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2009-02-17T01:46:00.001-08:00

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How can I find satisfaction in my work? (Part 2)

2008-03-26T20:07:00.000-07:00

Who are we really working for? (2)

Ultimately, we are working for the Lord. He is the boss's Boss, the employer's Employer.

How will this change my attitude toward the people I work with each day? if we are praying for God's kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth as it is heaven (Mat.6:10), then we will be allowing Him to use us as His instruments in carrying out His purposes. Instead of considering ourselves to be victims of our circumstances, pawns of our employers, God wants us to be people of action who positively affect our environment instead of being controlled by it.

When Jesus summarized the commands of God, He said this: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind". This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself''. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets". (Mat.22:37-40)

How does what Jesus said apply to work? Love is the giving of ourselves. It seeks the highest good of another person. To love God with all your heart, soul and mind involves giving to Him everything we have. to loves others as ourselves requires that we care as much about the well-being of other people as we do about ourselves. If we apply that to the work situation, it means that our work should be done primarily for God's glory and that we work with the interests of other people in mind.

Who deserves service "as to the Lord?"

The Bible mentions several types of people who deserve our best efforts because we want to please the Lord. These people include our employer, our family, the poor and society.

" Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men". Col. 3:23

1. Our employer.

As you know all too well, this can be tough to do. According to a story that appeared in Executives Digest, "The instructor at a company-sponsor first-aid course asked one of the workers, "What's the first thing you would do if you found you had rabies?" The worker immediately answered, 'Bite my supervisor'" That humourous response a disturbing fact: People often view their boss as an enemy. Developing a good attitude isn't always easy.

In Ephesians 6:5-8, Paul told slaves to respect their masters. Paul wasn't condoing slavery, but those people who found themselves in that situation were serving Christ Himself. Paul was addresing slaves, remember, not employees who work somewhere by choice. Yet Paul told them to serve with "fear and trembling", in sincerity of heart, as to Christ" (v.5)

then Paul added some motivation when he said they should do so, "knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is slave or free" (v.8). The ultimate paycheck will come from God. (See also Collossians 3:22-24).

2. Our family.

The Bible also speaks directly to those of us who have a family depending on us for food, depending on us for food, clothing, shelter and much more. In 1 Timothy 5:8 we read, "If anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than unbleiver". Those are strong words. We have the responsibility to supply the financial needs of our family. That includes our spouse, our children, any dependents and elderly parents who need special care. If we carelessly or deliberately fail to provide for them, we contradict our faith in Christ.

3. The Poor.

The Apostle Paul gave these instructions: "He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need" (Eph.4:28 NIV). And Proverbs 19:17 states, "he who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord." Just as we are to see ourselves as serving the Lord when we serve our boss and provide for the needs of our family, so too we are to see ourselves as giving to the Lord when we give to the poor.

" The goal of work is not to gain wealth and possesions, but to serve the common good and bring glory to God". (R. Foster)

Another proverb tells us, "The desire of the lazy man kills him, for his hands refuse to labor. He covets greedily all day long, but the righteous gives and does not spare"(21:25-26). Again the contrast is sharp-the lazy man wants more and more for himself, but the godly person is looking for ways that he can give to the poor. (See also Psalm 37:25-26, Acts 20:35, Gal. 2:10, John 3:17-18)

4.Society

In addition to what we saw above about supplying the material needs of the poor and our family, we need to work for the spiritual well -being of our boss and co-workers. In Thess. 4:11-12, the author says, "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody"(NIV). The goal is to win the respect of unbelievers. They need to see that your faith in Christ makes a positive difference in the practical, everyday aspects of your life.

When paul wrote to Titus, he told him that part of the motive workers should have is to "make the teaching about God our Saviour attractive" (2:10 NIV). An honest day's work backs up our profession of faith and points to the truth of the Gospel.

Daniel is an example in the Old Testament as person whose work reflected well on his faith in the Lord. When Israel was overrun by Babylon and taken into exile. Daniel was forced to serve King Nebuchadnezzar. By the way he devoted himself to his work, his life was a bright light for God in that pagan kingdom.

What more can we do? Recognizing that we are really working for the Lord is the all-important first step to finding satisfaction on the job. But there's more that God wants us to do. The sections that follow will expand on what we can do to make our work more closely fit the job description that God has written out for our lives. As we do that, our lives will become more purposeful, more meaningful, and more satisfying.

Think about it. Why does God want you to work? What do you give to God and others when you work?

Obeying God

2008-03-26T00:15:00.000-07:00

For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this? Esther 4:14-15

Esther was a Jewish orphan living in the land of Persia (an empire that streched from India to Ethiopia) after her people were taken into captivity from Jerusalem. Raised by her cousin Mordecai, she lived during the time of Persia's King Xerxes.

During King Xerxes's reign, an edict was sent out to bring all the virgins from the surrounding regions to the king's palace to replace Queen Vashti who found disfavour with the King and was deposed. Esther was one of the young women taken and was ultimately selected to be the next queen.

