JNM <*> I Was a Daughter of Islam
From: "suyento" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> I Was a Daughter of Islam What I discovered when I lifted the veil on my world By Rockie; photograph by Dan Bryant I was born in Jordan to a Muslim family, and was named Ruqaya after one of the prophet Muhammad's daughters. My uncle, who'd moved to Chicago, told my dad about the wonderful opportunities in the U.S., so my dad moved our family here when I was eight years old. While he was excited about providing for his family, my father worried that we'd grow up "Christian." So while my siblings and I went to a public school during the week, we attended Islamic studies on the weekends. The only friends I had were the Muslim kids who attended Islamic studies with me. As I grew older, my dad became more concerned about the possibility I'd become "Americanized." So when I turned 14, my father decided I should return to Jordan to live with my grandmother. I wasn't thrilled about living so far from my family, but when I arrived in Jordan, I loved the people, the culture, and Islam, so I was happy to stay. More than 90 percent of Muslims are of the Sunni sect-those who strictly follow the Qur'an and the Hadith (the sayings of Muhammad). Since my family was Sunni, I prayed five times a day, fasted during the month of Ramadan, read the Qur'an daily, wore the veil (covering my entire body, and showing only my hands, face, and feet), and tried to imitate the prophet Muhammad in every way. But no matter what I did for Allah, I felt I needed to do more to avoid his wrath. I tried to earn his favor so I could go to heaven. I spent three years in Jordan, but missed my family so much, I asked my dad if I could return to live with them in the U.S. Once I returned, I stopped wearing my head covering because I didn't want to look like an "oddball," but I still kept strong in my prayers and my faith. And I was content-until my father decided it was time for me to get married. Arab culture dictates men and women are not allowed to date. When a man finds a "suitable" woman, it's usually through family connections. The man and his family visit the young girl's home to meet her family. The "couple" are allowed to speak to each other, but only in the presence of both families. After several similar visits, the couple decide if they want to get married. In Islam, a woman has the right to say no, but in the culture, the family usually pressures the girl to say yes. In both the culture and religion, a woman can marry her first cousin. So when I turned 23, my dad pressured me to marry my first cousin who lives in Jordan. While I was against the marriage and certainly didn't want to spend the rest of my life married to someone I didn't love, I didn't feel I had the choice to go against my father's wishes. My father flew there ahead of me to prepare for the wedding. The rest of my family couldn't afford to fly to Jordan, so my father would be the only immediate family member at the ceremony. A week later, my elder brother took me to the airport to ensure I got on the plane. Because of tight security on international flights, my brother was unable to take me directly to my gate, so he dropped me off at the main terminal and went home. As I waited for my flight, I thought about my future. I didn't want to marry my first cousin! But if I didn't, I'd disgrace my family. In Arab culture, when a woman disgraces her family-or is even rumored to have done so-she deserves to die. I knew if I left the airport and ran away, my family would come after me to kill me for disgracing them. But the longer I thought about how miserable I'd be married to a man I didn't love or respect, the more angry I became. I've fasted for you; I've prayed five times a day to you; I've even studied the Qur'an for you, I inwardly screamed at Allah. And this is what you allow to happen?! Right then, on February 10, 1990, I stopped praying and worshiping Allah. I grabbed my luggage and escaped to the nearest hotel to hide. I didn't have much money and desperately tried to think of what to do next. I didn't have many American friends because my father wouldn't allow me to be influenced by their "Satanic ways." But I did know one American woman whom I called from the hotel. I told her briefly what happened and asked if I could stay with her for a while. She came immediately and picked me up. When the plane landed in Jordan 16 hours later without me on it, my father became furious. He called my brother and told him to find me. I stayed with my friend for a few weeks, until one day my brother showed up at her office with a gun. He told her, "I know you have my sister. Give her back before anybody gets hurt!" A coworker called the police, but my brother left before they arrived. My friend got home that night and told me it was too dangerous for me to stay with her any longer, but recommended I stay at a shelter for women suffering from domestic violence. When I arrived at the
JNM <*> The Disciple Jesus Loved & Scripture that Comes to Life
