The issue of sickness is always a difficult one to deal with. The key is remembering that God's ways are higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:9). When we are suffering with a sickness, disease, or injury, we usually focus solely on our own suffering. In the midst of a trial of sickness, it is very difficult to focus on what good God might bring about as a result. Romans 8:28 reminds us that God can bring about good from any situation. Many people look back on times of sickness as times when they grew closer to God, learned to trust Him more, and/or learned how to truly value life. This is the perspective God has because He is sovereign and knows the end result.
This does not mean sickness is always from God or that God always inflicts us with sickness to teach us a spiritual lesson. In a world tainted by sin, sickness, disease, and death will always be with us. We are fallen beings, with physical bodies prone to disease and illness. Some sickness is simply a result of the natural course of things in this world. Sickness can also be the result of a demonic attack. The Bible describes several instances when physical suffering was caused by Satan and his demons (Matthew 17:14-18; Luke 13:10-16). So, some sickness is not from God, but from Satan. Even in these instances, God is still in control. God sometimes allows sin and/or Satan to cause physical suffering. Even when sickness is not directly from God, He will still use it according to His perfect will.
It is undeniable, though, that God sometimes intentionally allows, or even causes sickness to accomplish His sovereign purposes. While sickness is not directly addressed in the passage, Hebrews 12:5-11 describes God disciplining us to "produce a harvest of righteousness" (verse 11). Sickness can be a means of God's loving discipline. It is difficult for us to comprehend why God would work in this manner. But, believing in the sovereignty of God, there is no other option than suffering being something God allows and/or causes.
The clearest example of this in Scripture is found is Psalm 119. Notice the progression through verses 67, 71, and 75 - "Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word...It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees...I know, O LORD, that your laws are righteous, and in faithfulness you have afflicted me." The author of Psalm 119 was looking at suffering from God's perspective. It was good for him to be afflicted. It was faithfulness that caused God to afflict him. The result of the affliction was so that he could learn God's decrees and obey His Word.
Again, sickness and suffering is never an easy thing to deal with. One thing is for sure, sickness should not cause us to lose faith in God. God is good, even when we are suffering. Even the ultimate of suffering—death—is an act of God's goodness. It is hard to imagine that anyone who is in Heaven as a result of sickness or suffering regrets what they went through in this life.
One final note—when people are suffering, it is our responsibility to minister to them, care for them, pray for them, and comfort them. When a person is suffering, it is not always appropriate to emphasize that God will bring good out of the suffering. Yes, that is the truth. However, in the midst of suffering, it is not always the best time to share that truth. Suffering people need our love and encouragement, not necessarily a reminder of sound biblical theology.
A testimony on suffering:
Thank you so much for whoever answered this question, why does God allow sickness. It was very interesting. It is something that all people wonder why. In my case, my husband suffered with a very rare type of brain cancer and is now with the Lord. He passed away on April 17, and was a true blessing to many people. Through his illness, his sister was released from her captivity in a cult, and truly now knows the Lord. Even though I was saved, I have a much better understanding of what it means to trust and live a righteous life. It is truly amazing how the Lord uses an illness, or even a death of a loved one. Thank you so much for all the people who answer these questions. It is a true blessing for many people.
Senin, 15 November 2010
What does God look like?
God is a spirit (John 4:24), and so His appearance is not like anything we can describe.Exodus 33:20 tells us, “But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” As sinful human beings, we are incapable of even seeing God in all His glory and living. His appearance is utterly unimaginable and too glorious to be safely perceived by sinful man.
The Bible describes God appearing to people on various occasions. These should not be understood as describing exactly what God looks like, but rather as God revealing Himself to us in a way that we can understand. Two passages that powerfully describe God’s appearance are Ezekiel 1:26-28 andRevelation 1:14-16.
Ezekiel 1:26-28, “Above the expanse over their heads was what looked like a throne of sapphire, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him.” Revelation 1:14-16, “His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.”
These passages represent Ezekiel’s and John’s best attempts at describing the glory of God that they witnessed. They had to use symbolic language and similes to describe that for which human language has no words, i.e., “what appeared like,” “like the appearance,” “he looked like,” etc. We do know that when we are in heaven, “we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:3). Sin will be no more, and we will be able to perceive God in all His glory.
The Bible describes God appearing to people on various occasions. These should not be understood as describing exactly what God looks like, but rather as God revealing Himself to us in a way that we can understand. Two passages that powerfully describe God’s appearance are Ezekiel 1:26-28 andRevelation 1:14-16.
Ezekiel 1:26-28, “Above the expanse over their heads was what looked like a throne of sapphire, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him.” Revelation 1:14-16, “His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.”
These passages represent Ezekiel’s and John’s best attempts at describing the glory of God that they witnessed. They had to use symbolic language and similes to describe that for which human language has no words, i.e., “what appeared like,” “like the appearance,” “he looked like,” etc. We do know that when we are in heaven, “we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:3). Sin will be no more, and we will be able to perceive God in all His glory.
Does God make mistakes?
Make no mistake about it, God makes no mistakes. "Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable" (Psalms 145:3). The original language for "unsearchable" incorporates the thought of not being possible to fathom or find out or enumerate. It is obvious that this statement cannot be made for one who could make a mistake, for then, even if only one mistake is made, it could be said that he were one who made at least one mistake; that is, his greatness could be quantified or enumerated as having been one who made one mistake, even if only one, and even if he were the only one who made only one.
"Great is our Lord, and of great power: His understanding is infinite" (Psalms 147:5). Again, the understanding of anyone capable of mistakes would be finite, not infinite. "God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent: hath He said, and shall He not do it? or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?" (Numbers 23:19). Here we see that God is not like man who makes mistakes and has afterthoughts leading to a change of mind, or that makes decrees that he later has to annul because he has not considered all the consequences, or that he lacks the infinite power to bring to pass that which he has said. Also, He is not like man whose mistaken and sinful morality begs retribution. "God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all" (1 John 1:5b). "The LORD is righteous in all His ways, and holy in all his works" (Psalms 145:17).
Perhaps someone would feign to find God having second thoughts about something He had done in the scripture: "And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart. And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them" (Genesis 6:5-7). First, note that He did not say He would destroy all men, for in the next verse, "But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD" (Genesis 6:8). And so it followed that Jesus came through Noah's son, Shem. No, God had not discovered a mistake in His works, not at all. He had a high and lofty purpose in permitting for a time the expression of the sin of mankind and angels.
To be sure, He made no mistake in creating Satan either, for, "What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?" (Romans 9:22-24). "And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Ephesians 3:9-11).
You see, God made no mistake, but had a purpose in all of this and the outcome is no surprise to Him, for He declares the end from the beginning, "Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure" (Isaiah 46:9-10).
A word about the word "repent" as used in scripture. This is important. When used of God, it incorporates according to original language the thought of grief, even compassionate grief, and consolation or comfort, and action taken thereupon. Yes, God felt suffering and grief on our behalf, but that is not a sign of weakness or error, or regret of mistake. Rather, it is a sign of strength, of love on behalf of another; yes, of Agape love. In a word, it portrays specific action taken by God to counteract our mistakes; that is, our sins. "But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound" (Romans 5:20b). When used of man, however, the word describes a change of heart, of thought and life's direction, based necessarily on the recognition of his own shortcomings, his sin, in the light of God's gracious call for his repentance for his own good.
Perhaps one may seem to think God has made a mistake in his or her own personal life's experiences. However, we are told, "... we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28). In all this we must understand that the things of this life are expendable and are being spent for our eternal reward according to His grace who, "... is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy" (Jude 1:24). "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:17-18). I am so glad my Lord and my God makes no mistakes with my life.
There is no fault in our God; there are no mistakes He has made. There is no fault, no mistakes made by His Son. In all of Satan's desperate effort to disclose one single fault in Jesus, he utterly failed while even his stooge Pontius Pilate declared, "Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man" (Luke 23:4).
