In Gethsemane

What could we see in Gethsemane? We could see a normal human who feel sorrowful. If we often hear about Jesus who did miracles, Jesus who healed sick people, Jesus who casted out bad spirits. But in Gethsemane, Jesus was like a normal person who felt great sadness and pain, just like you and I . Perhaps, we are questioned, when and where Jesus feel the sorrow? It’s like impossible if he ever feel sorrow?

Let’s see a chapter when Jesus was going to be crucified, Mark 14 : 32 – 41. IN this chapter, Jesus and his disciples came to a place named Gethsemane. As written in Luke 22 :  39, Gethsemane is a Mount of olives. (³⁹ Coming out, He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him. ) So Jesus has an accustome to pray in Mount of Olives.

Then, let’s see Mark 14 : 33, 34  

³³ And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed. ³⁴ Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch.”

In subsection 33, Jesus began to be troubled and deeply distressed. And in subsection 34, Jesus himself said that He was exceedingly sorrowful, even to death.

Jesus whom we worship as God has taken a figure as a human. That is why He feel what a normal human feel. He felt happiness and as well as sorrow.

Why Jesus feel deeply distressed and sorrowful? Because as a human He knew how hurt to take the suffering and then being crucified. So he prayed to Father to take his pain. But, He surrender to God decision, Mark 14 : 36.   
³⁶ And He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.”

Just like us. By this chapter, Jesus teaches us when we feel distress and sorrowful, we pray to God and surrender all the decision to God. Whatever God answer that’s the best answer for us. And, by this chapter we know how great His sacrifice. He didn’t think of Himself anymore. He just thought about You and I, about us. He only thought about His love for you and I .

Another in Gethsemane. Let’s see Luke 22 : 43  ⁴³ Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.

When we have a problem, then we prayed to God, God will strengthen us by delivering His angel to strenghten us. So we can take up our cross ( matthew 16 : 24 :   ²⁴ Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.)  


Happy Victory

Nova

LET US CROSS OVER TO 2013

We are leaving 2012 and coming to the new year 2013. Many people set their plans for the coming year 2013. But first, let’s look back to the last new year 2012. When we were going to the new year 2012, we made some plans for the new year. Then, we find some of our plans are success and some are not. Even, maybe some people say there were many problems on 2012. When we are in Jesus boat, we don’t have to worry to face the new year 2013 with the problems in it.

Let’s see this true story on Mark 4 : 35 – 39

 ³⁵ On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.”

In this subsection, Jesus said to His disciples to cross over to the other side. The same condition happen to us. Now, Jesus say to us, “ Let’s us cross over to 2013.”

³⁶ Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him.

Jesus and His disciples left the multitude and went on to the boat to leave the place. When Jesus tells us to cross over to 2013, we left the year 2012 with all the bad experience and the unpleasant feeling and sins. Perhaps, we have bad experience or the unpleasant feeling to others, just leave it. Or, we have the bad habit as a sin, leave it. Or we are disappointed because of the failure, leave it. 

³⁷ And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling.

After Jesus and His disciples left the multitude, they went with Jesus in boat. But, then a great windstorm and waves beated their boat. Jesus never promise His disciples that if they are with Him,  there won’t be windstorm and big waves beat their boat.

For us : When we are walking with Jesus in 2013, He never promise there’s no problems, no sickness in 2013. He never promise us that our life will be smooth. But, He promise to be with us always as His word in Matthew 28 : 20b "...I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

³⁸ But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”

Jesus disciples said to Jesus, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” This statement is a fear statement. Not only Jesus disciples feel the fear when facing the storm, but we do. We are sometimes afraid to face the problems in our life. Or perhaps we have prayed and pray but the condition look getting worse. Then we question, “Is God sleeping above?” Does He not care that I’m going to die?”

Then let’s see the last subsection.

³⁹ Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.

Only by saying something the sea and wind become calm. It’s God power to solve the problem. And, for us , whatever our problem in the coming year, if we are still in Jesus boat, we don’t have to worry because God has the power to overcome any problems.

Again : We are going to cross over to 2013. For people who believe in Jesus are in Jesus boat. Jesus never promise us that we will not face any problems in 2013, but He promise us to calm down the great windstorm and waves in our life as long as we are stay in His boat. (³⁹ Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.)

