Se afișează postările cu eticheta love one another. Afișați toate postările
Se afișează postările cu eticheta love one another. Afișați toate postările

marți, iunie 03, 2008

Ego - centrat si ego - dezbinat



Iacov 2:8-9


"Daca impliniti Legea imparateasca, potrivit Scripturii: "Sa iubesti pe aproapele tau ca pe tine insuti " , bine faceti. Dar daca aveti in vedere fata omului, faceti un pacat, si sunteti osanditi de Lege ca niste calcatori de lege."


Romani 12:3

"Prin harul care mi-a fost dat, eu spun fiecaruia dintre voi, sa nu aiba despre sine o parere mai inalta decat se cuvine; ci sa aiba simtiri cumpatate despre sine, potrivit cu masura de credinta , pe care a impartit-o Dumnezeu fiecaruia."



Romani 12:10

"Iubiti-va unii pe altii cu o dragoste frateasca. In cinste, fiecare sa dea intaietate altuia."



Romani 12:16

"Aveti aceleasi simtaminte unii fata de altii. Nu umblati dupa lucrurile inalte, ci ramaneti la cele smerite. Sa nu va socotiti singuri intelepti."


Romani 13:9-10

"De fapt: "Sa nu preacurvesti, sa nu furi, sa nu faci nici o marturisire mincinoasa, sa nu poftesti ", si orice alta porunca mai poate fi, se cuprind in porunca aceasta : "Sa iubesti pe aproapele tau ca pe tine insuti." Dragostea nu face rau aproapelui: dragostea, deci , este implinirea Legii. "







Legea pe care o descopar si de care sunt infranti indivizi, grupuri si natiuni atunci cand devin egocentrici este aceasta: "Oricine isi va salva viata o va pierde".

Cu alte cuvinte, concentreaza-te asupra ta insuti si te vei destrama in bucati nu numai spiritual, ci si din punct de vedere material si fizic.


Motivul pentru care se intampla astfel este evident. Cele trei impulsuri sau instincte care ne domina sunt eul, sexul si instinctul de turma, sau instinctul social.


Este evidentca instinctul egoist este indreptat catre sine insusi; instinctul social este indreptat catre ceilalti; instinctul sexual este indreptat in parte catre sine si in parte spre altul.


Asa
ca , de fapt, exista doua instincte motrice - cel egoist si cel altruist, cel indreptat spre sine si cel indreptat spre ceilalti. Ambele trebuie satisfacute in proportie justa - in caz contrar, viata devine frustrare si nefericire.


Sunt
oameni care cred ca crestinismul ii invata ca trebuie sa-i iubeasca pe altii dar nu si pe ei insisi. E o greseala. Crestinismul propovaduieste dragostea de sine: "Sa iubesti pe aproapele tau ca pe tine insuti."


Daca nu te iubesti pe tine, nu te dezvolti. Asa ca toate incercarile de a elimina eul sfarsesc in ipocrizie si in dezastru. Daca iti dai eul pe usa afara, el se va intoarce pe fereastra si poate sub forma deghizata.


Vorbind cinstit si sincer, tu trebuie sa te iubesti pe tine insuti, dar nu ca stapan, ci ca slujitor - caci eul este un slujitor minunat, dar un stapan inspaimantator.

Aceia care ii iubesc pe altii fara sa se iubeasca pe sine, permitandu-le in felul acesta altora sa le acapareze viata, sa-i stoarca de toata energia, au un sfarsit dezastruos.

Pe de alta parte, daca omul isi organizeaza viata in jurul lui insusi devine egocentric si atunci, e absolut sigur, dezastrul va fi de partea lui.

Pronunta Dumnezeu o judecata din ceruri asupra acelei vieti? Nu tocmai; judecata are loc si prin insesi legile inerente fiintei omenesti: persoana respectiva se trezeste a fi in razboi cu sine insasi.


Instinctul sau altruist este frustrat si nedezvoltat; si, din aceasta cauza, omul este nesatisfacut si nefericit. Probabil ca nu-si da seama ce-i rau, ce nu e in regula cu sine.


Maladia este insa simpla; el este o casa dezbinata impotriva ei insesi si, din aceasta cauza, o casa fara durabilitate.


Orice persoana egocentrica este o persoana care incearca imposibilul - sa traiasca impotriva ei insasi.



O, Dumnezeule, Tata, vad ca Ti-ai tesut legile in tesatura fiintei mele. Ce prostie din partea mea sa incerc a trai impotriva acestor legi si sa cred ca voi fi in stare sa o scot la capat continuand astfel! Iarta-mi prostia de a fi in razboi cu mine insumi si prin aceasta cu Tine. Amin!


