Riwayat singkat hidup Papa

(disampaikan di ibadah menjelang pemakamanan almarhum, di gereja GPDI jemaat Efrata Dumai)

Kami dari keluarga Pak Sam, mengucapkan terima kasih kepada saudara-saudari sekalian yang sudah menyempatkan diri hadir di sini. Tidak lupa kami berterima kasih kepada Bapak dan Ibu Gembala beserta keluarganya juga kepada seluruh jemaat GPDI Efrata bahkan semua pihak yang terlibat dalam proses persiapan pemakaman almarhum papa terkasih.

Almarhum papa kami adalah seorang suami dan ayah yang sangat bertanggung jawab, jujur, ulet, gigih, setia bahkan humoris. Papa telah membesarkan dan mendidik kami dengan kasih dan bijaksana dan mengantarkan kami sampai tingkat pendidikan sesuai keinganan kami anak-anaknya. Papa tidak pernah mengekang kami dan tidak pernah memaksakan kehendaknnya. Papa selalu memberi kami anak-anaknya tuntunan dan nasehat dan memberi kebebasan untuk memilih baik dalam memilih iman kepercayaan, studi, pekerjaan, dan sebagainya.

Papa kami yang dipanggil dengan nama Po Khoei, nama lahir barunya SAMUEL, lahir di Belitung, Tanjung Pandan 28 Februari 1942, anak ketiga dari tujuh bersaudara. Papa memberi dirinya dibaptis ketika masih remaja di usia 17 tahun. Kisah perjalanan imannya di mulai ketika berusia 10 tahun saat bekerja di sebuah took dimana pemilik toko adalah pengikut Kristus. Karena merasa jenuh di toko, dengan iseng membaca alkitab milik atasannya. Dia tertarik dengan sejarah di Alkitab. Karena memang papa kami sangat menyukai pelajaran sejarah ketika masih duduk dibangku sekolah bahkan sempat menjadi asisten guru di kelasnya. Karena buku Alkitab itu sangat tebal, dia berpikir lebih baik dia pergi ke gereja untuk mendengar kisah-kisah di Alkitab. Dia juga mengajak adik-adiknya ke gereja. Saat itu ada KKR di lapangan terbuka, papa membawa ibunya (yang adalah nenek/apho kami) yang waktu itu sedang sakit keras, dengan sepeda. Di ibadah KKR tersebut apho mengalami mujizat kesembuhan. Sejak saat itu papa sangat yakin bahwa Yesus adalah Tuhan dan Juruselamat sehingga papa memberi dirinya dibaptis.

Ketika masih muda, masih single, papa kami sangat popular di antara teman-temannya. Bisa bernyanyi dan mahir main alat musik seperti seruling, harmonika sampai teman-teman perempuannya naksir padanya tapi papa kami jodohnya sama mama kami. Boleh dibilang “love at the first sight”. Selanjutnya papa kami mulai dagang kecil-kecilan. Yang akhirnya sampailah ke kota Dumai. Jaman itu, dari Tanjung Pinang ke Dumai itu membutuhkan perjalanan yang berhari-hari karena hanya dengan kapal yang sederhana teknologinya. Kemudian dia berallih pekerjaan sesuai kebutuhan kota Dumai.

Papa suka menolong orang, tetangga, teman-teman dan lain-lain jika mampu. Di GPDI Efrata juga papa kami terlibat dalam pembangunan gereja ini.

Papa tipe orang yang setia dan komit, dia katakan bahwa Firman Tuhan jangan hanya dibacakan saja tapi juga harus dilakukan dalam bentuk perbuatan/tindakan.

Papa suka mendengar sejarah, khususnya sejarah tionghoa dan china. Walaupun dia sangat bangga dengan budaya tionghoa, dia tidak pernah membeda-bedakan orang sehingga papa bisa bergaul dengan siapa saja. Papa selalu bilang dia telah menyelesaikan tugasnya di dunia ini yaitu telah membesarkan anak-anaknya dengan baik dan menyekolahkan anak-anaknya sampai ke jenjang pendidikan sesuai keinginan anak-anaknya.

