Jesus on Earth

I was just reading the Bible where the Pharisees and Sadducees questioned Jesus about various subject matters. Now we have to understand that these people are very knowledgable with the Book of the Law. They knew the Mosaic Law by heart and are well-versed with the writings of the prophets. Basically, everything in the Old Testament was already a part of them.

When Jesus came down to Earth to fulfil the prophecies, He was bringing a new perspective on life. Of course, it would be a shock for the people there who had always thought God was demanding sacrifice here and there. Imagine having someone coming up to you saying that everything that has been taught to us, from childhood until now, does not matter much to God. That's basically how the scholars felt. However, if it's Jesus who was saying it, it's wise to open up our hearts and listen. Because Jesus was teaching something brand new to them, the Pharisees and Sadducees refused to listen and rejected that Jesus is the Son of God. This is a question about pride.

Let me just say that everything in this world does not matter if we don't have God in us. We might have tons of knowledge and understanding about the laws and the Bible, but what's the use of simply following rules and regulations if it does not drive us to an effective lifestyle? A humble heart, willing to be corrected by God, is more pleasing to God than a knowledgable yet prideful spirit. I understand now what Stephen the martyr was criticising before his death sentence. "You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you do always resist the Holy Spirit..." -Acts 7:51. It's not a matter of memorising the entire Scripture front to back; it's a matter of our willingness to accept His Spirit to manifest in our lives. 

I find Jesus' visit to earth quite interesting. I keep hearing preachers and teachers explaining how Jesus spends most of his time with the "rejected" groups of people. His disciples were made up of tax collectors and fishermen. They were not really prominent men. Jesus came to heal the broken and give life to the hopeless. Yes, all of this is true. However, the role of the Pharisees and Sadducees are quite vital too. They asked some hard-hitting questions starting from Mark 12:13. They tried to corner Jesus into stumbling in His own words, but were quite taken back at His responses. In this process of replying their questions, Jesus also clears up the errors in their beliefs. These "stiff-necked" people, as Stephen calls them, had a distorted view of whom God really is. The Sadducees do not believe in life after death and (sarcastically) questioned Jesus about a hypothetical situation (Mark 12:18-23). Jesus rebuked the flaws in their beliefs by saying that "God is a God of the living, not of death."

One of the most striking quotes from this Q&A session was when Jesus answered the teacher of the law's question: "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" A normal person would expect Him to answer from one of the Ten Commandments or simply say "All of them are equally vital." Jesus' reply was unexpected: "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:29-31). The teacher who asked this question responded to Jesus' answer by saying that he agrees with everything Jesus had said. Jesus considers this a wise answer and said to the teacher, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." 

Jesus does not expect us to be rich in life. He does not expect us to know everything there is to know in this world. He simply wants us to love God with everything we've got and to reflect His love to other people. In the end, all physical matters will disappear, but love remains. Yes, Jesus came all the way down to Earth to tell the world about a very important message: He loves us, each and everyone...


Spread the love, y'all!
Justin

Summer's Over: A Change of Worldview

Hello again, dear readers!

Summer’s over and all of the middle school students are back to school. As for me, university life hasn’t resumed. Like last year, I’m here in the flight to Toronto writing this entry (I guess a 14-hour flight is enough time to write one). After vacation with my family in China, we went our separate ways. My second sister went to study in Shanghai, so we dropped her off after our trip there. In Hong Kong airport, I said my goodbyes to my grandparents and parents. As I was boarding, I felt sad and went teary-eyed for a bit there. Really can’t wait to see them again next year... Well, enough about that.

I’ve had a lot of fun experiences being back home for three months. Being with my friends again had been a true blessing indeed. When I was back in my first year, I heard a lot of news going on back in Indo. And when I was there, I did see and experience the effects of the changes that occurred. People change... I guess that’s one of the main things I learned throughout the three months. 

Early last year, I had a major shake-up of my life. It happened before I started my second semester of senior high school. It was after sunset in Bali. We were sitting down for dinner with the MSI apostolic team when I asked about a member who was absent. No one gave me a direct answer, but Ms Fina took me aside. We stood on the shore and she told me the truth. It was the first time that words made me speechless for ten whole seconds. Ever since then, my perspective on people was never the same. People change because they aren’t perfect. Further confirmation on this actually took place this summer.

