Kebetulan atau Rencana Tuhan?

“Askar-askar itu membawa Yesus pergi, lalu di tengah jalan mereka berjumpa dengan seorang bernama Simon, yang berasal dari Kirene...” (Lukas 23:26)

Pernahkah kamu terfikir samada apa yang berlaku kepada kamu sekarang adalah diluar pengetahuan Tuhan? atau diluar jangkaan Tuhan? Mungkin apa yang berlaku kepada kamu adalah sesuatu yang kamu sengaja lakukan. Mungkin juga ianya sesuatu yang kamu tidak sengaja lakukan – kesilapan manusia. Mungkin juga apa yang berlaku kepada kamu sekarang memang tidak ada kena-mengena langsung dengan kamu... namun kamu masih juga terpaksa melaluinya.

Bagi kita yang percaya kepada Tuhan, kita tahu bahawa tidak ada sesuatupun yang berlaku adalah kebetulan semata-mata. Kita sedar bahawa semuanya adalah di dalam pengetahuan Tuhan – semua perkara baik dan perkara buruk yang berubah menjadi baik – adalah rencana-Nya.

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Apabila saya sedang menyediakan sesi renungan pagi untuk rakan-rakan sekerja saya di FES pagi tadi, saya begitu terdorong dengan cerita bagaimana Simon tiba-tiba muncul dalam cerita Berita Baik yang disampaikan oleh Lukas. Yesus pada masa itu telah dipukul, dipermainkan dan dijatuhkan hukuman mati. Pada masa askar-askar ini membawa Yesus ke bukit Golgota untuk disalibkan, mereka melihat Simon dari Kirena yang lalu ‘sedang memasuki kota [Yerusalem]’. Dia dipaksa untuk ‘memikul salib Yesus dan berjalan di belakang Yesus’ (Lukas 23:26). Cerita Simon berjumpa dengan Yesus adalah sangat pendek sekali, namun kesannya adalah sangat luarbiasa.

Markus 15:21 menyatakan bahawa ‘Simon berasal dari Kirene; dia bapa Aleksander dan Rufus’. Dan Rasul Paulus ada memberi salam peribadi kepada Rufus; ‘Aku mengirim salam kepada Rufus, hamba terpuji yang dipilih oleh Tuhan’ (Roma 16:13). Kedua-dua teks ini memberikan saya satu pertanyaan: Bagaimana Rufus boleh menjadi orang yang percaya kepada Yesus Kristus? Hanya ada satu jawapan yang sangat ketara sekali ialah: Melalui Simon, bapa Rufus, yang telah mengenali, mempercayai dan menerima Yesus Kristus sebagai Tuhan dan Juruselamatnya apabila pertama kali dia berjumpa dengan Yesus.

Apabila Simon tiba-tiba ditangkap dan dipaksa untuk memikul salib Yesus; ini bukanlah kebetulan, ini ialah rencana Tuhan. Apabila Simon tidak mengenali Yesus secara peribadi dan diarahkan untuk menolong Yesus; ini bukanlah kebetulan, ini ialah rencana Tuhan. Apabila Simon sedang memasuki kota untuk melakukan perkaranya sendiri dan aktivitinya tergendala seketika; ini bukanlah kebetulan, ini ialah rencana Tuhan.

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Kawan, apakah yang Tuhan ingin kamu lihat dalam kehidupanmu? Apakah yang ingin Dia sampaikan kepada kamu pada saat ini? Mungkinkah... mungkinkah Dia mahu kamu mengenali Yesus secara peribadi... mungkinkah Tuhan mahu kamu berjumpa dengan-Nya semula. Dalam apa saja situasi kamu sekarang, ingat: Semua yang berlaku kepada kamu adalah rencana Tuhan, bukannya kebetulan.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Ranks of Love

[I’m writing this article in the cold night of Cameron Highland. My brain is partly freezing, but my desire to ‘discharge’ my thought on the Word is on fire.]

“Then the voice from the cloud said,
‘This is my Son, my Chosen One. Listen to him’” (Luke 9:35NLT).

I remember when I asked someone about: Who are the persons they love the most? He said, “First is God, second is my parents, third is my friends, and forth is my neighbor and others”. Honestly, that was also my answer before… before I know how ‘wrong’ it is for me to believe it and to say it so.

When I read Luke 9 especially on The Transfiguration (v.28-36), my view or believe about the priority of love had changed. Let me explain. Peter saw ‘the appearance of [Jesus’] face was transformed, and his clothes became dazzling white’ (v.29). In short, Peter saw ‘Jesus’s glory’ (v.32). When Peter also saw Moses and Elijah appeared, he then made a suggestion, an unnecessary one, he blurted out, “Master, it’s wonderful for us to be here! Let’s make three shelters as memorials – one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah” (v.33).