From: Heidy The Disciple Jesus Loved Bill van Ryn "The disciple whom Jesus loved" (Jn. 21:7) was the apostle John's preferred designation for himself; he chose anonymity in all his narrative writing. John wrote late in life and seems to have become a very humble man, seeking no place for himself. A FAMILY MAN The following four facts illustrate the importance of family in John's life: First, He and his brother James were inseparable; they were never named separately during James' life, and are usually identified with their father, Zebedee. Second, the brothers worked with their father in the family fishing business (Mt. 4:21-22; Mk. 1:19-20). Third, theirs is the only mother of any of the twelve whom we see involved in the lives of the apostles (Mt.27:55-56). Fourth, James and John came to Jesus with their mother - maybe at her instigation - seeking a privileged place in His future kingdom (Mt. 20:20-21). Fishing may have brought them together with the brothers Peter and Andrew, who became fishing partners and fast friends (Mk. 1:29; 13:3). The Zebedee boys and Peter, on three occasions, witnessed special events not shared by the rest: they were there when Jesus raised Jairus' daughter (Mk. 5:37; Lk. 8:51), at His transfiguration (Mt. 17:1-2; Mk. 9:2; Lk. 9:28-29), and in His Gethsemane anguish (Mt. 26:36-37; Mk.14:32-33). A FIERY LOYALIST Mark notes that when Jesus designated the twelve, He nicknamed the Zebedee brothers "Boanerges ... Sons of Thunder" (Mk. 3:17). He evidently saw the fiery streak in them which surfaced in Luke 9:51-56. Messengers sent to prepare Jesus' arrival in a Samaritan village were refused. James and John said, "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?" Jesus rebuked that spirit and attitude: His mission was to save lives, not take them. In Luke 9:49-50, John told Jesus of a man they had found driving out demons in Jesus' name. "We tried to stop him," he said, "because he is not one of us." Jesus rebuked the sectarian spirit: "Do not stop him, for whoever is not against you is for you." John saw the unknown exorcist as a challenge or threat. But Jesus wasn't jealous. He is unique, supreme, and will prevail. He is secure, and our job is to love Him, bow to Him and never disgrace His name. GROWING IN KNOWING JESUS So, we see that John, the apostle of love, was as human and flawed as we are. The fact that he saw himself as the "disciple whom Jesus loved" shows that he knew how to value his opportunities to get to know the heart of his Savior, and to grow deeper in Him and in His love. We all have a lifetime to get to know our Savior personally. Are we always "growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Pet. 3:18)? John couldn't know himself as "the disciple whom Jesus loved" by being self-absorbed. He knew he was the object of love, but it was the focus on Jesus, the Source, that filled him with the consciousness of that love. And so should it be for us. Our natural inclination - praised as a "virtue" today - is to be supremely self-focused, always alert to the way things affect "me" and my fulfillment. John would be known as the "disciple who was depressed" if he had followed that recipe. John reclined next to Jesus, or "on His bosom," not because he was self-seeking nor favored over the others. Jesus was no more available to John than he was to the others. John simply recognized his opportunity. Any one of those twelve men might have occupied that position. John's heart, responding to the love that emanated from his Savior's heart, drew him to the nearness of Jesus. It seems that John's experience, of a family tightly knit by love, set his capacity for enjoying his Savior's love. Then he subordinated natural love to the superior divine love, so that the essential element of selfishness in merely human love, self-love, did not keep him from leaving his family to walk in the fellowship of this higher love. Perhaps John, more readily than the others, realized and embraced the truth Jesus taught them all: "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters - yes, even his own life - he cannot be My disciple" (Lk. 14:26). He was thrilled to be "the disciple whom Jesus loved" because he had walked away from lesser love and abandoned himself to ultimate love in Jesus, from which nothing can separate us (Rom. 8:35-39). He had been launched from the pad of a high quality earthly love into the orbit of flawless eternal love. JESUS, A FAMILY MAN TOO An incident in Mark 3 shows how Jesus Himself valued the family. His family heard about His hectic schedule - without even time to eat - and the crowds, and they went to rescue Him from what they thought to be mismanagement of His life of popularity (Mk. 3:20-21). They arrived where He was teaching but couldn't get through the crowd. They sent Him word that "your mothe
JNM <*> God's purpose gives life meaning and value & God and the tsunami
