BERITA ICCC INDONESIA 2010 Edisi Agustus Untuk kalangan sendiri BERITA INTERN UNTUK ANGGOTA DAN KOMUNIKASI BAGI KALANGAN DUNIA BISNIS DAN PROFESI KRISTEN
ICCC ADALAH MIMBAR DIMANA PESAN KRISTUS BAGI KITA DI ZAMAN INI DIJABARKAN, DIBAGIKAN DAN DINYATAKAN TERHADAP DUNIA BISNIS
NATIONAL BOARD Spiritual Counselor Pdm. Bunan Djambek National President Benjamin B. Juwono Vice Presidents: Admin/Secretary Tonny Soetjoadi
Finance/Treasurer: ManimbulL. Sitorus
Membership/Mentoring/ Network Simon Aditan
Teaching / Training Eliezer H. Hardjo Johanis S. Najoan Ridwan Naftali
Business Development/ Micro-Enterprise Kristanta Dewara Rudolf A.S. Sinaga Johny Rempas Michael Albinus Agus Susanto Markus Christianto
Intercessors Eddy S. Kristiawan Mohan U. Vasandani (Mrs.) Suzanna Suadi (Mrs.) Josephine S. Sitorus (Ms.) Hermina M. Usmany Paul Tapilatu
Kantor National 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. Email: js.najoan@gmail.com arfia@cbn.net.id, ehardjo@gmail.com
Saudara-saudara dalam Tuhan Yesus Kristus Selamat berjumpa kembali dalam media komunikasi kita-Berita ICCC Indonesia Edisi Agustus 2010. Pada edisi bulan ini saya ingin mengajak kita semua untuk belajar menilai kegiatan bisnis yang kita tekuni. Di dalam Lukas 2: 49 Yesus berkata : “Why did you you seek Me ? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business ?” Firman Tuhan di atas menyingkapkan dua hal yaitu : 1.Prioritas hidup 2.Bapa Surgawi mempunyai bisnis besar di bumi ini. Selama menunaikan misiNya Tuhan Yesus menempatkan bisnis BapaNya sebagai prioritas utama dalam hidupNya. Kita semua telah menyadari bahwa bisnis Bapa Surgawi adalah menyelamatkan orang-orang berdosa dan membawanya untuk hidup kekal bersamaNya di surga. Pertanyaan bagi kita para pengikut Kristus : - Apakah kita sama dengan Yesus yang menempatkan bisnis Bapa Surgawi sebagai prioritas utama dalam hidup kita? - Sudahkah bisnis kita inline dengan bisnis Bapa kita? (jangan sampai bisnis kita malah bertolak belakang dengan bisnis Bapa kita). Sering terjadi kita lupa dengan business- plan Bapa kita dan kita sibuk dengan bisnis kita sendiri. Kita meminta Tuhan untuk memberkati bisnis kita dan pada saat yang sama kita mengabaikan bisnis Bapa kita. Padahal Tuhan berjanji dalam Matius 6:33: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,and all these things shall be added to you.” Jikalau kita membandingkannya dengan bisnis cara dunia,maka kita melihat hal yang sebaliknya. Orang orang berupaya terlebih dahulu mencari berkat jasmasi dan lupa mencari sumber berkat itu. Bukankah seringkali kita orang orang percaya juga melakukan hal yang sama? Ini terjadi karena kita memiliki paradigma yang sama tentang bisnis. Orang-orang percaya perlu mengalami transformasi paradigma, seperti yang dianjurkan Firman Tuhan di Roma 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world,but be transformed by the renewing your mind.....” Men-transform sebuah paradigma lama tidak cukup dengan pengetahuan saja,melainkan melalui kuasa Firman Tuhan. Di sinilah peran ICCC bagi dunia bisnis yaitu menantang para pebisnis untuk memasuki dimensi iman yang baru dalam Kerajaan Bapa. Kita juga bersyukur kepada Tuhan bahwa sebagai bangsa merdeka yang berdaulat kita sudah mencapai usia 65 tahun pada tanggal 17 Agustus 2010 mendatang. Dirgahayu Republik Indonesia ke 65! Tuhan Yesus memberkati. Benjamin Bambang Juwono National President ICCC INDONESIA www.iccc-indonesia.com
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KEGIATAN ICCC INDONESIA
INTERNATIONAL
Bertempat di Restoran Yen –Yen, Eliezer H. Hardjo, V.P. Teaching sharing TWL yang dikemas dalam topik ”3Ds Blessings” di hadapan para pengusaha dan profesional yang tergabung dalam IBF (Impact Business Fellowship)
FORUM ANGGOTA
MEMBERSHIP FEE
Bagi anda yang akan memperpanjang kartu keanggotaan anda untuk tahun 2010 agar segera menghubungi Simon Aditan V.P. Membership melalui HP: 0816974647 atau email (simonaditan@yahoo.com)
