Tahun 2003 adalah tahun yang berat yang harus aku lalui. Tapi tahun inilah yang telah membuat aku sadar akan arti hidup yang sebenarnya. Tahun 2003 aku hampir meninggalkan Tuhan Yesus, aku hendak pindah keyakinan. Saat itulah kuliahku berantakan. Aku merasa tidak bisa membuat orang tuaku bangga. Saat itu aku mengalami kecelakaan dan kepalaku terbentur aspal. Mulai saat itu aku mulai merasa sakit di kepalaku. Hingga pada suatu hari aku sekarat sendirian. Di dalam alam bawah sadarku, aku merasa saat itu Tuhan akan memanggilku, dan aku merasa sudah waktunya aku harus pergi meninggalkan dunia ini. Tapi aku mengingat hari-hari yang telah kujalani selama ini. Aku belum melakukan apa2 dalam hidup ini, hubungan dalam keluargaku masih berantakan, aku belum membahagiakan orang tuaku, aku belum melakukan hal yang berguna. Aku memohon diberi waktu lagi kepada Tuhan. Saat itu aku menangis, "Tuhan, aku belum melakukan apa2 dalam hidup ini. Beri aku kesempatan untuk hidup. Aku masih mau melakukan banyak hal, aku masih mau memperbaiki segala sesuatu dalam hidupku. Aku masih ingin hidup."
Kemudian aku mendengar suara Tuhan, "Pergi ke gereja!!!". Saat itu aku baru mulai aktif ke gereja. Aku menemukan hidupku kembali. Aku mulai memperbaiki nilai2 di kuliah. Aku baru merasakan hidup ini. Aku baru merasakan tangan Tuhan begitu nyata dalam hidupku. Aku baru merasakan kasihNya dalam hidupku.
Malam ini aku diingatkan kembali akan kejadian beberapa tahun yang lalu. Bapa, terima kasih. Aku akan berikan yang terbaik buat Engkau. Aku tidak akan pernah menyia-nyiakan sisa hidupku ini. Kapanpun Engkau akan memanggil aku kembali untuk pergi meninggalkan dunia ini, aku sudah siap... Aku siap Bapa.. Terima kasih atas kesempatan karena aku bisa mengenalMu, mengenal kasihMu dalam hidupku, mengenal rencanaMu dalam hidupku. Terima kasih Yesus...Amen..
Rabu, 30 Maret 2011
THE SECRET OF POWERFUL PRAYERS
What is the secret of powerful prayers??? Sometimes we pray and pray but it seems that our prayers are not answered by God.. We always pray to Jesus, asking for His gifts for us..
Don't you know that it's just a simple word for a powerful prayer...It is "LOVE"... Yes, it is LOVE that you must have....
When you pray for someone, first you must have is the LOVE from you to the person you are willing to pray.. LOVE has a great power, LOVE can make something that are impossible be possible..
LOVE for your God (JESUS), LOVE for your Mother, LOVE for you father, LOVE for your children, LOVE for your Husband/wife/Girlfriend/Boyfriend, LOVE for your friends, LOVE for your enemies, LOVE for you Country, LOVE for all the people in this world, LOVE for all the creatures created by GOD..
LOVE changes the world, LOVE is shouted everywhere, do it from your deepest heart, do the best for The LOVE you have for the ones you love...
Jesus is THE TRUE LOVE... The Love He has for us is the greatest LOVE in this world and there is no other love in this world is greater than the LOVE HE has.... Trust it...Believe it...Love Him because He has loved us first n His Love for us will never end...Amen...Halleluyah......
Thanks Jesus...
Don't you know that it's just a simple word for a powerful prayer...It is "LOVE"... Yes, it is LOVE that you must have....
When you pray for someone, first you must have is the LOVE from you to the person you are willing to pray.. LOVE has a great power, LOVE can make something that are impossible be possible..
LOVE for your God (JESUS), LOVE for your Mother, LOVE for you father, LOVE for your children, LOVE for your Husband/wife/Girlfriend/Boyfriend, LOVE for your friends, LOVE for your enemies, LOVE for you Country, LOVE for all the people in this world, LOVE for all the creatures created by GOD..
LOVE changes the world, LOVE is shouted everywhere, do it from your deepest heart, do the best for The LOVE you have for the ones you love...
Jesus is THE TRUE LOVE... The Love He has for us is the greatest LOVE in this world and there is no other love in this world is greater than the LOVE HE has.... Trust it...Believe it...Love Him because He has loved us first n His Love for us will never end...Amen...Halleluyah......
Thanks Jesus...
The Final Judgement (Matthew 25:31-46)
When the Son of Man comes in His glory with all of His angels, He will sit on His royal throne. The people of all nations will be brought before Him, and He will separate them, as shepherds separate their sheep from their goats. He will place the sheep on His right and the goats on His left. Then the king will say to those on His right, "My Father has blessed you! Come and receive the Kingdom that was prepared for you before the world was created.
When I was hungry, you gave Me something to eat,
and when I was thirsty, you gave Me something to drink.
When I was a stranger, you welcomed Me,
and when I was naked, you gave Me clothes to wear.
When I was sick, you took care of Me,
and when I was in jail, you visited Me.
Then then ones who pleased the Lord will ask,"
When did we gave You something to eat or drink?
When did we welcome You as a stranger or give You clothes to wear
or visit You while You were sick or in jail?
The King will answer, "
Whenever you did it for any of my people,
no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for Me.
Then the king will say to those on His left, "Get away from Me! You are under God's curse.
Go into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels!
I was hungry, but you didn't give Me anything to eat, and
I was thirsty, but you didn't give Me anything to drink.
I was a stranger, but you didn't welcome Me, and
I was naked, but you didn't give Me any clothes to wear.
I was sick and in jail, but you didn't take care of Me."