From: "suyento" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> God's purpose gives life meaning and value by Rick Warren One of the reasons life is devalued in today's culture is that many people value their own happiness and fulfillment over God's purposes for their lives. As a pastor, one way you can protect the sanctity of human life is to help your people understand that the purpose of their lives is far greater than personal fulfillment, peace of mind, or even happiness. It's far greater than our families, our careers, or even our wildest dreams and ambitions. If they want to know why they were placed on this planet, they must begin with God. Each of us was born by his purpose and for his purpose. The search for the purpose of life has puzzled people for thousands of years. That's because we typically begin at the wrong starting point -- ourselves. We ask self-centered questions like: What do I want to be? What should I do with my life? What are my goals, my ambitions, my dreams for my future? But focusing on ourselves will never reveal our life's purpose. The Bible says, "It is God who directs the lives of his creatures; everyone's life is in his power." (Job 12:10, TEV) Contrary to what many popular books, movies, and seminars tell us, we won't discover life's meaning by looking within ourselves. We didn't create ourselves, so there is no way we can tell ourselves what we were created for! If I handed you an invention you had never seen before, you wouldn't know its purpose, and the invention itself wouldn't be able to tell you either. Only the creator -- or the owner's manual -- could reveal its purpose. Bertrand Russell, the famous English atheist once said, "Unless you assume a God, the question of life's purpose is meaningless." He was correct; if there is no God, then our lives really don't matter. We are just random accidents of nature, and neither our births, our lives, or our deaths have any meaning or value. God, on the other hand, tells us that we are not accidents and that our lives have significance -- because God had his reasons for creating us. The Bible says, "For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible . everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him." (Colossians 1:16, Msg) To understand your life's purpose, you must begin with your Creator. You exist only because God wills that you exist. You were made by God and for God -- and until you understand that, life will never make sense. It is only in God that we discover our origin, our identity, our meaning, our purpose, our significance, and our destiny. Every other path leads to a dead end. Many of your people try to use God for their own self-actualization, but that is a reversal of nature and is doomed to failure. We were made for God, not vice versa, and life is about letting God use us for his purposes, not using him for our own purposes. The Bible says, "Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life." (Romans 8:6, Msg) I have read many books that suggest ways to discover the purpose of my life. All of them could be classified as "self-help" books because they approach the subject from a self-centered viewpoint. Self-help books, even Christian ones, usually offer the same predictable steps to finding your life's purpose: Consider your dreams. Clarify your values. Set some goals. Figure out what you are good at. Aim high. Go for it! Be disciplined. Believe you can achieve your goals. Involve others. Never give up. Of course, these recommendations often lead to great success. You can usually succeed in reaching a goal if you put your mind to it. But being successful and fulfilling your life's purpose are not at all the same issue! You could reach all your personal goals, becoming a raving success by the world's standard, and still miss the purposes for which God created you. You need more than self-help advice. The Bible says, "Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self." (Matthew 16:25, Msg) How, then, do you discover the purpose you were created for? You have only two options. Your first option is speculation. This is what most people choose. They conjecture, they guess, they theorize. When people say, "I've always thought life is .," they mean, "This is the best guess I can come up with." For thousands of years, brilliant philosophers have discussed and speculated about the meaning of life. Philosophy is an important subject and has its uses, but when it comes to determining the purpose of life, even the wisest philosophers are just guessing. Dr. Hugh Moorhead, a philosophy professor at Northeastern Illinois University, once wrote to 250 of the best-known philosophers, scientists, writers, and intellectuals in the world, asking them, "What is the meaning of life?" He then published their responses in a book. Some
JNM <*> Gods Work Ministry E-Mail
From: "Dwayne Savaya" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Gods Work Ministry Inspirational and Encouragement E-Mail Dear Friend, I hope you are doing well and are in the best of health. I am doing very well and am thankful to the Lord for this day and for the many blessings that He has bestowed upon this Ministry that is founded under His Name. I have been thinking about the commitment and steadfast faith that each believer must stand in and I felt the Lord leading me to write a message to continually do the right thing no matter what everyone else is doing because He sees the lives of the just and the unjust and will judge each one accordingly. I hope this message on continually doing what is right ministers to your heart and encourages you to stay steadfast in your faith