People change because of their surroundings. Whatever circumstances and whoever people close to them can form how they change. Changes sometimes help people grow. However, growth requires pruning. Be it habits, relationships, or ideas. After reflecting on this, I realize how humans are in total contrast with who God says He is. God is never changing. The same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Only someone perfect can be unaffected by the changes in his surroundings. Nothing in this world is perfect. This proves altogether true as I had to go through a change as well. From that experience, I learned the truth of our imperfection. And because of our imperfection, our only hope is to rely on the grace of God. 

God has been very good to me. Within the three months, He placed me in a process of a mindset change. It was probably the first time I had to think a lot during my vacation! Through this process, I cried out several times to Him. It made me realize how much I depended on my own strength in the past. I called out to Him and He comforted me. I strayed away but He pulled me back. My relationship with God was not the same after the summer was over. Surely, God does show His love and mercy to those who follow Him. 

One occassion occurred during VBS in June. It was the first day when that test just struck me. A negative thought had infected my mind. I felt bitter, confused, and frustrated. It was a nightmare... I had to preach the third day, but how could I when I’m in this state of mind?? I couldn’t sleep that night. I had all the reasons to be depressed and dejected. But I distinctly remembered that I cried out to God for help. Somehow, some way... He gave me composure. On the third day, I was able to deliver the sermon without this disturbance. However, the test wasn’t done. Yes, He helped me through the desperate times. But it’s still up to me whether I want that thought to sink in or be taken out.

One month passed and it was time for MSA’s annual high school camp. God dealt with me on the issue again on the third day. Ms Fina was preaching about the spirit of resentment and how it could destroy our destiny. Towards the end of her sermon, God spoke to me and pointed out that part in me. “Isn’t that what you’re actually doing?” a still voice reminded me. I felt deeply confronted and broke down there during the prayer. Ms Fina approached me and I told her everything. I remember the quotes she mentioned. “Remembering a past mistake is like drinking poison, hoping that it would kill the other.” There, I made the decision of dealing with the matter once and for all. I spoke with my mentor the Sunday after that and finally dealt with it the same week. Now, I’ve stopped drinking the poison and chose to release life instead. All of this could not have happened if God did not shape me in the first place. From then on, I looked at things differently. Granted, I’m not altogether perfect yet; however, I did see how God has a lot of things to show me in the years to come as I walk in His way. 

Home for the Summer

Wow... It's been almost two weeks since I got back home (three if you count Singapore). I've reunited with my family and old friends here. In addition to that, I also made some new friends. Things have changed since the last time I was back in Indonesia. Incidents and occurrences happened while I was away. I was chatting with one of my friends who came back on December and February from Singapore and she said that "MSA is very different now". Honestly, I didn't know what to expect when I arrived. Yes, we had major reformations and restructuring in the school and the church. I heard about all the differences and changes made. And here I am now... experiencing the effects of those changes.

I landed in Jakarta from Singapore last Monday (April 30). I woke up as early as 5.30 the next day to leave for MSA with my family. I saw those familiar faces once more, after being separated for eight long months... 'Twas exciting and a bit emotional =P

I caught up with the latest stories and we made plans to get together. Some of us that live in the west part of Jakarta are very "kompak" (or cooperative). We do hang out a lot in the past years. We decided to go watch The Avengers together after badminton in Sports Day. Ahh... just like old times. One thing I can look forward to in coming home is to get together and hang out with these awesome people :)

Our church recently joined the Every Nation Churches and Ministries this year. I was signed up for the Victory Weekend on the Saturday that I came back. It was quite an eye-opener and a great encouragement to remind us of Who should be the center of our lives. We also had Pastor Joseph and Carla Bonifacio to minister in the senior lifegroup and MSA devotion. After devotion, my mom and sister showed them around the building while I went to Mr Markus' Humanities class to share about my experience as a first year undergraduate. We chat more in the cafeteria for an hour or so. It was quite interesting hearing their stories and sharing jokes. It was a fun fellowship :D

Just this past Thursday, Russell Peters came to Indonesia to do a show in Istora Senayan. A bunch of us bought tickets to watch (though some were still underage but was able to sneak past the security :P). I told my friend in Canada that I just finished watching the show and he scoffed at me saying, "You went all the way back to Indonesia just to watch a Canadian!?" Overall, it was quite an experience despite the fact that I had a terrible cold and headache when I got back home. As I've said, "quite an experience".

