BERITA ICCC INDONESIA 2011 Edisi JUNI Untuk kalangan sendiri
BERITA INTERN UNTUK ANGGOTA DAN KOMUNIKASI BAGI KALANGAN BISNIS DAN PROFESI KRISTEN
ICCC (INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CHAMBER OF COMEMRCE) ADALAH MIMBAR DIMANA PESAN KRISTUS BAGI KITA DI ZAMAN INI DIJABARKAN, DIBAGIKAN DAN DINYATAKAN TERHADAP DUNIA BISNIS
National President Bunan Djambek Vice Presidents: Admin/Secretary Eliezer H. Hardjo Finance/Treasurer: Johanis S. Najoan
Membership/Mentoring/ Network Manimbul L. Sitorus Simon Aditan
Teaching / Training Benjamin B. Juwono Ridwan Naftali
Business Development/ Micro-Enterprise Tonny Soetjoadi Rudolf A.S. Sinaga
Intercessors (Mrs.) Josephine S. Sitorus (Ms.) Hermina M. Usmany Eddy S. Kristiawan
Sementara mempersiapkan kata pengantar ini, berbagai peristiwa masih bergejolak di belahan dunia ini. Goncangan-goncangan masih tetap dirasakan diberbagai bidang; ekonomi, sosial, politik, alam dan banyak lainnya. Perlu saya bagikan acara dahsyat yang kita bersama dapat alami di malam WPA 2012 di Ballroom Hotel Ritz-Carlton dengan pembicara Rev. Ed Silvoso dan Keynote-speaker Gubernur DKI, DR. Ing. Fauzi Bowo. Betapa hebat nubuat dan kesaksian-kesaksian yang disampaikan oleh Ed Silvoso , yang menyatakan di tahun ini juga akan terjadi perobahanperobahan di market-place berupa mujizat-mujizat luar biasa; pemulihan; promosi!
NATIONAL BOARD
Shalom saudara-saudaraku yang terkasih!
Kiranya kita dipakai Tuhan sebagai “agents of change” untuk mewujudkan pemulihan-pemulihaan ini. Tidak kebetulan kita memperingati Hari Kebangkitan Nasional, setelah kita merayakan Kebangkitan Tuhan Yesus! Untuk dapat kita dipakai oleh Tuhan tentu kita harus menata hidup kita sesuai dengan firman Tuhan, kemudian usaha-usaha kita dibenahi sesuai dengan standard Alkitab dan Kerajaan Allah.
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: djambek-plus@cbn.net.id, ehardjo@gmail.com, js.najoan@gmail.com
Kita juga dikejutkan oleh mundurnya seorang petinggi IMF, bukti lagi ada sanksi bila melanggar aturan-aturan Prinsip Kerajaan Tuhan. Ini juga mengingatkan kita atas apa yang dialami seorang Gubernur Bank Indonesia beberapa tahun yang lalu yang jatuh dari kursinya dan berpindah ke belakang terali besi!Kekacauan-kekacauan juga kita saksikan di pemilihan ketua PSSI, akibat peraturan-peraturan dan hukum yang dilanggar dan masing-masing mempertahankan kepentingan golongannya. Yang paling ramai juga dialami di bidang politik, seperti terjadi di rulingparty saat ini. Di Timur Tengah peperangan masih tetap berlangsung. Di Amerika Serikat bencana alam badai taufan juga tak hentinya memakan korban. Namun dalam situasi galau tak menentu kita juga patut bersyukur bahwa diakhir bulan lalu Presiden, Ketua MA dan sejumlah pimpinan Negara dan tokoh-tokoh Nasional memproklamir dipraktekkan PANCASILA dalam sikap menjalankan usaha-usaha! Kiranya Pilar-pilar yang lain yaitu Bhinneka Tunggal Ika; UUD 1945 dan NKRI juga menyusul sehingga kita mempunyai harapan akan Indonesia Jaya di tahun 2030! Selamat berbakti dan mengabdi bagi nusa dan bangsa Indonesia tercinta dan mengibarkan panji-panji Kerajaan Tuhan di marketplace! Bunan Djambek National President ICCC INDONESIA www.iccc-indonesia.com
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FORUM ANGGOTA
INTERNATIONAL Para ICCC Leaders dari seluruh dunia kembali akan berkumpul dalam ajang International Leaders Gathering di Yerusalem dengan thema: IN THE GRIP OF GOD‘S PURPOSE IN THE ERA OF CHANGE dan agenda sbb:
Selamat bergabung Pak Tendy Irianto
Mari kita doakan agar Gathering tersebut membawa dampak yang besar dalam menyikapi perubahan yang terjadi di dunia yang begitu cepat dan mencengangkan.