never wavering from doing what you know is right. To God belongs all the Glory, Honor and Praise for His continued leading and direction. There are many Bible believing Christians that feel discouraged in their walk with the Lord because they see the lives of sinners that do not get punished for their unrighteousness and seem to prosper in their life of sin. What we as believers must understand is that God's grace and mercy is unknowable and He wishes for none to perish, but for all to come to repentance. His wish is for all sinners to repent, but has set a time where His judgment will come that will be swift and accurate to give to every person according to their life lived on the earth. (2 Peter 3:9) We should never focus our lives on what everyone else is doing. We are to travel the road that Jesus demands which is the path of righteousness that leads to life everlasting. We read in Psalm 37:1-3 "Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed." We are to focus our life on doing what is right in the sight of the Lord not worrying about what others are doing, but standing steadfast in faith bringing Glory and Honor to His Name. We are the children of the Most High God and will be rewarded for living a life that is pleasing to Him. (Matthew 7:13-14) (1 Peter 5:8-9) We must always keep in mind that when we stand before God Almighty on our Judgment Day, we will not give an account of what Sarah, Mike and Joe did with their lives, but you and I will give an answer of how we lived and what we did for Christ as His ambassadors and representatives on the earth. We are to be heavenly minded putting away the pettiness of what others are doing and focus on the Lord Jesus Christ who is the centerpiece of our existence. (Revelation 20:12) (2 Corinthians 5:20-21) (Romans 8:1-16) Be encouraged to continually stand strong in your faith never wavering and know that God sees your every effort and will reward you for every good deed. The Bible declares in Psalm 37:34-36 "Wait on the Lord, and keep His way, and He shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it. I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree. Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found." The life of sin and iniquity will bring destruction, but a life lived in righteousness will bring glory and honor that will greatly outweigh and outlast any pleasures of the flesh that people falsely believed in. (Eph. 6:10-14) (James 1:13-17) Read and meditate on these scriptures: Psalm 37:7-9 "Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth." Psalm 34:11-16 "Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD. What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and His ears are open unto their cry. The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth." Psalm 37:16-20 "A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous. The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away." Psalm 37:3-5 "Trust in the LORD, and do
JNM <*> Sikap yg hrs kita miliki thd musuh musuh kita
From: damarina <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> : SIKAP YG HARUS KITA MILIKI TERHADAP MUSUH MUSUH KITA Kita hrs tahu bagaimana seharusnya kita bersikap terhadap musuh musuh kita. Ini dapat di lihat di dalam SIKAP DAUD terhadap SAUL. Pertama tama, Daud tidak berusaha membalas dendam dengan tangannya sendiri ataupun menyerang Saul. Di dalam dua kesempatan Daud memiliki kesempatan untuk membunuh Saul, tetapi ia tidak melakukannya. Karena itu, kita juga tidak boleh berusaha membela diri sendiri. Ada orang yg tahun tahun yg telah lalu memusuhi saya dan menyerang saya secara terang terangan. Karena saya sangat mengasihi mereka. Hal itu sangat menghancurkan hati saya. Beberapa diantara mereka yg tetap setia berkata kepada saya "Mengapa kamu tidak membela diri ? Orang ini sudah mengatakan yg bohong tentang kamu." Jawaban saya hanyalah, "Balas dendam adalah hak preogatif Allah, bukan hak saya. Saya harus memberkati dan mengasihi mereka. Kedua, Kita harus mengatakan hal hal yg baik tentang musuh musuh kita dan tidak menyakiti mereka dengan perkataan kita. Raja Daud selalu mengatakan hal hal yg baik tentang musuh musuhnya, termasuk tentang Saul yg jahat. Ia meratapi Saul dan Yonatan ketika mereka meninggal serta berkata, "kepermaianmu, hai Israel, mati terbunuh di bukit2mu!!! Betapa gugur para pahlawan!" 2 Sam 1;19. Daud menyebut Isyboset, putra Saul sebagai orang benar 2Sam 4:11. Ketika Yudas menghianati Tuhan Yesus, Ia menyebutnya sebagai "sahabat " Ketiga, Kita harus mengampuni musuh musuh kita. Sekalipun Yesus di khianati dan di salibkan oleh umatNYA sendiri, ketika Ia tergantung di kayu salib di kalvari Ia dapat berkata kepada BapaNYA, "Ya Bapa ampunilah mereka, sebab mereka tidak tahu apa yg mereka perbuat" Luk 23;34. Kemenangan terletak di dalam mengampuni dan mengasihi musuh musuh kita. Orang yg melakukan hal ini memiliki kemenangan. Ada sebuah patung yg di bangun di London, Inggris untuk mengenang seorang jururawat yg bernama Edith Cavell. Ia adalah seorang jururawat yg pergi ke Belgia selama Perang Dunia I, dan melayani di rumah sakit untuk menolong para narapidana melarikan diri. Ketika bangsa Jerman diberitahu tentang hal