This has been a very short discourse which could go on forever, for we serve an infallible God whose greatness cannot be enumerated. "Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered" (Psalms 40:5). "Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD? who can shew forth all His praise?" (Psalms 106:2). Here again, in this rhetorical question the scripture challenges us, just dares us to even try to quantify or qualify the greatness of our God. Were we able to point out even one single mistake or fault of His we could put a qualifier on His greatness and this scripture could be repealed, but no worry, it stands forever. "For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven" (Psalms 119:89).
"Great is our Lord, and of great power: His understanding is infinite" (Psalms 147:5). Again, the understanding of anyone capable of mistakes would be finite, not infinite. "God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent: hath He said, and shall He not do it? or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?" (Numbers 23:19). Here we see that God is not like man who makes mistakes and has afterthoughts leading to a change of mind, or that makes decrees that he later has to annul because he has not considered all the consequences, or that he lacks the infinite power to bring to pass that which he has said. Also, He is not like man whose mistaken and sinful morality begs retribution. "God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all" (1 John 1:5b). "The LORD is righteous in all His ways, and holy in all his works" (Psalms 145:17).
Perhaps someone would feign to find God having second thoughts about something He had done in the scripture: "And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart. And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them" (Genesis 6:5-7). First, note that He did not say He would destroy all men, for in the next verse, "But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD" (Genesis 6:8). And so it followed that Jesus came through Noah's son, Shem. No, God had not discovered a mistake in His works, not at all. He had a high and lofty purpose in permitting for a time the expression of the sin of mankind and angels.
To be sure, He made no mistake in creating Satan either, for, "What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?" (Romans 9:22-24). "And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Ephesians 3:9-11).
You see, God made no mistake, but had a purpose in all of this and the outcome is no surprise to Him, for He declares the end from the beginning, "Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure" (Isaiah 46:9-10).
A word about the word "repent" as used in scripture. This is important. When used of God, it incorporates according to original language the thought of grief, even compassionate grief, and consolation or comfort, and action taken thereupon. Yes, God felt suffering and grief on our behalf, but that is not a sign of weakness or error, or regret of mistake. Rather, it is a sign of strength, of love on behalf of another; yes, of Agape love. In a word, it portrays specific action taken by God to counteract our mistakes; that is, our sins. "But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound" (Romans 5:20b). When used of man, however, the word describes a change of heart, of thought and life's direction, based necessarily on the recognition of his own shortcomings, his sin, in the light of God's gracious call for his repentance for his own good.
Perhaps one may seem to think God has made a mistake in his or her own personal life's experiences. However, we are told, "... we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28). In all this we must understand that the things of this life are expendable and are being spent for our eternal reward according to His grace who, "... is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy" (Jude 1:24). "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:17-18). I am so glad my Lord and my God makes no mistakes with my life.
There is no fault in our God; there are no mistakes He has made. There is no fault, no mistakes made by His Son. In all of Satan's desperate effort to disclose one single fault in Jesus, he utterly failed while even his stooge Pontius Pilate declared, "Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man" (Luke 23:4).
This has been a very short discourse which could go on forever, for we serve an infallible God whose greatness cannot be enumerated. "Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered" (Psalms 40:5). "Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD? who can shew forth all His praise?" (Psalms 106:2). Here again, in this rhetorical question the scripture challenges us, just dares us to even try to quantify or qualify the greatness of our God. Were we able to point out even one single mistake or fault of His we could put a qualifier on His greatness and this scripture could be repealed, but no worry, it stands forever. "For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven" (Psalms 119:89).
What is YHWH? What is the tetragrammaton?
The ancient Hebrew language that the Hebrew Scriptures were written in did not have vowels. In the original Hebrew, God’s name is given as "YHWH." This is known as the tetragrammaton. Because of the lack of vowels, Bible scholars debate how the tetragrammaton “YHWH” was pronounced.
Contrary to what some Christians (and at least one cult that uses this name) believe, “Jehovah” is probably not the Divine Name revealed to Israel. Due to the Jewish fear of accidentally taking God’s Name in vain (Leviticus 24:16), they basically quit saying it out-loud altogether. Instead, when reading, they substituted the actual tetragrammaton (which is only the consonants of the Divine Name “YHWH” since Hebrew is not usually written with vowels included) with the word Adonai (Lord). Even in the Septuagint (the Greek version of the Old Testament) the translators substituted Kurios (Lord) for the Divine Name. Eventually the vowels from Adonai (“Lord”) or Elohim (“God”) found their way into the consonants YHWH, thus forming “YaHWeH.” But this does not mean that was how God’s Name was originally pronounced.
Any number of vowel combinations are possible, and the Jews are as uncertain of the real pronunciation as are Christians. “Jehovah” is actually a much later (probably 16th century) variant in Latin. Here, the “Y” is substituted with a “J” (Hebrew does not even have a “J” sound), and the “W” with a “V,” plus another vowel combination, resulting in “JeHoVaH.” This vowel combination is composed of the abbreviated forms of the imperfect, the participle, and the perfect of the Hebrew being verb (English “is”) - thus the meaning of Jehovah could be said to be "he who will be, is, and has been."
So, what is God's name and what does it mean? The most likely choice for how the tetragrammaton was pronounced is "Yahweh" or something very similar to that. The name "Yahweh" refers to God's self-existence. "Yahweh" is linked with how God described Himself in Exodus 3:14, "God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM.' This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'" God's name is a reflection of His being. God is the only self-existent / self-sufficient Being in the universe. Only God has life in and of Himself. That is the essential meaning of the tetragrammaton / YHWH / Yahweh.
Contrary to what some Christians (and at least one cult that uses this name) believe, “Jehovah” is probably not the Divine Name revealed to Israel. Due to the Jewish fear of accidentally taking God’s Name in vain (Leviticus 24:16), they basically quit saying it out-loud altogether. Instead, when reading, they substituted the actual tetragrammaton (which is only the consonants of the Divine Name “YHWH” since Hebrew is not usually written with vowels included) with the word Adonai (Lord). Even in the Septuagint (the Greek version of the Old Testament) the translators substituted Kurios (Lord) for the Divine Name. Eventually the vowels from Adonai (“Lord”) or Elohim (“God”) found their way into the consonants YHWH, thus forming “YaHWeH.” But this does not mean that was how God’s Name was originally pronounced.
Any number of vowel combinations are possible, and the Jews are as uncertain of the real pronunciation as are Christians. “Jehovah” is actually a much later (probably 16th century) variant in Latin. Here, the “Y” is substituted with a “J” (Hebrew does not even have a “J” sound), and the “W” with a “V,” plus another vowel combination, resulting in “JeHoVaH.” This vowel combination is composed of the abbreviated forms of the imperfect, the participle, and the perfect of the Hebrew being verb (English “is”) - thus the meaning of Jehovah could be said to be "he who will be, is, and has been."
So, what is God's name and what does it mean? The most likely choice for how the tetragrammaton was pronounced is "Yahweh" or something very similar to that. The name "Yahweh" refers to God's self-existence. "Yahweh" is linked with how God described Himself in Exodus 3:14, "God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM.' This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'" God's name is a reflection of His being. God is the only self-existent / self-sufficient Being in the universe. Only God has life in and of Himself. That is the essential meaning of the tetragrammaton / YHWH / Yahweh.
Sifat Wanita yang Dirindukan Pria
1. Lemah-lembut
Coba perhatikan cara Cewek berbicara kepana teman-temannya. Apakah dia selalu suka bernada keras, teriak-teriak, atau malah sopan dan selalu lembut dalam berkata-kata? Ciri-ciri inilah yang mencerminkan di mana cara si Cewek akan berbicara kepada kamu dan keluargamu nantinya.
2. Hemat
Cowok mana yang mau punya Cewek bermaterialistis? Nanti kalau kamu sudah berkeluarga dengan Cewek tersebut, dia akan menghabiskan uang untuk belanja baju-baju yang tidak perlu. Coba perhatikan dari cara dia menghabiskan uangnya sekarang. Apakah dia termasuk orang yang hemat, pelit, atau hura-hura?
