Leadership & Forgiveness (#GrowingLeader)

 

Leadership can be messy. Why? Because to lead is human and human makes mistakes. As a leader, you are in a position to set the tone. If you're wrong, make a candid confession and if someone wronged you, forgive. It is not easy - I know. But listen to what George Herbert said: "He who cannot forgive others destroys the bridge over which he himself must pass" 🔥🚶‍♂️🚶‍♂️🚶‍♂️#ServeToLead #GrowingLeader #Forgiveness

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THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

 

A Leader as Brother's Keeper

When God asked Cain, in Genesis 4, "Where is your brother?" Cain replied, "I don't know... Am I my brother's keeper?" (v.9). Is Cain Abel's keeper? Of course! By blood, cause he is his brother; by authority, cause he is the oldest, firstborn; and by spirituality, cause he should be the example. As a leader, how can you be a brother's keeper? #ServeToLead #GrowingLeader #SpiritualLeader #MyBrothersKeeper #LeadershipBible

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THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus' Command: Pray on Behalf of Sinning Brother and Sister In Christ (1 John 5:16-17)

“If you see a Christian brother or sister sinning in a way that does not lead to death, you should pray, and God will give that person life. But there is a sin that leads to death, and I am not saying you should pray for those who commit it. All wicked actions are sins, but not every sin leads to death”

(1 John 5:16-17, NLT).

“If you see a Christian brother or sister sinning… you should pray.” As our faith grows, we should go beyond the concerns we have about ourselves and pray for others. This is called the intercession prayer. If we pray only about our own needs, as important as these needs may be, we can become quite self-centered and not see how great and privileged it is to be a part of the growth of other people as well. As we learn to pray for others, we become more sensitive about their needs and will keep in touch with them so we know what their needs are.

And not only do we pray about the needs of others; we should be willing to be a means or channel through which God can answer our prayers. In case this is a new thought for you, let me share an example: Let’s say that you find out that a friend is suffering from the loss of a job and an illness. You have heard that he or she has very little food or money at home. So you share these concerns with God, and you pray that God will provide for their needs, so they won’t go hungry and thus will not sin against God for the situations that he or she experiencing now. After praying such a prayer, you can ask yourselves, “In what way would God like me to be the way that an answer is provided? How can I become the answer to my own prayer?” You could buy him or her dinner, or you could help to find a job, or you could offer to care (if need be) until he or she gets better, etc.

What is amazing about this process, then, is that prayer does not become a closet activity in which we withdraw from people and think only ‘heavenly’ thoughts. As we pray about the needs of others we are drawn back into loving others. So, Lord Jesus Christ is the connecting link between ourselves and others. As we feel loved by Jesus and as our prayers are answered, we grow in our ability to love and care for others. This is especially true when it comes to praying for our “Christian brother or sister” whom we knowingly “sinning” and commit “wicked actions” against God. We must pray for and at the same time, love and lead him or her back in the faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle James was very clear with this: “If someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back will save that person from death and bring about many forgiveness of many sins” (James 5:19-20). As we “pray” earnestly and be open to being used by God in this way, He “will give that person life” [This promise applies in the context of brothers and sisters in Christ]. 

However, the part of this section that may be less clear involves what John calls: “…a sin that leads to death.” Exactly what this means has been debated for centuries until now. But let me try, in a simple way: We know that God has promised to forgive us our sins when we confess them and ask for forgiveness (read 1 John 1:9 again). But there is one attitude – only one – that seems to cut oneself off from God. Jesus talks about this sin as being blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (read Matthew 12:31-32 and Mark 3:29). This kind of sin that “leads to death” is the sin that says the work of Jesus is the work of Satan or origin from Satan, imply that Satan is really more powerful than God, and that evil is more powerful and maybe even is  – preferable to what is good and true. To talk and live like that is to live a life in spiritual ruin. So, John is saying “there is a sin that leads to death, and I am not saying you should pray for those who commit it” – because it is useless to pray for them since they already decided willingly that everything that Jesus did and done is attributed to evil one. Don’t do it!