Papa sangat energik, penuh semangat dan kuat. Ketika pensiun, dia masih produktif, papa tipe orang yang tidak bisa diam. Beliau melakukan beberapa aktifitas seperti berkebun, membersihkan halaman rumah dan jogging.
Ketika papa sakit, dia tidak mengeluh, supaya istri dan anak-anaknya tidak khawatir bahkan papa tidak ingin kakak adiknya dan keluarga besar khawatir dan menjadi repot karena kondisinya yang sakit.
Papa selalu berkata bahwa dia baik-baik saja jikalau ada yang bertanya kabarnya dan berusaha menunjukkan bahwa dia sehat-sehat saja.
Demikian riwayat singkat hidup papa.

Ada satu ayat yang menarik dalam 2 Tim 4:7 yang berkata:
“Aku telah mengakhiri pertandingan yang baik, aku telah mencapai garis akhir dan aku telah memelihara iman”.
Ya papa kami telah mengakhiri pertandingan yang baik, papa kami telah mencapai garis akhir dan papa kami telah memelihara iman.
Sekarang kami ingin menyanyikan lagu favorit papa kami yang berjudul “Khan gua e chiu” (Hold my hand).

Penanaman pohon sebagai simbol permulaan proyek pembangunan gedung Gereja GPDI Efrata.

Foto di ibadah pelepasan jenazah di Gedung Gereja GPDI Efrata.

(Almarhum dipanggil pulang ke Rumah Bapa di Sorga pada 2 Nov 2017).

A Call to Spread the Good News

Two weeks ago I dreamed about Jesus when He was on His way to Golgotha. I saw He knelt down with the cross was beside Him, crown of thorns on His head. He whimpered and suffered. Seem He just felt down due to weight of the cross. To see that moment, my heart was so broken. I called His name, “Jesus!” Then I woke up. I was reminded about “Great Commission”.
The dream was almost similar with this picture.

In Matthew 28:19-20 (ESV)
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

This is the last command given by Jesus to the disciples while He was on earth, before He was taken up into Heaven. This message is applicable to the called. As Christians, we are all called to share what Christ has done. Jesus came to this world, He died on Cross to set us free from eternal death.

Sharing our faith is not just a suggestion, it’s a command!

Sometime we are afraid to share our faith because we don’t know how to say. We think more than twice when we feel the burden to share. tell or not, tell or not, tell or not. And sometime we are afraid the person, to whom we share the gospel, gets offended. And maybe we’re sharing the Gospel but nothing is happening; people aren’t committing their lives to Christ. What’s wrong?

Well, we can’t open someone’s heart to the truth of the Gospel – but God can, by His Spirit.

Now, what do we do?

One of the best ways to share our faith is to live a godly life. Non-Christians often look at Christians as hypocritical because we say one thing but do another.
Show those close to us that we care—spend time with them, help meet their needs and offer to listen when they have problems. We might not be able to answer all of their questions, but they can’t deny the reality of what Christ has done in our life. If you find this is hard to do, perhaps God is speaking to you about your own need to walk more closely with Him every day.

Another important part of sharing our faith is to pray for those you interact with. If we can’t think of anyone who isn’t a Christian, pray for God to place someone in our life who needs Him.

Also make a habit of reading the Bible, praying and going to church. These things shouldn’t be done for attention or for the sake of doing them, but to help us grow in our own faith. Being passionate about Christ will help others see that there’s something different about us, and they will want to know what it is.
We can also reflect Christ through kind words, patience, a gentle temperament, choosing to love even difficult people, carefully monitoring what you watch or listen to, and treating others with respect.
At the same time, we must do more than live godly lives. People need to hear the Gospel—to hear that God loves them, Christ died for them and that they can have eternal life. Romans 10:13-14 says, “‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?”

I ever shared about Jesus and His love to my colleagues. Some of them felt unhappy and felt bored about it. They just didn’t want to hear it. Some just nodded their head and listened to it. Even though the result was not as expected, I felt joy and peaceful came upon me because I’ve done my part. I didn’t owe them.