International General Conference (IGC) tahun ini bertepatan dengan hari jadi ICCC yang ke-25 dan IGM (International General Meeting), akan diadakan di Alicante, Spanyol pada tanggal 27 – 30 Oktober 2010. Beberapa rekan National Board telah confirm untuk mewakili Indonesia dalam kesempatan tersebut. IGC terbuka selain untuk NB, member, juga bagi umum yang menaruh minat menyaksikan dan berpartisipasi dalam IGC tersebut Bagi anda yang berminat silahkan mendaftar melalui email ke Simon Aditan, V.P. Membership (simonaditan@yahoo.com) atau Benjamin B. Juwono, National President (bbjuwono@cbn.net.id)
Annual Membership Fee untuk tahun 2010 mengikuti peraturan International dalam kategori Developing Nation menjadi Rp. 600.000 dimana US$ 50 dikirim ke Kantor Pusat di Swedia sebagai syarat dan kewajiban International Membership Membership Fee dapat ditransfer ke rekening ICCC Indonesia atau FORUKIN dibawah ini, dan mengirimkan bukti transfernya dengan fax ke alamat yang tercantum paling bawah dari setiap halaman Newsletter ini: Rekening Bank: CIMB NIAGA BANK Cabang Senen - Jakarta No. 200-01-00012-00-0 a/n : Forum Komunikasi Usahawan Kristen Indonesia (FORUKIN).
KONTAK BISNIS 1. Surya Delapan Mas Tonny Soetjoadi – Director Offices: th 1. HWI Lindeteves 4 Floor, Block B No. 7 Jalan Hayam Wuruk Jakarta (Barat) 11180 – INDONESIA Phone: 062 (21) 6259625 Fax: 062 (21) 6259561
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meng-update data dan mengirim ke e-mail: ehardjo@gmail.com seperti contoh diatas
2. Taman Berdikari Santosa Block M No. 16 Jalan Pemuda Jakarta (Timur) 13220 – INDONESIA Phone: 062 (21) 4712821 & 91282388 Fax: 062 (21) 4718293 Line of Business: Distribution of Chladianpast Corrugated Roof & Flat sheet for Jakarta Metro & Outer Java and International market
Nama Perusahaan Person in Charge dan Contact person Alamat lengkap termasuk no. telepon/fax dan email Line of business Specific products yang ingin ditawarkan (dengan foto kalau ada – yang di-compressed)
TESTIMONY & WISDOM
Business Opportunity: Looking for bona-fide Sub-distributors all-over Indonesia as well as outside of Indonesia, preferably having vast networks & experiences in distribution of building materials. Serious inquiry can be directed to Tonny Soetjoadi, Director (tonnystd@indo.net.id or mobile: +62811193202
2. HeavenSpring Consulting & Agencies Co. Eliezer Hernawan Hardjo Ph.D., CM Jalan Pegangsaan Indah Barat B I / 8 Pondok Gading Utama Jakarta 14250 – INDONESIA Phone: 062 (21) 4521141 Fax: 062 (21) 4533070 Mobile: (062) 815-13203415 E-mail: heavenspring.consulting@gmail.com, eliezer@heavenspring.com, ehardjo@gmail.com Partners: 1. Institute of Certified Professional Managers – James Madison University, VA, USA 2. Corporate Turnaround Center Pte. Ltd., Singapore Line of Business: Business & Management Consulting (Seminar, Training & Consulting) Bagi member yang berminat untuk dicantumkan dalam kolom ini (free of charge) dimohon untuk
Brainwashed for The Kingdom By Robert Ricciardelli Worldview Matters! Especially to those who are called to manifest the glory of our God upon the earth. The concern many have for the body of Christ is that we sometimes have saved souls but a corrupted mindset regarding the Kingdom. Jesus came to establish His Kingdom on this earth as it is in heaven. He has given us the keys and the authority to use them on this earth NOW, and not for a later date. It is amazing how songs like the old hymn, "I'll Fly Away" reflect the way of thinking of God's dormant Kingdom builders. This is the mindset many Christians have regarding this world and that is to fly the coop in one swift moment because it ain't looking too good down here. The non-Kingdom mindset leads
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believers to these thoughts, "We need to just hang on a little while longer because Jesus is going to come and rescue us and we are going to leave this God forsaken earth and be done with this planet". "I just have to hold on until that trumpet blasts leading those in Christ to fly and the rest of the world to fry". This is a mindset that is looking to escape because they only see a world that continues to get worse, and have relinquished any hope to transform people and nations for the glory of God. Those in this frame of mind tend to become inward and guarded and believe they are to stay away, for the most part, from