Cara Menjadi Kristen - Cara Alkitab

Banyak orang bingung bagaimana menjadi Kristen.  Atau pun jika sudah menjadi Kristen, kadang masih meragukan beberapa hal.  Atau "orang Kristen kok begitu sih?"

Inilah Cara Menjadi Kristen menurut Alkitab

Persiapan Natal

Hari ini saya membaca artikel yang menarik mengenai Natal.

Artikel tersebut membahas makna Natal yang sudah melebar.

Saya setuju banget dengan artikel tersebut.  Banyak orang sudah bingung dengan arti Natal.

Ada yang bilang waktunya untuk ke Gereja. (Pengunjung tahunan)

Ada yang bilang waktunya untuk pertunjukan drama.

Ada yang bilang waktunya untuk konser musik yang besar.

Ada yang bilang waktunya untuk bernyanyi Malam Kudus.

Ada yang bilang waktunya untuk menyalakan lilin.

Ada yang bilang waktunya untuk dekorasi wajib. (Palungan, gembala, domba, dll)

Intinya adalah PERAYAAN.

Tidak salah sih kalau kita mau merayakan Natal.  Tetapi jarang sekali yang bilang kalau ini adalah waktunya untuk menenangkan diri, mengambil waktu teduh, dan bersyuku.

"Sukacita Natal" tidak dapat digantikan dengan pesta

Kita harus kembali ke pengertian awal bahwa sukacita Natal yang dimaksud sebenarnya adalah awal pemulihan hubungan.

Pemulihan hubungan yang terputus akibat dosa.

Pemuasan kerinduan yang mendalam untuk berkomunikasi dengan Tuhan.

Pemenuhan kekosongan hati dengan datangnya Kristus ke hati.

Seperti para gembala yang bersukacita mendengar kabar kelahiran Kristus, karena Kristus.

Bukan bersukacita karena ada pohon Natal, kartu Natal, hidangan Natal.  Tetapi karena Kristus.

Coba ceritakan bagaimana perayaan Natal Anda tahun ini?

Bandara Tjilik Riwut, Kalteng

Aku bersyukur karena diberi kesempatan utk ke Palangka Raya.
Di sana ngeliat satu kota yang luar biasa rapi untuk kelas Indonesia.
Tata kota yang didesain sebagai ibukota negara tetap dijaga.

Tenang dan damai.

Secara ekonomi memang jauh tertinggal dari Jakarta, tetapi potensinya luar biasa.

Gereja ada di mana-mana. Kebanyakan orang yang saya ketemu adalah Kristen.

Tuhan menunjukkan kasihNya dengan membuat Palangka Raya menjadi daerah yang mempunyai potensi luar biasa sebagai pusat ke-Kristenan.

Hanya ada cerita tentang Madura-Dayak yang tetap membekas di hati penduduk Kalteng.
Madura dibunuh habis oleh orang Dayak. Tidak jelas alasannya apa. Banyak sekali versi. Tetapi sebagian besar cerita yang beredar adalah orang Madura memang 'bertingkah'.

Hati saya jadi sedih melihat dengan mudahnya manusia saling membunuh. Apalagi di kalangan orang Dayak, ilmu gaib masih dipakai. Konon hanya 11 orang Dayak yang membunuh ratusan Madura pada saat kerusuhan di Sampit.

Sedih sekali.

Tetapi di tempat yang tenang ini, saya diingatkan lagi oleh Tuhan. Saya pernah berjanji untuk menjadi hamba Tuhan yang setia. Dan ditanyak kapan mau sekolah teologi?

Bingung jawabnya.......

Never understand the love of God

It’s been 10 years now that I can call myself Christian. So much has happen in my life.

Looking back to that year when my eyes were opened, I cannot understand why He led me to Him in most unexpected way.

I don’t know where to start. Maybe the year I failed my second year in High School. I was ignorant back then. I never really paid attention to God, my family or my study. I still went to church but never really went there. I said hello to my family but never really been there. I studied for the sake of being seen study. One thing that I enjoyed most was playing basketball all day long.

My high school has 2 basketball courts. Even though I was not that good, I still had fun playing it. I can play for 4 hours straight without feeling tired. But when I got home, all I wanted was cool shower and a nice sleep. That was the reason I failed. I was too tired to review my lessons or preparing the test.

I remembered the day I realized that I was in trouble. I asked Henry, the cleverest person in the class, to explain some physics principal to me and I got no clue at all what he was saying. It was already mid term. I knew straight away that I was going to fail that year.

My mother told me to move to another school so I can go to the 3^rd year in High School. But I insisted on staying. This was the wisest choice I ever made.

God showed me wonderful things from then on.

My second 2^nd year in High School was amazing. I got at least 8 for all majors. It was the best year in my life. I passed with head held high. I was proud of my achievements. But I was still ignorant of God even though going to church every week.

My 3^rd year in High School. I almost repeated the habits I had in my first 2^nd year. I was more careful now. But ignorant that I was, I failed to register UMPTN, National University Entrance Test. For one day my friend asked if I knew where the test take place and I asked if the registration available. My friend was amazed and answered me that it had already closed. I knew I was in trouble again.

Since I don’t register for UMPTN, I sought private university and hopping if my parents let me to study abroad.

I was accepted at Parahyangan University but I didn’t take it. I was hopping my applications for study in USA were accepted. They weren’t.

Now I was between intakes and I didn’t know what to do. Suddenly the craziest idea came up. (I realized now it was from God). I told my parents rather I spent a year waiting for another intakes, why don’t I go to China to study Mandarin. My parents were surprised of this idea but they thought it would be good and sent me away.

Upon arrival in China, fellow students from Indonesia welcomed me. They helped me with registrations. I asked them if they have church there since I know that China is a communist country. They said China had churches and we also had Indonesian Fellowship Church. Great!

Now the best part!

I joined Indonesian Fellowship and learned that God has plans for me and included me as one of the chosen.

I learned that God is real and answers prayers.

One moment really hit me. We planned on having BBQ party and certainly it had to be outdoor. But it was raining season and in Guangzhou when it rained, it can lasted for a week. I was worried because it started to rain that particular week. My friends keep telling me it’s okay. God would hear us and make the rain stopped. I didn’t believe it.

On the morning of BBQ day, it still rained. My friends just keep telling me, Wait and See! Amazingly, on the time we have to prepare BBQ party, the rain starting to stop. No rain at all during the party.

After we finished, the rain started again. I really don’t believe it! Do you?

This experience made me feel inadequate and really accepted Christ as my savior.

That was the first semester.

On the second semester, again, I realized that God really answers prayers. I was chosen to lead Indonesian Fellowship even though I consider myself not capable of such position. I learned after a while that all my fellow Christians had been praying for a male leader. It had been all females. (I don’t see any correlation between leader and gender). But they had been praying and BAM, I was there.

Since my experiences in China, I always on the look out for God’s love. I never understand it but I always gratitude for it. I am still learning to accept it and share it to others.