============== Happy New Year 2013 ========================

Thank You Jesus

You let me enter the new year

Written by Nova

Praise and Glory for Him who gives me strength.

THE LIGHT

Christmas by Christmas pass by. Every year we never fail to celebrate Christmas. This year we celebrate Christmas and next year we will. What does God want to see from us in every Christmas?

God wants us to be the light of the world as Jesus comes as the light.(Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." John 8 : 12). We only can see the light in dark place. We can not see the light in light place. For Jesus comes to this world as the light, it means this world is in darkness. (We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. 1 John 5 :19). 

God doesn't want we live lying under the sway of the wicked one, so He gives His son for us. (For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3 : 16). 

When God gives His only begotten son for us is called Christmas.

When we receive Jesus as our saviour is called Christmas.

So, what do we have to do after Christmas?

As Jesus is the light so we should be the light as well. How can we be the light? We can lighten up this world by doing God words because this world is passing away with its lust. (And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. 1 John 2 : 17)

The point of Christmas is not the holiday, not the celebration but it is to remember the love of our God and remember our duty after receiving Jesus. (And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Mark 16 : 15)

********************  MERRY  CHRISTMAS 2012 **********************

Written by Nova

Praise and glory for Him who give me strength.

A Future for A Bleeding Woman

As a normal woman, we have our period every  month. What happen if there's a woman who always have her period everyday? It is unusual, isn't it? It means there's something wrong with her body or she is ill. What happen to this woman then? What can we learn from this woman?

Let's see Mark 5 : 25 - 29
Subsection 25 : ²⁵ And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years.
That time there was a woman who have been subject to bleeding for twelve years. Can we imagine, twelve years? Twelve years are not a short time. It is a very long time. I am a woman, and i know how hurt when we experience our period, feeling pain and weak. And i am sure these woman also feel the same way for twelve years. She must have been weak and pain.

Subsection 26 :  ²⁶ She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 
This subsection tells us that this woman had suffered a great deal and had spent all she had, perhaps money and property.  She had visited many doctors but her condition was getting worse. It is a very difficult situation. NO MONEY + NO HEALTHY  = NO HOPE for future.

Subsection 27, 28 :  ²⁷ When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, ²⁸ because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.”
When she heard about Jesus, she believed there is a hope. She had never met Jesus before but from hearing the miracles Jesus did that time, she took a decision to believe in Jesus. She thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Then she got close to Jesus in the crowd and touch his cloak.
Just like us, we never meet Jesus, but would we believe in Jesus only by hearing the miracles he did which written in Bible? If we want to believe in Jesus, let's getting close to Him and touch Him with our prayer. Especially, when we are in troubles, touch Jesus with our prayer.

Then what will happen after we believe and touch Him?
Subsection 29 :  ²⁹ Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.
After the woman touched Jesus cloak, her bleeding stopped and she was freed from her suffering. Only in a second, the twelve years bleeding stop.Can we imagine it? No, my brain can not understand it. It is about faith. Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see (Hebrews 11:1). Because of this woman faith to Jesus, she could be healed.

As long as we live in this world, the problems may come, illness, financial problem, job problem, relationship problem, etc. Sometimes these problem burden us so much for many years. But, when we come to Jesus, believe in Him, and touch Him with our prayers, Jesus will give us the way out for our problems.


♥
Nova Tobing*

 

A Future For Hezekiah

Everyone expect to have a bright future. A future with a better life and love. When everything goes on smooth in our life, we seem have no difficulties to face our future. But, when everything  goes on worse and worst in our life, it is difficult to see a bright future in front of us.

We can learn from Hezekiah, how he face his future when there is no hope. Who was Hezekiah? He was a king of Judah. He was a godly king. But one day, he had a problem for his future, that is NO FUTURE for him when he was ill.

Let's see 2 kings 20 

1)  In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.”

In subsection 1, we can read that Hezekiah was ill. The Phrophet Isaiah delivered God message to Hezekiah that he was going to die. Can we imagine, if we are ill and we see a doctor. The doctor say that we are going to die (no hope). I am sure no one will be happy hearing this statement. Most of us surely cry with a broken heart, wept bitterly like Hezekiah did.

How  Hezekiah reacted when he knew he was going to die? Or what did he do when he knew there would not be a future for him in this world anymore?