non-Christians relationally, unless they are evangelizing them. We as Christians sometimes are so full of fear that we cannot begin to fight or impact others as ambassadors to the Kingdom. The Kingdom mindset says this, "I know I am saved by grace and it is a wonderful beginning and legal entry point into the dynamics of the Kingdom of God." "As a child of God, I now have the full authority to bind and loose here on earth, knowing by the will of God, it will be stamped with His heavenly approval." "I am here to know my God and in Him I live and move and have my being. As I seek His Kingdom and His righteousness, transformation towards His likeness will give me opportunity to be an agent of Kingdom transformation for others". "I know that all that I face on this earth is part of my training to reign with Him on this earth one day." The Kingdom mindset knows that we are coming back to this earth to reign one day and in the mean time, while we have breath and the Spirit of life within us, we will live each day to magnify His Kingdom and reduce the Kingdom of darkness. As I read the end of the Book, this earth really is going to be our home one day. Heaven itself then becomes a temporary dwelling, because we know one day, we are all coming back to a new
earth to rule with Him. Knowing this, we now have our purpose, to build His Kingdom and continue to be more and more like Him. If we know that all the challenges and enemies we face are part of our testing and training to be like Him, we should never fall into despair and slothfulness regarding the Kingdom. Dennis Peacocke speaks to this mindset with the following, As I have said over the years, one of our greatest problems in the Church today is that we have "saved souls" but "secularized brains". In other words, we've been saved out of Egypt and into the Promised Land, but Egypt remains within us by the way we think politically, socially, and culturally. Yes we reject sexual sin, drunkenness, theft and the "big sins", but we remain trapped in the world's left-right political games, the capitalism/socialism economic paradigm, and a host of unexamined cultural attitudes we all caught in our secular education and upbringing. Unless we "Wash our Brains" and rid ourselves of the counter-Kingdom content that fills our minds, how can we be effective ambassadors as "salt and light" to a fallen world? Without a redeemed and applied Biblical worldview, believers will continue to sporadically and nominally affect the world. Focused on heaven and not the Kingdom, believers leave God's earth to the world-system to manage its resources and control its people. We either are too self-absorbed to care about the culture's captivity and the people's oppression, or we don't see the fundamental differences between the world-system and the Kingdom of God clearly enough to know how to strategically engage the transformation process. Because of these bondages, both world evangelism and church reformation dramatically suffer. For this reason and more, we as a ministry and others like our friend Dennis
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Peacocke, www.gostrategic.org , must forge ahead in a committed effort to spread a Biblical Worldview. But before we can spread, we need to be diligent to be trained by the Master for all He as assigned for us to accomplish upon this earth to the glory of the King through His Kingdom in Jesus name. Amen
Christian giving. The Scriptures very definitely state that giving is a "good deal"! The fact that Christians are not to give for ulterior motives doesn't mean that there are no rewards available! While the basic motive for giving shouldn't be rewards, there are rewards nonetheless for faithful Christian giving. In 2 Corinthians 9 at least seven rewards for giving are mentioned. In this chapter (as well as in chapter 8, which stresses principles of giving) the Corinthian church was called on to give to the needy church in Jerusalem. (See 1 Corinthians 16:1-4.) Although the context here concerns the giving of money, the application can be extended to all areas of Christian giving--our time and our talent, as well as our treasure.