3. Perhatian
“Kok dia bisa ingat dengan ulang tahun orang tuaku?” ujar kamu. Itu adalah pertanda bagus. Dia benar-benar perhatian akan hal-hal kecil seperti itu. Padahal, kalian belum menikah. Sehabis kamu pulang kerja, makananpun sudah tersedia. Saat kamu sedang sakit, dia memasakan bubur untuk kamu. Hal-hal kecil seperti itulah yang akan membantu dan memperkuat hubungan kamu. Bukankah Cowok juga memang suka diberi perhatian lebih dari si Cewek?
4. Penyabar
Kamu telat untuk kencan dengan si Cewek tapi si Cewek tidak marah sama sekali saat kamu datang dan dia sudah menunggu 25 menit kelaparan. Kenapa sabar itu ciri-ciri yang baik? Coba pikirkan kalau anda sedang dalam situasi apa saja yang berbau negatif; kesabaran itu akan membantu suasana itu tidak menjadi lebih buruk. Coba bayangkan kamu sedang kencan dengan Cewek yang tidak sabar. Sedikit-sedikit dia marah karena kamu tidak tepat waktu, berbuat sedikit kesalahan. Kencan yang seharusnya senang-senang malahan menjadi pengalaman buruk.
5. Sederhana
Perhatikan apakah si Cewek kamu suka berlebihan di depan teman-temannya. Apakah dia suka memamerkan tas baru yang baru dia beli hari itu juga? Orang yang suka pamer dan tidak sederhana menunjukan kalau si Cewek itu tidak percaya diri; ada kekurangan yang dia punya dan ingin menutupinya dengan memamerkan sesuatu yang lebih dari dia. Ini sifat yang tidak bagus untuk para Cowok.
6. Jaga kecantikan
Tidak berarti Cewek itu harus tampil cantik, tapi menjaga kecantikan itu juga berarti itu Cewek tahu bagaimana caranya menjaga dan merawat dirinya sendiri. Jikalah anda sedang berkencan dengan dia, perhatikanlah “make-up” yang dia pakai. Apakah terlalu berlebihan sehingga menarik perhatian orang-orang lain di sekitar anda? Apakah dia memakai rok mini yang berlebihan? Jaga kecantikan itu berarti menjaga penampilan secukupnya dan sewajarnya di saat dan tempat yang benar.
7. Dewasa dan bijaksana
Cowok suka dengan Cewek yang bijaksana dan bersikap dewasa. Di saat kesusahan, Cowok akan membutuh bantuan dari seorang Cewek yang dewasa dan bijaksana dalam mengambil keputusan.
8. Taat beragama
Agama adalah salah satu pegangan hidup untuk kita manusia. Taat kepada agama juga menunjukan kalau si Cewek akan taat terhadap kamu. Bukan berarti kamu bisa semena-mena terhadap dia dan menyuruh si Cewek untuk menuruti apapun yang kamu mau, tapi taat beragama menunjukan bahwa si Cewek juga mempunyai prinsip hidup yang baik dan yang dia tekuni.
9. Keibuan
Cewek kalau senang bermain dengan anak kecil, bisa menggendong bayi, menunggu mereka tidur, dan sebagainya. Inilah tanda-tanda dari Cewek yang bisa kamu bayangkan saat mereka menjadi istri kamu. Dia akan menjadi seorang ibu yang pandai di dalam rumah tangga.
10. Tabah menderita dan mau bekerja keras
Inilah salah satu ciri-ciri dari Cewek yang agak susah dicari. Mengapa? Cewek sudah terbiasa dengan tradisi di mana Cowok yang mencari uang. Di masa-masa sulit, Cewek biasanya tidak terbiasa untuk bekerja keras untuk keluarga. Jikalau kamu sudah menemukan Cewek yang tabah menderita dan mau bekerja keras, hargailah dia.
Apakah Allah laki-laki atau perempuan?
Dalam meneliti Alkitab ada dua fakta yang menjadi jelas: Pertama, Allah itu Roh, dan tidak memiliki karakteristik atau keterbatasan manusia; kedua, bahwa semua bukti dalam Alkitab sepakat bahwa Allah mengungkapkan diriNya kepada manusia dalam wujud laki-laki. Pertama-pertama, natur sejati Allah haruslah dipahami. Allah adalah pribadi, hal ini jelas karena Allah menyatakan semua karakteristik dari sebuah kepribadian: Allah memiliki pikiran, kehendak, intelek dan perasaan. Allah berkomunikasi, memiliki relasi, dan tindakan-tindakan Allah secara pribadi nyata dalam seluruh Kitab Suci.
Sebagaimana dikatakan oleh Yohanes 4:24, “Allah itu Roh dan barangsiapa menyembah Dia, harus menyembah-Nya dalam roh dan kebenaran." Karena Allah adalah makhluk rohani, Allah tidak memiliki karakteristik fisik secara manusia. Namun demikian, kadang-kadang bahasa kiasan dalam Alkitab menggunakan karakteristik manusia kepada Allah untuk memungkinkan manusia memahami Allah. Penggunaan karakteristik manusia untuk menggambarkan Allah disebut “antropomorfisme.” Antropomorfisme adalah sekedar wahana Allah (makhluk rohani) untuk mengkomunikasikan kebenaran mengenai natur diriNya kepada manusia, makhluk jasmaniah. Karena manusia adalah makhluk jasmaniah, manusia terbatas dalam perngertiannya akan hal-hal yang melampaui dunia fisik, dan di dalam Kitab Suci antropomorfisme digunakan untuk menolong manusia memahami siapakah Allah itu.
Beberapa kesulitan terjadi saat meneliti fakta bahwa manusia diciptakan dalam gambar Allah. Kejadian 1:26-27 mengatakan, “Berfirmanlah Allah: "Baiklah Kita menjadikan manusia menurut gambar dan rupa Kita, supaya mereka berkuasa atas ikan-ikan di laut dan burung-burung di udara dan atas ternak dan atas seluruh bumi dan atas segala binatang melata yang merayap di bumi." Maka Allah menciptakan manusia itu menurut gambar-Nya [sendiri], menurut gambar Allah diciptakan-Nya dia; laki-laki dan perempuan diciptakan-Nya mereka.”
Yang dimaksudkan adalah baik laki-laki maupun perempuan diciptakan dalam gambar Allah, yaitu mereka lebih agung dari semua ciptaan lainnya karena, sama seperti Allah, mereka memiliki pikiran, kehendak, intelek, perasaan dan kemampuan moral. Binatang tidak memiliki kemampuan moral, dan tidak memiliki komponen bukan-materi sebagaimana dimiliki oleh manusia. Kejadian memnberitahukan kita bahwa ketika manusia diciptakan Allah, Allah menciptakan manusia sesuai dengan gambarNya sendiri. Gambar Allah adalah komponen rohani yang hanya dimiliki oleh manusia. Allah menciptakan manusia untuk memiliki hubungan dengan Dia; manusia adalah satu-satunya ciptaan yang didesain untuk tujuan tsb.
Namun demikian, laki-laki dan perempuan hanya diciptakan sesuai dengan gambar Allah – mereka tidak bukan duplikat dari Allah, dan bahwa ada laki-laki dan perempuan tidaklah mengharuskan Allah itu memiliki ciri-ciri laki-laki dan perempuan. Ingat, diciptakan menurut gambar Allah tidak ada sangkut pautnya dengan karakteristik fisik.
Kita tahu bahwa Allah adalah makhluk rohani dan tidak memiliki karakteristik fisik. Namun hal ini tidaklah membatasi bagaimana Allah menyatakan diriNya kepada umat manusia. Kitab Suci mengandung semua wahyu yang diberikan Allah kepada manusia mengenai diriNya sendiri, dan merupakan satu-satunya sumber informasi yang obyektif mengenai Allah. Memperhatikan apa yang diberitahukan oleh Alkitab ada beberapa pengamatan mengenai bagaimana Allah menyatakan diri kepada umat manusia.
Sebagai awal, Alkitab mengandung hampir 170 rujukan pada Allah sebagai “Bapa.” Seseorang disebut bapa hanyalah kalau dia adalah seorang laki-laki. Kalau yang ingin dikomunikasikan adalah Allah memilih untuk menyatakan diri kepada manusia dalam wujud perempuan, maka kata yang akan dipakai pastilah “ibu” dan bukan “bapa.” Baik dalam Perjanjian Lama dan Baru kata ganti maskulin digunakan berulang-ulang untuk Allah.
