Gembala dan Domba

Transformasi Kehidupan

2008-11-12T15:19:00.000+07:00

Apa itu transformasi? Salah satu arti kata transformation adalah a marked change, as in appearance or character, usually for the better (answer.com). Ya, transformasi adalah perubahan yang dapat dilihat. Apabila dihubungkan dengan kehidupan, transformasi dapat dilihat dari perubahan karakter seseorang dalam menjalani hidupnya.

Lebih mudahnya, kita dapat melihat perbandingan transformasi kehidupan dalam siklus hidup seekor kupu-kupu. Seekor kupu-kupu yang cantik, indah, dan begitu menawan tidak serta merta terlahir demikian. Kupu-kupu tersebut terlebih dahulu mengalami fase-fase, atau lebih kita kenal dengan istilah metamorfosis. Prosesnya berawal dari teluràulatàkepompongàkupu-kupu. Untuk menjadi kupu-kupu yang cantik, mau tidak mau, fase-fase tersebut harus dilewati.

Demikian pun dengan kita sebagai anak Tuhan. Bila kita ingin menjadi indah di hadapan Allah maupun manusia, harus ada ‘fase-fase’ yang kita lewati. Fase telur adalah awal dari semuanya. Telur identik dengan kelahiran baru. Sama dengan anak Allah yang lahir baru, dibutuhkan asupan gizi yang sehat agar dapat tetap bertahan hidup. Firman Allah, persekutuan dengan Roh Kudus, serta lingkungan yang sehat sangat penting untuk menunjang kehidupan anak Tuhan yang lahir baru.

Fase kedua adalah ulat. Kita seringkali geli dan jijik melihat ulat. Seringkali kita ingin langsung menjadi kupu-kupu indah tanpa mau menjadi ulat yang menjijikkan. Padahal, fase ini harus dilewati. Maukah kita menjadi orang yang tak dianggap oleh dunia ini? Sama seperti Yesus, bahkan orang-orang Israel sendiri tak mengganggapnya.

Setelah ulat, fase selanjutnya adalah kepompong. Ini adalah fase di mana kita banyak berdiam diri dan menantikan Tuhan dalam hidup kita. Fase di mana kita dipersiapkan untuk menjadi kupu-kupu yang indah. Fase di mana kita bergantung penuh pada Tuhan, sebab kita tidak mempunyai kekuatan apa-apa sebagai kepompong.

Apabila kita lulus, maka kita siap dipakai Tuhan. Menjadi kupu-kupu indah berbicara tentang menjadi pribadi-pribadi yang terlihat terangnya dalam kehidupan sehari-hari. Orang-orang akan tertarik pada kita, tertarik mengikuti Tuhan kita, tanpa kita harus berbicara banyak.

Setiap fase yang terlewati akan mengubah karakter kita menjadi lebih baik lagi. Proses-proses tersebut akan membuat kita menjadi seorang Kristen yang dewasa rohaninya. Seorang Kristen yang mengalami transformasi kehidupan. Mau transformasi? Kalau mau, berarti kita siap untuk diproses tahap demi tahap oleh Tuhan.

GBU

21 Hukum Kepemimpinan Sejati (2)

2008-10-15T22:41:00.002+07:00

11. Hukum Lingkungan Sepergaulan
Potensi seorang pemimpin ditentukan oleh mereka yang paling dekat dengannya.

12. Hukum Pemberdayaan
Hanya pemimpin yang mapanlah yang memberikan kekuatan kepada orang lain.

13. Hukum Reproduksi
Dibutuhkan seorang pemimpin untuk mengangkat seorang pemimpin.

14. Hukum Kepercayaan
Orang percaya dulu kepada sang pemimpin, baru visinya.

15. Hukum Kemenangan
Para pemimpin mencari jalan agar timnya menang.

16. Hukum Momentum Besar
Momentum adalah sahabat terbaik seorang pemimpin.

17. Hukum Prioritas
Para pemimpin memahami bahwa kegiatan belum tentu berarti prestasi.

18. Hukum Pengorbanan
Seorang pemimpin harus rela berkorban demi peningkatan.

19. Hukum Waktu yang Tepat
Kapan harus memimpin adalah sama pentingnya dengan apa yang harus diperbuat dan harus menuju ke mana.

20. Hukum Pertumbuhan yang Eksplosif
Untuk menambah pertumbuhan, pimpinlah para pengikut--untuk melipatgandakan, pimpinlah pemimpin-pemimpin.

