Month: January 2012

About Suffering

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Suffering has become some kind of a thing that we will face. For some it may be once a week, once a month, but for more than a few it can be something that he/she/they should face every day. So, has God left us and let us suffer? Definitely no. God has given us an example, that He, the greatest of all the kings, has to face a suffering as well.

Matthew 16:21

From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

He said it Himself that He has to be sacrificed, He has to face the suffering, only to win against death and be raised to life again on the third day.

Matthew 16:22-23

22 Peter took him aside and begain to rebuke him: “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you1″ 23 Jesus turned and said to Peter,” Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”

After He predicted His death, Peter, who in this verse ‘acted as a Satan’ being told by God that he doesn’t have the mind of God, he doesn’t know what will happen and what is to come. The suffering will only last for a while and what will come after that is far more than the suffering itself.

John 16:21

A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come, but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world.

This verse really pictured what is being told before. We will face suffering, we will suffer – even in God – why? Because what will come after that, the happiness – the rewards will make facing the suffering worth it and we will smile in the end, thanking God. Just like a woman who is pregnant for 7,8,9 or even 10 months, the suffering is incredible but when she saw the face of her own flesh, she will be smiling and became happy exactly from that moment on.

John 9:1-3

1 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus,” but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.”

Sometimes we think that we are suffering every day because we have sinned, we did some things that we aren’t proud of, we acted against God’s will. Yes, maybe we have did that, but don’t put every suffering in one big box of an aftermath of your sin. Like this verse, it’s neither the blind man or his parents’ sin that he suffered through the blindness. It’s because God will work and make a miracle in his life. (And yes He did as the blind man was healed with just a mud that being put in his eyes by God – John 9:6-7)

Hebrews 2:18

Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted

Experience always help, and if we have beaten the suffering over and over again, we can always be strong for others who are suffering. We can make changes in people’s life, not necessarily healing people’s pain but through our testimony, through our experience. Be blessed, and always, be thankful!

This is a summary from Handoyo Santoso service from Gereja Kemah Tabernakel – 29th January 2012

The Year of Water Dragon

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I think it can be the best Monday, or at least, one of the best Monday in 2012. Is there any better way to start your week with going to your relatives’ home, eating best homemade foods(pork ftw!), seeing and chatting with your uncles, aunties and the best thing is? Collecting red envelopes!

This year has definitely a different feeling from the previous years, the family is starting to shrink because of my grandmother’s death and then there are few families living abroad now so it’s not as big as it used to be when I’m in childhood. What struck me is that I have a cousin who diagnosed with cancer and his mother got hit by a stroke just few weeks ago. I felt really sad and like, being super thankful that God has always protect my parents and my sisters.

The Year of Water Dragon. Dragon always being symbolized as power and wealth. The baby boom in China. I think, even though I wrote 2011 is my best year yet, I can safely say this year is gonna be a prosperous, healthy and wealthy one. Even this month, is already a hectic one and if you compare it to last year, my activities are totally different. I felt like I’m living my passion and chasing my dream right now. I sure hope that you are too! Happy Chinese New Year!

Jesus’ Witness

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Have you witnessed Jesus’ miracle? Have you became one of Jesus’ witnesses? Have you give a testimonial witnessing Jesus’ miracle in your life?

1 Peter 2:9

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

In this verse, it’s clearly shown that we as the chosen ones, the holy nation, the people that belong to God, may declare, may give a testimony – a truth – a fact of how God has picked us out of the misery and into His blessing. We all are in the darkness before we say that God is our savior, we did all the sins without thinking, we are still imperfect humans but now that we’re in God, we won’t fear anything.

John 4:7-9

7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her,”Will you give me a drink?” 8 (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him,”You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with the Samaritans)

Then the Samaritan woman are blessed by God in the following verse because she believed in Him. The Samaritan woman has five husbands and was living with a man who is not her husband, so in short, she has been seen as a (pardon me) prostitute who live in a wrong way of life. But let’s see what happens after she has sought God and receive God as her saviour.

John 4:28-30

28 Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” 30 They came out of the town and made their way toward Him

John 4:39-41

39 Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the womans’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to Him, they urged Him to stay with them, and he stayed for two days 41 And because of his words many more became believers.

A woman who is living in lust and saved by God is able to then gave testimony to her fellow Samaritans. And you know what? A lot of people believed in God because of her and they are saved because of her. Imagine what we can do, if we testify and the testimonials got spread around. Because, a testimonial can’t be hold and will always spread around.

Matthew 9:27-29

27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” 28 When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” “Yes Lord”, they repleid. 29 Then he touched their eyes and said,” According to yout faith will it be done to you”;

Psalm 4:8-9

8 Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him. 9 Fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing

We need to taste and see for ourselves that our LORD is good that HE is GREAT. If we believe and have faith in him, we won’t fear anything, we will be able to do everything and lack nothing. Have a blessed day!

This is a summary from Handoyo Santoso service from Gereja Kemah Tabernakel – 8th January 2012

2012 Resolutions

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With a great year as a foundation of this year, of course there’s gonna be expectations and wishes upon this year. One thing for sure, we’re gonna celebrate Christmas and New Year while laughing at the Mayans and John Cusack’s 2012. So here goes my 2012 resolutions:

Write more, Read more and then Write even more.