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Don't Say "I Love God" and Then Hate Others (1 John 4:19-21)

“We love each other because he loved us first. If someone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers”

(1 John 4:19-21, NLT)

One of my favorite games during Bible Study is “pretending.” What did you like to pretend when you were a child? That you are the police? Doctor or nurse? Missionary or preacher? Superman or Batman? What? Many people grow up and still pretend. When they try to act concerned, they appear to be phony (a.k.a. plastic!). There is something about their tone of voice and their actions that don’t seem to ring true. We wonder if there are strings attached to their efforts if they want something in return.

For many of us, loving may not be a natural or easy thing to do. If we’re really honest, most of us would have to admit that we live most of our lives looking out for Number One – ourselves. To care about others can seem like such an obligation. We may hope that if we look the other way we can get away without having to love others. After all, aren’t we supposed to love ourselves as well?

Let me try, at least, to clear this up. True, we are to love ourselves – but that is only part of what God wants us to do. We are to love God because God first loved us. God has shown us that we count, that we are worthwhile and important. So, we can accept ourselves and appreciate who we are because of what God has done for us. But that is still only half the story. To say that we love God and still do not really care about others is to be a phony – “a liar”, in the Apostle John’s words. Jesus Himself says, “[I am] giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other” (John 13:34).

How can we say “I love God” – whom we have not seen, and “hate” or avoid loving other people – whom we can see? John says we just can’t get away from it. To love God means we must learn to love other people. To show that we belong to God, and to show the world that God is real in us, we must get beyond what may not at first feel natural and do what is supernatural – to love and care for people, no matter how much or how little they deserve this love. That is how people will know that there really is a loving and compassionate God. “Those who love God must also love their fellow believers (first)” – and other people. Whenever it feels hard for me to love others, especially my enemies, I asked God, the source of love to fill me with His love: "I can't but You can - so, enable me, Lord!" 

What are the practical ways you can show that you care about others today?

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus: the Perfect Priest

When we see Christ, what will we see?

We will see the perfect priest, “clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band” (Revelation 1:13). The first readers of this message knew the significance of the robe and band. Jesus is wearing the clothing of a priest. A priest presents people to God and God to people.

You have known other priests. There have been others in your life, whether clergy or not, who sought to bring you to God. But they, too, needed a priest. Some needed a priest more than you did. They, like you, were sinful. Not so with Jesus. “For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens” (Hebrews 7:26).

Jesus is the perfect priest.

He is also pure and purifying: “His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire” (Revelation 1:14).

What would a person look like if he had never sinned? If no worry wrinkled his brow and no anger shadowed his eyes? If no bitterness snarled his lips and no selfishness bowed his smile? If a person had never sinned, how would he appeared? We’ll know when we see Jesus. What John [the apostle] saw that Sunday on Patmos [place where John wrote the Revelation] was absolutely spotless. He was reminded of the virgin wool of sheep and the untouched snow of winter.

And John was also reminded of fire. Others saw the burning bush, the burning altar, the fiery furnace, or the fiery chariots, but John saw the fiery eyes. And in those eyes he saw a purging blaze which will burn the bacteria of sin and purify the soul.

[From When Christ Comes by Max Lucado, bracket mine]

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Confessions of a Racist Christian

Few years ago I was riding a taxi from Kuala Lumpur to Petaling Jaya. While in the car, when a traffic light changed to red, the driver was forced to stop immediately. It was a shocked to me. Three gangster-like Indians men were crossing the street and were stunned by the driver’s quick braking. They shouted at my Malay taxi driver outside the window. They banged on the taxi’s hood. They kicked the wheels. Not so hard, but they kicked it anyway.