Nowadays information spread rapidly because of the social media like facebook, twitter, Instagram, youtube, etc. By those media, we can post an article/video about our personal life with Jesus, His great works, God’s love and or share article about gospel. Other way, you can testify about Jesus through our club’s out reached event.

Hence, as Jesus commands us to spread the word. Just do it. Don’t think too much about the result. We do our part, God will do the rest. The world needs to hear the good news.

The Most Powerful Book on Earth

Have you read your bible today?
As a Christian, we were told to read bible and meditate on God’s word daily. Why? Because there is mystery in the scriptures written in this book. The bible contains God’s word.
John wrote, John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John1:14 also wrote “The word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace & truth”
Revelation 19:13 says “He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.”
Jesus is “the word of God. When we read bible, we read Jesus!
By reading bible and living in God’s word, our mind will be transformed. Our knowledge about God, Jesus, & Holy Spirit increased. Bible filters our mind from false doctrines & teaching, and it renews our mind. There is power in the scriptures because Jesus is the Lord!
Today is 29 April, it’s 2nd anniversary of the death of ring leaders of Bali Nine drug traffickers, Andrew Chan & Sukumaran. They were executed 2 years ago in Indonesia. They were arrested on April 2005, and convicted for smuggling 8.3 kg of heroin from Indonesia to Australia valued at around US$3.1 million. But they were executed 10 years later. The execution news was very big. Not only in Indonesia, the world media spotted on this case too. There were pros and cons of the execution. One of the ring leader, Andrew Chan, an Australian, was fully rehabilitated from drug and gave big positive influence in Kerobokan prison. When he was arrested in 2005, he wanted to kill himself in cell. But he cancelled it because he doesn’t want to go to Hell. Then he asked the guard for a bible. The following day, he got bible sent by his Sunday school friend surprisingly. After he read bible, his life was changed. He became a pastor & led English Christian service and bible study in prison.


In reconciling his death sentences with his faith in God, he said:
"When I got back to my cell, I said, 'God, I asked you to set me free, not kill me.' God spoke to me and said, 'Andrew, I have set you free from the inside out, I have given you life!' From that moment on I haven't stopped worshipping Him. I had never sung before, never led worship, until Jesus set me free."

You can just google “Andrew chan”, you will find many bloggers and news about him.

Another true story is Khalil, a radical muslim Egyptian (a jihadist), converted to Christianity after reading bible. His initial purpose to read bible was to write book about the lies of bible. But the scriptures had changed his mind and he met Jesus in his dream.


And about healing story, Steve Hannett, a pastor and an author, was diagnosed with cancer when he was 19 years old. He was frustrated. He didn’t know God personally. He felt fear and tarry. Three months later, he met a korean man for an alternative medicine to get well. The Korean man asked him to read bible and gave him bible study for 5 hours. He learnt a lot about sin, God, Jesus and Holy Spirit. He learnt where the cancer came from. How Jesus healed everyone. Jesus died on cross not only for his sin, but to bless him.



And the last story, my experience, about few years ago, I just read daily devotion article with some bible verse as references. That time, even though I did pray daily, my faith was easily being shaken if there was problem. Until I was not busy anymore with my job, i didn’t have things to do in office from Monday to Friday. I read online news from Monday to Friday to kill the time. Because the news was almost the same every day, I decided to read bible from genesis to revelation. Slowly my mind was changed. My faith increased and I am easily discerned the mind attack by Satan.

Bible is indeed full of power. It is powerfully enough to be used by God's Spirit to change us. It is more powerful than a surgeon's knife as it cuts deep into our inner most thoughts and desires, exposing us for what we really are, and releasing us from our sinful habits. It is living, life-changing, and it’s helping us to get the victory over our problems. When pressures and problems seem to overwhelm us, that is an excellent time to saturate our mind with God's Word.
Therefore, let’s read bible every day. Because Bible is the most powerful book ever!