E. Stanley Jones - "Viata din abundenta"



vineri, aprilie 18, 2008

What Jesus Did! - Sinners




















I will tell you something. Go and learn what it means: 'I don't want animal sacrifices; I want you to show kindness to people.' I did not come to invite good people. I came to invite sinners." - Matthew 9:13 (ERV)

THOUGHT:

God has never wanted to condemn. That has never been his purpose. His Old Testament Laws were meant to distinguish the Israelites as his people and preserve them from spiritual and physical harm.

When people rebel, rather than looking forward to punishing them for their sin, God grieves over the rebellious child. He yearns to bring restoration. When Jesus comes as Immanuel, he teaches and shows that God seriously cares about reaching and redeeming rebellious sinners.

Incredibly, both Jesus and John the Baptist have more success with those who are in outright rebellion than with those who have been inoculated by their legalistic religious debates. Jesus came to the lost, the broken and the least, to save, mend, and make first.

PRAYER:

Loving and merciful Heavenly Father, give me a heart of concern for those who around me are lost. I am convicted today of your gracious love and sacrificial concern for those who are caught in sin. Please use me as an instrument to give them hope and bring them to you. In Jesus' precious name I pray. Amen.

Related Scriptures:

20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."- Matt. 1:20-21

15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.

16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.- 1 Tim. 1:15-16

Why? Because I want faithful love, not sacrifice, {I want people} to know God, not {to bring} burnt offerings. - Hosea 6:6

sâmbătă, martie 29, 2008

What Jesus Did! - Away from Me!





"Not every person that says that I am his Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven. The only people that will enter the kingdom of heaven are those people that do the things that my Father in heaven wants.


On the last day many people will say to me, 'You are our Lord! We spoke for you. And for you we forced out demons and did many miracles. ' Then I will tell those people clearly, 'Go away from me, you people that do wrong. I never knew you.'
- Matthew 7:21-23 (ERV)


THOUGHT:
While you can fool all of the people some of the time, you can never fool the Lord at any time! False teachers may deceive others, but never the Lord.

Substituting proclamations of faith for a life of faith won't cut it. Substituting mighty acts in Jesus' name for living a life of righteousness won't cut it either. Deception, sham, falsehood, manipulation, and hype are works of the Evil One and will be handled as such by the conquering Savior.

PRAYER:
Holy Lord, I want to follow you: not just in talk, but also in word and deed. Almighty Lord, I want to reflect your character: not just in Bible study, but also in daily lifestyle.

I want to know you by knowing your character, service, and righteousness through living them in my life. In the name of your holy Son, I pray. Amen.

Related Scriptures:

You are hypocrites ! Isaiah was right when he spoke about you. Isaiah said: 'These people say they honor me, but they don't really make me an important part of their lives. Their worship of me is for nothing. The things they teach are only rules that people have made.'" - Matthew 15:7-9

"It will be bad for you teachers of the law and Pharisees. You are hypocrites. You are like tombs that are painted white.

The outside of those tombs looks fine. But inside, the tombs are full of the bones of dead people. And all kinds of unclean things are inside there. It is the same with you. People look at you and think that you are good. But on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and evil. - Matthew 23:27-28

I may speak in different languages of men or even angels. But if I don't have love, then I am only a noisy bell or a ringing cymbal. I may have the gift of prophecy ;


I may understand all the secret things {of God} and know everything; and I may have faith so great that I can move mountains. But even with all these things, if I don't have love, then I am nothing.


I may give everything I have to feed people. And I may even give my body {as an offering} to be burned. But I gain nothing by doing these things if I don't have love. - 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

miercuri, martie 26, 2008

What Jesus Did! - The Golden Life





"Do to other people the same things you want them to do to you. This is the meaning of the law {of Moses} and the {teaching of the} prophets.
- Matthew 7:12 (ERV)

THOUGHT: The Golden Rule! That's what it's called, but Jesus isn't as concerned that we know the "rule" as much as he is that we live the "golden life." In many ways, this concept of doing for others what we would want done for us summarizes Jesus' teaching to his disciples about how to live for others. It also captures the spirit of the Old Testament Law and the teaching of the prophets. In other words, living to bless others is God's will for us in all of our relationships. We are not here to live for ourselves, but to bless others in the name of Jesus. This kind of life is transformational. God can use it in ways we would never anticipate to touch the lives of others.

