AG PE - Indonesian Evangelical Church, USA

Transcription

E
editorial —————————————————————————————
Apakah
saudara-saudari sekalian pernah mendengar cerita tentang
sebuah keluarga yang mengadakan pesta untuk menyambut kedatangan bayi
pertama mereka ke dalam dunia ini? Pada malam itu semua tamu berdatangan
dengan raincoat dan baju dingin mereka yang tebal-tebal. Tuan dan nyonya
rumah dengan gembira menyambut tamu-tamu mereka dan menanggalkan
baju dingin mereka. Karena closet mereka sudah penuh, mereka meletakkan
jubah dingin para tamu di ‘kursi’
yang ada di dekat closet. Ketika
dinner telah selesai dan mereka
pun telah puas makan-minum,
berbincang-bincang dan tertawatawa, para tamu baru bertanya
ingin melihat their first “baby
boy”born. Mereka baru sadar kalau pesta tersebut adalah untuk
bayi mereka yang baru lahir itu
tetapi selama ini mereka melupakannya. Kini mereka baru mulai mencari di mana bayi mereka
tersebut tetapi walaupun mereka
sudah mencarinya di mana-mana,
mereka tetap tidak dapat menemukannya. Dan secara tiba-tiba
sang babysitter baru sadar dan
mengatakan bahwa dia meletakkan bayi mereka di cradle dan telah
menyerahkannya pada sang ayah
dan ibu bayi tersebut. Seketika itu
juga mereka baru menyadari dan
mencari di mana cradle tersebut.
Mereka akhirnya menemukan
cradle itu telah tertimbun oleh mantel-mantel dan baju-baju dingin para
tamu. Semua orang panik dan berusaha dengan secepatnya menyingkirkan
pakaian-pakaian tebal yang mahal mereka walau akhirnya mereka berhasil
menyingkirkan semuanya, mereka sudah terlambat karena mereka mendapati
bayi tersebut telah meninggal dunia karena tidak dapat bernafas tertimbun
oleh pakaian-pakaian para tamu.
AGAPE — Christmas 2004
1
Sebuah cerita yang menyedihkan, tetapi kita tidak menyadari bahwa kita membuat cerita itu terulang dan
terulang lagi setiap tahun kita merayakan Natal. Tuhan
Yesus, Sang Bayi Natal itu seringkali ‘mati’ di dalam hati
kita karena “Dia” tertimbun oleh pakaian-pakaian tebal
kita, pakaian kemewahan dunia, pakaian kesombongan, pakaian ke-egois-an, pesta pora dan segala macam
daya tarik dunia ini. Kita merayakan Natal tanpa mengingat akan Yesus sama sekali, sehingga banyak sekali
orang mengubah arti natal yang sebenarnya menjadi
salah satu hari pesta pora belaka, bahkan menjadikan
hari natal itu menjadi hari dimana mereka melakukan
hal-hal yang sangat memalukan dan dosa-dosa yang
tak terampunkan.
Apakah kita yang sudah mengaku diri kita adalah
orang Kristen dan telah menerima Yesus di dalam hati
kita akan melakukan hal yang sama, mengubur dan
melupakan bayi Yesus sama sekali? Marilah kalau kita
pernah melakukannya dan masih tetap melakukannya,
belumlah terlambat untuk merubahnya dan meminta
Tuhan Yesus lahir di hati kita kembali dan sambil kita
berjanji akan membiarkan Tuhan Yesus tetap hidup di
dalam hati kita dan bertahta di dalam hati dan pikiran
kita, sehingga tahun ini pada saat kita merayakan Natal akan menjadi perayaaan Natal yang rohani yang
sungguh berkenan di hadapan Bapa yang di surga
dan dinikmati oleh Tuhan kita Yesus Kristus dan akan
disucikan oleh Roh Kudus. Maka para penghuni surga
dan para malaikat akan menyanyikan puji-pujian yang
kudus seperti natal pertama yang terjadi, mereka menaikkan puji-pujian sewaktu mereka turun ke dalam
dunia ini untuk memberitakan kabar sukacita kepada
para umat manusia yang merindukan kedatangan Sang
Juru Selamat dunia ini.
Akhir kata redaksi mengucapkan selamat merayakan
Hari Natal dan menyambut Tahun Baru dengan penuh
pengharapan akan berkat dan bimbingan Tuhan di
dalam kehidupan kita bahkan sampai selama-lamanya,
amin.
redaksi
2
AGAPE
Christmas 2004
Penasehat
Ev. Wilson Suwanto
Daniel Loe
Editor
Evelyn Sunarko
Janice Atmadja
Jeannie Lesmanawati
Marcia Japutra
Rachel Atmadja
Shirley Soetarso
Ilustrator & Fotografer
Joshua Adidjaja
Martha Raharja
Pilipus Santoso
Layout
(majalah & bulletin board)
Eva Leony
Martha Raharja
Tesia Trisnadi
Tjandra Afandi
Kontributor
Rev. Billy Lim
Mrs. Shyu
Phebe Hosea
Printing
Semiwaty Oei
Special Thanks
Para jemaat yang
berpartisipasi dalam
penerbitan edisi ini.
E-mail Redaksi
agape_gii@yahoo.com
Produksi GII Azusa
539 N. Sunset Ave.
Azusa, CA 91702
Telp: (626) 812-0326
http://lax.gii-usa.org
D
daftar isi —————————————————————————————
6
Reflection: New Beginning
How do we face the Year 2005? With our old self and no plan, or
with a resolution to be better than the passing year?
8
Self Evaluation: You Call Yourself A Christian
You go to church. Sing the songs, listen to the sermons. And perhaps get active in the church, too! But... are you really a christian?
9
Profile: Billy Graham: The America's Pastor
You might—or should—hear the name already. To know more about
him, just read this profile article!
13 Bible Fact: Behind Jehovah's Witnesses
What's so dangerous about them? Aren't they just another Christian
group? Well, read this one, and judge them yourself!
17 Sharing: Don't Let It End This Way
20 Parenting: Masalah Membesarkan Anak
(saduran dari buku oleh Dr. James Dobson)
25 Cerpen: Tragedi di Malam Natal
32 Book Review: Every Woman's Battle
(by Shannon Ethridge)
35 Opinion: Baby's First Christmas
38 Event: Holy Wind (Fall Carnival)
40 Christmas Crafts: Beaded Snowman Ornament
Glitter Christmas Ornament
Throw Pillow
42 Recipe: Tasty Chicken With Basil
43 Humor
e!
n
i
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e ape.htm
r
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w web/ag
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D visit u
3
S
surat pembaca ————————
Kudos to GII Azusa! I really like the
website. One suggestion though: can
you please add more articles to it? Make
it weekly instead of monthly. Anyway,
keep up the good work!
S.T.
Thanks for your compliment and suggestion. As our website has its own team, we'll
forward your request to them. One more
thing: perhaps you can contribute in some
articles too?
I really like the Top Christian Songs list
like what you had in the Easter 2004
edition. But it was gone in the Anniversary edition! Is it a once-in-a-year
thing? I wish you could have it in every
edition.
Anda punya usul, kritik, saran, atau apapun yang
berhubungan dengan Agape atau GII Azusa?
Silahkan mengirimnya ke agape_gii@yahoo.com
atau memberikannya kepada redaksi.
CORRECTIONS
There are some mistakes in the Anniversary Edition:
* For the article about John Calvin,
the correct author is Ev. Wilson
Suwanto.
* For the article about Courtship vs.
Dating, the correct contributor is
Fairlyn Soetojo.
* For the quiz, the answers can be
found in our OLD church website
at www.basicministries.org/heaven/
salvation/OneWay2Jesus/088/. Please
note that this website is obsolete and
will not be updated anymore.
We apologize for these mistakes.
D.J.
Actually we didn't plan to make it a recurrent article. We'll see... if people are really
interested in it, we'll try to make it yearly,
or maybe even in every edition as your
wish. Thanks for reminding us.
In your parenting section, can you please
review a movie/game or something kids
like in a Christian point of view? I know
book reviews and concepts/theories are
good, but sometimes I feel I need some
down-to-earth advices.
M.D
Good idea! We're pretty sure we can come
up with something like that in the next edition. Thanks for your input!
4
RE: WHERE'S THE FOCUS?
Due to some unforeseen circumstances,
we regret that this Christmas Edition
doesn't have any Focus articles. We are
truly sorry for this matter.
Ingin terlibat
dalam pelayanan Agape
(edisi cetak,
online, maupun
majalah dinding)?
Cepat hubungi
kami (redaksi)
untuk keterangan
lebih lanjut!
Gereja
Injili
Indonesia
Azusa
539 N. Sunset Ave,
Azusa, CA 91702
LOKASI
LAINNYA:
Jadwal
kegiatan:
Gembala Sidang:
Rev. Kristianto Hosea
Minggu Pk. 09.00 Sekolah Minggu Dewasa
Pk. 10.30 Kebaktian Umum (IndonesiaN & English)
Sekolah Minggu Anak-anak
Pk. 16.00 Chinese Service
(diterjemahkan ke bahasa Indonesia)
Jumat Pk. 19.30 Kebaktian Doa (Indonesian & English)
Bible Study Anak-anak
Sabtu Pk. 18.30 youth fellowship (Indonesian & English)
GII San Jose
GII Seattle
600 W. Campbell Ave.
Campbell, CA 95008
(408) 343-1314
(c/o First Christian Reformed Church)
14555 25th Ave. N.E.
Shoreline, WA 98155
(425) 357-5928
GII Sacramento
(c/o Chinese Grace Bible Church)
6656 Park Riviera Way
Sacramento, CA 95831
(916) 692-3756
GII San Francisco
400 Brussels St.
San Francisco, CA 94134
(415) 656-0886
5
R
reflection
As this year 2004 draws to a close and the prospect of
a new year reminds us again that time marches on, many will see
the turning of the calendar as their annual stimulus for personal
change and spiritual growth to make a significant and hopefully
lasting improvements in our physical health as well as spiritual.
I would like to share two things for my brief meditation as we
approach the closing year of 2004.
REFLECTION OF THE PASSING YEAR:
Points to reflect and ponder
Year 2004 has been a great year for us as a church for we
have just celebrated our 21st anniversary celebrating His goodness,
faithfulness, love, and blessing all over. Indeed God has been good
to us and for this we give thanks for the abundance of blessing that
He has bestowed upon us, it is all for us to look back and evaluate
ourselves whether we are making any progress in our Personal
Christian life, our church and family, our spiritual life and ministry,
and our work and study. Today we can ask ourselves whether we
6
have prospered in our walk with God and
our serving Him. Are we better off than
last year, strong and firm in the faith or
are we drifting along and take everything
for granted. Are we procrastinating and
have lost our burden and vision for God
and the lost? Well, take a good look at the
way we are living now and let us re-order
our life and set proper priorities right and
seek personal purity and once we do this,
we will see the promised prosperity that
God is going to bless us.
PREPARATION FOR THE NEW YEAR:
A few thoughts about personal resolutions
"New year’s resolutions." Normally
January 1st might be the day you and I
always make our personal resolutions.
And I must admit most of these are noble
pursuits, but my question is, do these new
year’s resolutions really work? Or do we
find that we are frequently successful in
making significant and lasting changes of
this annual form of sincere commitment?
