Still Searching?

Searching near and searching far,
but only for the things that are,
still searching...

Searching highs and searching lows,
but only where the world goes,
still searching...

Searching for a better life,
but only for a different wife,
still searching...

Searching for a better man,
but only for one better than,
still searching...

Searching for a miracle,
but only in the physical,
still searching...

Searching life more wonderful,
but not a life more meaningful,
still searching...

Searching for the real things,
but only through life's sinful stings,
still searching...

Searching for a sacrifice,
but only at a cheaper price,
still searching...

Searching for it still today,
but only for the easy way,
still searching...

Searching leaven or unleavened,
but only selfishly for Heaven,
still searching...

Searching for His Holy ground,
searching always, never found,
still searching...

Searching? We can anyplace -
but only God still offers grace.
Stop searching.

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The Gift of Salvation

Why would somebody reject a free gift? Maybe because they are skeptical and don't believe someone would give them something for free. But we all can receive a free gift, the gift of salvation; the free gift of salvation is offered to whosoever believes the righteousness of God which he freely gives to everyone who has faith. GOD's offers the gift of salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ. Salvation is a gift of God. Jesus Christ is the only way to obtain it by grace through faith. It is promise and is available for whosoever.

John 3:16 (NKJV) 

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

We are all under the power of sin and death without any righteous of our own. All sin has its consequences. In the words of Paul, "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23).

Do you know who the hardest cases are that would reject a free gift? Not thieves, adulterers, murderers, homosexuals, and not even blasphemers. The hardest cases for God to save are the good people who are so self-righteous they will not confess themselves to be sinners in need of a Savior.

This is one of Satan's greatest lies he says you don't need salvation, because there is nothing wrong with being a human being, and you don't deserve eternal punishment just because you were born a human being. Don't believe the lies of Satan.

How can salvation be received as a free gift? There is only one way to God's "salvation" and that is through Jesus Christ. If anyone tells you otherwise, they are liars. Jesus is the only way!

Hell is not a party place; it is a place you would not want to be. It is only in heaven where you will be able to talk to your love ones and be with them forever. There are so many people heading to hell's direction with no thought in their mind of the consequences of hell. We live in a society that pretty much lets you do your own thing if it makes you feel good; and that's a lie of Satan to keep people from knowing God and having eternal life. It's hard to understand why someone would want to go to hell, but I guess we were all in that situation once; that we thought life was meant to be lived to its fullest on this earth, and had no time for God.

Heaven is a place of rejoicing; hell is the place of torment. You choose which direction you want to be heading in your life, nobody can force you one way or the other. God loves you and doesn't wants to see you on the road to destruction, but that's your choice "oh how it hurts God" when you reject the gift of salvation.

The Gift of Salvation

If you're ready to know Jesus for yourself today then please repeat this simple prayer from your heart:

"Lord Jesus, I need you.

I repent from all of my sins

And I now accept the gift of salvation

Jesus, I invite you to take your place as Lord of my life from this moment forward.

Show me you're Glory and change me today.

In Jesus name I pray.

Amen"

If you receive the gift of salvation this is the beginning of your new life in Christ. You will be branded from your friends and loved ones as an outsider. People don't want to be around Christians because they feel guilty about their own sinful life, but are reluctant to change their ways. Being a Christian may be a rocky road, but oh how good the end results will be; when we get to see all our loved ones that have gone ahead of us to that eternal life with Jesus.

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Shall the prey be taken away from the mighty .. Isaiah 49: 24-25

God gave me an insight to this subject through my own personal life experiences. Many are times God reveals the plans of the enemies to me even when am seemingly guilty. Through revelations by His grace He summons my conspirators before me revealing where, when and how they plan to perform their enterprise including every individual involved and the utterances they make.

This gift has always been my empowerment to reinforce against the attacks of the adversaries, I thanks God for His grace. But the question I tend to ask is this; why did God never allow me to suffer the consequence since I was somehow guilty? There and then He reminds me of this scripture 'Shall the prey be taken away from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered? But thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee and I will save thy children.' Isaiah 49: 24-25.