At that moment, the Malay taxi driver blamed the Indians for crossing to soon. The Indians were pissed off and said something not nice. Both parties says racist statements. Me? Inside I was afraid. Angry too. Shamed. And I thought racist thoughts. Everyone were racist that day, the only difference was – I didn’t say it, I thought of it. I’m a racist too. It all happened in a few minutes. I asked myself, where did those thoughts come from? Life. My life. Growing up in Malaysia (the reality is) I was surrounded by racism. My generation is the most racist generation in the history of Malaysia.

I have a friend who refused to eat at Mamak stall because the owners were Indian. Some even dislike going to Chinese shops because the Chinese, they said, are very stingy with food ingredients. The Malays act superior than other races. The indigenous people group was said to be the most proud and stubborn people. Racist. When I was a kid, I don’t know much. Now I know better – I grew up with racism. I carry my emotional baggage with me, and it is terrifyingly easy for me to walk from the light back into the shadow. I need help, God-size help to rescue me from my build-in racism.

Jesus come into my life. He is my God, Lord and Saviour. I come to him first before I confess to you here, Jesus help me from my racism. He saved me from becoming a full-time racist believer. I’m in the process of his discipleship. Not perfect but daily renewed by his grace. In the Scripture, for example John 4:3-9, Jesus interacted with the Samaritan woman (in his culture, the Jews despite Samaritans). Jesus, a rabbi, talked to a woman (in his culture, a rabbi would never ever speak to a Samaritan woman or any other woman in fact, in public). Jesus had a conversation with a sexually loose woman (in his culture, the saints have nothing to do with the sinners). Jesus break the barrier of racism, prejudice and discrimination. Throughout the Scripture Jesus’ attitude and teachings, mind and Spirit helps me to break my walls of racism in me with other races. In Jesus, I’m able to find reconciliation, forgiveness, love and tolerance with one another. In Jesus, I have victory over racism! He is still working in me.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Sebab #5: Yesus Mati... Untuk Kita Berbaik Semula dengan Allah (5/10)

Kenapa Yesus perlu menderita dan mati?

Saya percaya bahawa ini ialah satu soalan yang sangat penting sekali pada abad ke-21.

Di sini ada sepuluh jawapan daripada Firman Allah.

Sebab #5: Untuk Kita Berbaik Semula dengan Allah

Pendamaian yang perlu berlaku diantara kita dan Allah memerlukan tindakkan kedua-dua belah pihak. Tuhan terlebih dahulu menyediakan jalan untuk kita berbaik semula dengan-Nya dengan merobohkan tembok yang memisahkan Dia dengan kita – iaitu, kesalahan dosa kita. Dia bertindak untuk melakukan sesuatu yang tidak mungkin kita dapat lakukan sendiri dengan menyerahkan Anak-Nya, Yesus Kristus, untuk mengalami hukuman bagi dosa kita. Yesus mati bagi kita. “Ketika masih berseteru (atau masih bermusuhan), [kita] diperdamaikan dengan Allah oleh kematian Anak-Nya” (Roma 5:10, TB).

Tindakkan pendamaian bagi pihak kita pula sangat mudah, iaitu, dengan percaya dan menerima dengan iman apa yang Tuhan telah siap sediakan bagi kita. Hanya dengan cara ini kita dapat bertindak untuk mencapai pendamaian itu.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

*Dipetik dari risalah kecil '10 Reasons Jesus Came to Die' oleh John Piper (Wheaton: Good News Publishers) 

Sebab #3: Yesus Mati... Untuk Mendamaikan Murka Allah (3/10)

Murka Allah keatas dosa Sodom (Kejadian 19)

Kenapa Yesus perlu menderita dan mati?

Saya percaya bahawa ini ialah satu soalan yang sangat penting sekali pada abad ke-21.

Di sini ada sepuluh jawapan daripada Firman Allah.