REWARDS FOR GIVING
2 Corinthians 9:8 - And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having everything that you need, you will abound in every good work. Read all of 2 Corinthians 8 and 9. Christian giving is supposed to be from the heart. The motive of love, and not the desire for rewards, should be the driving force behind Christian giving. The idea of getting something in return or the attitude of "What's in it for me?" must be foreign to true Christian giving. This guideline for giving is quite familiar to every growing Christian--even though we don't always practice what we preach! But now that we've stated this well-known fact about Christian giving, we should also note that the Bible does talk about rewards for
One of the rewards of giving is seen in verse 6: You will receive unlimited blessings. There is no ceiling or cut-off to these returns. Even the most lucrative schemes or sweepstakes in this world have limits to their purses, but not so with Christian giving. The amount of blessing that we reap is limited only by the manner of our sowing. (See Luke 6:38.) The proper sowing attitude is not just "sow big," but "sow on the basis of blessings". This is a more precise translation of the word that is rendered "bountifully" in some translations. To sow "on the basis of blessings" means that we should be involved in doing things that bring help and happiness to other people. Giving help to the student who has unfortunately missed some classes or to a mother struggling with several young children, or planning a happy surprise for a forgotten senior citizen is sowing "on the basis of blessings." Let's not give sparingly (v6) or hold back in a stingy way, but rather let's give purposefully (v7) and willingly (v7) and cheerfully (v7) and on the basis of blessings. Then we ourselves will reap on the basis of blessings. We will receive unlimited help and
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happiness in reward. These blessings may be material or tangible, but they may also be intangible. The reward of unlimited blessings is not proven by statistics but by your own experience. Try giving and see for yourself! The next two rewards of giving are found in verse 8: Your needs will be met and You will always have resources for giving. God is willing and able to supply us with everything necessary to meet our personal needs as well as the needs of our ministry of giving. Notice that the Scripture does not say that the Lord will give us all that we want! God knows us better than we know ourselves and He promises to meet our true needs, not our many selfish wants. The promise of verse 8 definitely extends to our needs in Christian service. We can never use the excuse, "I don't have anything left to give!" God promises to supply all the needs of every ministry He gives us. Notice the heavy emphasis on the "all's" of God's promise: All grace in all things at all times with all needs for all good works! Verses 10 and 11 also emphasize this promise of a constant supply for giving. You will be supplied with plenty of seed for sowing (v10) and you will be enriched in everything for all liberality (v11). In Christian giving, the well never runs dry! The word "grace" (v8) in this context certainly indicates that God is thinking of more than just material needs. What do you need? More strength to get through this semester or more patience with your roommate? More understanding in your relationships with your children or fellowworkers at your job? More love for your spouse? More courage to stand for Christ? More help or helpers for the ministry that God has given you? More tolerance for Christians who don't want to help in your ministry?! More tenderness with people who "rub you the wrong way"? More ideas for your fellowship group? Well, it's all there! Everything you need as an individual child of God and anything you need for the area of responsibility which God has given you is readily available. But remember that we're