Mordecai had a high-ranking position in the goverment that allowed him to learn of a plot by Haman, an official of the king, to kill of the Jews. The only way this edict would not be carried out was if Esther asked for an audience with the king to request that the plot be abandoned on her behalf. However, to request an audience before the king was a serious matter. If he refused to give her audience, the penalty was immediate death.

It was at this time that Esther made her famous statement, " If I perish, I perish" (Esther 4:16). Esther realized this could be the reason God created her- to save her people from destruction. However, out of concern for Esther, Mordecai explained the situation to her: "For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish" (Esthers 4:14). Mordecai was giving her a choice: Either she would be used by God or someone else would be used to save their people.

Everyday you and I are given a choice in your workplace . Are you willing to be the person God uses to impact the future destiny of a people? Many of us are silent Christians simply letting the status quo reign while we sit watching. Who knows-you may have been created for such a time as this to be a catalyst to stand in the gap for some situation in your workplace, community or nation.

Be faithful to your calling. Just Obey His will..

How can I find satisfaction in my work? (Part 1)

2008-03-25T01:19:00.000-07:00

Somebody said, " I like work. I enjoy and love my job. I could sit and do it all day". but most of people don't have that luxury. Our sense of personal worth is closely connected to a feeling that we are accomplishing something purposeful with our lives. Because of that, work and a satisfying life are inseperable. But unfortunately, work doesn't always give us that sense of satisfaction. What should be personally fulfilling is more often a drain on us physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally.

If you are a factory worker, an executive, a professional, a single parent juggling two roles, or any other laborer, your struggles are in many ways unique. Yet in many other ways they are similar. this article focuses on the elements we all have in common and offers four principles for helping us to find satisfaction

1. Know who you're working for.

2. Put your job to work for you

3. Keep work in its place

4. Look for a better fit

1. KNOW WHO YOU'RE WORKING FOR

During my high school years, I worked for the owner of three small motels on Treasure Island, Florida. Sound like paradise? It wasn't. I cut grass, trimmed bushes, and pulled more weeds than I care to remember. It was a part time job, and the pay was low.

one day I figured that I had enough experience pulling stubborn weeds out of gravel parking areas in the Florida heat. So, instead of reporting in for work, I picked up the phone and called my boss. I told him that I wouldn't be coming in. I quit.

After I hung up the phone, I had a feeling that I hadn't done the right thing-then my father found out what I had done, and he confirmed my feelings. I called my boss back and apologized. I also told him that I would work a few more weeks until he could find someone to replace me.

How did I get to the point of quitting that job? As I think back, a number of reasons come to mind. The work was repetitive, the conditions were hot and sweaty, the boss (though not Captain Hook) didn't seem very appreciative, and I didn't see that I was gaining much for my labor-either in money or in personal satisfaction. and besides, I wasn't working to support a family; it was just a job to give me extra spending money.

My motivations for working have changed since those days. Unfortunately, though, my reasons have not always been the best-and I have felt like quitting more than once.

"Unless you can make a connection between what you do all day and what you think God wants you to be doing, you will never find ultimate meaning in your relationship with God" D.Sherman

What about you? How is your attitute when the work loses its appeal, the boss seems to critical, co-workers get on your nerves, your family doesn't appreciate how hard you work for them, you don't get the raise you want , and the work become boring, repetitive, and seem rather meaningless? When you don't feel that you are getting much for your work, it's hard to keep giving your all, isn't it?

But there is much more to our jobs than what meets the eye. We're not really working for our supervisor at the store, the office, the factory, the construction site, or any other workplace.

Who are we really working for? Ultimately, we are working for the Lord. He is the boss's Boss, the supervisor's Supervisor, the foreman's Foreman, the manager's Manager. That may be hard to remember as we report to work each day. But if we keep it in mind, our attitude will be transformed.

God is an employer who has our best interest at heart. He's not out to get the most work out of us at the lowest wages. He is concerned about you and me, and He want to help us in every aspect of our work. The reason He cares about our work- and he cares deeply- is because our actions on the job reflect our inner character and our level of devotion to Him.

We were created to reflect God's nature (Gen.1:26-27), and we were given abilities to use for His glory. Like Him, we are workers. He worked to create the universe, and Jesus said, "My father has been working until now, and I have been working" ( John.5:17). Man and woman were created to use their hands and their heads to master the earth and make it productive (Gen.1:28; 2:15-20). Like those first two employees, We are to function in Godlike way, faithfully working to care for what has been put under our control.
To be Continue

Transforming Your Workplace

2008-03-04T18:34:00.000-08:00

This, then, is how you should pray: "Our father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Mat. 6:9-10

What would your workplace look like if this prayer were answered today where you work?

"Transformation" is a powerful word. Just hearing it, one almost automatically thinks of radical conversions and incredible change. But is it possible to transform your workplcae into something Christlike? Jesus thinks so.

In Anointed for Bussiness, Ed Silvoso tells story of a Filipino businessman who owned a hotel chain. God save this man and began an amazing transformation in his life and in his large-scale hotel.