In asking myself these questions, I had to
admit that I could not think of even one
significant or lasting change in my life that
has come as the result of such a calendardriven resolution. As Christians, such a
miserable ratio of success to failure should
cause us to examine the whole concept of
the new year’s resolution from a biblical
perspective and for this we need to come
back to the bible, the word of God.
A few considerations before making
personal resolutions:
1. Before making any resolution, consider
the Scripture prayerfully and carefully.
your other necessary duties, for as
Christians, we have a number of preexisting responsibilities that must take
precedence over personal resolutions.
It would be wrong to resolve to do
something that would prevent you
from fulfilling necessary duties.
3. Before making any resolution, and
especially before making it known to
others, consider how your family, your
church, and the reputation of Christ in a
watching world will be affected, either
by your faithfulness or by your failure to
follow through. (Luke 14:28-30)
4. Before making any resolution, examine
your own motives. Is it glorifying God?
Or am I trying to gain the approval and
admiration of people?
the cost that you have to pay or
otherwise you will have to regret.
CONCLUSION
Do you want to make the rest of your
life the best of your life especially in the
area of making resolution year after year,
you allow Jesus Christ to be your Lord. Put
Him first and live every moment for Him,
and He will take care of you for the rest of
your life. [JL/MR]
Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own
understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)
7
S
self evaluation ——————————————————————————
You call yourself a
Christian
by: Phebe Hosea
You call yourself a Christian
But do you even know what a Christian is?
You say you believe in Jesus
But do you really know who He is?
So what is a Christian?
Someone with Christian parents?
Someone who goes to church?
All these acts don’t define a Christian
For a Christian demands a relationship so pure,
so strong
A relationship so personal with the Almighty
So you may call yourself a Christian by label,
But do you call Jesus by name
whenever you encounter troubles?
Do you call Jesus by name
whenever you’re living a great life?
Think it through again.
You may call yourself a Christian
But are you doing what a Christian is called
to do?
Or are you covered with a cloud of fear—
that you can’t even say “God loves you”
to your friends?
How many lives have to be taken away
before you get your act together?
You say “later”, “I’m not ready.”
The answer is “You are ready” just trust in
the Lord.
Don’t waste another day watching one of your
close friends pass away,
Regretting you didn’t share the love and joy
God has given you with him sooner.
Don’t wait until it’s too late.
Don’t regret
Live life as if it’s the last
So you call yourself a Christian
But is Jesus who you live for?
If this is so—great
If not—better think twice before calling yourself
a Christian
Because you’re giving the Almighty Lord
a bad name.
Don’t badly represent.
No Imitations. Just Imitators of God.
8
P
profile
The America's Pastor
by:
Marcia Japutra &
Jeannie Lesmanawati
My one purpose in
life is to help people
find a personal
relationship with
God, which, I believe,
comes through
knowing Christ."
--Billy Graham
resident George Bush called this leading figure in
Christian community the "America’s pastor." William
Franklin Graham Jr., also known as Billy Graham, is
now more than 80 years old, and has been our leading
religious revivalist for more than 50 years, ever since
his eight-week triumph in Los Angeles in the autumn
of 1949. Graham's finest moment may have been when
he appeared at President Bush's side, Bible in hand, as
we commenced our war against Iraq in 1991.
My one purpose in life is to help people find a
personal relationship with God, which, I believe, comes
through knowing Christ." --Billy Graham
Evangelist Billy Graham took Christ at His word
when He said in Mark 16:15, "Go ye into all the world
and preach the Gospel to every creature." Mr. Graham
has preached the Gospel to more people in live
audiences than anyone else in history—over 210 million
people in more than 185 countries and territories—
through various meetings, including Mission World
and Global Mission. Hundreds of millions more have
been reached through television, video, film, and
webcasts. Since the 1949 Los Angeles crusade vaulted
Mr. Graham into the public eye, he has led hundreds
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of thousands of individuals to make
personal decisions to live for Christ,
which is the main thrust of his ministry.
Born November 7, 1918, four days
before the Armistice ended World War I,
Mr. Graham was reared on a dairy farm
in Charlotte, North Carolina. Growing up
during the Depression, he learned the
value of hard work on the family farm, but
he also found time to spend many hours in
the hayloft reading books on a wide variety
of subjects. In the Fall of 1934, at age 16,
Mr. Graham made a personal commitment
to Christ through the ministry of Mordecai
Ham, a traveling evangelist, who visited
Charlotte for a series of revival meetings.
Ordained in 1939 by a church in
the Southern Baptist Convention, Mr.
Graham received a solid foundation in
the Scriptures at Florida Bible Institute
(now Trinity College in Florida). In 1943 he
was graduated from Wheaton College in
Illinois and married fellow student Ruth
McCue Bell, daughter of a missionary
surgeon, who spent the first 17 years
of her life in China. After graduating
from college, Mr. Graham pastored the
First Baptist Church in Western Springs,
Illinois, before joining Youth for Christ,
an organization founded for ministry to
youth and servicemen during World War II.
He preached throughout the United States
and in Europe in the immediate post war
era, emerging as a rising young evangelist.
The Los Angeles crusade in 1949
launched Mr. Graham into international
prominence. Scheduled for three weeks,
the meetings were extended to more than
eight weeks, with overflow crowds filling a
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tent erected downtown each night. Many
of his subsequent early crusades were
similarly extended, including one in London
which lasted 12 weeks, and a New York
City crusade in Madison Square Garden
in 1957 which ran nightly for 16 weeks.
Today, at age 85, Billy Graham and his
ministry are known around the globe. He
has preached in remote African villages
and in the heart of New York City,
and those to whom he has ministered
have ranged from heads of state to the
simple living bushmen of Australia and
the wandering tribes of Africa and the
Middle East. Since 1977, Mr. Graham
has been accorded the opportunity to
conduct preaching missions in virtually
every country of the former Eastern
bloc, including the former Soviet Union.
Mr. Graham founded the Billy Graham
Evangelistic Association (BGEA) in 1950
which was headquartered in Minneapolis,
Minnesota, until relocating to Charlotte,
North Carolina in 2003. He conducts his
ministry through the BGEA, including:
•
the weekly “Hour of Decision”
radio program broadcast around
the world on Sundays for over 50
years.
•
crusade television specials which
are regularly broadcast in prime
time in almost every market in
the United States and Canada
approximately six times annually.
•
a
newspaper
column,
“My
Answer,” which is carried by
newspapers both nationally and
internationally.
•
Decision magazine, the official
publication of the Association,
which has a circulation of more
than one million and is available
in English and German versions,
with special editions available in
Braille and on cassette tape for
the visually impaired.
•
World Wide Pictures which has
produced and distributed over 125
productions, making it one of the
foremost producers of evangelistic
films in the world. Films have been
translated into 38 languages and
viewed by more than 250 million
people worldwide and, for a
minimum charge, are provided
for showing in prisons and
correctional facilities nationwide.
Mr. Graham has written 24 books,
many of which have become top sellers.
His autobiography, "Just As I Am,"
published in 1997, achieved a "triple
crown," appearing simultaneously on the
three top best-seller lists in one week. In it
Mr. Graham reflects on his life, including
nearly 60 years of ministry around the
world. From humble beginnings as the
son of a dairy farmer in North Carolina,
he shares how his unwavering faith in
Christ formed and shaped his career.
Of his other books, "Approaching
Hoofbeats: The Four Horsemen of
the Apocalypse" (1983) was listed for
several weeks on The New York Times
best seller list; "How to Be Born Again"
(1977) had the largest first printing in
publishing history with 800,000 copies;
"Angels: God’s Secret Agents" (1975)
sold one million copies within 90 days;
and "The Jesus Generation" (1971) sold
200,000 copies in the first two weeks.
Mr. Graham’s counsel has been
sought by presidents, and his appeal in
both the secular and religious arenas is
evidenced by the wide range of groups
that have honored him, including
numerous honorary doctorates from
many institutions in the U. S. and abroad.
Recognitions include the Congressional Gold Medal (1996); the Speaker of
the Year Award (1964); the Templeton
Foundation Prize for Progress in Religion
(1982); and the Ronald Reagan Presidential
Foundation Freedom Award (2000) for
contributions to the cause of freedom. He
has received the Big Brother Award (1966)
for his work on behalf of the welfare of
children and been cited by the George
Washington Carver Memorial Institute
(1964) for his contributions to race
relations. He has also been recognized by
the Anti-Defamation League of the B’nai
B’rith (1969) and the National Conference
of Christians and Jews (1971) for his efforts
to foster a better understanding among
all faiths. In December 2001 he was
presented with an honorary knighthood,
Honorary Knight Commander of the
Order of the British Empire (KBE),
for his international contribution to
civic and religious life over 60 years.
Mr. Graham is regularly listed by the
Gallup organization as one of the "Ten
Most Admired Men in the World," whom
it described as the dominant figure in that
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poll since 1948—making an unparalleled
46th appearance and 39th consecutive
appearance. He has also appeared on
the covers of Time, Newsweek, Life,
U.S. News and World Report, Parade,
and numerous other magazines and has
been the subject of many newspaper
and magazine feature articles and books.
He and his wife, Ruth, have three
daughters, two sons, 19 grandchildren
and numerous great grandchildren.
The Grahams make their home in the
mountains of North Carolina. Billy
Graham has led such a wonderful living
testimony of Christian faith. Through
his numerous ministries in Billy Graham
Evangelistic Association (BGEA) and his
powerful personal life, thousands of
people around the world have come to
know Christ. Truly, Billy Graham is the
"America’s Pastor" who has lived his faith
and has greatly affected the life of many.
Billy Graham Evangelistic Crusade
("The Crusade") is a concerted effort
by Christians in a specified community
or area to bring the Gospel of Jesus
Christ to the attention of every person
in that community or area. The purpose
is to evangelize the community using a
variety of methods with primary emphasis
on personal evangelism, as well as to
strengthen the local church for continuing
witness and discipleship through renewal
and training activities during event
preparations. These objectives can only
be achieved as churches and thousands
12
of Christians commit themselves wholeheartedly to pray, to work, and to witness
in a cooperative effort of proclaiming
Jesus Christ to an entire area.
The latest crusade was The Greater
Los Angeles Crusade—as a part of
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association’s
ministries—on November 18-21, 2004, at
the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. In
this Crusade, Christians were encouraged
to get involved in the ministry: the locals
can help in becoming counselors, ushers,
translators, participants in the events
(and in the 'subevents' such as Love-In
Action project and Operation Christmas
Child), etc; nonlocals can help as well,
by spreading the word about the event/
projects, and especially praying for God's
help on the Crusade.
Billy Graham spoke at the event which
featured numerous guests including
musical artists such as Jars of Clay and Third
Day. Many people’s lives were changed
through this event. At the conclusion
of another historic Los Angeles Crusade,
Billy Graham had preached to more than
312,000 people, and the angels in heaven
were rejoicing over the more than 12,000
men and women, boys and girls who had
committed their lives to Jesus Christ.
There will be similar events scheduled
in other parts of the country every year.
By God's grace, those will undoubtly lead
more people to salvation in Christ. [JL/MR]
Sources:
• w w w . b i l l y g r a h a m . o r g / m e d i a R e l a t i o n s/
bios.asp?p=1
• www.wheaton.edu/bgc/archives/archhp1.html
• www.time.com/time/time100/heroes/profile/
graham01.html
B
bible fact ——————————————————————— by: Rachel Atmadja
J
ehovah’s Witnesses (JW) had
its beginnings in Charles Taze
Russell (1852-1916). As a man of
reason, Russell disliked the doctrines of
hell and the Trinity precisely because
they contradicted human reason.