ini, mereka memerintahkan untuk menghukum nya. Malam sebelum ia dihukum mati, ia diizinkan untuk mendapat pelayanan perjamuan kudus oleh pendeta penjara. Selama waktu itu ia berkata kepada sang pendeta, "Saya tidak boleh pahit hati terhadap orang orang yg mengambil nyawa saya." Akibatnya ketika ia keluar untuk menghadapi regu tembak, ia memiliki damai sejahtera, sukacita, kasih dan pengampunan di dalam hatinya. Kita juga harus memiliki kasih yg sama di dalam hidup kita. 1 korintus 13;5 berkata "IA (kasih)... tidak menyimpan kesalahan orang lain." Kasih dan pengampunan itu tidak terpisahkan. Untuk dapat mengasihi musuh musuh kita, kita harus mampu mengampuni mereka. Akar dari pengampunan adalah dengan melupakan tidak mengingat ingat kesalahan. Pengampunan Ini terlihat di dalam kehidupan Yusuf. Ia menamai putra sulungnya Manasye, yg berarti "melupakan," dengan berkata, "Allah telah membuat aku lupa sama sekali kepada kesukaranku dan kepada rumah bapaku," Kej 41;51. Apa yg menjadi rahasia kekuatan Yusuf, yg memampukannya untuk mengsihi dan mengampuni saudara saudaranya setelah mereka menjualnya menjadi budak ?? Ia mampu melupakan kejahatan yg telah mereka lakukan kepadanya. Kita harus meminta kemampuan untuk melupakan dari Tuhan ketika orang telah menyakiti kita, dan kita tidak boleh terus terusan merenungkan apa yg telah mereka lakukan kepada kita,sehingga kita dapat terus mengasihi mereka. Saya mencoba utk mempraktikkan hal ini dengan segera setiap kali seseorang memusuhi saya. Ketika saya sedang menggembalakan sebuah gereja bertahun tahun yg lampau, beberapa penatua berbalik memusuhi saya dan sungguh sungguh menyerang saya. Bertahun tahun kemudian, salah seorang dari penatua ini datang menghampiri saya dan berkata, "Saya hampir meninggal karena kanker, dan hidup saya tinggal beberapa bulan lagi, tetapi saya tidak bisa meninggal sebelum saya meminta Bapak untuk mengampuni saya atas apa yg telah saya lakukan terhadap Bapak." Saya bahkan tidak dapat mengingat apa yg telah ia lakukan, karena itu mudah sekali bagi saya untuk mengampuninya. Pengampunan dimulai di dalam kehendak kita. Kita berkata kepada diri kita sendiri, "Saya mengampuni orang ini.Saya mengasihi mereka . Tuhan tolong berkati mereka." Tatkala kita terus melakukan hal ini, hati kita di bebaskan dari segala kepahitan terhadap mereka dan kita mampu untuk mengasihi mereka. Marilah kita mengingat bahwa semua yg di lakukan oleh musuh kita pada akhirnya akan memberkati kita. Musuh musuh kita tidak dapat menghancurkan kita. Yang sesungguhnya mereka lakukan ketika mereka menganiaya kita adalah menambah upah kekal kita di surga. Tuhan berkata di dlm Matius 5:10-12 "Berbahagialah orang yg dianiaya oleh sebab kebenaran, karena merekalah yg empunya kerajaan Sorga. Berbahagialah k
JNM <*> Kain Kafan Turin; PESAN YANG BERHARGA & S A L I B
From: Anastasia Emma Mustika Dewi Kain Kafan Turin Lebih Tua dari Perkiraan? Kompas, Kamis 27 Januari 2005 Banyak orang tentu pernah mendengar mengenai kain kafan Turin. Kain yang disimpan di kota Turin, Italia, ini memiliki gambaran tubuh dan wajah laki-laki penuh luka yang diyakini sebagai Yesus Kristus. Banyak orang Kristen percaya, kain ini dahulu dipakai untuk membungkus jenazah Yesus, meski penelitian radiokarbon tahun 1980-an menyimpulkan kain ini berasal dari jaman yang lebih muda. Nah, bagi mereka yang masih meragukan keabsahan uji radiokarbon di atas, kini muncul 'harapan' baru. Seorang peneliti dari Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico, AS, mengatakan bahwa kain kafan berlukisan darah ini berumur lebih tua dari kesimpulan tes tersebut. Tulisan riset yang dipublikasikan di Thermochimica Acta mengatakan kain itu berumur antara 1.300 dan 3.000 tahun, alias pada jaman kehidupan Yesus. Menurut Raymond Rogers, sang peneliti, tes karbon yang dilakukan tahun 1988 telah keliru mengambil bagian kain. Dikatakannya, waktu itu peneliti memotong bagian kain yang dipakai untuk menambal kain asli, yang rusak karena terbakar. Kesalahan sampel inilah yang menurut Rogers menjadi penyebab melesetnya perkiraan umur kain. "Sampel yang diambil pada uji radiokarbon memiliki susunan kimia berbeda dibanding bagian utama kain," ungkapnya. Terbakar Perlu diketahui, kain kafan ini sedikit rusak pada bagian-bagian ujung yang dilipat karena beberapa kali terkena api sejak ditemukan di Prancis tahun 1357. Kerusakan terparah terjadi ketika gereja tempat kain disemayamkan terbakar tahun 1532. Kerusakan itu kemudian ditambal oleh biarawati-biarawati setempat dengan material yang disebut kain Belanda. Dalam penelitiannya, Rogers membandingkan sampel yang dipakai pada uji karbon tahun 1988 dengan sampel kafan itu. Dalam tes mikrokimia, Rogers menemukan bahan kimia yang disebut vanillin pada sampel radiokarbon dan pada kain Belanda, namun tidak menjumpainya di kain kafan yang asli. Vanillin sendiri adalah bahan yang terbentuk karena pembusukan lignin, senyawa kimia yang ditemukan dalam tumbuhan bahan kain. Kandungan vanillin dalam suatu material seperti kain linen akan terus menurun, sehingga ia merupakan salah satu indikator untuk mengetahui umur kain. Lebih tua "Kenyataan bahwa vanillin tidak terdeteksi di serat kain kafan Turin, gulungan naskah Laut