The man owned a 1,600 room hotel that covered three buildings. Because of its rates and location, the hotel had become a haven for prostitution. There were over 2,000 employees, and the primary clientele was more than 3,000 prostitutes

One of Silvoso associates shared with the owner a formula for winning the lost. The businessman hired 40 pastors and told them to follow these instructions: (1) Speak peace to the wolves; bless those who curse you. (2) Eat and drink with the sinners; become their friends. (3) Pray for them and their needs.

The pastors were not to share the gospel until they'd met these three requirements for two years. What an investment! Ultimately, it paid off. The pastors followed these three rules and saw every single one of the 2,000 employees become saved. The hotel was upgraded to an executive level, raising the rates and forcing the prostitutes out because they could no longer afford it. The owner even added a prayer chapel with 24/7 prayer available to anyone by dialing "7" on the telephone. Two years later, 10,000 quests had received the Lord on the property.

That's transformation! And that's the kind of transformation we can see in our workplaces.

We just have to find the vision and the willingness to ask God, " Lord, what will you have me do?". Are you ready to be the Transformer?

-From TGIF

Transforming A Workplace

2008-03-04T02:18:00.000-08:00

Do not confirm any longer to the pattern of this world, but be tranformed by the renewing of your mind. Romans 12:2

Seorang supir taxi di Filipina, setelah diselamatkan, diajarkan bahwa sekarang Ia memiliki kuasa Allah di dalam dirinya yang mampu mengubahkan keadaan sekitarnya (transforming his community). Ia tidak memiliki pendidikan teologia/ Alkitab yang formal, namun memutuskan untuk mempercayai apa yang alkitab ajarkan tentang doa dan mujizat.

Ia dipimpin kepada suatu ladang pelayanan yang tepat baginya, sebuah bar di daerahnya, kemudian ia mulai mengunjungi bar itu dan mencari seseorang yang bisa dimenangkan bagi Kristus. Ia ketemu dengan bartendernya dan melihat ini adalah sasaran yang tepat-karena ia adalah seorang homoseksual yang kecanduan narkoba dan mengelola 'bisnis 65 pelacur'. Supir taxi ini mulai mengunjungi bar ini secara rutin, membangun hubungan dengan bartender ini sementara ia memesan minuman yang 'biasa' : coke.

Tiba waktunya, kuasa allah bergerak menjamah bartender ini dan ia dibebaskan dari kehidupan homoseksualnya. Hidupnya diubahkan dan ia pun mulai bersaksi kepada para pelacur itu. Ajaib ke-65 orang itu bertobat juga, mereka kemudian memulai Bible Study setiap hari di bar tersebut. Tidak lama kemudian, Si Pemilik bar mulai memperhatikan perubahan dari orang-orang ini dan ia akhirnya diselamatkan juga. Bar ini akhirnya berubah menjadi sebuah Gereja. Luar biasa!. Dan sekarang mereka telah mendirikan 10 gereja sel di lingkungan mereka. Sebuah tranformasi yang ajaib!

Tidak peduli bagaimana keadaan kita , kita seharusnya tetap menyadari bahwa Tuhan selalu ingin mentranformasi keadaan kita. KerinduanNya adalah agar kita terus menerus membangun hubungan denganNya, dimanapun dan kapanpun. Ia ingin menyatakan kuasa kasihNya kepada orang-orang yang ada disekeliling kita, melalui kita. Ia ingin mengubahkan workplace kita menjadi tempat kemuliaanNya.Kita dapat mengundang Tuhan disegala tempat, karena tidak ada yang terlalu kecil maupun terlalu besar bagi Allah. Tiada yang mustahil bagiNya.

Ask God to be a transformer in your workplace and city. So, get ready to be the transformers!

-Sumber: TGIF

Building Relationship

2008-02-26T19:23:00.000-08:00

When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All people saw this and began to mutter, " He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner'". Luke 19:5-7.

Jesus modeled four things when He lived on Earth that allowed Him to impact other people's lives. I call these the four Bs of tranformation.

First, Jesus built a relationship with people. In the marketplace, you will rarely be able to have impact on a person without first building a relationship with him or her. The old saying "people don't care what you know until they know how much you care" is especially true in the workplace. Jesus modeled this in His life every day of His public ministry.

Seconds, Jesus blessed people. He tried to meet the physical needs that people had. Many times He healed people and then told them to go and sin no more. He listened to their concerns.

Third, Jesus began praying for others. He prayed for deliverance for people who were demon possessed. He prayed that unbelievers would know the father. He even prayed for Lazarus to come back from the dead.

Fourth, Jesus brought the kingdom of God into peoples's lives. He invited people to believe in Him as the Saviour of the world and to partake of eternal life.
I once decided to test this model with an acquaintance. I intentionally refused to talk to this person about Jesus until I had accomplised the first three steps in our retionship. after I had fulfilled the first three steps, I presented Christ to my friend. Because the soil was prepared, he receid Christ immediately.

As you consider your ministry at work, consider these four stages of relatinoship building before you present Christ to others. You will find that first fruit of this process will be great.

-from TGIF, Os Hillman.

