Towards A Let Go Life

Quotes from Joseph Prince

2011-08-06T14:26:00.007+02:00

Recently heard a couple of Joseph Prince's sermons and here are my 3 fave quotes:

Aggressive evangelism is an insult to Jesus.

Looking at how people had to queue just to enter the service each sunday at NCC proves just what he said. Lift up the beauty of our Lord Jesus and it will draw people to him.

The church is not the place for natural answers.

Wow, i love this statement. Even in my cell group my fellow brothers and sisters would often suggest me to go to this well known doctor because so and so went there too. The body of Christ should have a supernatural mindset.

And my favorite:

It is better for a wife to have a husband who loves her more that she loves him.

I love how pastor Prince's sermons always focus on the beauty of our Lord Jesus, but here and there he would make a brief statements regarding some topics about family, children, husband and wives, etc. Those brief statements have blessed me tremendously.

Eventhough

2011-07-03T14:00:00.006+02:00

Eventhough sometimes I doubt my faith.

Eventhough many times I questioned His goodness in my life.

Eventhough more than 5 times a day I remember the child I lost and asked why haven't God restored my lost.

Eventhough I thought of quitting.

Eventhough I envy those who don't know Him but seem to have perfect life.

Eventhough I still cry at night, sometimes.

Eventhough...

I can not deny the fact, the very real fact that since God revealed His grace for me, my spirit screams of praises for Jesus.

Even in the midst of my cry and agony, I'd heard my spirit said,

"Thankyou Jesus, I love You".

I don't know what happen, but the voice keeps coming within me. Like it wanted me to follow him to believe, that God is real and Jesus is good. All the time.

Forgiveness of Sins and Healing

2011-03-27T20:32:00.003+02:00

Psalms 103:2-3

2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: 3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases,

Mazmur 103:2-3

(2) Pujilah TUHAN, hai jiwaku, dan janganlah lupakan segala kebaikan-Nya!

(3) Dia yang mengampuni segala kesalahanmu, yang menyembuhkan segala penyakitmu,

God's Promise

2011-02-27T23:43:00.001+01:00

6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you.

Genesis 17:6-7

God made me not only fruitful, but EXCEEDINGLY fruitful and from me shall come kings and queens! Amen!

Isaiah 30_15

2011-02-20T21:11:00.002+01:00

For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: "In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength."

Sebab beginilah firman Tuhan ALLAH, Yang Mahakudus, Allah Israel: "Dengan BERTOBAT dan TINGGAL DIAM kamu akan diselamatkan, dalam TINGGAL TENANG dan PERCAYA terletak kekuatanmu."

AMEN

Wonderful Quote

2011-02-17T23:10:00.000+01:00

The answer is to love. We are not to be known by our theology. We are not to be known by our answers to questions of soteriology, eschatology or any other biblical topics. And we certainly are not to be known by labels. They will know we are Christians by our love.

Steve McVey

Read his full article here : http://gracewalkministries.blogspot.com/2011/02/should-we-be-universalists-trinitarians.html

The Living Bread

2011-02-02T07:23:00.002+01:00

I Copied-Pasted this from Grace For Life by Terry Rayburn

A young man had been preaching in the presence of a venerable divine, and after he had done he went to the old minister, and said, “What do you think of my sermon?”

“A very poor sermon indeed,” said he.

“A poor sermon?” said the young man, “it took me a long time to study it.”

“Ay, no doubt of it.”

“Why, did you not think my explanation of the text a very good one?”

“Oh, yes,” said the old preacher, “very good indeed.”

“Well, then, why do you say it is a poor sermon? Didn’t you think the metaphors were appropriate and the arguments conclusive?”

“Yes, they were very good as far as that goes, but still it was a very poor sermon.”

“Will you tell me why you think it a poor sermon?”

“Because,” said he, “there was no Christ in it.”

“Well,” said the young man, “Christ was not in the text; we are not to be preaching Christ always, we must preach what is in the text.”

So the old man said, “Don’t you know young man that from every town, and every village, and every little hamlet in England, wherever it may be, there is a road to London?”

“Yes,” said the young man.

“Ah!” said the old divine “and so from every text in Scripture, there is a road to the metropolis of the Scriptures, that is Christ. And my dear brother, your business is when you get to a text, to say, ‘Now what is the road to Christ?’ and then preach a sermon, running along the road towards the great metropolis—Christ. And,” said he, “I have never yet found a text that had not got a road to Christ in it, and if I ever do find one that has not a road to Christ in it, I will make one; I will go over hedge and ditch but I would get at my Master, for the sermon cannot do any good unless there is a savour of Christ in it.”

(From "Christ Precious To Believers", preached March 13th, 1859)

2011

2011-02-01T10:18:00.000+01:00

You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance.

(Psalms 65:11)

AMEN AMEN AMEN !!!

Experiencing The Love of The Father

2011-01-24T19:10:00.002+01:00

A couple of days ago i was reading a book and got tired so i closed my eyes. I thought i was falling into sleep and having a dream. I saw my self when i was little, about 6 years old. I knew it was me because i wore a pink dress that my mom made. And in that dream (or vision) i heard God spoke through my conscious that to Him i was always His little girl. That He loves me just as a Father cares and loves His daughter so much. Suddenly i was swept by incredible joy. I cried and i cried and i cried. I felt loved, really loved. I felt like He was hugging me, and that many angels were also there and shared my joy.

It was a very precious moment.

New Covenant believers: Prayer in the new covenant

2010-12-16T16:14:00.000+01:00

New Covenant believers: Prayer in the new covenant: "Praying in the new covenant is totally different from that of the old covenant. We pray in seated position with Him; from the victory point..."

My Teacher

2010-12-15T16:05:00.004+01:00

Matthew 11:29

29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls.

Ooh this verse speaks loudly to my ear and heart. How many times in life that i said:

"This church teach heresy"

"What he said is wrong, what i said is more biblical"

"You said You're a good God, but why did You allow .... "

I was such a snob. I thought i knew everything there is to know. I was not learning much because many times i close the door which might lead me to grow.

Now consider myself as a lifelong student and my main purpose is to learn. Learn from My Teacher.

Then rest.

Romans 5:5

2010-12-10T02:42:00.002+01:00

And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

This verse is beautiful! And notice that it's Romans 5 verse 5, double the number of Grace!

Just reading it lifted up my spirit.

Love=Faith=Healed

2010-11-25T12:36:00.006+01:00

It's been a week that i noticed i got a strange headache. Not like usual headaches eventhough i rarely had them. This was a pain that came from somewhere underneath my left ear. Sometimes the pain occur with such intensity that i screamed, "Ouch, what was that?". I thought maybe it was some pain related from my recent tooth surgery, but i didn't know for sure. Anyway, i prayed many times to command the pain to leave. I spoke verses that promising healing, but unfortuneately the headache was still there.

This afternoon, while driving to my parents house Holy Spirit impressed me to worship the Lord. So i sang eventough the tape was not on. I sang random songs, and ended up singing "Jesus i believe in You, Jesus i belong to You. You are the reason i believe the reason that i sing... with all my heart".

Singing the song, i sensed such joy and peace and... love from Jesus. I cried while my mouth still sing the song. My tears flowed on my cheeks, and i knew this is not a self-pity-fear-of-punishment-cry i once experienced before i knew the truth about His grace. This was a cry that came from a grateful heart, know that i'm loved so deeply by my Creator.

I began worshipping Him. Thanking Him for what He has done in calvary. Thanking Him that He died so i could live. Thanking Him that by His blood i'm free from punishment, free from any curse, free from condemnations. Thanking Him that by His stripes i am healed. Thanking Him for wanting me to be happy, healthy and fruitful. Thanking Him that by His sacrifice i am called to be God's daughter.

I arrived at my parent's home 20 minutes later, and realized a relief in my head. Up till now 5 hours later, i'm still free from headache. Praise Lord Jesus!

I realized that the Holy Spirit taught me something important today. Miracles and healings come through faith. But faith must be activated by love, God's love. Like Joseph Prince once said, "Faith is the confidence of how much God's love us". When we realize how much He loves us, it automatically increases our faith, and by having an increased faith it creates a channel (or some said "bridge") for the manifestation of miracle and healing.

Our focus shouldn't be on the manifestation of healing, but to believe in His love. If that happen, surely healing will be manifested. In my personal opinion it is not just by claiming, screaming verses or using our authority to get rid of the symptoms. Of course we could use verses, commanding sickness to go and using our authority by having a king-priest position in Christ. but we should be careful because these activities could easily turn into some sort of "work" which lead us into "performance mentality".

God's style is always simpler and easier. Just believe.

Believe that He is a good and loving God.

Searching for A Graceful Church

2010-11-10T03:41:00.003+01:00

According to the New Testament, the church is not a building. Neither is it a denomination, a religious service, nor a non-denominational organization. The church is a living organism. It is simply this: A community of people who possess the life of God’s Kingdom and who express it together.

(Quoted from Reimagining Church by Frank Viola)

Almost 2 years has passed since we moved here from France, yet we haven't joined any church. Of course sunday mornings were spent on a building called "church" but with no conversations afterwards among other brothers and sisters after the service, let alone helping and supporting each other just like the early church did.

Arrghhh.... how i long for a community of believers, who accepted each other as they are. Who practicing signs and wonders and supporting each other to tell people that the Kingdom of God is at hand. Who know each other well and love each other with the love of Christ.

God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.

2010-11-01T16:15:00.003+01:00

WOW.

James 4:6 and 1 Peter 5:5. This sentence was quoted two times or more in the Bible. I guessed it is quite important.

This verse is amazingly timely for me.

Continue from my previous post, now i'm starting like a new believer. I want to put behind the fact that i've accepted Jesus as my Savior since i was 15, and serving Him since. I put aside all the theories and theologies which shaped my frame of thoughts.

I have nothing to be proud of in front of men and You.

Now i want to learn from the beginning.

Of Your grace and mercy.

Of Your salvation, healing and prosperity.

Of Your rest.

Of Your power and works of wonders.