Find your Specific Calling

Two months ago I watched a video about heaven in Youtube. The video shows the paintings painted based on real heaven by Korean artist who have been seeing in Heaven. Heaven is beautiful, majestic, and real. One part of the video had made me think about my specific calling in this world. The part is about when Jesus and the artist went to a very far place by airplane. The people who live in that place are very happy when see Jesus. The artist felt sad because those people can’t see Jesus everyday even if it is in heaven. Jesus told her there is a difference in level between the heaven in which perfected spirits live & average spirits live. In heaven, the houses and all the things in them differ depending on their deeds, and there is a difference in their location & the love they will receive.
Long time ago, during the reign of King Josiah of Judah. God called a priest named Jeremiah to speak to His people.
God said to Jeremiah, “I knew you before I made you in your mother’s womb, before you were born I chose you to do very special things. I chose you to be a prophet to the nations.
Jeremiah said “Oh no God! I don’t how to speak in front of other people. I’m just a boy, only a youth!
God replied “Don’t say that. You will go where I send you and say what I tell you to say.
You do not need to be afraid because I am with you. I will protect you.
Based on this story, God has specific calling for us before we were born! Live in this earth it’s not about going to school, working, getting marriage, having kids, retired, and die. What a boring life if God created us only for this kind of purpose. The purpose we’re created on earth is for God’s glory. It means to praise God, worship Him, to proclaim His greatness, and to accomplish His will. The question is What God wants us to do on earth?

Way to know our specific calling is to pursue God’s love and get to know Him as a friend so that we can enjoy His presence. Pray to Him and meditate on His word. If we are puzzled as to what His plan is for us and which passion to pursue, pray to God for guidance, and ask others to pray for us as well. If we don’t get the answer yet, find a way to serve others, whether on mission trip or in your community. Try that for a while to see what comes of it.
After I was baptized, I often asked my specific ministry as Christian. Yes, I have my own dream. But am I walking on God’s plan? I told God I have done difference kind of ministries. I served as worship leader, youth committee, usher, choir member, mission trip, and now I am in healing ministry. Last year I made conclusion my calling is to share gospel in market place. Yeah, it’s still sound general. But last month, at home, there was a question pop-up in my mind. “What will you answer if a pastor ask your prayer request?”. I prayed and told God. “Lord, I have many prayer requests, the time will not be enough if I tell the pastor. But I believe You will supply all my needs. I will ask the pastor to pray for my specific calling in this world.”
Three days later, I went to prophetic night service. There was a special guest pastor from Australia who has prophetic gift. During the worship, suddenly he asked me to go to the stage. And He prayed for me and everybody in the room listened! He revealed my specific course/calling. I was happy finally it's revealed but I didn’t understand. I just told God “Lord, let Your will be done”.
Fellow toastmasters, Paul said in Ephesians, we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. God has a specific course for us to run, but if we don't know what it is, how will we ever finish our race? Let’s find & identify your specific calling. ID .

Power in Jesus name

Once upon a time in Jerusalem. There was a lame man who laid daily at the gate of temple which called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple.
He saw Peter & John about to go into temple, asked for alms.
Peter fixing his eyes on him, with John. Peter said “look at us”.
So the lame man gave his attention to them, expecting to receive something from Peter & John.
Then Peter said, “Silver & gold I don’t have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ, rise up & walk.”
And Peter took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately the lame man’s feet & ankle bones received strength. He leaped up, stood, & walked.

There is another similar story. There was a girl followed Paul & his friends, and cried out for many days saying “These man are the servants of the Most High God. Who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” But Paul greatly annoyed, turned, and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And the spirit came out immediately from the girl.

By these stories, I would like to emphasize the power of our Lord name, Jesus Christ. When Peter said Jesus name, the lame man can walk. When Paul said Jesus name, the bad spirit came out from the girl immediately.
In Bible, Jesus taught His disciples to use His name when healed the sick & cast out the evil spirit. Jesus gave them authority to cast out evil spirit, to trample on serpents & scorpions & to resist all attacks from enemy. And when they did it, divine protection was assured. The disciples never went out alone. None of them could have accomplished what Jesus had done in their own strength.