Future-Reward People

2008-02-26T18:51:00.000-08:00

O lord, by your hand save me from such men, from men, from men of this world whose reward in this life (Psalm 17:14)

There are two type of people in the world: those activities are designed to generate a reward in this lifetime, and those who life to generate a reward when they meet our Lord in Heaven. Unfortunately, not every Christian models the latter type.

How do we judge whether a person is living for the future reward versus the earthly reward? there are several key indicators.

First, future-reward people tend to be givers. They make their time and resources available to be channeled for the kingdom purposes. They reallize that their sowing will ultimately be rewarded at the judgement seat of Christ, where what they have done on earth will be judged and rewarded by God (2 Corinthians 5:10).

Future-reward people also tend to make obedience-based desicions. they don't make decisions based on their perceived outcome. They realize that a decision based on obedience alone may not result in an immediate outcome. Jesus was a future-reward person. He was obedient to the cross even though He knew the immediate outcome would be His own death.

Future-reward situation show up in daily life in a number of ways. Perharps a person has wronged you and God calls you to forgive and even bless that person without expectation of his or her response. perharps God has called you to sow money into a ministry or another person's life without expectation of return from that person. Perharps you have been called to serve another person in another capacity without expectation of any earthly reward. The situations we might encounter are unlimited.

Are you living a life based on future reward or short-term reward? today, evaluate how you make decisions and how you allocate resources. This will reveal wheter or not you are a future-reward Christian.

Hearing God at Work

2008-02-19T19:06:00.000-08:00

Allah sedang membangkitkan a new kind of workplace believer who is experiencing the power of God in their daily work life. Seorang lawyer di Nigeria , Emeka Nywanka menyaksikan hal ini. Ia mengalami bagaimana hal-hal yang spiritual mempengaruhi yang physical di dalam dunia kerjanya sehari-hari.

Ia mengisahkan bagaimana Tuhan menolongnya memenangkan kasus dipengadilan dengan spesific strategy. ada 5 point yang diperdebatkan di dalam kasus yang ditanganinya. Pagi sebelum sidang dimulai Ia berdoa dengan isteri dan stafnya. Selama berdoa Ia mendengar Roh Kudus berbicara, "do not argue point one through four. only argue point five". Imagine making such a change just before you argue a case before the Supreme Court!

Di ruang pengadilan, ia menyatakan tidak akan memperdebatkan point 1 sampai 4, hanya akan berargumen pada point 5 saja. Hakim menjadi terkejut namun memberikan ijin kepadanya. Emeka menyatakan pendapatnya/pembelaannya mengenai point 5 lalu duduk. Jaksa penuntut lalu berdiri dan selama 12 menit berusaha memberikan argumennya, namun terlihat sangat sulit menyusun kata-kata dan menyatakan pendapatnya.

Finnaly, he approched the bench and said, "Your Lordship, it is unfortunate that my learned friend has dropped the first four points. I wish to yield the case". Ternyata jaksanya hanya mempersiapkan perdebatan/tuntutan point 1 sampai 4 saja. Emeka memenangkan kasus ini. Tuhan secara supernatural memberikannya strategi untuk memenangkan kasusnya. It made no sense to him, but he obeyed and God gave him victory in a very unsual way. Luar biasa Tuhan!

Yesaya 48:17 berkata, "Thus says the Lord, Your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: 'I am the Lord God , Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you by the way you should go'" (NKJV)

Kapan terakhir anda mengundang Tuhan ikut campur di dalam kehidupanmu sehari-hari or asked God to give you a strategy to be successful in your workplace? This is His desire for you.

-dari buku TGIF

Finding Your Calling

2008-01-28T19:18:00.000-08:00

Someone really dear to me once said, "Pursue your calling no matter what; it's going to worth it."
Of course sometime we don't even have a clue what our calling is ! Numerous theories, books, tapes and sermons have been preached on this topic, but in reality it's just hard to know for sure what your calling is, just because most of us are 'average' people.

By average i mean we have different set of skills set and interest that we like/love to do and pretty darn good at, but we're obviously not Mozart or Einstein on those particular field!I'm not saying that there's no chance for us to be the Mozarts or Einsteins of our time, nor that all of us are useless mediocre people. What I'm saying is, at some point of time, that incredibly genius seed that God has planted in each of us.. just hasn't bloom quite yet. And it's just hard to spot that one thing we're really good at, or called to do in life, when everything looks almost the same!

So, What is my calling ? How do we find our calling ?Well, the answer is pretty simple.Your calling is found in your conquering.In every battle that you face right now, at this moment... that will define your calling.

You can dream of becoming the Commander in Chief of the USA, but if you can't solve that personal issue you have with your friend... you'll go nowhere.You can have the ambition of having a world wide enterprise, but if you're not a good employer to your employee right now, if you're not faithful to the simple things now.. then you're a sitting duck.You can hope and wish for becoming the greatest Worship Leader of the 20th century, or becoming the 'Billy Graham' of Asia or whatever.. but if you can't pick that bible, read His Word and practice it.. then a dream will only be a dream. The truth is... you'll get nearer and nearer to your calling by conquering every battle you're facing right now.. step by step... battle by battle.
There's a purpose and a reason for you to be where you are and in the situation you are right now.