Selamat atas kelahiran Cucu Pertama National Board ICCC Indonesia mengucapkan selamat kepada pasangan Rudolf A.S. Sinaga dan Josephine S. Sitorus atas kelahiran cucu pertama laki-laki pada tanggal 27 Mei 2011, pkl. 23.19 yang diberi nama: Rafael Yohansen Prima Lumban Tobing. Selamat kepada orang tua: Yosua Pangihutan Lumban Tobing & Sara Sofia Jennifer Idapola Sinaga.
21 – 23 Juni 2011: President‘s Conference dialog dengan President Israel Simon Peres 23 – 25 Juni 2011: International Leaders Conference 26 – 28 Juni 2011: Leaders Training
National President ICCC Indonesia, Bunan Djambek akan mengahadiri Gathering tersebut bersama dengan National Board Members lainnya.
New Members
MEMBERSHIP FEE
Bagi anda yang akan memperpanjang kartu keanggotaan anda untuk tahun 2011 sudah dapat dan agar menghubungi Manimbul Luhut Sitorus V.P. Membership melalui HP: 08159694545 atau mengirimkan email ke V.P. Admin/ Secretary (ehardjo@gmail.com) Annual Membership Fee untuk tahun 2011 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:
Bagi members yang berminat dipersilahkan menghubungi Kantor Nasional (email: djambekplus@cbn.net.id atau ehardjo@gmail.com
CIMB NIAGA BANK Cabang Senen - Jakarta No. 200-01-00012-00-0 a/n : Forum Komunikasi Usahawan Kristen Indonesia (FORUKIN).
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KONTAK BISNIS 1. PT. Chantique Inti Décor Junias Hidajat – Director Offices: JL. Semarang – Purwodadi Km 17.8 Gudang No. 8 Kalitengah, Mranggen, Demak 59567, Jawa Tengah – Indonesia Phone: +62-24 673 5496 & 673 5498 Fax: +62-24 673 5497 e-mail: chantique@indosat.net.id Website: www.chantique-id.com Line of Business: Manufacture of customize outdoor furniture for hotels and restaurants.
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
For serious inquiry, please contact: Junias Hidajat E-mail: junias@indosat.net.id Cell: +62 81 2287 1778 2. 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 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 Chladianplast Corrugated Roof & Flat sheet for Jakarta Metro & Outer Java and International market
3. 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: eliezer@heavenspring.com, ehardjo@gmail.com Partners: 1. Institute of Certified Professional Managers – James Madison University, VA, USA 2. DF Solusi Consulting – Indonesia Line of Business: Business & Management Consulting (Seminar, Training & Consulting)
Bagi member yang berminat untuk dicantumkan dalam kolom ini (free of charge) dimohon untuk meng-update data dan mengirim ke e-mail: ehardjo@gmail.com seperti contoh diatas Nama Perusahaan Person in Charge dan Contact person Alamat lengkap termasuk no. Telepon/fax dan e-mail Line of business Specific products yang ingin ditawarkan (dengan foto kalau ada – yang di-compressed)
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“Blessed is the man that trusts in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreads out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat comes, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.” (Jeremiah 17: 5 – 8)
A Christian Approach to Borrowing Money
I believe there‘s a more balanced approach to godly borrowing. You see, most of us get into trouble when we start buying depreciating items on credit. A depreciating item is something we buy today that will be worth less tomorrow (i.e.: cars, vacations, furniture, etc.) When we do this we put our future into jeopardy. For instance, millions of Americans are upside-down on their cars loans. We‘ve bought on payment plans that have allowed us to owe more than the car is worth. Sure, I know the culture tells us that this is normal — everybody‘s doing it. But, when we do things like this I believe we are getting dangerously close to sin. Why? Because when you owe $15,000 on a car that‘s worth only $12,000 things can go really bad really fast. What happens in this scenario if you lose your job or you get sick and can‘t work? How do you sell your car for $12,000 and pay off the $15,000 while maintaining your integrity and Christian witness? While I don‘t believe that all debt is evil or sinful, the Bible does teach that debt can be bondage, or slavery. Proverbs 22:7 tells us, “Just as the rich rules the poor, so the borrower is servant to the lender.” (NIV, emphasis mine) Many Christians today would argue that they are in control of their money. And they may be right. But just remember that Jesus said you can‘t serve two masters. You‘ll either love one and hate the other, or you‘ll hate one and love the other — in short, you can‘t serve both God and money. While we might not want to admit it, when our lives are controlled by the payment book, debt has become the master. Two things to consider before going into debt:
Steve Diggs, No Debt No Sweat! Financial Seminar Ministry I don‘t agree with the people who tell us that all forms of borrowing are wrong. And it troubles me that there are Christian teachers out there telling godly folks that they should never borrow or own a credit card. Teachings of this kind may sound good at first blush, but for me it‘s a question of consistency: How can I tell you that it‘s wrong to borrow — when I have a checking or a savings account at the bank? You see, the bank doesn‘t want my money to protect my money. The bank wants my money so it can loan up to 85 percent of it back out to borrowing customers! So, how can I tell you that it‘s a sin to borrow — when I‘m the very guy who is funding the system?
1) Why are we borrowing money? All too often we buy things we don‘t need, with money we don‘t have, to impress people we don‘t like. Folks -- this is dumb behavior. A lot of borrowing happens for all the wrong reasons. One of those reasons is an age-old problem called greed. The Lord repeatedly warns us to avoid covetousness and greed. In Luke 12:14, 15, Jesus gets right to the point here, ―Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (NIV) A first cousin to greed is vanity. People go into debt trying to keep up with other people in the neighborhood (or, sadly, even at church) who have a more lavish lifestyle. This happens more than you think; our egos can be a major liability. How many people do you suppose are making payments on boats, expensive cars, prestigious private schools,
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second homes, and extravagant clothing because their ―social position‖ or ―circle of friends‖ expected it? 2) What Is My Ability to Repay? The problem with borrowed money is that it has to be repaid. Today‘s instant gratification becomes tomorrow‘s bondage. Recently, a friend of mine shared a fact that startled me. He told me that if an individual charges a $40.00 meal on his credit card and only pays the minimum amount each month — that meal will end up costing over $200.00! It is so dangerous to presume on the future. Murphy‘s Law always kicks in at the least expected (and, most inopportune) moment. Just when you think you‘ll be ready to make that first payment — BOOM! The bottom falls out. Either the baby needs some new, exotic medicine, or the central heat goes out, or the transmission gives up the ghost, or...well, you get the point. (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 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.
TWL difasilitasi oleh anggota National Board yang terlatih dan dikoordinir oleh V.P. Teaching: Benjamin B. Juwono bersama dengan Teaching Team: Ridwan Naftali 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. Tolong dukung agar maksud ini dapat terealisir di tahun 2011 mendatang. 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.
Apa itu ICCC?
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
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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. 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.
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.
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.
The Law of Sowing and Reaping Galatians 6:7-10 By Robert D. Pace
(Illustration) Years ago a mother and daughter were planting a flower garden in the backyard. The mother carefully buried the seeds in a neatly configured pattern until
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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As she ran inside to answer it her little daughter carefully continued the tedious process of lining up the seeds. That is, until she spilled the tray of seeds. She was afraid of what her mother would say when she saw the mess she created so the little girl quickly covered the seeds with dirt and continued as if nothing had happened. When the mother returned she noticed the seeding proceeded unusually fast so she asked if the directions were followed. The daughter assured mom they were. But when Spring arrived it flourished with another answer.
