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Tuhan Yesus
yang Empunya segala kemuliaan, kejayaan, kemasyuran dan kekekalan datang ke dalam dunia ini memilih apa yang berlawanan dari keberadaanNya. Dia memilih untuk lahir di tempat yang rendah, rendah dalam arti segala-galanya. Rendah dalam posisi status di mata masyarakat, lahir di kandang domba. Rendah dalam arti sederhana, tidak glamourous, karena Yesus hanya memilih orang tua ‘jasmani’ yang pekerjaannya hanyalah sebagai tukang kayu. Tuhan kita sengaja tidak memilih orang tua yang kaya raya atau seorang raja yang bisa membuat Dia lahir di istana yang megah dan yang bisa membuat kelahirannya dirayakan oleh seluruh rakyat, diikuti dengan pesta yang besar-besaran. Kalau Tuhan kita memilih jalan yang serba "WOW" dan "Gemerlapan" mungkin saat ini akan lebih banyak orang yang mau menjadi pengikut Yesus. Sekarang timbul pertanyaan di dalam hati banyak orang awam bahkan mungkin juga ini menjadi pertanyaan bagi mereka yang sudah percaya tapi mendambakan kemewahan: Mengapa Tuhan Kita Yesus Kristus memilih untuk lahir di kandang binatang? Dan mengapa memilih orang tuaNya hanya seorang tukang kayu yang sederhana? Mengapa? Jawabannya adalah apakah kita tidak pernah berpikir kalau Jalan Tuhan adalah yang terbaik daripada semua idea yang indah dan sempurna yang keluar dari pikiran orang yang paling cendikiawan atau orang paling jenius sekalipun. Kenapa Tuhan mau lahir di tempat rendah? Kenapa Dia memilih lahir menjadi manusia dalam keluarga yang sederhana lepas dari keglamoran? Jawaban yang paling gampang adalah: mungkin kita lupa kalau semua kemewahan yang ada di dalam dunia ini adalah di bawah wewenang si Jahat? Ingatkah kita sewaktu Tuhan kita dicobai di padang pasir? Bahwa semua kemewahan dunia akan diberikan kepada Yesus kalau Dia mau menyembah setan? Bukankah kalau Tuhan kita sewaktu datang ke dalam dunia ini dalam keadaan mewah, kaya dan glamour, berarti secara tidak langsung Tuhan seolah-olah di-welcome oleh si setan dan disambut dan dijamu dengan kemewahan dunia ini oleh si jahat? Jawaban yang kedua kenapa Juru Selamat kita memilih jalan yang sederhana, adalah karena Tuhan ingin siapapun yang mengikuti Dia dan yang mau percaya padaNya; bukan bermotivasikan harta dunia. Kita sering melihat bahwa seorang yang konglomerat besar akan mempunyai banyak orang dan dihormati oleh banyak orang, disegani oleh banyak orang dan selalu disambut dan di-welcome oleh banyak orang. Kita lihat di sini bahwa harta dunia
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yang gemerlapan itu bisa ‘membeli’ orang dan bisa ‘menarik’ banyak pengikut. Itulah sebabnya kenapa Yesus yang mulia itu ‘sengaja’ melepaskan atribut ‘kemegahan’, ‘kebesaran’, ‘kemuliaan’ dan ‘kekayaan’-Nya pada saat Dia datang ke dalam dunia ini hanyalah untuk mendapatkan ‘murid’ dan ‘pengikut’ yang sejati yang tidak silau oleh harta duniawi, yang hatinya tidak terpikat pada kemewahan dunia. Jawaban ketiga adalah jawaban ‘rohani’, kalau kita setia, percaya dan mengikuti Yesus seumur hidup kita maka hadiahnya adalah semua kemegahan, kemuliaan dan harta yang kekal yang tidak akan berkarat itu akan menjadi milik kita. Cuma orang-orang yang sudah mengenal Tuhan Yesus dengan jelas bisa melihat akan adanya harta karun surgawi yang jauh lebih baik dari pada kemewahan yang ada di dalam dunia ini Sekarang apakah pendapat kita di dalam merayakan dan menyambut kedatangan Sang Natal ini? Masih jugakah kita membutuhkan atribut kemewahan dan kekayaan dunia di dalam merayakan Natal ini? Tentu saja kita boleh merayakan Natal ini dengan megah dan gegap gempita kalau kita sanggup untuk melakukan hal itu.. tetapi kalau kita bilang adalah suatu keharusan untuk bermewah-mewah dan pamer kekayaan sewaktu kita merayakan Natal ini maka keadaannya adalah kita bukan merayakan kedatangan Juru Selamat kita tetapi justru kita sedang merayakan ‘diri kita sendiri’ dan menyembah ‘harta karun’ dunia ini. Hati-hatilah jangan sampai hati kita di ‘bohongi’ oleh ‘sang harta duniawi’ sehingga kita mengganti arti Natal yang sesungguhnya bahkan mungkin kita telah mencemarkan arti “Natal yang Suci dan Sejati”
redaksi 2
AGAPE — Christmas 2005
AGAPE
Christmas 2005
Penasehat Ev. Wilson Suwanto Daniel Loe Editor Evelyn Sunarko Janice Atmadja Merisa Halim Rachel Atmadja Ilustrator & Fotografer Joshua Adidjaja Martha Raharja Pilipus Santoso Layout Eva Leony Martha Raharja Tesia Trisnadi Tjandra Afandi Kontributor Rev. Billy Lim Ev. Wilson Suwanto Gamas Sugiarto Hitoshi Syujiro Jovanka Pangestu Printing Semiwaty Oei Special Thanks The participants of What Does Azusa Want For Christmas? and Baby's 1st Christmas articles. E-mail Redaksi
[email protected] Produksi GII Azusa 539 N. Sunset Ave. Azusa, CA 91702 Telp: (626) 812-0326 http://lax.gii-usa.org
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focus:
Humility 09 Humility: Understanding by Jovanka Pangestu 11 Becoming a Servant of God: How Do We Attain Humility? by Rev. Billy Lim 14 Maintaining Humility by Ev. Wilson Suwanto translated to English by Janice Atmadja
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content —————————————————————————
05 Reflection: You Can Know The Christ Of Christmas A Message by Billy Graham 18 Cerpen: Buah Hatiku Rumah Kristus by Hitoshi Syujiro 23 Book: Hidden Inside The Chinese Language: References To The Book Of Genesis by Gamas Sugiarto 29 Sharing: Baby's 1st Christmas 30 Opinion: What Does Azusa Want For Christmas
e! n i l n tml o e 'r agape.h e w t eb/ a w _ h c t t sa.org/ie e g r fo lax.gii-u t ' Donvisit us @
32 Quiz: Spot The Differences
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YOU CAN KNOW THE CHRIST OF CHRISTMAS A MESSAGE BY BILLY GRAHAM
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TAKEN FROM: DECISION MAGAZINE, DECEMBER 2005 EDITION
Once again the world celebrates Christmas. People fervently pray that the Spirit of Christmas will pervade the entire world. In many parts of the world Christmas carolers will stand outside their neighbors’ doors and sing “Silent Night! Holy Night!” Everyone is busily preparing for the holiday season. Yet, in the midst of this preparation, millions of people miss the real meaning of Christmas.