Then the people will ask, "Lord,
when did we fail to help You when You were hungry or thirsty
or a stranger or naked or sick or in jail?
The king will say to them,
"Whenever you failed to help any of My people,
no matter how unimportant they seemed,
you failed to do it for Me."
Then Jesus said, "Those people will be punished for ever. but the ones who pleased God will have eternal life."
When I was hungry, you gave Me something to eat,
and when I was thirsty, you gave Me something to drink.
When I was a stranger, you welcomed Me,
and when I was naked, you gave Me clothes to wear.
When I was sick, you took care of Me,
and when I was in jail, you visited Me.
Then then ones who pleased the Lord will ask,"
When did we gave You something to eat or drink?
When did we welcome You as a stranger or give You clothes to wear
or visit You while You were sick or in jail?
The King will answer, "
Whenever you did it for any of my people,
no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for Me.
Then the king will say to those on His left, "Get away from Me! You are under God's curse.
Go into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels!
I was hungry, but you didn't give Me anything to eat, and
I was thirsty, but you didn't give Me anything to drink.
I was a stranger, but you didn't welcome Me, and
I was naked, but you didn't give Me any clothes to wear.
I was sick and in jail, but you didn't take care of Me."
Then the people will ask, "Lord,
when did we fail to help You when You were hungry or thirsty
or a stranger or naked or sick or in jail?
The king will say to them,
"Whenever you failed to help any of My people,
no matter how unimportant they seemed,
you failed to do it for Me."
Then Jesus said, "Those people will be punished for ever. but the ones who pleased God will have eternal life."
Proverbs 24
Dont be jealous of crooks or want to be their friends. All they think about and talk about is violence and cruelty. Use wisdom and understanding to establish your home; let good sense fill the rooms with priceless treasures. Wisdom brings strength, and knowledge gives power. Battles are won by listening to advice and making a lot of plans. Wisdom is too much for fools. Their advice is no good. No one but troublemakers think up trouble. Everyone hates senseless fools who think up ways to sin. Dont give up and be helpless in times of trouble. Dont fail to rescue those who are doomed to die. Dont say, i didnt know it! God can read your mind. He watches each of us and knows our thoughts. And God will pay us back for what we do. Honey is good for you, my children, and it tastes sweet. Wisdom is like honey for your life, if you find it, your future is bright. Dont be a cruel person who attacks good people and hurts their families. Even if good people fall 7 times, they will get back up again. But when trouble strikes the wicked,that is the end of them. Dont be happy to see your enemies trip n fall down. The Lord will find out and be unhappy. Then He will stop being angry with them. Dont let evil people worry you or make you jealous. They will soon be gone like the flame of a lamp that burns out. My children, you must respect the Lord n the king,n you mustnt make friends with anyone who rebels against either of them. Who knows what sudden disaster the Lord or a ruler might bring?
Unity with Christ
Ephesians 4:1-16:As a prisoner of the Lord,I beg you to live in a way that is worthy of the people God has chosen to be His own.Always be humble and gentle.Patiently put up with each other and love each other.Try your best to let God's Spirit keep your hearts united.Do this by living at peace.All of you are part of the same body.There is only one Spirit of God,just as you were given one hope when you were chosen to be God's people.We have only one Lord,one faith,and one baptism.There is one God who is the Father of all people.Not only is God above all others,but He works by using all of us,and He lives in all of us.Christ has generously divided out His gifts to us.As the Scriptures say,'when He went up to the highest place,He led away many prisoners and gave gifts to people.' When it says, He went up, it means that Christ had been deep in the earth.This also means that the one who went deep into the earth is the same one who went into the highest heaven,so that He would fill the whole universe.Christ chose some of us to be apostles,prophets,missionaries,pastors,and teachers,so that His people would learn to serve and His Body would grow strong.This will continue until we are united by our faith and by our understanding of the Son of God.Then we will be mature,just as Christ is,and we will be completely like Him.We must stop acting like children.We mustnt let deceitful people trick us by their false teachings,which are like winds that toss us around from place to place.Love should always make us tell the truth.Then we will grow in every way and be more like Christ,the head of the body.Christ holds it together and makes all of its parts work perfectly,as it grows and becomes strong because of LOVE.
Yesus di atas segalanya
Adalah benar bahwa Yesus di atas segalanya. Bagi kita yang sudah benar-benar bertobat dan menyerahkan diri dan hati kita sepenuhnya kepadaNya. Jadikan Tuhan Yesus sebagai pondasi dari kekuatan kita, iman kita, maka kita akan kuat di tengah badai persoalan, baik di dalam kehidupan pribadi, kehidupan keluarga, pekerjaan, maupun di kehidupan gereja. Kenapa saya mengikutsertakan gereja? Pada saat kita mula-mula bertobat, apa yang kita lihat di gereja benar-benar kelihatan amat indah, amat suci, mulia, tanpa cela sedikitpun, baik orang-orang yang melayani di dalam gereja itu. Kita pasti akan mengidolakan sosok yang ada di dalam gereja itu, kita akan melihat pribadi-pribadi yang begitu baik tanpa cela terutama yang bertugas melayani sebagai hamba Tuhan yang bertugas berkotbah di depan mimbar atau tang kita panggil sebagai pendeta. Kita ingin hidup benar dan ingin dipakai seperti hamba Tuhan itu. Pertobatan pertama disebut kasih mula-mula kita kepada Yesus Kristus. Kasih mula-mula itu begitu indah, kita menyembah, memuji, dengan api yang menyala nyala. Tapi bisakah kita mempertahankan api yang menyala nyala itu dalam kurun waktu bertahun-tahun? Bisakah? Atau selama bertahun-tahun apa yang kita rasakan sebagai kasih mula-mula telah berubah hambar, atau segala puji dan peneyembahan hanya akan berupa kata-kata kosong karena kekecewaan kepada Tuhan karena orang-orang yang sudah dipercayakanNya tidak sesuai dengan apa yang kita bayangkan.