Lord, i don't want to be the judge anymore. I used to look behind and seeing the evidence when i thought You didn't care, and trying to make sense all of it with what people said about Your love. I am nothing compare to Your wisdom. Perhaps i know not now, but maybe someday You'd show me Your grand plan in my life. One day i'd look back and see that You work everything into good.

As John Gill's commentary for James 4:6:

but he giveth more grace to the humble

who are sensible of their own vileness and meanness, and acknowledge it; who think the meanest of themselves, and the best of others; and do not envy the gifts and graces of God bestowed upon others, but rejoice at them; and ascribe all they have, and are, to the free grace of God; and ingenuously confess the deficiency of their duties, and the insufficiency of their righteousness to justify them before God; and that when they have done all they can, or are assisted to do, they are but unprofitable servants: now to these God gives grace; he not only gives grace at first, to make them humble, but he gives them more grace, or increases what he gives: grace is God's gift; he gives all the grace that is in Christ, and all the blessings of grace that are in the covenant, and all the grace that is in the hearts of his people; as faith, hope, love, repentance, humility, patience, self-denial, resignation to his will, and every degree of spiritual knowledge; and grace is only his gift; men cannot give it to themselves, nor can the best of men give it to others; not godly parents to their children; nor ministers to those to whom they preach; no, nor the angels in heaven; nor is it to be obtained by the works of men: it is a free gift; it is given of the sovereign will and good pleasure of God, to whom, and when, and in what measure he pleases; to which he is not induced by any motives in men, for they have nothing in them to move him to it; and it is given by him absolutely, without conditions, not suspending it till the performance of them; and he gives it cheerfully and not grudgingly, largely, bountifully, and in great abundance.

Simply a Beginner

2010-10-31T16:54:00.002+01:00

Last week i wasn't really well. Not sick or whatever, just a bit gloomy. Hubby's leaving town to work, and i'm alone. I keep listening to Curry Blake's DHT files every night but i can not push my self to read daily devotional from Joseph Prince. Each of ps Prince's sermons describe the goodness of God and at that time i just couldn't picture Him as a kind God.

I saw a photograph of a newly born son of a friend. It's her second child. She has infertility problems but manage to deliver 2 healthy babies.

I realize that most of my friends who had infertility issues have already had children right now.

I remember the moment i miscarried two years ago. It's almost impossible to relate that God is kind but He also allowed me to experience the tragedy of loosing a child. Maybe part of it was my fault, because i didn't know that it is not God's will for people to miscarry. Thus, i didn't have the faith to confess or claim whatsoever. But i wished God would've told me the truth before.

I felt condemned.

I lost my peace and joy, and even had sleeping problems.

But today, while watching TV, the Holy Spirit speak through my conscience. He said, "Be a student, learn everything from the basics".

I felt sudden peace. I realized that all this time i over analyze everything. I put God into my system of thinking, about justice, kindness and love. When i found that God violates the system in my head, i blamed Him.

This morning i said to God, "I'm a student now Papa. Let me learn Your love, show how it works in my life. I don't want to judge You, i don't want to blame You for anything from now on. I just want to learn. Please reveal to me everything that i need to know about You. "

I'm the student and He is the teacher.

The Best Description

2010-09-22T08:49:00.000+02:00

I quote this from Steve McVey:

Life in Christ is certainly not a passive lifestyle but neither is it a lifestyle of religious hyperactivity either. It doesn't have to be one or the other. Resting in Him means that we live our lives knowing that He holds us safely in His arms and that His loving embrace carries us through every situation we face in life. Sometimes our lifestyles will involve external activity and at other times it will involve outward inactivity, but at all times we are enjoying His divine hug.

The Prayer

2010-09-15T17:46:00.002+02:00

A couple of days ago I was feeling down because I sensed that my period is coming. Also, there were additional causes, another pre-birth anouncement from relative, people i met who accused me of not working hard enough to have a baby, etc etc etc.

I was not feeling right. I knew i should reach out to His grace. I knew that i should guard my heart, not to worry and keep my peace as the only thing God told me to do. But sometimes it's plain hard. My best friend a.k.a hubby was at work and he seemed to lost idea of how to cheer me.

So he prayed.

At first, I felt a bit reluctant. I was angry. But i listened to everything that he said to God. Not to long after that I sensed something different. It's like a flood of peace and joy came rushing from heaven above upon us. I felt like God was hugging us both, He didn't seem to be troubled with the fact me and hubby on different island. I felt the three of us, me, Him and my husband were on the same spot together.

After praying, hubby asked, "Do you feel it?" . "Yes" I said with tears on my cheek.

We trust by faith, not by feelings. But now I knew that God doesn't mind reaching out to us. Making known of His presence. Telling us directly how much He loves us.

With the peace and joy back on track, I found that guarding my heart becoming an easy task. I'm glad God moves when we need His help.

The Kingdom of God

2010-07-11T16:49:00.002+02:00

Is righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Romans 14:17)

Is not in word but in power. (1 Corinthians 4:20)

Is within us (Luke 17:21)

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matthew 6:33)

Teaching, Preaching, Healing

2010-07-11T16:26:00.005+02:00

Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. (Matthew 9:35).

He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. (Luke 9:2)

But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing. (Luke 9:11)

And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you. (Luke10:9)

It seems that teaching, preaching and healing was one complete package in Jesus' Ministry. Notice also that almost everytime the bible mention the kingdom of God were being preached, the sick also being healed. Hallelujah!

What War Are You In?

2010-07-04T17:38:00.000+02:00

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. (2 Corinthians 10:4)

Whatever that is, know that you have the most effective weapons that have divine power...

His Answer

2010-06-11T17:23:00.002+02:00

I was driving my car this morning. Feeling a little gloomy due to recent circumstances that happen in my life. I speak to the Lord, "There apparently nothing's change in my life between now and two years ago. While everyone's having the answer of their prayer, my situation hasn't changed."

Then i heard Him asnwered me in my heart: "Maybe you could not see the differences, but from my eyes, I see your life changed so much these past two years".

I realized He was right.

Our circumstances might not changed from outside. But my relationship with Jesus has changed so dramatically this past years. I would never want to go back to the kind of relationship i had with Him back then.

So many things has changed in my life. My worries, fears and anxieties were gone. I found myself less judgmental towards people. I enjoy life easily, no matter what happen in my life. I couldn't say my prayer time is improving because now i don't have "prayer time", i just talk to Father God all day. I couldn't also said my "quite time" is more routinely done because i don't have a routine quite time. But i listen to sermon CDs every time i had the chance and open my bible anytime throughout the day.

I think of Jesus and talk to Him throughout the day.

He is right. My life is changed.

I'm falling back to Grace.

The Name

2010-06-07T09:26:00.002+02:00

Last night, 6 June 2010 a preacher prayed for us and she said that we're having a boy and we should name him "Samuel".

So, it's gonna be Arturo Samuel Victor Simanjutak.

A bit long huh? I hope it's gonna fit in his passport, ehehe...

He Collects My Tears

2010-04-06T12:46:00.002+02:00

8 You number my wanderings; Put my tears into Your bottle; Are they not in Your book? (Psalms 56:8)

I found out about this verse when i read "The Shack" (a very good Christian book, if you're not a legalist ;p). It tells that a spritely young Asian woman dances around Mack, collecting his tears with a brush and introduces herself as Sarayu, personification of the Holy Spirit. Mack's life was almost destroyed when he lost his youngest daughter, Missy who was murdered by a stranger.

Truthfully, even though the book was fictional, i found many of its ideas are biblical resonates deeply with my own spiritual journey. So when i read about this Sarayu collects tears, i rushed to my bible to find the verse and found it in Psalms 56.

Just like Mack in The Shack, i too lost a daughter, and spent many times crying almost each time i remembered her. But this is the first time i realize that God really hears me crying. He even collects all my tears.

I imagine, someday, one cool day in heaven, Papa would show me a barn of which my name is written on its door. Inside, i will find many bottles with water. Perhaps i'll tell Him,

"Nice hobby, Papa"

And He would answer, "Yes of course. These are my precious collection. Your tears".

"Why would you do that?" I ask Him.

Papa replied, "Because those tears are precious to me. Each tear that i collect from your face, reminds me of the restoration I planned for you".

"I thought those were my loneliest time."

"I was always there with you", said Papa.

"With your bottles?"

"Yes with my bottles".

I looked around the barn and found the walls are covered with numbers.

"What are they?" I asked.

"What? Those numbers?", said Jesus.

"Yup"

"Oh, those are my other hobbies. Numbered your hair. I do it everyday, since each day your hair's number is changing" (Matthew 10)

For everyone who didn't read The Shack, i strongly recomend to purchase the book. You'll meet Mack, Papa, Sarayu, Jesus and the closeness between them described in this book is transforming.

Seek First

2010-03-22T05:55:00.003+01:00

Sometimes i feel down. Sometimes i feel confused. Some other time, i questioned all that i believe right now, whether it's true or not. But i had made decision, that whatever my feeling right now, whatever my circumstances are, i would never forget to seek first:

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matthew 6:33)

This Rest is Wonderful

2010-02-27T18:14:00.003+01:00

This couple of days i really believe that Holy Spirit is renewing my mind more about rest. It has been more than a year since our encounter with this whole gospel of grace thing and lately i was just almost having a breakdown because i haven't seen the manifestations of God's promises that we've been hoping for. I remember a couple of days ago i asked my husband whether 'it works'. Whatever it is, is it working or not? Do we make progresses along the year or we are just walking at the same spot and everything else was just a halucination?

God is always a present help.

He reveiled more of the meaning of "rest". Rest is enjoying the now moment. It is enjoyable because you are drowning in the love of Jesus. Being in the state of rest, you would not worry whether the promises has been manifesting or not. You are happy knowing that you already have it because of Jesus.

God also gave me a picture of someone taking a treadmill. He's running and running with nowhere to go. We could give him the most delicious meals but he wouldn't taste anything at its best since he is busy running. It's like me before i knew gospel of grace. I was like always running without knowing where to go. I always feeling tired and lacking of something. I missed all the goods and precious things God has given me, just because i didn't have the one thing i wanted.

Now?

Life is like sun bathing on the beach. There's always time to enjoy little things. I stopped comparing my life with others. And my soul keep giving thanks to Jesus.