Yesus Kristus berkali-kali merujuk pada Allah sebagai Bapa, dan pada kesempatan-kesempatan yang lain menggunakan kata ganti maskulin untuk merujuk pada Allah. Dalam kitab-kitab Injil saja, Kristus menggunakan istilah “Bapa” hampir 160 kali untuk secara langsung merujuk pada Allah. Yang perlu diperhatikan adalah pernyataan Kristus dalam Yohanes 10:30. Di sana Dia mengatakan, “Aku dan Bapa[Ku] adalah satu." Jelaslah bahwa Yesus Kristus datang dalam wujud seorang laki-laki untuk mati di salib untuk membayar dosa dunia, dan sama seperti Allah Bapa, dinyatakan kepada manusia dalam wujud laki-laki. Alkitab mencatat berbagai contoh lainnya di mana Kristus menggunakan kata benda dan kata ganti maskulin untuk merujuk pada Allah.
Surat-surat Perjanjian Baru (dari Kisah Rasul sampai Wahyu) juga mengandung hampir 900 ayat di mana kata “theos” – kata benda maskulin dalam Bahasa Yunani – digunakan sebagai rujukan langsung pada Allah. Dalam Bahasa Inggris kata ini kebanyakan diterjemahkan sebagai “God” (Allah).
Dalam begitu banyaknya rujukan kepada Allah dalam Kitab Suci, jelas kelihatan ada konsistensi di mana Allah disebut dengan menggunakan gelar-gelar, kata benda dan kata ganti maskulin. Walaupun Allah bukanlah manusia, tapi Roh, Dia memilih wujud maskulin untuk mengungkapkan diriNya kepada umat manusia. Sama halnya, Yesus Kristus, yang secara terus menerus diperkenalkan dengan gelar-gelar, kata benda dan kata ganti maskulin, mengambil wujud seorang laki-laki saat Dia berjalan di bumi ini. Para nabi Perjanjian Lama dan para Rasul Perjanjian Baru merujuk pada Allah dan Yesus Kristus dengan nama dan gelar maskulin. Allah memilih untuk mengungkapkan diri dalam wujud semacam ini untuk memudahkan manusia memahami siapakah Allah itu. Menuntut bahwa Allah memilih wujud perempuan untuk menyatakan diri kepada manusia adalah bertentangan dengan pola yang diperlihatkan dalam Kitab Suci. Sekali lagi, kalau saja Allah memilih wujud feminin, akan ada bukti-buktinya dalam Alkitab. Bukti itu sama sekali tidak ada. Sekalipun Allah memberi kelonggaran untuk menolong manusia memahami diriNya, adalah penting untuk tidak berusaha “mengurung” Allah dengan membatasi Dia dengan apa yang tidak pantas untuk natur diriNya.
Sebagaimana dikatakan oleh Yohanes 4:24, “Allah itu Roh dan barangsiapa menyembah Dia, harus menyembah-Nya dalam roh dan kebenaran." Karena Allah adalah makhluk rohani, Allah tidak memiliki karakteristik fisik secara manusia. Namun demikian, kadang-kadang bahasa kiasan dalam Alkitab menggunakan karakteristik manusia kepada Allah untuk memungkinkan manusia memahami Allah. Penggunaan karakteristik manusia untuk menggambarkan Allah disebut “antropomorfisme.” Antropomorfisme adalah sekedar wahana Allah (makhluk rohani) untuk mengkomunikasikan kebenaran mengenai natur diriNya kepada manusia, makhluk jasmaniah. Karena manusia adalah makhluk jasmaniah, manusia terbatas dalam perngertiannya akan hal-hal yang melampaui dunia fisik, dan di dalam Kitab Suci antropomorfisme digunakan untuk menolong manusia memahami siapakah Allah itu.
Beberapa kesulitan terjadi saat meneliti fakta bahwa manusia diciptakan dalam gambar Allah. Kejadian 1:26-27 mengatakan, “Berfirmanlah Allah: "Baiklah Kita menjadikan manusia menurut gambar dan rupa Kita, supaya mereka berkuasa atas ikan-ikan di laut dan burung-burung di udara dan atas ternak dan atas seluruh bumi dan atas segala binatang melata yang merayap di bumi." Maka Allah menciptakan manusia itu menurut gambar-Nya [sendiri], menurut gambar Allah diciptakan-Nya dia; laki-laki dan perempuan diciptakan-Nya mereka.”
Yang dimaksudkan adalah baik laki-laki maupun perempuan diciptakan dalam gambar Allah, yaitu mereka lebih agung dari semua ciptaan lainnya karena, sama seperti Allah, mereka memiliki pikiran, kehendak, intelek, perasaan dan kemampuan moral. Binatang tidak memiliki kemampuan moral, dan tidak memiliki komponen bukan-materi sebagaimana dimiliki oleh manusia. Kejadian memnberitahukan kita bahwa ketika manusia diciptakan Allah, Allah menciptakan manusia sesuai dengan gambarNya sendiri. Gambar Allah adalah komponen rohani yang hanya dimiliki oleh manusia. Allah menciptakan manusia untuk memiliki hubungan dengan Dia; manusia adalah satu-satunya ciptaan yang didesain untuk tujuan tsb.
Namun demikian, laki-laki dan perempuan hanya diciptakan sesuai dengan gambar Allah – mereka tidak bukan duplikat dari Allah, dan bahwa ada laki-laki dan perempuan tidaklah mengharuskan Allah itu memiliki ciri-ciri laki-laki dan perempuan. Ingat, diciptakan menurut gambar Allah tidak ada sangkut pautnya dengan karakteristik fisik.
Kita tahu bahwa Allah adalah makhluk rohani dan tidak memiliki karakteristik fisik. Namun hal ini tidaklah membatasi bagaimana Allah menyatakan diriNya kepada umat manusia. Kitab Suci mengandung semua wahyu yang diberikan Allah kepada manusia mengenai diriNya sendiri, dan merupakan satu-satunya sumber informasi yang obyektif mengenai Allah. Memperhatikan apa yang diberitahukan oleh Alkitab ada beberapa pengamatan mengenai bagaimana Allah menyatakan diri kepada umat manusia.
Sebagai awal, Alkitab mengandung hampir 170 rujukan pada Allah sebagai “Bapa.” Seseorang disebut bapa hanyalah kalau dia adalah seorang laki-laki. Kalau yang ingin dikomunikasikan adalah Allah memilih untuk menyatakan diri kepada manusia dalam wujud perempuan, maka kata yang akan dipakai pastilah “ibu” dan bukan “bapa.” Baik dalam Perjanjian Lama dan Baru kata ganti maskulin digunakan berulang-ulang untuk Allah.
Yesus Kristus berkali-kali merujuk pada Allah sebagai Bapa, dan pada kesempatan-kesempatan yang lain menggunakan kata ganti maskulin untuk merujuk pada Allah. Dalam kitab-kitab Injil saja, Kristus menggunakan istilah “Bapa” hampir 160 kali untuk secara langsung merujuk pada Allah. Yang perlu diperhatikan adalah pernyataan Kristus dalam Yohanes 10:30. Di sana Dia mengatakan, “Aku dan Bapa[Ku] adalah satu." Jelaslah bahwa Yesus Kristus datang dalam wujud seorang laki-laki untuk mati di salib untuk membayar dosa dunia, dan sama seperti Allah Bapa, dinyatakan kepada manusia dalam wujud laki-laki. Alkitab mencatat berbagai contoh lainnya di mana Kristus menggunakan kata benda dan kata ganti maskulin untuk merujuk pada Allah.
Surat-surat Perjanjian Baru (dari Kisah Rasul sampai Wahyu) juga mengandung hampir 900 ayat di mana kata “theos” – kata benda maskulin dalam Bahasa Yunani – digunakan sebagai rujukan langsung pada Allah. Dalam Bahasa Inggris kata ini kebanyakan diterjemahkan sebagai “God” (Allah).