That brings us to today! Well... Saturday, that is... MSA just performed two shows of their Performing Arts (PA) production "The Wizard of Oz". The kids did a great job running the show. It was a tough ride, from what I've heard. Their initial director had problems and was deported back to his homeland in Austria halfway through the preparations of the show. For the rest of the few weeks left, two alumni came to the rescue and helped finish the rehearsals. The technical director is a close friend of mine and he did mention to me several times that this school year was very hectic. I guess that's one thing I never had to experience when I was in high school... In the end, all the hard work and long hours they spent preparing for this paid off. Regardless of the fact that they had limited time to finish up the preparations, they worked with all their hearts and strength. I'm very happy for them and applaud their conviction to the production. The show seemed impossible to run just days before it, but they managed to pull it off. The last thing we admit is that we're quitters. No, MSA kids do not quit even in tough times like these. Through God's help and their devotion to their responsibilities, they made the impossible happen. And I'm proud of them :)

Well that's my update so far on this homecoming. I would finally join the Sunday service tomorrow since I missed it last week. I really can't wait to see what God has in store for the upcoming weeks and months! Yes, I see a lot have changed since the last time I was here. I didn't say it was all bad. In fact, I'm just beginning to think...that I myself am not the same as I was last eight months. Change may happen. It's inevitable. How we react to it matters. What's most important is that we stay open to God's plan. He knows when things would change and when things should stay the same. Be willing to be flexible for God :)



May God bless you this summer,
Justin

Easter 2012+Apocalypse 2012?

EASTER IS HERE! And in other news... the world has been aware about the apocalypse (or Judgment Day) that will occur in the future. I watched videos in YouTube and blog posts about the warnings and the "doom and gloom" news. Who will go to heaven? Many turned to the book of Revelations to find answers. There, debates and theories were formed. I just re-read the book of Revelations and found something interesting that may be of good news to you:

Revelations 7:9-17

"9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying:

“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom,Thanksgiving and honor and power and might,Be to our God forever and ever.Amen.”

13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?”

14 And I said to him, “Sir, you know.”

So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. 16 They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; 17 for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”"

People from every nation, people with different languages- they stand before the throne of our Lord. So no, race does not matter in the kingdom of God. You and I may be different in many ways, but we are able to stand by His side when the day has come. What do we have to do? "Wash our robes and make it clean with His blood". Every sin, every evilness, every wrongdoings- just lay it down on His feet and He will forgive. Jesus made this possible by dying on the cross for our sins. Just recently, my lifegroup gathered together to watch "The Passion of the Christ" as a reminder why we celebrate Easter. Jesus took all our transgressions and imperfection to the cross with Him. He was tortured and persecuted for something He didn't do. He did it because of YOU. He did it for us. Without Him on the cross, we all would not enjoy this life we have. I can stand here and testify because of His grace. By His stripes, I am healed. By His blood, my sins are gone. Jesus is the bridge for us to reach our Father. 

All of these things have been prepared for us. What we have to do now is accept that He is our Savior and start living with Him in the center of our lives. It doesn't matter what happened in the past, as long as you repent and turn to Jesus. The criminal who was crucified next to Jesus confessed to Him that he had done so much wrongs in his life and deserved this punishment. Then, he asked Jesus if He would remember him when He enters into His kingdom. Luke 23:43 says, "And Jesus said to him, 'Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.'" It's never too late to ask for His forgiveness. This Easter, I just want to invite you, readers, to just "wash your robe with His blood". Just ask for His loving kindness and to cleanse our hearts. We don't deserve His grace, yet He gives because He loves. I posted earlier that I want to "make this Easter special". Let's just take time to remember the things He had done for us and give thanks. Our God is a great and mighty God, but most importantly, He is also a God who loves you and me =) 

Happy Easter to all of you,

Justin

Stop Joseph Kony 2012

If you were living in the times of World War II, wouldn't you voice out, "Hitler must be stopped!"? When you heard about the 9/11 attacks are caused by terrorists, didn't you express, "Bin Laden must be stopped!"? These homicidal tyrants have not been completely stopped. Right now... 2012... there is still one villain out there abducting CHILDREN, making the boys child soldiers and the girls sex slaves. These child soldiers are forced to kill their own parents with the weapons provided by the villain's group, Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). Over 60,000 children have fallen victims to this movement. This is not the worst of it yet... The fight has been going on for 23 years, yet he's still out there committing this crime. In 2008, the villain was declared a terrorist. In 2010, the President Obama, the US Senate, and the House of Representatives unanimously signed to law the Lord's Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act. In October of 2011, President Obama dispatched about 100 US troops to support the regional forces in removing the LRA leaders, although they are not to engage in combat themselves. Yes, I didn't know about this until last night. This evil tyrant has lived to slaughter and abduct thousands of humans, claiming that the Holy Spirit spoke to him to do so. There is no cause in this. His blasphemy and reign of terror is simply an act of dictatorship. So who is this person who had destroyed rights of humanity? Who dares to destroy the childhood dreams and instill fear in the innocent children's hearts? His name is JOSEPH KONY.

