ChIkA’S DiArY…

Few days ago, I had another kind of conversation with my another bestfriend (as u all can expected ^^). Anyway, he’s one of my bestfriend and he’s not the one that i talked about below.

A lil bit abt him: he’s a new Christian too, his family’s background is Buddhist, and he goes to one of the church in UTS Tower (i think it’s a Bethany church, but i’m not sure). I was really really joyful and thankful to God when he became Xn, coz at least there’s one non-Pelita friend that I can talk to abt Xnity. So when we had the conversation few days ago, i was glad that i can discuss abt Xnity with my bestfriend. We had an argument on predestination, coz he thinks that God cannot work on man unless that man decide to willing to know God more. While from the church camp we know that we desire God because He desires us first. I didn’t point any Bible verses to him, coz i forgot what the verses from church camp.

However, there’s some main different points. He said that in his church, the ability to speak in tongue is emphasised. At first i didn’t understand what,why,and how speak in tongue is important. So i asked him to explain, and as he explained to me, it seems that it’s less and less Biblical. There are also some things that i’ve never heard before from the Bible, about the devil cannot hear if we speak in tongue to God, how prayer,speak in tongue and fasting can show that we really mean in our faith. Okay, i admit that i’ve heard something abt fasting, but i’ve never heard of the emphasise of fasting if we really need something from God as an additional to prayer. Correct me if i’m wrong.

I was really happy when he became Xn. But now i feel very sorrowful that he’d heard the wrong message of gospel. In the beginning of CBS today they showed a movie abt someone from AFES (i forgot who) who decided to leave his old charismatic church because of the emphasise of speak in tongue, which he thought is not biblical. The very first second they showed the movie, i immediately thought abt my bestfriend whose church also put emphasise on speak in tongue. Moreover, Galatians 1:1-10, as Grimmo said in CBS, very clearly accurse those who distort and turn away the gospel. My friend is in great danger.

I’m planning to show some Bible verses to him to think about. Or maybe i can have a lil bit conversation or read the Bible together. But as soon as I told Chenny about that, she said don’t. We’re not allowed to have 1-1 bible study accross the gender. My heart is really really really fall down to the deepest. Not because that i’m not allowed to do bible reading together, no, i believe that Chenny has a reason for that, but because of the unable-ness of myself to directly tell the him the truth. i don’t have the authority. i’m useless. well…except prayer. but i just can’t sit there and do nothing, my bestfriend is really really in danger and i need to tell him as soon as possible. Chenny told me that probably my bro who knows my friend also can tell him that he’s wrong. But my bro doesn’t really know him well as i do, will he willing to talk freely to my bro as he talk to me??

Okay, i was joyful that my bestfriend became a Xn. But i’m in a great distressed that he got the wrong message of gospel. And i’m unable to tell him the truth. That’s even worse.

However, the Qs that are hanging in my mind rite now are more practical Qs. I mean my most basic Q is: How can we tell ppl abt the gospel? And the following Qs are just the practical things abt that.

As you all may know, the mission weeks that had just happened @ uni really really brought out my enthusiastic. And thanks God too that i have the opportunities to talk to some of my friends abt Christianity, although I might not be a good speaker of the gospel, and i haven’t tell them all that i want to say. Sometimes you just forgot what you should say to ur non-Xn friends, then when you remember, you’ll say,"Ohhh crap…. I should’ve said this or that to them!"

Few weeks before the mission weeks started, 3 words that kept hanging in my mind : Teach the gospel. Believe it or not. But when the time came, it’s not as easy as I thought. The non-Xn just won’t accept or understand what we’re saying abt Christianity. I also have to explain that their belief are wrong, but it’s not easy for somebody to change his/her belief in an instant. For example, what should we say to an agnostic person who believe there’s a higher power but it’s not God and just wanna live their own life? I was completely speechless at that time, coz i know before i tell them abt Jesus, i have to tell them abt the existence of God first, but i just don’t know how coz they won’t believe me!

All of my friends that I’ve talked to, they all believe that if they’re just be a good and moral person, they’ll be okay with God. To be honest, before talking to them i’ve never known what it’s meant  "going to heaven by our own good deeds", coz i’ve never thought of that before i was a Xn, and after i became Xn i just don’t know what it means. But after talking to my friends and listening to what they belief, now i understand what it means, and it’s just soooo wrong! What God wants is perfection, and so far since creation there’s only 1 person who is perfect : Jesus. We’ll never be able to meet God’s standard. Then the question come : how can i tell them that fact?