Mati, dan kain-kain kuno lain menunjukkan bahwa umurnya sudah amat tua," tulis Rogers. "Penentuan umur berdasar hilangnya vanillin menyimpulkan kain Turin berumur antara 1.300 hingga 3.000 tahun." Perlu diketahui, dalam penelitian tahun 1988, para ilmuwan dari tiga universitas menyimpul kan bahwa kain kafan Turin berasal dari tahun 1260 hingga 1390. Artinya, kain itu tidak mungkin dipakai untuk membungkus jenazah Yesus yang wafat pada abad pertama. Kesimpulan itu juga dijadikan pegangan oleh Kardinal (pimpinan gereja) Turin, Anastasio Alberto Ballestrero, yang menyatakan kain ini bisa jadi memang bukan kain pembungkus jenazah Yesus. Namun masih banyak orang yang meragukan uji karbon itu dan ingin mencari jawabannya. Banyak orang berharap kain Turin memang kain yang dipakai membungkus Yesus, dan keyakinan ini membuat segala sesuatu seputar kain kafan Turin menjadi penuh kontroversi. (bbc.co.uk/wsn) From: "Dewi Kriswanti" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> RENUNGAN HARI INI : PESAN YANG BERHARGA Bacaan: 1 Tawarikh 28: 1-21 "Dan engkau, anakku Salomo, kenallah Allahnya ayahmu dan beribadahlah kepadaNya dengan tulus ikhlas dan dengan rela hati..." (1 Tawarikh 28:9). Segala sesuatu - dalam bentuk apapun - kalau itu berharga pasti disimpan dan dirawat dengan baik. Tujuannya adalah agar tidak hilang atau rusak sehingga kerugian dialami. Bagi orang-orang tertentu yang punya kelebihan secara jasmani biasanya mengutamakan hal ini. Bahkan dalam merawatnya pun mereka tidak merasa rugi sekalipun harus mengeluarkan uang yang tidak sedikit. Itulah pengorbanan yang harus dilakukan hanya karena sesuatu yang berharga di dalam dunia. Sadarkah kita bahwa ada yang lebih penting dan lebih berharga dari hal di atas? Itulah pesan yang dalam bahasa Indonesia diterjemahkan sebagai suruhan (perintah, nasihat, permintaan, amanat) yang harus dilakukan dengan kerelaan dan ketulusan hati. Sekalipun tidak berbentuk, tetapi memiliki sifat membangun dan membawa pada ketaatan bahkan keselamatan kekal. Dalam bacaan di atas, Daud sebagai ayah memberikan pesan yang sangat khusus kepada Salomo anaknya, inti dari pesan itu adalah kenallah Allah, beribadahlah kepadaNya dengan tulus ikhlas dan hati yang rela, carilah Allah dan jangan tinggalkan Dia (1 Taw. 28:9). Inilah yang saya namakan pesan yang berharga. Kalau sejenak kita mau bandingkan maka sebenarnya pesan yang berharga ini mempunyai nilai lebih dari apa yang ada di dalam dunia. Dan kalau kita mau jujur, seringkali sebagai orang tua - khususnya orang tua Kristen - kita mel
JNM <*> Reflections
From: novita menawan Reflections Hi friend - I want to write these things out to you - cause it helps me process what God's doing in my life, because often it's only when I write down how I'm feeling or what I'm thinking through that I actually work out what it is that God is saying to me or what he wants to say. I'm reading a book at the moment which talks about the importance of being thinking people as Christians and people who will chew things over. He argues, well as I see it, that it's not just intellectuals in God's kingdom that should be thinking but ordinary day-to-day Christians. I agree. Part of that process for me is thinking these Biblical principles through in prayer and reflection. We have to take time out to think about why we do the things we do and why they're important. I took some time out this morning to stop and pray and talk to God, and that was really good. A preacher made the point recently which really challenged me that if we were speaking to a person and kept looking over their shoulder at something else we'd offend them or make them think that they're not interesting, yet that's so often what we do with God. We get so easily distracted and can spend so little time with Him, that we actually show by our actions how important he is to us. That's why this morning was good. Just taking out time to talk with Him and read the bible - chew things over. You know, with friends, you rarely say, okay you've got 1/2 hour, what do you want to do, but you spend time with them as needed. Yet we do this with God. This morning was good because I didn't set a time, I chatted with God and read the Bible and chewed things over until I felt it was a convenient time to stop. I don't think my future quiet times will live up to how I feel after this morning, but they should. And about sharing the gospel, that statistic is so encouraging that if no-one in the world were Christians, and 1 person told 1 other person in the world who would then do the same, the whole world would become Christian in only 33 years (Jesus). So when I consider the couple of people that I meet with who want to go further I feel encouraged. What an impact it could have on the world. I remember the story of a campaign organised in America with much time going into preparing talks and seminars. When the appeal went out to see if any had become Christians, only 1 really responded. They were expecting dozens given the size of the campaign, yet only got 1. That 1 was Billy Graham. God used him mightily to transform America and Britian. Our thoughts are not God's thoughts. He works in ways we certainly don't expect - what is sometimes success to us, is not to Him and vice versa. Love in all-seeing God, - a letter of encouragement sent from a friend.- your sincerely, Novi [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Mailing List Jesus-Net Ministry Indonesia - JNM - Daftar : [EMAIL PROTECTED] Keluar : [EMAIL PROTECTED] Posting: jesus-net@yahoogroups.com Bantuan Moderator : [EMAIL PROTECTED] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jesus-net/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