What was Peter trying to say here? I imagine. I interpret it. I’m hearing: ‘Jesus, the three of you are awesome. Moses is legendary. Elijah is heroic. And you Jesus, just simply glorious. I think if all of you combine together – it will be unstoppable! So let’s we make 3 shelters for you all’. Peter was making an assumption that Jesus, Moses and Elijah were equal and co-partners with one another. Or perhaps he thought that maybe Jesus was the chief among them, so probably Jesus’ shelter or tent will be bigger than the other two. But nevertheless, the three tents will be on the same ground.

But that was not what God the Father had in mind. Jesus is not equal to anyone, not even Moses and Elijah, His servants. He is unique. He is in the rank of His own. He is above all things. He is the Lord of lords and King of kings. He is God. That was why God the Father declared Jesus’ divineship with a “voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen One. Listen to him’” Jesus is One that is very dear to the Father. Not the first among many or most favorite one – but One and Only Son.

So, when someone asks me, ‘Who are the persons you love the most?’ My answer won’t be in term of rank or category. My answer would be single – ‘Jesus, my Lord and Savior’. This is my aim in life not that I already achieved it fully, but to learn and continue to love Jesus as One and Only. I believe if I aim for this, my love for my parents, friends, and others is more genuine and pleasing to God. “First is God” period!

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Eat Less Fast Food, Eat More Home-cooked Food

“I am the bread of life.
Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again”
(John 6:35NLT)

What would happen if you ate fast food and nothing else? Some questions are apparently too difficult for some to resist… well, at least for me. Before I come to Cameron Highland for National staff planning, I personally decided to eat KFC food two times a day (except dinner) for 3 days. The result? I gained my weight especially at my tummy area and my stamina decreases.

In the same way, we, Christians also tend to ‘eat fast food’ when it comes to spiritual foods and personal disciplines. We are suffers from a ‘fattening’ condition with respect to the mind and ‘cholesterol’ clutter with respect to the heart. We often ‘stuff’ ourselves with intellectual and spiritual ‘fast food’ while failing to feast upon the rich nutrition foods (other than fast foods) that are available to us. I recommend: ‘home-cooked foods’.

Let me be plain and simple: reading books about the Bible is not the same thing as reading the Bible firsthand. Also, knowing things about Jesus is not the same as knowing Jesus firsthand. While there is nothing gravely wrong with reading other’s books about the Bible or hearing and knowing about Jesus through other people’s testimonies and sermons as such (the fact is, ‘fast food’ is not really harmful if you take it moderately) – it is crucial for you and me to explore the Bible and eventually, having a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ Himself firsthand.

We should be ‘fit’ and ‘healthy’ inside-out. Don’t eat too much of ‘fast food’; try to eat more ‘high nutritious food’ – namely, The Word of God and Jesus the Living Word Himself. This is God’s Home-cooked food. It is from here that salvation and everlasting life are making known to us.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Only One Life: Heaven or Hell?

According to Jesus, the most important of God’s commands is this: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind and all your strength” (Mark 12:30NLT). God made us, he sustains us, and our response should be to love him – with everything we have. But none of us (at least I admit that I’m not) has lived like that. We are like what prophet Isaiah had prophesied: “All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own” (Isaiah 53:6). We live as if we are the centre of the universe, not God. The fact is that we want to be worship instead of worshipping God alone.

Jesus explains the reason that we’re like this: “For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness” (Mark 7:21-22). We disregard God’s loving laws and we rebel against his rightful authority over our lives. For whatever reason, we don’t trust him to know what’s best for us, we ignore Him. We choose to live life as if we’re the king and queen, not God. This is what the Bible called – sin.

Because God is just, He will not let our sins go unpunished, and treating God as if He is not God (by ignoring His authority) is the most serious evil of all. The Bible is clear that sin results in death – and not just death here, but eternal death, which he describes as “hell”. Hell is a place where, for all eternity, people will be punished if they die still rebelling against their Creator. It will be a real place of conscious pain. As you had expected from the most loving man who ever lived, Jesus takes no pleasure in talking like this. The reason Jesus warns us about hell in most of His teachings is because he loves us and does not want us to go there.

You know what? You don’t have to go to hell.

