Ibadah Minggu umat Kristen

Ada yg bertanya apakah Isa memerintahkan kita untuk beribadah pada hari Minggu bukan pada hari Sabat? Lalu bagaimana kita menjawab secara baik?

"Berfirmanlah Tuhan kepada Musa: "Katakanlah kepada orang Israel, demikian: Akan tetapi hari-hari Sabat-Ku harus kamu pelihara, sebab itulah peringatan antara Aku dan kamu, turun-temurun, sehingga kamu mengetahui, bahwa Akulah Tuhan, yang menguduskan kamu. Haruslah kamu pelihara hari Sabat, sebab itulah hari kudus bagimu; siapa yang melanggar kekudusan hari Sabat itu, pastilah ia dihukum mati, sebab setiap orang yang melakukan pekerjaan pada hari itu, orang itu harus dilenyapkan dari antara bangsanya." (Keluaran 31:12-14)

Xmas vs Christmas

Banyak orang di belahan dunia manapun masih memakai 'kalender Gregorian' yg merupakan implementasi dari Pope Gregory XIII pada 1582. sebelum kalender 'Roman' atau kalender Julian dipakai (dinamakan dari nama Julius Caesar). Kalender Gregorian lebih akurat daripada kalender Roman yg memiliki hari lebih banyak dalam setahun! Ketika dikonversikan maka kita kehilangan 10 hari, hal ini dilihat ketika dipakai pada 4th October 1582 yg sebelumnya tanggal 15th October 1582. Di UK (Inggris Raya) perubahan kalender dipakai pada 1752. Kemudian hari setelah 2nd September 1752 menjadi 14th September 1752.

Why Isa is Greater than Santa Claus?

Mungkin ini adalah salah satu pertanyaan di era sekarang yg sangat populer akan Santa Claus daripada sosok Isa bahkan pada umat Kristen di seluruh dunia. Mereka lebih mengenal dan tau sosok serta ciri khas Santa Claus daripada Isa, Juruslamat yg mati diatas kayu salib untuk menjadi korban penebusan dosa umat manusia dan Bangkit pada hari ketiga, pulang ke Surga dan akan kembali untuk menjadi Hakim atas semua umat manusia. Lalu apa specialnya Santa Claus dimata dunia hingga dia begitu terkenal?

Saint Nicholas vs Santa Claus

Sebenarnya siapa sich St. Nicholas dan apa hubungannya dengan Santa Claus yg gendut dan berbaju merah yg selalu muncul saat Natal dengan tertawanya yg khas "hohoho..."?

Saint Nicholas (Greek: Ἅγιος Νικόλαος, Hagios ["Saint", Mengacu pada pengertian "Suci", Latin: Sanctus] Nicolaos ["Kemenangan bagi Rakyat"]) (270 – 6 December 343), yg jg disebut Nikolaos of Myra, yg mana pada catatan sejarah Orang Suci pada abad ke-4 dan seorang Biarawan asal Yunani yg melakukan pelayanan di Myra (Demre, Kota di sebelah selatan negara Turkey) di Lycia. Dikarenakan begitu banyaknya keajaiban dan campur tangan yg dilakukan selama dia hidup, maka dia jg dikenal sebagai Nikolaos the Wonderworker (Pelaku Mujizat) (Νικόλαος ὁ Θαυματουργός, Nikolaos ho Thaumaturgos). Dia jd

Kelahiran Isa

Ada yg bertanya-tanya dan sering kali menjadi pertanyaan, sebenarnya kapan Isa lahir dan apakah benar Isa lahir pada 25desember?

mengingat banyaknya argumen dan banyaknya pertentangan dari banyak pihak yg mengklaim bahwa kelahiran Isa ada yg menyebutkan bulan January, ada yg bulan April, May, September, dll. Lalu sebenarnya kapan? serta disebutkan sudah 300th Kelahiran Isa tidak dirayakan dan tidak ada yg tahu pasti kapan lalu mengapa sekarang kita merayakannya?

Christmas Tree (Pohon Natal)

Menjadi tradisi selama berabad abad bahwa dalam periode desember selalu memasang dekorasi dan Pohon Natal, akan tetapi apa makna dibaliknya dan asal usulnya?

Perayaan ini dimulai sekitar abad ke-15 di German, tradisi ini bermula ketika adanya drama yg dimainkan pada 24des (Christmas eve) sekitar tahun 1441. Dekorasi-dekorasi yg indah dibuat dan dalam memerankan judul "Paradise Tree" (Pohon Kehidupan di Surga, karna ada 2 macam pohon yg Tuhan buat, maka kita mengenalnya dengan Pohon Kehidupan dan Pohon Pengetahuan Baik dan Jahat) sehingga properti pohon diperlukan. Sayangnya pada saat itu adalah periode musim dingin sehingga Pohon-pohon pun telanjang. Tetapi, ada satu pohon yg tumbuh dengan baik meski pada musim dingin, dan kita mengenalnya dengan nama Pohon Cemara (fir / pine).

