Sumber PenghiburanKu

“Jangan takut kerana Aku menyertai kamu. Jangan cemas kerana Akulah Allah kamu; Aku akan melindungi dan menyelamatkan kamu” (Yesaya 41:10).

Tuhan tidak selalunya akan melakukan sesuatu seperti yang kamu jangkakan. Kamu mungkin menyangka bahawa Tuhan akan menghiburkan kamu dengan menyediakan segala-galanya yang kamu fikirkan atau inginkan, tetapi Al-Kitab mengatakan bahawa Tuhan akan datang menghiburkan umat-Nya dengan kehadiran-Nya sendiri, bukan dengan menyediakan sesuatu barang bagi kamu. Dia berkata kepada umat Israel, “Jangan takut kerana Aku menyertai kamu. Jangan cemas kerana Akulah Allah kamu; Aku akan melindungi dan menyelamatkan kamu” – Kehadiran-Nya ialah sumber penghiburan.

Begini, barang fana tidak akan kekal; keperluan dan keinginan kamu akan sentiasa berubah-ubah, namun, Tuhan itu tidak pernah berubah – Dia kekal dan sentiasa ada. Tidak dinafikan, memang barang fana dapat juga memberikan penghiburan kepada kamu. Namun, ianya hanyalah untuk sementara waktu. Tuhan Yesus ialah satu-satunya sumber penghiburan yang akan sentiasa ada bagi kita untuk selama-lamanya. Tuhan akan sentiasa menyertai kita dengan kehadiran-Nya. Menyedari hal ini dapat memberikan kita semangat dan keyakinan kepada-Nya tatkala kita berada dalam keadaan susah. Ingat, “Jangan takut kerana [Tuhan] menyertai kamu. Jangan cemas kerana [Tuhan]lah Allah kamu; [Tuhan] akan melindungi dan menyelamatkan kamu”. Yesus ialah sumber penghiburan yang kekal, tiada yang lain.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

The Supremacy of God in Preaching by John Piper (Free Books for Christian Workers)

John Piper writes in his preface for The Supremacy of God in Preaching;

John Piper

People are starving for the greatness of God. But most of them would not give this diagnosis of their troubled lives. The majesty of God is an unknown cure. There are far more popular prescriptions on the market, but the benefit of any other remedy is brief and shallow. Preaching that does not have the aroma of God’s greatness may entertain for a season, but it will not touch the hidden cry of the soul: “Show me thy glory!”

Years ago during the January prayer week at our church, I decided to preach on the holiness of God from Isaiah 6. I resolved on the first Sunday of the year to unfold the vision of God’s holiness found in the first four verses of that chapter:

“In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!" And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke” (ESV).

So I preached on the holiness of God and did my best to display the majesty and glory of such great and holy God. I gave not one word of application to the lives of the people. Application is essential in the normal course of preaching, but I felt led that day to make a test: Would the passionate portrayal of the greatness of God in and of itself meet the needs of people?

I didn’t realize that not long before this Sunday one the young families of our church discovered that their child was being sexually abused by a close relative. It was incredibly traumatic. They were there that Sunday morning and sat under that message. I wonder how many advisers to us pastors today would have said: ‘Pastor Piper, can’t you see your people are hurting? Can’t you come down out of the heavens and get practical? Don’t you realize what kind of people sit in front of you on Sunday?’ Some weeks later I learned the story. The husband took me aside one Sunday after a service. “John,” he said, “these have been the hardest months of our lives. Do you know what has gotten me through? The vision of the greatness of God’s holiness that you gave me the first week of January. It has been the rock we could stand on.”

The greatness and the glory of God are relevant. It does not matter if the surveys turn up a list of perceived needs that does not include the supreme greatness of the sovereign God of grace. That is the deepest need. Our people are starving for God.

[Quote from John Piper, The Supremacy of God in Preaching. Baker Books 1990. Page 9-11]

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

 .....................................................

I'm offering the 1990
publications. This pic is
the revised  edition,
which I don't have.