When the Adventists advocated that
the wicked were annihilated instead
of eternally-punished, Russell joined
the Adventist ranks. By age eighteen,
Russell had already formed his own
Bible Study and is developing his own
theology. He never had any formal
theological training. The Adventists had
predicted that Christ will return in 1874.
Five years after the failed prediction, Russell
left the Adventists. In 1869, Russell founded the
Watchtower Bible Tract Society (WTBTS), later known
as the Jehovah’s Witnesses. The magazine “The Watchtower”
became the chief means of spreading Russell’s theology. Russell’s
theology placed a strong emphasis in Armageddon, and the concept
that the dead are completely annihilated, instead of suffering an
eternal punishment in hell. When World War I occurred in 1914, he
said that it was the “beginning of Armageddon.” After his death in
1916, a series of WTBTS presidents have launched predictions after
predictions that continued to disappoint their followers.
Jehovah’s Witnesses based their predictions on their interpretation
of Matthew 24:34. “This generation will certainly not pass away until
all these things have happened.” Jehovah’s Witnesses believed that
the ‘generation’ refers to the JW’s who had converted in 1914. Russell’s
successors tried to stay within the 1914 generation lifespan in their
predictions.
Summarized from So What’s the Difference by Fritz Ridenour.
13
Joseph F. Rutherford, the man who
succeeded Russell as president in 1917, set
1925 as the new date for Armageddon.
When 1925 passed without Armageddon,
Rutherford claimed that he has been
misunderstood despite the fact that it was
he who advertised the 1925 Armageddon
in “The Watchtower.” Rutherford made
another prediction; he predicted that 1931
will be the year Armageddon will arrive.
Meanwhile, Rutherford tried to increase
membership by spreading the word that
only 144,000 people will make it to heaven.
It worked, Jehovah’s Witnesses swelled in
rank; but a problem soon appeared. They
are exceeding the 144,000 Rutherford had
originally set as those who could enter
heaven. To solve this problem, Rutherford
announced that those who became a
JW in before 1935 would go to heaven,
and the rest will look forward to a life in
paradise on earth (after Armageddon).
Rutherford set another prediction (1940)
before he died in 1942.
John Knorr (Rutherford’s successor) set
1975 as the “absolute final” date for
Armageddon. Setting the prediction
at 1975 gave the JW 1914 generation
time to live just long enough to see
Armageddon. However, 1975 passed
without Armageddon.
Frederick Franz succeeded Knorr in
1977. He avoided making more predictions;
but he held on to the doctrine that the
JW generation of 1914 will experience
Armageddon.
Franz was succeeded by Milton G.
Henschel, who discarded the entire
1914 generation by reinterpreting the
14
‘generation’ mentioned in Matthew 24:34 as
“all people in any generation who would
see the signs of Christ’s coming but fail to
mend their ways.”
Jehovah’s Witnesses still used Russell’s
theology despite their claim to reject him
as an authority in “The Watchtower.”
They continued to reject the doctrine
of the Trinity (just like Russell) and to
endorse the concept that the wicked will
be totally annihilated instead of eternally
punished. As a man of reason, Russell tried
to make sense of God’s word by twisting
it to fit his own theology. The New World
Translation of the Holy Scriptures (the JW
translation of the Bible) was designed
to fit JW theology. Here are the main
doctrines that set Jehovah’s Witnesses
apart from true Christianity.
1. They Deny the Trinity
Jehovah’s Witnesses rejected the
concept of the Trinity, deeming it
unreasonable and an insult to “God-given
reason.” They try to reason that if Jesus
was God when He died, then who ran the
universe during the three days that Jesus
was in the grave? The answer is simple,
Jesus may have died physically, but he
continued to exist and rule the universe as
the Trinity. Biblical Christianity taught that
“…the eternal God exists in three coequal
and coeternal persons—Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit. All three have the same divine
nature (essence) and, therefore, exists
as one divine being.” References to the
Fast Facts
Charles Taze
Russell in 1869 by the name
of the Watchtower Bible
Tract Society (WTBTS)
Founded by
Other main leaders:
* Joseph F. Rutherford
* John Knorr
* Frederick Franz
* Milton G. Henschel
Watch out for
The Watch-
tower (their magazine) and
The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (their bible)
They deny these doctrines:
* Trinity
* Christ's deity
* Christ's bodily ressurection
* Holy Spirit is God
* Christ's full atonement
Beware
of their weekly
We
should train ourselves to know our basic
door-to-door ministry!
doctrines in order to resist
being swayed by them!
Trinity had been found in Genesis 1: 26,
where Jehovah says, “Let us make man
in our image.” Other references to the
Trinity are found in John 14:26, 15:26, 2
Corinthians 13:14, and 1 Peter 1:2
2. They Deny Christ’s Deity
Although Jehovah’s Witnesses honors
Christ; they saw Jesus as nothing more
than a mighty god while Jehovah is the
Almighty God who created Jesus. In turn,
Jesus created everything else. This idea
was not new; it had been proposed by
Arius, a pastor’s assistant from a church in
Alexandria, in AD 325. In short, Jehovah’s
Witnesses taught a polytheistic religion of
two gods; Jehovah the Almighty God, and
Jesus the mighty god.
According to Russell’s teachings; Jesus
had been the archangel Michael in
heaven. Michael supposedly renounced
his “godlike” characteristics and left
behind his life force. Russell believed that
Jehovah placed Michael’s life force in
the womb of the Virgin Mary. While on
Earth, JW’s say that Jesus was just a perfect
man, and after his death on the cross,
Michael’s life force returned to heaven
and Jesus is completely annihilated (the
JW concept of death).
Jehovah’s Witnesses twisted the
phrase “the only begotten Son of God”
into the “first and only being created
directly by Jehovah.” Since Jesus is called
“the Word,” Jehovah’s Witnesses
also twisted that reference into simply
“speaks for Jehovah.” John 1:1 is another
passage that Jehovah’s Witnesses
have tampered with:
15
Actual Verse:
“In the beginning was the Word and
the Word was with God.” (John 1:1)
Context: Jesus is equal to God
The NWT (Jehovah’s translation of the Bible):
“In the beginning was the Word and
the Word was a god.”
Context: Jesus is beneath God.
3. They Deny Jesus’ Bodily Resurrection
Jehovah’s Witnesses believed that
Christ did not rise bodily from the
dead. Their concept of death is that of
total annihilation. They reasoned that
Jesus must have risen only in spirit; and
that his spirit only seemed like a body.
Another rationalization is that Jehovah
did not resurrect, but “recreate” Jesus’
body. Jehovah’s Witnesses believed that
Jehovah could recreate any life pattern by
drawing from His memory.
The Christian answer to the JW claim
that Jesus rose only in spirit is found in
Luke 24: 36-43. When Jesus appeared
to his disciples, he allowed his disciples
(notably Thomas) to touch him and see
that he is there in the flesh; he also ate a
piece of fish.
4. They Deny the Holy Spirit is God
According to he WTBTS, the Holy Spirit
is an “invisible act or force that God uses
to inspire His Servants to do his will.”
5. They Deny Christ’s Full Atonement
Although Jehovah’s Witnesses stated
that salvation is “off grace” granted
by Jehovah, nowhere did it say in “The
Watchtower” that salvation is by faith
16
alone. JW’s regarded Jesus Christ as a
“ransom to God for Adam’s sin,” but by
Christ they meant the Archangel Michael’s
life force in human form. Jehovah’s
Witnesses believed that Jesus, the perfect
human, was a fair trade for Adam’s sin.
Jesus made it possible for all men to be
saved; but for mankind to be saved, they
must earn their salvation through “works
and perfect obedience to Jehovah and
doing exactly what the WTBTS teaches.”
Being a Jehovah’s Witnesses meant that
one has to constantly reaffirm one’s
salvation. Even salvation would not
include going to heaven as the quota of
144,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses had been
filled to capacity. They only have an
earthly paradise to look forward to.
Jehovah’s Witnesses continued to
entice more followers despite their failed
predictions of Armageddon. Diligent
Jehovah’s Witnesses organized a weekly
door-to-door ministry that spells danger
to the not-fully-mature Christians. If
we hope to witness to these Jehovah’s
Witnesses, we must be well-grounded
in the basic doctrines of the Trinity, the
bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ, and
that salvation is by God’s grace alone.
Just as the Jehovah’s Witnesses were
trained to memorize passages from the
NWT (Jehovah’s Witnesses translation
of the Bible), Christians must also train
themselves to know the basic doctrines
in order to resist being swayed by false
doctrines. [RA/MR]
S
sharing —————————————————————————————
Don’t Let it End This Way
by: Sue Kidd
source: Chicken Soup for the Christian Soul
The hospital was unusually quiet that bleak January evening, quiet and still, like the air
before a storm. I stood in the nurses’ station on the seventh floor and glanced at the clock. It
was 9:00 P.M.
I threw a stethoscope around my neck and headed for room 712, last room of the hall.
Room 712 had a new patient, Mr. Williams. A man all alone. A man strangely silent about his
family.
As I entered the room, Mr. Williams looked up eagerly, but dropped his eyes when he
saw it was only his nurse. I pressed the stethoscope over his chest and listened. Strong, slow,
even beating. Just what I wanted to hear. There seemed little indication he had suffered a
slight heart attack a few hours earlier.
He looked up from his starched white bed. “Nurse, would you…” He hesitated, tears filling his eyes. Once before he had started to ask me a question, but had changed his mind.
I touched his hand, waiting.
He brushed away a tear. “Would you call my daughter? Tell her I’ve had a heart attack.
A slight one. You see, I live alone and she is the only family I have.” His respiration suddenly
sped up.
I turned his nasal oxygen up to eight liters a minute.
“Of course, I’ll call her,” I said, studying his face.
He gripped the sheets and pulled himself forward, his face tense with urgency. “ Will
you call her right away – as soon as you can?” He was breathing fast – too fast.
“I’ll call her first thing,” I said, patting his shoulder. “Now you get some rest.”
I flipped off the light. He closed his eyes, such young blue eyes in his 50-year-old face.
Room 712 was dark except for a faint night-light under the sink. Oxygen gurgled in the
green tubes above his bed. Reluctant to leave, I moved through the shadowy silence to the
window. The panes were cold. Below, a foggy mist curled through the hospital parking lot.
Above, snow clouds quilted the night sky. I shivered.
“Nurse,” he called. “Could you get me a pencil and paper?”
I dug a scrap of yellow paper and a pen from my pocket and set it on the bedside table.
17
“Thank you,” he said.
I smiled at him and left.
I walked back to the nurses’ station and sat in a squeaky swivel chair by the phone. Mr.
Williams’ daughter was listed on his chart as the next of kin. I got her number from information and dialed. Her soft voice answered.
“Janie, this is Sue Kidd, a registered nurse at the hospital. I’m calling about your father.
He was admitted today with a slight heart attack and …”
“No!” she screamed into the phone, startling me. “He’s not dying, is he?” It was more a
painful plea than a question.
“His condition is stable at the moment,” I said, trying hard to sound convincing.
Silence. I bit my lip.