The purpose is for you to conquer it.. and be a step closer to reveal your calling in life.

Blessings,
Erika

Can Your Boss See This?

2008-01-22T01:32:00.000-08:00

Setelah dilihat oleh tuannya , bahwa Yusuf disertai Tuhan dan bahwa Tuhan membuat berhasil segala yang dikerjakannya... (Kej . 39:3)

Pekerjaan Yusuf tidak menjanjikan apa-apa bagi hidupnya. Menjadi budak bukanlah pilihannya, melainkan akibat dari kejahatan kakak-kakaknya sendiri. Tidak ada harapan akan masa depan yang lebih baik, boro-boro peningkatan karir, ‘sudah bisa survive aja udah syukur’. Dan menjadi budak bukanlah pekerjaan yang menyenangkan

Yusuf sebenarnya telah dijanjikan Tuhan menjadi orang penting. Namun kenyataan hidupnya saat ini sangatlah bertolak belakang, jauh dari impiannya. Apakah Tuhan telah meninggalkannya? Ayat diatas menjawab pertanyaan ini. Tuhan masih menyertainya bahkan membuat berhasil segala yang dikerjakannya. Ayat ini kemudian berlanjut , “maka Yusuf mendapat kasih Tuannya, dan ia boleh melayani dia; kepada Yusuf diberikan kuasa atas rumahnya dan segala miliknya diserahkannya pada kekuasaan Yusuf “ (ayat 4). Dari pegawai rendahan langsung menjadi orang kepercayaan Potifar, mungkin setingkat manajer sekarang. Kuasa Tuhan menjadikan segala sesuatunya mungkin. Bahkan ayat berikutnya menyatakan Potifar semakin diberkati oleh Tuhan oleh karena pengangkatan Yusuf (ayat 5-6).

Dear readers I believe all of you have much better jobs than Yusuf and you are expecting great things in your career. But have you invited God into your workplace? Don’t just depend on your ability and lean on your own understanding. Just ask God to intervening your works and see great things happen in your workplace. Emmanuel, God be with you!

Happy working-day.
Ps.Untung

When Columbine VIOLENCE come to the church

2008-01-21T18:11:00.000-08:00

As we mourn the victims of Sunday’s tragedy in Colorado, I hope we can also offer some answers to today’s troubled youth.

Tiffany Johnson. Phillip Crouse. Stephanie Works. Rachael Works. Please take a moment to remember these four remarkable young people who died this past weekend at the hands of a troubled young man who claimed to hate Christians.

It’s difficult to make any sense of the violence that occurred last Sunday in Colorado. Matthew Murray, 24, shot and killed Johnson and Crouse, two Youth With a Mission (YWAM) trainees, at their base near Denver. He then drove 70 miles to New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colo., and killed the two Works sisters, who were 18 and 16.

“Today’s young people have been marked by God to be a missionary generation, but the devil wants to stop them.”

Johnson, 26, and Crouse, 24, were just beginning vibrant outreach ministries. At their funeral on Wednesday, 2,000 mourners learned that Johnson, a pretty blond with dimples, had planned to participate in a missionary venture to Japan in the fall. Her uncle Rick Ronchak said her only hope “was to change the world by loving other people.”
After Murray left the carnage at the YWAM base, he drove to New Life Church and pulled into its huge parking lot. The 11 a.m. service had already been dismissed and most of the 7,000 worshipers in attendance had left. After Murray shot Stephanie and Rachael Works, he entered the church lobby and began shooting wildly while people ducked for cover.

Los Angeles pastor Jack Hayford, head of the Foursquare denomination, had preached the sermon at New Life that day and was in a second-story office at the time bullets started flying. He and the rest of the congregants were unhurt because security guard Jeanne Assam fired shots that stopped Murray. Police later said Murray shot himself.

If you are like me, you’re struggling with this. It’s bad enough when a mentally unstable person attacks shoppers in a mall. But now the violence has come to church—and it’s killing our kids. Why is this happening?

When reporters asked New Life Church’s pastor, Brady Boyd, how he viewed the situation, he offered this insight: “If you read the Bible, there are angelic and demonic forces at work on the earth today. But I also think that many times, those evil forces take advantage of people who already have existing conditions.”

Police and family members have confirmed that Murray wrestled with personal demons. Although he was raised in a Christian home, he rebelled against faith after being expelled from the YWAM program. Shy and lonely, he reportedly dabbled in the occult, heard voices in his head and listened to the dark lyrics of Marilyn Manson, Linkin Park and Swedish metal bands.

Investigators say that Murray posted rantings on the Internet under such names as “Dyingchild-65.” He even warned readers that he was planning to carry out personal revenge on Christians he felt had hurt him. On one post, he pledged to “make a stand for the weak and defenseless … this is for all the young people caught in the Nightmare of Christianity.”

“This is YOUR Columbine,” he added.

In case you haven’t noticed, Columbine-style violence has increased dramatically this year:

* In February, Bosnian immigrant Sulejmen Talovic, 18, walked into a shopping mall in Salt Lake City and shot and killed five people. He and his mother had fled the civil conflict in his homeland in 1998, and investigators said he probably suffered from memories of war violence.

