Bread Of Life

His Sleeping Cat

Expressing His LOVE

One of His Angels

And a Teddy Bear

A group of working adults got together to visit their University lecturer.

The lecturer was happy to see them. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.

The Lecturer just smiled and went to the kitchen to get an assortment of cups - some porcelain, some in plastic, some in glass, some plain looking and some looked rather expensive and exquisite.
The Lecturer offered his former students the cups to get drinks for themselves.

When all the students had a cup in hand with water, the Lecturer spoke:

"If you noticed, all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal that you only want the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. What all you wanted was water, not the cup, but we unconsciously went for the better cups."

"Just like in life, if Life is Water, then the jobs, money and position in society are the cups.
They are just tools to hold/maintain Life, but the quality of Life doesn't change."

"If we only concentrate on the cup, we won't have time to enjoy/taste the water in it."

-Mother Teresa-

" We all see the same sky, but think about different horizon. Life is nothing but seeing things in our own way, and believing our own dreams. "

@w4u

" God, grants me SERENITY to accept the things I cannot change, COURAGE to change the things I can, and WISDOM to know the difference "

St. Franciscus

In times of difficulties, dont say GOD I HAVE A BIG PROBLEM, but instead: Hey Problem, I have a big God, and everything will be alright.

1) Arafat's death causes upheaval in Middle East peace process.

A fully restored Israel with the return of the Jewish people is the "super-sign" of prophecy. The Bible predicts over and over again that Israel must be restored to its biblical borders and the Jews must be back in their homeland - for the events of the end times to unfold… (Jeremiah 30:1-3; Ezekiel 34:11-24; Zechariah 10:6-10).

The death of Yasser Arafat has important bearing on the peace process in the Middle East and the restoration of Israel. Some believe that his removal from the process will make peace more achievable and potentially allow the prophecy of Israel to be fulfilled. Others fear that his demise will throw the region into chaos if a struggle for Palestinian power ensues. Palestinian infighting could deadlock progress of the Middle East peace talks. Regardless of the impact, his death has refocused the world's attention on Israel and peace in the Middle East. And as the Bible predicts that Israel will be the battleground for all great end-time conflicts and wars - this is exactly what we should expect if the end is drawing near.

2) Islamic rebellion terrorizes "Ancient Babylon."

The city of Babylon, located on the Euphrates River in modern Iraq, is mentioned almost 300 times in the Bible. It is consistently portrayed as a place of rebellion and pride. Scripture informs us that in the end times, Babylon will be rebuilt into a great city that will serve as a commercial and religious capital for the Antichrist.

In November U.S. troops pounded Fallujah. The intent for this assault on the Sunni terrorist hotbed was clear. Bring peace to Iraq so the elections can proceed in January. The U.S. and its coalition are trying to bring peace and stability to Iraq. This seems to be setting the stage for the rebuilding of Babylon - another sign that the coming of Christ may be very soon.

3) Europe unites as a powerful empire.

The prophet Daniel predicted a reunited Roman Empire in the End Times. According to the Bible, at the middle of the seven-year tribulation, the Antichrist will take over and rule the world for the final three and a half years of this age. To do this, he will need an army and advanced weaponry.

What we have seen developing in Europe the last 45 years - and particularly in the last year - looks strikingly similar to what the Bible predicts for the End Times. In May, the European Union added 10 more nations to its empire - bringing the total to 25. In October the EU's constitution was signed on Capitoline Hill in Rome - the ancient center of religious life in the Roman Empire. And in November, Great Britain announced that it had committed 2,000 troops to a new 18,000 strong EU army. The Roman Empire is reuniting right before eyes just as the prophet Daniel predicted over 2,500 years ago.

The basic governmental and economic components are in place for one man to come on the scene in the EU and ascend to tremendous power. That man will be the Antichrist - he will rule over the final form of the Roman Empire and ultimately the whole world.

4) Strong Islamic presence emerges from Russia.

The prophet Ezekiel predicted that the Great Russian Bear will rise in the last days to mount a furious invasion of Israel (37-38). Ezekiel also predicted that in the latter times, Israel would be invaded by a people "from remote parts of the north" (38:6, 15). The nation that is most distantly north from Israel is Russia.

In August and September, Islamic Chechen rebels were behind three catastrophic terrorist attacks: two Russian plane crashes, an attack against a Moscow metro station, and a siege over a school in Beslan, Russia. The terror, catastrophic events, and frightening Islamic presence now in Russia foreshadows a future time of trouble that is coming on the whole world. The fulfillment of God's prophecies seems closer than ever before.

5) Indonesian earthquake foreshadows the devastation of the End Times.