Point penting yang harus kita catat di dalam hati kita adalah sosok yang sempurna hanyalah Tuhan Yesus Kristus itu sendiri. Ingatlah bahwa manusia tidak ada yang sempurna. Manusia memiliki batasan-batasan. Inilah yang kurun terjadi di dalam kehidupan gereja maupun kehidupan pribadi, dan keluarga. Dama kehidupan keluarga, sebagai contoh kita mengidolakan Ayah kita. Tapi ketika kita kecewa, kita bisa meninggalkan keluarga dan meninggalkan kasih semula kita kepada ayah kita. Sama halnya seperti di dalam suatu gereja. Ketika kita melihat pelayan Tuhan ataupun hamba Tuhan yang jatuh ke dalam dosa, kita malah cenderung kecewa, menghakimi orang tersebut. Atau yang lebih parah kita akan meninggalkan gereja karena kita menganggap semua orang di dalam gereja adalah munafik, sama dengan orang dunia. Kita mulai jarang ke gereja atau pindah ke gereja yang lain, mencari gereja yang lebih baik, dan ketika kita melihat lagi keburukan-keburukan di dalamnya kita cenderung kecewa dengan gereja-gereja, pelayan-pelayan, hamba-hamba Tuhan, dan yang paling parah kita benar-benar akan kecewa kepada Tuhan dan meninggalkan kasih mula-mula kita kepadaNya. Hal ini jangan terjadi di kehidupan kita.
Jadi, apa yang harus kita lakukan agar kita bisa bertahan di tengah badai ini?, Apa yang harus kita lakukan untuk mempertahankan kasih mula-mula kita terhadap gereja, terhadap Kristus sebagai kepala gereja itu?
Pertama : Jadikanlah Yesus sebagai segalanya di dalam kehidupan kita, milikilah hubungan pribadi denganNya agar Ia bisa menuntun kita ke jalanNya. Bagaimana agar bisa memiliki hubungan pribadi dengan Tuhan? Biasakanlah bila pada saat kita memiliki masalah, curhat kepada Tuhan, ceritakan persoalan-persoalan yang kita hadapi kepadaNya di dalam doa, dan mintalah jalan keluar dariNya. Lakukan terus menerus maka kita akan memiliki hubungan pribadi, lakukan penyembahan, piji-pujian, baca firman.dan jangan duniawi.
Kedua : Ingat!!! Tidak ada yang sempurna di dunia ini, baik pelayan Tuhan, hamba Tuhan maupun gereja. Bagaimana supaya kita bisa bertahan? Semakin kita terjun di dalam sebuah gereja, semakin kita melihat hal-hal yang tidak kita inginkan di dalam gereja tersebut. Bila kita bisa melihat bahwa segala sesuatu tidaklah bisa sempurna seperti Tuhan, kita bisa menerima kesalahan orang lain, bisa memaafkan orang lain. Bagi manusia memaafkan adalah tindakan yang paling sulit dilakukan terutama yang didasarkan dari dalam hati. Kita cenderung menghakimi bila melihat kesalahan orang lain, tapi bila kita bisa melihat diri kita juga tidak sempurna dan melihat orang lain seperti kita yang tidak sempurna maka kita bisa belajar memaafkan dan menerima orang lain apa adanya. Kita bisa bergaul dan berteman dengan siapapun bila kita bisa menerima kelemahan dan kelebihan orang lain.
Inilah yang harus kita lakukan di dalam gereja. Ketka mula-mula kita sudah bertobat di dalam sebuah gereja. Kasihilah gereja tersebut, bagaimana cara mengasihi gereja kita? Setialah selalu di dalam gereja di mana mula-mula kita dipanggil untuk bertobat. Kita bisa bertobat di dalam gereja juga karena rencana Tuhan yang telah menempatkan kita di dalamnya. Tuhan senang melihat orang yang setia dan bisa bertahan di dalam suatu gereja. Mulailah untuk bisa mendengar suara Tuhan agar kita tahu apa yang Ia ingin kita lakukan untukNya. Tapi bila kita melihat kelemahan-kelemahan kita maupun orang lain, apa yang harus kita lakukan? Diam saja? Cobalah untuk berubah, bila kita tahu kalau kelemahan yang kita miliki tidak baik, maka perbaiki kelemahan itu. Jangan jadikan batu sandungan buat orang lain. Ini yang harus dilakukan oleh hamba Tuhan. Seorang hamba Tuhan memiliki pengarih besar di dalam kehidupan kerohanian jemaat. Ibarat ia sebagai seorang contoh bagi jemaat karena kata-kata yang disampaikan di atas mimbar. Jagalah langkah-langkah kita bila sudah dipercayakan Tuhan dalam pelayanan di dalam gereja. Jangan jadi batu sandungan bagi jemaat. Karena pasti akan ada kekecewaan yang mendalam di dalam jemaat bila melihat hamba Tuhan melakukan hal yang tidak sepantasnya Ia lakukan sebagai hamba Tuhan. Bila jemaat kecewa, terutama bagi yang baru bertobat, mereka akan kembali lagi ke asal sebelum pertobatan. Dosa hamba Tuhan itu akan besar bila terjadi hal seperti ini. Ingat, berjaga-jagalah karena waktunya hampir dekat. Manusia sudah semakin banyak yang bertobat. Iblis juga bekerja keras untuk menyesatkan banyak orang melalui sisi-sisi lemah manusia. Hamba Tuhan juga manusia dan Iblis memakai kelemahan yang ia miliki untuk membuat para hamba Tuhan jatuh dalam dosa.