talking about rewards for Christian giving, not gifts for miserly, hoarding Christians who are unwilling to share in the areas of time, talent and treasure. A fourth reward of giving is stated in verse 9: Your record of giving will endure forever. Now that's something to think about! The records of famous heroes and stars of this world will be forgotten, but the record of simple Christians who gave of themselves will be remembered--forever! Verse 9 is a quotation from Psalm 112:9. This psalm refers to the actions and rewards of the godly person. "His righteousness" does not refer to salvation, but to the righteous deeds of the godly. These righteous deeds will remain forever because they will be published in eternity. Your Christian giving of time and effort and unsung "output" may not be recognized or appreciated now, but it will be for all eternity. So keep your sights set on retirement in heaven, not in Florida! "You can take it with you" when it comes to your record of Christian giving! In fact, all believers will take their record of Christian giving with them into eternity. It's a sobering thought that for some Christians this may not be much of a reward. Another reward of giving emerges from verse 10: Your returns will be according to the natural law of multiplication. The law of multiplication goes beyond the principle of "you reap what you sow." God has designed the laws of nature so that you reap more than you sow. This incredible principle is just as true and miraculous in the spiritual realm as in the natural. What a fantastic reward for those Christians who think they have only a "drop in the bucket" to give! The law of multiplication says that one drop can be multiplied into bucketfuls! Give a "drop" of your limited ability to the evangelistic project in your church or on your campus and a whole community of people can be blessed. Give a
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"drop" of your busy schedule to share the gospel with a neighbor or a lab partner, and a whole life can be turned around for God. Give a "drop" of your hard-earned cash to the printing and distribution of just one Bible in a foreign country, and the living Word of God can be read and obeyed for years by many believers.
prayed for when they're sick or elderly or backslidden! As we begin to give of ourselves, we find that a solid foundation of prayer support begins to materialize beneath us. How important it is for believers to have a broad backing in prayer, especially when we realize that life involves warfare against spiritual forces (Ephesians 6:12).
Yes, our limited giving can continue to ripple out in ever-widening circles--even after we've left this earth. The Lord of multiplication can do unbelievable things with our few little seeds, but the law of multiplication can't even begin to operate without any of our seed!
Every little bit of Christian giving not only meets the needs of others, but builds prayer protection and support for the giver in return.
A sixth and further reward for giving comes to us from verses 11-13: You are given credit for contributing to the glory of God. We see in these verses that the results of the Corinthians' giving to the church at Jerusalem went far beyond the mere supplying of the needs of the Christians there. Thanksgiving actually ascended to God in heaven, and these thanksgivings brought glory to God. Here's where Christian giving differs significantly from the giving of this world's charitable organizations. While we can be thankful for, and contribute to, some of these good organizations that assist worthy causes, we must recognize that they do not give specifically in the name of Christ. Giving in the name of Christ not only meets needs, but carries with it the reward of contributing to the glory of God. Normally we don't think of this reward when we make an encouraging phone call to a hurting brother or sister or when we give a few bucks to help a kid go to a Christian camp. But as thanksgivings ascend to God from the recipients of our giving, we are given credit for contributing to the glory of God. And giving glory to God is really what our lives are all about, when all is said and done. Investment in God's supreme theme and grand plan and purpose for this universe is a super reward! A seventh and final reward of giving is mentioned in verse 14: You will be prayed for by others. How many people are praying for you right now? Some Christians only get
Verse 15 is certainly a fitting conclusion to the section of Scripture on Christian giving. All the rewards for Christian giving are only possible because God gave Himself for us. "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" David R. Reid (Kirimkan kutipan, artikel, kata-kata mutiara atau kisah pengalaman anda yang dapat memperkuat iman pembaca Newsletter ini kepada TUHAN baik itu berupa pengalaman pribadi maupun orang lain dengan ciri utama bisnis dan rohani)
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 prinsip-prinsip 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
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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. TWL difasilitasi oleh anggota National Board yang terlatih dan dikoordinir oleh V.P. Teaching: Eliezer H. Hardjo bersama dengan Teaching Team: Johanis S. Najoan dan Ridwan Naftali
Apa itu ICCC?