If you are God's delight, His chosen and His sort-out, He will never keep you in the dark regarding anything that happens in your life and around you. While He is still in the business of working out your perfection in preparation for that ultimate assignment He builds an edge fire round about you such that you are untouchable by the evil ones.

However while God is working on us and preparing us, we should discipline ourselves to work in obedience and holiness. We should not abuse His grace such that the Holy Spirit does not get frustrated and depart from us. 

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Forgiveness

A letter written to a man on death row by the Father of the man whom the man on death row had killed:

You are probably surprised that I, of all people, am writing a letter to you, but I ask you to read it in its entirety and consider its request seriously. As the Father of the man whom you took part in murdering, I have something very important to say to you.

I forgive you. With all my heart, I forgive you. I realize it may be hard for you to believe, but I really do. At your trial, when you confessed to your part in the events that cost my Son his life and asked for my forgiveness, I immediately granted you that forgiving love from my heart. I can only hope you believe me and will accept my forgiveness.

But this is not all I have to say to you. I want to make you an offer -- I want you to become my adopted child. You see, my Son who died was my only child, and I now want to share my life with you and leave my riches to you. This may not make sense to you or anyone else, but I believe you are worth the offer. I have arranged matters so that if you will receive my offer of forgiveness, not only will you be pardoned for your crime, but you also will be set free from your imprisonment, and your sentence of death will be dismissed. At that point, you will become my adopted child and heir to all my riches.

I realize this is a risky offer for me to make to you -- you might be tempted to reject my offer completely -- but I make it to you without reservation.

Also, I realize it may seem foolish to make such an offer to one who cost my Son his life, but I now have a great love and an unchangeable forgiveness in my heart for you.

Finally, you may be concerned that once you accept my offer you may do something to cause you to be denied your rights as an heir to my wealth. Nothing could be further from the truth. If I can forgive you for your part in my Son's death, I can forgive you for anything. I know you never will be perfect, but you do not have to be perfect to receive my offer. Besides, I believe that once you have accepted my offer and begin to experience the riches that will come to you from me, that your primary (though not always) response will be gratitude and loyalty.

Some would call me foolish for my offer to you, but I wish for you to call me your Father.

Sincerely,

The Father of Jesus

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Heaven's Grocery Store

I was walking down life's highway a long time ago.
One day I saw a sign that read, "Heaven's Grocery Store".
As I got a little closer the door came open wide,
and when I came to myself I was standing inside.
I saw a host of Angels, they were standing everywhere.
One handed me a blanket and said, "My Child shop with care".
Everything a Christian needs is in that grocery store,
and all you can't carry, come back the next day for more.

First, I got some Patience, Love was in the same row.
Further down was Understanding, needed everywhere you go.
I got a box or two of Wisdom, a bag or two of Faith,
I just couldn't miss the Holy Ghost, it was all over the place.
I stopped to get some Strength and Courage to help me run this race,
but then my blanket was getting full, and I remembered I needed Grace.

I didn't forget Salvation, which like the others was free,
so I tried to get enough of that to save both you and me.
Then I started to the counter to pay my grocery bill,
for I thought I had everything to do my master's will.
As I went up the aisle, I saw Prayer and had to put it in,
for I knew when I stepped outside, I would run right into sin.
Peace and Joy were plentiful, they were on the last shelf.
Song and Praises were hanging near, so I just helped myself.

Then I said to the Angel, "How much do I owe"?
The Angel smiled and said, "Just take them everywhere you go."
Again, I politely asked "How much do I really owe?"
The Angel smiled again and said, "My Child, Jesus Paid Your Bill A Long Time Ago."

by Ron DeMarco
Copyright 1990

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Three Men, Three Crosses

Three men with three different stories. Three different lives.
But, the same physical death. Ripped flesh with blood, sweat, and tears.
A purposely unhurried and brutal method of dying.

Three men hanging on three crosses.
angst, anguish, agony.

The man in the middle is named Jesus. Son. Brother. Cousin. Friend. Jew. Carpenter. Teacher. Rabbi. Son of man. Son of God. Messiah. Savior.

The man on the right is not named.
criminal, crook, convict.
What was his crime? Thieve, murderer, lawbreaker?

The man on the left is not named.
criminal, crook, convict.
What was his crime? Thieve, murderer, lawbreaker?