Let's read subsection 2, 3

2) Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, ³ “Remember, Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

What can we learn from Hezekiah?

Hezekiah pray to God when there's no future he seen. In his prayer, he asked God to remember his faithfulness. He wanted to live but he surrender his life to God. 

When people say that there's no future for us, like :
You will not be heal.
You will always being poor.
You will not meet your soulmate.
You are not smart.
You will not be success.
You are ugly.
You don't have good background.   
Let us remember what Hezekiah did, he prayed to God.

When we pray, when we cry to God. He promise he will answer us (Jeremiah 33:3 -  ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’ ). And, God answer Hezekiah. (Subsection 4-6)

⁴⁾ Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the Lord came to him: ⁵⁾ “Go back and tell Hezekiah, the ruler of my people, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the Lord. ^{6 )}I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David."

God answer Hezekiah prayer and even give other goodnesses  for him :

1. God would heal Hezekiah ( subsection 5)

2. God adds fifteen years to Hezekiah life (Subsection 6)

3. God deliver Hezekiah and the city from the hand of the king of Assyria, or giving the victory, or freedom (subsection 6)

For us, if we cried out to God, God promise to show the great things for us as his word in Jeremiah 33 : 3 - ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’. When we see there's no future for us, come to God and pray to him.

Written by Nova

♥

Nova Tobing* 

MASA DEPAN UNTUK HIZKIA

Setiap orang mengharapkan mendapatkan masa depan yang cerah. Sebuah masa depan dengan cinta dan kehidupan yang lebih baik. Ketika segala sesuatunya berjalan dengan lancar di kehidupan kita, kita tamapk tidak memiliki kesulitan memandang masa depan kita.Tetapi, ketika segala sesuatunyaberjalan dengan buruk dan bahkan semakin buruk, kita tidak bisa melihat masa depan yang cerah di depan kita.

Kita dapat belaqjar dari Hizkia, bagaimana ia menghadapi masa depannya ketika sama sekali tidak ada harapan. Siapakah Hizkia? Ia adalah seorang raja Yehuda. Ia seorang raja yang takut akan Tuhan. Tapi suatu hari ia mempunyai masalah dalam menghadapi masa depannya, yaitu TIDAK ADA MASA DEPAN LAGI untuknya ketika ia jatuh sakit.

Mari kita baca 2 raja - raja 20 :1-6
1) Pada hari-hari itu Hizkia jatuh sakit dan hampir mati. Lalu datanglah nabi Yesaya bin Amos, dan berkata kepadanya: "Beginilah firman TUHAN: Sampaikanlah pesan terakhir kepada keluargamu, sebab engkau akan mati, tidak akan sembuh lagi."

Dalam ayat 1 kita bisa melihat bahwa Hizkia sedang sakit. Nabi Yesaya menyampaikan pesan Tuhan kepadanya bahwa ia akan mati. Bisakah kita bayangkan ketika kita sakit, lalu kita mengunjungi dokter dan dokter bilang kita akan mati karena tidak ada harapan lagi. Saya yakin tak seorang pun yang akan bahagia mendengar pernyataan dokter ini. Pastilah kita akan menangis dengan hati yang hancur atau menangis tersedu - sedu seperti yang dilakukan Hizkia.

Lalu, apa reaksi Hizkia ketika ia tahu kalau ia akan mati? Atau Apa yang dilakukan Hizkia ketika ia tahu tidak ada masa depan lagi baginya di bumi?
Mari kita lihat ayat 2 dan 3 : 

2) Lalu Hizkia memalingkan mukanya ke arah dinding dan ia berdoa kepada TUHAN:   3)  "Ah TUHAN, ingatlah kiranya, bahwa aku telah hidup di hadapan-Mu dengan setia dan dengan tulus hati dan bahwa aku telah melakukan apa yang baik di mata-Mu." Kemudian menangislah Hizkia dengan sangat.

Apakah yang bisa kita pelajari dari Hizkia?
Hizkia berdoa kepada Tuhan ketika ia sama sekali tidak melihat masa depannya. Di dalam doanya, dia meminta Tuhan untuk mengingat kesetiaannya. Ia ingin hidup tetapi ia menyerahkan keputusannya kepada Tuhan.
Ketika orang - orang berkata kepada kita bahwa tidak ada masa depan lagi, seperti :
Kau tidak akan sembuh.
Kau akan selalu menjadi orang miskin.
Kau tidak akan bertemu pasanganmu
kau tidak pintar
Kau tidak akann sukses
Kau jelek.
Latar belakang keluargamu tidak baik.
Mari, ingat apa yang telah dilakukan Hizkia, dia berdoa pada Tuhan.