Special Month FREE Book Offer
for Pastors & Church leaders,
and Christian workers ONLY

I’m giving away ONLY 7 copies of The Supremacy of God in Preaching by John Piper. You are welcome to get a copy for yourself. I believe and pray that this book will help to ignite your passion to preach Christ-centered message in your ministry and life. Do these 2 things:

1.     Comment below “Rich, give me one copy___(Your name). I want to get passionate to preach a biblical standard preaching that is God-centered to my people.” 

2.     And E-mail me at Motivates4life@hotmail.com or send message to my Facebook your real name, phone no. and your postal address. Thank you.

Pemberian Roh Kudus

“Sekarang aku hendak membincangkan kurnia-kurnia yang diberikan oleh Roh Allah. Aku mahu kamu mengetahui yang sebenarnya tentang hal itu” (1 Korintus 12:1).

Setiap orang dilahirkan dengan kebolehan dan bakat tersendiri. Ada yang begitu nyata sekali dan ada yang lebih practikal. Kita selalunya memanggil bakat semulajadi sebagai ‘Bakat yang diberikan oleh Tuhan’, terutama sekali jika seseorang itu pandai bermain musik, kebolehan dalam seni, atau dalam matematik. Tetapi ini semua tidak sama dengan ‘kurnia-kurnia yang diberikan oleh Roh Kudus’, iaitu kurnia-kurnia yang diberikan kepada kita selepas kita menerima Yesus dalam hidup kita. Apabila Roh Kudus hadir ke dalam diri kita, Dia akan memberikan kita satu kurnia (atau lebih lagi) yang baru, yang tidak pernah kita sedari sebelum ini.

Rasul Paulus menulis bahawa Roh Kudus yang sama telah memberikan pelbagai kurnia kepada orang yang percaya. Di dalam surat 1 Korintius 12:8-10 dia telah menyenaraikan sebahagian daripada pemberian ini: kebolehan untuk menyampaikan perkhabaran yang penuh dengan kebijaksanaan, kebolehan untuk menyampai pengetahuan tentang Allah, kepercayaan yang luar biasa kepada Kristus, kuasa untuk menyembuhkan orang sakit, kuasa untuk melakukan mukjizat, kebolehan untuk menyampaikan perkhabaran daripada Allah, kebolehan untuk membeza-bezakan kurnia, kebolehan untuk bertutur dalam pelbagai bahasa yang ajaib, dan kebolehan untuk menerangkan erti bahasa-bahasa itu.

[Banyak orang Kristian percaya bahawa pemberian-pembrian ini masih lagi diberikan kepada umat-Nya. Namun, ada juga yang berpendapat bahawa kurnia-kurnia ini hanya diberikan kepada Gereja pertama (semasa Kisah Rasul-Rasul) untuk membuktikan bahawa Roh Kudus sudah diturunkan kepada mereka – dan semua ini sudah tidak perlu lagi. Pendapat yang berbeza ini tidak langsung mempengaruhi iman saya kepada Yesus.]

Mungkin kurnia-kurnia seperti kebolehan untuk bertutur dalam pelbagai bahasa yang ajaib (gift of tongues) dan kebolehan untuk menyampaikan perkhabaran daripada Allah (prophecy) masih lagi disoalkan [saya, secara peribadi percaya bahawa kebolehan ini sudah tidak perlu lagi kerana adanya Firman Allah yang lengkap sudah kita miliki]; namun tidak boleh disangkalkan bahawa Tuhan masih lagi memberikan kebolehan untuk menyampaikan perkhabaran yang penuh dengan kebijaksanaan (wisdom), kebolehan untuk menyampai pengetahuan tentang Allah (knowledge), dan kepercayaan yang luar biasa kepada Kristus kepada kita (faith).

Semua kebolehan ini bukannya diberikan kepada orang percaya supaya kita dapat menunjuk-nunjuk kepada orang lain, menjadi sombong dan merasa diri lebih rohani daripada orang lain. Tidak! Pemberian kurnia-kurnia Roh Kudus ini adalah untuk kebaikan kita bersama. Ia diberikan kepada kita “bagi kebaikan kita semua” untuk membuktikan bahawa, “Roh-Nya ada pada setiap orang” (1 Korintus 12:7).

