terlalu banyak melihat kegagalan saudara, saudara terlalu banyak melihat masa-masa kegelapan saudara.
Tetapi hari ini mulai bilang,”saya hari ini pasti berubah bersama Tuhan.” Kita pasti akan dipulihkan bersama Tuhan. Ingat, Yesus adalah Tuhan! Tanda-tanda Kuasa Allah bukan tanda-tanda jasmani. Tanda-tanda Kuasa Allah berasal dari Firman Allah yg mengerjakan mujizat, yang akhirnya engkau mati bersama Yesus, dan bangkit kembali bersama Yesus. Dan sebagaimana Yesus yg bangkit, Yesus yg menang. Dan seperti saudara yg dibangkitkan bersama Yesus, maka saudara akan hidup berkemenangan. Sudah terlampau lama engkau diikat oleh masalah. Sudah terlampau lama engkau diikat oleh dosa. Sudah terlampau lama engkau diikat oleh segala kesenangan-kesenangan dunia.
Tapi, hari ini saya mau beritahu, Yesus mengasihi saudara! Yesus punya rencana yg indah buat hidup saudara. Itu sebabnya, biarkan lewat program ini Tuhan menjamah hidup saudara dan beri kekuatan buat saudara. Saudaraku, Yesus cinta saudara, Yesus ingin buat tanda-tanda mujizat dalam hidup saudara, banyak orang bingung, kenapa dan bagaimana? Orang-orang Farisi dan Saduki bertanya-tanya tentang itu, tetapi waktu kita hidup dan mengenal Kuasa kebangkitanNYA, kita akan melupakan apa yg sudah terjadi dan kita berjalan bersama Yesus yg akan selalu menyertai kita sampai kesudahannya. Jika saudara mau didoakan secara khusus, saudara boleh tundukkan kepala dan saya mau berdoa:
“Bapa, dalam Nama Yesus, Engkau lihat kita sekalian yg berbeban berat, hamba berdoa buat kami sekalian yg saat ini mungkin sedang bingung untuk mengambil keputusan. Mereka yg selama ini mungkin mengiring Yesus, tetapi tidak punya kepastian bahwa Yesus adalah Tuhan. Seringkali kami bingung, berapa Allah yg kami sembah? Tetapi, hari ini kami mengerti bahwa Yesus adalah satu-satunya Tuhan,. Kami hanya percaya kepada satu Allah yg hidup yg Maha kuasa, yaitu Yesus Kristus Tuhan. Itu sebabnya hamba berdoa dalam Nama Yesus, setiap kami yg bingung, setiap kami yg bimbang, Bapa engkau jamah, agar Roh Kudus menjamah kami dan kami memperoleh Kebenaran, di dalam Nama Yesus hamba berdoa, terima kasih Tuhan, haleluya, Amin!