* In April a shy 23-year-old Korean student named Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 people and wounded many more on the Virginia Tech University campus in Blacksburg Va., before he shot himself. He was lonely, delusional and unable to speak in most social settings.

* Earlier this month, Robert Hawkins, 19, entered a department store in Omaha, Neb., and killed eight people before turning his SKS assault rifle on himself. Police later reported that he was depressed and had “issues with his stepmother.” In notes found later, he talked about being “a piece of s--- all my life.”

Thanks to rampant divorce and family dysfunction—and a culture that does not value unborn life—many young people today feel lost and vulnerable. They find it impossible to connect in healthy relationships. Many of them fight depression. Some of them vent their anger on their MySpace sites or numb their pain with drugs, sex or even vampirism.

And a few of them—like Talovic, Cho, Hawkins and Murray—eventually snap. Their fantasies go beyond suicide. They want to take as many people as possible with them.

It’s obvious from this week’s events that today’s young people have been marked by God to be a missionary generation. But the devil wants to stop them—and he has his guns loaded.

I hope that these killings will jolt the church into action. Youth ministry in the 21st century involves so much more than campfires, volleyball and Bible pep talks. The shots fired in Colorado should remind us that we are engaged in a spiritual battle that we can’t ignore.

J. Lee Grady-Charisma magazine

Learning to Live Loved

2008-01-17T19:27:00.000-08:00

God's love does not hinge on yours. The abundance of your love does not increase his.The lack of your love does not diminish his. Your goodness does not enhance his love, nor does your weakness dilute it. What Moses said to Israel is what God says to us:
"The LORD did not choose you and lavish his love on you because you were larger or greater than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations! It was simply because the LORD loves you." (Deut. 7:7-8 NLT)

God loves you simply because he has chosen to do so.
He loves you when you don't feel lovely.
He loves you when no one else loves you. Others may abandon you, divorce you, and ignore you, but god will love you. Always. No matter what.

This is his sentiment: "I'll call nobodies and make them somebodies; I'll call the unloved and make them beloved." (Rom. 9:25 MSG). This is his promise. "I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself. (Jer. 31:3 NLT).
Our love depends on the receiver of the love. Let a thousand people pass before us, and we will not feel the same about each. Our love will be regulated by their appearance, by their personalities. Even when we find a few people we like, our feelings will fluctuate.

How they treat us will affect how we love them. The receiver regulates our love.
Not so with the love of God. We have no thermostatic impact on his love for us. The love of God is born from within him, not from what he finds in us. His love is uncaused and spontaneous. As Charles Wesley said, "He hath loved us. He hath loved us. Because he would love."

Does he love us because of our goodness? Because of our kindness? Because of ourgreat faith? No, he loves us because of his goodness, kindness, and great faith. John says it like this: "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us" (I John 4:10 NIV).

Do you know what else that means? You have a deep aquifer of love from which to draw. When you find it hard to love, then you need a drink! Drink deeply! Drink daily!
Don't forget, love is a fruit. Step into the orchard of God's work, and what is the first fruit you see? "Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control" (Gal.5:22 NIV, emphasis mine).

Love is a fruit. A fruit of whom? Of your hard work? Of your deep faith? Of your rigorous resolve? No. Love is a fruit of the Spirit of God. "The Spirit produces the fruit" (Gal.5:22).
And, this is so important, you are a branch on the vine of God. "I am the vine, and you are the branches" (John 15:5). Need a refresher course on how vines function? What is the role of the branch in the bearing of fruit? Branches don't exert a lot of energy. You never hear of gardeners treating branches for exhaustion. Branches don't attend clinics on stress management. Nor do they groan and grunt. "I've got to get this grape out. I've got to get this grape out. I'm going to bear this grape if it kills me!"

No, the branch does none of that. The branch has one job-to receive nourishment from the vine. And you have one job-to receive nourishment from Jesus. "I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you're joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can't produce a thing" (John 15:5 MSG).
Our Lord gets no argument from us on that last line, does he? We have learned the hard way apart from him we can't produce a thing. Don't you think it's time we learn what happens if we stay attached?

His job is to bear fruit. Our job is to stay put. The more tightly we are attached to Jesus, the more purely his love can pass through us. And oh, what a love it is! Patient.
Kind. Does not envy. Does not boast. Is not proud.

Let's rewrite 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 one more time. Not with your name or Jesus' name but with both. Read it aloud with your name in the blank, and see what you think.
Christ in _____ is patient, Christ in _____ is kind. Christ in _____ does not envy,
Christ in _____ does not boast, Christ in _____ is not proud. Christ in _____ is not
rude, Christ in _____ is not self-seeking, Christ in _____ is not easily angered, Christ in
_____ keeps no record of wrongs. Christ in _____ does not delight in evil but rejoices
with the truth. Christ in _____ always protects, always perseveres. Christ in _____ never fails.