Jika kamu merasakan bahawa kamu masih belum lagi menerima pemberian Roh Kudus, berdoa dan mintalah kepada Tuhan Bapa. Perhatikanlah kehidupan kamu dan bagaimana Tuhan telah mengunakan hidup kamu untuk melakukan kebaikan kepada orang lain.... Hei, keinginan kamu untuk membantu dan mendorong orang lain ialah salah satu pemberian Roh Kudus kepada kamu.

Ini definasi kurnia Roh Kudus bagi saya: “Selepas kamu menerima Yesus - apa sahaja yang kamu lakukan kepada orang lain, contohnya; menulis blog, menangkap gambar, menjaga anak, berkebun, membina rumah, berniaga, memasak, terlibat dalam hal politik dan sebagainya kerana kasih kamu kepada mereka yang kamu layani, ini ialah kurnia Roh Kudus kepada kamu.”

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

God’s Hand in Your Life

God's invinsible hand at work during your campus time.
Do you 'see' it? Open your eyes.

People often think of the hand of God when they see miraculous or unexplainable occurrences or extravaganza events. It is true that God’s hand is evident in those cases – but we also can see His hand at work in common place, everyday life. How He helped you during your college time; how He guided you at your workplace; how He keep your faith in Him when you’re in the midst of ungodly people; how He take care of your family and friends; how He allow you to live up until now etc. All these and many more is the proof of God’s hand in your life.

Also, His fingerprints are all over the nature; from the faithful rising and setting of the sun, from sending rain to both men and vegetations, from the growing of fruits to bountiful harvests, from the blowing of the wind and sound of thunderstorm, from the singing of the birds to the flow of river waterfronts etc. – these are God’s hand constant provisions.

Open your eyes. Open your eyes. Open your eyes. The more you open your spiritual eyes and look around you, the more you will see God’s hand at work and experience a sense of His divine presence. The saying is right, “We would be more grateful if we only knew how much of what we take for granted is arranged by God”. Open your eyes; God’s hand is all around us. Worship Him. Praise Him.

“O LORD my God, you have performed many wonders for us.
Your plans for us are too numerous to list.
You have no equal.
If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds,
I would never come to the end of them”
(Psalm 40:5NLT).

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Abraham Sanggup Mempersembahkan Ishak Sebagai Korban (Kejadian 22:1-19)

Nota

Perjalanan itu mungkin sungguh ganjil bagi Ishak. Dia dan bapanya bersama dengan dua orang hamba naik ke gunung Moria untuk mempersembahkan korban, tetapi mereka tidak membawa seekor haiwan pun untuk dikorbankan. Ganjil. Ishak memikul kayu, mungkin hatinya berdebar-debar masa itu. Apabila dia menoleh ke belakang, dia melihat dua orang hamba bapanya berhenti daripada terus naik bersama mereka – atas arahan ayahnya, Abraham.

Semasa menaiki gunung, Abraham seperti tengah berfikir dengan dalam sekali. Ganjil. Senyap. Mungkin Ishak tidak senang dengan suasana begini. Dia cuba untuk memberanikan dirinya untuk bertanya;

“Ayah!”

“Ada apa, anak-ku?”

“Kita sudah membawa api dan kayu, tetapi di manakah anak domba untuk korban yang dibakar itu?” (Kejadian 22:7).

Apabila saya membaca cerita ini, saya bertanya kepada diri sendiri: mungkinkah Abraham berhenti seketika sebelum menjawab soalan anaknya? Adakah dia menahan diri sebelum mengalirkan air mata? Atau mungkinkah dia terus menjawab serta-merta pertanyaan anaknya itu seperti yang tertulis di dalam Al-Kitab? ‘Abraham menjawab, “Allah sendiri akan menyediakan anak domba itu.” Mereka berdua meneruskan perjalanan’ (Kejadian 22:8).

Senyap kembali semula. Apakah yang Abraham fikiran semasa naik ke bukit itu? Mungkin dia sedang mengenangkan sesuatu tentang anaknya, Ishak. Dia sudah menunggu kelahiran Ishak, anak yang dijanjikan Tuhan, selama 25 tahun (lihat Kejadian 18). Pada masa Ishak dilahirkan, Abraham sudah berumur 100 tahun, dan Sara mungkin lebih muda 10 tahun daripada Abraham [Ingat: Pada masa perjanjian Lama, umur 100 tahun adalah seperti 50-60 tahun sekarang.] Oleh itu, Abraham begitu mengasihi Ishak sepenuh hatinya. Ishak ialah anak kelahiran Abraham dan Sara sendiri – seperti yang dijanjikan oleh Tuhan Allah kepadanya.