Dalam begitu banyaknya rujukan kepada Allah dalam Kitab Suci, jelas kelihatan ada konsistensi di mana Allah disebut dengan menggunakan gelar-gelar, kata benda dan kata ganti maskulin. Walaupun Allah bukanlah manusia, tapi Roh, Dia memilih wujud maskulin untuk mengungkapkan diriNya kepada umat manusia. Sama halnya, Yesus Kristus, yang secara terus menerus diperkenalkan dengan gelar-gelar, kata benda dan kata ganti maskulin, mengambil wujud seorang laki-laki saat Dia berjalan di bumi ini. Para nabi Perjanjian Lama dan para Rasul Perjanjian Baru merujuk pada Allah dan Yesus Kristus dengan nama dan gelar maskulin. Allah memilih untuk mengungkapkan diri dalam wujud semacam ini untuk memudahkan manusia memahami siapakah Allah itu. Menuntut bahwa Allah memilih wujud perempuan untuk menyatakan diri kepada manusia adalah bertentangan dengan pola yang diperlihatkan dalam Kitab Suci. Sekali lagi, kalau saja Allah memilih wujud feminin, akan ada bukti-buktinya dalam Alkitab. Bukti itu sama sekali tidak ada. Sekalipun Allah memberi kelonggaran untuk menolong manusia memahami diriNya, adalah penting untuk tidak berusaha “mengurung” Allah dengan membatasi Dia dengan apa yang tidak pantas untuk natur diriNya.
Tips Mengatasi Cewe yang Lagi Ngambek
Bagaimana cara menghadapi dan menyenangkan hati cewe yang sedang ngambek?
Pernah tidak ngerasain hal seperti yang saya rasakan ini, saat akan mengobrol dengan cewe Anda tiba-tiba saja dia ngambek, entah itu ngambek atas masalah apa. Yang pasti dia ngambek begitu saja dan Anda sebagai cowo kebingungan dengan sikapnya yang gak jelas itu. Malahan Anda berpikir kalau cewe Anda ngambek akibat Anda salah ucap. Padahal belum tentu demikian.
Namun bisa saja jika cewe Anda ngambek karena pada saat itu Anda lama bales SMS, gara-gara operator sedang trouble alias jaringan error sehingga menyebabkan SMS telat nyampe. Bisa juga akibat Anda lupa kapan hari ulang tahunnya padahal dihari itu adalah hari ulang tahunnya. Semua hal seperti itu sangat mungkin terjadi. Maka, janganlah terlalu sering menebak-nebak apa yang mungkin sedang dipikirkan cewe saat dia sedang ngambek.
Saya pernah, disaat cewe saya ngambek saya selalu saja kepikiran dengan kengambekannya itu, yah.. mungkin berujung dari perasaan bersalah saya. Bukannya memperbaiki kesalahan, saya malah berkali-kali meminta maaf atas kesalahan yang sebenarnya sama sekali tidak saya ketahui.
Bukannya dimaafkan, pasangan saya malah tambah kesel dengan sikap saya. Aneh memang. Namun begitulah kenyataannya. Hingga kemudian saya bisa memaklumi sikap seperti itu.
Ibaratkan seumpamanya ada seseorang yang menyakiti perasaan saya (ini contoh), kemudian si pembuat masalah selalu mendekati saya untuk mengucapkan kata maaf berkali-kali. Bukannya tambah adem yang ada saya malah makin kesel, apalagi lihat tampangnya yang nyebelin. Udah gitu maksa-maksa minta dimaafin.
Saya yakin, Anda sebagai pembaca juga pasti bakal kepikiran hal yang sama seperti yang saya pikirkan. Kenapa bisa seperti itu?
Ilmu psikologisnya : Jika Anda selalu meminta maaf Anda sama saja seperti membuat kesalahan yang sama berulang-ulang terhadapnya karena Anda selalu mengingatkan pada masalah yang sama, paham maksud saya?
Maka dari itu cukuplah meminta maaf sekali saja. Kalaupun dia memaafkan maka itu adalah berita baik untuk Anda. Namun jika saja Anda belum dimaafkan, jangan terlalu perfeksionis musti harus dimaafkan saat itu juga. Ingat bung, perasaan tidak bisa terobati dengan mudah begitu saja. Mungkin saja dia membutuhkan waktu.
Namun, tidak semua orang akan paham bagaimana cara mengatasi cewe yang sedang ngambek. Ada yang kebingungan setengah mati, ada pula yang putus asa setelah mencoba meminta maaf berkali-kali dan ada pula yang cuek beibeh tidak peduli dengan perasaan sang cewe. Bukannya membuat hati pasangan bahagia, semua itu justru membuatnya semakin membenci.
Untuk menghadapi cewe yang sedang ngambek, coba lakukan cara berikut ini. Semoga saja cara berikut menjadikan hidupmu menjadi lebih bahagia dengan pasanganmu. Membuat hidupmu menjadi lebih bermakna dengan kisah perjuangan cinta.
Pernah tidak ngerasain hal seperti yang saya rasakan ini, saat akan mengobrol dengan cewe Anda tiba-tiba saja dia ngambek, entah itu ngambek atas masalah apa. Yang pasti dia ngambek begitu saja dan Anda sebagai cowo kebingungan dengan sikapnya yang gak jelas itu. Malahan Anda berpikir kalau cewe Anda ngambek akibat Anda salah ucap. Padahal belum tentu demikian.
Namun bisa saja jika cewe Anda ngambek karena pada saat itu Anda lama bales SMS, gara-gara operator sedang trouble alias jaringan error sehingga menyebabkan SMS telat nyampe. Bisa juga akibat Anda lupa kapan hari ulang tahunnya padahal dihari itu adalah hari ulang tahunnya. Semua hal seperti itu sangat mungkin terjadi. Maka, janganlah terlalu sering menebak-nebak apa yang mungkin sedang dipikirkan cewe saat dia sedang ngambek.
Saya pernah, disaat cewe saya ngambek saya selalu saja kepikiran dengan kengambekannya itu, yah.. mungkin berujung dari perasaan bersalah saya. Bukannya memperbaiki kesalahan, saya malah berkali-kali meminta maaf atas kesalahan yang sebenarnya sama sekali tidak saya ketahui.
Bukannya dimaafkan, pasangan saya malah tambah kesel dengan sikap saya. Aneh memang. Namun begitulah kenyataannya. Hingga kemudian saya bisa memaklumi sikap seperti itu.
Ibaratkan seumpamanya ada seseorang yang menyakiti perasaan saya (ini contoh), kemudian si pembuat masalah selalu mendekati saya untuk mengucapkan kata maaf berkali-kali. Bukannya tambah adem yang ada saya malah makin kesel, apalagi lihat tampangnya yang nyebelin. Udah gitu maksa-maksa minta dimaafin.
Saya yakin, Anda sebagai pembaca juga pasti bakal kepikiran hal yang sama seperti yang saya pikirkan. Kenapa bisa seperti itu?
Ilmu psikologisnya : Jika Anda selalu meminta maaf Anda sama saja seperti membuat kesalahan yang sama berulang-ulang terhadapnya karena Anda selalu mengingatkan pada masalah yang sama, paham maksud saya?
Maka dari itu cukuplah meminta maaf sekali saja. Kalaupun dia memaafkan maka itu adalah berita baik untuk Anda. Namun jika saja Anda belum dimaafkan, jangan terlalu perfeksionis musti harus dimaafkan saat itu juga. Ingat bung, perasaan tidak bisa terobati dengan mudah begitu saja. Mungkin saja dia membutuhkan waktu.
Namun, tidak semua orang akan paham bagaimana cara mengatasi cewe yang sedang ngambek. Ada yang kebingungan setengah mati, ada pula yang putus asa setelah mencoba meminta maaf berkali-kali dan ada pula yang cuek beibeh tidak peduli dengan perasaan sang cewe. Bukannya membuat hati pasangan bahagia, semua itu justru membuatnya semakin membenci.