Joseph Prince Counters Doctrinal Accusations

2010-01-13T09:07:00.002+01:00

This article was taken recently from http://sg.christianpost.com/dbase.php?cat=ministries&id=1341. The reason i put this article is not merely to prove that Prince is right. But i was so touched by the explanation he gave to counter his accusers. Grace is always like that. Soft and sweet, even to people who against it.

Joseph Prince Counters Doctrinal Accusations

Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2010 Posted: 4:40:50PM HKT

A screen shot from a video introduction by Joseph Prince of his latest book, 'Unmerited Favor'.
A Charismatic preacher who has been accused of encouraging people to sin has defended himself in his new book."The gospel of grace is not the license to sin," Pastor Prince said of his doctrine that there is no longer any condemnation or judgment because Jesus Christ has paid the price for the sin of the world by His death on a cross.His critics object that such a message undermines commitment to God. In reply Prince says that only God’s grace can help people overcome sin in their lives. Explaining his teaching, he related the story of one of his church leaders who for a time stopped attending church services because of marital and drinking problems, hoping to resume church attendance after he resolved his difficulties.

But, just as people take a bath to clean themselves rather than clean themselves up before taking a bath, so people with problems go to Jesus Christ to resolve them rather than attempting to solve their problems first, the pastor told his member.Today, he said, that member is a happily married, has a beautiful family and is one of his trusted, key leaders.Prince said: “There are many people today who are like this brother. They want to get their lives together by themselves before they come to Jesus.

They are under the impression that they need to make themselves holy before they can step into God’s holy presence. They feel like they are being hypocrites if they don’t sort out their lives first before coming to church.”However it is impossible for that to happen, he said, because nobody will ever be able to qualify for God’s blessings nor will they actually be able to solve the problem of sin on their own.The pastor said: “You are made holy, righteous and clean by the blood of Jesus Christ, and it is His righteous standing that qualifies you – nothing more and nothing less. So stop trying to clean yourself before you go to the Lord. Come to Jesus with all your mess, all your addictions, all your weaknesses and all your failures. God loves you just as you are. However, He also loves you too much to let you stay the same.

My friend, when you come to Jesus, He becomes your ‘bath.’ He will wash you clean, whiter than snow! Jump into the bath today and allow Jesus to make you perfect, righteous and holy in God’s eyes!”At the same time some people, he noted, would continue to sin whether or not they received a message of grace. Prince says his church, which has over 19,000 members, enforces discipline over those who practice a lifestyle of sinning. He wrote: “My leaders have no qualms about confronting people who attend our church but insist on living in sin. They do not back down from the gospel of grace even if these people argue that they have the right to continue living as they please because they are ‘under grace.’ In fact, my leaders would tell them outright that they are not under grace, because according to Romans 6:14, if they are under grace, then sin shall not have dominion over them!”

In another chapter of his book, which is due to be released worldwide next month, the pastor urged teenagers to avoid sexual temptations and their parents to teach them not to trust their restraining ability. “His (God’s) destiny for you is to enjoy a blessed marriage with someone you can give yourself totally to, and with whom you can have a blessed family with beautiful children in due season,” he said.In 2007 Prince published his first hardcover book, 'Destined to Reign', which he described as a summary of his teaching over the years.

Edmond Chuaedmond@christianpost.com

My God

2010-01-05T07:17:00.002+01:00

Psalm 103:2-5

Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagles.

Amen!

It's interesting to notice that this passage describe the sequence of what the Lord did to us through redemption by Jesus. First, He forgives all our sins by letting Jesus become our substitute on the cross. Then, because we no longer under the curse of sin, and Jesus bore all our diseases and curses on the cross, we are healed. He then leads us through our daily life, show us the right decision to make, the right way to take, thus deliver us from making mistakes in life. God also shows us how to love, by loving us first. His love enable us to love one another, a fruit that comes from the knowing of His kindness and mercies. Then He bless us in every area He makes us prosperous.

That's my God!

Let's Confess!

2010-01-02T17:44:00.001+01:00

Found these in this blog http://underthewaterfallofgrace.blogspot.com/, thought it would be nice to read and confess it everyday.

Today....I am in the presence of God today.
I expect good things to happen because of the New Covenant.
There is no condemnation on me today!I am the righteousness of God in Christ today!
God approves of me 100%!
God is on my side and has taken my position to defend me.
I am free from fear of judgment because judgment has passed.
Not because of me but because of Christ on my behalf.
I am safe forever with my King!I expect good today!

The New Covenant makes me bold in the Spirit of freedom.
I walk though this world free from wrath!
The Father loves me and cares about me.
The Father doesn't remember what I've done wrong.
The Father took an oath never to remember my sin but to bless!
The Son became poor so I am rich today.
The Son became sin so I am righteous today.
The blood declares I am righteous forever!
The Spirit is telling me my sins are gone and I'm perfect forever!
I have received fullness in Christ.
I am a princess and royal priest in the house of God!

(quotes and ideas - Rob Rufus)

Precious in His Heart, Perfect in His Sight

2009-12-10T09:17:00.002+01:00

How many times do you attend church and go home with a feeling of you're just... not good enough for God. Not enough fasting, not enough praying, not enough serving, not enough of everything.

Well, that's not what i felt when i walked out of the door of New Creation Church in Singapore. The two hours the preacher had (ps. Lian), she used to convince me how much God's love me. How willingly He accept me for what i am. The verses used that day was from Rome 8, started with one of my favorite verse with ,

"Now there is, therefore no condemnation for whoever in Christ Jesus".

Ps Lian then explain verse by verse about the importance of knowing that God do not ever condemn us with our sin. The it went to another verse which is also my favorite,

And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. 31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Isn't it beautiful? God is for me.

Ps Lian also said that whenever we found ourselves condemning other people, then we should ask ourselves whether we already knew exactly, by heart, that God accepts us for who we are. He doesn't care about our shortcomings, our dark pasts, our failures. If we already aware of his unconditional acceptance, surely it wouldn't be hard to accept others just as they are.

During the church anouncements, i read something written in one of the church's event.

Precious in His heart, perfect in His sight.

The sentence touches my heart deeply. It's true that i'm precious. So precious that He let His beloved Son to come to earth and died for me. It also true that i'm perfect in His sight. Because of Jesus blood, now i have the privilegde to be the righteousness of God. Therefor, He sees me perfect.

I walked out the church with a spirit of joy and thanksgiving. My heart was so fulfilled of God's love that i had a yearned to go to some stage, grab the mike and tell people about my Jesus.

Yes. That radical. Of course i didn't do it, but i wanted to.

The preacher mention nothing about evangelism, nor how we ought to serve God that kind of thing. I only her hear tell me about God's love, and that made me, and i'm sure everyone who heard the sermon went out having the urge to evangelize.

Hannah's Prayer

2009-12-06T15:39:00.003+01:00

A friend once asked me whether in my quest of infertility i had prayed like Hannah? She said bluntly, "Have you screamed and shout like Hannah?".

Sometime people are soooo funny.

At that time i had already married for 4 years, of course i did. I shouted, i screamed, i prayed, i cried, i cried in my pray.

While i knew that she meant all well, she wasn't quite exactly right in determining the cause of Hannah's answered prayer. She thought it's the scream and the shout. In Samuel Chapter 1 said:

Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk.

Hannah prayed so intensely that Eli thought she was drunk. Even so, those intensity was not the reason why she got hers answered. Let's look at the next verses:

17 Eli answered, "Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him." 18 She said, "May your servant find favor in your eyes." Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.

Eli said "May the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of", in other words, "Hey i hope God answered you prayer". There's no exact confirmation. But Hannah went her way, end her fasting and her mood change to joy.

I don't think Hannah's prayer got answered because of her drunk-praying attitude. But because she believe that what she asked for in her prayer will come to past. She knew God had answered and the answer is a big bold YES. That's why she stopped grieving. Soon after that, Hannah conceived Samuel.

I would say Hannah used the key of answered prayer like Jesus thought us in Mathew 21:22:

If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." (NIV)

Mark 11:24 put it more clearly:

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Jesus said that WHATEVER,... well i believe when He said whatever means whatever. Then He said, if we believe that we HAVE RECEIVED it, then it'll be ours. The sole pre-requisite is to believe that the answer is YES, to have faith that God has give it to us and it'll be done by God.

I guess that's what Hannah did. She believed that she has received it by faith, then Samuel came.

Just Don't Have Enough Faith?

2009-12-06T15:20:00.003+01:00

Though since i receive this Grace revelation from God i had so many things in my mind that i'd wanted to pour out, i didn't quite manage to always write it on my blog. Anyhow, today i want to talk about Faith.

There's so many occasion where i'd think , "If only i had more faith, surely my restoration would come sooner".
Or maybe just a glimpse of thought , "What should i do to achieve more and more faith? Should i read bible more? Or increase my prayer time?".

While it's not wrong to read more of bible and to pray to God those actions put the responsibilities of increasing faith in our human effort. This is not what the bible said. In Hebrew 12:2 it is said:

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

It is Jesus who in first place put faith in our heart, and it is His job to make it perfect. Wow. What a relief isn't it? Puting our trust on our own effort brings doubt and fear, but knowing that Jesus is the One who's taking care of our faith, we surely know that He wouldn't fail.

In Indonesian Bible it is written:

Marilah kita melakukannya dengan mata yang tertuju kepada Yesus, yang memimpin kita dalam iman, dan yang membawa iman kita itu kepada kesempurnaan, yang dengan mengabaikan kehinaan tekun memikul salib ganti sukacita yang disediakan bagi Dia, yang sekarang duduk di sebelah kanan takhta Allah.

I like the NIV's translation more because it use a noun which are "author" and "perfecter" while in Indonesian they put an adjective "yang memimpin kita dalam iman" and "yang membawa iman kita itu kepada kesempurnaan". Somehow it felt stronger in my heart knowing Jesus as author and perfecter of my own faith.

I knew now that i'd always have "enough faith to move mountains" because Jesus is the author and the perfecter of my faith.

We Finnaly Made It!

2009-11-25T02:59:00.005+01:00

Yes, it's been our long time dream to experience sunday service at New Creation Church, where pastor Joseph Prince is preaching. First time we planned to go to Singapore, already bought the unrefundable ticket and stuffs was failed because i was hospitalized due to dengue fever. Hiks!