Sekarang, apa yang Abraham ingin lakukan adalah diluar jangkaan. Tuhan telah berbicara sebelumnya kepadanya, “Pergilah ke tanah Moria dengan Ishak, anakmu yang tunggal, yang engkau kasihi. Di situ, di sebuah gunung yang akan Kutunjukkan kepadamu, persembahkanlah anakmu sebagai korban untuk menyenangkan hati-Ku” (Kejadian 22:2). Ia adalah sesuatu yang sangat mustahil bagi dia. Kata-kata itu bukanlah sesuatu yang boleh ditawar menawar – ianya adalah satu perintah daripada Tuhan. Ini ialah satu ujian ketaatan yang paling sukar bagi Abraham. Ishak adalah segala-galanya bagi dia. Apakah yang dia akan lakukan?.... Ganjil. Senyap. Abraham berfikir.

Sejurus sahaja sampai ke tempat yang dituju, mereka berdua terus membina sebuah mazbah dan menyusun kayu di atasnya. “Lalu dia mengikat anaknya dan membaringkan dia di mazbah, di atas kayu yang disusun. Kemudian dia mengambil sebilah pisau untuk membunuh anaknya, tetapi dari langit malaikat TUHAN berseru kepadanya,

“Abraham, Abraham!”

Abraham menjawab, “Ya, Tuhan.”

“Jangan sakiti anak itu, jangan lakukan apa-apa terhadapnya,” kata malaikat itu. “Sekarang Aku tahu bahawa engkau menghormati dan mentaati Aku, kerana engkau tidak enggan menyerahkan anakmu yang tunggal kepada-Ku

Ketika saya sedang menggambarkan cerita ini, satu cerita di dalam Al-Kitab Perjanjian Baru terus datang ke dalam pemikiran saya. Bagai aur dengan tebing, bagai langit dengan bumi, bagai Nescafe dengan krimer (I like!); begitulah juga cerita nabi Abraham dan Ishak dengan Allah Bapa dan Yesus Anak-nya. Bagi saya yang hidup dalam zaman Perjanjian Baru, cerita ini mempunyai maksud yang lebih dalam lagi bagi saya. Seperti kata Abraham selepas kejadian itu, “TUHAN Menyediakan Apa Yang Diperlukan” (Kejadian 22:14), begitu juga apa yang Tuhan sudah lakukan kepada kita. Tuhan Allah tidak memerlukan pengorbanan manusia untuk datang kepada-Nya. Bukan pengorbanan kita yang menyebabkan Tuhan mengasihi kita; bukan persembahan kita yang dapat memuaskan hati-Nya; bukan kerana kebaikkan kita Tuhan mengampuni kita – bukan.

Kita ialah manusia, Tuhan ialah Tuhan. Pengorbanan kita tidak cukup. Persembahan kita tidak hebat. Kebaikkan kita tidak sempurna. Oleh itu, Tuhan telah menyediakan “seekor domba jantan” (Kejadian 22:13) kepada Abraham yang menggambarkan bagaimana Tuhan Allah sendiri telah menyediakan Korban penyelamatan bagi kita melalui Anak tunggal-Nya Yesus Kristus. Yohanes bab tiga ayat enam menulis: “Allah sangat mengasihi orang di dunia ini sehingga Dia memberikan Anak-Nya yang tunggal, supaya setiap orang yang percaya kepada Anak [Yesus Kristus] itu tidak binasa tetapi beroleh hidup sejati dan kekal” (Yohanes 3:16). Lihat, Tuhan Allah yang mengasihi kita – Dia yang memberi. Hari ini, apa yang Tuhan minta ialah supaya kamu percaya kepada Anak-nya – ini ialah Korban yang sempurna!