Untuk menghadapi cewe yang sedang ngambek, coba lakukan cara berikut ini. Semoga saja cara berikut menjadikan hidupmu menjadi lebih bahagia dengan pasanganmu. Membuat hidupmu menjadi lebih bermakna dengan kisah perjuangan cinta.
- Jika Anda berhadapan dengan cewe sanguis, coba tanyakan dahulu permasalahannya. Tanya seperti ini, “Ada apa?”. Jika dia berkata, “kamu nyebelin” atau “kamu jahat” berarti dia berkata hal yang sebenarnya. Maka Anda sebagai cowo harus mencoba menyenangkan hatinya. Tidak perlu minta maaf, bukan itu yang diinginkannya. Dia hanya meinginginkan kamu memperbaiki kesalahan. Untuk mencari tahu apa kesalahan kamu, coba kamu ingat-ingat kesalahan yang telah kamu lakukan atau mengingatnya dengan cara memancing cewemu mengatakan kesalahan yang telah kamu perbuat. Biasanya sanguis akan beusaha jujur kepada Anda untuk menumpahkan perasaannya. Dengarkan saja apa yang dikatakan olehnya dan jangan membela diri, kemudian curahan hatinya DICERNA! Setelah itu pikirkan jawaban terbaik yang bisa kamu berikan untuknya atas dasar karena cinta. Sambil menggoda dirinya untuk menyenangkan hatinya.
- Jika Anda berhadapan dengan tipe cewe melankolis, coba tanyakan juga permasalahannya. Tanya seperti ini, “Ada apa?”. Jika dia menjawab, “Gak apa-apa” berarti dia berusaha menutupi sesuatu hal yaitu menutupi masalahnya. Untuk menghadapi tipe cewe melankolis Anda cukup meminta maaf sekali saja dengan kata-kata yang bijak dan romantis. Kalaupun dia masih diam dan tetap berkata, “Gak apa-apa”. Biarkan saja seperti itu, itu pertanda Anda belum dimaafkan karena kata maaf tidak secepat itu didapatkan. Tetaplah bersikap ceria dan manis terhadapnya atau bersikap biasa saja seperti seolah tak ada masalah. Maka kelak dia akan kepikiran hal seperti ini,
“Kenapa yah aku memendam kekesalan, padahal cowoku selalu menyenangkan hatiku dan bahagia bersamaku. Aku merasa bersalah selalu bersikap seperti ini, aku sayang cowoku.” Dan kemudian jreeeng… tiba-tiba saja dia akan meminta maaf kepada Anda, dan disaat itu juga ada kemungkinan dia menceritakan masalah yang dipikirkannya kepada Anda. - Jika Anda berhadapan dengan tipe cewe koleris, maka bertanyalah juga masalahnya apa. Biasanya koleris akan diam tanpa kata-kata, membuat kamu kebingungan dan khawatir. Saya juga sebenarnya tidak menyukai tipe cewe ini disaat dirinya sedang ngambek, karena perkataannya akan lebih menyakitkan melebihi perkataan cewe sanguis. Berhubung Anda adalah orang yang sangat disayanginya maka cewe koleris lebih cenderung diam saja sambil merendam perasaan kesal teramat dalam. Untuk menghadapinya, cukuplah dengan juga bersikap diam saja. Tak perlu meminta maaf karena pada akhirnya dia sama sekali tak peduli dengan ungkapan maaf Anda. Ingat! Jika Anda meminta maaf kepadanya sama saja Anda membuktikan kepada cewe koleris bahwa Anda memang BERSALAH! Oleh sebab itulah sifat koleris sulit ditebak, namun kenangan antara dirimu dan dialah yang biasanya bisa membuat dirinya luluh dari amarahnya. Jika ingin berdamai dengannya, tak perlu berdebat untuk mengatakan siapa yang benar ataupun yang salah karena pada akhirnya hanya membuat masalah semakin runyam. Sayangi saja dia seperti biasa dan berikan ungkapan tulus dari dalam hati. Jika tidak ditanggapi, biarkanlah seperti itu. Tunggulah hingga dia teringat akan memory kenangan kalian berdua. Setelah itu rasakan kembali cinta dan bukti bahwa dia amat sangat menyayangimu.
- Jika Anda berhadapan dengan cewe plagmatis, tanyakan juga apa masalahnya. Tanyakan, “Ada apa?”. Biasanya cewe plagmatis akan menjawab seperti demikian, “Apanya?”. Seolah-olah tidak tahu apa-apa padahal dirinya sedang kesal dengan sikap Anda. Biasanya tidak sedikit pula cowo yang merasa bosan saat menghadapi cewe plagmatis yang sedang ngambek, karena sifatnya yang damai dan terlalu dingin (padahal emang begitulah sifatnya, dia tak suka menghadapi masalah yang berbuntut panjang dia akan lebih memilih untuk melupakannya begitu saja). Lalu bagaimana cara menghadapi cewe plagmatis yang sedang ngambek? Cukup percaya saja apa yang dikatakannya, cukup percaya bahwa dia memang tidak ada masalah. Kemudian senangkan hatinya dengan sebuah sikap, ingat “sebuah sikap” bukan perkataan. Karena cewe plagmatis cenderung tidak merespon apapun perkataan Anda. Cukup mudah bukan jika Anda menyenangkan hatinya dengan mengajaknya jalan-jalan?
Dari semua contoh tersebut, setidaknya Anda bisa mengambil sikap yang baik dari yang terbaik. Selain itu, entahlah. Saya juga terkadang masih sering merasa bingung bagaimana menghadapi cewe yang sedang ngambek, namun saya selalu berusaha menghargainya, terutama menghargai perasaannya.
Namun ada juga satu jurus jitu yang bisa membuat cewe begitu sangat menyayangi Anda setelah dia ngambek dengan kesalahan Anda. Inspirasi ini saya dapatkan dari cerita nyata.
Adalah sebuah ungkapan cinta yang benar-benar tulus dari hati dan perasaan. Bukan ungkapan kepura-puraan. Sungguh, terkadang kekuatan cinta tanpa kita sadari mampu menghancurkan batu yang kokoh dan menaklukkan puncak tertinggi. Meluluhkan hati yang bebal dan melembutkan perasaan. Maka.. Cintailah pasangan Anda dengan TULUS.
Is God male or female?
In examining Scripture, two facts become clear. First, God is a Spirit and does not possess human characteristics or limitations. Second, all the evidence contained in Scripture agrees that God revealed Himself to mankind in a male form. To begin, God’s true nature needs to be understood. God is a Person, obviously, because God exhibits all the characteristics of personhood: God has a mind, a will, an intellect, and emotions. God communicates and He has relationships, and God’s personal actions are evidenced throughout Scripture.
As John 4:24 states, “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” Since God is a spiritual being, He does not possess physical human characteristics. However, sometimes figurative language used in Scripture assigns human characteristics to God in order to make it possible for man to understand God. This assignment of human characteristics to describe God is called “anthropomorphism.” Anthropomorphism is simply a means for God (a spiritual being) to communicate truth about His nature to humanity, physical beings. Since humanity is physical, we are limited in our understanding of those things beyond the physical realm; therefore, anthropomorphism in Scripture helps us to understand who God is.
Some of the difficulty comes in examining the fact that humanity is created in God’s image. Genesis 1:26-27 says, “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’ So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”
Both man and woman are created in the image of God, in that they are greater than all the other creations as they, like God, have a mind, will, intellect, emotions, and moral capacity. Animals do not possess a moral capacity and do not possess an immaterial component like humanity does. The image of God is the spiritual component that humanity alone possesses. God created humanity to have a relationship with Him. Humanity is the only creation designed for that purpose.
That said, man and woman are only patterned after the image of God—they are not tiny “copies” of God. The fact that there are men and women does not require God to have male and female features. Remember, being made in the image of God has nothing to do with physical characteristics.
We know that God is a spiritual being and does not possess physical characteristics. This does not limit, however, how God may choose to reveal Himself to humanity. Scripture contains all the revelation God gave to humanity about Himself, and so it is the only objective source of information about God. In looking at what Scripture tells us, there are several observations of evidence about the form in which God revealed Himself to humanity.
