ICCC INDONESIA NEWSLETTER APRIL 2020 EDITION

APRIL 2020 FROM THE DESK OF THE NATIONAL PRESIDENT Shalom .... God's partner in the marketplace ...

We wish you a Happy Easter in this coming days and also invite all of us to celebrate with great sincerity even though we may still do it at our own homes. As we commemorate the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, we realize that His coming into the world by leaving His divinity and becoming like humans, has given us an example or standard on how in our humanity by God's grace we have to do the Father's will while on earth.

News about Covid-19 still dominates all news headlines both local and regional / global. Even the world is facing the second wave after China. The effects have caused the world is very possible in an economic recession.

But let us with hearts focused on God, Together with each of our families building the altar of God, this is the time where it seems the circumstances have forced people to realize that everything we have achieved has not been able to replace God's place in our lives.

In our previous preoccupations how often do we give time to meditate and or listen to God's message? When was the last time we experienced a situation where it seemed like our hearts were broken to the longing for God? David said that longing for the house of the Lord had burned his heart, it had defeated thousands of days elsewhere. Maybe God wants to talk something about the direction of your business today, maybe God wants to say something about how to get out of our problems, maybe God wants to deliver a message how to make our business breakthrough or even at this time God wants to restore our family.

God clearly wants to speak and deliver His message to us, God is clearly a sovereign God, direct our hearts to Him, come with broken hearts, and free our lives from fear, because we are Together with Him. Stay home, follow the government's call for matters needed to overcome the spread of Covid-19, because God also uses the government to bring order in our social lives with the aim of protecting His people.

Brothers and Sisters, thank you for all your prayers, donations and participation for ICCC-Indonesia (International Christian Chambers of Commerce) See you in the next month edition, and the Lord Jesus bless you and your family.

Umbu Pekuwali National President ICCC Indonesia www.iccc-indonesia.com 1

WISDOM & TESTIMONY

By Mark R. Anderson The Holy Spirit is directing me to teach on how to prosper during hard times and doing it God’s way. We cannot deny the fact that the economy is a bit unstable and the rising prices of all commodities can take a toll on the wallet; but as believers in Christ we are not subject to the economy of this world. We can live above it. God’s word is a guide to prospering during hard times.

One of the most talked about subjects in the Bible is FINANCES, and instructions on how to handle our finances. We desire to see you blessed financially and every other way during economically difficult times; so does God! Psalm 35:27 says, Let them shout for joy and be glad, who favor my righteous cause; and let them say continually, “Let the LORD be magnified, Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.”

This ministry as well as Sharmila and I personally live by these scriptures. Trusting in God and living by God’s word for our supply creates an atmosphere of prosperity.

KING SOLOMON’S VIEW OF FINANCES King Solomon was one of the wealthiest men to walk on this planet. Solomon asked God for wisdom and not wealth, and God gave him both (see 1 Kings 4:5-15)! It was the wisdom of God that brought him such tremendous prosperity. It helped him in all the affairs of life. The book of Proverbs, mostly written by Solomon, is loaded with wisdom on how to prosper and when we tie these with other verses in the Bible it is clearly apparent how easy financial prosperity is even in economically unstable times.

One of my favorite verses on prosperity is Proverbs 22:4. It says, “By humility and the fear of the LORD Are riches and honor and life”. Religious traditions, not the word of God, have taught us for centuries that poverty is a sign of humility in God’s sight. God’s word is quite contrary to this belief. God’s wisdom and His word tell us that if we truly tap into humility and fear (reverence) for God, then with it comes 2

RICHES AND HONOR. What will you believe, men’s traditions or God’s word? 1 Timothy 6:17 also tells us that if we want to be rich (financially) then we should not be haughty or prideful.

True and lasting prosperity come when we truly understand and walk in humility – the humility that Jesus walked in. By the way Jesus was not poor. 2 Corinthians 8:9 says, For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.” Notice one other major ingredient that helps us prosper in the verse: GRACE. We cannot work up the blessings of God; it comes by God’s grace. 2 Corinthians 8 and 9 talk about how grace is involved in prospering God’s way.

