What Jesus did? for Feb. 12

Pure Hearts - Matthew 5:8

What great blessings there are for the people that are pure in their thinking! They will be with God. (ERV)

Key Thought
"Purer in heart, O God, help me to be..." That's the powerful line of Fannie Davison's old hymn. This is also an amazingly pervasive theme in Scripture, whether articulated by the prophets, the psalmists, the wisdom teachers, Jesus, or the apostles. A clean heart is the signal of God's coming new age and is mandatory for true, authentic worship. Much of human life is tainted by duplicity and deception. Pure motives and an unspoiled heart are of utmost importance if we are to live the life of the Kingdom Family. For those who are pure in heart, going to be with God is not a far journey, for they have sought to live with him everyday. It is simply the fulfillment of an ongoing passion to keep their hearts close to the Father's home.

Today's Prayer
O gracious and holy LORD, I know my heart can be deceptive and self-serving. But through your Holy Spirit, cleanse my heart, make Your home there, and let Your influence live there until I come home to be with You. I want my life to show forth my allegiance to you, so help me as I seek to guard my heart from impurity, duplicity, and selfishness. Help me, O God, as I try to be pure in heart. Thank You, in the name of Jesus, Your pure and perfect sacrifice. Amen.

Meditatie

11 Februarie

Si acum, te rog, Doamna (se refera la Biserica), nu ca si cum ti-as scrie o porunca noua, ci cea pe care am avut-o de la început: sa ne iubim unii pe altii ! Si dragostea sta în vetuirea dupa poruncle Lui. Aceasta este porunca în care trebuie sa umblati, dupa cum ati auzit la început. 2 Ioan 1:5-6

Dragostea este esenta vietii crestine. Asa cum Hristos si-a dat viata pentru noi; si noi trebuie sa fim gata sa ne dam viata pentru altii! Aceasta înseamna a-i iubi chiar si pe cei ce nu ne sunt simpatici si cu care nu suntem de acord . Pentru a demonstra aceasta masura de dragoste, trebuie uneori sa ne parasim zona noastra de confort si siguranta, si sa pasim prin credinta pe un teren necunoscut si plin de surprize.

În ziua în care crestinii vor învata sa iubeasca asa cum Hristos ne-a dovedit-o, lumea nu va mai fi la fel.

Apostolul Ioan se întreaba: Cum poate cineva sa spuna ca-L iubeste pe Dumnezeu, pe care nu-L vede si nu-l poate iubi pe fratele sau aflat lânga el? Cum poate cineva sa spuna ca iubeste; si atunci când vede un frate, sau o sora aflata în nevoie, refuza sa-i ajute?

Dragostea este mai mult decât o emotie, o simtire, sau o rostire de cuvinte delicate. Dragostea înseamna a-i hrani pe cei flamânzi, a-i îmbraca pe cei goi, a-i vizita pe cei bolnavi si a-i ridica pe cei cazuti, cu pretul oricarei jertfe. Dragostea nu trebuie sa ramâna numai un substantiv frumos, ci ar trebui sa devina un verb activ.

Acest mod activ de-a ne arata si a ne pune în practica dragostea, este calea primordiala prin care îl putem prezenta lumii pe Hristos.

Rugaciune: Doamne Dumnezeule; ajuta-ma sa am o dragoste activa, ca sa pot dovedi prin slujirea altora, dragostea Ta. Amin.

(http://www.misiune.ro/)

HE IS EXALTED-TWILA PARIS

What Jesus did? for Feb. 11

Extending Mercy - Matthew 5:7
What great blessings there are for the people that give mercy to other people! Mercy will be given to them. (ERV)

Key Thought
God has treated us much, much better than we deserve. That fundamental, undergirding spiritual truth is the reality of grace. He has seen us in our sin and had mercy on us because of his great love for us. (see Rom. 5:6-11) Even though we have repeatedly proved unfaithful and undependable, both individually and as a group, God has been gracious and merciful. He has repeatedly offered forgiveness, help, redemption, and salvation when we least deserved it. Rather than dealing with us strictly as law would demand, God has dealt with us as a loving father does with his children. This conditioning reality must show up in us. How can we claim to be his children and not be merciful? How can we call for retribution against our brothers and sisters, when fairness would demand we pay a great penalty for our sin? In the Kingdom Family, mercy rules. When that mercy is forgotten by us, then God has promised to use our standard of mercilessness when he judges us. Yet as long as we are merciful to others, God will show us mercy.

Today's Prayer
Holy and righteous Father, I confess that I often want justice when I am hurt and mercy when I sin. Thank You for not treating me as I deserve, but instead providing Jesus to be the atoning sacrifice that extends Your mercy to me and fulfills Your justice on my behalf. Soften my heart that I may reflect your grace and mercy in my dealings with those who have injured me. In the precious name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

El va fi Acelasi pentru totdeauna

până la bătrâneţea voastră Eu voi fi Acelaşi, până la cărunteţele voastre vă voi sprijini. V-am purtat, şi tot vreau să vă mai port, să vă sprijinesc şi să vă mântuiesc. Isaia 46:4