Scripture contains approximately 170 references to God as the “Father.” By necessity, one cannot be a father unless one is male. If God had chosen to be revealed to man in a female form, then the word “mother” would have occurred in these places, not “father.” In the Old and New Testaments, masculine pronouns are used over and over again in reference to God.
Jesus Christ referred to God as the Father several times and in other cases used masculine pronouns in reference to God. In the Gospels alone, Christ uses the term “Father” in direct reference to God nearly 160 times. Of particular interest is Christ’s statement in John 10:30: “I and the Father are one.” Obviously, Jesus Christ came in the form of a human man to die on the cross as payment for the sins of the world. Like God the Father, Jesus was revealed to humanity in a male form. Scripture records numerous other instances where Christ utilized masculine nouns and pronouns in reference to God.
The New Testament Epistles (from Acts to Revelation) also contain nearly 900 verses where the word theos—a masculine noun in the Greek—is used in direct reference to God. In countless references to God in Scripture, there is clearly a consistent pattern of His being referred to with masculine titles, nouns, and pronouns. While God is not a man, He chose a masculine form in order to reveal Himself to humanity. Likewise, Jesus Christ, who is constantly referred to with masculine titles, nouns, and pronouns, took a male form while He walked on the earth. The prophets of the Old Testament and the apostles of the New Testament refer to both God and Jesus Christ with masculine names and titles. God chose to be revealed in this form in order for man to more easily grasp who He is. While God makes allowances in order to help us understand Him, it is important to not try to “force God into a box,” so to speak, by placing limitations on Him that are not appropriate to His nature.
As John 4:24 states, “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” Since God is a spiritual being, He does not possess physical human characteristics. However, sometimes figurative language used in Scripture assigns human characteristics to God in order to make it possible for man to understand God. This assignment of human characteristics to describe God is called “anthropomorphism.” Anthropomorphism is simply a means for God (a spiritual being) to communicate truth about His nature to humanity, physical beings. Since humanity is physical, we are limited in our understanding of those things beyond the physical realm; therefore, anthropomorphism in Scripture helps us to understand who God is.
Some of the difficulty comes in examining the fact that humanity is created in God’s image. Genesis 1:26-27 says, “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’ So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”
Both man and woman are created in the image of God, in that they are greater than all the other creations as they, like God, have a mind, will, intellect, emotions, and moral capacity. Animals do not possess a moral capacity and do not possess an immaterial component like humanity does. The image of God is the spiritual component that humanity alone possesses. God created humanity to have a relationship with Him. Humanity is the only creation designed for that purpose.
That said, man and woman are only patterned after the image of God—they are not tiny “copies” of God. The fact that there are men and women does not require God to have male and female features. Remember, being made in the image of God has nothing to do with physical characteristics.
We know that God is a spiritual being and does not possess physical characteristics. This does not limit, however, how God may choose to reveal Himself to humanity. Scripture contains all the revelation God gave to humanity about Himself, and so it is the only objective source of information about God. In looking at what Scripture tells us, there are several observations of evidence about the form in which God revealed Himself to humanity.
Scripture contains approximately 170 references to God as the “Father.” By necessity, one cannot be a father unless one is male. If God had chosen to be revealed to man in a female form, then the word “mother” would have occurred in these places, not “father.” In the Old and New Testaments, masculine pronouns are used over and over again in reference to God.
Jesus Christ referred to God as the Father several times and in other cases used masculine pronouns in reference to God. In the Gospels alone, Christ uses the term “Father” in direct reference to God nearly 160 times. Of particular interest is Christ’s statement in John 10:30: “I and the Father are one.” Obviously, Jesus Christ came in the form of a human man to die on the cross as payment for the sins of the world. Like God the Father, Jesus was revealed to humanity in a male form. Scripture records numerous other instances where Christ utilized masculine nouns and pronouns in reference to God.
The New Testament Epistles (from Acts to Revelation) also contain nearly 900 verses where the word theos—a masculine noun in the Greek—is used in direct reference to God. In countless references to God in Scripture, there is clearly a consistent pattern of His being referred to with masculine titles, nouns, and pronouns. While God is not a man, He chose a masculine form in order to reveal Himself to humanity. Likewise, Jesus Christ, who is constantly referred to with masculine titles, nouns, and pronouns, took a male form while He walked on the earth. The prophets of the Old Testament and the apostles of the New Testament refer to both God and Jesus Christ with masculine names and titles. God chose to be revealed in this form in order for man to more easily grasp who He is. While God makes allowances in order to help us understand Him, it is important to not try to “force God into a box,” so to speak, by placing limitations on Him that are not appropriate to His nature.
Why did God command the extermination of the Canaanites, women and children included?
In 1 Samuel 15:2-3, God commanded Saul and the Israelites, “This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.'" God ordered similar things when the Israelites were invading the promised land (Deuteronomy 2:34; 3:6; 20:16-18). Why would God have the Israelites exterminate an entire group of people, women and children included?
This is honestly a very difficult issue. We do not fully understand why God would command such a thing, but at the same time we trust God that He is just – and recognize that we are incapable of fully understanding a sovereign, infinite, and eternal God. As we look at difficult issues such as this one, we have to remember that God’s ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:9; Romans 11:33-36). We have to be willing to trust God and have faith in Him even when we do not understand His ways.
Unlike us, God knows the future. God knew what the results would be if Israel did not completely eradicate the Amalekites. If Israel did not carry out God’s orders, the Amalekites would come back to “haunt” the Israelites again and again. Saul claimed to have killed everyone but the Amalekite king Agag (1 Samuel 15:20). Obviously Saul was lying…just a couple of decades later there were enough Amalekites to take David and his men’s families captive (1 Samuel 30:1-2). After David and his men attacked the Amalekites and rescued their families, 400 Amalekites escaped. If Saul had fulfilled what God had commanded him, this never would have occurred. Several hundred years later, a descendant of Agag, Haman, tried to have the entire Jewish people exterminated (see the book of Esther). So, Saul’s incomplete obedience almost resulted in Israel’s destruction. God knew this would occur, so He ordered the extermination of the Amalekites ahead of time.
In regard to the Canaanites, God commanded, “However, in the cities of the nations the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, do not leave alive anything that breathes. Completely destroy them — the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites — as the LORD your God has commanded you. Otherwise, they will teach you to follow all the detestable things they do in worshiping their gods, and you will sin against the LORD your God” (Deuteronomy 20:16-18). The Israelites failed in this mission as well, and exactly what God said would happen occurred (Judges 2:1-3; 1 Kings 11:5; 14:24; 2 Kings 16:3-4). God did not order the extermination of these people to be cruel, but rather to prevent even greater evil from occurring in the future.
Probably the most difficult part of these commands from God is that God ordered the death of children and infants as well. Why would God order the death of innocent children? (1) Children are not innocent (Psalm 51:5; 58:3). (2) These children would have likely grown up as adherents to the evil religions and practices of their parents. (3) By ending their lives as children, God enabled them to have entrance into Heaven. We strongly believe that all children who die are accepted into Heaven by the grace and mercy of God (2 Samuel 12:22-23; Mark 10:14-15; Matthew 18:2-4).
Again, this answer does not completely deal with all the issues. Our focus should be on trusting God even when we do not understand His ways. We also have to remember that God looks at things from an eternal perspective, and that His ways are higher than our ways. God is just, righteous, holy, loving, merciful, and gracious. How His attributes work together can be a mystery to us – but that does not mean that He is not who the Bible proclaims Him to be.
This is honestly a very difficult issue. We do not fully understand why God would command such a thing, but at the same time we trust God that He is just – and recognize that we are incapable of fully understanding a sovereign, infinite, and eternal God. As we look at difficult issues such as this one, we have to remember that God’s ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:9; Romans 11:33-36). We have to be willing to trust God and have faith in Him even when we do not understand His ways.