Well, now you know. What now? Spread the word! The American government does not have any special reason for their army being in a foreign land where America has no direct relations with; therefore, their support is limited. But with the voices and support of the whole world, we can coerce them to give more aid and supplies needed to capture Kony. The world has yet to know who Joseph Kony is. And that is where we come in. I know I don't have a lot of followers in Twitter currently, nor do I have a lot of viewers in my blog. But what I have learned throughout history is that one voice can make a difference.

I am doing my part in posting everywhere, helping the ones viewing my profile to at least be aware of who Kony is. What will you do?

A New Year: A New Beginning

2012 is here! I couldn't believe how time flies. It feels like it wasn't long ago I was standing at the shore of the beach in Bali where I received the first big surprise of the year... Unfortunately, 2011 didn't start as well as I had expected. The school year dragged on with a lot of drama involving the authorities and the church. I didn't really know what to expect. In my blackberry status, I simply wrote that I was barely escaping with a scorching fire behind me. The school was restless throughout the semester, my church underwent a change of structure, and things were not the same anymore. It was through this that I learned to hold on to the Lord. We can't expect to understand everything that's happening right then, but all we know is that God is in control. Trust me, it's hard to go through a major change like that after holding on to it for eight or more years. On the bright side, it brought my family closer, to each other and to other people as well. It was then that I knew I had to have someone to whom I can talk to and share. Sure enough, my friends are always there to cheer me up.

The school semester ended and we graduated. Everything went quite smoothly (thank God...). I had the most wonderful vacation with my fellow friends from the graduating class and our form teacher Ms. Fina. We went to the Komodo Islands in Flores and had an amazing time together. We played games till late at night in my room, joked around with each other, swam together, played water polo, took pictures of Komodo, and probably the most memorable: the boat ride together where we shared stories and slept under the stars together on the deck. It was just so amazing.

After our trip, I actually spent more time with my friends than I did in the school year. It was probably because of the realization that I might not be able to meet them for a long time anymore. I immediately arranged for another gathering at Waterbom. As always, we had fun together.

More good news to come: I was accepted in York University for all the three studies I applied to. I moved to Canada on late August and started September. I met great people and have been involved in numerous amazing ministries. My academic studies also were going well.

Unfortunately, 2011 was also the year when I received a lot of distressing news of people passing... I was especially disheartened by the passing of a friend that was quite dear to us. Abraham Singarimbun, who was my age, went through tumor a few years ago. He was cured eventually, but the treatment led a side effect that caused leukemia. The last time I visited him in August (before I left for Canada), he appeared to be healthy and strong. Reading his tweets, he was even able to go back home to Jakarta for a few days. We all thought he was already passed all the sickness and disease. On a Friday afternoon of November 18 while I was waiting for my next class, the news reached me that Abraham had passed. My heart went faint with shock and grief. Amazingly, I was able to pull myself together and finish class for that day. I found peace. Now that I look back on it, I couldn't have done so if I had not learned how to trust the Lord in these times. All things work together for good for those who love the Lord. (Romans 8:28)

On a Saturday midnight (1 A.M), I experienced a car crash on the way back home. Thank God we didn't suffer any serious injuries. Seriously, 2011 was a year full of surprises, but I just know that God's hand is with me everywhere I go.

2012 is a new beginning. A friend of mine says that 2012 is a "time for change". Another friend of mine says it's a time for the world to end, but that's not really important now. This is a year where we all should make the best of our lives. The incidents that happened in 2011 makes me realize how short life really is. Life is a gift from God. He give it and call us back anytime. Are we ready to be called back now? What changes have we made to impact the world? We do not have a lot of time. So let's not squander and waste it. 2012 is a year for change. We can't merely survive, we have to succeed. I believe great things will happen this year... for you and for me. Make the best of it =)



My prayers be with all of you,
Justin