Sebab #3: Untuk Mendamaikan Murka Allah

Hukum Taurat menuntut: “Kasihilah TUHAN, Allah kamu dengan segenap hati: Tunjukkanlah kasih itu dalam cara hidup dan perbuatan kamu” (Ulangan 6:5, BM). Tetapi kita semua lebih mengasihi benda atau perkara lain. Itulah dosa – tidak mengasihi dan menghormati Tuhan “segenap hati” dengan lebih menyukai benda atau perkara lain, dan bertindak untuk terus mengasihi semuanya, kecuali Tuhan.

Tahap keseriusan dosa bergantung kepada kebesaran dan kemuliaan seseorang yang dicelakan itu. Oleh kerana dosa kita ialah terhadap Tuhan Allah Semesta: “upah dosa [kita] ialah maut” (Roma 6:23, TB). Tidak menghukum dosa adalah tindakkan yang tidak adil (Allah itu adil!). Oleh itu, Tuhan Allah mengutus Anak tunggal-Nya, Yesus Kristus, untuk mengalami hukuman dosa yang sepatutnya dialami oleh kita kepada Diri-Nya Sendiri. “Allah telah mengasihi kita dan telah mengutus Anak-Nya sebagai pendamaian” – daripada murka Allah – “bagi dosa-dosa kita” (1 Yohanes 4:10, TB).

Kemudian, Tuhan secara terbuka berkenan dengan tindakkan Kristus yang mengorbankan diri-Nya mati di kayu salib bagi dosa kita dengan membangkitkan Dia semula daripada maut – yang menyatakan bahawa penderitaan dan kematian Yesus tidaklah sia-sia malah berjaya mencapai matlamatnya!

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

*Dipetik dari risalah kecil '10 Reasons Jesus Came to Die' oleh John Piper (Wheaton: Good News Publishers) 

Sebab #1: Yesus Mati... Untuk Menghampuskan Permusuhan Antara Kaum dan Bangsa (1/10)

Kenapa Yesus perlu menderita dan mati?

Saya percaya bahawa ini ialah satu soalan yang sangat penting sekali pada abad ke-21.

Di sini ada sepuluh jawapan daripada Firman Allah.

Sebab #1: Untuk Menghampuskan Permusuhan Antara Kaum dan Bangsa

Kecurigaan, prejudis, dan sikap permusuhan di antara orang Yahudi dan orang bukan Yahudi pada zaman Alkitab adalah sama seriusnya dengan sikap perkauman dan perbezaan diantara kaum, bangsa dan negara pada masa sekarang. Oleh itu, Yesus mati di kayu salib agar setiap kaum dan bangsa dapat berdamai melalui-Nya: Yesus Kristus “telah membawa kedamaian... dengan kematian-Nya di kayu salib Kristus telah merobohkan tembok permusuhan... Dia boleh menjadikan mereka satu umat yang baru, yang hidup bersatu dengan Dia... Kristus mendatangkan kedamaian... Kristus telah melenyapkan permusuhan... dan memimpin mereka kembali kepada Allah” (Efesus 2:14-16, BM).

Adalah sangat mustahil untuk menyatukan semua kaum dan bangsa dengan berkata bahawa semua agama di dunia adalah sama dan boleh disatukan. Tuhan telah mengutus Anak-Nya ke dunia sebagai satu-satunya jalan bagi setiap orang berdosa boleh diampuni dan mendamaikan permusuhan diantara kaum dan bangsa. Hanya melalui perdamaian ini sahaja barulah setiap kaum mampu mengasihi dan melayani satu sama lain dengan penuh sukacita.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

*Dipetik dari risalah kecil '10 Reasons Jesus Came to Die' oleh John Piper (Wheaton: Good News Publishers) 

Road to Forgiveness... First, Recognize Your Part in the Hurt

“Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you.

Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others”

(Colossians 3:13, NLT).

It is rare for a broken relationship ever to be 100% the fault of one party. This we must remember and understand. This is an important, very important way in which divine forgiveness differs from human forgiveness. In divine forgiveness, God doesn’t need to ask for forgiveness from us. God, the Father of my Lord Jesus Christ, has done nothing wrong. He is not to blame for even the smallest part of the hurt. We need to ask forgiveness from Him. For every sin that we committed, even toward one another, is against Him (P.s: Do you want to know this God? Come and see Jesus).

