Sahabat Terbaik Kita

Senin, 10 April 2017

Baca: Ibrani 10:19-23

10:19 Jadi, saudara-saudara, oleh darah Yesus kita sekarang penuh keberanian dapat
masuk ke dalam tempat kudus,

10:20 karena Ia telah membuka jalan yang baru dan yang hidup bagi kita melalui tabir, yaitu
diri-Nya sendiri,

10:21 dan kita mempunyai seorang Imam Besar sebagai kepala Rumah Allah.

10:22 Karena itu marilah kita menghadap Allah dengan hati yang tulus ikhlas dan keyakinan
iman yang teguh, oleh karena hati kita telah dibersihkan dari hati nurani yang jahat dan
tubuh kita telah dibasuh dengan air yang murni.

10:23 Marilah kita teguh berpegang pada pengakuan tentang pengharapan kita, sebab Ia,
yang menjanjikannya, setia.

Dikutip dari Alkitab Terjemahan Baru Indonesia (c) LAI 1974

Tetapi semua orang yang menerima-Nya diberi-Nya kuasa supaya menjadi anak-anak
Allah, yaitu mereka yang percaya dalam nama-Nya. —Yohanes 1:12
 Ketika saya berusia 12 tahun, kami
sekeluarga pindah ke sebuah kota yang
terletak di kawasan gurun. Seusai pelajaran
olahraga di sekolah saya yang baru, di tengah
udara panas menyengat, kami bergegas
mencari keran air minum. Karena bertubuh
kurus dan paling kecil di kelas, saya sering
didorong keluar dari jalur antrean sewaktu
menunggu giliran minum. Suatu hari, Jose,
teman saya yang bertubuh besar dan kuat
untuk anak seusianya, melihat apa yang saya
alami. Ia pun bertindak dan merentangkan
tangannya yang kuat untuk membukakan
jalan bagi saya. “Hei!” serunya, “Minggir
semua! Biarkan Banks minum terlebih dahulu!” Sejak saat itu, saya tidak pernah menemui
masalah lagi di keran air minum itu.

Yesus memahami rasanya mengalami perlakuan keji dari orang lain. Alkitab menyatakan,
“Ia dihina dan dihindari orang” (Yes. 53:3). Namun, Yesus tidak hanya menderita sebagai
korban, Dia juga menjadi Pembela kita. Dengan menyerahkan hidup-Nya, Tuhan Yesus
telah membuka “jalan yang baru dan yang hidup” bagi kita untuk masuk dalam suatu
hubungan dengan Allah (Ibr. 10:20). Dia melakukan bagi kita apa yang tidak akan pernah
bisa kita lakukan bagi diri kita sendiri, yakni memberikan karunia keselamatan yang cuma-
cuma ketika kita menyesal atas dosa-dosa kita dan percaya kepada-Nya.

Yesus adalah sahabat terbaik yang bisa kita miliki. Dia mengatakan, “Aku tidak akan
menolak siapa pun yang datang kepada-Ku” (Yoh. 6:37 BIS). Orang lain bisa saja menjaga
jarak terhadap kita atau bahkan menolak kita. Namun, Allah telah membuka lebar-lebar
tangan-Nya untuk menyambut kita lewat salib Kristus. Alangkah dahsyatnya Juruselamat
kita! —James Banks

Karya kasih-Nya genap, kemenangan-Nya tetap. Kristus jaya atas maut dan terbukalah Firdaus.
—Charles Wesley
Karunia cuma-cuma dari Allah untuk kita telah dibayar mahal oleh-Nya.
Bacaan Alkitab Setahun: 1 Samuel 15-16; Lukas 10:25-42
 Today's Promise
 by Dr. Bill Bright

 April 9

Examples of His Love

"Little children, let us stop just saying we love people; let us really love them, and
show it by our actions" (1 John 3:18).

The story is told about two farmers. Every day, one of them would haul pails of water
up the steep slope to his terraced field and irrigate his meager crop.

The second farmer tilled the terrace just below, and he would poke a hole in the dyke
and let the other farmer's water run down into his field.

The first farmer was upset. Being a Christian, he went to his pastor and asked for
advice. The pastor told him to keep on watering as before and to say nothing. So, the
farmer returned to his fields and the watering of his crop, but the farmer below him
continued to drain off his water. Nothing had changed.

After a few days, the first farmer went to his pastor again. The pastor told him to go a
step further - to water his neighbor's crop! So the next day, the farmer brought water
to his neighbor's field and watered the crops. After that, he watered his own field.

This went on for three days, and not a word was exchanged between the two farmers.
But after the third day, the second farmer came to the first farmer.
"How do I become a Christian?" he asked.

There is a saying, 'Love your friends and hate your enemies.' But I say: Love your
enemies!...If you are friendly only to your friends, how are you different from anyone
else? Even the heathens do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your father in
heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:43-48).

Bible Reading: I John 3:14-17

TODAY'S ACTION POINT: I will make every effort to demonstrate the love of Christ by
the way I act toward others.
 Today's Promise
 by Dr. Bill Bright

 April 10

His Gifts and Powers

"It is the same and only Holy Spirit who gives all these gifts and powers,
deciding which each of us should have" (1 Corinthians 12:11).

As I counsel in the area of Christian service, I find much confusion among many
Christians regarding the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Believers often are so involved in trying to discover or receive additional

spiritual gifts that they are not developing and using their known gifts and
abilities to do God's will.

For this reason, I caution against going to great lengths to discover one's spiritual
gifts. Rather than emphasize gifts, I encourage a person to surrender fully to the
lordship of Jesus Christ and appropriate by faith the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
Then, by faith and hard work, while depending on the Holy Spirit, a person can
set out with determination to accomplish that to which God has called him.

Paul wrote about this important principle in his letter to the Philippians:
"Dearest friends, when I was there with you, you were always so careful to
follow my instructions. And now that I am away you must be even more careful
to do the good things that result from being saved, obeying God with deep
reverence, shrinking back from all that might displease Him....

"For I can do everything God asks me to do with the help of Christ who gives me
the strength and power" (Philippians 2:12; 4-13). This, of course, can be done
only if a Christian totally submits himself to the lordship of Jesus Christ and the
control of the Holy Spirit.

Bible Reading: I Corinthians 12:1-10

TODAY'S ACTION POINT: I'll be more concerned about being yielded to the
moment-by-moment direction and control of God's Holy Spirit than about
discovering my spiritual gift(s).