That Scripture is both dreadful and wonderful. When you apply the law of reciprocity positively it brings beneficial results; when you apply it negatively it brings detrimental consequences. What's really frightening is, as free moral agents, God often lets us sow seeds without interfering:
He stood back and watched Adam and Eve partake of the forbidden tree. And death instantly attacked them.
He permitted Moses to disobey and strike the rock twice. And Moses didn't enterCanaan.
He willingly let King Saul ignore Samuel's warning and offer the sacrifice. And Saul lost his kingdom.
You've heard the adage, "If God said it, I believe it, and that settles it!" That's a good faithbuilding maxim, but, there are times when God's Word says it and that settles it regardless of your belief system! And that irrepressible law of reciprocity is one such case. It operates whichever direction you turn. Since this principle can never be outsmarted or overruled we should learn how to live in such a way to make it work for our advantage. And it can work for our advantage. The law of sowing and reaping doesn't just operate to warn or correct us it operates in many positive ways.
He didn't interfere when David disobediently transported the Ark of the Covenant. And a priest was struck dead trying to steady the falling Ark.
(Transition) That means we can and should learn how to implement the law of reciprocity for our benefit. That's what I want to spend the majority of our time investigating in this message—how to implement the law of sowing and reaping positively. As we'll discover in point one, To positively incorporate the law of reciprocity we must sow righteous seeds.
When we understand this law is fixed and nonnegotiable we have to determine something. How will we let this law effect us? We can't amend this unalterable law so our recourse should be simple: employ it to our benefit. And that's done by sowing seeds of righteousness.
The Bible sets forth an irrevocable law that we cannot ignore. It doesn't matter if you're nine or ninety-nine. That law is found in our text in Galatians 6 that says: "whatever is sown is reaped!"
I.
To Positively Incorporate the Law of Reciprocity You Must Sow Righteous Seeds
Everybody constantly gives. Whether it's voluntarily or compulsory, properly or improperly, everyone gives and the seed planting process never ends. The art to mastering life involves what type of seed we will plant. Listen to our text once again: "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. (8) The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life" (GAL 6:78).
(Example) God doesn't always intrude upon our planting, but He always orders the consequences. You can leap from a sixty story skyscraper and halfway down ask God's forgiveness. You may get pardon but you won't get a parachute. The law of gravity working with the law of sowing and reaping is inescapable.
We should plant with spiritual seeds that have God's life pulsating within them. That's why God said in Hosea 10:12 "Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love" (NIV). Sometime back Pastor Jack Hayford shared some valuable insight about giving. He explainedfive ways we can give: Hayford said we should: give up, give in, give over, give to, and forgive. (The Key To Everything, Jack Hayford, Creation House, 1993, page 29.) Giving is the secret to living.
There are times to give up, not in resignation or despair, but surrendering to pride and selfrighteousness.
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There are times to give in and recognize Christ's lordship and submit to His kingdom principles.
There are times to give over to God and let His presence and power handle the situation.
There are times to give to and assist another's welfare.
There are times to forgive and release animosity or a festering grudge or the anger that's been seething within.
That type giving will always produce a harvest of righteousness. We'll know what it means to live the "abundant life" Jesus spoke of. But here's our fear: We think obeying God's command to give means reducing our tangible worth, diminishing our social welfare, and in short, possessing less in life. Nothing could stray further from God's revelation. o
We give up pride and self-centeredness to receive Christ's image.
o
We give in to God to receive His incomparable plan.
o
We give over to God to receive His delivering, sea-splitting, fire-quenching, mountain-moving intervention.
o
We give to His purposes to receive His blessing multiplied back many-fold.
o
We forgive others of their offenses to receive God's unconditional forgiveness toward us.
(Transition) When we sow seeds of righteousness two things occur: One, we establish Christ's Lordship in our life and, two, we increase our capacity to receive. II.