Bagi jemaat, bila melihat hal seperti ini jangalah kecewa dan cenderung menghakimi dan meninggalkan gereja. Ingat, tidak ada yang sempurna selain Tuhan itu sendiri. Jadi apa yang harus jemaat lakukan? Berdoalah buat pemulihan gereja, buat hamba Tuhan yang sudah jatuh itu agar Ia bisa kembali ke jalan Tuhan. Kita sebagai jemaat milikilah kasih terhadap gereja kita sendiri. Kasih penting kita miliki baik kita sebagai jemaat, pelayan gereja, hamba Tuhan. Kasih memiliki kekuatan yang sangat besar. Bila kita sangat mengasihi gereja kita, berdoalah, maka doa kita memiliki kuasa yang besar yang bergerak untuk memulihkan gereja kita.
Sekian yang saya sampaikan kali ini. Harapan saya semua gereja di dunia khususnya di Indonesia bisa bersatu di dalam kasih Tuhan sehingga mereka bisa membawa banyak jiwa lagi yang murni, yang bisa menjadi terang dan garam di dalam kehidupan mereka. Terima kasih Yesus yang sudah membimbing hamba dalam menulis tulisan-tulisan ini. Halleluya.....Amen....
Point penting yang harus kita catat di dalam hati kita adalah sosok yang sempurna hanyalah Tuhan Yesus Kristus itu sendiri. Ingatlah bahwa manusia tidak ada yang sempurna. Manusia memiliki batasan-batasan. Inilah yang kurun terjadi di dalam kehidupan gereja maupun kehidupan pribadi, dan keluarga. Dama kehidupan keluarga, sebagai contoh kita mengidolakan Ayah kita. Tapi ketika kita kecewa, kita bisa meninggalkan keluarga dan meninggalkan kasih semula kita kepada ayah kita. Sama halnya seperti di dalam suatu gereja. Ketika kita melihat pelayan Tuhan ataupun hamba Tuhan yang jatuh ke dalam dosa, kita malah cenderung kecewa, menghakimi orang tersebut. Atau yang lebih parah kita akan meninggalkan gereja karena kita menganggap semua orang di dalam gereja adalah munafik, sama dengan orang dunia. Kita mulai jarang ke gereja atau pindah ke gereja yang lain, mencari gereja yang lebih baik, dan ketika kita melihat lagi keburukan-keburukan di dalamnya kita cenderung kecewa dengan gereja-gereja, pelayan-pelayan, hamba-hamba Tuhan, dan yang paling parah kita benar-benar akan kecewa kepada Tuhan dan meninggalkan kasih mula-mula kita kepadaNya. Hal ini jangan terjadi di kehidupan kita.
Jadi, apa yang harus kita lakukan agar kita bisa bertahan di tengah badai ini?, Apa yang harus kita lakukan untuk mempertahankan kasih mula-mula kita terhadap gereja, terhadap Kristus sebagai kepala gereja itu?
Pertama : Jadikanlah Yesus sebagai segalanya di dalam kehidupan kita, milikilah hubungan pribadi denganNya agar Ia bisa menuntun kita ke jalanNya. Bagaimana agar bisa memiliki hubungan pribadi dengan Tuhan? Biasakanlah bila pada saat kita memiliki masalah, curhat kepada Tuhan, ceritakan persoalan-persoalan yang kita hadapi kepadaNya di dalam doa, dan mintalah jalan keluar dariNya. Lakukan terus menerus maka kita akan memiliki hubungan pribadi, lakukan penyembahan, piji-pujian, baca firman.dan jangan duniawi.
Kedua : Ingat!!! Tidak ada yang sempurna di dunia ini, baik pelayan Tuhan, hamba Tuhan maupun gereja. Bagaimana supaya kita bisa bertahan? Semakin kita terjun di dalam sebuah gereja, semakin kita melihat hal-hal yang tidak kita inginkan di dalam gereja tersebut. Bila kita bisa melihat bahwa segala sesuatu tidaklah bisa sempurna seperti Tuhan, kita bisa menerima kesalahan orang lain, bisa memaafkan orang lain. Bagi manusia memaafkan adalah tindakan yang paling sulit dilakukan terutama yang didasarkan dari dalam hati. Kita cenderung menghakimi bila melihat kesalahan orang lain, tapi bila kita bisa melihat diri kita juga tidak sempurna dan melihat orang lain seperti kita yang tidak sempurna maka kita bisa belajar memaafkan dan menerima orang lain apa adanya. Kita bisa bergaul dan berteman dengan siapapun bila kita bisa menerima kelemahan dan kelebihan orang lain.
Inilah yang harus kita lakukan di dalam gereja. Ketka mula-mula kita sudah bertobat di dalam sebuah gereja. Kasihilah gereja tersebut, bagaimana cara mengasihi gereja kita? Setialah selalu di dalam gereja di mana mula-mula kita dipanggil untuk bertobat. Kita bisa bertobat di dalam gereja juga karena rencana Tuhan yang telah menempatkan kita di dalamnya. Tuhan senang melihat orang yang setia dan bisa bertahan di dalam suatu gereja. Mulailah untuk bisa mendengar suara Tuhan agar kita tahu apa yang Ia ingin kita lakukan untukNya. Tapi bila kita melihat kelemahan-kelemahan kita maupun orang lain, apa yang harus kita lakukan? Diam saja? Cobalah untuk berubah, bila kita tahu kalau kelemahan yang kita miliki tidak baik, maka perbaiki kelemahan itu. Jangan jadikan batu sandungan buat orang lain. Ini yang harus dilakukan oleh hamba Tuhan. Seorang hamba Tuhan memiliki pengarih besar di dalam kehidupan kerohanian jemaat. Ibarat ia sebagai seorang contoh bagi jemaat karena kata-kata yang disampaikan di atas mimbar. Jagalah langkah-langkah kita bila sudah dipercayakan Tuhan dalam pelayanan di dalam gereja. Jangan jadi batu sandungan bagi jemaat. Karena pasti akan ada kekecewaan yang mendalam di dalam jemaat bila melihat hamba Tuhan melakukan hal yang tidak sepantasnya Ia lakukan sebagai hamba Tuhan. Bila jemaat kecewa, terutama bagi yang baru bertobat, mereka akan kembali lagi ke asal sebelum pertobatan. Dosa hamba Tuhan itu akan besar bila terjadi hal seperti ini. Ingat, berjaga-jagalah karena waktunya hampir dekat. Manusia sudah semakin banyak yang bertobat. Iblis juga bekerja keras untuk menyesatkan banyak orang melalui sisi-sisi lemah manusia. Hamba Tuhan juga manusia dan Iblis memakai kelemahan yang ia miliki untuk membuat para hamba Tuhan jatuh dalam dosa.