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In the midst of the Christmas rush, Christ is oftentimes left out as we forget that it is His birthday we are celebrating. The precise meaning of that first Christmas is clear: God came to earth in human form. The impact of His birth was so great that calendars were torn up, prejudices were laid aside and people began to walk in newness of life. Nearly 2,000 years ago the angel revealed to the wondering and trembling shepherds the glorious news that in the city of David “a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11, NIV). The angel had already announced to Joseph the character of Christ’s Saviorhood: “You are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21, NIV). Israel had looked for One who would deliver them from the bondage of Rome and restore the nation to an even greater glory and prosperity than was enjoyed in the days of King David. They never dreamed that this little Babe in Bethlehem’s manger was the AGAPE — Christmas 2005
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anointed One, the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Only a few devout people living in close communion with God, such as the aged Simeon, saw the spiritual significance of Christ’s birth. Looking into the face of the holy Babe, Simeon saw One who had come to be “a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to [God’s] people Israel” (Luke 2:32, NIV). For long centuries the children of God had walked in the light of the law and the prophets, but all the while they had looked up to heaven and longed to have God step down. In Bethlehem 2,000 years ago, that is just what God did. He became bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh and “made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14, NIV). The Christmas message is this: “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:19, NIV). But because people were blind to their sins, they saw no beauty in Christ that they should desire Him. They crucified the Christ who yearned to save them from their sins and from the tragic consequences that inevitably followed their rejection of God’s anointed One. The world’s primary need today is the Savior, salvation from sin. Failure to recognize this fact and receive God’s remedy for sin is the reason why mankind has failed to prevent recurring wars and revolutions in the world. Because within the hearts of people is lust for position, power and possessions, the best schemes and endeavors of people will come to naught. Jesus Christ said, “Out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander” (Matthew 15:19, NIV). Until these things are rooted out, the world in a moral and a spiritual sense will go backward rather than forward. 6
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Many have preached about the Sermon on the Mount as though that in itself is a sufficient dynamic to bring in a new world order of peace and goodwill among men. All the religions of the world say, “Do good; do good,” but they do not give us the power to do good. One of the failures of many church leaders is their refusal to believe that our deepest problem is sin. We have joined hands with the idealists of the world in trying to bring about social reform without first dealing with the root of the problem, which is sin. Many people have failed to see that the human will is sin-bound, egotistic and in rebellion against the will of God. We think that in some particular “ism” we hold the secret to universal peace and prosperity. All religions and ideologies outside God’s revelation in the Bible have this in common: They are disguised forms of selfredemption and Christ rejection. Without God we cannot put the world right, because we cannot put ourselves right. It is beyond us to put away the sin in our own hearts. We cannot save ourselves, let alone the whole world. Sin permeates all that we think, feel and do; like a shadow, sin pursues us wherever we go. It is part and parcel of our being; we cannot eradicate it. The evils that curse the world are the consequences of hearts deceived by the devil and separated from God. Thousands of human schemes for social and political improvement will ultimately fail because they do not deal with a person’s basic disease. They change the circumstances but leave the person untouched. They alter the surroundings but have no power to transform the character. If humanity is to be saved, if the world is to be transformed, then salvation must come from a source
outside ourselves. Christmas emphasizes the glorious truth that salvation is provided apart from us, that into this sin-cursed world came One whose supreme mission is to save sinners. We cannot save ourselves because we cannot deliver ourselves from the guilt, the power and the consequences of sin. Those in rebellion against God have no terms of peace to offer that are acceptable to God. Only God Himself can make peace, and this He has done through the atoning sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. Through the merits of Christ’s life and death we are offered full and free forgiveness. Christmas tells us what it cost God to save the world: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son” (John 3:16, NIV). Christ is God’s great Christmas Gift to the world: “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15, NIV). Christ does for us what no other has been able to do: He removes our guilt and reconciles us to God. He raises us from the death of sin to the life of righteousness. He reconciles us to life and to our fellow humans. He implants within us new hopes, new aims, new enthusiasms. He regenerates our affections, our desires and our energies, and He strengthens our wills. Beautiful, ethical precepts cannot save us, but Christ can. When Christ comes into a life, He revolutionizes it so that the person becomes a “new creation.” This, and this alone, is our hope. This hope that was given to those shepherds on that first Christmas morning is available only to those who believe. To know the pardon, joy, peace and power that come through Christ, we must personally receive Christ by faith. Faith must be real if our hearts are to be changed. Mere intellectual assent is not enough. Where
faith is genuine, its influence is powerful and revolutionary. This Christmas, many people believe that Jesus is the Son of God, without any change happening in their lives. They have never repented. What an astounding change would take place if the millions who profess to be Christians possessed genuine faith. When we have genuine faith in Christ, a change takes place. We will have a new kind of relationship with our families, our employers, our employees and even our enemies. Many people ask, “Why doesn’t this revolution happen to more people?” It is because millions of professing Christians are strangers to the genuine, saving faith that means coming to the end of ourselves, to the end of our self-reliance and selfrighteousness, and then trusting absolutely in Christ for forgiveness and for moral and spiritual renewal. The Christmas angels praised God and proclaimed peace on earth. It was by and through Jesus Christ that peace was to come to the earth. Scripture says, “He himself is our peace” (Ephesians 2:14, NIV). All else is confusion, discord and disorder. Jesus Christ is life’s integrator. He is humanity’s harmonizer, the races’ reconciler, the world’s peace-giver: “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11, NIV). Many of you long for peace in your own hearts this Christmas. You can meet God at the foot of the cross and find the peace that you have sought for so long. You ask, “What do I have to do?” Repent of your sins. By faith receive Christ as your Savior and Lord and Master. Commit your life to Him. He will come into your heart, and this Christmas you can know the Christ of Christmas. [TA] AGAPE — Christmas 2005
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Humility ...
It's like a candle that burns itself to give light; a sweet gentle breeze that doesn't boast while making me happy; an ocean that willingly accepts anything thrown into it.
Like parents that think only about the happiness of their children. Like Jesus that washed my feet and my sins.
humility 谦卑 8
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Understanding
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Attaining
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Maintaining
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humility:
understanding by: Jovanka Pangestu
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hen I was asked to write about true humility, words associated with humility did not reverberate in my mind. What entered my mind instead were images of Jesus washing His disciples’ feet. A King wearing a crown of thorns―His broken body was hanging on the cross next to the criminals. How could a King choose to lower himself in humility for the sake of humanity? Unlike Jesus, who was affectionately willing to lay down His crown for us, it was not easy for me to lay down my crown: my pride. I could not let go out of fear of negative consequences that will get in the way―fear of getting hurt emotionally, and fear of what other people might think of me. Sometimes, I ask myself, “Why do I need to sacrifice my efforts and my pride for other people?” On the other side, it is much easier for me to just give up on humility, to forget about it, and to ignore the little voice deep inside of me that has been prompting me to be humble. Living in a selfcentric world, it is common to turn a situation into one that focuses on ourselves. It is a struggle to take the focus away from ourselves and put others first. Other times, our attempts at humility are paperthin. We would like to think 9
those attempts were done out of love, but underneath that cover there was something to gain, something to be expected in return. We have then turned humility into a self-seeking act covered in pretty gift wraps. Instead of focusing on ourselves, we should focus on God and others. Jesus shamelessly and willingly sacrificed Himself on the cross for us. Because of this, we are able to receive salvation. We should be thankful for His gift of salvation because salvation would not have been ours had Jesus thought and acted like we do. Unlike the paper-thin act of humility we tend to show, His acts of humility had depth. He gave himself up for our sins to save us when we are unworthy to receive salvation. Instead of worrying about the consequences that may or may not happen if we let go of our ego, let us lay down our crowns to God first. Let us trust Him and be completely satisfied, meditating on his sacrifice as the ultimate act of humility. Let us view putting others first and ourselves last as a sacrifice on our part done only for God. Remember this―our lives are meant to be offered to God for His purpose. Even if negative consequences were to happen, if we were to trust Him, we must have faith that all these troubles are parts of His wonderful plan to shape us into His likeness. There is something greater and better is in the making, something far greater than our ego, our selves, and our fears. [MH]
He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way. Psalm 25:9 (NIV)
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Becoming a Servant of God:
how do we attain humility? by: Rev. BIlly Lim
If most of us were asked, “Are you God’s servant?” We would probably respond, “Yes I am, because He is my King and my Lord, and therefore I am his servant.”