1 Peter 5:5 and James 4:6 tell us who gets the grace. “He gives more grace.

Therefore, He says, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Who gets it? The humble! The major ingredients in prospering God’s way are humility and the grace of God. If we acknowledge our dependence on God and humble ourselves to do it His way, then prosperity will automatically come our way. Many believers try to prosper through their own works, merits and ways and end up in a financial mess. This is not a good place to be. We cannot continue to operate according to the system of the world and expect lasting results. If our financial foundation is not laid properly, it could collapse someday with nothing to show for our labor.

GENEROSITY TOWARDS THE POOR King Solomon talks at length about the poor and how they should be treated.

Proverbs 22:9 says, “He who has a generous eye will be blessed, for he gives of his bread to the poor.” We teach these principles to believers and leaders in India.

Many of them struggle financially because they do not give, but wait for handouts from westerners. Many do not have integrity when it comes to money matters. We are very careful in the way we deal with money matters in third world countries. We teach them that if they will be generous towards the poor in the long run they will be ‘poor no more’. God’s word says that we will be blessed when we learn to take our eyes off ourselves and care for the needs of others, especially the poor and destitute. Solomon calls it a ‘generous eye’. This means that in our hearts we need to be constantly looking for opportunities to be generous with what God has given us, whether finances or our own unique gifting.

The enemy’s way to keep us in poverty is for us to be selfish and not generous, concerned only with our own personal needs. Proverbs 28:27 says, “He who gives to the poor will not lack, but he who hides his eyes will have many curses.” If we hide our eyes from the poor then we can be sure that we will not be blessed but just 3

the opposite, operating with a poverty spirit. If we give to the poor and have a genuine desire to help people in need, then God’s word says ‘you will not lack’. That is nice to know in troubled times. Proverbs 13:22 (Amp) says, “…the wealth of the sinner (finds its way eventually) into the hands of the righteous, for whom it is laid up.”

Proverbs 22:16, “He who oppresses the poor to increase his riches, and he who gives to the rich, will surely come to poverty.” Many do not consider this verse, but once again God makes it abundantly clear that if we care for the poor and destitute, then His blessing will come upon our lives.

LABORING TO GIVE TO THOSE IN NEED Proverbs 12:24 says, “The hand of the diligent will rule, But the lazy man will be put to forced labor.” When we are diligent in our jobs or with the giftings God has put in our lives we will ‘rule in life’ and not be put to ‘forced labor’ or having to do something we do not enjoy to make a living for the rest of our lives. God has intended that we work in order to make a living. The apostle Paul said “For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10). Work is essential to being sustained in this life.

However, if all we are doing is simply earning a living then we are missing the whole point of life on earth and the reason for our existence.

Ephesians 4;28 says, “Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.” This is God’s way of reforming a thief. Get him working and laboring with his hands. Why? That he may have something to give to him who has need. God’s way of reforming a thief is for him to work and be a blessing to others. If he will do this, then the former thief will be blessed and will prosper.

Let’s look at another passage of scripture that talks about being a robber. “Yet from the days of your fathers You have gone away from My Ordinances and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” Says the LORD of hosts. But you said, ‘In what way shall we return?’ “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the LORD of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it. “And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,” Says the LORD of hosts; And all nations will call you blessed, For you will be a delightful land,” Says the LORD of hosts. (Malachi 3:7-12).

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In verse 7 God tells His people to return to Him. The people answer asking how should they return to Him. Look at God’s answer in verse 8, “will a man rob God.” How did these people rob God? By not giving tithes and offerings! In other words, they were only focused on themselves and their own personal needs. Verse 9 says that this lifestyle brought a curse of poverty into their lives. One thing that I absolutely do not want in my life especially during economically trying times is to be under a curse of poverty. When we refuse to give back to God a small portion of all He has blessed us with then we are making a strong statement to God and others. We are saying ‘God I do not trust you as my source financially.’ We are robbing God and others who could be reached with the love of Christ. Selfishness can be an inward expression of our heart, of not trusting God with our lives.

Israel was to show Jehovah that they were returning to Him by ‘giving back to Him’. If Jesus has control or your finances, then there is a good chance that He has all of you. Verse 10 says something that God says nowhere else in the entire Bible. He says “Try Me in this” or ‘put Me to the test’, ‘prove Me’ or ‘I dare you’. We have found that whenever the Lord tells us to give personally or from the ministry, beyond our comfort zone, it is a win, win situation because we cannot out give God. When we release the little in our hand then He releases the unending amount in His hand.