“You must not let him die!” she said. Her voice was so utterly compelling that my hand
trembled on the phone.
“He is getting the very best care.”
“But you don’t understand,” she pleaded. “My daddy and I haven’t spoken in almost a
year. We had a terrible argument on my twenty-first birthday, over my boyfriend. I ran out
of the house. I…I haven’t been back. All these months I’ve wanted to go to him for forgiveness. The last thing I said to him was, ‘I hate you.’”
Her voice cracked and I heard her heave great agonizing sobs. I sat, listening, tears burning my eyes. A father and a daughter, so lost to each other! Then I was thinking of my own
father, many miles away. It had been so long since I had said I love you.
As Janie struggled to control her tears, I breathed a prayer. “Please God, let this daughter find forgiveness.”
“I’m coming, now! I’ll be there in 30 minutes,” she said. Click. She had hung up.
I tried to busy myself with a stack of charts on the desk. I couldn’t concentrate. Room
712. I knew I had to get back to 712. I hurried down the hall nearly in a run. I opened the
door.
Mr. Williams lay unmoving. I reached for his pulse. There was none.
“Code 99. Room 712. Code 99. Stat.” The alert was shooting through the hospital within
seconds after I called the switchboard through the intercom by the bed.
Mr. Williams had had a cardiac arrest.
With lightning speed I leveled the bed and bent over his mouth, breathing air into his
lungs. I positioned my head over his chest and compressed. One, two, three. I tried to count.
At 15, I moved back to his mouth and breathed as deeply as I could. Where was help? Again I
compressed and breathed. Compressed and breathed. He could not die!
“Oh, God,” I prayed. “His daughter is coming. Don’t let it end this way.”
The door burst open. Doctors and nurses poured into the room, pushing emergency
equipment. A doctor took over the manual compression of the heart. A tube was inserted
through his mouth as an airway. Nurses plunged syringes of medicine into the intravenous
tubing.
I connected the heart monitor. Nothing. Not a beat. My own heart pounded. “God,
don’t let it end like this. Not in bitterness and hatred. His daughter is coming. Let her find
peace.”
18
“Stand back,” cried a doctor. I handed him the paddles for the electrical shock to the
heart. He placed them on Mr. William’s chest.
Over and over we tried. But nothing. No response. Mr. Williams was dead.
A nurse unplugged the oxygen. The gurgling stopped. One by one they left, grim and
silent.
How could this happen? How? I stood by his bed, stunned. A cold wind rattled the window, pelting the panes with snow. Outside – everywhere – seemed a bed of blackness, cold
and dark. How could I face his daughter?
When I left the room, I saw her against the wall by a water fountain. A doctor, who had
been in 712 only moments before, stood at her side, talking to her, gripping her elbow. Then
he moved on, leaving her slumped against the wall.
Such pathetic hurt reflected from her face. Such wounded eyes. She knew. The doctor
had told her her father was gone.
I took her hand and led her into the nurses’ lounge. We sat on little green stools, neither
saying a word. She stared straight ahead at a pharmaceutical calendar, glass-faced, almost
breakable-looking. “Janie, I’m so, so sorry,” I said. It was pitifully inadequate.
“I never hated him, you know. I loved him,” she said.
God, please help her, I prayed.
Suddenly she whirled toward me. “I want to see him.”
My first thought was, why put yourself through more pain? Seeing him will only make it
worse. But I got up and wrapped my arm around her. We walked slowly down the corridor
to 712. Outside the door I squeezed her hand, wishing she would change her mind about going inside. She pushed open the door.
We moved to the bed, huddled together, taking small steps in unison. Janie leaned over
the bed and buried her face in the sheets.
I tried not to look at her, at this sad, sad good-bye. I backed against the bedside table.
My hand fell upon a scrap of yellow paper. I picked it up. I read.
My dearest Janie, I forgive you. I pray you will also forgive me. I know that you love me.
I love you, too. Daddy.
The note was shaking in my hands as I thrust it toward Janie. She read it once. Then
twice. Her tormented face grew radiant. Peace began to glisten in her eyes. She hugged the
scrap of paper to her breast.
“Thank you, God,” I whispered, looking up at the window. A few crystal stars blinked
through the blackness. A snowflake hit the window and melted away, gone forever.
Life seemed as fragile as a snowflake on the window. But thank you, God, that relationships, sometimes as fragile as a snowflake, can be mended together again. But there is not a
moment to spare.
I crept from the room and hurried to the phone. I would call my own father. I would say,
“I love you.” [SS/EL]
“Forgiveness is the final form of love”
~Reinhold Niebuhr~
19
P
parenting ——————————
Masalah Membesarkan Anak
by: Jeannie Lesmanawati
James Dobson
menulis
buku ini untuk menjawab pertanyaanpertanyaan yang sering muncul
dalam membesarkan anak. Buku
ini ditulis dalam format tanya
jawab, dan di dalamnya terdapat
macam-macam topik yang ditujukan
untuk menjawab pertanyaan akan masalah-masalah anak balita sampai remaja.
Di dalam artikel kali ini, penulis ingin mengangkat salah satu topik buku ini yaitu
masalah Pendidikan Rohani Anak. Sebagai orang tua Kristen yang hidup dalam
jaman sekarang ini, banyak hal yang tentunya sangat menguatirkan ketika kita
memikirkan bagaimana cara mendidik anak-anak sebagai orang Kristen yang baik.
Di dalam bukunya, pertama-tama Dr. Dobson menekankan bahwa yang paling
penting ialah kebijaksanaan dalam menjadi orang tua harus berasal dari Allah Bapa.
Sangat disayangkan pada jaman dewasa ini, banyak orang tua yang mencari jawaban
untuk membesarkan anak hanya dari sumber humanis ataupun psikologis karena
mereka tidak sadar bahwa sumber yang paling penting ialah dari Allah sendiri.
Menurut Dr. Dobson ada dua konsep yang sangat penting dalam menjadi orang tua:
1. "Saya mengasihi kamu lebih daripada yang mungkin kamu
mengerti. Kamu sangat berharga bagi saya dan setiap hari saya
mengucap syukur kepada Allah karena Ia membiarkan saya
membesarkan kamu!"
2. "Karena saya mengasihi kamu, saya harus mengajar kamu agar
kamu mentaati saya. Itulah jalan satu-satunya sehingga saya
dapat memelihara kamu dan melindungi kamu dari hal-hal yang
mungkin menyakiti kamu."
Nah, selanjutnya dengan dua konsep ini di tangan, mari kita lihat beberapa
pertanyaan penting yang diajukan oleh para orang tua dalam buku Dr. Dobson ini
mengenai pendidikan rohani anak di dalam rumah:
20
1.
Haruskah seorang anak dibiarkan
"memutuskan sendiri" hal-hal yang
ada hubungannya dengan konsep
tentang Allah? Jika kita memberitahukan kepadanya apa yang harus dipercayainya bukankah itu berarti kita
memaksakan agama kita kepadanya?
Baiklah saya menjawab pertanyaan itu
dengan suatu ilustrasi dari alam. Seekor
anak angsa mempunyai ciri khas yang
relevan untuk hal ini. Tidak lama setelah
ia menetas dan keluar dari telurnya ia
akan lekat pada (atau mendapat kesan
yang kuat dari) hal yang pertama yang
dilihatnya bergerak di dekatnya. Sejak
saat itu dan selanjutnya, ia akan mengikuti
ke mana pun benda yang paling dekat
dengannya itu bergerak. Biasanya ia akan
mengikuti jejak induk angsanya yang
berada di dekatnya untuk menetaskan
generasi yang baru itu. Tetapi jika induk
angsa itu disingkirkan, maka anak angsa
itu akan mengikuti apa saja yang bergerak
yang dianggap sebagai pengganti
induknya, entah benda itu benda hidup
atau benda mati. Sebenarnya seekor
anak angsa akan mudah sekali lekat pada
semacam bola yang berwarna biru, yang
diseret-seret dengan seutas tali. Seminggu
kemudian ia akan mengikuti bola itu
pada saat bola itu bergerak dengan cepat
di dekatnya. Dalam proses ini waktu
merupakan faktor yang penting. Anak
angsa itu hanya mungkin memperoleh
kesan yang kuat itu pada beberapa
detik setelah ia menetas dari telur; jika
kesempatan itu dibiarkan berlalu begitu
saja, maka kesempatan itu tidak akan
mungkin untuk diperoleh kembali.
Dengan kata lain, di dalam kehidupan
anak angsa ini ada suatu masa yang
singkat, yang penting sekali, dan hanya
pada saat itulah ia mungkin memeperoleh
pelajaran yang bersifat naluriah itu.
Demikian juga di dalam kehidupan
seorang anak ada satu masa yang penting
dimana
petunjuk-petunjuk
tertentu
mungkin diberikan. Walaupun manusia
tidak mempunyai naluri (manusia hanya
memiliki nafsu, refleks, dorongan, dsb),
di dalam kehidupan anak-anak ada satu
masa yang singkat dimana anak-anak
peka terhadap pendidikan agama. Konsep
mereka tentang apa yang benar dan apa
yang salah, yang oleh Freud dinamakan
supergo, dibentuk selama masa ini, dan
pandangan mereka tentang Allah mulai
terbentuk. Sama seperti halnya dengan
anak angsa itu. Kesempatan yang terdapat
pada masa itu harus dipergunakan pada
saat masih mungkin diperoleh.
Sebagaimana
sering
dikutip
para pemimpin Gereja Katolik Roma
mengatakan, "Berikan kepada kami
seorang anak sampai ia berusia tujuh
tahun, maka seumur hidupnya ia akan
menjadi seorang Katolik." Apa yang
mereka nyatakan dan yakini ini biasanya
memang benar, karena sikap yang
permanen dapat ditanamkan selama
tujuh tahun yang merupakan tahun
pembentukan ini. Tetapi, sayangnya, hal
yang kebalikannya juga berlaku. Tidak
ada petunjuk atau salahnya petunjuk
yang diberikan selama masa awal
pembentukan yang penting ini dapat
sangat membatasi dalamnya pengabdian
seorang anak kepada Allah di kemudian
hari. Jika orang tua mengatakan bahwa
mereka tidak mau mengindoktrinasi anak
mereka yang masih kecil dan membiarkan
anak mereka untuk "memutuskan
sendiri," itu hampir berarti bahwa
mereka menjamin bahwa anak itu akan
21
mengambil keputusan yang negatif. Jika
orang tua mengehendaki agar anaknya
mempunyai iman yang berarti, maka
mereka tidak boleh mencoba usaha yang
keliru dengan membiarkan anak memilih
sendiri. Anak mendengarkan dengan
seksama untuk mengetahui sampai di
mana kepercayaan orang tua terhadap
apa yang mereka sendiri ajarkan; keraguraguan dan kebingungan mengenai etika
yang dialami orang tua kemungkinan
besar akan menjadi lebih parah di dalam
diri anak-anaknya.
2.
Setiap malam saya, istri saya dan
anak kami berdoa bersama-sama
dan anak kami setiap minggu pergi
ke Sekolah Minggu dan ke gereja.
Tetapi saya masih merasa bahwa hal
ini belum cukup untuk meneguhkan
perkembangan agamanya. Apa lagi
yang dapat saya lakukan demi pertumbuhan rohaninya saat ini dimana
kesanggupannya untuk memusatkan
perhatian begitu terbatas?