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o you truly have a servant’s heart? If you are willing to serve, are you presently serving others without demanding questions, rewards, or rights? Many people only give lip service to servanthood. They say that they are servants, want to be servants, or wish that they are better servants. Yes, we all can grow in our desire, ability, and effectiveness as servants. Actually, we must be servants; not just talk about being servants. The true servant is not only one who has a heart for service or a desire to be a servant, but one who is actually engaged in serving. In this article, we discuss this topic of becoming a servant of God – this speaks about servanthood. What are the marks of true servanthood? The marks of true servanthood can be seen in these attributes: 1. He (or she) does not demand recognition and is always willing to remain in the shadows or in the lower galleys. 2. He does not demand reward for he gives service without expecting any return from the person he serves. 3. He does not demand self-rights for he has yielded spirit, both to God and to others. As Paul says in Romans 12:10, “giving preference to one another.” From these attributes we know that the first and foremost requirement to becoming a servant of God is humility. AGAPE — Christmas 2005
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What is humility? Humility is submitting yourself to God and being dependent on God. It also entails putting and serving Jesus first, others second, and yourself last; considering others better than yourself and knowing that you are to serve, and not be served. Furthermore, humility is not degrading yourself and feeling that you are not worthy. Now that we have defined true humility, how does one attain true humility? ATTAINING HUMILITY In order to attain true humility, one has to take note of the life of Jesus as the prime example of the one who lived a life of humility in becoming a servant of God. No tree can grow outside of the root from which it sprang. What is the root and essence of the character of our Lord Jesus? There can be but one answer, and that is His humility. Indeed, Christ is the humility of God embodied in human nature, the eternal love humbling itself, clothing itself in meekness and gentleness to win, serve, and save us. As the love and humility of God make him the helper and servant of all, so Jesus was the incarnate Humility. Now if this be the root of the tree, its nature must be seen in every branch, leaf, and fruit. Is it any wonder that the Christian life is so often feeble and fruitless when the very root of Christ’s life and humility is neglected? We must have a humility in which we rest in nothing less than the end and death of the SELF. A humility which gives up all the honor of men, as Jesus did, to seek the honor that comes from God alone; a humility which absolutely makes and counts itself nothing so that God may be all and the Lord alone may be exalted. In the gospel of John, we have the inner life of our Lord laid open to us. 12
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Jesus speaks frequently of His relation to the Father, of the motives by which He is guided, and of His consciousness of the power and spirit in which He acts. Though the word “humble” does not occur in the gospel of John, we shall nowhere else in the scripture see the humility of Jesus so clearly represented. We have already said that this grace is, in truth, nothing but the simple consent of the creature to let God (the Creator) be all – surrendering itself to His working alone. In Jesus we shall see how both as the Son of God in heaven and as a man upon earth, He willingly took an inferior position in order to give God the honor and glory only to Him. “He who humbles himself shall be exalted.” Luke 14: 11 What Jesus taught His disciples was always true of Him. Listen to the words in which our Lord speaks of His relation to the Father and see how unceasingly He uses the words ‘not’ and ‘nothing’ of Himself. The reoccurring “not I” phrase in which Paul expresses his relation to Christ is the very phrase that Christ chooses to express His relation to the Father. For example: “The Son can do nothing of Himself.” John 5:19 “I have come down from Heaven not to do my own will, but the will of Him who sent me.” John 8:28 “The words that I say, I speak not from Myself.” John 14:10 We have seen humility in the life of Christ as He laid open His heart to us. Now let us listen to His teaching. There we
shall hear how He speaks of it and how far He expects the human race (especially His disciples) to be as humble as he was. Let us see the scriptures below to receive the full impression of how often and how earnestly He taught about humility. Look at the commencement of His ministry, especially in the Beatitudes with which the Sermon on the Mount:
additional
references
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” Matt 5:5 Humility: The Forgotten Virtue (Strength for Life)
“Take my yoke upon you and learn form me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matt 11: 29 Another instance is seen in Matthew 18. The disciples had been disputing about who would be the greatest in the Kingdom and had agreed to ask the Master. And Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Matt 18:3-4 As you open the gospels in the Bible, see for yourself how Jesus taught through His very life – His life of humility. CONCLUSION Let us pray and yield ourselves to become God’s servant and follow the example of our Lord Jesus throughout His life – the life of humility as we become His servants. [RA]
Wayne & Joshua Mack ISBN: 087552639X (paperback) Publisher: P & R Publishing List price: $10.99 Thickness: 180 pages Size: 8.5" x 5.5" x 0.5"
Humility: True Greatness C. J. Mahaney ISBN: 1590523261 (hardcover) Publisher: Multnomah List price: $12.99 Thickness: 176 pages Size: 7.2" x 5.3" x 0.7" AGAPE — Christmas 2005
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maintaining
humility by: Ev. Wilson Suwanto translated to English by: Janice Atmadja
The word ‘humble’ originates from the Latin word ‘humilis,’ meaning “lowly,” or “a low or contemptible social status.” People born in poverty were called ‘the lowly.’ Likewise, those who admit defeat after a fight were deemed lowly. This is why people do not like to use the term ‘humble.’ Who would want to be regarded with contempt or be called “lowly”?
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espite the negative connotation of the word ‘humble’ or ‘lowly,’ Jesus called himself “humble in heart” (Matthew 11:29). Did Jesus mean to degrade Himself? The answer is no. He beckoned others to learn from Him, from his humility. In other words, Jesus was the first to give a noble definition to the word ‘humility.’ Jesus, Son of God, bravely called himself “humble”. What about us, mere humans!? Why did Jesus give such a noble definition of a disdainful word like “humility” ? Because God is a God who loves those who are humble, scorned, oppressed, weak, poor, and etc. In the Old Testament, God revealed himself to be a Protector of the poor, orphans, widows, foreigners, and the downtrodden (Exodus 23:6, Deuteronomy 15:4-11, Zephaniah 2:3). We brave humility because God will exalt us above the proud: "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Luke 18:14
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People who do not have God in their lives are often afraid to humble themselves because that makes them vulnerable and likely to be crushed by others. When they are oppressed, they do not have a protector. We have a God who defends the downtrodden. This is why Christians possess the courage to be humble. Humility is not optional; it is a must. If we “trust” (with faith) that God is our Protector, we must then be willing to humble ourselves. To be lacking in humility is to be lacking in faith. Ignoring the command to be humble means that one does not trust in God as our Protector. WHAT IS HUMILITY? Humility is a course of action where one chooses not to regard oneself as the most important; but rather acknowledging that others are more important than himself. WHERE DOES HUMILITY LIE? Humility lies in our thoughts. Many can pretend to be humble in order to gain the sympathy and praises of others. However, God knows the deepest thoughts of every individual. Is he truly humble or is he secretly prideful? One can say, “I am nothing,” but in his head murmurs, “Without me, you are nothing.” One can pretend to be humble and say, “Please, walk ahead of me,” when his mind whispers, “See how humble I am.” Humility is a mental attitude that our deeds reveal. Without a humble mind, one can not hope to keep a pretentious show of humility for long.
MENJAGA KERENDAHAN HATI
(untranslated article by Ev. Wilson Suwanto) PADA MULANYA, istilah ‘rendah hati’ berasal dari kata Latin ‘humilis.’ Arti ‘humilis’ adalah “rendah,” atau “status sosial yang rendah atau hina.” Orang yang lahir dalam keluarga miskin disebut “rendah.” Lalu, seorang yang mengaku kalah dalam sebuah pertandingan, juga disebut “rendah.” Itu sebabnya, istilah “rendah hati” (humilis) tidak banyak digunakan orang. Siapa yang ingin disebut “rendah” atau “hina?” Tetapi ada sesuatu yang mengherankan: Yesus menyebut dirinya “rendah dalam hati.” (Mat. 11:29) Apakah Yesus bermaksud menghina diriNya? Tidak. Ia bahkan mengajak orang belajar dariNya, dari kerendahan hatiNya (ay. 29). Dengan kata lain, Yesus adalah orang pertama yang memberikan arti mulia bagi kata “rendah hati.” Yesus, Anak Allah, berani menyebut diri “rendah hati.” Bagaimana dengan kita, manusia!? Mengapa Yesus memberikan arti yang mulia untuk kata-kata yang hina seperti “rendah hati?” Sebab Allah adalah Allah yang mengasihi orang yang rendah, hina, tertindas, lemah, miskin, dsb. Di dalam Perjanjian Lama, Allah tampil sebagai Pembela orang-orang miskin, anak yatim, kaum janda, orang asing, dan orang-orang yang tertekan atau tertindas (Kel. 23:6; Ul. 15:4-11; Zef. 2:3). Kita berani “rendah hati” karena Allah akan meninggikan kita: "barangsiapa merendahkan diri, ia akan ditinggikan [oleh Allah]" (Luk. 18:14). Orang yang tidak mempunyai Allah, tidak berani rendah hati karena mereka akan ditindas orang lain. Kalau ditindas, mereka tidak ada pembela. Kita punya Allah yang selalu membela orang yang tertindas. Itu sebabnya orang Kristen berani rendah hati. Bukan hanya berani, orang Kristen juga “harus” rendah hati. Kalau kita “percaya” (punya iman) bahwa Allah itu Pembela, maka kita harus rendah hati. Kurang rendah hati berarti kurang iman. Tidak rendah hati berarti tidak percaya pada Tuhan Sang Pembela.