Ketika kita berdoa, ketika kita menangis kepada Tuhan. Ia berjanji ia akan menjawab kita (Yeremia 33:3). Dan Tuhan menjawab Hizkia (ayat 4 - 6)
4) Tetapi Yesaya belum lagi keluar dari pelataran tengah, tiba-tiba datanglah firman TUHAN kepadanya: 5)"Baliklah dan katakanlah kepada Hizkia, raja umat-Ku: Beginilah firman TUHAN, Allah Daud, bapa leluhurmu: Telah Kudengar doamu dan telah Kulihat air matamu; sesungguhnya Aku akan menyembuhkan engkau; pada hari yang ketiga engkau akan pergi ke rumah TUHAN. 6)Aku akan memperpanjang hidupmu lima belas tahun lagi dan Aku akan melepaskan engkau dan kota ini dari tangan raja Asyur; Aku akan memagari kota ini oleh karena Aku dan oleh karena Daud, hamba-Ku."

Tuhan menjawab Hizkia, bahkan memberikan berkat - berkat lainnya :
1) Tuhan akan menyembuhkan HIzkia (ayat 5)
2) Tuhan menambahkan umur lima belas tahun lagi pada Hizkia (ayat  6)
3) Tuhan akan melepaskan Hizkia dan kotanya dari tangan raja Asyur, atau memberikan kemenangan atau kebebasan. (ayat 6)

Untuk kita, Jika kita berseru kepada Tuhan, Tuhan berjanji akan memberitahukan kita hal - hal yang besar seperti firmannya dalam Yeremia 33 : 3. Ketika kita tidak melihat masa depan untuk kita, mari kita berdoa pada Tuhan.

♥

Nova Tobing*

Impression

Okay, so you're a rocket scientist -

That don't impress me much
So you got the brains but have you got the touch?
Now don't get me wrong, yeah I think you're alright
But that won't keep me warm in the middle of the night
That don't impress me much

 Okay, so you're Brad Pitt -

That don't impress me much
So you got the looks but have you got the touch?
Now don't get me wrong, yeah I think you're alright
But that won't keep me warm in the middle of the night
That don't impress me much


Okay, so you've got a car -

That don't impress me much
So you got the moves but have you got the touch?
Now don't get me wrong, yeah I think you're alright
But that won't keep me warm in the middle of the night
That don't impress me much
                                                 (A song by Shania Twain)


I am sure we are agree with Shania Twain. Smart, good looking or rich persons could not impress us much if they do not have a touch to us, a touch in our heart. We need someone who can touch us in friendship or relationship.

Smart, good looking and wealthy are not enough without a touch in heart. How to become a person who have a touch ? Firstly, have a good heart, the heart who always want to share love and help people. When we have the touch, we will be able to stay in a cold long lonely night with other people. And, i think we all need a person who can stay with us in a cold long lonely night.

♥
Nova Tobing*

Let’s Talk About Coffee

“Start your day with a cup of coffee! It lifts up your spirit.”

Do you like coffee? Why do you like coffee? A lot of people consume coffee because of the taste and,  the others like coffee because it can renew your spirit.

Indonesia is one of the five biggest coffee producer in the world for its geographical place and climate, makes the coffee grow  more variety and has a unique taste. Indonesia produce Arabica coffee, robusta coffee, and civet and luwak coffee. The coffee from Indonesia is one of the the most tasty coffee in this world. That is why some famous Coffee Houses import coffee beans from Indonesia, such as Starbucks and Excelso.

How the Indonesians enjoy their coffee?

From the past time time nowadays, Indonesians still enjoying drinking black coffee. Even though, there are cappuccino, moccacino, chochocino, etc. The black coffee never dies. You can see many Indonesians enjoy  the black coffee alongside the street. The most  unique coofee which I ever see in Indonesia is Joss Coffee. The coffee is served by putting a charcoal heat on it. It produces sounds Joss, therefore the name is called Joss Coffee.

♥

Nova Tobing*