Jawabannya diberikan oleh Musa
ketika 4000 tahun yang lalu ia menulis
Kitab
Ulangan,
“Haruslah
engkau
mengajarkannya berulang-ulang kepada
anak-anakmu dan membicarakannya
apabila engkau duduk di rumahmu,
apabila engkau sedang dalam perjalanan,
apabila engkau bangun. Haruslah juga
engkau mengikatkannya sebagai tanda
pada tanganmu dan haruslah itu menjadi
lambing di dahimu, dan haruslah engkau
menuliskannya pada tiang pintu rumahmu
dan pada pintu gerbangmu” (Ulangan 6:
7-9). Dengan kata lain kita tidak dapat
menanamkan sikap-sikap ini hanya dalam
waktu yang singkat selama doa sebelum
tidur, atau hanya selama jam pelajaran
yang formal. Kita harus menyatakannya
22
dalam seluruh kehidupan kita dari pagi
sampai malam. Firman Tuhan harus
ditanamkan di dalam percakapan santai
disertai ilustrasi, demonstrasi, pujian
dan hajaran atau disiplin. Saya percaya
bahwa tugas mengajar ini merupakan
tugas yang paling penting yang diberikan
Allah kepada kita sebagai orang tua.
3.
Sukar sekali bagi kami untuk mengadakan kebaktian yang berarti sebagai
satu keluarga sebab anak-anak kami
nampaknya begitu bosan dan tidak
mau ikut serta. Mereka menguap, tidak mau diam dan tertawa cekikikan
pada waktu kami membacakan ayatayat dari Alkitab. Sebaliknya, kami
merasa bahwa mengajar mereka untuk berdoa dan menyelidiki Alkitab
itu penting. Dapatkah anda menolong
kami untuk mengatasi dilema ini?
Satu-satunya kata kunci untuk
kebaktian di antara anggota keluarga
ialah: Singkat. Kita tidak bisa berharap
bahwa anak-anak akan mengerti dan
menghargai kegiatan rohani orang tua
yang panjang-panjang. Empat atau lima
menit untuk merenungkan satu atau
dua ayat Alkitab, lalu diikuti dengan
doa singkat, biasanya merupakan batas
maksimal anak-anak prasekolah dapat
memusatkan perhatiannya. Jika kita
memaksa anak-anak kecil agar mereka
mengenal kebenaran yang kekal melalui
kebaktian yang rasanya lama sekali,
maka hal itu dapat berbahaya sekali.
4. Bagaimana caranya konsep tentang
Allah dapat ditanamkan di dalam
pikiran seorang anak?
Sudah merupakan fakta yang banyak
diketahui orang bahwa seorang anak
memandang orang tuanya sebagai
gambaran tentang Allah, entah para
orang tua itu menghendakinya atau
tidak. Umpamanya, sementara mereka
mengikuti pimpinan orang tua yang
penuh kasih, anak-anak itu juga belajar
untuk mengikuti pimpinan Allah sendiri.
Kita bertanggung jawab untuk
mencerminkan dua aspek dari tabiat
Allah kepada generasi yang berikutnya.
Pertama-tama, Bapa kita yang di surga
adalah Allah. KasihNya tidak terbatas,
dan anak-anak kita harus mengenal
belas kasihan Allah dan kelembutan
Allah melalui sikap kita yang penuh
kasih terhadap mereka. Tetapi jangan
Anda salah mengerti mengenai hal ini.
Tuhan kita juga merupakan Tuhan yang
memiliki wewenang yang Maha Agung
dan mulia! Alam semesta ini diatur oleh
Tuhan yang Maha Kuasa yang menuntut
ketaatan dari anak-anakNya. Dan Allah
juga sudah memperingati mereka "upah
dosa itu maut." Jika kita menunjukkan
kepada anak-anak kita kasih yang
tidak disertai wewenang maka hal itu
merupakan hal yang sangat menyimpang,
sama menyimpangnya seperti jika kita
menunjukkan wewenang tangan besi
tanpa kasih.
5. Kapan masa yang paling penting di
dalam pendidikan rohani anak-anak
kecil?
Saya percaya bahwa tahun yang
kelima dalam kehidupan seorang anak
merupakan masa yang paling penting.
Sampai saat itu anak percaya kepada Allah
sebab orang tuanya memberitahukan
bahwa itulah yang patut dilakukannya.
Pada sekitar usia lima atau enam tahun
ia sampai pada suatu persimpangan
jalan: apakah ia akan mulai meraih dan
menerima konsep itu sebagai konsepnya
atau ia menolaknya. Pada titik itu, ia
mungkin menerimanya dan menjejakkan
kakinya pada sebuah landasan yang lebih
kokoh-atau ia mulai meragukan hal itu,
dan ini berarti ia sudah mulai meletakkan
dasar untuk penolakan.
Tentu saja saya tidak bermaksud
untuk mengatakan bahwa orang tua
harus menunggu sampai seorang anak
berusia lima atau enam tahun untuk
memulai pendidikan rohaninya. Dan
hal ini juga tidak berarti bahwa tahuntahun yang berikutnya itu tidak penting.
Tetapi saya yakin bahwa dalam masa
anak berusia lima enam tahun orang tua
harus berusaha dengan rajin di rumah
untuk memberikan pendidikan agama.
Demikian juga guru-guru Sekolah Minggu
yang terbaik harus diatur supaya mengajar
anak-anak yang berusia lima dan enam
tahun. Setelah masa itu memang ada
persimpangan-persimpangan jalan yang
penting, tetapi inilah persimpangan
penting yang pertama.
6. Di dalam Alkitab orang tua diperintahkan, "Didiklah orang muda
menurut jalan yang patut baginya."
Tetapi ini menimbulkan pertanyaan
yang penting: Jalan apa yang patut
baginya? Jika tujuh tahun yang pertama dari kehidupan seorang anak
itu merupakan "masa yang sangat
penting" untuk pendidikan agama,
apa yang harus diajarkan dalam masa
ini? Apa yang harus dialaminya dalam
masa ini? Nilai-nilai apa yang harus
ditekankan?
Berikut ini adalah sebagian dari apa
yang Dr. Dobson sebut sebagai “Daftar
Pendidikan Rohani"—satu perangkat
sasaran yang dapat digunakan untuk
menjawab pertanyaan diatas. Kebanyakan
23
dari
pokok-pokok
ini
menuntut
kedewasaan yang tidak ada pada anakanak dan kita tidak boleh mencoba
untuk membuat anak-anak yang belum
dewasa itu menjadi seperti orang dewasa.
Biarkan mereka hidup sebagai anak-anak
tetapi anak-anak yang mempunyai sikap
Kristen.
Kelima konsep alkitabiah yang
berikut ini terutama sekali harus dengan
sengaja diajarkan, agar menjadi landasan
bagi semua doktrin dan iman yang kelak
akan diajarkan. Saya mendorong agar
setiap orang tua Kristen mengevaluasi
pengertian anaknya dalam kelima hal ini:
A. "Kasihilah Tuhan, Allahmu, dengan
segenap hatimu" (Markus 12:30)
Apakah anak anda belajar mengenai
kasih Allah melalui kasih, kelembutan,
dan belas kasihan orang tuanya?
Apakah ia belajar untuk berbicara
tentang Allah, dan apakah ia mengikutsertakan Allah dalam pikiran dan
rencananya?
B. "Kasihilah sesama manusia seperti
dirimu sendiri" (Markus 12:31)
Apakah ia belajar untuk mengerti
dan untuk turut merasakan perasaan
orang lain?
Apakah ia belajar untuk tidak mementingkan diri sendiri dan untuk
tidak terlalu banyak menuntut?
C. "Ajarlah aku melakukan kehendakMu,
sebab Engkaulah Allahku!" (Mazmur
143:10)
Apakah ia belajar taat kepada orang
tuanya sebagai persiapan untuk kemudiaan taat kepada Allah?
24
Apakah ia belajar untuk secara sehat
menghargai dua aspek dari sifat Allah: kasih dan keadilan?
Apakah ia belajar apa artinya dosa
dan akibatnya?
D. "Takutlah akan Allah dan berpeganglah pada perintah-perintahNya, karena ini adalah kewajiban setiap orang"
(Pengkotbah 12:13)
Apakah ia belajar untuk bersikap
benar dan jujur?
Apakah ia belajar untuk menghormati
atau menguduskan hari Sabat?
E. "Tetapi buah Roh ialah... penguasaan
diri" (Galatia 5: 22,23)
Apakah ia belajar untuk memberikan
sebagian dari uangnya kepada Allah?
Apakah ia belajar untuk mengendalikan dorongan hatinya?
Ini hanya sebagian kecil dari yang Dr.
Dobson tuliskan dalam bukunya mengenai
pendidikan rohani anak-anak. Kiranya
para orang tua membaca buku Masalah
Membesarkan Anak oleh James Dobson
ini untuk belajar lebih lanjut dari para
orang tua lain yang juga menghadapi
masalah seperti yang kita hadapi. Semoga
artikel ini boleh membantu! [JL/EL]
SUMBER (BAHASA INGGRIS)
Dr. Dobson Answers Your Questions
About Raising Children
ISBN: 084230620X (trade paperback)
Publisher: Tyndale House Pub (1982)
Thickness: 265 pages
Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.3" x 8.2"
C
cerpen
by: Daniel Loe
C
emburu adalah merupakan
sesuatu yang indah di dalam
suatu percintaan... tetapi cemburu
buta adalah merupakan suatu
malapetaka yang membahayakan kalau
kita tidak segera menyadarinya....
Noelle sangat nervous setelah menghabiskan waktu selama satu jam untuk
merias dirinya secantik mungkin. Malam
ini adalah malam natal pertama buat
Noelle yang akan dirayakannya bersama
dengan boyfriendnya. Selama ini Noelle
susah sekali mendapatkan pacar, rasanya
tidak akan pernah ketemu sang pangeran
yang menjadi idaman hatinya. Sampai
suatu saat, enam bulan yang lalu di suatu
senja Noelle bertemu dengan Dean di
toko buku. Waktu itu mereka hampir
berpegangan tangan karena mereka ingin
mengambil buku yang sama. Noelle seketika merasa telah menemukan pangeran
yang selama ini selalu hadir dalam mimpi
indahnya. Hidung yang mancung, dagu
yang lancip bak dagu para bangsawan,
sinar mata yang teduh yang dapat menghanyutkan perasaan siapa saja yang
memandangnya. Noelle pun terhanyut
di sana seketika, sampai akhirnya Dean
memperkenalkan dirinya Noelle seolaholah baru sadar dari mimpinya. Wajah
Noelle seketika itu juga bersemu dadu.
Mereka langsung berkenalan dilanjutkan
dengan minum coffee Starbucks yang ada
di toko buku tersebut. Mereka menukar
nomor cell phone mereka sebelum
mereka berpisah. Mereka telah beberapa
kali bertemu, bercakap-cakap, lunch,
dinner dan nonton film. Tetapi meskipun
25
pada dasarnya mereka sudah berpacaran,
namun Noelle masih belum mengatakan
pada keluarganya atau memperkenalkan
Dean pada keluarganya. Rencana Noelle
adalah akan memperkenalkan Dean
pada keluarganya pada kebaktian malam
natal ini di gereja.