It hasn’t really going well, my blog that is. It logged only 10 posts over the 2011 and I’m quite confused why I didn’t write more while I experienced so much things! I guess it’s different when I’m writing for Penn Olson, there I have an objective and a specific topics to discuss about, but here, it’s too general and sometimes a blank sheet of paper a blank page of post made us a bit harder to start. To boost my posts here, I’m setting a goal for myself to post at least 3 times a week so next year when I’m making 2012, My Best Year Yet post I can see at least 160 posts here! As for my blogging gig I’m hoping for 75 posts per half of the year, so it’d make my post at the end of the year 230 posts over at Penn Olson! (P.S: Willis, if you’re reading, see my enthusiasm! :p).

Reading has been a way for me to write new vocabularies, adapt new style of writing, getting new point of views and definitely it improves my English as a whole. I read a variety of things from newspapers & magazines(regularly reading The Jakarta Globe and Glove Asia) – thanks to Times Bookstore, I’m able to read BusinessWeek, The Economist, TIME, Fortune, Forbes Asia, Forbes Indonesia for free! – and of course Books! In 2011, I’ve finally continued the Artemis Fowl series with Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception. Started The Girl With a Dragon Tattoo & Delivering Happiness as well! And there’s the Steve Jobs biography that I have bought that I haven’t read yet. Another resolution goes here: Read at least 10 books this year!

Be healthy physically and spiritually!

At the end of last year, my father, me and two of my younger sisters registered for a membership over at PIKFIT(at Pantai Indah Kapuk, North Jakarta). It was a health club membership that covers you to be able to swim, sauna, and pull some weight over at the fitness area. At the first few weeks we were there quite often, but as the year closes, laziness got to us and we barely came. This year, I want to be able to swim at least 3 times a week – each at least for 1KM.

Ever since I’m baptized (Joshua is the name I got from Him) going to the church isn’t something that my parents have to told me to do so. Church has became a place where, at least for 2 hours and a half, I feel relieved & blessed. A place where I don’t have to worry about anything but to praise Him and thanking Him for what a great life He has given us. Yet, at times, there’s something that can get in between my schedule to go to church. So, I’m promising Him that I’ll be coming to 52 services in 2012, if I didn’t come to the Sunday service then I have to come to either Tuesdays or Fridays.  It’s not an obligation or that I’m being forced but it’s my right to do so!

Getting even closer to graduation with great grades

2012 is going to be THE YEAR of my whole university years. I’m gonna defense my minor project(a bit easier than thesis but still.. 800 pages to defense) in a few days, and then on the first half of this year I will know the result(GPA) for the 5th and 6th semester, then after the summer holiday I’m gonna start working on my thesis. My resolution? Of course getting the maximum possible GPA(4.0) for both semester and acing my minor also my thesis. Expected graduation ceremony: June/July 2013. A year to go!

Eat, Pray, Love!

Like the movie we all knew of I wish this year I can eat more but it doesn’t mean eating a repetitive foods or just to make myself full but more of enjoying the food we ate and eating varieties of foods that I never ate before. Travelling has always been my favorite part of my childhood. Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand,  and South Korea – Bali & Lombok has been graced by me but I spent more than 3-4 years on a travel hiatus because of financial turbulence experienced by my parents(and not to mention their divorce). Last year, I get to travel to Singapore and Manado. I hope this year I can travel to at least 3 countries(please oh please, Stanford, accept my application!) and 5 cities – saving up for South Korea is also my priority next year!.  Singapore is gonna be my second country, and even more so next year – Startup Asia is coming (if you’re doing start-up, register now!) Not the least part of this paragraph, is love, well for most parts of the year love has been out of the question but nevertheless as a young adult I get to think of it. Here’s to 2012, I hope to fall in love yet again :-)

Personal projects, start-up, community

Being around and about in start-up community(s) has an effect that will definitely get to you. It’s the urge to start something, to realize your ideas and actually taking the first step into the cold hard damned world of entrepreneurship(yes, it’s hard and lonely path – contrary to the belief). Yes, of course, I have lots of ideas, who doesn’t? It’s cheap and worth absolutely nothing unless I do something about it. This year, if opportunity arises, I will take that first step not only in realizing my ideas about start-up but also starting/helping to start a community to help educate and instill the entrepreneurship culture into the now and future generation. Amen!

To close this post, a verse that I got from my church to guide me this year: Galatians 6:9

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Happy New Year 2012, may we have an even greater year, and fulfill our potentials and to chase our passion!

New Year Service

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New Year is a new start for all of us. We start a fresh, new page, a blank sheet of paper. So what’s in it for us, how will God help us getting through this year?

2 Kings 13:20-21

20. Elisha died and was buried. Now Moabite raiders used to enter the country every spring. 21. Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so they threw the man’s body into Elisha’s tomb. When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet.

Spring is the season that tells us it’s the new year already, yet the ‘Moabite’ or translated as ‘trouble’/’evil’ are always there to haunt/disturb us. We, humans, are never left without trouble/problems, even if we’re in Him, we will always have problems to face. The difference are because we are in Him, we will not be afraid of it, and because we are in Him, we are going to win everytime!

The meaning of Elisha name is God is my salvation, and if we are in Him and He is in us and we are bonded together then as we read the 2 Kings 13:21 verse, the man STOOD UP, he came back to life and he beaten the death. If death can be beaten, why we can’t beat world’s problems?

John 11:25-26

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the ressurection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies. 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?

Do you believe this? This question will be the reminder for us for the rest of the year. If you believe in Him, we will live and never die. It doesn’t mean we will live forever, but we have been redeemed by God himself. He has beaten the death and we will too. 2012 problems will not be bigger than Him and we will win in 2012, always and always will be as long we are in Him!

This is a summary of Handoyo Santoso service from Gereja Kemah Tabernakel on 1st January 2012