JNM <*> Info 01 Feb & BEBAN SEBUAH DOSA
From: Leonard Han Info 01 Feb Edisi 5 JARINGAN KOMUNIKASI BANTUAN ACEH-SUMUT (JARKOMBAS) Updated: 1 Pebruari 2005 INTEGRATED COORDINATION CENTER (POSKO TERPADU "BERSAMA MEMBANGUN ACEH") Dalam rangka menjalin kerja sama dan koordinasi bantuan kepada para korban bencana, tim kami di Banda Aceh dbp. Pdt. Sukendra Saragih baru-baru ini memprakarsai sebuah sistem dengan mana diharapkan untuk selanjutnya semua posko (dari berbagai lembaga kristiani yang berlainan) di B.A. dan sekitarnya dapat lebih berinteraksi satu sama lainnya, melalui data informasi yang akan dimiliki bersama. Contoh: Posko A di Banda Aceh mempunyai relawan dokter/perawat, tetapi tidak mempunyai obat lagi. Sebaliknya, Posko B di Meulaboh mempunyai obat cukup, tetapi kekurangan dokter/perawat, karena mungkin sebagian relawan telah kembali ke Jakarta/Jawa/luar negeri. Dengan sistem informasi demikian, posko-posko mungkin dapat saling membantu. Dengan demikian tak akan terulang lagi apa yang terjadi dua minggu yang lalu, yaitu ada dokter-dokter ahli dari Australia - yang telah datang dengan biaya dan semua perlengkapan dan obat-obatan mereka sendiri - terpaksa pulang karena mendapat kesan bahwa jasa mereka tidak diperlukan lagi. Padahal hanya sejam kemudian ada dua posko menyampaikan mereka masih memerlukan dokter. Untuk itu, semua lembaga kristiani yang terjun melayani di Banda Aceh dan sekitarnya (juga kota-kota lainnya) kini diminta mengisi pormulir berisi segala data yang diperlukan, yang kemudian akan didaftarkan dan disebarkan di antara sesama posko untuk ditindak-lanjuti. Turut Serta dalam Program Rehabilitasi dan Rekonstruksi NAD Memang dapat dimaklumi kalau dalam keadaan darurat semua posko semula terlalu sibuk dengan rencana dan tugasnya masing-masing, sehingga agak sulit untuk bisa duduk bersama dan merencanakan pekerjaan mendatang dengan sistem berjejaring. Namun kini empat minggu telah berlalu sejak tsunami itu datang. Sesungguhnya pekerjaan yang besar justru baru akan dimulai sekarang, yaitu untuk tahap rehabilitasi dan rekonstruksi Aceh-Nias, dan justru dalam tahap inilah masyarakat Aceh-Nias masih membutuhkan kita. Tetapi pada kenyataannya jumlah relawan (bahkan juga sumbangan dari dalam negeri) tampaknya mulai berkurang. Kita bersyukur bahwa bantuan dari luar negeri justru akan bertambah. Diperkirakan lebih dari 100 LSM (Kristen maupun sekuler) akan datang dan bekerja di Aceh - mungkin selama setahun atau lebih lama lagi - untuk turut serta dalam program rehabilitasi dan rekonstruksi. Tentu kita semua menghendaki untuk menjadi terang dan garam dan rindu agar sebagai orang percaya kita bisa berbuat sesuatu yang positif untuk bangsa Aceh. Kalau luar negeri datang dengan bantuan materi yang cukup besar, alangkah baiknya kalau kita warga Kristiani Indonesia sendiri paling tidak berusaha memenuhi kebutuhan akan relawan dan tenaga kerja dari dalam negeri. Di sini barangkali diperlukan pengorbanan yang cukup besar dari tenaga-tenaga professional di segala bidang untuk rela meninggalkan kenyamanan kota-kota besar di pulau Jawa atau pulau-pulau lainnya dan memberi diri untuk menjadi berkat bagi masyarakat Aceh-Nias. MELAYANI ACEH MELALUI PEKERJAAN Kemarin di kantor Istana Kana kami kedatangan salah seorang tenaga lapangan yang sudah tidak asing lagi, yaitu Bpk. Larry L. Beliau memprakarsai untuk mendirikan LSM yang merupakan semacam biro jasa di Banda Aceh, yang melaluinya anak-anak Tuhan yang "qualified" dan cukup fasih dalam bahasa Inggris (yang berpendidikan S1 atau S2, atau pun yang sudah cukup berpengalaman di perusahaan asing) dapat disalurkan ke berbagai LSM asing (lk. 35 Kristen dan selebihnya sekuler) yang akan beroperasi di Aceh. Gaji dan hal-hal lainnya nanti harus dinegosiasikan dengan LSM ybs. itu sendiri. Dibutuhkan banyak sekali tenaga penerjemah, bukan hanya untuk bahasa Inggris, tetapi juga bahasa Spanyol, Belanda, dll. Sekretaris, tenaga setingkat manager, dan tenaga lapangan lainnya, dibutuhkan untuk minimal enam (6) bulan atau setahun. Yang penting mereka adalah tenaga-tenaga andalan yang bisa jadi teladan bagi masyarakat Aceh, karena mereka sungguh mengasihi orang Aceh dan melayani masyarakat di sana demi kasih Tuhan. Boleh jadi, pekerjaan ini tidak akan disertai segala macam kemudahan layaknya perusahaan minyak asing. Akomodasi yang serba pas-pasan, fasilitas yang mungkin kurang memadai, bekerja di panas terik dan keringat bercucuran dan hari-hari yang melelahkan. Inilah kesempatan luar biasa yang mungkin tidak pernah akan terulang kembali: Bekerja bersama Tuhan dalam menyatakan keperdulian kepada masyarakat Aceh. Apabila orang Aceh 20 tahun mendatang melihat apa yang telah kita berikan kepada mereka, maka itulah cara terbaik untuk menjalin persahabatan yang abadi dengan mereka. SOSIALISASI KEPADA JEMAAT DI GEREJA-GEREJA Dalam rangka menyiapkan umat yang tergerak hati untuk tinggal di Aceh sambil bekerja atau pun sebagai relawan medis, atau relaw