The man on the right admitted his guilt.
The man on the left bragged of his guilt.
The man in the middle forgave their guilt.

The man on the right defended the innocence of Jesus.
The man on the left insulted the innocence of Jesus.
The man in the middle forgave their guilt.

Three men hanging on three crosses.
Two men went to Paradise.

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9 Relationship Red Flags - What Not to Overlook, Excuse, Or Deny

These 9 Relationship Red Flags have the potential of being overlooked, excused, or denied. All are reasons to stop, look, and listen to what is going on and carefully consider whether or not you should continue in the relationship. All have the potential of desensitizing you to their affects the longer you are in the relationship.

Emotional reactivity: Your partner creates drama and turmoil frequently by being upset, sensitive, moody, angry, and reactive over things that aren't really a big deal to you. As a result of this emotional reactivity, you find yourself walking on eggshells and afraid to be yourself.

Excesses that bother you: Anything your partner does to excess that bothers you now has the potential to bother you more later on. It is even worse if the person is defensive about the issue when you bring it up.

Lying: If you have caught your partner in lies, you can assume there will be more lies in the future, unless the issue underlying the lies is resolved.

Control: Your partner tries to control who you see, what you do, and how you live your life. At first, this may feel caring, but the underlying issues behind control are deep and lead to abuse later on.

Emotional/verbal/physical abuse: Your partner uses manipulative and demeaning tactics such as put downs, minimizing, ridicule, name calling, discounting, hostile anger, threats, withdrawal, and physical violence.

Problems in your partner's personal life: Whether it is with children, finances, business, family, friends, work, physical health, mental health, or sexual problems, these will become your problem(s), if the relationship continues.

Self-doubt: You find yourself questioning yourself and wondering if you crazy, overreacting, oversensitive, mean, or selfish, because your partner is telling you that you are the problem in the relationship.

Inability to resolve conflict: Your partner is unable to resolve conflict and unwilling to learn how to communicate better.

Hoping for change: You are already telling yourself that your partner needs to change. This means you see the red flags but are willing to convince yourself that they will go away rather than lose the relationship.

Proverbs 14:15 says that "a prudent man gives thought to his steps." These 9 Relationship Red Flags are there to protect you. If you are dating, all you have to do is to decide not to continue the relationship. If you are married, it is more complicated, but nevertheless, these areas need your attention in order for your life to get better.

Relationship Prayer: Help me give thought to my steps by paying attention to the warning signs that I see.

Relationship Challenge: Pay attention to the message that these 9 Red Flags in your relationship are giving you. 

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How To Find and Christian Man and Get Married in 2012

When I was single, I sometimes wished I had what Cinderella had--a fairy godmother--to help me find a mate. As I continued to look, however, I began to realize that what I really needed was what Abraham and his son Isaac had in the Bible . . . a fairy God's Servant.

In their case, Abraham had a servant whom he sent on amission: "Go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac" (Genesis 24:4). This servant in turn went on a journey: "[He] made his way to the town of Nahor" (Genesis 24:10) and prayed about what he was looking for: "Oh Lord, grant me success today" (Genesis 24:12). Lo and behold, with God's help, he actually did find the girl: "Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came up with her jar on her shoulder" (Genesis 24:15). (Author's note: Just in case you're wondering about the jar, she was at a well, getting water for the camels. What can you say? This was back in the old days.) The servant then vetted the girl:"Whose daughter are you?" (Genesis 24:23) and then even got the girl to go back with him to marry Isaac: "So they called Rebekah and asked her, 'Will you go with this man?' 'I will go,' she said" (Genesis 24:57).

This fairy God's Servant had it going on!

Now, you may ask what Isaac was doing while all this was going on . . . meditating!

Genesis 24:63 says that "he [Isaac] went out to the field one evening to meditate, and as he looked up, he saw camels [here come those camels again] approaching. Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac." Author's note: How romantic!

In my own tale, my fairy God's Servant would be off doing his work while I would be sitting at Starbucks, coffee in hand, pondering the universe. Suddenly, I would look out the window when he, "The One," would approach in a Mustang convertible. He would be nicely dressed, clean shaven, and smelling great. He would also be everything I ever wanted and needed in a man (if my fairy God's Servant had done his work well). We would then drive off into the sunset with a ring in hand and a date in mind.