The same is true today. Jesus gives us authority to act in His name. His name is well known in the spirit world. At the sound of His name, all evil spiritual power & principalities must bow down. Satan has been put to shame, and the name of Jesus is above every other name.
There is power in the name of Jesus to break every chain. Jesus name brings healing, peaceful, encouragement, & joy. Through the name of Jesus, heaven is opened and satan is forced to flee. Satan is afraid of His name. They are shaking when heard of His name.

Talking about this, I’d like to share my experience when I was a university student. I loved to pray, praised & worshiped God at my room and I spent 1-2 hours at prayer tower twice a week after class. I stayed in boarding house, and there is graveyard behind the house. There was nothing happen, I lived peacefully. Till I was in a condition, which I called it as “test” season or “training”. It can happen at anywhere and everyone, not because of there is graveyard behind the house.
I got “nightmares” every time I slept. It was not usual nightmare. There was presence of evil spirit in my room. When I felt it, I just said “in the name of Jesus”. I could wake up and feel peaceful again. It’s almost happen every day at that time. I just said “in the name of Jesus”, the spirit left immediately. Hallelujah. They are afraid of Jesus’ name. So, another day, when I slept. Suddenly I felt there were hands hold my neck, I couldn’t breath and I couldn’t say Jesus name. But I prayed, called Jesus and said in my heart “In the name of Jesus”. Then I could wake up & breathed.
I don’t want to scare you. It can happen to anyone. It’s a test of our faith whether we continue to pray, praise & worship God after this situation. Satan doesn’t like us to pray, praise & worship God. They can’t stand in the presence of God. Remember we are a child of God, and the Spirit in us is much greater that satan. We have authority to use Jesus name.

Therefore, Whatever the circumstances we are facing now, just say “in the name of Jesus” for there is power in the name of Jesus.

Let's sing together:
There is power in the name of Jesus
There is power in the name of Jesus
There is power in the name of Jesus
To break every chains, to break every chains, to break every chains...

First Love

Who has ever been falling in love? Or who hasn’t ever been falling in love?

I believe all you have experienced this. One Indonesian song describes that Falling in Love has thousand feelings. Someone who fallen in Love is someone find himself/herself to be very attracted to someone and begin to love them.
But the love I want to talk about this morning is not the love between man and woman. It’s love between me and God. It’s about First Love. Yes, My first love.

I can’t remember it exactly when it happened at the first. I just remember, after I was baptized and moved out from hometown for studying at university in Yogya, I visited a charismatic church where my sister & brother served in youth ministry. My sister kept talking about Holyspirit and God’s works.

I came from a Christian family, but I only know Father God & Jesus. Holyspirit? I only know He is part of the Trinity. During the youth service of the church, I was astonished and wonder of the expression of the people there during praise and worship. They looks very happy & joyful. They sang as if they are in a music concert. They were dancing, rising their hand, and they jumped! I just clapped my hands and looked around.

During the worship session, they lifted their hands and cried loudly. This part I understood. I did crying when I was prayed at hours before I went for water baptism. At that time I made a big decision in my life to be Jesus follower. But these people were not going for water baptism. I was asking to myself, why I couldn’t praise & worship God like that, why I don’t have such felling. I knew it’s because of Holyspirit because my sister always talks about it.

When my sister back to hometown for a month. I told God I want to know Holyspirit. I open a book that she recommended me to read. The title is "Good Morning Holy Spirit" written by Ev. Benny Hinn. After read some chapters. I bowed down on my knees and prayed in my sister room. I asked Him to touch my heart. I sang a worship song and I felt my burden being lifted up, very light, and joyful. It was unspeakable and full of glory. It seemed that my sister room had been lifted into hemisphere of heaven. Holy spirit is very gentle, full of love, my comforter, and He is real.

There was a change in me. Holy spirit became alive in my life. He was no longer a distant “third person” of the trinity. He taught me & guided me. Every day I read bible, read some Christian books, I listened to Christian songs, prayed & worshiped God at my room, I loved to talk about Jesus, I went for cell group and prayer meeting, I attended minimum three services at church in a week! And I volunteered myself to serve in church by joining youth ministry.