Two days before He died on the cross, Jesus said that one of the signs of His Second Coming to earth would be "great earthquakes," (Luke 21:11). The prophet Ezekiel also predicted a great earthquake in the end times ( Ezekiel 38:19-20). And the apostle John was transported in a kind of spiritual time machine to the end times where he witnessed great disasters by deadly earthquakes.

What we have just witnessed in Asia is frightening. The Indonesian earthquake was the most powerful recorded in 40 years. And the deadly tsunamis it produced have taken over 100,000 lives. The tsunamis traveled at speeds up to 500 miles per hour and towered to heights of 30 feet. This catastrophic natural disaster could foreshadow the devastation that will wrack the earth when it begins to shake during the tribulation.

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How does God show us mercy?

But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so very much, that even while we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God's special favor that you have been saved). For he raised us from the dead along with Christ, and we are seated with him in the heavenly realms - all because we are one with Christ Jesus. And so God can always point to us as examples of the incredible wealth of his favor and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us through Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 2:4-7 NLT

Reflecting on Today's Passage

A judge can show mercy toward a defendant, giving probation instead of jail time, or otherwise reducing the penalty that could be assessed.. But, at the end of the day, the judge goes home. It's just a job.

How different from God, the ultimate judge. His mercy is more complete - he can forgive our sins as though they never occurred.
Even more astounding, God is deeply invested in his mercy. It required the death of his son, Jesus Christ, to purchase our salvation. We have life because of Christ's death and resurrection. That's mercy!

Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House

This article is also available in English: If Jesus was the Son of God, why did He call Himself the Son of Man? English answer...


Pertama-tama, bahkan ketika sebutan 'Anak Manusia' menunjuk pada kemanusiaan Yesus, itu bukan suatu penyangkalan terhadap Ketuhanan-Nya. Dengan menjadi seorang manusia, Yesus tidak berhenti menjadi Tuhan. Penjelmaan Kristus tidaklah mengakibatkan keilahian-Nya berkurang, tetapi sisi kemanusiaannya ditampilkan. Yesus secara tegas menyatakan dirinya sebagai Tuhan dalam berbagai kesempatan (Matius 16:16,17; Yohanes 8:58; 10:30). Selain keberadaan-Nya yang ilahi, Yesus juga adalah manusia (lihat Filipi 2:6-8). Ia mempunyai dua hakikat (ilahi dan manusiawi) yang menyatu dalam satu pribadi.

Lebih lanjut, Kitab Suci mengungkapkan bahwa Yesus tidak pernah menyangkal keilahian-Nya dengan menyatakan dirinya sebagai Anak Manusia. Istilah anak Manusia justru sebenarnya digunakan dalam Alkitab dalam konteks keilahian Kristus. Sebagai contoh, Alkitab mengatakan bahwa hanya Allah yang dapat menghapus dosa (Yesaya 43:25; Markus 2:7). Tetapi, sebagai 'Anak Manusia', Yesus mempunyai kuasa untuk menghapus dosa (Markus 2:10). Juga, bahwa Kristus akan kembali ke bumi sebagai Anak "Manusia" dengan kemuliaan di atas awan-awan untuk memerintah diatas bumi (Matius 26:63-64). Dalam bagian ini, Yesus menunjuk pada Daniel 7:13 dimana Mesias digambarkan sebagai "Yang Lanjut Usianya," suatu istilah yang digunakan menunjukkan ke-Tuhanan-Nya (lihat juga Daniel 7:9).

Juga ketika Yesus ditanya oleh imam agung apakah Ia adalah 'Anak Tuhan' (Matius 26:63), Ia menjawab dengan tegas bahwa Ia adalah 'Anak Manusia' yang akan datang dengan kuasa dan kemuliaan yang agung Ayat 64). Ini menunjukkan bahwa Yesus sendiri menggunakan istilah 'Anak Manusia' untuk menyatakan keilahian-Nya sebagai Anak Tuhan.

Akhirnya, istilah 'Anak Manusia' juga menekankan siapakah Yesus dalam hubungan dengan penjelmaanNya dan karya keselamatanNya. Di Perjanjian Lama (Imamat 25:25-26, 48-49; Ruth 2:20), kaum kerabat (yang berhubungan secara darah) selalu berperan sebagai 'penebus saudara' dari anggota keluarga yang membutuhkan penebusan dari penjara. Yesus menjadi saudara kita 'berdasarkan darah' (yaitu dengan Ia menjelma menjadi manusia) sehingga Ia bisa menjadi Penebus-Saudara kita dan menyelamatkan kita dari dosa.