Why? So that we can be a continual source of blessing to others and be blessed ourselves (See Genesis 12:1-3).

Look at verse 11. When we are involved in giving, giving Jesus control of our finances then He gets involved in our finances “rebuking the devourer” in our lives. It is so much easier when God does the rebuking. Nothing stands in His way. Sharmila and I as well as this ministry do not find it hard to give any amount the Lord tells us to give, because we know that His provision is more than enough and is on its way if we are obedient to Him with our finances.

It is exciting and fun to make Jesus the Lord of our finances and doing what He wants us to do with those finances; even it means suffering lack for a short period of time. (See 2 Corinthians 9:6-8). We can never out give the one who longs to be our source at all times, especially during economically hard times. He desires that we trust Him in all areas of our lives and that includes with our finances. To give as God says of our hard earned money makes a statement and sets an atmosphere for God’s provision in our lives.

Laying up Treasures in Heaven Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing 5

to share (Greek -distribute), storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life (1 Timothy 6:17-19). If we are willing and ready to give even before receiving blessings from God verse 19 says we are laying up a good foundation for the time to come. Our willingness to distribute and give secures our financial future especially when financial prosperity seems difficult.

Jesus said in Matthew 6:19-21, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” How do we lay treasures in heaven; by giving to a Bible believing church, the poor, missions or anything that furthers the kingdom of God. This is the best place to invest as the investment can never be lost or stolen by the enemy.

Investments into the Kingdom of God will never fail. Jesus places an extremely high value on souls; He gave His life for each one, and they will never lose their value to Him! Sharmila and I have found that this investment has the best financial yield, even in this lifetime; compared to anything else we have ever invested in. We know our financial future is very secure because we are laying up treasures in heaven. (see also 1 Timothy 6:17-19).

Jesus wants our hearts. If our earthly treasures are sowed with eternity in mind, then our heart is in heaven where it belongs. If our treasures are only used for material things then our heart is not in heaven, but on earth, and all earthly things will eventually pass away.

Jim Elliott the missionary martyr to the Auca Indians of Ecuador said this about laying treasure in heaven. “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain that he cannot lose.” Are you making a difference in this lifetime by laying up treasures in heaven? This is all that will count for all eternity. Giving of ourselves that others may know Christ is what counts for eternity. Giving financially is not the only way to lay your treasures in heaven. Making Jesus the Lord of every area of our lives and giving our all for the sake of the gospel is also how we can lay up treasures in heaven that do not fade away.

About the Author Mark Anderson is an author, teacher, musician and travel agent. Because of what Jesus accomplished, health, healing, wholeness can be a regular part of your life.

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International Christian Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) lahir dari kepatuhan terhadap visi yang diberikan selama kurun waktu enam tahun kepada seorang usahawan Swedia J. Gunnar Olson, yang diteguhkan dengan nubuatan dan terbukanya pintu kesempatan disekitarnya yang sebelumnya tertutup.

ICCC merupakan panggilan yang serius dan menantang bagi pengusaha Kristen untuk mengenali jaman yang sedang kita masuki dan dengan terang dari pengenalan itu memasuki dimensi iman yang baru yang disediakan bagi mereka yang …” takut akan TUHAN … berbicara satu sama lain … dan menghormati namaNya.” (Maleakhi 3: 16) Visi ini memanggil para pengusaha dan kaum profesi di seluruh dunia yang terbeban untuk saling berhubungan, bertukar pendapat, memperdagang-kan barang dan menyediakan jasa, saling mendukung dan menguatkan secara rohani dan materi.

Berdasarkan eksistensi dari visi itu sendiri memproklamirkan otoritas Kristus yang mutlak diseluruh dunia.

Pada intinya ICCC adalah kehendak TUHAN untuk memperluas tali kasih-Nya, melalui gereja-Nya, didalam dunia usaha. Hal ini menuntut para pelaku bisnis mencari terlebih dahulu Kerajaan-Nya dan segala Kebenaran-Nya. Urapan tersedia bagi mereka yang dengan mata melihat dan telinga mendengar panggilan jaman.