However, in human forgiveness, when hurts are felt or damage is done or a relationship is broken, both parties have usually contributed to the fault – even if one of them is more to blame than the other. Everytime when a broken relationship occurs, you and I are probably partly to blame (if not most of it!).

When my relationship with other broke up and I don’t realize my immediate faults against him or her, I will take time to pause, think and pray about it. Almost always God will instantly show me my part in the hurt. I further asking myself in what way I was to blame for the cause of the damage. This process requires me to humble myself and be sensitive with God’s still small voice. Admittedly, it’s hard and not in my sinful nature to do so, but Jesus’ forgiveness Spirit is with me. Jesus enables me to ask for forgiveness and to forgive other.

Sometimes we’re unable to forgive the other person because we can’t face up to our partial responsibility for the hurt. It’s easier to blame the other person and seek sympathy from friends and family than to recognize our own role in the breakdown. We need to face up our part in the hurt. We need to recognize our own fault. We need to seek forgiveness and forgive others. Forgiveness is effective and relationships are healed when we can face up to our part in the mess… however small it may be.

“Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others”

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus, the Awesome Forgiver

“Peter came to [Jesus] and asked, ‘Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?’ ‘No, not seven times,’ Jesus replied, ‘but seventy times seven!’” (Matthew 18:21-22, NLT)

I’m so amazed by God! In the Old Testament, God did not reject Abraham because of his many lies. God did not reject Moses because of his violent crime. He did not reject David because of his adultery. God did not reject Jonah because of his disobedience. Whenever these heroes of faith truly repented from their sins and ask for forgiveness – God forgave them.

What amazed me more is that in the New Testament, God is still the same! When I read about how God deals with Peter, He does it in exactly the same way. Peter has been one of the closest disciples to Jesus (together with his brother James and John). He has heard Jesus’ teaching and seen Jesus performed miracles after miracles. Peter has even preached and worked miracles in Jesus’ name. Besides all that, Peter has seen Jesus transfigured, glowing with the glory of God (see Mark 9), and he was the one who know and confess that “[Jesus] are the Messiah” (Mark 8:29), the Son of the living God.

But not long after that Peter denied Jesus. Not one. Not twice. But three times Peter denied Jesus, insisting with swear words that he did not know his Lord (see Mark 14:66-72). As Peter remembered Jesus’ words and his own betrayal, he broke down and wept. Did this mean that Peter was finished? That God would never use him again? That he would be rejected from the Twelve? That Jesus would despise and ignore him? That he would be publicly rebuked? That Peter had to do something to make up all of his failures and mistakes? The answer is: No! God of the Bible doesn’t behave like that.

As soon as Jesus had risen from the dead He appeared to Peter (see Luke 24:34). Behold, Jesus took initiative. He makes the first move. He went to the sinner and embraced him. I imagined how precious words and wonderful images it was for Peter when he experienced forgiveness and forgiven by the Lord. Awesome! Jesus then appeared again to Peter to show that he is forgiven and that Jesus had a place for him in God’s service. As if to counter-balance Peter’s three times denial, Jesus asked him three time questions: “Do you love me?” (see John 21:15-17). Jesus wants Peter to feed and to take care for the Good Shepherd’s sheep.

Peter’s sin did not mean that he was written off. God’s forgiveness means that the relationship was restored exactly as it has been before the betrayal. Jesus takes the initiative in forgiveness – Peter responds – Peter is forgiven and given a new task for God’s service. The God who said to Peter to go on forgiving others (that’s what it mean by ‘seventy times seven’) did exactly that to Peter – without any conditions and hesitation. Awesome!