PRAYER: Almighty and enabling God, help me focus less on my needs and my desires. Instead, dear Father, please help me hear the heart cry of those around me and then use me to serve them in your name and do for them what I would want done for me. Through the precious name of the Lord Jesus I pray. Amen.

Related Scriptures:

The Pharisee said, "Teacher, which command in the law is the most important?" Jesus answered, "'You must love the Lord your God. You must love him with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' This is the first and most important command. And the second command is like the first: 'You must love other people the same as you love yourself.' - Matthew 22:36-39

Be willing to serve each other. Do this because you respect Christ. - Ephesians 5:21

Forget about the wrong things people do {to you}. Don't try to get even. Love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord! - Leviticus 19:18

joi, martie 06, 2008

What Jesus Did! - Perfect!





If you love only the people that love you, then you will get no reward. Even the tax collectors do that. And if you are nice only to your friends, then you are no better than other people. Even the people without God are nice to their friends. So you must be perfect, the same as your Father in heaven is perfect. - Matthew 5:46-48 (ERV)


THOUGHT:

I am called to be perfect! Especially perfect in my relationship with others. My goal is the character and compassion of God. WOW! What a challenging call. But the transformational nature of Jesus' love and his disciples' Kingdom Family lifestyle demand that we surpass conventional standards of righteousness and pursue the heart and character of God himself. Anybody can be nice to someone who is nice to him or her. But what about those folks God places in our lives as that grain of sand out of which we are to fashion our pearl? You know, those irritating, dependent, demanding, and critical people that God uses to fashion us into more Christ-like children or to confront us with our own selfishness. In the Kingdom Family, we're to rise above the mediocre standards of the masses and find the redemptive standard set by our Father!


PRAYER:

Majestic, righteous, and holy God, I bow in worship and adoration at your kindness, mercy, and grace demonstrated to me in so many different ways. Work your righteous and character-altering work in me, and as I keep my eyes fixed on Jesus, please make my character more reflective of yours. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.


Related Scriptures:
- Col. 1:28
Let that patience work in you to give the result God wants. Then you will be mature and complete. You will be all that God wants you to be. - James 1:4
- 2 Peteter 1:3-4

marți, martie 04, 2008

What Jesus Did! - Finding our Target





"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you, love your enemies. Pray for those people that do bad things to you. If you do this, then you will be true sons of your Father in heaven. Your Father lets the sun rise for the good people and the bad people. Your Father sends rain to people that do good and to people that do wrong.
- Matthew 5:43-45 (ERV)

THOUGHT:

This is a powerful conclusion to the things Jesus has been teaching us. In the Kingdom Family of God, the "greater righteousness" has as its visible sign a radically different, redemptively loving commitment for those around us. As Jesus reminded us in the Beatitudes, and again challenges us here, our goal is to love our neighbor. When our desire is to act redemptively, our neighbor becomes anyone who needs the love of the Father. The Father -- God himself -- is to be our inspiration, goal, and target in this pursuit. Because God is our Father, his traits should be our traits. He loved the world and sent his Son knowing that many would reject him. Yet that love is transformational: transformational for our world, our friendships, our families, and our attitude toward our enemies.

PRAYER:

Almighty, yet compassionate Father, give me greater patience and confidence as I try to love those who are not very lovable and try to return grace to those who have enmity for me. When I do these things, I know that I am only allowing your character to come through in my life. In my quest to be like you, I do not desire your power, O Lord, for you alone are God. But I do earnestly want to take on your holy and gracious character. Work your will in my heart through your Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Related Scriptures:


Say only good things to those people that do bad things to you. Say good things to them and don't curse them. - Romans 12:14

But you are chosen people. You are the King's priests. You are a holy nation of people. You are people who belong to God. God chose you to tell about the wonderful things he has done. He called (brought) you out of darkness (sin) into his wonderful light. At one time you were not God's people. But now you are God's people. In the past you had never received mercy. But now you have received mercy {from God}. Dear friends, you are like visitors and strangers {in this world}.
So I beg you to stay away from the evil things your bodies want to do. These things fight against your soul. People who don't believe are living all around you. Those people may say that you are doing wrong. So live good lives. Then they will see the good things you do, and they will give glory to God on that day when he comes. - 1 Peter 2:9-12

We work hard with our own hands {to feed ourselves}. People curse us, but we speak a blessing for them. People persecute us, and we accept it. People say bad things about us, but we say good things to them. At this time people still treat us like we are the world's garbage--the trash of the earth. - 1 Corinthians 4:12-13