Bagi jemaat, bila melihat hal seperti ini jangalah kecewa dan cenderung menghakimi dan meninggalkan gereja. Ingat, tidak ada yang sempurna selain Tuhan itu sendiri. Jadi apa yang harus jemaat lakukan? Berdoalah buat pemulihan gereja, buat hamba Tuhan yang sudah jatuh itu agar Ia bisa kembali ke jalan Tuhan. Kita sebagai jemaat milikilah kasih terhadap gereja kita sendiri. Kasih penting kita miliki baik kita sebagai jemaat, pelayan gereja, hamba Tuhan. Kasih memiliki kekuatan yang sangat besar. Bila kita sangat mengasihi gereja kita, berdoalah, maka doa kita memiliki kuasa yang besar yang bergerak untuk memulihkan gereja kita.
Sekian yang saya sampaikan kali ini. Harapan saya semua gereja di dunia khususnya di Indonesia bisa bersatu di dalam kasih Tuhan sehingga mereka bisa membawa banyak jiwa lagi yang murni, yang bisa menjadi terang dan garam di dalam kehidupan mereka. Terima kasih Yesus yang sudah membimbing hamba dalam menulis tulisan-tulisan ini. Halleluya.....Amen....
1 Peter
1 Peter
Chapter 1
From Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ.
To God’s people who are scattered like foreigners in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.
God the Father decided to choose you as His people, and His Spirit has made you holy. You have obeyed Jesus Christ and are sprinkled with His blood.
I pray that God will be kind to you and will keep on giving you peace!
“A real reason for hope”
Praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is so good, and by raising Jesus from death, He has given us new life and a hope that lives on. God has something stored up for you in heaven, where it will never decay or be ruined or disappear.
You have faith in God, whose power will protect you until the last day. Then He will save you, just as He has always planned to do. On that day you will be glad, even if you have to go through many hard trials for a while. You faith will be like gold that has been tested in a fire. And these trials will prove that your faith is worth much more than gold that can be destroyed. They will show that you will be given praise and honour and glory when Jesus Christ returns.
You have never seen Jesus, and you don’t see Him now. But still you love Him and have faith in Him, and no words can tell how glad and happy you are to be saved. That’s why you have faith.
Some prophets spoke about how kind God would be to you, and they searched hard to find out more about the way you would be saved. The Spirit of Christ was in them and was telling them how Christ would suffer and would then be given great honour. So they searched to find out exactly who Christ would be and when this would happen.
But they were told that they were serving you and not themselves. They preached to you by the power of the Holy Spirit, who was sent from heaven. And their message was only for you, even though angels would like to know more about it.
“Chosen to live a Holy life”
Be alert and think straight. Put all you hope in how kind God will be to you when Jesus Christ appears. Behave like obedient children. Don’t have your life be controlled by your desires, as they used to be. Always live as God’s holy people should, because God is the one who chose you, and He is holy. That’s why the scriptures say, “I am the holy God, and you must be holy too.”
You say that God is your Father, but God doesn’t have favourites! He judges all people by what they do. So you must honour God while you live as strangers here on earth. You were rescued from the useless way of life that you learned from you ancestors. But you know that you were not rescued by such things as silver or gold that don’t last for ever. You were rescued by the precious blood of Christ, that spotless and innocent lamb. Christ was chosen even before the world was created, but because of you, He didn’t come until these last days. And when He did come, it was to lead you to have faith in God, who raised Him from death and honoured Him in a glorious way. That’s why you have put your faith and hope in God.
You obeyed the truth, and your souls were made pure. Now you sincerely love each other. But you must keep on loving with all your heart. Do this because God has given you new birth by His message that lives on for ever.
The scriptures say,
“Humans wither like grass, and their glory fades like wild flowers. Grass dries up, and flowers fall to the ground. But what the Lord has said will stand for ever.”
Our good news to you is what the Lord has said.
Chapter 2
“A living stone and a holy nation”
Stop being hateful! Stop trying to fool people, and start being sincere. Don’t be jealous or say cruel things about others. Be like newborn babies who are thirsty for the pure spiritual milk that will help you grow and be saved. You have already found out how good the Lord really is.
Come to Jesus Christ. He is the living stone that people have rejected, but which God has chosen and highly honoured. And now you are living stones that are being used to build a spiritual house. You are also a group of holy priests, and with the help of Jesus Christ you will offer sacrifices that please God. It is just as God says in the scriptures,
“Look, I am placing in Zion a choice and precious cornerstone. No one who has faith in that one will be disappointed.”
You are followers of the Lord, and that stone is precious to you. But it isn’t precious to those who refuse to follow Him. They are the builders who tosses aside the stone that turned out to be the most important one of all. They disobeyed the message and stumbled and fell over that stone, because they were doomed.