Giving Recognizes Christ's Lordship and Increases Our Capacity to Receive
God's command to give isn't designed to strip away our resources. And that's precisely what Satan wants us misunderstanding. Everything about Satan's strategy aims at usurping Christ's lordship and limiting your capacity to receive from God's bounty. That was his intention in the Garden of Eden.
knowledge of good and evil." Think about it. God wasn't depriving them of prosperity. The entire world was theirs. The core issue was this: God wanted Adam and Eve understanding they were answerable to Him and recognize His supreme lordship over all creation. And all they had to do was treat one tree as sacrosanct and untouchable! If they submitted to His command they would govern the rest of the world. That's a pretty good tradeoff! This is not some obsolete principle that applied to Adam and Eve, it's a powerful and eternal principle that applies to everyone here. God wants people today to recognize His sovereignty and lordship. He want them to understand He has set boundaries that shouldn't be crossed!
There are "thou shall nots" to be observed.
There are dead-end and even deathly roads of this world that should be avoided.
There are destructive behavioral traits that should not be part of our character.
And when people persist in breaking Scripture's "thou shall nots," and speeding down forbidden paths, and in practicing immorality, lying, drunkenness, outbursts of anger, arguing, and the like it only leads to ruin! There is never a pleasant surprise or good ending when we live outside the boundaries God has placed for us.
God doesn't set boundaries for us to suppress us into a place of misery. His commandments always have a two-fold purpose. They teach us to recognize His lordship and they bring us into a place to receive His blessing. Jesus wants us to understand something about our sowing and giving. Giving enlarges our capacity to receive. The harvest of one seed is always many times greater than the seed. There's a message God wants to get across when He encourages us to sow seeds of righteousness. It's this: God's grace and goodness and blessings are often returned in direct proportion to your sowing. That's what Jesus said in Luke 6:38: "by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return." Frugal sowing produces a frugal harvest. Abundant sowing produces an abundant harvest.
God told Adam and Eve they could eat anything they wanted except from the tree of "the Berita ICCC Indonesia – Juni 2011
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Maybe you've been wondering when I would get to this passage of Scripture. Well, let's turn to Malachi 3 and read: Malachi 3:6-9 If you interpret that from a legalistic, "God just wants your money" perspective you'll miss that He's again trying to (1) establish His lordship and (2) expand your capacity to receive. Here's what God means when He says: "you have robbed Me by withholding your tithes and offerings": Like those holy, forbidden-to-touch trees in the Garden of Eden there's a tenth of your earning that is "holy" and belongs strictly to God. We shouldn't touch it! When we neglect His command to give we repudiate His lordship, submit to Satan's, and accept the lie that says: "You can't survive without keeping everything." But it goes beyond that. When we squander our tithes and offerings it not only repudiates God's lordship it robs Him of the opportunity of tangibly blessing us. Look at verse ten again: "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. (11) I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD Almighty. (12) Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land." When God asks for your tithes and offerings in this passage He's begging you not to rob Him of the privilege to rebuke the devourer, supply a bumper crop, and manifest His blessing evident enough for others to see! Again, our giving enlarges our capacity to receive! And this leads us to another aspect of the law of reciprocity. We should plant, sow, and give with the goal of reaping! Perhaps that sounds carnal but give me an opportunity to explain because I'm not trying to reduce one of God's principles to a "get rich quick" scheme. (Example) Every farmer has three intentions when he plants. First, he anticipates a harvest. (Plowing and planting is difficult work and the farmer wants his labors rewarded.) Second, he anticipates a specific type
of harvest. (If he wants corn he plants corn seed; if wants wheat he plants wheat seed, etc.) And third, he anticipates a specific size harvest. And the magnitude of the harvest abounds in proportion to the amount of seed that's planted. So in short, the key to farmers reaping their desired harvest depends on (1) planting, (2) planting a specific type seed, and (3) planting the correct measure of seed. There is one constant expectation at each of these three stages of farming. The farmer never stops believing that his labors will be rewarded. From the beginning he anticipates a harvest. And that's how we should live. We should always be ready to receive God's blessing when we obey His Word and sow ourselves or our service or our resources toward His purposes. It's alright to release your faith to receive what God promises! (Example) Have you ever notice how God measures our giving to Him with His giving toward us in Luke 6:38? Jesus talked about us giving only once but He mentioned us receiving from Him four times. Here's what Jesus said: "Give [that's the one time He spoke of our giving to Him] and it will be given to you. A [1] good measure, [2] pressed down, [3] shaken together and [4] running over, will be poured into you lap." You see, it's alright to release your faith to receive what God promises! It's not being humble to reject what God promises to do in response to your sowing. God wants to honor obedience to His Word because it ultimately honors His name. (Transition) Third, let's mention the inexorable nature of sowing and reaping. In other words, as dogmatically as the apostle Paul could state it he said in our text: "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. (8) The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life" (GAL 6:7-8). III. The Inexorable Nature Of Sowing And Reaping God never plays favorites with the law of sowing and reaping. Nobody is special enough to elude its dreadful consequences. And that's why we should carefully choose which type seeds we will plant.