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HOW TO LIVE WITH HUMILITY? Serving God (including chuch ministry) with humility (Acts 20:19). Serving without an ulterior motive such as seeking others’ praise, popularity, merit, establishing a name or keeping a good name for the family, etc. 2. Being patient with others (Ephesians 4:2). Everyone has their own weaknesses, but we are called to have “tolerance” or “patience”. For example, we do not retaliate against those who were impolite to us; however much we desire to do so. We do not feel that we are always right and others are always wrong. On the contrary, we have humility. We have a humble heart. 3. Not prioritizing oneself above all others (Philippians 2:3). Almost everyone act out of selfishness. A Christian does not act for the good of himself; but rather acts for the good of others and the church. 4. Respecting everyone (1 Peter 5:5). Peter calls the young generation to give appropriate respect to their elders. Afterwards, Peter says, “God challenges those who are boastful, but he loves those with a humble heart.” This means that this system applies to everyone, young and old.
1.
ATTENTION: ‘Humility’ does not equal ‘humiliating oneself.’ Humiliating oneself is equal to humiliating God, the Creator of humans. Humility is to refrain from exalt-
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APA ITU RENDAH HATI? Rendah hati adalah sebuah tindakan seseorang untuk tidak menganggap dirinya sebagai yang paling penting, melainkan menganggap orang lain lebih utama dari dirinya. DI MANA LETAK KERENDAHAN HATI? Rendah hati ada dalam Pikiran. Banyak orang bisa berpura-pura rendah hati untuk mendapatkan simpati dan pujian orang lain. Akan tetapi, Tuhan mengetahui dalam pikiran setiap orang, apakah ia rendah hati atau sombong. Seseorang bisa berkata “Saya ini bukan apa-apa,” tetapi dalam hati/pikiran ia berkata, “Tanpa saya, kalian bukan apa-apa.” Seseorang bisa berpura-pura rendah hati dengan berkata, “Silahkan jalan duluan,” padahal dalam hatinya, ia berkata, “Lihatlah betapa saya sangat rendah hati.” Rendah hati adalah sebuah sikap pikiran (mental attitude) yang akan nyata dalam perbuatan. Tetapi rendah hati tidak bisa dipalsukan atau dijadikan sesuatu yang “pura-pura.” BAGAIMANA KITA HIDUP DENGAN RENDAH HATI? 1. Melayani Tuhan (termasuk di gereja) dengan rendah hati (Kis. 20:19). Artinya, bukan untuk pujian, popularitas, jasa, nama, dilihat orang, kebanggaan keluarga, dsb. 2. Sabar terhadap orang lain (Ef. 4:2). Setiap orang tentu ada kelemahan, tetapi kita dipanggil untuk mempunyai “toleransi” atau “kesabaran.” Misalnya, meskipun kita ingin membalas atau menyerang orang yang tidak sopan, kita tidak melakukannya. Kita tidak merasa diri kita paling benar dan orang lain salah semua. Ini disebut “rendah hati.” 3. Tidak merasa diri sendiri paling penting. (Fil. 2:3). Hampir setiap orang bertindak atas dasar kepentingan atau keuntungan diri. Seorang Kristen bertindak atas dasar kebaikan orang lain atau gereja. Tidak berdasarkan kepentingan ego-nya. 4. Hormat kepada semua orang (1 Pet. 5:5). Petrus memanggil kaum muda untuk memberi hormat yang sepatutnya bagi para orang tua.
ing oneself, not humiliating oneself. Humility is the realization that God is higher than us, that we are not superior/inferior to our peers, and that we can not elevate ourselves and become prideful (becoming like God or being superior to others). WARNING: Being humble is a permanent commitment! A person who says “I am humble enough,” ironically elevates himself and swells with pride right at that moment. Someone who feels that he is “already humble” is, instead, someone who is not humble. In Philippians 2: 5-11, Paul illustrates how Jesus, Son of God, empties Himself and takes the form of a lowly servant. This is true humility. He descended from the highest title as the Son of God to the lowliest status of dying on the cross. What a huge difference! If so, may we say to ourselves, “I am humble enough”? Absolutely not. Humility must be a trait possessed by every Christian. From humility, we’ll discover peace, love, gentleness, goodness, obedience, and unity. All of these are to push the growth of the body of Christ, the Church, so that it may grow more like Christ, our Savior, a God that is humble. In conclusion, Pride stands in the way of God’s work. Humility opens wide the way for His work. Without a humble heart, God can not use us, and we can not contribute to others. With humility, one isn’t only used by God. Rather, he also becomes a blessing unto others. [JA]
Selanjutnya Petrus berkata, “Tuhan menentang orang yang congkak, tetapi mengasihi orang yang rendah hati.” Berarti, ini berlaku untuk semua, tua atau muda. PERHATIAN: Rendah hati tidak sama dengan menghina diri. Menghina diri sendiri adalah sama dengan menghina Tuhan, Sang Pencipta manusia. Rendah hati adalah tidak meninggikan diri, bukan menghina diri. Rendah hati adalah sebuah kesadaran bahwa Tuhan lebih tinggi dari kita, kita tidak lebih tinggi atau rendah dari sesama kita, dan kita tidak boleh meninggikan diri (menjadi Tuhan atau lebih tinggi dari sesama). PERINGATAN: Rendah hati tak pernah ada akhirnya! Ada orang berkata, “Saya sudah cukup rendah hati,” justru berarti ia sedang meninggikan diri (sombong). Orang yang merasa “sudah rendah hati” adalah orang yang belum rendah hati. Dalam Fil. 2:5-11, Paulus menggambarkan bagaimana Yesus, Anak Allah, mengosongkan dirinya, dan mengambil rupa seorang hamba yang hina. Inilah kerendahan hati. Dari posisi yang paling tinggi (Anak Allah) sampai ke posisi yang paling hina (mati di salib), inilah kerendahan hati. Begitu jauh perbedaannya! Jika demikian, bolehkah kita berkata kepada diri, “Saya sudah cukup rendah hati?” Sama sekali tidak. Kerendahan hati harus menjadi sikap setiap orang Kristen. Dari kerendahan hati, kita akan menemukan kesabaran, kasih, kelemah-lembutan, kebaikan hati, hormat, dan kesatuan. Semua ini adalah untuk pembangunan tubuh Kristus, yaitu: gereja agar semakin mirip Yesus Kristus, Juruselamat dan Tuhan yang rendah hati. Akhir kata, Kesombongan menutup jalan untuk pekerjaan Tuhan. Kerendahan hati membuka jalan selebar-lebarnya bagi pekerjaan Tuhan. Tanpa kerendahan hati, seseorang tidak bisa dipakai oleh Tuhan, dan tidak bisa berguna untuk sesamanya. Dengan kerendahan hati, seseorang bukan hanya dipakai Tuhan, melainkan menjadi berkat untuk sesama. [JA] AGAPE — Christmas 2005
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C
u k i t a h buah
cerpen ————————————
RUMAH KRISTUS by: Hitoshi Syujiro
AKU
adalah seorang yatim piatu. Aku tidak mengenal siapa ayah dan ibuku yang sebenarnya. Namun oleh kebesaran rahmat Allah, aku boleh diangkat sebagai anak yang serasa dilahirkan kembali dalam sebuah keluarga sederhana. Sebuah keluarga Kristen yang taat dan patuh pada Tuhan. Dalam keluarga inilah aku mengenal Tuhan dan melalui keluarga ini juga aku mempersilahkan Kristus menjadi Tuan atas rumah hatiku. Aku mempunyai saudara-saudara lain yang merupakan anak-anak kandung dari orang tua angkatku. Seorang kakak lakilaki dan seorang adik perempuan. Namun berbeda dengan anak-anak angkat dalam keluarga lain, aku tidak merasakan adanya pilih kasih orang tua terhadap kami bertiga. Orang tuaku mengasihi aku sama persis dengan mereka mengasihi anak-anak kandung mereka sendiri. Hal itu tidak berarti setiap kami diperlakukan sama. Kami, anak-anaknya, masing-masing diperlakukan dengan cara yang berbeda menurut usia, kepribadian, kelebihan, kekurangan dan terutama keunikan kami sendiri. Dan justru dengan cara demikian, kami anakanaknya menerima kasih dalam proporsi yang sama.