But you are God’s chosen and special people. You are a group of royal priests and a holy nation. God has brought you out of darkness into His marvellous light. Now you must tell about all the wonderful things that He has done. The scriptures say,
“Once you were nobody. Now you are God’s people. At one time no one had pity on you. Now God has treated you with kindness.
“Live as God’s servant should”
Dear friends, you are foreigners and strangers on this earth. So I beg you not to surrender to those desires that fight against you. Always let others see you behaving properly, even though they may still accuse you of doing wrong. Then on the day of judgment, they will honour God by telling the good things they saw you do.
The Lord wants you to obey all human authorities, especially the Emperor, who rules over everyone. You must also obey governors, because they are sent by the Emperor to punish criminals and to praise good citizens. God wants you to silence stupid and ignorant people by doing right. You are free, but still you are God’s servants, and you mustn’t use your freedom as an excuse for doing wrong. Respect everyone and show special love for God’s people. Honour God and respect the Emperor.
“The example of Christ’s suffering”
Servants, you must obey your masters and always respect to them. Do this, not only to those who are kind and thoughtful, but to those who are cruel. God will bless you, even if others treat you unfairly for being punished for some wrong you have done. But God will bless you, if you have to suffer for doing something good. After all, God chose you to suffer as you follow in the footsteps of Christ, who set an example by suffering for you.
Christ did not sin or ever tell a lie. Although He was abused, He never tried to get even. And when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He had faith in God, who judges fairly. Christ carried the burden of our sins. He was nailed to the cross, so we would stop sinning and start living right. By His cuts and bruises you are healed. You had wandered away like sheep. Now you have returned to the one who is your shepherd and protector.
Chapter 3
“Wives and husbands”
If you are a wife, you must put your husband first. Even if he opposes our message, you will win him over by what you do. No one else will have to say anything to him, because he will see how you honour God and live a pure life. Don’t depend on things like fancy hairdos or gold jewellery or expensive clothes to make you look beautiful. Be beautiful in your heart by being gentle and quiet. This kind of beauty will last, and God considers it very special.
Long ago those women who worshipped God and put their hope in Him made themselves beautiful by putting their husbands first. Foe example, Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her true children, if you do right and don’t let anything frighten you.
If you are a husband, you should be thoughtful of you wife. Treat her with honour, because she isn’t as strong as you are, and she share with you in the gift of life. Then nothing will stand in the way of your prayers.
“Suffering for doing right”
Finally, all of you should agree and have concern and love for each other. You should also be kind and humble. Don’t be hateful and insult people just because they are hateful and insult you. Instead, treat everyone with kindness. You are God’s chosen ones, and He will bless you. The scriptures say,
“Do you really love life? Do you want to be happy? Then stop saying cruel things and stop telling lies. Give up your evil ways and do right, as you find and follow the road that leads to peace. The Lord watches over everyone who obeys Him, and He listens to their prayers. But he opposes everyone who does evil.”
Can anyone really harm you for being eager to do good deeds? Even if you have to suffer for doing good things, God will bless you. So stop being afraid and don’t worry about what people might do. Honour Christ and let Him be the Lord of your life.
Always be ready to give an answer when someone asks you about your hope. Give a kind and respectful answer and keep your conscience clear. This way you will make people ashamed for saying bad things about your good conduct as a follower of Christ. You are better off to obey God and suffer for doing right than to suffer from doing wrong.
Christ died for our sins. An innocent person died for those who are guilty. Christ did this to bring you to God, when His body was put to death and His Spirit was made alive.
Christ then preached to the spirits that were being kept in prison. They has disobeyed God while Noah was building the boat, but God had been patient with them. Eight people went into the boat and were brought safely through the flood.
Those flood waters were like baptism that now saves you. But baptism is more than just washing you body. It means turning to God with a clear conscience, because Jesus Christ was raised from death. Christ is now in heaven, where He sits at the right side of God. All angels, authorities, and powers are under His control.
Chaper 4
“Being Faithful to God”
Christ suffered here on earth. Now you must be ready to suffer as He did, because suffering shows that you have stopped sinning. It means that you have turned from your own desires and want to obey God for the rest of your life. You have already lived long enough like people who don’t know God. You were immoral and followed your evil desires. You went around drinking and partying and carrying on. In fact, you even worshipped disgusting idols. Now your former friends wonder why you have stopped running around with them, and they curse you for it. But hey will have to answer to God, who judges the living and the dead. The good news has even been preached to the dead, so that after they have been judged for what they have done on this life, their spirits will live with God.
Everything will soon come to an end. So be serious and be sensible enough to pray.
Most important of all, you must sincerely love each other, because love wipes away many sins.
Welcome people into your home and don’t grumble about it.
Each of you has been blessed with one of God’s many wonderful gifts to be used in the service of others. So use your gift well. If you have the gift of speaking, preach God’s message. If you have the gift of helping others, do it with the strength that God supplies. Everything should be done in a way that will bring honour to God because of Jesus Christ, who is glorious and powerful for ever. Amen.
“Suffering for being a Christian”
Dear friends, don’t be surprised or shocked that you are going through testing that is like walking through fire. Be glad for the chance to suffer as Christ suffered. It will prepare you for even great happiness when He makes His glorious return.
Count it a blessing when you suffer for being a Christian. This shows that God’s glorious Spirit is with you. But you deserve to suffer if you are a murderer, a thief, a crook, or a busybody. Don’t be ashamed to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God that you belong to Him. God has already begun judging His own people. And if His judgment begins with us, imagine how terrible it will be for those who refuse to obey His message. The scriptures say,
“If good people barely escape, what will happen to sinners and to others who don’t respect God?”
If you suffer for obeying God, you must have complete faith in you faithful Creator and keep doing right.
Chapter 5
“Helping Christian Leaders”
Church leaders, I am writing to encourage you. I too am a leader, as well as witness to Christ’s suffering, and I will share in His glory when it is shown to us.