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Teen Pregnancy: Sex… and a bit on Virginity

Introduction: Cases out of Control

This year alone I have received news from extended family and friends that some of their daughters are having pregnancies underage. In my own village, there are at least two cases that end up with early ‘premature’ marriage. In Malaysia alone, the teenage girls are getting pregnant with a major hospital recording at least one case every day. If that is not heartbroken enough, The Star (Sept 22, 2010) reported that the Health Ministry recorded 18,652 births by girls below the age of 19 last year compared with 5,962 in the second half of 2010.  According to Dr Mohamad Farouk Abdullah, senior consultant and head of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital, about 14% of the 12,000 babies delivered annually at the hospital were by teenage mothers with many of them unwed.

Teenage pregnancies are becoming a disturbing trend in Malaysia. “Many cases have gone unreported,” said Datuk Michael Chong, MCA Public Services and Complaints Department, “They become lost and some even ran away from home. Others threw away their newborn babies.” In most cases, the girls became pregnant because they were in relationship and end up with ‘experimental’ sex rather than because of force rape. Both couple normally, if the boyfriend didn’t runaway, will end up with ‘premature’ marriage – unplanned wedding, unblessed by their parents, ashamed by their immediate family, ciaos relationship and other more long-term disastrous outcomes follow (Thus, we should help them as able as we could).

This is not right, something have to change. Our attitude about sex need to change, our mindset about purity need to be heightened and our teaching and practice on Christian chastity need to be radical! Sex has become a recreational activity. Feel boring, sex. Need to unstress, sex. Party and have fun, sex. It seems to me that Malaysian’s friendly hand shake has been replaced with ‘whole body’ shake – and this is just a ‘test’ of getting to know one another. Date end with bed. Do now think later. Pregnant now, married later… only if it’s too late to abort the baby.

God’s Gifts: Sex and Virginity

Please don’t misunderstand me; sex in itself is not evil and dirty, it is beautiful as it was portrayed in the book of The Song of Solomon. In fact, it is God’s gift to humanity. “Men and women are sexual creatures” writes David Cook, “but that does not mean that it is necessary to express that sexuality in a genital way in order to be a man or woman. Jesus never engaged in sexual intercourse, but he was a real man and fully human. We are far more than our genitals.” God’s gift of sex is set in context of the committed relationship of marriage. Therefore, any bodily sex outside marriage is prohibiting in the Scripture. It is called fornication, immorality – SIN! [I have written an article on this issue of sex before marriage. Click the title to read: Sex: Save it for the Best!”]

Before I conclude this unorganized, scattered article, I would like to share a bit about virginity. During my father and mother’s generation, they told me, the high view of the integrity of and respect for the other person was founded not only on love but also on virginity. Today, the concept of virginity is often laughed at. To be a virgin can be scoffed and ridiculed, yet our virginity is a gift from God too. If sex is God’s gift for you to enjoy mutual love intimacy with one another in the context of marriage; virginity is your gift to your partner in the context of respect and integrity. If you’re still virgin, you’re special indeed.

Conclusion

There are many more things to write but I don’t want to bore you. I want to write about how you can stay pure while you are now in a relationship. I tempted to write on how you can experience God’s forgiveness if you already breakdown the sacred boundary, I would one day wish to write about the enjoyment of having sex after marriage… but I have no (some are not yet) credentials to write all of these. Therefore, I restrain myself to do so.

I, however, have a vast amount of confidence that I do have credential to call you, my beloved readers in line of many cases of sex misused (for example, teen pregnancies outside marriage), with the authority of the Scripture, to make or remake a vow to stay pure from sexual immorality. “It is God’s will that you should be holy; that you should avoid sexual immorality” (1 Thessalonians 4:3). The true nature of love (especially in 1 Corinthians 13) is more than having sex. Love say no to sex before marriage, and all yes to it when “two become one flesh” (Mark 10:8, also Genesis 2:24). This is for your own good, enjoyment of sex to the highest purpose. God’s commandments concerning sexuality always serve your best interests. Adele Ahlberg Calhoun points it out:

“[God’s commandments] are life-giving commands, not life-thwarting regulations. God calls adultery and sexual promiscuity bad because these behaviors are destructive to your life. These behaviors do not serve wholesome, healthy relationships, and they don’t bring true freedom.”