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Walaupun sekarang aku sudah berpisah dengan orang tuaku, hatiku tetap mengingat dan mengenang segala sesuatu yang keluarga ini telah berikan kepadaku. Alangkah tulus dan alangkah indah didikan mereka. Harta terbesar yang telah mereka berikan (dan tetap mereka miliki) kepada setiap kami anak-anaknya adalah Yesus. Di dalam merekalah aku melihat Kristus dengan jelas. Yesus bukanlah seorang yang biasabiasa saja. Sejak aku persilahkan Dia masuk ke rumah hatiku, Dia menjadi segalagalanya bagiku. Dialah Allahku, Tuhan, Kepala rumah hatiku, Pemimpin, dan orang tuaku. Tapi Dia bukanlah Tuhan yang tinggal jauh dari aku. Dia juga adalah Sahabat setia, yang memberikan sahabat-sahabat setia yang lain dalam hidupku. Dia adalah Temanku dalam sukacita dan kesusahan; Penasehatku, Penghiburku, tempat aku mencurahkan segala isi hatiku. Antara aku dan Dia tidak ada yang kurahasiakan. Sungguh, Dialah segalanya bagiku.
Kasih Allah Dalam Kasih Orang Tuaku, Secara Khusus Untukku. Saat ini aku dan Yesus sedang bercengkerama di ruang istirahat. Kami baru saja bersaat teduh bersama seperti yang biasa kami lakukan setiap pagi. Namun hari in adalah hari yang cukup unik. Tidak seperti biasanya, hari ini justru Yesuslah memintaku bercerita. Yesus memintaku menceritakan padaNya bagaimana papa dan mama memperkenalkan aku kepadaNya. Biasanya, Yesuslah yang bercerita tentang kebesaran dan kemuliaan Tuhan dan hal-hal yang telah Bapa lakukan pada dunia ini. Tapi, hari ini akulah yang harus bercerita; menceritakan apa yang telah Allah lakukan secara khusus kepadaku melalui papa dan mama. Tentu saja aku tidak dapat menceritakan semuanya. Apa yang papa dan mama sudah lakukan padaku sudah terlalu banyak. Selain itu, aku rasa Yesus mengetahui apa yang mereka lakukan. Tapi aku yakin Ia ingin mendengarkan dari mulut bibirku sekali lagi. Akupun tidak keberatan tentang hal itu. Bahkan aku senang menceritakannya. Aku teringat satu peristiwa yang sangat indah yang pernah terjadi dalam hidupku. Suatu moment yang sangat menyentuh ruang hatiku yang terdalam. Aku mengajak Yesus menyelusuri ruang waktu untuk kembali ke masa kecilku. Pecahnya jendela Tsunekawa-san! Sore ini, seperti biasa aku bermain dengan teman-teman tetangga sebelahku. Hari ini kami bermain sepak bola di halaman tetangga kami, Tsunekawa-San (Tuan Tsunekawa). Anaknya, Naoya, hari ini tidak ikut bermain karena dia akan menghadapi ulangan. Namun itu tidak mengurangi keinginan kami untuk bermain bola.
Tapi sesuatu terjadi. Saat kami bermain bola, aku tidak sengaja memecahkan jendela rumah Naoya. Kontan seketika itu juga kami bubar. Kami bahkan tidak menghiraukan apa yang terjadi kemudian dengan jendela yang pecah itu. Mama sedang memasak untuk makan malam nanti ketika aku masuk ke dalam rumah. Tentu saja mama langsung menyuruhku mandi agar tidak mengotori seisi rumah. “Hari ini kamu main apa, Sayang?” Tanya mama padaku. Aku takut. Aku takut mengatakan yang sebenarnya. “Hari ini kami bermain layangan,” jawabku dengan singkat. “Wah, pasti sore yang menyenangkan bagi kalian. Bukankah tadi siang hujan gerimis? Tentu saja angin masih cukup kuat untuk menaikan layangan kalian.” “Ya,” jawabku sambil berusaha menutupi kegelisahan hatiku. “Tapi, bukankah kemarin layanganmu sudah putus? Artinya kamu tidak mempunyai layangan lagi, bukan? Apakah kamu membeli yang baru?” “Oh, tidak, Ma, saya meminjam layangan Naoya. Kebetulan Naoya besok akan ada ulangan, jadi dia meminjamkan layangan padakku.” Tidak lama kemudian makan malam tiba. Hari ini giliran Kak Takeshi untuk memimpin doa makan. Aku menikmati acara doa makan ini. Dan bagiku, ini acara yang unik karena tidak terdapat di dalam keluarga lain. (Agama Kristen adalah agama minoritas di Jepang.) “Hari ini, kami sekeluarga mengucap syukur atas hari yang Allah berikan kepada kami. Kami boleh melakukan kegiatan kami. Kami mengucap syukur untuk cuaca yang tidak begitu cerah pada siang hari ini, kami mengucap syukur untuk kesibukan kami, baik dalam pekerjaan papa-mama AGAPE — Christmas 2005
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maupun dalam pelajaran kami. Kami juga mengucap syukur untuk hidangan di depan kami. Kiranya engaku berkati tangan papa yang sudah bersusah payah, juga tangan mama yang mengolahnya. Berkatilah juga kami semua yang menerimanya, sedemikian sehingga kami boleh menjadi berkat bagi orang-orang sekitar kami. Secara khusus kami juga berdoa untuk Pak Ijime dan juga keluarga Pak Kajima, mereka yang berkekurangan. Berilah kiranya berkat yang sama pada mereka untuk menikmati kelezatan anugerahMu. Dan lebih dari segala syukur kami, kami mengucap syukur karena engkau ada di tengah-tengah kami. Amin!” Tidak lama kemudian, telepon berdering. Dari Ibu Tsunekawa, ingin berbicara dengan mama. Aku sedikit tersentak. “Alamak! Pasti gara-gara jendela yang pecah tadi.” Apalagi mama sempat melirik sedikit ke arahku. Aku mulai gelisah. Setelah itu, mama kembali makan dengan tidak mengatakan apa-apa selain “jendela keluarga Tsunekawa pecah.” Dan mama tidak menceritakan lebih jauh tentang hal itu. Baru setelah kami selesai makan, mama memintaku untuk berbicara empat mata di kamarnya. Tentang apa lagi kalau bukan masalah jendela itu? Akupun memenuhi permintaan mama, masuk ke kamarnya dengan kepala tertunduk. “Apakah tadi kamu turut bermain bola di halaman rumah Naoya? Mama yakin engkau tahu siapa yang memecahkan jendela rumahnya. Maukah engkau memberitahukannya kepada mama? 20
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Mama hanya ingin tahu darimu saja dan tidak dari yang lain. Bagaimana?” Pertanyaan yang aku takuti akhirnya dipertanyakan juga. “Aku tahu siapa yang memecahkannya. Akulah yang memecahkannya,” jawabku. “Aku tidak bermain layangan tadi sore, aku telah membohongi mama.” Aku pikir lebih baik aku mengaku kesalahanku termasuk kebohonganku daripada aku menyembunyikannya dan tersiksa dengan kesalahan itu. “Mama bahagia engkau mau mengakui kesalahanmu. Mama yakin kamu tidak sengaja memecahkan jendela ruman keluarga Tsunekawa. Tapi mama sedih, mengapa engaku tidak mengatakan dari awal? Bahkan engkau telah membohongi mama. Mama tidak suka dengan caramu memperlakukan mama. Mama bukan orang lain bagimu, mama selalu mencoba untuk mengerti. Tidak pantas engkau menyembunyikan sesuatu dari mama. Mama lebih sedih lagi karena kamu tidak segera meminta maaf kepada mama Naoya setelah memecahkan jendelanya. Menurut mama, tindakanmu itu sangat mempermalukan nama Tuhan.” Mama terdiam sesaat. Aku lihat, mama terisak ketika mengucapkan kalimat terakhir itu. Secara tidak sadar, akupun mencucurkan air mata. “Di hadapan Tuhan, mama bersalah kalau tidak mendidikmu dan mengajarimu kebenaran yang sesuai dengan kehendak-Nya. Mama tidak mau anak mama mempermalukan nama Tuhan. Juga setelah engaku besar nanti. Jadi apapun engkau, entah engkau nanti hamba Tuhan,
pengusaha besar, pedagang, intelektual, entah engkau hanya karyawan biasa, tukang becak, penjaja makanan di jalan, tidak masalah bagi mama. Yang jadi masalah hanya apa engkau memuliakan Tuhan atau tidak.” Salah satu yang aku kagumi dari papa dan mamaku adalah bahwa mereka tidak pernah mendidik aku dari sudut pandang ekonomi. Tidak seperti keluarga Jepang lainnya, papa-mama tidak pernah mengatakan, “Mau jadi apa kamu nanti? Jadi gembel? Jadi tukang becak? Bagaimana kamu bisa jadi kaya kalau hidupmu begini? Lihat penjaja makanan itu. Aku tidak mau satu dari anakku menjadi seperti dia.” Atau kalimat-kalimat yang senada. Bagi papa-mama, selama hal itu memuliakan Tuhan, jadi apapun aku, jadilah. Hanya dengan cara demikian aku dapat mempertanggungjawabkan seluruh talenta yang Dia berikan kepadaku. Mungkin inilah salah satu hal yang unik dari keluarga kami ini. Kasih Dalam Cambuk! “Ma, saya sadar saya bersalah kepada keluarga Tsunekawa, papa, dan mama karena perstiwa ini. Saya minta maaf. Saya juga akan meminta maaf kepada keluarga Tsunekawa. Apakah itu cukup?” tanyaku dengan pelan. “Tidak, terlebih lagi engaku bersalah kepada Tuhan. Tidakkah engkau sadar akan hal itu?” Aku berpikir cukup lama tentang hal itu sebelum menggangguk tanda mengiyakan. “Baiklah, sekarang kita berlutut bersama dan berdoa, meminta pengampunan dari Tuhan. Setelah itu, kita bersama pergi ke rumah keluarga Tsunekawa untuk meminta maaf dan berjanji padanya akan