VISI, MISI DAN TUJUAN ICCC 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.
Forum dimana pesan Kristus untuk zaman ini dijabarkan, disampaikan dan dinyatakan kepada Dunia Bisnis ICCC adalah badan yang independen dan inter-denominasi, bukan menjadi bagian dari suatu gereja tertentu namun ikut melayani gereja yang membutuhkan pelayanan ICCC. ICCC berkantor Pusat di Orebrö Swedia dan saat ini telah berada di sekitar 65 negara di lima benua. ICCC Indonesia melakukan berbagai kegiatan dan pelayanan baik terhadap anggota, maupun terhadap dunia bisnis khususnya dalam lingkungan Kristiani. Undanglah kami untuk memberikan presentasi mengenai visi, misi dan tujuan ICCC bagi dunia bisnis dan profesi
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 gerejaNya, didalam dunia usaha. Hal ini menuntut para pelaku bisnis mencari terlebih dahulu KerajaanNya 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.
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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 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.
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.
Alkitab, sepenuhnya sebagai Firman TUHAN yang memberikan inspirasi dan berbagai peraturan bagi kehidupan yang dilandasi iman.
Keselamatan pribadi orang berdosa dan kebutuhannya untuk mengalami proses regenerasi melalui karya Roh Kudus dalam menuju menjadikannya sebagai manusia yang dikehendaki oleh TUHAN, seutuhnya.
Everyone’s life is driven by something. Most dictionaries define the verb drive as to guide, to control, or to direct.” Whether you are driving a car, a nail, or a golf ball, you are guiding, controlling, and directing it at that moment. What is the driving force in your life? Right now you may be driven by a problem, a pressure, or a deadline. You may be driven by a painful memory, a haunting fear, or an unconscious belief. There are hundreds of circumstances, values, and emotions that can drive your life. Here are five of the most common ones: Many people are driven by guilt. They spend their entire lives running from regrets and hiding their shame. Guiltdriven people are manipulated by memories. They allow their past to control their future. They often unconsciously punish themselves by sabotaging their own success. When Cain sinned, his guilt disconnected him God’s presence, and God said, You will be a restless wanderer on the earth (Genesis 4:12, New International Version). That describes most people today wandering through life without a purpose. We are products of our past, but we don’t have to be prisoners of it. God’s purpose is not limited by your past. He turned a murderer named Moses into a leader and a coward named Gideon into a courageous hero, and he can do amazing things with the rest of your life, too. God specializes in giving people a fresh start. The Bible says, What happiness for those whose guilt has been forgiven! What relief for those who have confessed their sins and God cleared their record (Psalm 32:1, Living Bible).
What Drives Your Life? Rick Warren “ I observed that the basic motive for success is the driving force of envy and jealousy! Ecclesiastes 4:4 (LB) The man without a purpose is like a ship without a rudder a waif, a nothing, a no man. Thomas Carlyle
Many people are driven by resentment and anger. They hold on to hurts and never get over them. Instead of releasing their pain through forgiveness, they rehearse it over and over in their minds. Some resentment-driven people clam up and internalize their anger, while others blow up and explode it onto others. Both responses are unhealthy and unhelpful. Resentment always hurts you more than it does the person you resent. While you
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offender has probably forgotten the offense and gone on with life, you continue to stew in your pain, perpetuating the past. Listen: Those who have hurt you in the past cannot continue to hurt you now unless you hold on to the pain through resentment. Your past is past! Nothing will change it. You are only hurting yourself with your bitterness. For your own sake, learn from it, and let it go. The Bible says, “ To worry yourself to death with resentment would be a foolish, senseless thing to do (Job 5:2, Today’s English Version). Many people are driven by fear. Their fears may be a result of a traumatic experience, unrealistic expectations, growing up in a high-control home, or even genetic predisposition. Regardless of the cause, fear-driven people often miss great opportunities because they’re afraid to venture out. Instead they play it safe, avoiding risks and trying to maintain the status quo. Fear is a self-imposed prison that will keep you from becoming what God intends for you to be. You must move against it with the weapons of faith and love. The Bible says, “ Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life, fear of death, fear of judgment is one not yet fully formed in love” (1 John 4:18, The Message). Many people are driven by materialism. Their desire to acquire becomes the whole goal of their lives. This drive to always want more is based on the misconceptions that having more will make me more happy, more important, and more secure, but all three ideas are untrue. Possessions only provide temporary happiness. Because these things do not change, we eventually become bored with them and then want newer, bigger, better versions. It’s also a myth that if I get more, I will be more important. Self-worth and net worth are not the same. Your value is not determined by your valuables, and God says the most valuable things in life are not things! The most common myth about money is that having more will make me more secure. It won’t. Wealth can be lost