We are the temple of God on earth.

The Holy Spirit inhabits our bodies.

And Christ lives in us.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

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Are you seeking for God’s forgiveness now?

Forgiveness is not based on the magnitude of the sin, but on the magnitude of the forgiver’s love: Lord Jesus Christ. Ronald A. Beers writes, “Nothing you’ve done is so bad that God’s complete and unconditional love can’t forgive it. The Bible does, however, mention one unforgivable sin: harboring an attitude of defiant hostility toward God that prevents you from accepting his forgiveness. Only those who don’t want his forgiveness are out of its reach. No matter how seriously you’ve messed up, it will never be enough for God to turn his back on you and deny forgiveness when you ask him for it.”

God in the Scripture says, “Come now, let’s settle this’ says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.’” (Isaiah 1:18).

This is God’s forgiveness – would you come to Him?

Lord Jesus said, “Come…”

Cantiknya Kamu “Ya ka?”

“Kejelitaan menipu mata, kecantikan pun tidak kekal; tetapi seorang wanita yang menghormati TUHAN harus dipuji” (Amsal 31:30).

“[TUHAN] berfirman kepada Samuel, ‘Jangan perhatikan tinggi badannya atau kacak rupanya; bukan dia yang Aku kehendaki. Aku tidak menilai orang seperti cara manusia menilai orang. Manusia melihat rupa tetapi Aku melihat hati’” (1 Samuel 16:7).

Paras rupa dan penampilan seseorang itu memang penting, tidak dinafikan lagi. Jika ada sesiapa yang berkata, ‘saya tidak perlu bersolek semasa perkahwinan saya’ atau ‘saya tidak perlu menggunakan tali leher dan berpakaian kemas untuk pergi bertemu duga’ atau ‘tidak kisah jika saya menggunakan selipar jepun ke pejabat’ atau ‘saya tidak semestinya perlu menggosok gigi dan menggunakan baju bersih untuk menjadi pelayan’  – mereka ini adalah orang yang selekeh, dan tidak memahami apakah maksud sebenar Amsal 31:30 dan 1 Samuel 16:7.

Sekali lagi, paras rupa dan penampilan itu memang penting; tetapi BUKANlah sesuatu yang paling penting. Bentuk badan kamu, muka dan baju (ala-ala K-pop katakan) yang kamu pakai hanyalah gambaran tentang rupa luaran kamu sahaja. Ianya tidak kekal dan akhirnya akan berubah mengikut usia kamu. Jiwa dan keperibadian kamu pula adalah gambaran tentang sifat dalaman kamu. Ianya kekal, tidak berubah mengikut usia dan ia menunjukkan siapa diri kamu yang sebenarnya. Amsal 31:30 menyatakan bahawa,“Kejelitaan menipu mata, kecantikan [luaran] pun tidak kekal; tetapi seorang wanita [dan juga lelaki] yang menghormati TUHAN [dalaman] harus dipuji”

Tidak salah jika kamu mahu menjaga paras rupa dan penampilan fizikal kamu (malah digalakkan), tetapi janganlah ianya menjadi sangat terutama dalam hidup kamu sehinggakan kamu tidak mempedulikan tentang kerohanian kamu. Kawan, fokus kepada yang kekal! Kawan, bangun daripada kenyataaan! Kawan, fikirkanlah tentang hubungan kamu dengan Tuhan! Ingat: Tuhan ‘tidak menilai orang seperti cara manusia menilai orang. Manusia melihat rupa tetapi [Tuhan] melihat hati’. Bukankah bagaimana Tuhan melihat kamu adalah lebih penting daripada bagaimana orang lain melihat kamu?

Biarlah paras rupa Yesus dinampakkan di dalam diri kamu. Biarlah keperibadian Yesus dinyatakan di dalam kehidupan kamu. Biarlah penampilan Yesus bersinar supaya “mereka memuji perbuatan kamu yang baik, lalu memuji Bapa kamu yang di syurga” (Matius 5:16). Baju yang mempunyai tulisan Firman Allah adalah baik, tetapi hati yang taat kepada Firman Allah adalah lebih baik. Kereta yang mempunyai pelekat ‘Yesus adalah segala-galanya’ adalah baik, tetapi kehidupan yang menunjukkan Yesus adalah segala-galanya melalui cara kamu menggunakan wang, cara kamu bergaul dengan orang lain, percakapan dan sikap kamu seharian adalah lebih lebih lebih baik lagi.