But last week we did it!!!

The one thing that didn't go with the plan was ps. Prince didn't preach that sunday. I already checked even double triple checked their website and it said that he will preach the whole month. But it turned out that ps Prince went on holiday with his family and one of his pastor, ps. Lian who'd preach the sunday service. At first i was a little dissapointed, until i hear her explaining the bible, and... awesome.... The message was just as powerful and great. I'd love to hear her preach more.

Anyway the whole experience was amazing.
We came 15 minutes early for the service and the auditorium has already been full we had to go to the overflow rooms at Ang Weh Cinema. I was amazed of the vibrant and eagerness of people who wants the hear God's Word. When we got there there were already people queu for the next service which was 2,5 hours later. I mean, really, don't ever think of queuing, in my church back there in Paris, there were thousands of church's seat but only few people. By few i mean less that 15 people including children.

The worship was simple yet beautiful. We sang 3 or 4 songs. The band was not too loud -as in some charismatic church i've been-, and the song were not all too happy-clappy version. Most of them were the slow and soft tune songs. Before the sermon, there was communion, which led by a young pastor. He led by saying all things written in the bible about what communion is, but he said it with his heart, stressing on what Jesus has done for us and how much He loved us. Nobody, even the pastor himself could succesfuly hold their tears.

The sermon's message touched my heart deeply. I'll explain in my next post.

How To Improve Your Prayer Life

2009-10-11T16:01:00.002+02:00

I've lost count of how many seminars, small groups, meetings, and camps I've joined to improve my prayer life. Mostly, the preachers would encourage us to make a certain target, dedicate a certain hour for our "prayer time", teach us the "five levels" to improve our prayer time etc.

None worked for me.

I always ended up failing all my commitments, dedication or whatever. The disappointment of failing brings guilty feeling, which then made me uneasy every time i pray.

Now i realized that the answer is simple. My life with Jesus is a relationship, and it's impossible to have my relationship into rigid system.

For example, when we first started our relationship, me and my husband did not set a certain hour to talk, or to set how many days we should meet in order to work our relationship. We just met every time the conditions allowed us to, we talked for hours when we wanted to, and all were driven by one motive: Love. The desire to communicate and relate with the one we love.

I realized there's no such thing as having a dedicated prayer time.
Prayer means you communicate with your God, because you love Him. And you love Him because He first loves you.

And it could be like anytime, anywhere, no religious standard on how to start or which word you'd say.

It's a daughter talking to Her Loving Dad.

And it's important to know where i stand in front of God's eyes. If i still believe that God would reject me and punish me each time i do something wrong, it's hard to keep on praying. But now i believe firmly in what the Bible said, that Jesus has bore all my sins that's why Father God always sees me righteous, holy and forgiven (Heb10:10).

Rest

2009-10-06T18:09:00.002+02:00

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Mat 11:28)

9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10 for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. (Hebrews 4:9-10)

How joyfull it is to be in His rest. Free of worrying of sins and of our performance before God and men. I know i'm free because Christ Jesus had been the perfect redeemer, thus i rest on His perfect obidience and holiness before God. As He is in this world, so am I this world. God's beloved.

Rest is living a simple life.

Rest is enjoying each small things you'd miss 'cause of worrying. You'd start noticing that life's full of beautiful things.

Rest is fearless. Not afraid of bad news, world's economic, petrol price, etc.

Rest is stop thinking about money. And the result is: seeing God provides!

Rest is finding yourself laugh more and smile easily.

Rest is entering God's presence with no more boundaries. You'd find yourself praying, talking to God like almost everytime.

Rest is enjoying each moment at its best.

We were at Carrefour just 2 hours ago, getting our daily shopping. I seperated with hub because i wanted to buy some chicken. He called a few minutes later, saying "Hawwwohh" and ask my whereabouts. And i laughed like crazy. He's such a clown!

Dream

2009-10-02T17:28:00.003+02:00

I had a dream last night. The kind of dream that was so vivid you'd thought it's real.

Well, i admit, many times i wondered, and perhaps maybe "wished" that me and husband "did it" before we were married.
The reason? Of course, due to the pattern i see around me that EACH and EVERY person i knew who did it before marriage, who weren't a virgin when they vowed their marriage vowed, ALL of them conceived children easily.
I know, i know. It's wrong to wished doing sin in order to get what you want. But, still i'm a human.

I mean, which was the easiest path? Would you chose countless and painful tests, countless doctor rendezvous, the agony of infertility, or doing something fun with your boy/girlfriend?

Anyway, last night in my dream, i told someone - a friend maybe- that me and my boyfriend, we did it before marriage. I remember the feeling i had. It's mixed feeling between guilt, shame, pain, and the thought that it's just isn't worthed. In that dream i felt terribly guilty. The worst kind of guilt i've ever had.

Then i woke up.

I almost cried instantly when i realize that it's only a dream. I repented right away. I said, "No God, i don't want to change my past. The biggest part of my past is Your abundant grace. I'm so glad we kept our virginity before we were married. The fun was just isn't worthed at all. The greatest making love is inside marriage bond. Thankyou Lord."

Btw, no condemnation for whoever did it, thus believing that Jesus has paid that sin in the cross. God's grace is more than enough, we're on the same path. The righteous of God, by faith to Christ Jesus.

Reformed, Karismatik, Lutheran, HKBP?

2009-09-23T16:21:00.002+02:00

Aku dibesarkan di keluarga Batak-HKBP, jadi dari kecil hingga menikah pun aku bergereja di HKBP. Ketika ketemu Tuhan di SMA, aku mulai dekat dengan ajaran Reformed, karena kakak pembina SMA kami adalah siswa STTRII. Dia semangat sekali mengajar doktrin reformed termasuk TULIP ala Calvin yang dulu kuhapal luar dalem. Sejak SMA hingga kuliah, aku makin dekat dengan gereja Reformed, selalu menghadiri KKR dan seminar-seminar yang diadain GRII, membaca hampir semua buku-buku Pdt.Stephen Tong, dlsbgnya. Walaupun setiap minggu masih ke HKBP tapi di dalam hati aku merasa reformis yang sejati. Hanya doktrin reformed yang -istilah seorang pdt di GRII dulu- berisi ajaran2 yang "sehat".

Bagiku dulu gereja-gereja Karismatik semua sesat. Aku menghindari acara-acara yang diadakan oleh gereja-gereja itu dan salah satu tanda kesesatan mereka adalah bahasa roh dan kesembuhan ilahi. Aku diajarkan bahwa bahasa roh dan mujizat berhenti ketika rasul terakhir mati, karena semua mujizat itu muncul fungsinya hanya sebagai pembuktian/peneguhan untuk pengabaran injil di gereja mula-mula.

Lalu kami pindah ke Paris, dan gereja Indonesia kami rada-rada karismatik. Awalnya tentu jiwa reformed gue berontak habis-habisan. AKu gak nyaman dengan musiknya, dengan pengajarannya, dengan bahasa rohnya dan doktrin-doktrin yang gak jelas asal usulnya. Tapi ada suara di dalam hati kami yang meminta kami untuk bersabar. Kami mulai melembutkan hati. Berusaha untuk menerima tanpa menghakimi. Dan memang Tuhan membukakan banyak hal baru buat aku dan suami. Aku belajar untuk tidak membatasi Tuhan. Aku belajar menikmati musik-musik Hillsongs, sebagai variasi yang menarik dari kesukaanku terhadap musik-musik hymnal gerejawi.

Kami menikmati suasana di gereja kami yang kecil dan akrab. Tentu ada juga hal-hal baru yang sampai sekarang aku gak bisa terima. Beberapa di antaranya adalah apa yang mereka percaya mengenai dosa keturunan, pelepasan dan keharusan untuk baptis selam. Hatiku gak sejahtera ketika mereka mengajarkan bahwa semua orang harus ikut acara pelepasan untuk bisa lepas dari kutuk nenek moyang dan roh-roh dosa yang pernah kita lakukan. Buatku, percaya pada kematian dan kebangkitan Yesus adalah satu-satunya jalan, tapi rupanya buat mereka ada urusan dengan iblis yang harus "dibereskan". Aku yang dibesarkan di lingkungan reformed yang serba cek n ricek gak bisa menemukan dimana ayat2 pendukung doktrin itu. Belakangan aku menyadari, mereka masih mencampur adukkan Perjanjian Lama dan Perjanjian Baru.

Lalu masalah baptis selam, sepertinya buat mereka tanpa baptis selam ada sesuatu yang kurang dalam diri orang Kristen. APapun yang mereka katakan, aku merasa diriku sudah dibaptis, bedanya aku kena 5 tetes air, dan mereka dapat 1bak penuh air. Apa sah atau gaknya ditentukan jumlah air? Sekali lagi... mana ayatnya?

Walaupun begitu, kami tetap enjoy berada di gereja kami. Tetap mematuhi otoritas pastor yang membimbing kami. Ada damai sejahtera dan sukacita ketika kami mengikuti ibadah dan komsel rumah tangga dari gereja.

Sampai kejadian itu menimpa kami.

Semua yang pernah kupelajari baik dari HKBP, Reformed, Karismatik, apapun yang pernah sampai di telingaku tentang Tuhan runtuh berantakan. Bingung. Aku gak yakin apakah Tuhan benar mengasihiku. Limabelas tahun mengenal Dia, dan aku kembali ke titik NOL.

Tuhan gak tinggal diam. Dia kemudian membuka mata ku untuk melihat lebih dalam lagi arti pengorbanan Yesus di kayu salib. Menemukan makna sesungguhnya dari Kasih KaruniaNya buatku. Bukan karena apa yang kulakukan di dalam hidup, tapi apa yang kupercaya. Bukan memaksa Tuhan melakukan, tetapi menerima apa yang sudah Dia lakukan.