JNM <*> Cara Mudah Orang Kaya Masuk Surga
From: Mundhi Sabda Lesminingtyas Cara Mudah Orang Kaya Masuk Surga (Oleh Lesminingtyas) Handoko, adalah pengusaha China yang masih sangat muda dan sukses. Orang tuanya yang memiliki cukup banyak uang, telah memungkinkan Handoko memiliki beberapa toko komputer dan alat-alat elektonik yang menguasai 60% pasar di kotanya. Semua perempuan yang bertemu dengan Handoko pasti tidak rela memalingkan pandangan barang sedetikpun. Handoko memang "very-very handsome ". Busana keluaran Paris dan jam tangan rolex yang dikenakannya sungguh sangat matching dengan mobil bermerek keluaran tahun terakhir yang dikendarainya. Ketika pertama kali melihatnya, hati saya pun hanya bisa berkata "Tuhan, sungguh indah ciptaanMu!". Ketika beribadah di sebuah gereja di kotanya, saya berkesempatan duduk tepat di samping Handoko yang telah lebih dulu berada di bangku paling belakang. Begitu duduk berhimpitan dengannya, saya hanya bisa berkata dalam hati "Ala mak, wanginya.!" Setelah kebaktian usai tiba-tiba saya mendengar suara "Mbak orang baru ya?" tanya Handoko sambil mengajak saya berkenalan. "Ya! Saya dari Jakarta. Tadi saya kesulitan mencari alamat gereja ini, sampai akhirnya saya terlambat. Koko tadi kesiangan juga ya?" saya balik bertanya. "Enggak kok! Setengah jam sebelum kebaktian, saya sudah ada di sini. Saya selalu duduk di bangku paling belakang" jawabnya. "Lho, kenapa harus di bangku paling belakang?" saya bertanya keheranan. "Itulah tempat yang layak buat saya! Saya nggak berani dekat-dekat altar Tuhan karena saya bukan golongan first class di surga kelak" jawab Handoko sambil menuduk. "Siapa bilang Koko bukan golongan first class?" saya masih tidak mengerti. "Saya tidak bisa menjual semua harta saya untuk dibagikan kepada orang miskin. Padahal Tuhan Yesus sendiri bilang bahwa lebih mudah seekor unta melewati lobang jarum dari pada seorang kaya masuk ke dalam Kerajaan Allah" katanya lirih sambil membuka Markus 10 : 17-27. "Harta Koko yang merupakan berkat dari Tuhan, seharusnya tidak menjadi penghambat bagi Koko untuk menjadi pewaris Kerajaan Allah. Hanya saja, sebagai orang yang telah diselamatkan, Koko wajib mengucap syukur dan mempersembahkan kembali berkat yang telah Koko terima" "Tapi berkat Tuhan terlalu banyak untuk saya. Saya semakin takut kalau tidak bisa mempersembahkan kembali secara maksimal" katanya. "Kalau mau, saya punya resepnya. Gampang kok!" kata saya sambil memberikan kartu nama. Suatu hari Handoko menemui saya untuk menanyakan resep menjadi warga first class di Kerajaan Sorga, tanpa harus menjadi orang miskin saat di dunia. Waktu itu saya mengajak Handoko untuk melihat kembali talenta, karunia dan berkat yang dimilikinya. Ia pun dengan lancar menyebutkan "Bisnis yang sukses dan kemampuan menulis" "Dan ketampanan!" saya berterus terang. Handoko tersipu. Ia menunduk malu sambil menyembunyikan wajahnya yang merah padam. "Saya harus berterus terang supaya Koko menyadari bahwa ketampanan yang Tuhan berikan sangat memungkinkan Koko jatuh dalam dosa" kata saya. "Apa yang membahayakan dari wajah saya?" tanya Handoko ingin tahu. "Wajah tampan seperti Koko bisa membuat perempuan manapun tergila-gila. Kalau tidak hati-hati, Koko bisa salah jalan. Sekali Koko melirik, banyak ABG yang ngantri dan rela memberikan apa saja untuk Koko" kata saya. "Beli karcis, kali ya..sampai ngantri segala!" sambung saya sambil terbahak-bahak. "Apakah dosa kalau saya punya wajah tampan?" tanya Handoko sambil tersenyum malu-malu. "Nggak juga! Syukuri ketampanan yang Tuhan berikan. Jagalah diri supaya tidak melakukan hal-hal yang tidak berkenan di hadapan Allah. Nikmati masa muda, tanpa harus mendukakan hati Tuhan!" saya menasehati. "Mana bisa menikmati masa muda sembari menyenangkan hati Tuhan?" tanya Handoko. "Banyak kok caranya! Misalnya chating, nge-date atau PDKT hanya dengan anak-anak terang yang sepadan di hadapan Tuhan. Carilah pacar di gereja atau dalam kegiatan-kegiatan rohani, seperti KKR, Bible Camp, dan yang lainnya. Jangan cari pacar di mall-mall, diskotik atau di pesta-pesta anak muda. Hindari hal-hal yang tidak disukai Tuhan, seperti dugem, minum minuman beralkohol, nge-drug, ngebong, cimeng, nge-sex sebelum nikah, berselingkuh atau nge-sex sama orang yang bukan istrinya" saya memberondong dengan nasehat-nasehat. "Wah, wah,wah..Kok banyak amat larangannya?" tanya Handoko seraya ingin menawar "Tapi kalau merokok masih boleh khan?" Saya berpikir sejenak untuk mencari kata-kata yang tepat dan persuasif "Ketampanan Koko yang merupakan karya Tuhan yang indah itu tidak pantas untuk dikotori dengan nikotin, asap rokok dan bau tak sedap. Koko tidak berhak merusak karya Tuhan. Pakailah tubuh Koko hanya untuk kemuliaanNya. Sungguh sangat indahnya kalau wajah yang tampan dan tubuh yang sempurna yang Koko miliki menjadi Bait Allah yang senantiasa dijaga kesuciannya" Handoko hanya tertawa sambil menggeleng-gelengkan kepalanya "Ini baru soal wajah. Bagaimana dengan berkat yang l