This kind of God-heart-size-forgiveness is available as you have a personal relationship with God. Do you know this God of forgiveness and of reconciliation? Do you want to know Him? Jesus invites you to “Come and see”. I hope and pray you’ll go. Take the first step toward knowing this awesome God. From here your journey to the faith will begin… God be with you. Amen.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

We Belong to One Another. We Belong to Christ.

“I bless God that in Malaysia there are so many denominations. I’m an Anglican since I was a kid. I love to go mission trips with the Methodist church. I admire the Baptists passion for the Word. And the powerful worship by the charismatic churches. I practice some of the Romans Catholic church spiritual disciplines. These are not perfect churches, but the Lord of the church is.  I consider myself belong to the denomination that worship God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. I (desire) to be with Christian groups that fear the Lord and keep His eternal word – the Bible – with their life, talk and walk. This is my denomination!” (Richard Angelus)

“For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all” (Ephesians 4:3-4, NLT).

We must acknowledge that we belong to one another. Everyone who belongs to Jesus is a member of our family, a co-heir of His grace. Just as in a normal family there are some members who get along better and have more in common with each other, so it is in God’s family. In our earthly families we don’t deny someone is our brother or sister simply because they are different from us. Neither should we do that in the church, for we are members of one another (read Ephesians 4).

I remember telling a friend that there was one group of Christians I could never work with or be publicly identified with. I felt that their doctrine was so bad and their evangelistic practices so poor that they were a disgrace to the Lord’s name. It would have been embarrassing compromise for me to be identified with them. I went on to tell my friend that I believed they were Christians but thought they were very wrong and I hated what they stood for and the way they expressed their faith. They weren’t stealing, lying, or denying the deity of Christ, but I just ‘knew’ their superficial practices were hurting the Lord.

My friend told me I had a problem, and it was pride. What a shock! I thought I was so righteous, so biblically sound in my beliefs and practices. After the initial indignation wore off, I asked the Lord to show me if I was wrong. Immediately I began to think of how much Christ loved me in spite of my many sins and failures, to the point of welcoming me into His family and giving me His name. If the Son of God was able to identify with me, a member of the sinful human race, why did I think I was unable to identify with these other believers?

Ironically, the more I got to know the people in that particular group, the more I liked them. My pride had blinded me and kept me from accepting them and what they had to teach me. Perhaps our prejudices against other Christian groups reflect our blindspots – the places where we are weakest and most need them to help us grow.



Pic taken from:
staffordlakay.blogspot.com



There is only one church. However, judging from our behavior one would think that we seriously believe that when we get to heaven God will divide us into different sections so we can huddle together within our little group or denomination. Worse still, some behave as if their group will be the only one there. But when we do get to heaven we will all be one, so why not get a head start and begin getting to know Christians of other denominations and groups right now? Let’s lay aside our sectarianism, fear and pride, and reach out to one another – after all, we belong to one another.

It was Count Zinzendorf of the Moravians who taught that God does not reveal all his truth to any one person or Christian group. He believed that God had distributed knowledge of biblical truth to all groups so that we would be dependent upon one another for balance and protection. If we could really grasp this insight, especially those of us who are leaders, our attitude towards one another would be very different. Think and pray about it.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Artikel tentang kenapa saya Yakin dan Percaya bahawa Panggilan “Jambatan Anak Malaysia” (J.A.M.) adalah Alkitabiah dan menurut Firman, Tujuan dan Idea Tuhan Allah sejak dulu lagi

“Engkau layak mengambil gulungan naskhah itu dan memecahkan meterai-meterainya, kerana Engkau telah dibunuh dan dengan kematian-Mu, manusia daripada semua suku, bahasa, negara, dan bangsa telah Engkau beli untuk Allah” (Wahyu 5:9).