OST. Facing the Giants

With You (Mark Willard)


You have been so good to me,
how can I find the words to thank You,
healer of broken hearts, and broken dreams,
Lord I will never cease to praise You.

With You all things are possible.
Like an eagle I can soar,
with You the giants fall.
they rise no more.
with You I overcome,
when fear and faith collide,
There's nothing I can't do.
Anything is possible with You.

I am constantly amazed.
You are a God forever faithful.
and I look back on my history of grace,
could not be anything but greatful.

With You all things are possible,
Like an eagle I can soar.
with You the giants fall,
they rise no more.
With You I overcome.
when fear and faith collide,
There's nothing I can't do.
Anything is possible with You.

No mountain is too high,
there's no valley that's too deep.
You're calling me to walk that way,
so I will take the lead.

With You all things are possible,
Like an eagle I can soar.
with You the giants fall,
they rise no more.
with You I overcome,
when fear and faith collide,
There's nothing I can't do.

With you all things are possible,
Like an eagle I can soar.
with You the giants fall,
they rise no more.
with You I overcome,
when fear and faith collide,
There's nothing I can't do.
Anything is possible in You

OST. Facing the Giants

Title: Come Together (Third Day)


You can all call me crazy
For the things that I might say
You can laugh all you want to
I know there will come a day
When we all will come together
And learn to set aside our hate
If we could learn to love our neighbors
Just like we would love ourselves

We've got to come together
'Cause in the end we can make it - alright
We've got to brave the weather
Through all of the storms
We've got to come together
'Cause in the end we can make it - alright
We've got to learn to love

You can call me a dreamer
But these dreams will come true
Yes, I am a firm believer
In the things that we can do
If we would all just come together
And let the Lord lead our way
There is nothing that we can't do
There is nothing we can't face

I know that there will come a day
When the Lord will call His own away
To a place that He has made for all of us
But until the day of His return
There's a lesson that we've got to learn
We are brothers and we're sisters
We are one

OST. Facing the Giants

Title: Voice Of Truth (Casting Crowns)


Oh what I would do to have
The kind of faith it takes
To climb out of this boat and then
on to the crashing waves

To step out of my comfort zone
Into the realm of the unknown where Jesus is
And He's holding out His hand

But the waves are calling out my name
And they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The waves they keep on telling me
Time and time again. "Boy, you never win!"
"You never win!"

Chorus:
But the Voice of Truth tells me a different story
The Voice of Truth says, "Do not be afraid!"
And the Voice of Truth says, "This is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of Truth

Oh what I would do to have
The kind of strength it takes
to stand before a giant
With just a sling and a stone

Surrounded by the sound of a thousand warriors
Shaking in their armor
Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand

But the giant's calling out my name
And he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling me
Time and time again. "Boy you'll never win!"
"You'll never win!"

Chorus:
But the Voice of Truth tells me a different story
The Voice of Truth says, "Do not be afraid!"
And the Voice of Truth says, "This is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of Truth

But the stone was just the right size
To put the giant on the ground
And the waves they don't seem so high
On top of them lookin' down
I soar with the wings of EAGLES
When I stop and listen to the sound of Jesus
Singing over me

Chorus:
But the Voice of Truth tells me a different story
The Voice of Truth says, "Do not be afraid!"
And the Voice of Truth says, "This is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me (calling out to me)
I will choose to listen and believe-

I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of Truth

I will listen and believe
I will listen and believe the Voice of truth
I will listen and believe
Cause Jesus you are the voice of truth
And I will listen to you, you are

OST. Facing the Giants

Title: Finding You (Bebo Norman)

Everything is all right, everything is so bright
And the sun is shining beautiful
Everyone is singing, everyone is dreaming
Every world is so colorful

And you look back at me
You know it makes me say

I'm finding you in everything that shines
I'm finding you in between the lines
I'm finding you
You open up my eyes every time
'Cause your love is so alive

Maybe you could stop time, hanging onto daylight
Doesn't ever have to go away
I could sing a new song, maybe get the words wrong
But you know just what I want to say

'Cause when you look at me
You know I still believe

I'm finding you in everything that shines
I'm finding you in between the lines
I'm finding you
You open up my eyes every time
'Cause your love is so alive

When broken things are given wings they fly away
You make me say

Everything is all right, everything is so bright
Yeah your love is shining beautiful
Everyone is singing everyone is dreaming
I'm feeling so alive

I'm finding you in everything that shines
I'm finding you in between the lines
I'm finding you
You open up my eyes every time
'Cause your love is so alive