In the real world, fairy godmothers are in short supply, and fairy God's Servants are even rarer, so the following tips may help you as you move from fairy-tale fiction into real life.

Look Beyond . . . Your Church

Notice that I didn't say look beyond "The Church," as we do have a mandate from God to marry a fellow believer (1 Corinthians 7:39), but there are usually more believers in the world beyond the address of your church building. I know many single Christian women who sit in a church year after year and don't look beyond the four walls of their sanctuary for a man. These women may be missing out on opportunities. 

In my case, I found (or was found by, if you like) my husband at a conference. A friend of mine encouraged me. . . "There will be single men there who believe the same as you do." I went to that conference open to the possibilities and walked away with a friend, who turned into a boyfriend, who turned into a husband. I had spent many years stayin' and prayin', and now I was lookin' and findin'. Trust God to direct your path; just make yourself get on a path!

Look Beyond . . . Your Faith

Notice that I didn't say look beyond "faith," since we need to be equally yoked (2 Corinthians 6:14). But sometimes we need to look beyond the things that may have bruised our faith,such as having been single for such a long time or just not seeing any men around us who would be good mates. This also includes being hurt in past relationships. The Bible says, "Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" (Hebrews 11:10). Also, as saints, "We walk by faith and not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7). God wants us to pray and depend on Him to find him (your man). If we knew how everything was going to work out, would we need faith? Think about it. 

Look Beyond . . . Your Self

Look beyond what you can do by yourself to help you find a mate. Start a prayer chain with others who are looking for mates. Seek guidance from long-married couples. Ask others if they will look for you!

A friend once told me that resources plus relationships lead to results. You are looking for a strong, loving partner who loves you. Asking for help takes a desire to get what you want (faster and quicker) and vulnerability (I can't, or don't, want to go it alone).

Remember, "Seek, and you shall find" (Matthew 7:7). Ask others to seek for you and you may find it more quickly. 

Karen Lightbourne is a former Capitol Hill radio journalist for American Urban Radio Networks. She is the author of the upcoming book, Someday My Barack Will Come - Building Up Your "Yes I Can" Get Married Faith. www.somedaymybarackwillcome.org

Article Source: FaithWriters.com http://www.faithwriters.com and FaithReaders.com http://www.faithreaders.com

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CERMIN ALLAH

Ayat : 2 Korintus 3

Mendengar "Just Do It" kita teringat pada sepatu olahraga Nike. Mendengar "Enak Dibaca dan Perlu" kita teringat pada majalah berita mingguan Tempo. Mendengar "Life Is Good" kita teringat pada produk eletronik LG. Kita mengenal produk-produk yang diiklankan, tetapi biasanya tidak tahu orang atau agen periklanan yang mencetuskan kalimat pengingat yang mewakili produk tersebut.

Seperti peran agen periklanan bagi produk iklannya, demikianlah kira-kira peran kita bagi Allah. Paulus menggambarkannya sebagai "mencerminkan kemuliaan Tuhan". Dalam terjemahan lain, misalnya versi King James, dikatakan "memandang kemuliaan Tuhan seperti di dalam cermin". Manakah yang betul? Paulus memakai istilah bahasa Yunani katoptrizomai yang dapat diartikan keduanya. Ia mengacu pada pengalaman Musa di Gunung Sinai. Di atas gunung, Musa memandang sekilas kemuliaan Allah. Ketika ia turun dari gunung, "cahaya muka Musa begitu cemerlang, sehingga mata orang-orang Israel tidak tahan menatapnya" (ayat 7). Dengan memandang kemuliaan Tuhan, Musa memancarkan kemuliaan-Nya. Dengan memandang kemuliaan Tuhan, kita diubah menjadi serupa dengan gambar-Nya.

Paulus hendak mendorong kita untuk hidup berpusat pada Tuhan. Kita memandang Tuhan antara lain dengan meluangkan waktu untuk bersekutu secara pribadi dengan Dia. Selanjutnya, dalam interaksi keseharian dengan sesama, kita mesti mencerminkan kemuliaan Tuhan melalui sikap, pikiran, ucapan, dan tindakan kita.