Apa artinya hidup di Perjanjian Baru. Apa artinya menjadi seorang ciptaan baru, yang sudah dibenarkan, dikuduskan dan diampuni. Apa artinya disebut anak Allah, bangsa yang kudus, imamat rajani. Dan seluruh ayat-ayat Alkitab kini memiliki makna baru buatku. Makna yang lebih pribadi, lebih dalam, penuh kuasa. Kalau dulu ketika membaca Alkitab aku sibuk memikirkan latar belakang penulisnya, keadaan jaman itu, konkordansi dan sebagainya, saat ini aku membiarkan Roh Kudus membimbingku dengan bebas. Dan firman Tuhan semakin menjadi revelation buatku.

Buatku sekarang gak penting lagi apakah seseorang itu beraliran reformed, karismatik, lutheran, calvinist, baptis, atau apapun. Buatku saat menjadi pengikut Yesus cuma butuh satu pertanyaan, "Apakah kamu tahu seberapa besar Tuhan mengasihimu?". Kalau kamu jawab, "YA" dengan yakin, aku akan berkata, "Engkau sungguh diberkati".

Sesederhana itu. Karena kasih KaruniaNya yang ajaib memang tidak untuk dibikin susah.

Dia

2009-09-17T19:12:00.003+02:00

Masih dalam seri perenungan tentang pernikahan kami,.. halah "seri"....
Satu faktor penting kenapa aku merasa pernikahan kami sangat diberkati ialah: dia.

Aku menikahi seseorang yang luar biasa dan lain daripada yang lain. Walaupun aku juga gak tau yang lain itu seperti apa ya, secara dia pacar pertamaku, dan aku juga pacar pertama dia.

;p

Yup, hari gini it happened!

Dia...
Akan susah mengorek sisi egois dari suamiku. Apapun yang dia lakukan, dia selalu memikirkan yang terbaik orang lain. Aku gak tahu, tapi apakah memang semua suami melarang istrinya turun dari mobil untuk membuka/tutup pintu pagar? Dia selalu bilang, "Laisse... Tu rest tranquille" (in Indonesian: Biarin, kamu nyantai aja) dan bolak balik turun naik mobil untuk membuka pagar sementara aku duduk tenang di mobil. Sangat gak praktis, tapi selalu bikin hatiku tersentuh.

Apakah memang semua suami menelepon istrinya dari kantor minimal 3 kali sehari? Walaupun jarak kantor dan rumah hanya 15 menit berjalan kaki. Dia melakukannya, di tengah pekerjaan sesibuk apapun.

Dia...
Pinter, cerdas, banyak akal, selalu membuat gue kagum dengan pemikiran-pemikirannya.

Dia...
Bahkan setelah hampir 6 tahun menikah, aku masih merasa mules setiap kali melihat dia jalan ke arahku. He's still that goregeous.

Dia...
Bertumbuh di dalam Tuhan dengan luar biasa. Dia menjalani perannya sebagai pemimpin dan kepala di dalam keluarga. Mendukung aku ke dalam iman yang sungguh-sungguh pada Yesus.

Dia...
Bisa membuat gue sakit perut seharian dengan jokesnya yang orisinal dan lucu.

Dia...
Gak pernah membuatku bosen.

Dia...
Adalah satu bukti Tuhan mampu menjawab doa-doaku "exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think" (Efesus 3:20)

He's an answered prayer. An overanswered one.

Yang membuat aku yakin, Tuhan juga pasti akan menjawab semua doa-doa kami. Dan ketika jawaban itu datang, adalah jawaban yang melampaui segala yang kita doakan dan pikirkan. Haleluyah.

Praise the Lord

2009-09-16T11:40:00.000+02:00

Psalms 113:1-9
1 Praise the Lord. Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord.
2 Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forevermore.
3 From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised. 4 The Lord is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens.

5 Who is like the Lord our God, the One who sits enthroned on high,
6 who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth?
7 He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
8 he seats them with princes, with the princes of their people.
9 He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the Lord.

Amen

How My Marriage Works

2009-09-14T17:34:00.004+02:00

Last month, we had lunch with two of our close friends. Both of them are pastors. One is my pastor back in Paris, and one is a pastor who once stayed at our appartement in Courbevoie. Both of them are people we had great respect, and we're trully blessed knowing them.

We ate donuts, drank coffee and throwed jokes, until one of them shared a topic about marriage. This pastor shared how he and his wife have so much differences which made them quarrelled a lot. The other pastor also admitted that he and his wife often ended up in strong dispute which hurt both of them deeply.

Then finnaly they asked us,"How about you guys, do you quarrel a lot too?"

There was a long long pause. Me and hub, we're silenced. Didn't know what to say.

Of course we quarreled about many things. But they were too minor to describe our marriage. Among all that we're facing rite now, our marriage is the one area that we feel so abundantly blessed by God.

Of course we had differences, we had strong discussions, sometimes i break down and cry. But there's always reconciliation, and the hurt was never there to stayed.

The word marriage for us associates strongly to the words happy, laughter, peace, content, passion, friendship, trust and respect. Quarrel and dispute just not one of them.

Well, after the long pause, i answered, "We did quarrel but not many, and never lasted longer than a day".

Both the pastor looked at us in disbelief.

I don't care. It is unbelieveably true for both of us. None of us worked hard for our relationship. Even since the beginning, everything went naturally beautiful and effortlessly peaceful. We just there to receive God's abundant grace in our marriage.

Why our marriage works?
The answer is not on both of us.

It's simply by His Grace.

It's Been A Year

2009-09-14T07:18:00.003+02:00

We were in Bologna.
Not for holiday.
My brother was lying down, in pain, after his brain surgery.
While us, we just lost our baby a month ago.

I remember exactly what i felt at that moment.
Confused.
Scared.
In Pain.

Trying to make sense of things. Analyzing my past, searching for an unconfessed sin or sins. Trying to understand the God i knew. Trying to make sense His Love.

I failed. I failed to see that He is a loving God. What i knew then was that He is punishing me for something. That what's hurt most. Everything i learnt for half of my age destroyed. I was loosing my faith. And along with it i was loosing my reason to live.

But how many of us know that God is a God who is a present help? He acted right away. One sunday morning, God lead us to turn on TV -something we rarely do - and there was this preacher named Joseph Prince who talk about God's Grace. Who is this funny-looking-haircut-guy with a singlish accent? And what was he talking about? Did he really believe that God is loving us?

I was almost laughing at him. What about God's grace? I've been following Christ for 15 years and look where i am right now. But once Prince explained the message from the scriptures Rome 8:1 "There is now no condemnation for whoever in Christ" my heart leaped.

There is NOW no condemnation for me, because i'm in Christ.

God didn't want me to think wrong of Him. God wouldn't let me think that He is still punishing me. The punishments for all my sins has already been taken care 2000 years ago in the cross of Jesus Christ. What's left for me is His love and favour.

Thank God for His Grace. Thank God for grace preachers who speaks about God's radical grace.
I was a long-time-christian, but was never felt this free before.

Right after we came back to Paris up till now in Jakarta, I still continue listening to ps Prince's sermons. It's not about the preacher, but it's about the message he brings. All his messages point directly to Jesus and the cross. I've heard many good messages from various preacher before, but rarely i had the urge to listen their preaching twice or more. But i could listen and listen to Prince's message over and over again. The difference is because everytime i heard his message, i heard about Jesus. And it refreshes my soul and renew my mind.

Thankyou Father God, for Your present help a year ago.

Labour into Rest

2009-09-11T15:55:00.003+02:00

It's when my period came and i felt peace. Peace with myself, peace with Him.
It's when i knew this month's treatment was not working, and i said, "tis okay, never mind".

When i have Jesus, i have everything.

Wise Women

2009-08-23T14:58:00.002+02:00

I attended a camp called "Wise Women Camp" last week. Since husband had already attended Men's Camp twice, i guessed its time for me to join the women's version.

There were more or less 70 women there, which i thought was a spectacular number. Well, in my church back in Paris, to gather people more than 20 in one occasion was so hard.

The sessions begins with the speaker told us about the uniqeness of woman, their values and their function in family and society. After that we learned about how our parents treated us, especially mother affects our emotion and behaviour right now. The next session is about sins most women do, continued with the session about respecting our husband as the head and the leader in the family. The camp was closed by a session about family.

I've been blessed a lot, surely from the topics, but mostly from my counsellor. She's very soft, patience, and prayed with the most sincere heart for us. Btw, she's also a well known Chiropractic doctor.

During testimonies session, many of my friends came in front and shared how they've been blessed by the sessions. What strucked me most was that the fact that many of them had had terrible childhood and abusive mothers. Couple of them also shared how their husbands left them for another woman.

My heart ached when i heard their testimonies. Right until the moment before i joined the camp, i always thought that my problem was the biggest among all women there. After hearing from people i realized all my treasures in life, given by the Lord. My loving parents, they're perfect. My husband, he's the greatest.

I've never been abused, physically nor verbally by anyone close.
I enjoyed a happy-care-free childhood.
I know not what it's like to have bondage in pornography, drugs or anything dangerous.

I repented right away. I said, "Lord, i'd never judged You from my problems. I know for sure, You've always given me the best in life. You've always taken care of me. Thankyou Jesus."

Good News

2009-07-20T08:16:00.006+02:00

My bestest friend is pregnant! Yaaayy...

We've been going through the same struggle to conceive a child and now is her time. Praise the Lord for He is true to His word. Me and hubb, we are so happy for them.

After receiving the good news, honestly, i felt a little bit left behind. I felt that now i'm struggling alone, soon she will become "one of them". It's a scary thought.

But my husband's encouraging me, reminding me of what the Lord has promised us.

We will have children, not because we always do good for God. Not because we love children so much, nor because we prayed hard enough. We will have children because they are inheritage from God, because it's one of His promises for all Abraham descendents. Because Christ is "Yes" for all the promises of God.

Amen.

God's Love

2009-07-02T12:41:00.001+02:00

"Don't judge God's love from your circumstances, judge God's love through calvary". (Joseph Prince)

Sabar

2009-05-29T12:11:00.003+02:00

Lagi berpikir tentang kesabaran. Di perjanjian baru, Abraham dipuji karena kesabarannya menanti janji Tuhan. Dia harus menunggu 25 tahun sampai janji itu terlaksana. Mana umur sudah mepeth, alias dah tuir... masih harus nunggu pulak sampai 25 tahun.

Kenapa Abraham bisa sabar?