[ Jika informasi ini berguna, pertimbangkanlah dalam doa untuk memberi sumbangan guna membantu menutupi biaya-biaya agar menjadikan pelayanan yang membangun iman ini tersedia bagi Anda dan keluarga Anda! Sumbangan bersifat tax-deductible (di Amerika). ]

Diterjemahkan oleh: Pangeran Ibrani

Pengarang: Dr. Ron Rhodes of Reasoning from the Scriptures Ministries.

Hak Cipta, 1999, Ron Rhodes.

The Holy Shroud of Turin is more famous and more controversial now than at any time in its long history.
The precise length of that history is of course one of its most hotly-contested secrets.
Measuring almost 4.5 metres in length, this linen cloth, bearing the clear imprint of a dead, crucified man, was brought to Turin in 1578, but reliable documents tell us that it was known in France over 200 years earlier.

Ironically, the reputation of the shroud has been raised and dashed by technology: raised by the technology of the 19th century and dashed by that of the 20th.
The first photograph was taken in 1898, and the negative which emerged from the developing tank created a sensation, revealing for the first time ever a positive image of the crucified man, since the shroud itself is a negative.
The carbon-14 dating test was made in 1988, and to the dismay of true believers indicated that the cloth was no older than 1260 – although this finding is now under renewed attack.

In the 1970s and 80s, the shroud was the subject of intense popular fascination. In an age dominated by pictures and images of all kinds, the shroud was a big story, promising a flash photograph of one of the most famous and elusive faces of all time. It also promised to yield information about one of the most controversial events of all time, too: the resurrection of Christ.

That event – which is the hinge on which the whole Christian faith hangs – is the great untold story of the four Gospels. All the witnesses arrived on the scene after the event. But what if there was another witness, present at the event itself? What if, lying in the darkness of the tomb, there was something like a large sheet of photographic material? Like the shadows of victims left on the walls of Hiroshima, could it be possible that the features of Christ were imprinted in the cloth which covered him, during a sudden burst of divine energy?

Prayer

A prayer of St Anselm (1033-1109)

Lord Jesus Christ
by the Father's plan and by the working of the Holy Ghost
of your own free will you died
and mercifully redeemed the world
from sin and everlasting death.

I adore and venerate you
as much as ever I can
though my love is so cold, my devotion so poor.

Thank you for the good gift
of your holy body and blood
which I desire to recieve, as cleansing from sin
and for a defence against it.

Jesus Himself claimed to be God and others recognized Him as Deity.
He said, "I and the Father are one." (John 10:30)
The Greek language, in which the New Testament was originally written, is explicit. Literally, Jesus said, "I and the Father, we are one."

Jesus also claimed that He was the only way to God: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me." (John 14:6)
Again, the Greek language is very clear. Jesus used the words ‘the way’ and not ‘a way’.

The question is, can we accept as true what Jesus [God the Son], claimed?
The most conclusive evidence establishing the deity of Christ is the historically verifiable resurrection. The apostle Paul wrote that Jesus "was declared with power to be the Son of God by the resurrection from the dead." (Romans 1:4)
If the resurrection of Christ is true, then it is possible and, indeed, logical to believe all His claims and miracles including His assertion of the complete validity of the Old Testament. They would be what one would expect from God.

The primary reason that Jesus is the only way to God is that He forgives sin and offers eternal life, (John 10:28) something that the founder of no other major religion has claimed to do. Think about that!

Every person is separated from a perfect, holy God by sin. According to God’s requirement, either the individual must pay the penalty for sin – death – or he must find someone who is willing and able – who has no sin – to pay the penalty for him. (Hebrews 9:14, 22) Jesus Christ was both able and willing to do this, as demonstrated by His death on the cross. That is why Jesus is the only way to God.

Will you receive Jesus Christ as Savior, and choose to follow Him today? Would you like to know GOD personally?

When He Was On The Cross
I'm not on an ego trip...
I'm nothing on my own
I make mistakes, I slip and fall..
just common flesh and bones
But I'll prove some day, just why I say,
I'm of a special kind
For when He was on the cross, I was on His mind
For He knew me... yes He loved me
He whose glory makes the heavens shine
So unworthy of such mercy
When He was on the cross, I was on His mind
The look of love was on His face
Those thorns were on His head
His blood ran down that scarlet robe
And it stained crimson red;
Though His eyes were on the crowd that day
He looked ahead in time
For when He was on the cross, I was on His mind
For He knew me... yes He loved me
He whose glory make the heavens shine
So unworthy of such mercy
When He was on the cross, I was on His mind...
For when He was on the cross, I was on His mind.

Written by Ronnie Hinson
© 2002 Lumber River Quartet,
M.S.Productions. All Rights Reserved.