RenHar. 23 Desember 2016. SEGALA sesuatu berjalan seperti rencana Tuhan, terbaik untuk kita .

SEGALA sesuatu tidak selalu berjalan seperti yang kita rencanakan.

Ketika kita belajar mempercayai rencana Tuhan,
  kita akan melihat bahwa Tuhan mempunyai rencana terbaik untuk kita.

*Dan Ellis*

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SabdaNya.

 Jum'at  23-12-16

Mal  3:1-4; 4:5-6          

Luk 1 :57-66

Shalom,
Orang2 Yahudi mempunyai adat istiadat untuk memberi nama seorang anak dg nama ayahnya atau kerabat yg mereka hormati, dg harapan anak itu nantinya dpt berkembang menjadi seperti orang tsb.

Karena itu sanak keluarga dan tetangga Elisabeth - Zakaria semula mengira anak itu akan diberi nama ayahnya, apalagi mengingat hampir mustahil mereka dapat mempunyai anak yg kedua, karena usia mrk.

Ttp Zakaria ingat akan pesan Gabriel saat bertemu dg nya.Dia memberi nama anak itu:

Yohanes (artinya : Allah memberkati).

Tentu saja tdk mudah bagi Zakaria untuk tdk memberi anak itu namanya sendiri.

Dia harus melepaskan ego nya dan mengikuti kehendak Allah.
Karena ketaatan itu Allah kemudian memulihkan suaranya, supaya dia juga dapat bersaksi atas kasih dan kuasa Allah.

Orang2 yg menyaksikan kejadian itu menjadi terperangah dan mereka tdk dapat membayangkan anak  itu kelak akan menjadi seperti apa, krn mujizat2 Allah sudah tampak melekat padanya.

Kelahiran Yohanes adalah pemenuhan nubuat nabi Maleakhi : ' sesungguhnya Aku akan mengutus nabi Elia kepadamu menjelang datangnya hari Tuhan yg besar dan dahsyat itu.Maka ia akan membuat hati bapa2 berbalik kepada anak2nya dan hati anak2 kepada bapa2nya supays jangan Aku datang memukul bumi shg musnah' (Mal 4: 5-6).

Karena itulah Yohanes mempunyai sifat2 dan banyak kemiripan dg nabi Elia dan khotbah2nya penuh khidmat sehingga dapat membuat banyak orang bertobat.

Didalam hidup kita, siapakah yg per tama2 memperkenalkan Yesus Kristus kepada kita sampai kemudian kita dibaptis?

Mungkin orang itu adalah orang tua kita sendiri, atau mungkin salah satu imam atau guru2 disekolah, atau teman dlsb.
Orang itulah yg menjadi Yohanes Pembaptis bagi diri kita.

Allah juga menghendaki agar kitapun dapat menjadi Yohanes Pembaptis bagi orang2 disekitar kita. 

 Dunia perlu diselamatkan krn
semakin lama semakin dikuasai oleh berbagai kekejian, tipu daya, kekerasan. Firman Allah sengaja disalah tafsirkan untuk kepentingan / ambisi pribadi sehingga banyak orang tersesat bahkan mati sia2.

Besok malam kita sudah akan mensyukuri kedatangan Kristus kedunia 2000 th yg lalu.
Kitapun perlu bersyukur atas kelahiran Kristus didalam hidup kita.
Kita perlu menyatakan syukur itu bukan hanya sebatas memberi salam kepada keluarga dan teman2 saja,tetapi marilah kitapun mau menyediakan diri untuk menjadi Yohanes Pembaptis bagi banyak orang : memperkenalkan kasih Kristus yg membawa damai dan menyerukan / menyemangati banyak orang untuk bertobat, supaya pada saat Ktidtus datang kedua kalinya , Dia tdk menjadi sedih, kecewa dan terpaksa untuk menjatuhkan hukuman yg keras.
Gbu all n hv a blessed Friday.

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Friday, 23th DECEMBER
Luke 1:57-66

On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they would have named him Zechariah after his father, but his mother said, "Not so; he shall be called John." And they said to her, "None of your kindred is called by this name." And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he would have him called. And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, "His name is John."

They wanted to name the baby after his father, Zechariah, because that was what people did at the time. They were expecting Zechariah to do exactly what everyone else did. They didn't know the story behind the birth of St John. They didn't know what the Angel had revealed to Zechariah. They didn't know why he was dumb. Nevertheless, these busybodies wanted to name the baby after his father because that was 'what people did'. But God doesn't ask us to do 'what people do', He asks us to do His Will.

Zechariah had been dumb for nine months. In that period he had time to meditate upon the instructions of the Lord. So, when he had to do what the Angel had said, he didn't waste time writing explanations. He went straight to the point: "His name is John"... Full stop! As if saying: 'Mind your own business'. And after he had obeyed, he recovered the use of his speech...

Some people expect us to do something because that is the custom or their project or because that's 'what people do'. But God doesn't follow the same pattern. 

The father of St Francis of Assisi didn't allow him to follow his vocation for a long time. But it didn't change the resolution of the saint.

 The father of St Francis of Sales had already arranged a marriage for him when he revealed his intention to become a priest.

 The argument lasted for years. 

St Louis Bertran had to run away from home at the age of 18 because his parents wouldn't allow him to become a friar. Eventually the three of them managed to solve the problem and their parents felt proud of their holy children, but it took years and great suffering on both parts. It all happened because people had plans 'for others': for their children, their friends... 

Mary, Virgin Most Prudent, I pray that, through your intercession, many may understand how God's plans are always better and that they may help others to follow God's Will.

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