Setiap ada kothbah atau tulisan yang mengajak orang Kristen untuk sabar... sabar... sabar... gue selalu bingung. Gimana ya bisa sabar? Sabar itu susah.... susah banget. Apapun yang namanya menunggu itu susah.

Tapi kemarin gue mendengar kothbah seorang pendeta, dan dia bilang ketika kita menunggu janji itu datang, fokuslah ke si Pemberi janji. To the giver, not the gift. To the healer not the healing. To the Restorer, not the retoration. Hadiah, kesembuhan, pemulihan pasti datang. Tapi mari mengarahkan fokus kita pada Bapa di sorga. Carilah dulu kerajaan sorga dan kebenarannya, maka semua itu akan ditambahkan kepadamu.

Mungkin itu yang bikin Abraham sabar.

Kabar Itu

2009-05-27T12:07:00.002+02:00

Dulu, denger orang lain hamil gue bisa stress berat. Langsung pusing sendiri, mikir "Why her, why not me?". Kenapa begitu mudah buat orang lain. Hari ini gue mendapatkan kabar itu lagi dari salah satu teman paling dekat. Dia mengabarkan berita itu pertama kali untuk gue, karena tidak ingin gue sakit hati. Tahu bagaimana perasaan gue dulu setiap dengar kabar seperti ini, dia bilang, "Take your time to heal".

Tapi ternyata gue gak butuh waktu itu. Karena membaca email dari dia, gue sama sekali gak kaget, gak pusing dan gak kesel. Kini semua berbeda.

Gue tau anak adalah berkat yang luarbiasa. Tapi tetap bukan berkat yang UTAMA.
Gue tetap mempercayai Tuhan untuk memberikan gue anak-anak. Tapi gue gak punya alasan untuk cemburu pada orang lain yang mendapatkan anak lebih dulu.

Karena berkat yang UTAMA itu sudah menjadi milik gue.

An Angry God

2009-04-03T04:49:00.002+02:00

Does God still angry with us?

I've heard many-many services that the priest said to the congregation;

"Be loyal to God"

"If we're not bringing soul to God, He will not use you anymore as His servants"

"Bear fruit or else... God will curse you like He cursed the fig tree"

Week after weeks, year after years hearing that kind of sermon i realized that my opinion to God was that He is still angry with me. Whatever i've done seem never enough to satisfy Him.

Let's search what Paul said about this in Romans 5:1.

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

The truth is that God is not angry with us anymore!
Whatever bad things we did, it can not remove the fact that He alrade made peace with us through Christ Jesus.

Winning souls, bearing fruits, serving Him, doing good, we do those things as the Spirit of God works in us that we are now able to express our love as He first loves us. Not to avoid His anger and judgement.

God is not angry with us anymore!

Do You Believe in Miracles?

2009-03-31T17:26:00.003+02:00

I remember sometime, a couple of years ago, me and a friend was discussing a world's well known priest-healer who came to Indonesia. I said to my friend;

"Those people who expect to be healed miracleously are just lazy Christians. The bible is enough to tell them about Christ, why should they expect to see miracles to believe Him?"

Those words came out because i've been taught from my previous spiritual leaders that "the days of miracles are over when the last apostle died." I believe that sentence and hold on it without ever checking whether the scripture did prophesy about it or not.

Times went by. Between that time to this moment, i experienced so many things and situations so hard in my life that i was helpless and broken. My brother got sick, then I lost my baby. I cried, i prayed, i almost lost my faith. I couldn't really asked for a miracle because i remember, "It is not those days anymore".

At the bottom of my hopelesness, i bounced back. I decided to believe what the scripture says about my Jesus, despite what my leaders once told me. I opened the gospel and new testaments to searched for Him, and I found out that He is my Saviour -that i knew-, and He also my Healer. He healed people when He was in this world, and He still heals people now, because Jesus never changed. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. He is the Man that turned water into wine, and He is still doing miracles even right now.

If i believe every single word in the Bible then i should let miracles happen in my real life right now. Not just for healing, but for every areas in my life Jesus should reigns. When Jesus reigns there, miracles happens. That's what the gospel told me. That's why gospel means good news.

Halelujah for good news!

Right now if anyone asks me, "Do you believe in miracles?"
I'd say,"YES i do"

New Strenght

2009-03-01T17:48:00.002+01:00

Isaiah 40:31 (New Living Translation)

31 But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint.

I did find new strength during these hard times. I know He is the One who gives it to me. Thankyou Lord.

D-8

2009-02-08T22:35:00.000+01:00

Do i give up hope?

NO, the battle is still on...

There's nothing impossible for my God.

Desperate

2009-01-27T21:19:00.003+01:00

Have you ever felt so desperate in searching for the answers.
That you've prayed, but God seems nowhere to be found?
At the point you looked at the internet, the google website, and typed your question there?
Wishing God would answer you with some kind of google's list?

I did.

LOL.

Five

2009-01-24T21:09:00.006+01:00

Five years of ultimate joy and happines.

Five years of sharing my life with the smartest, funniest, most perceptive, and wisest person.

Five years of laughing out loud.

Five years of understanding His Grace in our lives.

Five years of finnaly seeing His Truth.

Five years of living each and every day enjoying His presence among us.

Five blessed years.

Thankyou and Praise be to You our Lord and Saviour.

The Battle

2009-01-23T16:48:00.003+01:00

Matthew 21:22
If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."

Mark 11:24
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours"

It's the battle that we're in right now.
I don't know why but my heart keeps urging me to pray for THIS one.

FORGIVEN

2009-01-21T00:56:00.004+01:00

This week has been a tough one. I received many hurtful statements from friends eventhough maybe they didn't really mean it.

Usually, my reaction when somebody hurt my feelings is angry. And then i realized that as a Christian i shouldn't be angry, i should've forgiven them. But most of the time i couldn't. It's not easy to forgive when you're angry. Knowing that i should, but i couldn't, brings a feeling of condemnation in my heart. I'm afraid God's angry of me failing to forgive. Then i'd be more upset, and angrier, because i think those people made me sin, thus made God angry at me.

Today i practice a new thing. Whenever i remember their hurtful statements or whatever, i said to myself, "I am forgiven". I keep saying that to myself over and over again. I don't bother whether i should or couldn't forgive them, i just wanted to remind myself that in Christ, i am indeed forgiven.

Whenever the devil tried to trick me with his lies, such as "They said that to hurt your feeling, and bla bla ..." I screamed in my heart, "I AM FORGIVEN". The devil can not use his utmost condemnation to me, "God is upset with you rigth now". The blood of Jesus destroyed every weapons the devil has. He couldn't attack my relationship with God. In Christ i'm at peace with Father God.

Because I am Forgiven.

Each time i repeat the sentence to myself, the anger melts.

I am forgiven.

Usually, everytime i feel this way i would refuse to pray and went to bed right away without praying. Afraid of God's judgement.

Right now, i rushed into Him and read His word. I pour down everything i felt inside through prayers. Without guilt. Without hesitation.

I am forgiven.

Psalms 91

2009-01-04T20:53:00.003+01:00

There were moments when i read psalms and all the verses about how beautiful the promises of the Lord for His people, i didn't feel that those verses are written for me. I was so captured by the teachings about how to interpret the bible within context, the writer's background, the history of israel etc that i forget to identified myself into those verses. I thought, well, these were written by David, it's for him at particular condition and time, not for me. He's a King, a beloved man of God. Who am i to deserve all those promises?

But now i read psalms 91, and i believe, these are the promises that go for me too.

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."

3 Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence.

4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,

6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.

8 You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.

9 If you make the Most High your dwelling-- even the Lord, who is my refuge--

10 then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;

12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

14 "Because he loves me," says the Lord, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.

16 With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation."

Not because of my own righteousness nor my might, but because of Jesus who qualifies me to receive all the promises of God for His people.

For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God. (2 Corinthians 1:20)

It's a new way of experiencing Psalms when i put my Jesus in front of me while i read.

Perjanjian Baru

2009-01-03T22:27:00.000+01:00

Bagian FT yang sering kelewat, ngerenungin makna "barunya" dan "bedanya" perjanjian Baru (new covenant) yang Tuhan buat dibandingkan dengan perjanjian lama sebelumnya.

Ibrani 10:15-18
Dan tentang hal itu Roh Kudus juga memberi kesaksian kepada kita, sebab setelah Ia berfirman: "Inilah perjanjian yang akan Kuadakan dengan mereka sesudah waktu itu,"
Ia berfirman pula: "Aku akan menaruh hukum-Ku di dalam hati mereka dan menuliskannya dalam akal budi mereka, dan Aku tidak lagi mengingat dosa-dosa dan kesalahan mereka."
Jadi apabila untuk semuanya itu ada pengampunan, tidak perlu lagi dipersembahkan korban karena dosa.

Ayat ini mengandung kutipan dari perjanjian lama dalam Yeremia 31:29

Pada waktu itu orang tidak akan berkata lagi:
Ayah-ayah makan buat mentah, dan gigi anak-anaknya menjadi ngilu, melainkan: Setiap orang akan mati karena kesalahannya sendiri; setiap manuisa yang makan buat mentah, giginya sendiri menjadi ngilu.
Sesungguhnya akan adatang waktunya, demikianlah firman Tuhan, Aku akan mengadakan perjanjian baru dengan kaum Israel dan kaum Yehuda, bukan seperti perjanjian yang telah Kuadakan dengan nenek moyang mereka pada waktu Aku memegang tangan mereka untuk membawa mereka keluar dari tanah Mesir; perjanjian-Ku itu telah mereka ingkari meskipun Aku menjadi tuan yang berkuasa atas mereka, demikianlah firman TUHAN. Tetapi beginilah perjanjian yang Kuadakan dengan kaum Israel sesudah waktu itu, demikianlah firman TUHAN: Aku akan menaruh Taurat-Ku dalam batin mereka dan menuliskannya dalam hati mereka; maka Aku akan menjadi Allah mereka dan mereka akan menjadi umat-Ku. Dan tidak usah lagi orang mengajar sesamanya atau mengajar saudaranya dengan mengatakan: Kenalah TUHAN! Sebab mereka semua, besar kecil, akan mengenal Aku, demikianlah firman TUHAN, sebab Aku akan mengampuni kesalahan mereka dan tidak lagi mengingat dosa mereka."