menggantikan jendela yang pecah itu.” Mama berdoa, “Inilah kami dengan segala kesalahan dan dosa kami, ya Tuhan. Ampunilah hambaMu yang lalai dalam mendidik anak yang Kau titipkan pada hamba. Ampunilah juga anak hamba yang masih belum mengerti bagaimana ia seharusnya memuliakan Engkau. Berilah kami hikmat bagaimana untuk menyenangkan hatiMu. Kami bersyukur karena Engkau masih mau menegur kami. Kami sadar itu karena Engkau sungguh mengasihi kami dan tidak membiarkan kami berjalan di jalan yang salah. Sebentar lagi hamba akan menghukum anak hamba. Biarlah dia mengerti bahwa setiap hukuman yang hamba arahkan padanya menyakiti hati hamba sendiri, juga menyakiti hati Tuhan, yang mengasihi dia. Biarlah melaui peristiwa ini dia mengerti akan kebesaran kasih dan keadilan Tuhan. Juga kami akan ke rumah Tsunekawa. Ajar kami untuk berkata-kata sehingga setiap kalimat yang kami ucapkan tidak lebih mempermalukanMu lagi, melainkan, boleh menyejukkan hati keluarga Tsunekawa yang belum mengenal Engkau. Biarlah mereka memaafkan kami dan menerima kami. Inilah doa permohonan kami, ya Tuhan. Terimalah dan sempurnakanlah. Dalam nama AnakMu yang sempurna dan menyempurnakan, kami berdoa, Amin!” Eksekusi telah diberikan. Tapi tidak mengurangi rasa bersalah dan penyesalanku. Kamipun ke rumah Naoya, meminta maaf dan mama berjanji akan mengganti segala kerugian yang disebabkan olehku. Bapak Tsunekawa pun dengan senang hati memaafkan kami, bahkan tidak berkeberatan kalau halamannya dipakai lagi untuk bermain bola, asal lebih hati-hati tentunya.
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Secara Khusus Untuk Papa dan Mama. orang tuaku?” tanyaku. “Aku bersyukur Allah menganuAku tahu pasti Ia akan menyetujuinya, gerahkan orang tua yang demikian untuk- tapi aku ingin memberikan ketegasan keku,” tutupku. sungguhan hatiku. Memang adalah suatu anugerah yang “Tuhan Yesus, aku berterima kasih unistimewa bagimu untuk mempunyai orang tuk kedua orang tua yang telah Engkau tua semacam itu. Itulah yang seharusnya berikan kepadaku. Mereka adalah orangterjadi dalam setiap keluarga yang me- orang terbaik yang pernah hadir dalam ngenal Tuhan. Aku kadang sedih melihat hidupku: keadaan banyak keluarga Kristen. Hari ini, bahkan setiap hari, adalah hari Walaupun mereka menyebutkan dirinya yang istimewa bagiku karena seorang Kristen, tetapi mereka ayah dan seorang ibu yang bersedia tidak pernah menanyakan apa kehendakKu membawa anaknya kepada Allah. bagi anaknya. Mereka mengasihi anaknya; sayangnya, sebagian besar dari merOrang tua yang selalu ingin mendeeka mengasihi dengan cara yang salah, ngar segala isi hatiku, orang tua yang secara yang tidak berkenan kepada Allah. lalu bersedia mendampingiku di kala aku Ada orang tua yang demikian keras tersedih. hadap anaknya, sehingga menghancurOrang tua yang selalu menemani aku kan kepribadian anak (Kolose 3: 21). Ada ketika aku sendiri. juga yang demikian lunak, sehingga sang Orang tua yang selalu menemani aku anak menghancurkan dirinya sendiri. Ada ketika aku sendiri. yang tidak mau mengerti isi hati anaknya. Orang tua yang selalu memberikan Ada yang selalu mencoba untuk mengerti penghiburan, memberikan semangat ketanpa membuat sang anak mengerti tentika aku sedang surut. tang kebesaran kasih dan keadilan Allah. Orang tua yang selalu mencoba untuk “Sesungguhnya, mereka menjalankan himengerti diriku dan selalu mencoba memdupnya sendiri tanpa menghiraukan Aku!" buatku mengerti kehendak dan rencanakataNya mencurahkan kesedihan hatiNya. Mu dalam hidupku. Orang tua yang selalu Aku terharu melihat kasihNya yang mencoba untuk mengerti diriku dan selalu demikian besar terhadap anak-anak sekamencoba membuatku mengerti kehendak lipun. Yesus ingin mengenal dan ingin dan rencanaMu dalam hidupku. dikenal oleh semua anak-anak―kesederOrang tua yang selalu memberikan hanaan, kepolosan, kemurnian, keutuhan, yang terbaik bagiku secara tulus dan tanketulusan manusia-manusia kecil tersebut. pa pamrih. Tapi seringkali justru orang tua merekalah Orang tua yang penuh kasih, keleyang menghalangi. mahlembutan, ketulusan. “Tuhan Yesus, bolehkah aku meng_______________________ bersambung ke halaman 28 atakan beberapa hal mengenai kedua 22
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book ———————————————————————————————
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HIDDEN INSIDE THE CHINESE LANGUAGE:
REFERENCES TO THE BOOK OF GENESIS by: Gamas Sugiarto As summarized from “The Discovery of Genesis” by C.H. Kang & Ethel R. Nelson
he Chinese language and the book of Genesis from Christian Bible; what possible similarities could exist between these two? This was the question that I asked myself several months ago. “The Discovery of Genesis” by C.H. Kang & Ethel R. Nelson offered several convincing proofs of the connections present between the book of Genesis and the Chinese Characters. The story inside the book of Genesis up to the dispersion at the tower of Babel can be found hidden in the pictorial clues that make up the Chinese characters. I was so fascinated by the connection that I wanted to share about this discovery to others. And so I decided to write this article in to show you what I have learned. For starters, let me begin with the following Chinese character:
船 = Chuan = Boat You might say, “What does the character 船 have anything to do with the book of Genesis?” Let us dissect the character little by little, noting each line and shape that goes to the making of this character:
船 = 舟 + 八 + 口 Boat = Vessel + Eight + Mouth/Person In the Bible, which famous vessel contains eight persons? Noah’s Ark is the answer. In Genesis 7:13, it is stated, “On the very same day Noah and Noah’s sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them, entered the ark.” The first great boat in the bible, Noah’s ark, had just eight passengers: Noah and his wife, with three sons and their wives. AGAPE — Christmas 2005
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Let me give you another example:
造 = Zao = To construct/build/create After we dissect it, it will be like the following:
土 + 口 + 丿 = 告 + 辶 = 造 Soil/Dust + breath of mouth + alive = to talk + walking Which famous creation can be described by the above description? Let us look at the book of Genesis 2:7: “the LORD God formed the man] from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” You might say that this is pure coincidence. I could not agree with you more if these two characters had been the only two Chinese characters that are seeminglyrelated to the book of Genesis. But they are not the only ones. Let us continue to dig deeper into this idea and see if the Truths of Genesis can actually be found in hidden clues of the Chinese Language. SUMMARY OF CHINESE HISTORY Before proceeding in providing more evidence on how Chinese characters can be tied to the book of Genesis, let me first share some of my previous doubts regarding this idea. The Chinese civilization has always been known for its polytheism such as Buddhism, Taoism & Confucianism. Chinese tradition and culture has always been marked by its superstitious beliefs and magical practices. I am sure many of you have seen Chinese movies which portrayed powerful Chinese gods and goddesses along with their mythical animals. Consistent with their belief in polytheism (many gods); they believe in and worship many gods and goddesses such as Monkey God (Sun-Wu-Kon), God of War (Guang-Gong), Goddess of 24