Sebagaimana halnya Raja Daud yang menerima urapan untuk menjadi raja, jauh sebelum dia menjadi Raja, yang keadaan pada saat urapan diberikan sama sekali tidak mungkin bagi Daud untuk menjadi Raja, demikianlah ICCC memanggil para pengusaha Kristen sebelum peristiwanya terjadi untuk mengalami kebebasan masuk ke dalam dimensi baru, dimana sasaran, strategi dan perencanaan bersama-sma diwujudnyatakan sesuai dengan iman di dalam Kristus.

ICCC mencanangkan panggilan itu sejalan dengan rencana TUHAN bagi jaman ini sebagai kunci memperoleh berkat dan pertumbuhan dan agar dapat bangkit berkemenangan diatas gelombang ombak yang mengancam.

Panggilan ICCC: “Mereka akan menjadi milik kesayanganKu sendiri, firman TUHAN semesta Alam pada hari yang Kusiapkan. Aku akan mengasihi mereka sama seperti seseorang menyayangi anaknya yang melayani dia. Maka kamu akan melihat kembali

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perbedaan antara orang benar dan orang fasik, antara orang yang beribadah kepada TUHAN dan orang yang tidak beribadah kepada-Nya.” (Maleakhi 3: 17-18) KEYAKINAN IMAN ICCC: 

Satu-satunya TUHAN pencipta segala sesuatu dalam kesatuan Trinitas: Bapa, Anak, dan Roh Kudus.

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Keilahian TUHAN Yesus Kristus. Kelahiran-Nya dari rahim seorang Perawan. Karya penebusan dosa manusia melalui kematian-Nya diatas kayu salib. Kebangkitan-Nya. Hak otoriatas diri-Nya atas dunia dan Kedatangan-Nya yang kedua kali dalam Kuasa dan Kemuliaan-Nya.

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Alkitab, sepenuhnya sebagai Firman TUHAN yang memberikan inspirasi dan berbagai peraturan bagi kehidupan yang dilandasi iman.

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Keselamatan pribadi orang berdosa dan kebutuhannya untuk mengalami proses regenerasi melalui karya Roh Kudus dalam menuju menjadikannya sebagai manusia yang dikehendaki oleh TUHAN, seutuhnya.

Transformed Working Life (TWL) adalah Pelatihan resmi dari Kantor Internasional bagi anggota ICCC dalam memperlengkapi anggota dengan pengetahuan dan pemahaman latar belakang, tujuan dan penerapan prinsipprinsip Kerajaan TUHAN bagi dunia bisnis dan profesi.

TWL diperuntukkan bagi anggota dan dapat diikuti secara cuma-cuma, namun terbuka juga bagi siapa saja yang berminat untuk mengikutinya.

TWL diselenggarakan dalam bahasa Indonesia dan dilengkapi dengan buku panduannya, yang telah diterjemahkan kedalam Bahasa Indonesia juga, sehingga para peserta betul-betul akan memperoleh manfa’at yang besar dan mengalami transformasi dalam kehidupan pribadi maupun bisnisnya.

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TWL difasilitasi oleh anggota National Board yang terlatih dan dikoordinir oleh V.P. Teaching: Benjamin B. Juwono bersama dengan Teaching Team: a.l.

Johanis S. Najoan dan Eliezer H. Hardjo Transformed Working Life (TWL) akan ditayangkan dalam salah satu channel di Indonesia agar dapat dimanfaatkan oleh para pebisnis & profesional Kristiani di Indonesia bagaimana menerapkan prinsip-prinsip Kerajaan Tuhan dalam kehidupan berbisnis dan bekerja mereka.

TWL bagi members secara rutin diadakan pada hari Sabtu ke 2 setiap bulan dan terbuka dan dianjurkan bagi semua member untuk mengikutinya sebagai pembekalan wajib.

Tansformed Working Life

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CORPORATE MEDIATION AND SERVICES Corporate Mediation and Services (CMS) is known as the emergency clinic provided by the ICCC Indonesia to help and assist any company owned by the ICCC Indonesia members, individually and/or a partnership corporation belong to two or more members. In addition, CMS is also providing assistance to any company belong to nonmembers as long as they are willing to follow the rules and biblical principles offered by and through CMS. I.

SCOPE OF SERVICES: 1. To link and bring the companies together.

2. To provide consultation to the company in trouble.

3. To provide training to the staff using Transformed Working Life (TWL) training materials.

4. To act as a mediator between two or more parties that involve in conflict due to many reasons.

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PROCEDURE: 1. The ICCC Member to contact CMS Centre 2. The participating consultant to visit the company or companies which require help, to discuss about the problems and possible help and assistance to solve the problems.