Nyanyian penyembahan ini berlaku di syurga. Tuhan Allah telah memberikan rasul Yohanes wahyu dan pengelihatan tentang perkara yang (akan) berlaku di syurga. “Aku melihat sebuah gulungan naskhah di tangan kanan (Tuhan Allah) yang duduk di atas takhta... tetapi tidak seorang pun di syurga, atau di bumi, atau di bawah bumi, yang dapat membuka golongan naskhah itu dan membaca kandungannya” (Wahyu 5:1, 3). Oleh itu, Yohanes menangis tersedu-sedu. Tidak lama kemudian, salah seorang pemimpin di syurga itu berkata kepada Yohanes, “Jangan menangis! Lihatlah! Singa daripada suku Yehuda, keturunan agung daripada Daud, sudah menang. Dia dapat memecahkan tujuh buah materai itu dan membuka gulungan naskhah itu” (5:5). Pemimpin itu berkata tentang Yesus Kristus, Mesias, Anak Domba Allah yang telah menakhluki kematian dan telah bangkit semula. Yohanes telah melihat Yesus dan dia mendengar semua makhluk di syurga menyanyikan sebuah lagu baru (lihat 5:9-10).

Saya bertanya: Apa yang menyebabkan Yesus layak untuk membuka gulungan naskhah itu? Firman Allah menjawab, “kerana Engkau [Yesus] telah dibunuh [disembelih seperti anak domba dalam Perjanjian Lama] dan dengan darah [Yesus] Dia telah membeli [atau menebus] manusia bagi Allah”. Saya bertanya lagi: Untuk siapa Dia sanggup mengorbankan diri-Nya? Firman-Nya tertulis, untuk “[dosa] manusia daripada semua suku, bahasa, negara, dan bangsa”.

Tuhan Yesus telah mati bagi dosa semua manusia di dunia ini. Perbuatan dosa tidak terhad kepada sesiapapun – SEMUA manusia berbuat dosa. Oleh itu, semua orang tidak kira apa suku bangsa sekalipun atau  dimana sahaja mereka berada memerlukan penyelamatan daripada murka Allah. Yesus telah mati dan bangkit semula bagi semua orang. Dia pernah berkata, “Apabila Aku ditinggikan di atas bumi, Aku akan memimpin semua orang kepada-Ku” (Yohanes 12:32).

Ini ialah salah satu tujuan utama Yesus datang. Memang benar Yesus telah dilahirkan sebagai seorang Yahudi, memang benar agama Kristian berkembang daripada negara Israel (tidak benar bahawa agama Kristian itu berasal daripada negara Barat, Amerika Syarikat. Tidak tahu sejarah dunia ka?)... namun begitu, skop penyelamatan yang dilakukan oleh Yesus dan rencana Tuhan Allah bagi penebusan ini adalah secara global.

Al-Kitab menyatakan bahawa, di Perjanjian Lama: “Semua bangsa akan mengingat TUHAN dan kembali kepada-Nya; semua suku bangsa akan menyembah Dia. TUHAN itu raja dan Dia memerintah semua bangsa” (Mazmur 22:28-29). “Semoga semua bangsa memuji Engkau!” (Mazmur 67:4). Di Perjanjian Baru, Yesus sendiri berkata: “Penyelamat yang diutus oleh Allah mesti mengalami penderitaan dan mesti bangkit daripada kematian pada hari ketiga. Demi nama-Nya, perkhabaran bahawa manusia mesti bertaubat daripada dosa dan bahawa Allah akan mengampunkan dosa, mesti diisytiharkan kepada semua bangsa mulai dari Yerusalem” (Lukas 24:46-47). “Pergilah kepada semua bangsa di seluruh dunia dan jadikanlah mereka pengikut-Ku” (Matius 28:19). Rasul Paulus menulis: “Hal itu [Penyelamatan] berlaku bagi semua orang, kerana tidak ada perbezaan antara orang Yahudi dengan orang bukan Yahudi [kita semua!]. Allah yang satu itu Tuhan semua orang. Dia melimpahkan berkat-Nya kepada semua orang yang meminta pertolongan-Nya. Di dalam Alkitab juga tertulis, ‘Setiap orang yang berseru kepada Tuhan akan diselamatkan’” (Roma 10:12-13).

