I believe in one God, the Father almighty.

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin-Mary, and became man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end. 

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is odored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.

I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.

I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. 

Amen.

For you yourselves know, brothers, that our acceptance among you was not empty. Instead, having previouly suffered and been treated shamefully, as you know we had confidence in our God, so as to speak the gospel of God to you with much solicitude. for our exhortation was not in error, nor from impurity, nor with deception. but, just as we have been tested by God, so that the gospel would be entrusted to us, so also did we speak, not so as to please God, who tests our hearts. and neither did we, at any time, became flattering in speech, as you know, nor did we seek an oppurtunity for avarice, as God is witness. nor did we seek the glory of men, neither from you, nor from others. and although we could have been a burden to you, as Apostles of Christ, instead we became like little ones in your midst, like a nurse cherishing her children. so desirous were we for you that we were willing to hand over to you, not only the gospel of God, but even our own souls. for you remember, brothers, our hardship and weariness. we preached the gospel of God among you, working night and day, so that we would not be burdensome to any of you. you are witness, as is God, of how holy and just and blameless we were with you who have believed. and you know the manner, with each one of you, like a father with his sons, in which we were pleading with you and closing you, bearing witness, so that you walk in a manner worthy of God, who has called you into his kingdom and glory. for this reaso also, we give thanks to god and without ceasing: because, when you had accepted from us the word of hearing of God, you accepted it not as the word of God, who is working in you who have believed. for you, brothers have became imitators of the churches of God which are at judea, in Christ Jesus. for you too, have suffered the same things from your fellow country men as they have suffered from the Jews, who also killed both the lord Jesus. and the prophets and who have persecuted us. but they do not please God, and so they are adversaries to all men. So we can imagine for waht is our hope, and our joy and our crown of glory? is it not you, before our Lord Jesus Christ at his return? for you are our glory and our Joy.

HAPPY SUNDAY GOD BLESS ME, MY PARENT, MY FAMILY, MY FRIENDS, AND MY BROTHERS also  ALL OF PEOPLE

Menghadapi Keraguan dan Harga Diri

Aku menyadari bahwa, sekalipun aku dan teman-teman perempuanku berpegang pada Tuhan dan memberitahu diri sendiri bahwa segalanya akan baik-baik saja, sungguh sulit untuk tidak menyerah pada keraguan. Sebagai makhluk sosial, kadang-kadang aku mendapati, ternyata sulit untuk tidak melihat kelebihan dan kepunyaan orang lain (materi ataupun bukan) dan bertanya-tanya apakah aku bisa lebih baik dari diriku yang sekarang.

Pada usia tertentu, ketika teman-teman sebaya tampaknya sudah lebih “mapan hidupnya” – tinggal nyaman bersama keluarga dan anak-anak, karirnya berhasil, atau, sederhananya, makmur – sungguh menggoda untuk mulai mempertanyakan apa sebenarnya yang kulakukan dengan hidupku. Tentu saja, rancangan agungnya amat jelas: aku adalah anak Tuhan, ada di bumi ini untuk melakukan bagianku di dalam kehendak-Nya dan menyelesaikan pekerjaan yang Ia percayakan kepadaku. Tetapi, kadang-kadang aku bertanya-tanya apakah keadaanku sekarang ini adalah akibat yang harus ditanggung karena mengambil pilihanpilihan yang salah.

 Tetapi mereka yang ingin kaya terjatuh ke
dalam percobaan, ke dalam jerat dan ke
dalam berbagai-bagai nafsu yang hampa dan
yang mencelakakan, yang menenggelamkan
manusia ke dalam keruntuhan dan
kebinasaan. Karena akar segala kejahatan
ialah cinta uang. Sebab oleh memburu
uanglah beberapa orang telah menyimpang
dari iman dan menyiksa dirinya dengan
berbagai-bagai duka. (1Tim. 6:9,10)

Aku tidak yakin ada satu titik dalam kehidupan kita ketika kita bisa bilang bahwa kita sudah sepenuhnya mengatasi dilema ini. Hampir sepanjang waktu, rasa harga diri kita diukur dengan seberapa banyak kita bisa mengumpulkan bendabenda materi dan dengan status kita di “dunia nyata”. Waktu masih kuliah, semua orang kelihatannya sederajat denganku, jadi rasa harga diriku sebagai seorang pelajar kurang lebih sama tingginya dengan semua orang lain. Tetapi setelah lulus, ada yang melanjutkan ke strata dua, ada yang mengambil gelar profesional, dan yang lainnya tetap menganggur. Saat itulah harga diri dan keraguan muncul ke permukaan. Kadang-kadang, keraguan dan kurangnya harga diriku merupakan pertanda bahwa aku menginginkan lebih dari yang kubutuhkan. Aku meragukan diriku sendiri dan mungkin tanpa sengaja mengecewakan Tuhan, karena meragukan diri sendiri sama artinya dengan meragukan apa yang bisa Tuhan lakukan. Kita perlu hidup sesuai dengan kemampuan kita. Segala yang kita miliki berasal dari Tuhan. Jika kita bisa
menyeimbangkan kepuasan hati dengan seberapa sedikit atau seberapa banyak kita diberi dan, melalui semua itu, tidak pernah lupa bersyukur kepada Tuhan, aku yakin rasa harga diri kita akan ikut meningkat (Wanita kristen didalam diri kita)

Sumber: S dan L – Amerika Serikat