Dalam perjanjian baru yang Tuhan adakan (dan initiate) dengan manusia, Dia berjanji gak akan menuntut balas dosa ayah ke anaknya (batalnya kutuk generasi), Tuhan akan mengampuni bahkan tidak akan mengingat dosa-dosa manusia (pengampunan terhadap dosa-dosa kita yang dulu, sekarang, ke depan), dan akan memulihkan kondisi hati nurani kita sehingga sesuai dengan hukum-hukum Tuhan. Semua itu diperoleh lewat pengorbanan Kristus di kayu salib, yang menjadi kutuk dan dosa sebagai ganti kita.

Akhirnya, damai sejahtera dengan Tuhan kita peroleh melalui Kristus dengan adanya perjanjian baru ini.

The Year of the Lord's Favor

2009-01-02T23:02:00.000+01:00

Luke 4:14-19

14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. 15 He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. 16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. 17 The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: 18 "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

I found John Gill's Exposition in http://www.studytoolsbible.com/ is very encouraging.

To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
The time which he willed and fixed for the redemption of his people, and in which he showed his goodwill and pleasure unto sinful men, in the gift of his Son to them, and for them; and which, as the Arabic and Syriac versions render it, was a time "acceptable to the Lord": the sufferings of Christ were according to his will; his sacrifice was of a sweet smelling savour to him; his righteousness he was well pleased with; and the satisfaction and atonement for sin he made was a plenary and complete one: all Christ did, and suffered, were grateful to God, because hereby his perfections were glorified, his purposes, counsel, and covenant were accomplished, and his people saved. The Persic version renders it, "to preach the law acceptable to God", neither agreeable to the original text, nor its sense; for Christ was sent to preach the Gospel, and not the law.

The Knowing of Him

2009-01-01T18:42:00.001+01:00

When i first met Jesus in my teenage, i was like a burning fire. I was thirsty with the Word, i was eagerly serving Him, i was letting go all fears and burdens. I was like a prisoner given a pass to freedom. A sinner saved by Grace. Redeemed and loved by the Almighty Himselves.

But i also remember that i still sensed a burden of displeasing the Lord each time i did something wrong. Many times i woke up after midnight, rushed to open my bible to read yesterday's passage because i was afraid that i will be punished of not reading the bible routinely. I still believe that the salvation is forever mine through Jesus's blood, but He would still punish me for each of my wrongdoings.

Years after that, i found myself still serving Him, still enjoying the relationship with the Creator, and within myself, but inside me, i developed a sense of pride. Like what Paul's said in Phil 3:5

4 though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.

My version would be: I received Jesus since very young, i never touched dirty stuffs, i was a virgin when i married, i brought people to Jesus since Highschool, i served the Lord throughout my college years. I arranged many revivals, i became a leader in my faculty, i knew this i knew that... and blablablah... I was proud for what i consider my righteousness. My obidience. My works. My faultless past and youth.

I never regretted those years of my life, it was definitely good times. But the thing is, i stole much of the glory that belongs to Jesus as my own glory and achievement. The focus was on "me doing right things for the Lord" instead of focusing on "what Jesus done for me" brought me into a new state of my life. At the time when our prayer for a child has not been answered, i felt bitter. I was mad. I was confused.

I tought i did all what's right. I don't know what held those blessings from my life? I keep repeating the question, "Why God? Why after all these times i served You?. Didn't You remember that?".

I began to think that i had a sin or did something so bad that must be punished by God. I still believed strongly that i'm saved, but the punishment for my sin is still on. Especially when i get intouch to the teachings about curse, deliverance, generational curse etc. My fear went to the rooftop. Is it because of my sins? Or my parent's sins? Or my grand grand grand parent's? But if there were such things, why couldn't God protect me from all that? Is He the one who has all the power? I found myself more aware of sins and devil's power than Christ's finished work at the cross.

Then i miscarriaged our baby, the days after the event, i went living my life as a convicted person. He's gotta be punishing me for something or else i wouldn't be going through this thing. How could it be? A person who know Jesus, serves Him throughout her life feels like living in a constant torment of punishment from God?

How foolish i was!!!

After all these times studying bible, serving Him and knowing Him, i was failed to understand the basic Truth.

Christ has been my redeemer, and i'm saved forever. Christ has bore ALL my sins on the cross so that i'm free from every punishment of my sin. My past and future sins are FORGIVEN forever by His death on the cross, and His ressurection bring my everlasting RIGTEOUSNESS in front of our Heavenly Father. It's not by what i've done, it's what His Done.

So what was that about me did something wrong and God would punish me? If i claim that as a truth, that i'd say the blood of Christ was NOT ENOUGH to redeemed me. I knew Jesus is the beloved Son of God, and His death on the cross was so highly praised by God. And the reason that He gave His only Son is because He so loved me (John 3:16).

The cross of Jesus brings no condemnation for me (Romans 6:1). Whatever i did wrong, all has been paid, even overpaid by Christ on the cross. Since i've been redeemed, forgiven, justified by my faith through Christ Jesus that means i have peace with God. Like Paul said;

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1)

It has nothing to do with what i done. It's about what Christ has done.

And like Paul said next in Philipians 3:8;

8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ

Everything i had done are rubbish compare to the knowing of my Lord Jesus.

I'm saved, forgiven, deeply favored and blessed by God because of what Jesus did in the cross qualified me. The moment i realize the truth about His Grace, all the bitterness i felt disappeared.

Now i understand why Paul's prayer for the church of Ephesians was for them to know more of Jesus's love for them.

16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:16:19)

I never regretted what i've done to the Lord in my past years. I regretted every wrong motives i had back then. I'm sure there were many times i obey Him because I love Him, but i admit that many times i was driven by the fear of punishments, the yearning to be acknowledged by others, the feeling of self righteousnes

Those motives are all behind me now.

My one and only yearning right now is to know His love for me, for i'm sure that His love would drive me to love Him and love others more. To hate sin and avoid bad things easier.

New Year 2009

2008-12-31T15:04:00.000+01:00

I begin today, 31 Dec 2008 with a very mellow and sad feeling. Another year has passed without the answer of our prayer. Looking back, 2008 filled with many sadness.

She'd be born two weeks from now.

There's a family of friend staying at our house. They have a beautiful and smart little daughter. My heart aches everytime she makes me laugh.

O God, now i knew too sure that You're not the one to blame.
I don't know what and who to blame.
It's not You, it's not me, it's not even Adam the first man.

The best thing that i could do right now, despite all the hurts and the sadness, is still hoping to You.

Hoping that the same time next year, we will hold our own children.

For You are the source to our every hope.

The Promise That Came Through Faith

2008-12-13T09:04:00.000+01:00

We were having Galatians 3 for our Daily Bread, which talk about how the believers now are living by faith and not by working of the Law. The passage also connecting on how the believers-by faith are also the heirs and be called Abraham's seed, therefore also eligible for the blessings God gave to Abraham;

9) So then, those who are people of faith are blessed and made happy and favored by God [as partners in fellowship] with the believing and trusting Abraham. (Galatians 3:9, English Amplified Bible)

Isn't it amazing. A God of the universe, decides to favor us, to blessed us, and our happines is important for Him.

I remember the time when i lost my cell-phone on the nigth train to Berlin. It was really my mistake, i was too sleepy when the cell phone fell to the bed under my bed so i decided to search it after we all woke up. Never had i in mind that the man who slept under my bed was so interested to my simple cell. Well, to cut story short, the man got out before dawn and took that thing. At that time i was just being reveiled of how bad things never came from God, that bad things came because of evil works and because the world is indeed a fallen world.

For the first time in my life, i didn't blame God of what's happening. I kindda shocked of the man's behaviour, but then i pitied him. He lost his sleeping hour, which he paid a lot of money by buying a sleeper bed only to get a uncomplete cell-phone without battery charge and all.

I prayed; "God, i know You didn't intend this to happen to me. But if You allowed this thing happen i believe Your hand keep protecting me and Irwan, and i believe whatever anybody took from us You'll restore that thing back. For i know that everything i have right now is from You."

Then the thought of having to buy another cell phone made my mind went a bit weary. I thought of how could God gave us extra money to buy a cell phone, my husband is an employee not a business man. His salary is fixed. Sometimes i'm just so cheap, ;p

Couplla of days later we went home in Paris, a friend gave us TWO cell phones of which i could pick one. Means, i don't have to buy another cell. Praise God for good friends! And... at the end of the month, out of our expectation we received a cheque with some amount of money. The amount is exactly enough to buy two brand new cell phones.

I repented, and said "God, You're always true to what You've said. You are indeed taking care of us and restore our situation. Praise be to You!"

The Quest

2008-12-10T20:13:00.000+01:00

Once a dear friend, who also struggle to have a child asked me. How do we know that God wants us to have children?

I went looking in the Bible and find these verses (thankyou Lord for the internet and biblestudytools.com!). I use the keyword "fruitful", and guess what i found? There are so many words from God contain the word "fruitful".

This is the word Lord gave to Adam and Eve before they fall into sin;

28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." (Gen 1:28)

A note to considere here, God comand the living creatures and birds on earth to be fruitfull and increase in number also (Gen 1:22). The different was for men, God command them to rule over the fish and every living creatures.

After the fall, the world became so wicked that God sent flood and only saved Noah and his family. Still, God command Noah and his family this:

Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. (Gen 9:1)

We can see that God's word for men to multiply remains the same, before and after the fall.

I then found the famous covenant God made with Abraham;

4 "As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. 5 No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. 6 I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. (Gen 17:6)

Even for Ishmael, Abraham's son from his concubine, God said:

And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation.(Gen 17:20)

For Jacob, his son, Isaac give him blessings and said:

3 May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and increase your numbers until you become a community of peoples. (Gen 28:3)

Which then God confirmed to Jacob by blessing him with the same thing:

11 And God said to him, "I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will come from your body.(Gen 35:11)

Jacob then repeat God's blessing for him to Joseph to reminded him of God's promises for their descendants in Gen 48:4. After that the bible told us that the descendants of Joseph in Egypt indeed fruitful and increasingt:

Now the Israelites settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen. They acquired property there and were fruitful and increased greatly in number. (Gen 47:27)

At the end of his life, Jacob told Joseph of the blessings that God had promised them :

because of your father's God, who helps you, because of the Almighty, who blesses you with blessings of the heavens above, blessings of the deep that lies below, blessings of the breast and womb (gen 49:25)

God had definitely fulfil His promise to Jacob. Even to the point that made the Egyptian worried.

