See Your Life From The Perspective of Death

As I read the Bible this morning, I felt that God really spoke to me. He rebuked me for wasting a lot of time and energy for a lot of things that meaningless. He wants me to see my life from the perspective of death so that I might be more responsible to Him.

So I read the book of Ecclesiastes this morning. As I read chapter 7 verse 2-4, I felt that God really wanted me to reflect on my life and think how could I be responsible to Him.

² It is better to go to a house of mourning
   than to go to a house of feasting,
for death is the destiny of everyone;
   the living should take this to heart.
³ Frustration is better than laughter,
   because a sad face is good for the heart.
⁴ The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,
   but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.

Respectable Sins: Confronting The Sins We Tolerate

Sebenarnya aku berniat tidur lebih cepat semalam, tapi karena sorenya sudah tidur sekitar 2 jam-an, malamnya jadi susah tidur. Jadi aku coba cari buku yang ada di atas lemari dekat tempat tidur dan mendapati sebuah buku baru yang belum dibaca. Judul aslinya Respectable Sins: Confronting The Sins We Tolerate karangan Jerry Bridges. Aku punya versi terjemahannya, dengan gambar sampul kayak di bawah ini. Cari aja di Gramedia harusnya ada kok... Terbitan Pionir Jaya. Kalau tidak salah harganya sekitar Rp 35000,-. Sangat terjangkau, bahkan murah.

When Your Pastors Fall

Masih ingat tahun lalu Ps. Kong Hee (City Harvest Church, Singapore) ditangkap karena tuduhan korupsi uang gereja? Baru-baru ini heboh lagi kasus serupa di Surabaya. Sebenarnya desas-desusnya sudah lama terdengar, bahkan sejak aku masih SMA. Pdt. Abraham Alex Tanuseputra, gembala Gereja Bethany, Surabaya, dilaporkan menggelapkan dana sebesar 4,7 triliun. Tentu saja ini berita yang menyakitkan dan merupakan pukulan berat bagi jemaat dan orang-orang Kristen lainnya. Inilah yang disebut-sebut sebagai "co Ye Su" (bisnis Yesus) dalam gereja-gereja berbasis mandarin.

Menurutku hal yang paling menyedihkan ketika membaca berita-berita tersebut adalah reaksi dan komentar orang-orang percaya yang menyudutkan dan menghakimi. Terutama komentar-komentar pedas dari orang-orang Kristen yang berasal dari denominasi gereja yang berbeda dengan gereja-gereja tersebut di atas. Seakan-akan orang-orang ini mau berkata, "Lihat tuh.... Denominasi ini nih selalu gak bener... Kerjaan pendeta-nya korupsi melulu.... Gak heran kalo Pak Alex (sapaan untuk Pdt Abraham Alex Tanuseputra), ngundang Kong Hee ke gerejanya, lah mereka sama aja... Blablablabla..."

Should I Text Him?

I found this flowchart when Ps. Seth tweeted it. It can be helpful for young and single ladies like me, who "galau" sometimes. Instead of text "him", why don't text Jesus, the only one who died for us because of His great love? No man ever showed me such a great love!

Well, this flowchart is not made based on the Bible, but someone's experience. So just enjoy it and be patient as you wait for your prince in shining armor. Enjoy your single-life as God-given's grace!
 

Should I Text Him? Flowchart infographic by beccaclason. 

Observing the Lenten Season

Last Sunday I took an article titled "Observing the Lenten Season" from church. That's article really helps me to know what lenten is about, what is the history of it, why should we observe it. I want to share it here. Hope it'll help you too.

When God Exposing Myself

Today is the forth-day of lent and it's going hard for me. It is hard to keep my eyes focus on Jesus. It is getting harder to wake up at 5 AM in the morning to have time alone with God. A lot of things distracting my mind and heart. Now I'm experiencing what it means to be exposed. It's not good, it's painful. It's like someone tears down your clothes and let you be naked in public. And God really exposing my life, my ugliness, and who I am as a sinner.

First Day of Lent in 2013

We start the lenten season 2013 today. During these forty-days before Easter, we focus on His sufferings, death, and resurrection. We reflect on the cross. Therefore a commitment to do fast and feast on Jesus is really important.

I commit to wake up earlier (at 5 AM) to have time alone with God. It is quite hard for me since I have been experiencing insomnia for this past week. It is hard for me to sleep earlier at night. It must be 1 or 2 AM before I asleep. Then I would be like in coma in the morning. Yesterday, I did not hear anything when my roommates tried to wake me up. Fortunately, Bora touched me so that I woke up. Thanks to God, this morning He woke me up at 5 AM!