instantly through a variety of uncontrollable factors. Real security can only be found in that which can never be taken from you, your relationship with God. Many people are driven by the need for approval. They allow the expectations of parents or spouses or children or teachers or friends to control their lives. Many adults are still trying to earn the approval of unpleasable parents. Others are driven by peer pressure, always worried by what others might think. Unfortunately, those who follow the crowd usually get lost in it. I don’t know all the keys to success, but one key to failure is to try to please everyone. Being controlled by the opinions of others is a guaranteed way to miss God’s purposes for your life. Jesus said, “ No one can serve two masters” (Matthew 6:24, New Living Translation). There are other forces that can drive your life but all lead to the same dead end: unused potential, unnecessary stress, and an unfulfilled life. The Benefits of Purpose-Driven Living There are five great benefits of living a purpose-driven life: Knowing your purpose gives meaning to your life. We were made to have meaning. This is why people try dubious methods, like astrology or psychics, to discover it. When life has meaning, you can bear almost anything; without it, nothing is bearable. A young man in his twenties wrote, I feel like a failure because I’m trying to become something, and I don’t even know what it is. All I know how to do is to get by. Someday, if I discover my purpose, I’ll feel I’m beginning to live.” Without God, life has no purpose, and without purpose, life has no meaning. Without meaning, life has no significance or hope. In the Bible, many different people expressed this hopelessness. Isaiah complained, “ I have labored to no purpose; I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing (Isaiah 49:4, New International Version). Job said, My life drags by day after hopeless day” (Job 7:6, Living Bible) and I give up; I am tired of
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living. Leave me alone. My life makes no sense” (Job 7:16, Today’s English Version). The greatest tragedy is not death, but life without purpose. Hope is as essential to your life as air and water. You need hope to cope. Dr. Bernie Siegel found he could predict which of his cancer patients would go into remission by asking, “ Do you want to live to be one hundred?” Those with a deep sense of life purpose answered yes and were the ones most likely to survive. Hope comes from having a purpose. If you have ever felt hopeless, hold on! Wonderful changes are going to happen in your life as you begin to live it on purpose. God says, I know what I am planning for you I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future (Jeremiah 29:11, New Century Version). You may feel you are facing an impossible situation, but the Bible says, God is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes (Ephesians 3:20, Living Bible). Knowing your purpose simplifies your life. It defines what you do and what you don’t do. Your purpose becomes the standard you use to evaluate which activities are essential and which aren’t. You simply ask, Does this activity help me fulfill one of God’s purposes for my life?” Without a clear purpose you have no foundation on which you base decisions, allocate your time, and use your resources. You will tend to make choices based on circumstances, pressures, and your mood at that moment. People who don’t know their purpose try to do too much and that causes stress, fatigue, and conflict. It is impossible to do everything people want you to do. You have just enough time to do God’s will. If you can’t get it all done, it means you’re trying to do more than God intended for you to do (or, possibly, that you’re watching too much television). Purpose-driven living lead to a simpler lifestyle and a saner schedule. The Bible says, A pretentious, showy life is an empty life; a plain and simple life is a full life” (Proverbs 13:7, The Message). It also leads to peace of mind: “ You, LORD,