Hello kawan, 'cantik'kah kamu?

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Behold, Your God. He is the Creator

Entitled, "The eye of the universe". Amazing!!!

“God has brought into existence the whole of creation, which He sustains and upholds by His power. He created the universe out of nothing, and did this for His own purpose and glory” (Robert Hicks and Richard Bewes, Understanding Bible Truth: God)

Today on my Facebook account I posted: ‘God did not need to create the universe, for He is self-sufficient. He decided to bring all the things into being for His Own glory. Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning God..." and until today, 24th October 2012, 10.47am, (and forever) - He is still God. So it doesn't make Him less God either you worship Him or not... We need God to provide and sustain our being; God doesn't. Give Him glory, don't waste your life!’ To say further on this statement, I wish and pray that all of us may know that:

God the Creator

The universe has always existed. The consistent teaching of Scripture is that the cosmos (‘the world’) had a beginning. It was not formed from any matter that already existed (so I denied ‘the big bang theory’ – after all, it’s just a theory!). God, the One and only Creator of the universe, brought the world into being by the power of His Word. Hebrews 11:3 says, “[The] entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen” (NLT). So I write, ‘God did not need to create the universe, for He is self-sufficient. He decided to bring all the things into being for His own glory’. The creation involved all three persons of the Godhead; the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit – are One [So when I use the word ‘God’, I’m referring to the Godhead. Clear?].

God the Sustainer

The Bible, the Bible that I read, clearly teaches that God the Creator is also the Provider and Sustainer of all that He has bought into being. He is not an absentee God who made the world and then left it to run itself. I tell you, there are people who believe that He did that: God made things and then He doesn’t care – this is the root of self-centeredness and human self-sufficiency of false teachings. God is the Creator and also the Provider and Sustainer. Acts 14:17 says that God “never left them [His creation] without evidence of himself and his goodness”. Far from remaining distance and remote from His creation, God continues to work in all of His creation. 

God is Achieving His Purpose

God is the ultimate control of all that He has created. This does not mean that we are unable to decide things freely for ourselves; He is not “Master of Puppets” (as thrash metal band Metallica called it). God has given us that freedom – even though we chose to rebel against Him. But it does mean that God is active, and bringing about the things He wants to happen. He is the Creator of creation and He has purpose for them – He is achieving His purpose. “God’s purpose may be stated very simply,” writes Robert Hicks and Richard Bewes, “It is to restore fallen humanity and the creation to the freedom and perfection that have been lost because of humankind’s rebellion. God the creator is also God the redeemer.”

Earth is a Focal Point

If you never been anywhere outside this country, you might think that Malaysia is quite big – true, but think again. Even the earth is a very small planet in a vast universe that is filled with thousands upon thousands upon thousands of galaxies! But it is apparent from the Bible that the Creator of the cosmos has set His loving concern upon this earth that we living in. Our planet is the central of God’s purpose. Our planet is the part of creation where a special relationship has been planned between God and men, who have been formed in His image (Genesis 1:27). Man is the central to God’s plan for the whole universe. The Bible has a song for this,

“When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—

the moon and the stars you set in place—

what are mere mortals that you should think about them,

human beings that you should care for them?

Yet you made them only a little lower than God

and crowned them with glory and honor.

You gave them charge of everything you made,

putting all things under their authority—

the flocks and the herds

and all the wild animals,

the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea,

and everything that swims the ocean currents.

O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!”

(Psalms 8:3-9NLT)

Reflect this O Creation

God is the Creator. God is the Provider and Sustainer. God is the Redeemer. God have a Purpose for the universe and especially for Man. How does that make you feel about God? about yourself?

Therefore, Give Him glory, don't waste your life!

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Entitled: "M82 Galaxy, Crab Nebula" Superb! Glory to God Alone... I'm amazed.