God is also love. He does not give up on us (even though admittedly you and I always do). Instead, he sent his Son to rescue us by dying for us. There was nothing accidental about Jesus’ death. There was nothing pointless about it either. As he died, crying out: “My God, my God, why have you abandon me?” (Mark 15:34). Jesus was enduring the separation from God that each one of us deserves for our rebellion. He was enduring it on our behalf. He went through it so that we never have to, if only we will trust Him. That’s why Jesus said that he “must” die (Mark 8:31). Jesus died willingly so that we could be reconciled with our Creator. He died as our substitute, in our place, taking the punishment we deserve.

This is Love and Justice –
Jesus “was whipped so we could be healed” (Isaiah 53:5)

THINK BIG Think of how much God loves you.

START SMALL But that is not enough –
you are not merely spectator of this great event,
you must respond to His great love.

GO DEEP Would surrender your life to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior?
To cover your sin by the Blood of Jesus so that you can enjoy Him forever in Heaven?

Remember, you only have One Life… choose wisely…

Experience less hoarding and more sharing

[I wrote this article at Starbuck, The Curve. With my NLT Bible... :)] 

“Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins” (Mark 12:41-42NLT).

Do you want to know the truth about your stocks, cash, coin and whatever you think you own? They’re not really yours. Imaginarily, it’s yours for you ‘work’ for it (‘You earn it!’ said my ex-boss). But in reality, they’re really not yours. Short-term it’s yours’; long-term and forevermore God’s.

The evangelist John Mark tells a story of a poor widow went to the temple and dropped in two small coins as an offering – and Jesus saw it. She gave everything she had to live on, not to buy bread but to give it back to God. If she lived in the 21^st century, I bet she didn’t read books by self-help financial gurus. I assume she never went to seminars on ‘How to have Financial Breakthrough’ by our local motivational-pastors. Her acts, if ever recorded in You Tube will get hundreds of ‘dislike’ and discourage comments such as: “Stupid woman! No wonder you’re still poor!”… I think most of the people who saw what she did have a similar attitude as such. They would discourage the generosity of the woman… well, only if Jesus wasn’t there.

Jesus, a God-Man teacher who knows everyone’s hearts through-and-through did the opposite. He said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on” (Mark 12:43-44NLT). Jesus used the widow’s action as an example for His disciples to learned Godward-generosity. He teaches them that show-off religion is no generosity at all because it desire men’s applause. He teaches them that giving out of love for God is God-reflect-heart-of-generosity because it shows how much God own us rather than how much money or things owns us.

Max Lucado writes, “God owns everything and gives us all things to enjoy. Let’s move from the fear of scarcity to the comfort of provision.  Experience less hoarding and more sharing.” As followers of Jesus, we are told to be “rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share” (1 Timothy 6:18). Don’t keep what is not yours; save some for you to live by, but give it away as much as you can. Share it.

If you really love God, you'll want to share.THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Aku mahu Diterima. Aku mahu Dihargai. Aku mahu Diperlukan. Dimanakah Aku boleh mendapatkan Semua itu?

Melalui pengalaman sendiri, melalui pergaulan dengan sesama manusia, dan melalui pemerhatian and komunikasi saya dengan orang lain (lebih-lebih lagi dengan membaca cerita-cerita kamu di Facebook – Watch out!); saya menyedari dan membuat kesimpulan bahawa setiap kita mengingini hubungan dimana kita diterima, dihargai dan diperlukan. Kita semua kadang-kadang terdesak untuk mendapat perhatian daripada orang lain, tetapi selalunya tidak mendapat seperti apa yang kita mahukan... jadi kita kecewa... dan terus mencuba lagi...

Pic taken from: http://fineartamerica.com/

Banyak cerita tentang remaja yang sanggup melakukan sesuatu yang pelik dan merbahaya untuk mendapat perhatian daripada rakan-rakan, dan ramai daripada kalangan orang yang bekerja sanggup melakukan sesuatu yang tidak beretika untuk mencapai kejayaan agar dapat tergolong dalam orang-orang elit yang istimewa. Kita mendengar dan membaca (malah mungkin mengenali atau pernah mengalami) mereka yang bertungkus-lumus untuk mencapai kejayaan duniawi kerana mereka mendengar dusta yang mengatakan bahawa nilai diri mereka terletak pada kualiti dan tahap kemampuan mereka sendiri. Atau, pernahkah kamu mendengar tentang remaja atau orang yang keseorangan yang sanggup menjual badan mereka untuk mengalami hubungan intim and untuk mengisi kekosongan di dalam hati mereka kerana mereka mahu diterima, dihargai dan diperlukan oleh orang lain?