give perfect peace to those who keep their purpose firm and put their trust in you” (Isaiah 26:3, Today’s English Version). Knowing your purpose focuses your life. It concentrates you effort and energy on what’s important. You become effective by being selective. It’s human nature to get distracted by minor issues. We play Trivial Pursuit with our lives. Henry David Thoreau observed the people live lives of “ quiet desperation, but today a better description is aimless distraction. Many people are like gyroscopes, spinning around at a frantic pace but never going anywhere. Without a clear purpose, you will keep changing direction, jobs, relationships, churches, or other externals hoping each change will settle the confusion or fill the emptiness in your heart. You think, Maybe this time it will be different, but it doesn’t solve your real problem a lack of focus and purpose. The Bible says, Don’t live carelessly, unthinkingly. Make sure you understand what the Master wants. (Ephesians 5:17, The Message). The power of focusing can be seen in light. Diffused light has little power or impact, but you can concentrate its energy by focusing it. With a magnifying glass, the rays of the sun can be focused to set grass or paper on fire. When light is focused even more as a laser beam, it can cut through steel. There is nothing quite as potent as a focused life, one lived on purpose. The men and women who have made the greatest difference in history were the most focused. For instance, the apostle Paul almost single-handedly spread Christianity throughout the Roman Empire. His secret was a focused life. He said, I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead” (Philippians 3:13, New Living Translation). If you want your life to have impact, focus it! Stop dabbling. Stop trying to do it all. Do less. Prune away even good activities and do only that which matters most. Never confuse activity with productivity.
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You can be busy without a purpose, but what’s the point? Paul said, “ Let’s keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us” (Philippians 3:15, The Message). Knowing your purpose motivates you life. Purpose always produces passion. Nothing energizes like a clear purpose. On the other hand, passion dissipates when you lack a purpose. Just getting out of bed becomes a major chore. It is usually meaningless work, not overwork, that wears us down, saps our strength, and robs our joy. George Bernard Shaw wrote, This is the true joy of life: the being used up for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clot of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making your happy.” Knowing your purpose prepares you for eternity. Many people spend their lives trying to create a lasting legacy on earth. They want to be remembered when they’re gone. Yet, what ultimately matters most will not be what others say about your life but what God says. What people fail to realize is that all achievements are eventually surpassed, records are broken, reputations fade, and tributes are forgotten. In college, James Dobson’s goal was to become the school’s tennis champion. He felt proud when his trophy was prominently placed in the school’s trophy cabinet. Years later, someone mailed him that trophy. They had found it in a trash can when the school was remodeled. Jim said, Given enough time, all your trophies will be trashed by someone else!
us the questions in advance. From the Bible we can surmise that God will ask us two crucial questions: First, “ What did you do with my Son, Jesus Christ? God won’t ask about your religious background or doctrinal views. The only thing that will matter is, did you accept what Jesus did for you and did you learn to love and trust him? Jesus said, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6, New International Version). Second, What did you do with what I gave you? What did you do with your life all the gifts, talents, opportunities, energy, relationships, and resources God gave you? Did you spend them on yourself, or did you use them for the purposes God made you for? Preparing you for these two questions is the goal of my book, The Purpose Driven Life. The first question will determine where you spend eternity. The second question will determine what you do in eternity. Rick Warren is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California and the author of The Purpose Driven Church and The Purpose Driven Life.
Terimakasih anda telah meluangkan waktu membaca Berita ICCC Indonesia ini dan silahkan mem-forward-nya ke rekan bisnis anda agar memperoleh berkat rohani yang sama. Redaksi
Living to create an earthly legacy is a short-sighted goal. A wiser use of time is to build an eternal legacy. You weren’t put on earth to be remembered. You were put here to prepare for eternity. One day you will stand before God, and He will do an audit of your life, a final exam, before you enter eternity. The Bible says, Remember, each of us will stand personally before the judgment seat of God . Yes, each of us will have to give a personal account to God” (Romans 14:10b, 12, New Living Translation). Fortunately, God wants us to pass this test, so he has given
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