Just as shepherds watch over their sheep, you must watch over everyone God has placed in you care. Do it willingly in order to please God, and not simply because you think you must. Let it be something you want to do, instead of something you do merely to make money. Don’t be bossy to those people who are in you care, but set an example for them. Then when Christ the Chief Shepherd returns, you will be given a crown that will never lose its glory.
All of you young people should obey your elders. In fact, everyone should be humble towards everyone else. The scriptures say,
“God opposes proud people, but He helps everyone who is humble.”
Be humble in the presence of God’s mighty power, and He will honour you when the time comes. God cares for you, so turn all you worries over to Him.
Be on your guard and stay awake. Your enemy, the devil, is like a roaring lion, sneaking around to find someone to attack. But you must resist the devil and stay strong in your faith. You know that all over the world the Lord’s followers are suffering just as you are. But God shows undeserved kindness to everyone. That’s why He appointed Christ Jesus to choose you to share in His eternal glory. You will suffer for a while, but God will make you complete, steady, strong, and firm. God will be in control for ever. Amen.
Chapter 1
From Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ.
To God’s people who are scattered like foreigners in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.
God the Father decided to choose you as His people, and His Spirit has made you holy. You have obeyed Jesus Christ and are sprinkled with His blood.
I pray that God will be kind to you and will keep on giving you peace!
“A real reason for hope”
Praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is so good, and by raising Jesus from death, He has given us new life and a hope that lives on. God has something stored up for you in heaven, where it will never decay or be ruined or disappear.
You have faith in God, whose power will protect you until the last day. Then He will save you, just as He has always planned to do. On that day you will be glad, even if you have to go through many hard trials for a while. You faith will be like gold that has been tested in a fire. And these trials will prove that your faith is worth much more than gold that can be destroyed. They will show that you will be given praise and honour and glory when Jesus Christ returns.
You have never seen Jesus, and you don’t see Him now. But still you love Him and have faith in Him, and no words can tell how glad and happy you are to be saved. That’s why you have faith.
Some prophets spoke about how kind God would be to you, and they searched hard to find out more about the way you would be saved. The Spirit of Christ was in them and was telling them how Christ would suffer and would then be given great honour. So they searched to find out exactly who Christ would be and when this would happen.
But they were told that they were serving you and not themselves. They preached to you by the power of the Holy Spirit, who was sent from heaven. And their message was only for you, even though angels would like to know more about it.
“Chosen to live a Holy life”
Be alert and think straight. Put all you hope in how kind God will be to you when Jesus Christ appears. Behave like obedient children. Don’t have your life be controlled by your desires, as they used to be. Always live as God’s holy people should, because God is the one who chose you, and He is holy. That’s why the scriptures say, “I am the holy God, and you must be holy too.”
You say that God is your Father, but God doesn’t have favourites! He judges all people by what they do. So you must honour God while you live as strangers here on earth. You were rescued from the useless way of life that you learned from you ancestors. But you know that you were not rescued by such things as silver or gold that don’t last for ever. You were rescued by the precious blood of Christ, that spotless and innocent lamb. Christ was chosen even before the world was created, but because of you, He didn’t come until these last days. And when He did come, it was to lead you to have faith in God, who raised Him from death and honoured Him in a glorious way. That’s why you have put your faith and hope in God.
You obeyed the truth, and your souls were made pure. Now you sincerely love each other. But you must keep on loving with all your heart. Do this because God has given you new birth by His message that lives on for ever.
The scriptures say,
“Humans wither like grass, and their glory fades like wild flowers. Grass dries up, and flowers fall to the ground. But what the Lord has said will stand for ever.”
Our good news to you is what the Lord has said.
Chapter 2
“A living stone and a holy nation”
Stop being hateful! Stop trying to fool people, and start being sincere. Don’t be jealous or say cruel things about others. Be like newborn babies who are thirsty for the pure spiritual milk that will help you grow and be saved. You have already found out how good the Lord really is.
Come to Jesus Christ. He is the living stone that people have rejected, but which God has chosen and highly honoured. And now you are living stones that are being used to build a spiritual house. You are also a group of holy priests, and with the help of Jesus Christ you will offer sacrifices that please God. It is just as God says in the scriptures,
“Look, I am placing in Zion a choice and precious cornerstone. No one who has faith in that one will be disappointed.”
You are followers of the Lord, and that stone is precious to you. But it isn’t precious to those who refuse to follow Him. They are the builders who tosses aside the stone that turned out to be the most important one of all. They disobeyed the message and stumbled and fell over that stone, because they were doomed.
But you are God’s chosen and special people. You are a group of royal priests and a holy nation. God has brought you out of darkness into His marvellous light. Now you must tell about all the wonderful things that He has done. The scriptures say,
“Once you were nobody. Now you are God’s people. At one time no one had pity on you. Now God has treated you with kindness.
“Live as God’s servant should”
Dear friends, you are foreigners and strangers on this earth. So I beg you not to surrender to those desires that fight against you. Always let others see you behaving properly, even though they may still accuse you of doing wrong. Then on the day of judgment, they will honour God by telling the good things they saw you do.
The Lord wants you to obey all human authorities, especially the Emperor, who rules over everyone. You must also obey governors, because they are sent by the Emperor to punish criminals and to praise good citizens. God wants you to silence stupid and ignorant people by doing right. You are free, but still you are God’s servants, and you mustn’t use your freedom as an excuse for doing wrong. Respect everyone and show special love for God’s people. Honour God and respect the Emperor.
“The example of Christ’s suffering”
Servants, you must obey your masters and always respect to them. Do this, not only to those who are kind and thoughtful, but to those who are cruel. God will bless you, even if others treat you unfairly for being punished for some wrong you have done. But God will bless you, if you have to suffer for doing something good. After all, God chose you to suffer as you follow in the footsteps of Christ, who set an example by suffering for you.