God Bless ^^

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PENYERTAAN SEPANJANG MASA

Ayat : Mazmur 71

Kakek saya telah menginjak usia 94 tahun. Beliau sudah sedemikian pelupa; lupa jam, lupa hari, lupa nama orang, dan lupa makan. Namun, satu hal yang saya kagumi darinya: ia tidak pernah lupa berdoa makan dan tidur baik sebelum maupun sesudah. Isi doanya pun sangat menarik. Beliau bukan meminta sehat serta limpahan berkat, melainkan doa syukur karena masih dibangunkan lagi serta doa permohonan agar penyertaan Tuhan senantiasa mengiringnya dan keluarga.

Mazmur yang kita baca hari ini secara indah menggambarkan bagaimana Tuhan menyertai kita sepanjang usia. Pemazmur menaruh kepercayaannya kepada Tuhan sejak masa muda. "Ya Tuhan, hanya Engkaulah harapanku. Sudah sejak kecil aku memercayakan diriku kepada-Mu" (ayat 5 FAYH). Dan, keyakinan akan penyertaan Tuhan yang mengiringi langkah sejak ia muda, terus ia rasakan meski kekuatannya mulai habis (ayat 9) dan rambut mulai memutih (ayat 18). Kesadaran tersebut juga meng­arahkan keyakinannya bahwa penyertaan Tuhan sampai masa tua juga berarti sebuah penugasan: supaya aku memberitakan kuasa-Mu kepada angkatan ini, keperkasaan-Mu kepada semua orang yang akan datang (ayat 18).

Hingga hari ini, setiap kali melihat kakek berdoa, saya terus diingatkan mengenai penyertaan Tuhan atas manusia yang rapuh. Juga, mengenai tugas yang saya emban: bahwa setiap kesempatan untuk menghirup udara hari demi hari adalah kesempatan untuk menikmati anugerah penyertaan-Nya; juga, kesempatan untuk memuliakan dan mengenalkan kemuliaan Tuhan kepada makin banyak orang. Bagaimana dengan Anda?

God Bless ^^

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MEMBACA ADIKARYA

Ayat : Yesaya 6

Saya takjub ketika membaca Les Miserables karya Victor Hugo, salah satu novel terbaik sepanjang masa. Penggambaran watak tokohnya amat detail dan konfliknya begitu memikat. Pengalaman itu mengajarkan paling tidak dua hal. Pertama, kerendahan hati: kecil sekali kemungkinannya saya mampu menggarap karya seelok itu. Kedua, meningkatkan citarasa sastrawi, membuat saya ingin membaca lebih banyak adikarya lainnya.

Yesaya mengalami hal yang jauh lebih hebat dari membaca novel adikarya: ia memandang kemuliaan Tuhan! Dan, pengalaman dahsyat itu mengubah hidupnya secara radikal. Menyaksikan kemuliaan Tuhan Yang Mahakudus, segera ia tersadar akan kenajisannya sebagai makhluk berdosa (ayat 5). Syukurlah, kemuliaan Tuhan itu sekaligus menjadi jawaban bagi keberdosaannya: perjumpaan ilahi itu menyucikan dirinya (ayat 6-7). Berbekal pengudusan dan kerendahan hati, Yesaya pun siap menjadi utusan Tuhan (ayat 8), menjalankan amanat yang Dia berikan (ayat 9-13).

Bagaimana kita melawan dosa? Cobalah membaca satu atau beberapa ayat yang memaparkan kemuliaan Tuhan. Hapalkanlah. Renungkanlah. Yakinilah kebenarannya. Biarlah Firman itu memenuhi pikiran dan hati kita. Mintalah pertolongan Roh Kudus untuk mengingatnya kembali di tengah kesibukan sehari-hari dan memunculkan ide untuk menerapkannya. Firman itu akan meningkatkan citarasa rohani kita; menguatkan kita untuk menepiskan tipu daya dosa; membuat kita lebih merindukan kemuliaan Tuhan daripada kesenangan duniawi; kemudian, siap menjadi utusan-Nya.

God Bless ^^

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