Will we ever love like that? Will we ever love perfectly? No. This side of heaven only God will. But we will love better than we have. By being loved, we will love.
My Wish For You
‹ Where there is pain; I wish you peace and mercy.
‹ Where there is self-doubting, I wish you a renewed confidence in your ability to work through it.
‹ Where there is tiredness, or exhaustion, I wish you understanding, patience, and renewed strength.
‹ Where there is fear; I wish you love, and courage

(Erika - taken from Max Lucado)

Tiada Lagi Kerja Sebagai Rutinitas Belaka

2008-01-16T08:09:00.000-08:00

Myth and confusion: Kerja adalah bagian dari kutuk. Bila tidak ada kutuk, maka tidak perlu bekerja. Saya suka kerja 8 jam sehari utk pekerjaan yg membosankan dan menguras tenaga.
(Kejadian 3:17-19)
Example: In the construction site. A man is doing ‘plastering’ and another is doing ‘building Church’

Dalih:
Pria malas: Aku tidak mau bekerja.
Pria frustrasi: Aku tidak suka dengan pekerjaanku.
Pria yg tidak punya tujuan: Pekerjaanku tidak bisa membuatku mencapai apa yg kuinginkan
Pria yg kekurangan: Penghasilanku tidak cukup.

The answer to the myth and confusion:
Kerja telah ada lebih dahulu sebelum dosa. Jadi jika kita memandang kerja hanya sebagai bagian dari kutuk yg disebabkan oleh dosa Adam, maka kita tidak akan menerima dan menangkap maknanya. Kerja selalu menjadi bagian dari rencana Allah.

The first chapter in the bible describes God Himself worked creating and forming the earth (Kejadian 1:7.)
Apa yg Allah lakukan dalam Kejadian 1, sebelum ada manusia dan dosa: Allah mengekspresikan diriNya sendiri dengan cara melakukan pekerjaan yg produktif. Dan Allah menyukai segala sesuatu yg dia lakukan, Dia berkata: ITU BAIK.

Kita diciptakan serupa / segambar dengan rupa Allah yang adalah pekerja. Itulah sebabnya mengapa hal pertama yg Allah lakukan saat Allah menciptakan Adam adalah memberikan pekerjaan kepadanya – untuk bekerja di taman Eden dan memeliharanya, memberi nama binatang2.
REMEMBER: Dosa belum merasuki Umat manusia. Jadi pekerjaan Adam tidak ada hubungannya dengan kutuk.

SETELAH KEJATUHAN MUNCULLAH DURI. (Kejadian 3:17-19)
Di taman Eden, segala sesuatunya bersih dan murni. Adam n Hawa tidak memerlukan pembasmi hama . Namun dengan mulai dikenalnya dosa maka munculah duri untuk menghalangi usaha2 manusia dalam bekerja.

Good News:
Kita dalam Kristus, Allah menawarkan kesalamatan bagi pekerjaan kita. Kita memiliki kesempatan untuk memperoleh kembali arti penting dari kerja.

How to find the real meaning in our works?

1. Ingat siapa yg anda wakili (Kolose 3:22-24)
Cara tercepat untuk mengubah pekerjaan yg buruk adalah dengan sikap yg baru. Dan cara tercepat untuk mendapat sikap yg baru adalah dengan jalan mengganti atasan/ boss (Jesus is our boss)

2. Temukan kegembiraan dalam pekerjaan anda (Pengkotbah 2:24-25)
Jika kita tidak mengikutsertakan Allah, bisa saja kita memiliki suatu pekerjaan yg hebat, tapi kita tidak merasakan kegembiraan. Bersama Allah, kita bisa memiliki pekerjaan yg buruk tetapi masih memiliki kegembiraan.
(Pengkotbah 5:17-18).

Allah memberikan kesempatan kepada kita utk menikmati hasil kerja kita. Hal itu bermulai dengan relasi kita dengan Dia.

Tidak ada yg lebih buruk daripada harus bangun pagi dan pergi mengerjakan sesuatu yg tidak kita sukai. - Rubah sudut pandang – building Church instead of plastering the wall

Tujuan kerja bukan supaya kita kerja 45 jam seminggu selama 45 tahun dan pensiun, dan bukan juga utk menumpuk kekayaan.

Tujuan dari kerja adalah kegembiraan dan kepuasan yg kita peroleh ketika kita menyelesaikan tugas yg Allah berikan. Itulah yg Allah kejar. Jadi itulah yg seharusnya kita kejar.

Lebih baik mendapatkan uang lebih sedikit dan mempunyai keinginan utk bangun besok paginya daripada menghasilkan uang lebih banyak tetapi kita ingin tetap berada dan terbaring ditempat tidur.

3. Tetap terfokus
Kita tidak salah bila kita kaya, tapi akan salah besar bila kita menjadikan kekayaan sebagai tujuan kita. Jika Allah mempunyai alasan utk kita menjadi kaya raya, boleh2 saja. Asalkan kegembiraan kita terletak pada pencapaian hasil kerja kita dibawah pimpinanNya.

Amsal 30:8-9
Menyerahkan pekerjaan anda kepadaNya.
Dengan begitu maka kita tidak perlu bergadang sepanjang malam / bekerja sepanjang Minggu dengan tujuan mencoba utk mengungguli orang lain.