Noelle sengaja menjanjikan Dean
untuk bertemu dengannya di gereja,
dan malam inilah saatnya, Noelle membayangkan akan betapa handsome-nya
Dean nanti dan akan betapa kagetnya
keluarganya kalau mereka melihat Dean
nanti. Hati Noelle sangat berbungabunga, betapa tidak menjelang Natal
ini dia telah memperoleh dua hal yang
luar
biasa
membuat
hatinya selalu bernyanyi.
Pertama karena dia telah
menemukan
pujaan
hatinya, kedua karena
kakaknya yang selama ini
study di London datang
mengunjungi
keluarganya secara tiba-tiba
juga. Kakaknya berkata
bahwa dia sengaja tidak
mau
memberitahukan
akan
kedatangannya
karena dia ingin keluarganya surprise dengan kedatangannya
secara tiba-tiba. Noelle sangat senang
sekali karena selama bulan Desember
hampir setiap hari dia selalu berpergian.
Hari Senin, Rabu dan Jumat dia berpergian dengan kakaknya Brandon. Lalu
hari Selasa, Kamis dan Sabtu dia ‘pacaran’
dengan Dean. Sedang setiap hari Minggu
selalu
dihabiskannya
bersama-sama
26
dengan keluarganya baik di dalam rumah
ataupun dinner di luar rumah. Hari-hari
mendatang dia membayangkan kalau
Dean akan menjadi salah satu anggota
keluarganya pula. Maksud Noelle setelah
malam ini maka dia tidak perlu lagi
secret-secret-an dengan keluarganya.
Dan setiap saat orang tuanya mungkin
akan mengajak Dean untuk dinner
bersama-sama. Betapa Noelle ingin sekali
memperkenalkan Dean kepada Brandon.
Kedua pria ini adalah pria yang ganteng,
charming dan menawan hati. Kalau
Brandon bukan kakaknya Noelle sudah
jatuh cinta dari sejak pertama Noelle mulai
tertarik pada pria, Noelle memperhatikan
betapa kakaknya adalah pria yang sangat
ganteng dan betapa ingin dia nanti
mempunyai pacar seganteng kakaknya
atau lebih ganteng dari Brandon. Ketika
Noelle bertemu dengan Dean seketika itu
juga semua teori tentang laki-laki yang
akan menjadi pujaannya telah hadir di
depan matanya, dimana dengan mata
telanjang dia bisa melihat pria yang
telah menjelma dari dalam mimpinya
dan Noelle bisa memegangnya dengan
kedua tangannya. Noelle ingin sekali
kalau Brandon kakaknya akan mengacungkan kedua ibu jarinya sebagai tanda
dia memuji Noelle karena pandai memilih
pacar yang keren dan ganteng seperti
Dean, tetapi sayang sekali Brandon harus
kembali ke London karena urusan sekolah
yang harus dilakukannya. Harapan Noelle
untuk mempertemukan kedua pria
yang sangat disayanginya menjadi tinggal
impian belaka.
Kebaktian akan dimulai pukul 7
malam, tetapi Dean sudah berada di
depan gereja tepat pada pukul 6 sore.
Dean sempat bercakap-cakap dengan
beberapa orang gereja yang bertugas
sebagai penyambut. Para penyambut
gereja ini beberapa kali mempersilahkan
Dean untuk masuk dan duduk di dalam
karena udara pada malam itu begitu
dingin dan menusuk tulang. Tetapi
Dean berkata kalau dia akan menunggu
temannya di depan saja.
Sekitar pukul 6:30 malam Noelle dan
orang tuanya baru datang ketika dari
jauh Noelle melihat Dean sudah berada
di depan pintu sedang menunggunya
maka Noelle minta kepada orang tuanya
supaya dia diperbolehkan untuk turun
terlebih dahulu karena dia ingin menemui
temannya yang sedang menunggunya.
Papa Noelle menurunkan Noelle di depan
gereja lalu mencari tempat parkir di
belakang gereja. Noelle langsung berlari
dan menghampiri Dean yang sedang
berdiri termangu-mangu.
“Hi Dean... sudah lama menunggu?”
Dean menghampiri Noelle dan
mengajak Noelle ke jalan raya.
“Noelle....
aku
ingin
bertanya
kepadamu beberapa hal....”
“Dean..... sebaiknya aku akan memperkenalkan engkau pada keluargaku
terlebih dahulu.... baru kita berbicara
mengenai urusan kita, bagaimana?”
Dean tampak kecewa, dan menggelengkan kepalanya. “Noelle aku sebaiknya
menanyakan engkau langsung sekarang
juga...”
“Apakah itu Dean... kau tampaknya
seperti sedang marah?”
“Yah benar aku sedang marah dan
kesal karena pacarku menghianatiku!”
“Dean.... APA YANG KAU KATAKAN?
Apakah tidak salah pendengaranku?
Mengapa kau bisa berkata aku menghianatimu... atas dasar apa kau berkata
demikian?”
“Sudah jangan banyak berdalih..
katakan siapakah laki-laki tsb?”
“Apa maksudmu...Dean, laki-laki yang
mana yang kau maksud, dan di mana
kau melihat aku dengan pria yang kau
maksud?”
“Masih juga engkau menghindar?
Kalau tidak mau mengatakannya tidak
mengapa, aku rasa engkau sudah tidak
mencintai aku lagi!”
Dean bersiap-siap untuk meninggalkan Noelle seorang diri, tetapi Noelle
meminta dengan amat sangat untuk tidak
meninggalkannya.
“Dean... katakan padaku di mana kau
melihat aku dan kapan?”
“Aku melihat engkau bergandengan
tangan dengan seorang pria berbadan
atletis dan berwajah ganteng... dan kau...
kau makan malam bersama dengannya di
“Paris Bistro” hari kamis yang lalu...”
27
“Oohh... itu... Dean engkau salah
mengerti............”
“Apa maksudmu salah mengerti.. aku
melihatnya dengan mata kepalaku sendiri!
Aku melihat betapa berbahagianya
engkau dengannya.. engkau memeluknya
dia menggandengmu.... masih juga kau
katakan aku salah mengerti......?”
“Dean pria yang kau lihat bersamaku
adalah Brandon kakakku...... yang kuliah
di London dan sedang berlibur.....”
“Kau berbohong lagi.. sejak kapan
kau mempunyai kakak....kau tidak pernah
mengatakan bahwa kau mempunyai
kakak yang kuliah di London.... kau cuma
mengatakan kau mempunyai adik yang
kuliah di UI....”
“Dean.. kakakku ini selalu sibuk
dan sudah dua tahun dia tidak pernah
kembali karena sibuk dan tahun ini pun
dia mengatakan sibuk tidak bisa mengunjungi kami... itu sebabnya aku rasa tidak
perlu menceritakan perihal Brandon yang
tidak berada di sini. Tapi dia secara tibatiba dia kembali untuk membuat kami
surprise....”
“Kalau benar laki-laki itu adalah
kakakmu ayo perkenalkan aku padanya..
apakah dia juga datang ke gereja? Ayo
perkenalkan aku padanya, ayo kita masuk
ke dalam dan mencari kakakmu.... supaya
aku percaya!”
“Dean... dia sudah kembali ke London
lagi kemarin, karena dia ada yang harus
di kerjakan di sana pada hari natal.....!”
“Lihatlah.. betapa pandainya engkau
berdusta...... sudahlah aku tidak percaya
dengan semua ini... yang aku tahu adalah
aku selama ini telah dibohongi olehmu..
28
kau cuma wanita yang suka mempermainkan hati laki-laki, kau mempunyai
dua orang pacar bahkan mungkin lebih,
itulah sebabnya selama ini kau tidak
memperbolehkan
aku
kerumahmu...
karena kau tidak mau orang tuamu
mengetahui kau mempunyai banyak
pacar....aku menyesal telah jatuh hati
pada wanita bermuka malaikat dan
berhati ular seperti engkau...selamat
tinggal Noelle....”
Dean berlari menyeberangi jalan
dengan cepat dan tidak menggubris
tangisan dan permintaan Noelle untuk
tidak meninggalkannya.
“DEAANNN.... kembalilah! Tuduhanmu tidak benar.... demi Tuhan cuma
engkaulah satu-satunya orang yang aku
cintai.....!”
Dari seberang jalan Dean sempat
menoleh dan berteriak... “Sudahlah
simpanlah semua dustamu dan kembalilah
kau pada laki-laki tersebut dan semoga
kau berbahagia.....!!!!"
Noelle sungguh tidak mengerti
mimpi indah yang selama ini dialaminya
mengapa tiba-tiba menjadi retak dan
hancur berkeping-keping. Noelle sungguh
tidak tahu harus berbuat apa suaranya
seakan-akan sudah habis dipakainya
untuk memanggil-manggil Dean untuk
segera kembali, malam Natal malam
yang diharapkannya akan menjadi malam
yang khusus dan kudus di dalam hatinya
karena malam ini dia ingin memperkenalkan Dean kepada orang tuanya
menjadi malam yang seolah-olah malam
yang paling gelap yang pernah dialami
sepanjang hidupnya.
Noelle tanpa sadar berlari menyusul Dean yang hampir lenyap di persimpangan jalan, Noelle masih mempunyai
sedikit harapan kalau kalau dia bisa
mengejar Dean dan berlutut di depannya
serta bersumpah bahwa pria yang dilihat
oleh Dean bersama Noelle adalah benarbenar kakaknya mungkin Noelle masih
bisa memenangkan hati Dean. Noelle
berlari dan berlari, hari yang semakin
gelap dan kendaraan di jalan itupun
semakin banyak dan lalu lintas semakin
deras. Setiap pengemudi mobil di jalan
itu berlari dengan kencangnya karena
ingin menguber waktu untuk menghadiri
Christmas Eve worship atau Christmas
Eve party dengan tidak terlambat,
tetapi justru hal itu sangat membahayakan Noelle yang sedang menyeberang
tanpa benar-benar memperhatikan lalu
lintas yang ada sambil berteriak-teriak
memanggil-manggil nama Dean. Sehingga
tiba-tiba di tikungan jalan sebuah mobil
sport b e r w a r n a h i t a m dengan
kecepatan yang hebat melewati jalan
tersebut. Sopir mobil tersebut sempat
melihat seperti ada bayangan orang
yang sedang menyeberang dan
berusaha menginjak rem mobilnya
sekeras mungkin supaya
mobilnya berhenti dan
tidak
menghantam
bayangan
yang
sedang berlari itu.
Cieeeeeett
t t . . . . . . . ! ! ! ! ! Aa
auuuuuwwwww.
........!!!!!!!! DHUA
ARRRRR.......!!!!!!!!!
Cieeeeetttt.......Cieeeeeeettttt....!!!
DHAARRRRRR!!! DHUUAAARRRRR!!!!
Tubuh Noelle terhantam mobil sport
hitam itu, karena kecepatan yang sangat
tinggi membuat mobilnya tetap melaju
dengan cepatnya walaupun telah direm
dengan keras..... belum sampai tubuh
Noelle yang terhantam mobil sport hitam
itu jatuh ke tanah telah terhantam lagi
oleh kendaraan yang ada di jalur
berikutnya yang juga sedang melaju
dengan derasnya. Walaupun akhirnya
mobil-mobil yang menghantam tubuh
Noelle itu berhenti tetapi kendaraankendaraan yang ada di
belakangnya
tidak
lagi keburu untuk
menghentikan
mobil mereka
k e c u a l i
menabrak
habis mobil
y a n g
sedang
29
berhenti di depan mereka. Sehingga
malam natal, dan kebaktian yang
baru saja dimulai di gereja Noelle
itu sempat dihentikan dengan
suara hantaman beruntun dari
mobil-mobil yang ada di depan
jalan tersebut .