3. To pray together 4. To set-up the follow-up 5. The CMS will evaluate and submit a proposal on how to handle the problem.

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DEVOTIONAL Coronavirus and Christ ‘BEHOLD THE KINDNESS AND SEVERITY OF GOD’

It matters little what we think about the coronavirus. But it matters forever what God thinks. He is not silent about what he thinks. Scarcely a page in the Bible is irrelevant for this crisis.

Our voice is grass. His is granite. “The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever” (1 Peter 1:24–25). His words in Scripture “cannot be broken” (John 10:35). What he says is “true, and righteous altogether” (Psalm 19:9). Listening to God, and believing him, is like building your house on a rock, not sand (Matthew 7:24).

His voice is not only true; it is perfectly wise for every situation. “He is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom” (Isaiah 28:29). “His understanding is beyond measure” (Psalm 147:5). When he gives counsel about the coronavirus, it is firm, unshakable, lasting. “The counsel of the Lord stands forever” (Psalm 33:11). “His way is perfect” (2 Samuel 22:31).

God’s words in these times are not only true and wise; they are also precious and sweet. “More to be desired are they than gold . . . sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb” (Psalm 19:10). They are the sweetness of life: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68). And with indestructible life come words of unshakable peace and joy: “Your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart” (Jeremiah 15:16).

And the sweetness is not lost in this moment of bitter providence — not if we have learned the secret of “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing” (2 Corinthians 6:10). The secret is this: Knowing that the same sovereignty that could stop the coronavirus and doesn’t, is the very sovereignty that sustains the soul in 15

it. Indeed, more than sustains — sweetens with hope that, for those who trust him, his purposes are kind, even in death.

“Behold the kindness and severity of God” (Romans 11:22). His providence is sweet and bitter. Naomi did not sin when she said, “The Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me” (Ruth 1:20). That was true. And it was spoken at the very moment when all her fortunes were about to change.

This is not a season for sentimental views of God. It is a bitter season. And God sent it. We know this, because he “works all things according to the counsel of his will” (Ephesians 1:11). All things. Not a sparrow falls to the ground apart from our heavenly Father (Matthew 10:29).

Nature is not sovereign. Satan is not sovereign. Sinful man is not sovereign.

God rules them all (Luke 8:25; Job 1:12; 2:6; Acts 4:27–28). So, we say with Job, “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted” (Job 42:2).

Therefore, God not only comprehends the coronavirus; he has purposes for it. God does nothing, and permits nothing, without wise purposes.

Nothing just happens. Everything flows from the eternal counsels of God (Ephesians 1:11). All of it is wisdom. All of it is purposeful. For those who trust Jesus Christ, all of it is kindness. For others, it is a merciful wake-up call: “Let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price” (Revelation 22:17).

Our hope and prayer in the resources below, which we plan to supplement weekly, is that we might be of some help in anchoring your soul in the word of God. That you might see the greatness and beauty and worth of Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:8). That you might treasure him above health and life (Psalm 63:3). And that God would be glorified in you, as you are satisfied in him.

This I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” (Lamentations 3:21–24)

—John Piper 16

NATIONAL BOARD - ICCC INDONESIA National President

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Umbu Pekuwali

Vice Presidents:  Admin/Secretary - Tonny Soetjoadi  Finance/Treasurer - Johanis S. Najoan  Membership/Mentoring/Network - Simon Aditan  Teaching / Training - Benjamin B. Juwono  Business Development/Micro-Enterprise - Efendi Sitorus - Hendro Tjahjono - Darius Pasaribu  Young Professionals –

Maria E. Sitorus

 Board of Advisors - Manimbul Luhut Sitorus & Mohan U. Vasandani  Corporate Mediation & Services Coordinator Intercessors Coordinator – Eliezer H. Hardjo Kantor Nasional ICCC Indonesia: Website: www.iccc-indonesia.com Pertokoan Pulo Mas Blok B I / 8, Jalan Perintis Kemerdekaan. Jakarta 13260 Telp (021) 4890211, fax: (021) 4722274.

E-mail: iccc.indonesia@yahoo.com, iccc.indonesia@gmail.com

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