Unlike us, God knows the future. God knew what the results would be if Israel did not completely eradicate the Amalekites. If Israel did not carry out God’s orders, the Amalekites would come back to “haunt” the Israelites again and again. Saul claimed to have killed everyone but the Amalekite king Agag (1 Samuel 15:20). Obviously Saul was lying…just a couple of decades later there were enough Amalekites to take David and his men’s families captive (1 Samuel 30:1-2). After David and his men attacked the Amalekites and rescued their families, 400 Amalekites escaped. If Saul had fulfilled what God had commanded him, this never would have occurred. Several hundred years later, a descendant of Agag, Haman, tried to have the entire Jewish people exterminated (see the book of Esther). So, Saul’s incomplete obedience almost resulted in Israel’s destruction. God knew this would occur, so He ordered the extermination of the Amalekites ahead of time.
In regard to the Canaanites, God commanded, “However, in the cities of the nations the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, do not leave alive anything that breathes. Completely destroy them — the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites — as the LORD your God has commanded you. Otherwise, they will teach you to follow all the detestable things they do in worshiping their gods, and you will sin against the LORD your God” (Deuteronomy 20:16-18). The Israelites failed in this mission as well, and exactly what God said would happen occurred (Judges 2:1-3; 1 Kings 11:5; 14:24; 2 Kings 16:3-4). God did not order the extermination of these people to be cruel, but rather to prevent even greater evil from occurring in the future.
Probably the most difficult part of these commands from God is that God ordered the death of children and infants as well. Why would God order the death of innocent children? (1) Children are not innocent (Psalm 51:5; 58:3). (2) These children would have likely grown up as adherents to the evil religions and practices of their parents. (3) By ending their lives as children, God enabled them to have entrance into Heaven. We strongly believe that all children who die are accepted into Heaven by the grace and mercy of God (2 Samuel 12:22-23; Mark 10:14-15; Matthew 18:2-4).
Again, this answer does not completely deal with all the issues. Our focus should be on trusting God even when we do not understand His ways. We also have to remember that God looks at things from an eternal perspective, and that His ways are higher than our ways. God is just, righteous, holy, loving, merciful, and gracious. How His attributes work together can be a mystery to us – but that does not mean that He is not who the Bible proclaims Him to be.
Tips Cara Jitu Mendekati Wanita
Jika Anda tergolong pria yang punya masalah dalam mendekati seorang wanita, tak perlu cemas. Yang penting, jangan pernah merasa takut gagal. Jika perasaan takut gagal hilang, Anda perlu mencoba sepuluh cara jitu bagaimana mendekati wanita, seperti dilansir AskMen baru-baru. Silakan mencoba langkah-langkah berikut:
Pertama, bikin si wanita penasaran. Ketika Anda sedang berbicara dengan seseorang, si wanita akan terdorong mendekati Anda untuk mencari tahu apa yang sedang dibicarakan. Pastikan posisinya sangat dekat untuk mendengar pembicaraan. Dijamin, si wanita akan menjadi pendengar diam-diam, dan menjadi provokatif untuk mendengar lebih banyak.
Kedua, belajar dari kegagalan pria lain. Jika Anda melihat seseorang pria gagal ketika mencoba mendekati wanita, Anda harus mencari tahu penyebab kegagalannya. Dari situ Anda bisa belajar dan dengan mudah bisa memulai pendekatan
dengan baik.
Ketiga, bikin taruhan kecil-kecilan. Seperti dalam sebuah permainan, Anda juga perlu membuat taruhan. Terus berinteraksi sepanjang malam dengan si wanita, lalu cari sesuatu dalam pembicaraan yang bisa dijadikan taruhan. Misalnya, dia harus mengingat nama Anda sepanjang malam. Bila lupa, dia harus membelikan Anda minuman.
Keempat, siapkan permainan. Ada banyak permainan kecil yang menyenangkan, dan akan membuat seorang wanita menjadi terpesona pada Anda.
Kelima, bikin cerita lucu dan menarik. Jadilah seorang pria yang selalu memiliki cerita menarik dan lucu. Menjadi seseorang yang humoris akan membedakan Anda dari orang lain. Sang wanita yang didekati memiliki kesan tersendiri pada Anda.
Keenam, mintai pendapatnya. Salah satu cara yang paling efektif untuk melakukan pendekatan adalah menanyakan pendapatnya tentang sesuatu. Yang penting beri kesan bahwa Anda benar-benar perlu meminta pendapat darinya.
Ketujuh, gosip terbaru. Sebelum pergi keluar, pastikan Anda tahu berita terheboh saat ini. Ini bisa dijadikan materi
sempurna untuk mengawali sebuah percakapan.
Kedelapan, berbicara tentang seseorang atau sesuatu. Dimanapun berada, Anda bisa mengamati seseorang atau sesuatu di sekitar Anda sebagai bahan percakapan, terutama jika ia menemukan reaksi yang sama.
Kesembilan, bersulang. Jika Anda berada di sebuah bar atau klub, salah satu cara termudah untuk mengawali pembicaraan adalah bersulang, dengan berkata "Cheers". Sangat sederhana dan sopan, tapi membuka jalan bagi Anda untuk mengenalnya lebih dekat.
Kesepuluh, ucapkan kata "hey". Ucapan sederhana ini bisa menjadi salah satu alternatif bagi Anda untuk mengawali pembicaraan kepada seorang wanita.
Trik ini tentu harus dicoba, sebelum Anda meyakininya bisa berhasil. Yang penting, jangan takut untuk gagal.
Pertama, bikin si wanita penasaran. Ketika Anda sedang berbicara dengan seseorang, si wanita akan terdorong mendekati Anda untuk mencari tahu apa yang sedang dibicarakan. Pastikan posisinya sangat dekat untuk mendengar pembicaraan. Dijamin, si wanita akan menjadi pendengar diam-diam, dan menjadi provokatif untuk mendengar lebih banyak.
Kedua, belajar dari kegagalan pria lain. Jika Anda melihat seseorang pria gagal ketika mencoba mendekati wanita, Anda harus mencari tahu penyebab kegagalannya. Dari situ Anda bisa belajar dan dengan mudah bisa memulai pendekatan
dengan baik.
Ketiga, bikin taruhan kecil-kecilan. Seperti dalam sebuah permainan, Anda juga perlu membuat taruhan. Terus berinteraksi sepanjang malam dengan si wanita, lalu cari sesuatu dalam pembicaraan yang bisa dijadikan taruhan. Misalnya, dia harus mengingat nama Anda sepanjang malam. Bila lupa, dia harus membelikan Anda minuman.
Keempat, siapkan permainan. Ada banyak permainan kecil yang menyenangkan, dan akan membuat seorang wanita menjadi terpesona pada Anda.
Kelima, bikin cerita lucu dan menarik. Jadilah seorang pria yang selalu memiliki cerita menarik dan lucu. Menjadi seseorang yang humoris akan membedakan Anda dari orang lain. Sang wanita yang didekati memiliki kesan tersendiri pada Anda.
Keenam, mintai pendapatnya. Salah satu cara yang paling efektif untuk melakukan pendekatan adalah menanyakan pendapatnya tentang sesuatu. Yang penting beri kesan bahwa Anda benar-benar perlu meminta pendapat darinya.
Ketujuh, gosip terbaru. Sebelum pergi keluar, pastikan Anda tahu berita terheboh saat ini. Ini bisa dijadikan materi
sempurna untuk mengawali sebuah percakapan.
Kedelapan, berbicara tentang seseorang atau sesuatu. Dimanapun berada, Anda bisa mengamati seseorang atau sesuatu di sekitar Anda sebagai bahan percakapan, terutama jika ia menemukan reaksi yang sama.
Kesembilan, bersulang. Jika Anda berada di sebuah bar atau klub, salah satu cara termudah untuk mengawali pembicaraan adalah bersulang, dengan berkata "Cheers". Sangat sederhana dan sopan, tapi membuka jalan bagi Anda untuk mengenalnya lebih dekat.
Kesepuluh, ucapkan kata "hey". Ucapan sederhana ini bisa menjadi salah satu alternatif bagi Anda untuk mengawali pembicaraan kepada seorang wanita.
Trik ini tentu harus dicoba, sebelum Anda meyakininya bisa berhasil. Yang penting, jangan takut untuk gagal.
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