Dean
juga
mendengar
suara
tabrakan d a n s u a r a jeritan yang
memilukan hati dari Noelle. Dean berlari
balik dan mendatangi tempat kejadian
itu dilihatnya dari jauh sesosok tubuh
dengan pakaian yang anggun berwarna
putih bersimbah darah segar............
“Noelle.....
Noelle.....!!
Oh
tidak....!! Oh Tuhan.... selamatkan
Noelle.....!!!
oh
Tuhan.........
Noelle....!! Noelle...!!
Dilihatnya Noelle terbaring di jalan
raya tersebut. Dean baru memperhatikan
kalau Noelle malam ini memakai longdress
berwarna putih.. yang mana membuat
Noelle semakin cantik seperti malaikat
yang suci dan tidak berdosa. Tetapi Dean
melihatnya bahkan dia tidak sadar kalau
Noelle memakai pakaian berwarna putih,
mungkin kecemburuan yang ada di dalam
hatinya telah membutakan matanya.
Dean berlutut dan meraih tubuh Noelle
yang berlumuran darah, Noelle masih
sadar dan masih bernafas meski terputusputus. Ketika dilihatnya Dean ada di
dekatnya dan ketika dirasakan Dean
meraih tubuhnya dan memeluknya
dengan mesra Noelle mengucapkan katakatanya yang terakhir:
“Dean....per..caya...lah
ke...pada..ku...
aku
ti...dak
menghi..anati..mu...
kau...
ada...lah
30
laki-laki per...tama d..an ter...akh..ir
yang per...na..h aku cinta..i dan a..kan
aku se..la..lu ciii..n..ta..i....... Sa..yang
ka..kak...ku te..lah kem....ba...li ke
Lon...don... ak.. aku iin.. gin.. mem...
bu..kk..tii..k..aann nya pa...d...aaa muu..."
“Iya Noelle aku percaya... aku
percaya... maafkan aku Noelle....maafkan
aku... hu hu hu....Noelle aku telah
membuat engkau menjadi begini....!”
Dean melihat pada orang-orang
yang ada disekililingnya yang sedang
menonton tragedi yang sedang terjadi.
Dean berkata, "Tolonglah panggilkan
ambulance... siapakah yang bisa menolong
Noelle untuk tetap hidup.... Oh Tuhan....
selamatkanlah Noelle... Tuhan.. aku
berjanji akan selalu menyayanginya......
Tuhan....tolonglah aku... hu
hu hu
hu....ampunilah aku Tuhan...!”
“Dean....Dean.. dii ma...na... kaah
eenn...g..kau...?”
“Noelle... Noelle.. aku di sini
sayang....!”
“De..aan...
ak..ku
tiii..ddaakk...
bii...sa...
me..llii..haatt...muu..,
se..mu...aaanya...
ge..llaap...De...an...
A..ku...me...rraa....ssaa...
san...ga..t
di....nnginn... se..kaa...llliiii... De..aann...!”
“Noelle....jangan
tinggalkan
aku
Noelle....!”
Dean
berusaha
memberi
kehangatan pada tubuh Noelle dengan
memeluk tubuh Noelle dengan eratnya
dan menciumi bibir Noelle...
Noelle tersenyum... dan berkata....
"Se..laa...mmaa..t
ti...nn..gga..ll
De..aan... a..k..u.. m..e..n..cin...ta..i..mu....!”
“Noelle....
Noelle...
aku
juga
mencintaimu...jangan tinggalkan aku...!”
Ketika
Dean
menggoyanggoyangkan tubuh Noelle dan sudah
tidak bergerak lagi dan Noelle sudah
menghembuskan nafasnya yang terakhir
di pelukannya, maka tangis Dean pun
meledak semakin hebat memanggilmanggil nama Noelle. “Noelle.....
Noelle.. kenapa engkau tinggalkan
aku sendiri Noelle.. kembalilah Noelle....
kembalilah sayang..... aku mencintaimu
sayang...!!"
Dean memeluk tubuh Noelle dengan
erat dan menciumi bibirnya karena Dean
ingin memberi kehangatan pada Noelle,
Dean ingin Noelle tetap hidup dan ia ingin
melindungi tubuh Noelle dari dingin yang
menusuk tulang pada malam yang
gelap itu.
Orang-orang yang ada di sekitar
tempat itu yang menyaksikan tragedi
tersebut turut menitikkan air mata
dan menangis mereka sungguh menyayangkan malam Natal yang suci harus
diwarnai dengan darah dan tragedi
yang seperti ini.
Orang-orang yang ada di gereja
Noelle pun turut keluar ingin melihat
apa yang telah terjadi... mereka sungguh
tidak tahu dan tidak mengerti kalau
yang akan mereka lihat adalah suatu
tragedi yang akan menghancurluluhkan
hati dan perasaan mereka, terutama
hati dan perasaan orang tua Noelle
dan orang-orang yang mengenal Noelle
selama hidupnya. [dl/10/2004] [SS/MR]
R
review ——————————————————————————————
every woman's
B AT T L E
W
by: Shannon Ethridge
foreword & afterword by: Stephen Arterburn
reviewed by: Marcia Japutra
omen’s sexual needs may not seem as dangerous as men’s.
However, they may actually be more dangerous than we think.
Love affair begins from the first forbidden thought, not the
first forbidden touch. When the emotional and mental seeds of
compromise are sowed, we will harvest a relational destruction.
“The one who sows to please [her] sinful nature,
from that nature will reap destruction.” (Galatians 6:8)
Once a woman has sowed the seeds of compromise, she has
opened her door of sexual infidelity. Because of that, her sexual
integrity is now on the line. A woman can only survive the
intense struggle for sexual integrity when she can develop an
affair with Jesus Christ (the one and only Lover that can truly
satisfy her inner most desires), and by guarding not just her
body, but her mind and heart as well. Some things in the book
that was pointed out in the book that can help women in their
struggle for sexual integrity are as follows:
❖ Table top sexuality.
o A life of balance and integrity: Spiritual, Mental, Emotional,
and Physical.
o Our sexuality is not “what we do”, but it is “who we are.”
❖ Win the battle of sexual struggles with the truth (The Word of God).
❖ Design a defense to protect every aspects of your life.
❖ Guard your tongue: “Words are what will lead us into an
affair, or words will stop an affair before it ever begins”
(Ethridge 103).
32
❖ Develop an affair with Jesus Christ.
o Friend/friend relationship.
o Potter/clay relationship.
o Father/daughter relationship.
o Shepherd/sheep relationship.
o Groom/bride relationship.
o Master/servant relationship.
MEN
WOMEN
Crave physical intimacy
Crave emotional intimacy
Give love to get sex
Give sex to get love
Body can disconnect from mind,
heart, and soul
Body, mind, heart, and soul intricately connected
Stimulated by what they see
Stimulated by what they hear
Recurrent physical needs cycle
Recurrent emotional needs cycle
Vulnerable to unfaithfulness in
the absence of physical touch
Vulnerable to unfaithfulness in the
absence of emotional connection
Are you engaged in a battle?
Please put a checkmark in the left column in response to the following questions:
√ Yes
_____ 1. Is having a man in your life or finding a husband something that dominates
your thoughts?
_____ 2. If you have a man in your life, do you compare him to other men (physically,
mentally, emotionally, or spiritually)?
_____ 3. Do you often think of what your life will be like after your husband is dead,
wondering who the “next man” in your life could be?
_____ 4. Do you sexual secrets that you don’t want anyone else to know about?
_____ 5. Do you feel like a nobody if you don’t have love interest in your life? Does a
romantic relationship give you a sense of identity?
_____ 6. Do you seem to attract bad or dysfunctional relationships with men?
_____ 7. Do men accuse you of being manipulative or controlling?
_____ 8. Do you feel secretly excited or powerful when you sense that a man finds you
attractive?
_____ 9. Do you have a difficult time responding to your husband’s sexual advances
because you feel he should meet your needs first?
_____ 10. Is remaining emotionally or physically faithful to one person a challenge for
you?
33
_____ 11. Do you often choose your attire in the morning based on the men you will
encounter that day?
_____ 12. Do you find yourself flirting or using sexual innuendos (even if you do not
intend to) when conversing with someone you find attractive?
_____ 13. Do you resent the fact that your husband wants sex more often than you
do, or wish that he would just masturbate so that you would not have to
perform sexually?
_____ 14. Do you have to masturbate when you get sexually aroused?
_____ 15. Do you read romance novels because of the fantasies they evoke within you
or because they arouse you sexually?
_____ 16. Have you ever used premarital or extramarital relationships to “medicate”
your emotional pain?
_____ 17. Is there any area of your sexuality that (1) is not known by your husband, (2)
is not approved of by your husband, or (3) does not involve your husband?
_____ 18. Do you spend more time or energy ministering to the needs of others
through church or social activities than to your husband’s sexual needs?
_____ 19. Do you use pornography either alone or with a partner?
_____ 20. Do you fantasize about being intimate with someone other than your
husband?
_____ 21. Do you have a problem making and maintaining close female friends?
_____ 22. Do you converse with strangers in Internet chat rooms?
_____ 23. Have you ever been unable to concentrate on work, school, or the affairs
of your household because of thoughts or feelings you are having about
someone else?
_____ 24. Do your think the world victim describes you?
_____ 25. Do you avoid sex in your marriage because of the spiritual guilt or dirty
feeling you experience afterward?
There is no “magic number” that
will determine your level of sexual or
emotional integrity. However, if reading
through these questions has awakened
you to the fact that your sexual activity,
romantic
behavior,
or
emotional
attachments are a hindrance to your
spiritual growth or intimacy in marriage,
this book is designed to help you achieve
victory in your area of struggle. [MJ/TA]
34
ISBN:
1-5785-6685-1
(paperback)
Publisher:
WaterBrook Press
List price:
$13.99
Thickness:
208 pages
Size:
9.1" x 6.0" x 0.5"
O
opini ——————————————————————————————
baby's first
Christmas
(sususan berdasarkan tanggal lahir)
Tjandra & Evelyn Afandi
Steven Nathanael Tjandra
June 22nd, 2004
Kelahiran Xiang En (nama chinese
Steven) berjalan cepat dan lancar. Puji
Tuhan! Tidak ada masalah apa-apa baik
atas Evelyn maupun baby. Saat kelahiran pun Evelyn tidak merasa sakit yang
sampai intense, sebaliknya malah bisa
rileks sambil mendengar musik dari CD yang dibawa. Ditambah lagi waktu
itu memang masih pagi (masuk rumah sakit jam 7 pagi), jadi pengaruh
ngantuk malah membantu "membius" Evelyn dalam proses kontraksi.
Kami sungguh berdoa kepada Tuhan agar Xiang En bertumbuh dewasa
menjadi anak Tuhan yang taat orang tua dan memberi berkat buat sekitarnya, sama seperti namanya. Sebagai koko tertua bagi Tujuh Pendekar
Angkatan 2004, semoga dia bisa jadi teladan buat rekan-rekannya.