But the Israelites were fruitful and multiplied greatly and became exceedingly numerous, so that the land was filled with them. (Ex 1:7)

After the exodus from Egypt, God sent down the 10 comandments to the Israelites through Moses and He promised that if the Israelites follow His decrees and are careful to obey His commands, He promised them prosperity (Lev 26:4-5), security (verse 6-8), children (Lev 26:9, Deut 7:14, Deut 28:4) and a good relationship with Him (verse 11-13).

9 "'I will look on you with favor and make you fruitful and increase your numbers, and I will keep my covenant with you. (Leviticus 26:9)

14 You will be blessed more than any other people; none of your men or women will be childless, nor any of your livestock without young.

4 The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock--the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. (Deut 28:4)

In Psalm 105:24, David said that it is God who makes His people grew in number.

24 The Lord made his people very fruitful; he made them too numerous for their foes. (Psalm 105:24)

Salomo, then said that everyone who fears the Lord will blessed and fruitful.

3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your sons will be like olive shoots around your table. (Psalm 128:3)

Through the prophet Jeremiah, along with the promise of the Branch of David, the King of Righteousness that will come, the Lord also promise this to the Israelites:

3 "I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number. (Jeremiah 23:3)

To the Israelites on their land of captivity in Babylon, the Lord have mercy on them and promised to bring them back to their promised land, and bless them with children and prosperity.

11 I will increase the number of men and animals upon you, and they will be fruitful and become numerous. I will settle people on you as in the past and will make you prosper more than before. Then you will know that I am the Lord.(Ezekiel 36:11).

And before the new covenant begins, in the book of Maleachi there's an interesting verse that stated what is God intention from the unity of a man and a woman.

Has not the Lord made them one? In flesh and spirit they are his. And why one? Because he was seeking godly offspring. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth. (Mal 2:15)

Oh la la... it is because God seeks godly offspring from them!

After i studied those verses, i'm convinced that God always included children, the fruit of the womb as one of His important blessings for His people. But wait a minute.... my mind wondered, those were the promises for the Israelites, the sons of Abraham, Jacob and Isaac. Were those promises also belongs to us?

Et voila... i've lost count of how many verses in new Testament trying to convinced us that we the believers of Christ are also the descendants of Abraham by faith.

And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them (Romans 4:12)

7 Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. (Galatians 3:7)

14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. (Galatians 3:14)

28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:29)

And, since we are Abraham's seed through Jesus, are the promises of God belong to us? The answer come from this verse;

20 For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God. (2 Corinthians 1:20)

Amen.

How To Earn Grace

2008-12-09T14:06:00.000+01:00

It's december and christmas is coming!

I remember back then when i was in highschool, december would be the busiest time of the year. I'd spent so many hours doing rehearsal for Christmas party, having meetings to arrange things, not to mention attending many invitations from other schools and institutions. When other teenagers were spending their saturday nights dating with their girlfriend/boyfriend, i'd spent it having meetings and worship gatherings. At that time, i too wanted to date like normal girl, but i always wanted a relationship that last until marriage, and since it's only gonna happen years ahead, i took my time and focused on my service. Although i can't really tell was that the real reason i wasn't dating or just my defense mechanism. HAH!

And then in my university years, still serving Him. I spent my times arranging many revivals, being a leader of bible study, studying, analyzing bible with bible scholars until my mind was filled with many doctrines, interpretations, exegeises. I felt full of the knowledge of Him, at the point that i could sense a wrong teaching being preached, and judge the preacher!!! Nevertheless, I was enjoying my time, and i sense His blessing all over my life.

I thought i was doing well, rather succesfully -if you know what i mean- all the requirements that the Bible told me to do for being a good Christian. And then the time come when i realize that God has not given me the one blessing that me and my husband wanted so much. I keep wondering why and why. I looked at some people around me, and having known them for quite long, i realized that they're not as succesful as i am in pleasing God with their past (-as in i thought i was-). But why in the world that they have the blessing that i want so easy? So effortlessly?

I compare my life with them, how i never did this sin nor did that sin, it is supposed to be me who get those blessings. It supposed to be me, me and ME. Once, i said to God that i was sorry i served Him. I wished i spent my teenagers doing bad things, having pre-marital sex before marriage, taking drugs and all, because it seems that He didn't care of what good i have done in my life.

Until the lowest point of my life came, and i thought i'd gone mad. I was mad why He allowed this thing to happen for people like me. I mean, yeah, me... the faithful child?. Then i thought was i that faithful? Weren't there many times i failed, weren't there were many times i avoid serving Him? What about that particular time when i was deliberately hurting someone's feeling? The thought of my wrong doings came like a river into my head until i felt so tired, i told God, "I've failed. I've nothing to boast about. You're right, i don't deserve any good things in life".

At that time i felt that He was so far away. Someone so unreachable, unable to be understood. When i heard a preacher said that we are the beloved children of God, my heart laugh cynically. Who are those lucky ones, i thought. And the preacher speak of the verse in romans 8:1 Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. This verse spoke in my heart and mind like a martyl being slapped into a brickwall. I know i am in Christ, then there is no condemnation for me.

Then why should i think endlessly about my wrongdoings? Or even worst, why should i condemned people for their wrong doings? He has been punished for my sins and their sins, it is by His grace we are free from all condemnations.

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:4-5, NIV)

I always thought that i'm better from many people, because i've do righteous things. But i realized that even if i did many wrongdoings, those sins are also has been paid by Jesus blood. It's by grace i'm saved, not by my works.

That brings me to conclusion; me who (i thought) has a past with flying colors, and people (who i thought) passed theirs with many red marks, we all have the same position before God. Whether we did less or we did more, it's all been paid up in the cross. So now, if everyone in Christ receive the same righteousness through faith (Romans 3:22) how could i make judgement which of us merit this blessings or that blessings? I forgot that the reason why i am able to avoid doing sins is also because of His unmerited providence. Without His power, i'd fall here and there.

Now i know exactly how the pharisees felt when they saw Jesus bless and heals all the sinners, prostitutes, tax collector and all. Those pharisess were jealous and bitter. I was like one of those pharisees, i too jealous and bitter when i saw "undeserved" people being blessed. I count so much on my own efforts, that i become self-righteous. I forget what grace really means. It's simply an undeserved and unmerited favor from God.

If i want more of His grace in my life, i should be an undeservee. Knowing that i deserved nothing, but only through Jesus, i could depend faithfully on His mercy and kindness.

The Most Effective Way

2008-12-08T11:11:00.000+01:00

At the church last week our preacher spoke about loyalty to God. And as usual, me and my husband discussed the topic at lunch. We had a little bit disagreement on how we put emphasis on the word "discipline". I was a bit harshed at him, maybe because i hate that word. For years i've discipled myself (i thought) and yet i never felt succeed. Looking back to those years, i was in an "in-and-out" relationship with God because of my failure of keeping the discipline.

For me, the discipline to keep our loyalty to God is not an answer. The answer is always Jesus. Sounds cliche?

Let's make an example, someone was sleeping late and was watching TV. And if by a chance, she/he lives in a country like French, even before midnight there are many channels with x-rated category movie everywhere she/he turns. I believe as a Christian, watching such things would make us fall into the sin of adultery. Not only that it will bring a desease called pornography addiction, it will effect her/his relationship with her/his spouse. Agree?

The question is, what makes her/him change the channel and refuses to continue watching? Is it by:

a. reminding her/him that it is a sin to watched those movies.
b. reminding her/him that whatever she/he do next, even if she/he watch the movie and enjoy it, this particular sin has already redeemed by Christ.

For me, the realization of "b" never fails to bring shivers in my hearth and tears in my eyes.

I couldn't do it, not because i knew i'd commited a sin, but because i knew that even if i failed and do the thing, it is already forgiven by God through the work of Jesus in calvary. And when i'm thinking about the love of Jesus for me, oh man... it is the easiest thing to turn off the TV (i mean, if i were that guy -lol-).

It's the easiest thing to listen to someone tells story about herself for hours, it's the easiest thing to comfort somebody and not thinking about our own problem, it's the easiest thing to do whatever i had to do in church or everywhere.

Why is it that easy? Just by knowing that even if i failed, even if i didn't do the thing, there's no condemnation for me. Jesus has already accomplished any punishements for me. And in the eye of our Heavenly Father, i'm always righteous.

For me, i believe it is not discipline who brings people to avoid sin, it's the "knowing" of the Truth. And the Truth will set us free.

New Blog

2008-12-07T23:42:00.000+01:00

I decided to make a new blog beside my two other previous blogs. In here i'd write more of the continuos journey of me redefining my faith and my knowledge of Jesus, the Saviour of my life.

I accepted Him as my Saviour when i was in highschool. I fell in love with Him and serve Him since. All through my highschool years, and then my university years, it is my joy to give my time, my best effort and my love for Him. Yet i always felt i'm a failure who never do good enough. I search more of Him through many books, doctrines, teachings and philosophies, but those knowledge only made me accused and judged people more. Inside, i'm still burdened by the toughts of not being "good enough".

At my thirthy years of age, i almost loose my faith when i miscarriage our first baby. But when we walked in that "valley of death", of bitterness and sadness of loosing our baby, He decided to open our eyes radically to the truth about His grace. A deeper meaning of what Jesus did in calvary for us. He opens our eyes of who He really is. Of the lenght, the width, the heigth and the deep Jesus's love for us. Isn't if strange, that we realized how much He loves us throught the most painful event of our lives?

It is not about how good i am before Him. I know, that throught Christ i am always "that good". The challenge right now is not about my performance, it's about believing.

I do believe in you my Lord.
You are my Saviour.

You are the God of restoration, and i know, our restoration has already begun!.