All my-other-more-mature-Christian said that whatever we try to say to the non-Xn, it’s ultimately God that will change their heart. I know that’s very true. although i explain to them all my life and all my strength and all my soul, they still won’t understand unless God himself make them understand. But to what extent should we stop explaining and let God decide? And oh, don’t forget to pray ^^. Do we have to just sitting there, pray, and let them (or God) alone discover God’s Word? Lina said that, if we have told them abt the gospel, that’s it, our role is finished. the next thing we must do is pray, and let God works. And Chris mentioned that prayer is a powerful tool ^^;

Despite of that all difficulties, i really enjoy and filled with enthusiasm when i discuss these things with my friend. And when they understand, although just a lil bit of what i was saying, my heart was filled with joy and thanksgiving! One day I asked my friend, of what role did he think Jesus had so that the whole Bible is talking abt him. And he answered,"Errr…. takes away our sin??" with full of doubt. And i knew that i have to explain since the very beginning, and i started to talk abt creation, man fall into sin, receive death and judgement, and Jesus came to save us, which is basically 2 Ways To Live!

Well… he didn’t understand at that time, until I told him to read 1 Tim. 2:5, there’s one God, one mediator Jesus Christ, who is the ransom for all. He’s interested in "ransom for ALL". he said,"is this means that Jesus had saved ALL of mankind? So why there’re still good ppl non-Xn go to hell and Xn go to heaven?" And i said that it’s true that Jesus had saved all of us, that’s in the past and nothing can change that.But that doesn’t mean that everybody NOW believe in Jesus. the real main issue is in present time, where some people still don’t believe that Jesus had saved them, and completely ignor Him. so there’re like 2 choices for us : believe and be saved, or not believe and be judged.

When i finished talking, he paused a little bit, and said, "Oohhh… okay…now i get your point." And immediately i said in my heart, "AMEN, PRAISE THE LORD!!!" Finally he understand one point that i raised! Although i know that my job hasn’t done yet, but i really grateful and joyful at that time….

This makes me want to still tell ppl God’s Word!

As i’ve said before, Pelita Q&A Night was really really good, it seems that the most common questions abt Christianity asked by non-Xn were answered there, such as:
How do we know God exist? How do we know the Bible is reliable? If God is good, why there are still suffering in this world? What’re the differences b/w Christian and other religions? (this turns out to be very veryy veryyyyyy different); Why do Xn go to church everyweek?
Why did God create mankind knowing that they’ll Fall into sin? Why did God put the tree of knowledge on the 1st place? What can we do to inherit eternal life? I think i’m good/moral enough, i’ve never done something wrong, then why do i still go to hell?
Etc etc…..

Sometimes i’ve never had a thought on these kind of Q’s, and they made me wondering too what’re the answers would be. so hearing the answers from Charles, Sam, and Chris really satisfy my curiosity and making me more amazed of God’s grace toward us. furthermore, now i know how to answer those kind of Q’s if there’s somebody asking me again ^0^

Anybody want to know the answers? Anybody looking for FREEDOM?? Ask me how!!(hopefully i still can remember….hehehehehe) :D:D:D:D:D

Yeahh…. Q&A Night was really really good, even without the presence of both of my friends…. But still…… I really really want them to come, coz Charles, Sam, and Chris really explain the basic what Christianity is all about, and I want them to hear that……. Now that job is coming back to me…. ^^

Anyway….thanks for Chris, Chenny, Lina and Rusmin for the encouragements…. It’s really great to have someone to back you up…. hehehehe….

Special thanks for Arnold, i’ve read your email to me thru Chenny, might consider that book ^0^ thanks for the encouragement too…. ^0^

Pelita guys you rocksss!!! :D:D:D:D:D

I could sing…. unending song… of how You saved my soul…

Thanks God that after a never-ending-effort-to-ask-him-to-come-to-CBS-and-Pelita, finally my friend said that he’s willing to go to Pelita Question & Answer Night!!! Hooraayy…. I think that he’s challenged with all those our discussions, debates, and questions. Never forget that by God’s will who knows he’ll be more challenged after going to Q&A Night?? Eniweiii…. i also invite my other friend…. my 1st friend said that he’ll also try to invite this friend so that they can go 2gether…. Keep praying that both of them will come…. and prayed that they won’t change their mind, since there’re lots of other excuses not to come…..