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(Example) Awhile back excavators discovered seeds, thousands of years old, in Egypt's mummy tombs. And when they were planted, even after thousands of years, they germinated! Please hear me. We must not accept the false and fatal notion that insists life is unaffected by human behavior. Don't you dare adopt that as your philosophy! We should have enough spiritual knowledge to know the Bible says there are consequences to every action. The problem with America is we've abandoned our founding father's moral compass—the Bible. And our great country is quickly eroding because the law of sowing and reaping is responding to the seeds of rebellion. (Quote) Listen to this quote from Jim Morrison, a Presidential advisor of the Clinton administration. "I have always been attracted to those ideas that were about revolt against authority . . . I am interested in anything about revolt, disorder, chaos—especially activity that seems to have no meaning. It seem to me to be the road to freedom." (The Things That Matter Most, Cal Thomas, Harper Collins/Zondervan, 1993, page 6.) No wonder America is in the shape it's in. And if God wouldn't let His chosen people, Israel, escape the consequences of her sowing to the wind He won't permit America to escape her's! I know America has a great legacy. No nation has eclipsed America's efforts for spreading the Gospel. No nation has done more to alleviate the pain of the poor and weak. But the testimony of Scripture clearly chronicles the consequences of violating God's commands. Noah's generation was destroyed by flood. Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by fire. The Canaanites, Babylon, and Jerusalem are all reminders of the comeback effect. (Example) There are irrevocable consequences to our actions. Just think back to the "radical ‗60's" when we dismissed conventional JudeoChristian values and enshrined social anarchy and free thinking. Have there been consequences to the unbridled expression of drugs, sex, and reason? A generation later we're enduring a million and a half abortions annually; unbridled spread of sexual diseases; same-sex marriage contracts; 20,000 Americans murdered yearly; and the most morally divided nation in our 230 year history.
(Example) Think about the sacred place the Hebrew Temple held with Israel. It symbolically represented everything about worshiping God. David had intricately plotted the Temple's architecture by the Spirit's inspiration (1CH 28:11) and then contributed over a billion dollars toward its construction. It contained hundreds of thousands of pounds of gold and silver. There was no monument more sacred to God than this Temple and its furnishings. Yet Jesus said the consequences of Israel's rebellion would result in its total destruction. And in 70 A.D. the Roman emperor Titus attacked Jerusalem, torched the Temple, and completely leveled it—not leaving one stone upon another. I don't like to admit it. No, I hate to admit it. But America will answer to God for the seeds of anarchy that have been sown. And I shudder to consider those consequences! America desperately needs to return to the precepts of righteousness that were sown by the Pilgrims.
Conclusion As I close this message I want to exhort this local body. I'm seriously concerned about today's church. I'm thankful for the move of God that is taking place in many American congregations, but I'm profoundly concerned about the general condition of the Church. That's because many within the church assume they are exempt from reaping what they've sown; that there are no consequences to their actions. I can understand that the world doesn't understand this but not Christians! Let us understand that God has ordained a standard by which we should live. As we submit to His lordship His name will be honored and we will be blessed. But when we violate His commands, as surely as the sun rises, we will face the consequences of our actions.
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
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