Hari sabat: Kesempatan utk bersantai, beristirahat dan memfokuskan diri pada relasi. Allah pun beristirahat pada hari ke-7 untuk menikmati hasil kerjaanNya, dan bergembira. Penting utk kita bersyukur pada Allah dan fokus pada Dia.

Jesus was a Workplace Minister

2008-01-15T00:22:00.000-08:00

"Isn't this the carpenter ? Isn't this mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him. Mark. 6:3

In 2005, a movie entitled The passion was released that chronicled the last 24 hours of Jesus' life. During a flashback scene, Jesus was seen in His carpentry shop making a table as His mother stood by, playfully observing. It was a very beautiful scene that reminds us that Jesus was a carpenter for most of His adult life. In fact, most of the people in Jesus' hometown of Nazareth probabbly viewed Him as more qualified to be a carpenter than the Son of God, because that is the history they knew of this young working- class man.

Consider that in the New Testament, Jesus' 132 public appearances, 122 were in the marketplace. Of the 52 parables Jesus told, 45 had a workplace context. Of the 40 miracles recorded in the book of Acts, 39 occured in the marketplace. Jesus spent His Adult life as a carpenter until the age of 30, when He went into a preaching ministry in the workplace. And 54 percent of Jesus' reported teaching ministry arose out of issues posed by others within the scope of daily life experience . Saint Bonaventure said of Jesus, "His doing nothing wonderful (during His first 30 years) was in itself a kind of wonder."

Work, in its different forms, it mentioned more than 800 times in the Bible-more than all the words used to express worship, music, praise and singing combined. God created work, and he is worker. "My fahter is always at His work to this very day, and I too, am working" (John 5:17).

So the next time you are tempted to minimize your daily work as anything less than a holy calling, remember that Jesus was a workplace minister as a carpenter in His community. He has called you and me to likewise reflect His glory in our work.

-From TGIF.

HIS Work HIS Way

2008-01-03T16:05:00.000-08:00

So I have caused you to be despised and humiliated before all the people, because you have not followed My ways but have shown partially in matters of the law. Malachi 2:9

***************************

my work, my way. when you and I live in this world without Christ, we live just as Esau lived his life. Esau despised his birthright and failed to enter into relationship with God that would allowed him to fulfill his destiny. In essence, Esau fulfilled his work, his way. His life represented the carnal life of the flesh.

His work, my way. When you and I become born again by the Spirit of God, we begin to focus our attention on living for Christ. We realize it is His work we are doing, but it takes time before we learn what it means to do His work, His way.

My work, His way. As the Holy Spirit does His work in us, we learn to walk with God. We learn what it means to see our work as His work, and we desire to do it His way. The Israelites were guilty of not knowing how to do their work, His way. Because of this, they were unable to move into the promised Land.

His work, His way. When We begin to walk with God, we realize that all we do is His work and He calls us to do it His way. When we walk with God in this manner, we begin to see the Kingdom of God manifested in our working lives. We begin to experience His power and learn what it means to do His work, His way.

In order to experience God in this manner, each of us must give our working lives to the Lord and ask Him to teach His way. Moses asked God, " If you are pleased with me, teach me Your ways so I may know You and continue to find favor with You" (Exodus 33:13). Moses realized that he needed God to teach him HIS ways in order for him to prosper in his relationship with God.

What best describes your life today? Your work, your way? your work, His way? His work, your way? or His work, His way?

Pray that you learn to do His work, His way. God Bless.

* From TGIF

Dear Young Adults,

2008-01-02T00:12:00.000-08:00

Happy year 2008!

Are you?

We just enter year 2008. we hope you enter this year with an enthusiasm. why?

hhmmm... my salary hasn't gone up, you grumble, my Boss hasn't changed, my colleages still iritated me. Or You 'mumbling': My grade was not that good last year and the lecturers were boring..

So why should I am excited with this year 2008?

Just feel free to reply your comments to this blog

For me, thanks to God because I am still alive, Yes I am still have a life!

So I dont wanna be affected by my situation. I choose to be excited because a life is a precious gift from the source of life, God.

Remember not everyone have a life, many people had lost their life last year...and They cant get back their life. When God takes back a life nobody can get it back, So let cherish our life since we still have it .

Have wonderful year 2008!

Young Adult Fellowship

U.M.

Our Vision and Mission

2007-06-06T23:11:00.000-07:00

Our Vision:

Creating a Young Adult community that sincerely care for each other in unconditional Christ's love as part of NBC family of God.
Building a 'safe' atmosphere for people to share their lives and freely express their burden in work/study life.
Be a community that will do all things wholeheartedly as an act of worship to God and being witnesses of Christ in the market place.

Our Mission:

BUILDING strong fellowship among Indonesian Young Adults in Singapore,
DEVELOPING the spirit of exellency in God,
EQUIPING Young Adults to face challenges in their lives,
EMPOWERING Young Adults to be bold witnesses in the market place,
REACHING Indonesian Young Adults in Singapore for Christ,
BE A BLESSING for their communities.