Oh I could dance….a thousand miles…because of Your great love…

I had a really unexpected day yesterday (Tue,16/8/05). There’s a talk part of the FREEDOM Mission entitled "FREEDOM From Religion". When I had a 3 hours break from 10am, i went to the library to do some of the biochem lab report. There i met some of my friends, sitting in a big table with their other friends (whom i don’t know,and most of them are not Indo), apparently most of them are biotech students.

Anyway, after a while, i nearly finished my report. Then i just remembered that i had 2 "FREEDOM from religion" leaflets left in my bag. As usual, i gave the leaflets to my friends, inviting them although i knew that they’re hesitated to come. suddenly that leaflets had already spread over the table, and when i realized my friend’s friends were talking about this ‘religion’ thingy. They are Catholics, but they mentioned their other friend (whom i don’t know again!), who confess themself as Agnostic believers.

i completely have no idea abt this Agnostic thing, so i began to asking them what the Agnostic believe, etc. They believe that there is somekind of "power" or "force" that is above us, but don’t want to label it as "God". that power is in control of everything, but it’s not necessarily means that power is involved in human lives. Since my friend’s friend is a Catholic, so he doesn’t know what else abt agnosticism. So i chatted with my indo friend who also believe in agnosticism, and i tried to put the Christianity gospel among our conversation.

Not long after that, our conversation was interrupted by the coming of these 2 friends of my friend that said they believe in Agnosticism. I began to ask them again, they said they believe in this power, but they don’t want to worship or bow down to this power because they don’t believe this power has anything to do with our lives. So i asked them, if the power doesn’t has anything to do with us, what is the role of that power then?? they said that the power is only sitting there, probably making sure tat everything’s ok…. They also agree with the Big Bang theory, all accidental thingy, and they said the power is in control behind the Big Bang. So i asked, if the power is behind the Big Bang, why wouldn’t it involved directly in the Big Bang, rather than let everything happened accidentally?? And again they said tat the power doesn’t need to be involved, just sitting there and watch.

I’m not really sure, but they mentioned something about morality. If i’m not mistaken, they think that religion is all about teaching morality, how to be good person etc. but i’m not sure what they think abt the morality itself.

After that they began to talk abt other things, so the conversation just ended there. To be honest, i really don’t know what to say. i’m the only Christian on that table, and i’ve never heard of this Agnosticism, and i have to know their belief first before i can encounter them. but then i just can’t think of anything to said to them, because they believe in somekind of power but isn’t God, and it’s just different with atheism or catholicism. the atheis don’t believe in the existence of God, while the catholics believe in one God, but just the whole wrong concept about God. So, agnostics are someway in the middle, and i don’t know how i can explain to them that there is only one true God (1 Tim. 2:5) coz they won’t believe in what i’m saying…..

I need to ask one of the MTSers about this….

I have wondering for the past few weeks, that how i want to tell my friends abt the gospel, but had never really a conversation abt that. Eniweiii… that opportunity will come unexpectedly, so Paul urged us to be ready with the answers. Here’s one of my story….

Last Wednesday after Focusteam, I decided to call one of my friend. After talking abt uni life, etc, i invited him again to Thu’s mission, but he said that he has non-stop classes from 9am-6pm except an hour break at 1pm….and then i forgot how but he started to talk that Xn always associates everything in our life with the Bible, eg. when broken hearted, etc, and  that he didn’t understand how Xn try to promote the gospel so eagerly, because catholics use a more conservative way. Then i explained to him that we Xn wanna see more ppl coming to Jesus, want to be in heaven together esp with our friends and family, and the only way is to believe the salvation in Jesus Christ. He argued that there’s another pathway(s) to salvation outside church, and when i asked, he didn’t know how.

I told him that I only believe in the Bible, how Josh and the other MTSers told us read the bible by ourselves, trusting the Bible only. But then he argued that everyone has different understanding, even different interpretation about the Bible. He even mentioned that Catholic and Xn separated because of different understanding. he kept emphasise how everyone couldn’t have a same understanding, eg. in a uni subject, we learn the same materials, same lecturers, same textbooks, but yet one pass and the other failed –> that’s because different understanding.  I said to him that there’s only one truth, ie. the Bible, and if we trust in Jesus he’ll send us the Spirit that will lead us only to one truth.

Heloowww helowww…..