I read the last 5 chapters in the book of Psalm this morning and found a lot of  "Praise the LORD!". As for today, "Praise the LORD!" will be my "one thing". Why do we have to praise the LORD? There are so many reasons as answers but the only reason that unquestionable is because the LORD is God. Therefore He is the only one who is worthy of praise!

When do we praise Him? All day long.
Praise Him in the morning.
Praise Him in our prayers.
Praise Him in our activities.
Praise Him in every situation.
Praise Him at the night.

What is the purpose of praising the LORD?
TO BRING HIM GLORY.
To refocus our hearts and minds toward Jesus.

One thing that Ps. Andrew emphasized about lent is FOCUS. We do pray and fast to be more focus on Jesus Christ as we continue to know Him deeper. As for me today, I set my focus on Him by praising Him all day long as I reflect on His sufferings, death, and resurrection.

How about you? Let's start together this lenten season by praising Him!

Lent Season 2013

There is an important event between Chinese New Year and Valentine: starting the lent season on Wednesday, February 13, 2013. For me it will be the second time to join the lent season. Based on last year's experience, I really desire this lent season. I hope I can be more focus on the LORD as I prepare my heart for Good Friday and Easter. This year gonna be different since I lost my focus on the LORD for almost a half of year since I was in Batam. I already confessed my sins and in repentance right now, trying to looking more of Him. Thanks to God, I can understand more about His grace, mercy, and love. I have deeper understanding about what is mean to be saved by grace. I know exactly that I am unworthy for His love because now I am a greater sinner than before. But no sin is too big for His forgiveness. I hope you can also enjoy this lent season, be blessed, be rebuked, be humble before the King of kings, knowing His will and obey! God bless you!

God in Ancient China - Part 2

Chinese New Year celebration is going now!
If you cannot celebrate it, maybe this video can help you to know more about God's love towards Chinese people wherever they are! Especially about Chinese history that correlates with Jesus' birth and death.

Take Refuge in the LORD

As I continue to read the book of Psalm, I found these two verses really revealing my heart issue.

Psalm 118

8 It is better to take refuge in the LORD
   than to trust in humans.
9 It is better to take refuge in the LORD
   than to trust in princes.

Instead of taking refuge in the LORD, often I put my trust in humans, who cannot be trusted. They can be my family and friends.
Instead of taking refuge in the LORD, often I put my trust in princes, who lead. They can be pastors, church-leaders, seniors, bosses, people in the governments, my dad, my brother, my loves one or even husband in the future.

I was wondering why did the psalmist use the phrase "take refuge in the LORD" instead of "trust in the LORD"?

I think the phrase "take refuge in the LORD" provides a guarantee that we are protected in Him; physically, mentally, spiritually. If we trust in humans and princes, what will be the guarantee that they always protect us? They are sinners, just like me. They cannot be trusted.

Somehow, I remember this verse from Isaiah 2:
22 Stop trusting in mere humans,
   who have but a breath in their nostrils.
   Why hold them in esteem?

And this is my prayer, that you and I will always take refuge in the LORD than to trust in humans and princes.

Blessed is the man who fears the LORD!

I read Psalm 108-115 this morning and found three times the phrase "fear of the LORD" connected with the word "blessed". Yesterday I watched a sermon video about God in ancient China. Rev. Kong Hee explained the word "blessed" (福/fu) in Chinese character. To write this word in Chinese character, we should put "shen zi pang" first, it is God.   
(神) => ["shen zi pang" is the "lines" without that square, see the left side]
Then we write together at one (一/yi) with one mouth (口). So God together with a soul, one mouth, and the word garden below the mouth. So that is prosperity (福). Prosperity to Chinese is not just material wealth and money. But it's for God and man to have a one relationship.
It is awesome!
If you celebrate Chinese New Year with your family and relatives this weekend, I hope you can share this to them. Tell them that God reveals Himself in Chinese writing.

God's Love for Chinese People in Indonesia

Chinese New Year is coming soon! By this weekend, some of my friends are going home to celebrate the Chinese New Year with their families. I am not going home, but it does not mean that I don't celebrate it. Chinese New Year cannot be forgotten. Somehow, I am thinking a lot of Chinese people in Indonesia this past few weeks, especially after I met Guo Shu Shu (Uncle Guo), a stranger and an unbeliever that sat next to me during my last journey by plane.

We talked a lot during our flight from Surabaya to Jakarta. He really interested to talk with me. He said that he was thinking that I am Chinese-Medan because of the way I walk and move. I said, "No. I am Chinese-Surabaya." Then we continue our conversation. It was surprising that we have the same family name, "Guo". And we talked a lot about Chinese people in Surabaya.