Christ did not sin or ever tell a lie. Although He was abused, He never tried to get even. And when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He had faith in God, who judges fairly. Christ carried the burden of our sins. He was nailed to the cross, so we would stop sinning and start living right. By His cuts and bruises you are healed. You had wandered away like sheep. Now you have returned to the one who is your shepherd and protector.
Chapter 3
“Wives and husbands”
If you are a wife, you must put your husband first. Even if he opposes our message, you will win him over by what you do. No one else will have to say anything to him, because he will see how you honour God and live a pure life. Don’t depend on things like fancy hairdos or gold jewellery or expensive clothes to make you look beautiful. Be beautiful in your heart by being gentle and quiet. This kind of beauty will last, and God considers it very special.
Long ago those women who worshipped God and put their hope in Him made themselves beautiful by putting their husbands first. Foe example, Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her true children, if you do right and don’t let anything frighten you.
If you are a husband, you should be thoughtful of you wife. Treat her with honour, because she isn’t as strong as you are, and she share with you in the gift of life. Then nothing will stand in the way of your prayers.
“Suffering for doing right”
Finally, all of you should agree and have concern and love for each other. You should also be kind and humble. Don’t be hateful and insult people just because they are hateful and insult you. Instead, treat everyone with kindness. You are God’s chosen ones, and He will bless you. The scriptures say,
“Do you really love life? Do you want to be happy? Then stop saying cruel things and stop telling lies. Give up your evil ways and do right, as you find and follow the road that leads to peace. The Lord watches over everyone who obeys Him, and He listens to their prayers. But he opposes everyone who does evil.”
Can anyone really harm you for being eager to do good deeds? Even if you have to suffer for doing good things, God will bless you. So stop being afraid and don’t worry about what people might do. Honour Christ and let Him be the Lord of your life.
Always be ready to give an answer when someone asks you about your hope. Give a kind and respectful answer and keep your conscience clear. This way you will make people ashamed for saying bad things about your good conduct as a follower of Christ. You are better off to obey God and suffer for doing right than to suffer from doing wrong.
Christ died for our sins. An innocent person died for those who are guilty. Christ did this to bring you to God, when His body was put to death and His Spirit was made alive.
Christ then preached to the spirits that were being kept in prison. They has disobeyed God while Noah was building the boat, but God had been patient with them. Eight people went into the boat and were brought safely through the flood.
Those flood waters were like baptism that now saves you. But baptism is more than just washing you body. It means turning to God with a clear conscience, because Jesus Christ was raised from death. Christ is now in heaven, where He sits at the right side of God. All angels, authorities, and powers are under His control.
Chaper 4
“Being Faithful to God”
Christ suffered here on earth. Now you must be ready to suffer as He did, because suffering shows that you have stopped sinning. It means that you have turned from your own desires and want to obey God for the rest of your life. You have already lived long enough like people who don’t know God. You were immoral and followed your evil desires. You went around drinking and partying and carrying on. In fact, you even worshipped disgusting idols. Now your former friends wonder why you have stopped running around with them, and they curse you for it. But hey will have to answer to God, who judges the living and the dead. The good news has even been preached to the dead, so that after they have been judged for what they have done on this life, their spirits will live with God.
Everything will soon come to an end. So be serious and be sensible enough to pray.
Most important of all, you must sincerely love each other, because love wipes away many sins.
Welcome people into your home and don’t grumble about it.
Each of you has been blessed with one of God’s many wonderful gifts to be used in the service of others. So use your gift well. If you have the gift of speaking, preach God’s message. If you have the gift of helping others, do it with the strength that God supplies. Everything should be done in a way that will bring honour to God because of Jesus Christ, who is glorious and powerful for ever. Amen.
“Suffering for being a Christian”
Dear friends, don’t be surprised or shocked that you are going through testing that is like walking through fire. Be glad for the chance to suffer as Christ suffered. It will prepare you for even great happiness when He makes His glorious return.
Count it a blessing when you suffer for being a Christian. This shows that God’s glorious Spirit is with you. But you deserve to suffer if you are a murderer, a thief, a crook, or a busybody. Don’t be ashamed to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God that you belong to Him. God has already begun judging His own people. And if His judgment begins with us, imagine how terrible it will be for those who refuse to obey His message. The scriptures say,
“If good people barely escape, what will happen to sinners and to others who don’t respect God?”
If you suffer for obeying God, you must have complete faith in you faithful Creator and keep doing right.
Chapter 5
“Helping Christian Leaders”
Church leaders, I am writing to encourage you. I too am a leader, as well as witness to Christ’s suffering, and I will share in His glory when it is shown to us.
Just as shepherds watch over their sheep, you must watch over everyone God has placed in you care. Do it willingly in order to please God, and not simply because you think you must. Let it be something you want to do, instead of something you do merely to make money. Don’t be bossy to those people who are in you care, but set an example for them. Then when Christ the Chief Shepherd returns, you will be given a crown that will never lose its glory.
All of you young people should obey your elders. In fact, everyone should be humble towards everyone else. The scriptures say,
“God opposes proud people, but He helps everyone who is humble.”
Be humble in the presence of God’s mighty power, and He will honour you when the time comes. God cares for you, so turn all you worries over to Him.
Be on your guard and stay awake. Your enemy, the devil, is like a roaring lion, sneaking around to find someone to attack. But you must resist the devil and stay strong in your faith. You know that all over the world the Lord’s followers are suffering just as you are. But God shows undeserved kindness to everyone. That’s why He appointed Christ Jesus to choose you to share in His eternal glory. You will suffer for a while, but God will make you complete, steady, strong, and firm. God will be in control for ever. Amen.
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