vineri, februarie 01, 2008

I have decided to follow Jesus. What about you?:)

What Jesus did? - for February 1





The Kingdom Calls - Matthew 4:17-20

From that time Jesus began to tell people {what God wanted}. This is what he said: "Change your hearts and lives, because the kingdom of heaven is coming soon." Jesus was walking by Lake Galilee. He saw two brothers, Simon (called Peter) and Simon's brother Andrew. The two brothers were fishermen and they were fishing in the lake with a net. Jesus said, "Come follow me. I will make you {a different kind of} fishermen. You will work to gather people, {not fish}." Simon and Andrew left their nets and followed Jesus. (ERV)

Key Thought

We have a tendency to think of kingdoms in terms of property or geography. For Jesus, the Kingdom of God (or "Kingdom of Heaven" as Matthew often puts it) is not about property or geography. Jesus taught that the Kingdom was about submission to his reign in his disciples’ hearts and lives. Their goal was to be like him in character and obedience. They had to be ready to surrender to him anything that might get in the way of his leadership in their lives. This kind of kingdom requires conquest, but not a conquest of nations or territory. Instead, it is the conquest of hearts. Peter and Andrew left all to follow him. They wanted Jesus to rule their hearts. For us, there is still one fundamental question regarding the Kingdom and following Christ: "What do I find most difficult to surrender to the Lordship of Christ? Where do I start? What is that one thing that is most difficult?" I must let him have rule over that one area -- and ultimately over every area. If I will do this, he may very well give it back to me to use, only now it will be for him, through us, by his power.


Today's Prayer
O Lord God, I want Jesus to be Lord of my life. I want to follow him and honor him in every way. Please gently show me the areas of my life that I have not surrendered to his Lordship. I want you and your Kingdom to be the consuming passion of my life. I want to live for you so that I may be used by you to bless others. In the name of the Lord Jesus I pray. Amen.

In acuzare doar cuvinte de apreciere?




01 Februarie


Barnaba s-a dus apoi la Tars, ca sa caute pe Saul; si, când l-a gasit, l-a adus la Antiohia. Un an întreg, au luat parte la adunarile bisericii, si au învatat pe multi oameni. Pentru întâiasi data ucenicilor li s-a sat numele de crestini în Antiohia. Fapt.11:25-26

Într-o zi, un profesor si-a început orele de curs, citind o scrisoare pe care un parinte a scris-o catre autoritati, având un subiect neobisnuit. Parintele care scrisese acea scrisoare, se plângea de fapt, de copilul sau, cerând autoritatilor sa faca ceva, pentru a-i ajuta.

Cu multa durere, acel parinte scria: am depus toate eforturile pentru a-i da copilului nostru cea mai buna educatie. L-am ajutat sa învete la cele mai titrate scoli, si sa ajunga un judecator vestit. Însa, în momentul în care viata îi era înaninte, în loc sa se bucure de toate aceste realizari, fiul nostru a ajuns sub influenta unei secte.

Din acest moment, viata lui s-a schimbat radical. Petrece cel mai mult timp cu cei pe care îi considera oameni ai lui Dumnezeu, si chiar daca ne ajuta mai mult ca înainte, în treburile gospodaresti, toti banii si-i împarte cu cei saraci.Nu avem nimic ce sa-i reprosam din punct de vedere moral, sau social, dar nu mai este ca noi!

Dupa ce si-a prezentat în scris aceasta durere a inimii, parintele a cerut autoritatilor sa faca tot ceea ce le sta în putere, pentru a le readuce fiul înapoi.

Dupa ce a terminat de citit scrisoarea, profesorul Stanlez Houerwas, i-a întrebat pe elevi: la cine credeti ca face referire aceasta scrisoare?

Încercând sa raspunda acestei întrebari, elevii au fost pusi în mare încurcatura. Stiau multi copii care cazusera în plasa învataturilor false, dar comportamentul acestora nu se aseamana în nici un fel cu al acestui copil.

Pentru ca în clasa s-a facut liniste, profesorul a continuat spunând: Ceea ce v-am citit este un fragment din scrisoarea pe care un centurion, a scris-o cezarului Romei, cerându-i ajutorul pentru a-l recupera pe fiul lor, care ajunsese în mijlocul unor oameni numiti crestini !

Pot sa vada oamenii, aceeasi schimbare în viata ta, încât si atunci când te acuza, sa nu gaseasca decât cuvinte de apreciere? Aceasta înseamna de fapt a fi crestin. Nu numai sa porti un nume, ci sa traiesti ca Hristos!

Rugaciune; Daomne Dumnezeule; ajuta-ma ca prin cuvintele, faptele si marturia vietii mele, sa arat ca sunt un adevarat crestin. Amin


(www. misiune.ro)



joi, ianuarie 31, 2008

With Jesus on your way

What Jesus did? - for January 31



The Dawning Light - Matthew 4:14-16


Jesus did this to make happen what the prophet Isaiah said: "{Look at} the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the lands by the road that goes to the sea, the area past the Jordan River-- Galilee, the land where non-Jewish people live. Those people live in darkness (sin), but they have seen a great light; the light has come for those people that live in the land that is dark like a grave." (ERV)


Key Thought
Few, if any, symbols are more widely known than light and darkness. While our modern ability to light up darkness with a flick of a switch has changed the intensity of our existential understanding of darkness, it still persists. Most crimes occur during darkness. Many children intuitively fear the darkness. We are often uneasy walking the streets in darkness. When Jesus came to earth, the world was trapped in darkness. His people's hopes lay shattered in the darkness of their own failure and inability to throw off the yoke of hundreds of years of dominating nations. Religiously, God's people had sunk into deep darkness. God’s people were led by corrupt priests -- the Sadducees, who had sold out to the Romans; and strict Pharisees, who were too demanding, often hypocritical, and whose lifestyle was out of reach for most commoners. Vibrant personal faith among the common people was a distant memory. No voice of a true prophet could be heard. When John was arrested, Jesus went to a land in darkness to bring light. He went to the most racially diverse area of Israelite influence, Galilee, to sow the seed of a ministry to all nations. More than just the start of Jesus' ministry, we are to hear in these few short words the hope of the prophet Isaiah realized:
To our darkness present so long,
God has sent his glorious dawn.
To our bitter, dreamless night,
Has dawned heaven's most glorious light.


Today's Prayer
O Great Redeemer and glorious God, may I see in the dawn of each new day a reminder of your glorious gift of Jesus. Please convict my heart that only Jesus can cast away the darkness in my heart, in our land, and in our world. Give me passion to share this hope with those I meet who need Jesus' light to shine in their darkness. In the name of Jesus, the Light of the world I pray. Amen.