Mmm.. tentang arti namanya, Steven berarti Crowned One (gak pake Stephen biar gak disangka niru-niru Stephen Tong), Nathanael berarti Gift of
God (gak pake Nathaniel biar lebih keren), Xiang En (祥恩) berarti Auspicious Graciousness (silahkan diartikan sendiri lebih lanjut....) J
35
Bobby & Lucia Salim
Gabriela Natania Lin
June 27th, 2004
Ella adalah anak keempat kami.
Meskipun merupakan surprise
bagi keluarga kami, kami benarbenar bersyukur untuk kelahirannya. Harapan kami, Ella bisa
menjadi orang yang mencintai
Tuhan dan dipakai oleh Tuhan.
Raya & Tania Sandjaya
Julian Putra Sandjaya
August 16th, 2004
Kami sungguh bersyukur untuk kelahiran
Julian. Meskipun sempat deg-degan pada saat
test kehamilan 5 bulan, Julian lahir dengan sempurna. Meskipun bukan lahir bulan Juli, nama
Julian sangat berarti buat kami. Kami berharap
dia menjadi orang yang takut akan Tuhan.
BONUS: Pengalaman
Nyata
(sebagaimana dituturkan oleh Sdr. Silas Hosea)
Kemaren.. gua, Riyo dan Raya gantiin pampers-nya Julian, since
Tania nggak bisa jalan so kita bertiga yang gantiin pampers...
Heheee.. pengalaman tak terlupakan.... gua angkat kakinya Julian...
si Riyo yang masukin pampersnya ke pantatnya Julian.. terus si
Raya yang nge-lem pampers-nya...
Banyangin.. 1 bayi 3 orang dewasa yang pakein pampers!
36
Wilson & Ping-Ping Lee
Nicholas Lee
September 2nd, 2004
Baby Nicholas merupakan miracle bagi keluarga kami.
Kami berharap dia bisa menjadi anak Tuhan yang baik.
George & Fenny Macamay
Wesley Franklin Macamay
September 3rd, 2004
Kita merasa excited dan joyful atas kelahiran
Wesley. Dia adalah cucu laki pertama di keluarga kami.
Nama Wesley diambil dari tokoh kristen John
Wesley. Dan yang menarik tanggal lahirnya
cuman beda satu haru dengan papanya.
Kami berharap Wesley bisa sayang orang tua
dan dipakai Tuhan sesuai dengan talentanya.
Jeffrey & Mira Ibrahim
Gavin Jefferson Ibrahim
November 4th, 2004
David & Ming-Ming Wangsa
Joseph Anthony Wangsa
November 8th, 2004
Joseph artinya God will increase. Joseph merupakan additional
blessing bagi keluarga kami. Kami berharap dia bisa menjadi
berkat buat orang lain.
37
E
event ——————————————————————————————
HOLY
WIND
(FALL CARNIVAL)
reported by Marcia Japutra
Photos from lax.gii-usa.org
October 31st, 2004
dy was
everybofun!
having
our church Indonesian Evangelical
has put together a memorable event. This fall carnival was intended for
the children, but to our surprise it became an event that was for the whole
church as a family to enjoy together. With God’s helps this even was able
to be held and be a success.
The preparation for the fall carnival began a while ago, however,
Friday, October 29th, 2004 night a couple people from the youth group
stayed and started the work in progress of “the maze” which
was a fun experience. The next day, Saturday, October
30th, 2004 was a day that has been dedicated
sea
o
H
.
v
e
only to build the whole carnival. Many
Ol' R
people came to help and by the grace
of God the job was done. Exhausted,
yet excited everyone went home looken
Lil' Darr
ing forward for the very next evening
where the fall carnival would be held. But
before the night ended, we had Pastor
Billy and Tante Naomi walk through the
maze of course; we had to have a test run.
It turns out that they were impressed by it;
which was a good thing.
After church ended more preparation were being made until the time is up and the carnival begins.
Many games and programs were happening at the
same time. However, first thing first, the fall carnival
would not be complete without a time where we
can worship God and listen to some
Bible story from Evangelist
r
Edward Shyu which many
h (bette
liat
THE Go e original)
than th
38
s...
... donut
M
rea rs.
l m Her
ak wi
eup *w
s it
Mmmm
h*
of the children enjoyed. As the carnival is
in progress, there were booths of games
like David and Goliath, Dunk Tank (my
at
personal favorite), Fishers of men, and
know th st
u
o
y
o
many more. Of course there was a food booth D
he newe
Eva is t of Agape
where they served the delicious nachos, hot
member team? =)
dogs, popcorn, and drinks. Not to forget, the
Layout
maze was also an excitement for everyone, even Pastor
Hosea was able to enjoy the excitement. In the center of
the carnival, from time to time there was competition
that was being held. For example, the doughnut eating contest.
Consequently, this is another event
in this church that God has once
again blessed. This fall carnival
was able to be a blessing for the
children where they are able to
have fun and not have to be outside going trick or treating where
they are actually putting their life
in danger. Not only did God use this
event to keep the children in a safer
Boy
place, yet it also a way where
e Dunk
we can continue to
Jeff th
C'MON
evangelize to our
BLE-DA !!! WE DOUyounger generation
RE YOU
!!!
and have a stronger family bond
built in our church
as we have fun and enjoy the time
together with our brothers and sisters
in Christ. [MJ/TA]
C
craft ———————————————————————————————
Christmas is here!! What is better to do than spend some time with your lovely
family in FUN and EASY Christmas projects! Here are some ideas to get you
started. Don’t worry if you don’t have all the required materials (most can
be bought from craft stores), most of the time you can always improvise and
come up with excellent ideas of your own. Have fun and Merry Christmas!! [JL/EL]
beaded snowman ornament
you need:
• Snowman shaped wire frame (available at
craft stores, or you can always improvise and
create your own shapes!)
• Small bow
• 8mm crystal beads
• Silver pipe cleaner
• Scrap of black craft foam
• Glue gun
• Scissors
• Pliers
you do:
String crystal beads to fill preformed wire frame. Pinch end closed with
pliers. Add a bow by twisting the end wires around the neck of the
snowman. Cut a snowman hat out of black foam. Hot glue to head. Cut a
3” piece of pipe cleaner into a loop and hot glue to the back for hanging.
40
glitter christmas ornaments
you need:
• Clear Glass Ornaments
• Glitter Glue
• Large Paper Cup
instructions:
Remove the metal hanger top from glass ornament. Squirt 2 or 3 colors
of glitter glue all around on the inside of the ornament. Don’t use too
much, you can always add more. Put the metal hanger top back on and
shake lightly to spread glitter glue. Add more glue if needed to coat
inside. Shake as little as possible to keep colors from mixing too much.
Remove metal top and invert ornament on a paper cup overnight to drain
out excess glue.
throw pillows
The shapes featured here can be
bought or made at home. The large
square pillow is 12 inches, so it
requires six 12-inch squares of velvet.
Sew four of them together to create
the outside, then sew the top and
bottom, leaving one seam open so that
the pillow form can be inserted.
The pyramid pillows follow the same
pattern, with four triangles sewn
together with a square base, again with
a seam left open to insert the pillow
form.
41
R
recipe ———————————————————————————————
By: Mrs. Shyu
1 lb. boneless chicken stripes
3 cloves garlic
3 slices ginger
4 stems fresh basil leave
(discarded stems)
1 jalapeno (optional)
2 tbs. soy sauce
1 tbs. brown sugar
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. corn starch
1 tsp. sesame oil
2 tbs. olive oil
Marinade chicken with soy sauce,
brown sugar, balsamic vinegar,
corn starch and sesame oil for
10 minutes.
Preheat non-stick pan or work
with olive oil at medium heat.
Add garlic, ginger, and jalapeno
cook for 1 minute then the
chicken for about 12 minutes.
Lastly, add fresh basil leaves for
another 5 minutes. [JA/MR]
42
H
humor ——————————————————————————————
(Source: www.trinityfamily.org):
A father was approached by his small son who told him proudly, “I know what the Bible
means!” His father smiled and replied, “What do you mean, you ‘know‛ what the Bible
means?”
The son replied, “I do know!” “Okay, said his father. “So, son, what does the Bible
mean?”
“That‛s easy, Daddy. It stands for ‘Basic Information Before Leaving Earth.‛”
A minister parked his car in a no-parking zone in a
large city because he was short of time and couldn't
find a space with a meter. Then he put a note under
the windshield wiper that read: "I have circled the
block 10 times. If I don't park here, I'll miss my
appointment. Forgive us our trespasses."
When he returned, he found a citation from a police
officer along with this note. "I've circled this block
for 10 years. If I don't give you a ticket, I'll lose
my job. Lead us not into temptation."
There was a very gracious lady who was mailing an old family Bible to her brother in
another part of the country. "Is there anything breakable in here?" asked the postal
clerk.
"Only the Ten Commandments." answered the lady.
(Source: Christianity.about.com):
Q: What do they call pastors in Germany?
A: German Sheperds
Q: Who does the Bible direct to make coffee, men
or women?
A: There is a whole book about it: "He brews"
Q: What kind of man was Boaz before he married?
A: Ruthless
Q: Which Bible character had no parents?
A: Joshua, son of Nun.
43
(Source: Chicken Soup for the Christian Soul):
Sunday School Lessons (by Susan Webber)
The Sunday school lesson for the day was about Noah‛s Ark, so the preschool teacher
in our Kentucky church decided to get her small pupils involved by playing a game in
which they identified animals.
"I‛m going to describe something to you. Let‛s see if you can guess what it is. First:
I‛m furry with a bushy tail and I like to climb trees."
The children looked at her blankly.
"I also like to eat nuts, especially acorns."
No response. This wasn‛t going well at all!
"I‛m usually brown or gray, but sometimes I can be black or red."
Desperate, the teacher turned to a perky four-year-old who was usually good about
coming up with the answers.
"Michelle, what do you think?"
Michelle looked hesitantly at her classmates and replied, "Well, I know the answer has
to be Jesus – but it sure sounds like a squirrel to me!"
Irreverent Manipulation (excerpted from Moments for Mothers)
Little Benjamin sat down at the desk to write a letter to God asking
for a little baby sister. He started the letter like this:
Dear God, I’ve been a very good boy…
He stopped, thinking. No, God won’t believe that. He wadded up the
piece of paper, threw it away, and started again:
Dear God, most of the time I’ve been a good boy…
He stopped in the middle of the line, again thinking, God won’t be
moved by this. So he wadded up the letter and into the trash can it
went.
Benjamin then went into the bathroom and grabbed a big terry
cloth towel off the towel rack. He carried it into the living room and
carefully laid it out in the couch. He smoothed out all the wrinkles.
Then he went over to the fireplace mantle, reached up, and very
carefully lifted down a statue of the Madonna. He had often seen his
mother carefully dust the statue, and he had eyed it many times. On
several occasions, his parents had told him that he could look but was
not to touch the statue. Now, with all the care he could muster, he had
it in his possession.
Benjamin gently placed the statue in the middle of the towel, carefully
folding over the edges. He then placed a rubber band around the whole
thing. He brought it to the desk, took out another piece of paper, and
began to write his third letter to God. It went like this:
Dear God, if you ever want to see your mother again…
44

AG PE - Indonesian Evangelical Church, USA

Transcription

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