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Compassion (Guan-Yin) and other deities. Therefore, how is it possible that a civilization that is known for its strong polytheism, myths and magic influence have vestiges of monotheistic, Judeo-Christian ideas in their written language? The first Christians on Chinese soil ever recorded arrived at China in 635 AD, whereas China boasted to have 4500 years of unbroken civilization. Therefore, how is it possible Christianity, that arrived in China in 635 AD could influence the creation of Chinese character in 2500 BC? To answer these questions, we need to check the history of the ancient Chinese civilization. According to one of the most important manuscripts of ancient China, the Book of History (Shu Ching), the rudiments of the written pictographic language came about in 2500 B.C. The content of the book amazingly date back nearly to the time of Noah and consist of a number of records of the first three dynasties, Hsia, Shang and Chou; embracing the period from the middle of the 24th century B.C. to 721 B.C. Taoism and Confucianism appeared in China after 500 B.C. and Buddhism entered China in about 67 B.C. If this is the case, what was the religious belief in ancient China before 500 B.C. especially during the creation of Chinese Character? During the first three dynasties of Hsia, Shang, and Chou, from 2205 to 255 B.C., the Supreme Heavenly Ruler, Shang Ti (上帝) or heaven, T’ien (天) was always been worshiped. However, can Shang Ti be identified as the same Jehovah God from the book of Genesis? In the Book of History there were several instances of religious worship offered to Shang Ti. One portion of the worship recitation is as follows: “Of old in the beginning, there was the great chaos, without form and dark.
The five elements [planets] had not begun to revolve, nor the sun and the moon to shine. In the midst thereof there existed neither forms nor sound. Thou, O spiritual Sovereign camest fort in Thy presidency, and first didst divide the grosser parts from the purer. Thou madest heaven; Thou madest earth; Thou madest man. All things with their reproducing power got their being.” Sounds familiar? This recitation sound very similar to Genesis Chapter 1! How is the connection possible? It is believed that the Chinese people originally migrated from a site in Mesopotamia after God dispersed people in the Tower of Babel by confusing their common mother language. Perhaps the wise old sage who was given the assignment by his king of inventing a written language for the new nation had even been present as a young man at the Tower of Babel and had witnessed the incident when their common mother tongue was suddenly confused and communication were broken down. What about the fact that there has been some revisions and changes that happens through the ages? Isn’t there a simplified & traditional version of Chinese language now? The simplified version of the Chinese language was created in the beginning of 20th century. Up to that time there has been scarcely any changes in their constituent radicals, since the identical characters are also used in other Oriental countries, such as Japan and Korea. The possibility of alterations in these Chinese words through a Christian influence is also negated since the characters were well established before Christians entered China which is around 635 AD (when Nestorian Christian entered China). There are other historical evidences
that can support the idea; however, due to the limited amount of material that I can write, I’ll leave the rest of the evidence to the diligent one to find it for themselves from the source of my article. In conclusion, we find that the written language of China was conceived during the primeval, monotheistic period; when the religious concepts were still pristine and the history of earlier ages uncorrupted by later innovations. The record contained by many specific characters carries such a close similarity to the Hebrew Genesis that it would seem only logical to believe that both civilization must have access to the same common historical knowledge. EASY LESSONS IN CHARACTER BUILDING To further understand the rest of the article, there are some easy lessons in “Character Building” that needs to be introduced: Firstly, Chinese Characters are pictographs or word pictures. Please examine the following examples and see if you could relate the shape/form of the character with its meaning:
厂 = cliff 宀 = roof 巛 or 川 = streams, to flow 木 = tree 丨 or 人 or 亻= man, person 口 = mouth, person 一 = heaven, earth, on Notice that each character is the picture version of its meaning. Secondly, Chinese Characters are ideographs. Ideograph is defined as two or more simple pictographs joined together to form a new meaning. I remember Rev. Kristianto Hosea taught us once in the bible study about the Chinese character 好 (Hao). This word means good, excellent, fine. AGAPE — Christmas 2005
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Again, let me dissect the character into:
好 = 女 + 子 Good = Woman + Man As we can see that the word Good is made of two words: ‘woman’ and ‘man.’ Maybe the author of this character thinks that it is good when woman and man are together. Let us see another example:
舌 = 千 + 口 Tongue = Thousand + Mouth I guess the author here is trying to say with tongue, the mouth would do thousand of movements. You might ask where you see movements character in 舌? Actually on the top of the character there is a small diagonal stroke called “p’ieh” (丿) which indicates ‘movements.’ Thirdly, Chinese Characters are Phonetic Characters. An example of this can be found in the Chinese word “mother”, which is pronounced “ma”:
媽 (Ma) = 女 (Nu) + 馬 (Ma) Mother = Woman + Horse In here the second building character 馬 (ma) is not used to explain the meaning but it is used because of its phonetic sound “ma”. Therefore in here 媽 means mother not horse woman. THE GARDEN OF EDEN Finally, we can now continue looking into more evidence that support the hypothesis that there are clues alluding to the book of Genesis hidden in the Chinese language. When I read the story of the Garden of Eden, several words came immediately into my mind: Adam and Eve, Temptation, Devil, Forbidden fruit from Tree of knowledge of good and evil. Now let us examine these words in Chinese. Adam and Eve were the first two human beings at the story of Garden of Eden. 26
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Of several words in the Chinese language signifying the beginning, there one character that appear to correspond to the Genesis narrative and commemorate the most momentous beginnings in original history. This character memorializes the beginning of mankind, 元. It is composed of two familiar radicals:
元 = 二 + 儿 Beginning, first = Two + Person The beginning of the human family had just two individuals, also adults. The Chinese, who were often polygamous in practice, might have thought in terms of three, four, five or ten persons for the beginning of mankind. But they did not do this. Next let us examine the scripture from Genesis 2: 16-17: “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, You may freely eat of every tree in the garden, but you shall not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. For in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die”. Now let us examine the word restrict or to prohibit:
禁 = 木木 + 示 Prohibit/restrict = trees + (divine) command The use of two trees in here is symbolizing two important trees in the Garden of Eden: the Tree of life and the Tree of knowledge of good and evil. Of course in the Bible we know the restriction was only to the tree of knowledge of good and evil; not to the tree of life. These two trees could indicate that a choice must be made between them: eating the fruit of symbolized obedience and life, but the other, disloyalty and death. The word ‘devil’ in Chinese somewhat describes the craftiness of the devil in the
Garden during the temptation of Eve. In Genesis 3:1, we know that the devil came to the garden in the shape of serpent, but with the voice of a person: “Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, is it so that God has said, you shall not eat of every tree of the garden?”