I was so crazy, I was so curious about Him, curious about Jesus Christ. I pursued Him. Yes, I was in Love! Praise the Lord!

In bible, it is called First Love.
I believed every true believers have experienced this. But the question is do we still have this feeling right now? Do we still spend our time to have relationship with God every time? Do we read bible and meditate on His word? Do we still talk about Him everywhere? Do we put God at the first place?

In Revelation 2:4-5, Jesus said:
" Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent."

I still remember, in a special service at church. While I was singing and worshiping God, my heart was full of love. Holyspirit gently asked me to say “I love Jesus” with my lips. I was thinking whether to say it. I grew up in conservative & chinese family, “love” word was almost never been spoken in my family. It’s odd. But because my heart love Jesus, I lifted my left hand to Him and I open my mouth slowly and nervously, said, “Jesus, I love you.”

Jesus is my First Love and your first love. We love Him, because He first loved us.
Let’s back to our first love. ID

Center of Evangelism

Evangelism! This word always reminds me of South Korea. In that country, every day I could see Christians were preaching or sharing gospel in public area with their own creative way. Along street in the market, subway station, in the park, I saw some people distributed leaflets about gospel, a group of youth sang Christian songs, a man was preaching loudly while riding his bicycle, some people carried out and put up banner with written words of Heaven is for real and they preached loudly.

This phenomenon is common in public area in South Korea. Something I’ve never seen in Singapore since I moved into this democratic country. I like Singapore, a country which tolerant of different religions and encourages religious harmony. But unfortunately, Evangelism is not allowed in public area.

I checked in Wikipedia, Christian population in South Korea, including the Roman Catholic, is only 29% of total population. And Singapore has 18% Christian. The Christian populations of both countries is not much different.

I was thinking about this when I prayed in church and I got wisdom. Even though evangelism in public area is not allowed in Singapore, but with its unique characteristic, I believe, from this tiny country, gospel is able to be preached out up to the unreachable ethnics group, villages, islands & nations. Why?



Strategic Location

Singapore is located at the heart of Asian trade routes. Every Ship cargoes which come from East Asia or Western countries have to pass by and stop at Singapore. There are a lot of airlines fly directly to Singapore.

People

Many people from abroad come to this country. Singapore has the lowest corporate tax rates in the world. It makes investors/businessman from other countries make business here. It creates Jobs which make professionals/workers come to work.
It also has excellent education system, that make the parents send their children to study in Singapore.
Yes, I can see and meet people with different nationalities easily in Singapore compared to South Korea. The foreigner are everywhere here!

Multicultural

Singapore is multicultural country. Even though, it has three major cultures, Chinese, Malay and India, we still can find other cultures from other country and even it’s from far-far away country.
In Singapore, I can eat any kind of food from any countries. I can find African food, Moroccan food, Arabian food and even food of minority ethnic group from China such as Uyghur & Miao ethnic.
It means almost all ethnic group from all over the world are in this country.

Language

English is the main language of this nation followed by Chinese, Bahasa, and Indian. It makes communication is easier to the foreigners in this countries. The foreigner can absorb information faster and they understand.

When I was living in Korea, I felt I grow slow because I can’t understand Korean. I need a translator and simply trusted my Korean friend while dealing with something. Yes, Language is very important for communication.

Dear fellow toastmaster, there are a lot of foreigners in Singapore. They come with different purposes, they speak in English, they leave their family/friends and start new life here, they need a friend, some of them are lonely, and many of them haven’t ever heard yet the gospel and Jesus Christ. Please let’s think about this, if we can be their friend, introduce Jesus to them, share the good news, and help them growing in Christ. I believe one day when they return to their hometown, their home country, they will share the good news to their families and friends, and to their village. Imagine started by your preaching to them, you save one ethnic group, village, and even a nation!

Hence, Singapore is a center of evangelism to reach out up to the unreachable ethnic group, village, nations and country. We can do the evangelism by building a friendship/relationship with foreigner and share the gospel to them. And all the glory to God!