Sorriii for "abandoning" this blog for a looonngg looonngg time… yesterday i met rusmin and he asked me why i didn’t update my blog again, maybe that’s because i rarely use the internet at home, coz i can’t connect the internet to my laptop, so i must use either my bro’s or my hozmate’s computer to get online. well…maybe because i’m a bit busy and lazy too…. hehehehe ^^;

Eniweeii… there’s a story that i wanna share here… You know that there are lotss of FREEDOM Mission happening in uni, and 1 of the ways to let ppl know abt this mission is by giving them leaflets! So we Pelitans were in charged of leafleting on Monday last week (8/8/05) @ 8am. I actually also volunteered for another leafleting @ 9-10am, so that means 2 hours for standing and smiling and giving the leaflets to anyone you hardly know and preparing to be rejected ^^; This was my first experience of leafleting, so i needed to prepare my mental too ^^;

After a looong decision who’s going to leafleting where, me and Glorya head off to the main gate at around 8.15 or 8.20. Not so many ppl at that time. At 8.40 ppl started to come, and we’re like playing the "cat-and-mouse" coz some ppl had seen us from far away and when they came near they clearly avoided us! Well… I’m a bit discouraged at that time, but i remember someone said to me that they were actually avoiding and rejecting God, not us. And sometimes I’m similar as them, just grabbing any leaflets without really pay attention to that. So i continued the job by saying to myself that this was my responsibility to God by bringing ppl closer to Him, so I shouldn’t grumble.

Later on, some Union ppl started to come and give the Union Week booklets, but they’re standing behind us, coz we got there first ( ha ha!) When none came at the main gate, we chatted a bit with the Union ppl, we gave them the leaflets and in return we received the booklets… it was a bit funny at that time… ^^
Before 9 o’clock me and Glorya had already run out off leaflets, so she went to the Chaiplancy again but there’re no more leaflets, so we’re giving away the FREEDOM business card.
By around 9.15 Victor and Andri came (they’re already finished), and the other CBS guys came and replaced us, so me, Vic, and Andri (who hadn’t anything to do, but yet still lots of new leaflets and business cards in our hands) decided to go to another spots. I was a bit tired at that time, waking up in the morning and standing up and advertising for more than an hour without really knowing whether ppl were taking attention or not, so only Vic who still giving the leaflets to ppl as we walking down the main walk. Again, we met some of the Union ppl near EE, and Andri (with his marketing skill!) said to them that we should’ve slipped the FREEDOM leaflets in the union booklets, and we’ll help them giving away the booklets, so both of us would get mutual benefits! hahahahaha….

Eniweii… we finally came to the benches outside CLB (Commerce Lawn i think), and Vic said we should give the leaflets to those who were sitting at the benches, so in that way they wouldn’t be able to escape from us ^^ hahahaha… I didn’t think that’s a good idea, and while I was still thinking, there’s an oz guy sitting there, looking at us. For a few seconds I was still standing idlely, and that guy’s still looking at us so many times. I didn’t know why, but i started to approach that guy and gave the leaflet to him. He seemed to be interested, and started to ask what’s it’s all about. So i told him abt the event Great Debate, the speakers bla bla bla, and I found out that this guy had been interested with the FREEDOM stuffs without really having anyone to tell him what it’s all about!! So I gave him the business card where he could see all the events happening, and I ended up chatting and asking him his faculty, and said that he can go to CBS and there’re bible studies based on faculties, and he said he’ll consider that and somehow i know that he’s not lying. Too bad that I didn’t ask his name or whether he knows abt Christianity or not, maybe by doing that i might be able to develop the conversation into the gospel, but yeahh… maybe God has another plan for him…. I want to meet him again, asking how’s he going, and seeing whether God is working on him. But i think that’ll be hard, coz now i hardly remember his face ^^;

I was really really really really encouraged at that time, knowing that even there’s only 1 person interested to the mission, that feeling can pay off all the tiredness, all the rejected-feeling of giving hundreds of other leaflets! Now i understand the  mission ads that i saw on MYC, that we spent lots lots of money for the thousands of leaflets,posters,business cards,hoodies, and lots of ppl’s efforts, but "bringing 1 person closer to God is priceless".

That Monday, i had classes until 5pm, and somehow i was really really tired, maybe b’coz of helping the missions and having classes non-stop. But my soul is joyful,even until now, if I remember that guy and see that God is working through everything that we’ve done to bring His ppl coming back to Him… I’m thinking, what would happen if I didn’t do the leafleating that day, if I took the other way than the CLB Lawn, if i didn’t see that guy looking at us, if I didn’t make a decision to approach him and give the leaflet…….. Would that guy know abt the mission from someone else?? Would I be encouraged by this?? But I know one thing for sure,and I’m really happy that God involves me in His work!

Cheers! v(^0^)v