鬼 = 丿 + 田 + 人 + 厶 Devil = [motion] + field/garden + person + secretly It would seem that the ancient Chinese had nicknamed him the “secret garden man.” The word devil is frequently qualified in another character 魔 meaning tempter or demon:
魔 =鬼 + 木木 + 广 Tempter, Demon = Devil + trees + a covering The word tempter or demon is depicted as devil who took refuge under the cover of the trees, which specifies that site of the two special trees in the middle of the Garden of Eden. Now let us look at Genesis 3:6 where its story can be found in the Chinese character to covet or desire: “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasing to the eyes, and a tree to be desired she took of its fruit, and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate."
婪 = 木木 +女 Covet/desire = trees + woman It was Eve, the woman, who first desired the fruit of the forbidden tree and succumbed to the temptation to eat it. In Genesis 3:7 after Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, they both realized that they were naked (裸): “And the eyes of both of them were opened. And they knew
that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made girdles for themselves.”
裸 = 衤 + 木 + 田 Naked = Clothing + Tree + Garden Then Adam and Eve begot children. Cain, the eldest son, and his brother Abel. Abel sacrificed sheep to the Lord and the Lord accepted his offering. In the Chinese word “yi” (義) for righteousness is recorded that a clean animal like sheep had to be sacrificed to receive (temporal) remission of sins:
義 = 羊 + 我 Righteousness = Lamb + I, me Therefore, we find the Chinese character 義 is composed of a Lamb that is above “me”. In the bible of course we know that Jesus is the Lamb of God which paid the cost of our sins and gives His righteousness to us. Further dissecting the character 我, will give us even more fascinating illustration of the method of sacrificial of the lamb:
我 = 手 + 戈 I, me = Hand + Spear This specifies that the slaying of the lamb is by me, by my own hand, using a spearhead. This is similar to the concept of my sins would bring death to the innocent Lamb of God. Now let us turn to the story of Abel & Cain. They are both the children of Adam and Eve with Cain being the elder and Abel the younger. The word elder brother in Chinese is represented as follows 兄:
兄 = 口 + 人 Elder brother = Mouth + Man Therefore, the ancient Chinese probably describe elder brother as the spokesman of the family.The story of these two brothers giving sacrifice to the Lord is AGAPE — Christmas 2005
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written in Genesis 4:3-5: “And in the end of days, it happened, Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground. And Abel also brought of the firstlings of his sheep and of the fat of it. And the LORD had respect to Abel and to his offering, but He did not have respect to Cain and to his offering.” After this incident, Cain got angry with God and killed his brother Abel. After that, God put a curse to Cain and then God put a mark on Cain: “And I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth, and it shall be that anyone who finds me shall kill me. And the LORD said to him, therefore whoever kills Cain shall be avenged seven times. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain so that anyone who found him should not kill him.” (Genesis 4:15) The brutality and the mark of Cain can be seen in the Chinese character 兇:
兇 = Brutal, cruel, fierce The character itself shows an elder brother having the top horizontal line removed and an “x” marked is placed instead. CONCLUSION While writing this article, I did a little bit of research in the internet to find some more supporting ideas regarding this claim. To my surprise, I found some convincing critics that gave me doubts regarding the validity of this claim. At the same time I also found other good supporting article that helps support the claim of this book. Whether or not this claim can be supported scientifically is still a question mark. Talking briefly to Rev. Kristianto Hosea, he said it is possible that Chinese language is one of the general revelations by God. I personally believe that if God wants to inspire the 28
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original creator of Chinese language with the story of Genesis, it is definitely possible. After all, God is the author of all languages in this world. [MH] References: 1. “The Discovery of Genesis”, C.H. Kang and E.R. Nelson. 2. www.morgenster.org/signs.htm Suggested Readings: 1. “Genesis and the Mystery Confucius Couldn’t Solve”, E.R. Nelson and R.E. Broadberry. 2. www.answersingenesis.org/home/ pdf_notice.asp?pdf=/home/area/magazines/ tj/docs/tjv13n1chinese_lamb.pdf Buah Hatiku Rumah Kristus, dari halaman 22
Orang tua yang pantas jadi teladan dalam hidupku. Dalam diri merekalah aku pertama melihat diriMu. Orang tua yang mengajariku berdoa. Orang tua yang mengajariku membaca Alkitab, Firman Allah yang tertulis, dan daripadanya memperkenalkan aku kepada Engkau, Kristus, Firman Allah yang hidup.” “Terima kasih, ya Yesus, untuk orang tua yang sedemikian baik. Hari ini, bahkan setiap hari, adalah hari yang istimewa bagiku karena seorang ayah dan seorang ibu yang bersedia membawa anaknya kepada Allah.” (Walaupun cerita ini fiksi belaka, namun ditulis sebagai tanda terima kasih kepada Papa dan Mama yang telah menanamkan iman yang kuat untuk bersandar kepada Kristus. Terima kasih Pa, terima kasih Ma.) [RA]
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baby's christmas Dylan Dafenson Soetojo (son of David & Fenty Soetojo)
Jan 13, 2005 ~ 8 lb. 3 oz.
Finally, a very special blessing has arrived. A baby boy named Dylan. We thank God everyday for it. We also thank our family and friends for all of their support and prayer to help us get through difficult time. God bless!
Michelle Suzy Lam (daughter of Huey & Katharina Lam)
Jan 30, 2005 ~ 6 lb. 6 oz.
I was shocked when I found out that I was pregnant. I asked God why and seem no answer. I struggled so hard to understand what God’s plan was. I could not handle it myself. The only thing I could do was praying. At the end of the pregnancy I started getting strength from Him. Finally I got the answer. He wants me to trust in Him 100%. He made me see the purpose of my life differently. The name Michelle is from French, originally from Hebrew, meaning Who Is Like God. It’s not easy but I was so happy. God shape me to be more like Him and trust and serve Him more during my pregnancy. I had easy delivery and she is so cute. May God help me raise these three kids so they will love, trust, and serve Him in their lives.
Jonathan Kaishi Furumizo (son of Stuart & Angelia Furumizo)
August 3, 2005
We want to thank you all for your prayers, words of advice, and your keep. We, as parents, are very blessed and thankful to have baby Jonathan Kaishi (means: happy stone) and Christopher in our family. Christopher, as a big brother, loves him dearly. He can not wait to play and talk with him. AGAPE — Christmas 2005
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Who knows? Maybe someone reading this will make your Christmas wishes a reality! Merry Christmas everyone, and don‛t forget to remember God‛s blessings throughout the past year. His blessings are sufficient for us. Let us count them and smile as the New Year approaches. May God, in His love and faithfulness, guide us through another year of growth in Him and each other. Amen. AGAPE — Christmas 2005
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the SPOT S E C N E R E F DIF
These two santas are definetely not twins! They might look identical, but look again carefully.... Can you spot the differences? 32
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