Bagi orang Kristian yang betul-betul sudah mengenal Kristus, semua cubaan sebegini hanyalah perbuatan yang sia-sia sahaja. Ini kerana Tuhan Yesus sendiri sudah menerima, menghargai dan mengingini kita sebelum dunia dibentuk. Kita ialah milik Tuhan, kita bermakna bagi Dia dan kita sudah diterima oleh-Nya ke dalam Kerajaan Allah kerana kematian Yesus di kayu salib. Tidak lagi kita perlu bertungkus-lumus untuk mendapat perhatian orang lain – Tuhan telah memilih kita – bukan sahaja menjadi hamba-Nya, malah menjadi sebahagian daripada keluarga Tuhan. Di dalam Al-Kitab ada tertulis, “Ketahuilah bahawa Allah Bapa sangat mengasihi kita! Dia amat mengasihi kita, sehingga kita diakui sebagai anak-anak Allah dan memang kita anak-anak Allah” (1 Yohanes 3:1).

Rasul Paulus lebih radikal apabila dia menulis inspirasi Roh Kudus tentang bagaimana kemurkaan Tuhan telah dibenarkan dengan kematian Yesus di kayu salib. Dia menyatakan bahawa Yesus telah menyelamatkan kita daripada semua dosa kita dan Yesus telah memulihkan hubungan kita dengan Tuhan apabila kita menerima Yesus sebagai juruselamat dan Tuhan kita. “Kita pun bersukacita kerana apa yang sudah dilakukan oleh Allah melalui Tuhan kita Yesus Kristus. Melalui Kristus, kita sekarang dijadikan sahabat-sahabat Allah” (Roma 5:11).

Kesimpulannya: melalui Yesus Kristus, kita sudah diterima, dihargai dan dimiliki oleh Tuhan. Kita bukan sahaja menjadi hamba-Nya, malah kita dianggap Tuhan sebagai anak-anak-Nya sendiri – dan lebih rapat lagi, kita sekarang sudah menjadi sahabat-sahabat Allah.

THINK BIG START SMALL. GO DEEP

Jesus Touched Open Sores and Dirty Bandages

“A leper comes to him, begging on his knees, ‘If you want to, you can cleanse me.’ Deeply moved, Jesus put out his hand, touched him, and said, ‘I want to. Be clean.’ Then and there the leprosy was gone, his skin smooth and healthy.” (Mark 1:40-41, The Message)

Jesus was a master, an expert at communicating love-words and love-in-action. His very divine nature is love (1 John 4:8, 16). He showed his love with the little children, blessed and hugged them. He called His disciples; teaches and loves them. But that was not unusual, what amazing about Jesus was that he showed his sensitivity to touch someone like a leper man in the story above was beyond amazing.

Modern man with leprosy

Adam Clarke (in my E-Sword software) comments that leprosy “was an inveterate cutaneous disease, appearing in dry, thin, white scurfy scales or scabs, either on the whole body, or on some part of it, usually attended with violent itching, and often with great pain. The eastern leprosy was a distemper of the most loathsome kind, highly contagious, so as to infect garments, and houses, and was deemed incurable by any human means”.

In summary, to touch a leper was unthinkable, but ‘Jesus put out his hand, touched him’ anyway. People would avoid him. In fact, they would throw stones at him (or anyone with a leprosy disease) if he did come close. With his open sores and dirty bandages, he was the kind of person anyone wouldn’t want to touch. Yet, the first thing Jesus did for this man was to ‘put out his hand, touched him’. If I was there, I don’t know… I might runaway, and did what everyone else’s did – stay away from ‘troublesome’ people like this leper man.

When I read this story – I am amazed by God’s love and ashamed by my sinful prejudice. I am stunned by Jesus’s compassion and repented from my selfish ignorance. All the more, I praise Jesus for His amazing love! Even before he spoke to the leper, He reached out His hand and touched him. Can you imagine that? Can you construct that scene must have looked like? Can you roughly sense this man feeling when Jesus touched him? Can you see a smile and gladness with tears of joy on his face when Jesus touched him? Oh, this man must have longed for someone to touch him… amazing; Jesus could have healed him first and then touched him, but no, He touched him and then healed him.

Jesus was deeply moved. He put out his hand, touched him, and then healed him. Do you remember a time when you felt ‘touched’ by the love of Christ in your life? Give praises and thanks to Him. Do you desire desperately that Christ may ‘touch’ your heart? Pray: ‘If you want to, O Lord Jesus, you can clean my heart inside-out.’ He will. This is His heart’s desire, no doubt – but will you?

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.