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Sekarang mari kita lihat kepada soalan utama bagi tajuk artikel ini: Kenapa saya yakin dan percaya secara intelektual dan rohani bahawa mesej utama “Jambatan Anak Malaysia” (J.A.M.) iaitu memanggil semua umat Kristian menjadi agen pendamaian kepada semua kaum dan menjadi agen transfomasi negara adalah Alkitabiah dan menurut Firman-Nya, Tujuan-Nya dan Idea-Nya sejak dulu lagi? Secara ringkas saya menjawab: kerana Yesus sendiri telah dahulu melakukannya. Tujuan Yesus datang adalah supaya semua manusia yang percaya kepada-Nya (Yohanes 3:16) tidak kira dari suku, bahasa, negara dan bangsa apa sekalipun  datang untuk bersukacita memuliakan-Nya dan  menyembah-Nya selamanya.

Perdamaian kaum yang sebenar hanya dapat dicapai apabila Kristus menjadi yang Utama dalam hidup penyembahan semua orang yang percaya. Melalui-Nya, semua kaum di Malaysia, khususnya, tidak kira kaum majoriti, cina, india, iban, kadazan, orang asli, murut, bidayuh dan sebagainya dapat bersatu dalam kasih dalam satu Kristus (bayangkan semua bangsa dari pelbagai negara di dunia ini berada di syurga menyembah Allah seperti yang tertulis di dalam Wahyu 5:9 berlaku di depan mata kamu!). Kesan daripada kesatuan iman di dalam Kristus dari pelbagai kaum dan bangsa ini – secara tidak langsung akan menampakkan buahnya kepada transformasi negara.

J.A.M. bukanlah satu revolusi pencetus semangat sentimen perkauman; J.A.M. ialah satu panggilan kepada semua orang Kristian di Malaysia yang berbilang kaum dan bangsa untuk menjadi agen pendamaian sesama sendiri dan juga menjadi ‘garam dan terang’ bagi orang lain yang belum mengenal Yesus Kristus.

J.A.M. bukanlah satu impian atau cita-cita supaya negara Malaysia akan menjadi negara Kristian (Bukankah semuanya adalah milik Yesus?); J.A.M. ialah seruan bagi semua orang Kristian di Malaysia untuk mencintai kedamaian, menghargai keharmoni dan semangat muhibah antara satu sama lain dan hidup berdasarkan Firman Tuhan agar di mana sahaja kita berada  – nama Yesus dipermuliakan.

J.A.M. bukanlah satu matlamat milik individu; J.A.M. ialah cara hidup yang berteraskan kepada Yesus Kristus, Mesias kita, yang telah memberikan kita Roh Kudus, Roh-Nya untuk hidup di dalam kita supaya bersatu kita memecahkan tembok yang menghalang kita daripada melihat kebenaran yang selama ini telah dibutakan oleh dosa kita dan dosa nenek moyang kita – dan bersatu membina jambatan untuk menghubungkan kita orang Kristian kepada sesama sendiri dan orang lain dan semuanya kepada Tuhan Allah melalui kasih Kristus.

Namun begitu, J.A.M., pada pendapat saya, tidak akan mencapai matlamat dengan sempurna dan secara keseluruhan. J.A.M. ialah satu perubahan secara kecil-kecilan dan pasti akan ada banyak cabaran yang akan datang. Ia ialah (hanya) gambaran, model kecil yang  pada akhirnya akan disempurnakan oleh Yesus sendiri semasa pemerintahan Kerajaan-Nya di Bumi baru dan Syurga baru kelak  – dan ia akan merangkumi semua bangsa dan negara. Amen.

Inilah sebabnya saya percaya dan yakin kepada mesej ‘J.A.M.’ dan ingin melakukannya bersungguh-sungguh. Melalui kasih-kurnia Tuhan Allah, jadilah ‘Jambatan Anak Malaysia’! Mari kita ‘J.A.M.’!

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.