21. Hukum Warisan
Nilai langgeng seorang pemimpin diukur dari suksesinya.

(The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, John C. Maxwell)

21 Hukum Kepemimpinan Sejati (1)

2008-10-15T16:34:00.002+07:00

1. Hukum Katup
Kemampuan memimpin menentukan tingkat keefektifan seseorang.

2. Hukum Pengaruh
Ukuran sejati dari kepemimpinan adalah pengaruh--tidak lebih tidak kurang.

3. Hukum Proses
Kepemimpinan berkembang setiap hari,bukan dalam satu hari.

4. Hukum Navigasi
Siapapun dapat mengemudikan kapalnya, namun hanya pemimpinlah yang dapat menentukan arahnya.

5. Hukum E.F.Hutton
Jika pemimpin sejati berbicara, orang akan mendengarkan.

6. Hukum Landasan yang Mantap
Kepercayaan adalah landasan dari kepemimpinan.

7. Hukum Kehormatan
Orang dengan sendirinya mengikuti pemimpin-pemimpin yang lebih kuat dari pada dirinya.

8. Hukum Intuisi
Para pemimpin mengevaluasi segalanya dengan intuisi seorang pemimpin.

9. Hukum Daya Tarik
Siapa anda sesungguhnya menentukan siapa yang akan tertarik pada anda.

10. Hukum Hubungan yang Baik
Seorang pemimpin akan terlebih dulu menyentuh hati, baru minta tolong.

(bersambung..)

PEACE MAKER

2008-09-08T16:34:00.001+07:00

Damai. Sebuah kata yang sungguh indah. Sungguh sebuah situasi yang sangat didambakan oleh setiap manusia. Namun damai bukan merupakan suatu hal yang mudah untuk diwujudkan. Sudahkah ada damai di dalam diri kita? Sudahkah ada damai antara kita dan orang di sekeliling kita? Bahkan, lebih jauh lagi, sudahkah ada damai antara kita dan ‘musuh’ kita?
Untuk dapat menjadi seorang peace maker, terlebih dahulu seseorang harus berdamai dengan Sang Penciptanya yaitu Tuhan, dan tentunya berdamai dengan dirinya sendiri.
Hidup ‘berdamai dengan Allah’ adalah satu pondasi yang kuat untuk sesorang menjadi peace maker. Yesus Kristus adalah Sang Raja Damai. Bahkan Dia rela mengorbankan nyawanya untuk menjadi ‘korban pendamaian’ antara Allah dan manusia. Pengorbanannya di kayu salib menjadi bukti. Sudahkah ada tanda pendamaian Kristus dalam diri kita? Percayalah kepada-Nya dengan segenap hati.
Berdamai dengan diri sendiri juga tak kalah pentingnya. Banyak orang tidak bisa memaafkan dirinya sendiri atas segala kesalahan yang dibuatnya. Banyak orang tidak bisa menerima dirinya sendiri apa adanya dengan segala kelebihan dan kekurangannya. Sudahkah kita dapat berdamai dengan diri kita sendiri? Bila belum, berdamailah saat ini.
Apabila kita telah berdamai dengan Allah dan diri kita sendiri, maka dapatlah kita menjadi seorang peace maker. Tentu bukan hal mudah untuk menjadi peace maker. Apalagi dalam dunia ini kita menghadapi orang-orang dengan beragam latar belakang, tempramen, sifat, kebiasaan, dsb. Ayat di Matius 5:9 menegaskan bahwa orang pembawa damai adalah orang berbahagia. Bahkan mereka lah yang disebut anak-anak Allah. Jadi, kasarnya, kalau orang Kristen tidak suka membawa damai dan tidak suka berdamai dengan sesamanya, maka dia tidak dapat disebut anak Allah.
So, hiduplah berdamai satu dengan yang lain. Butuh kerendahan hati. Jangan bangga apabila kita memliki banyak ‘musuh’ dalam hidup kita. Jadilah seorang peace maker di manapun kita berada, apapun situasinya.
GBU

Tabernakel

2008-04-28T09:25:00.000+07:00

Apa itu tabernakel?

Tabernakel adalah gambaran/bayangan dari kerajaan sorga, tempat kediaman Allah. Tabernakel dipisah menjadi 3 bagian, yaitu pelataran luar (ada mezbah korban bakaran dan bejana pembasuhan); ruang kudus (ada meja roti sajian, menorah, dan mesbah dupa; ruang maha kudus (ada tabut perjanjian). Tapi disini hanya bejana pembasuhan yang akan dibahas.

Bejana Pembasuhan

Baca di Kel 30:17-21

Kolam pembasuhan menggambarkan Yesus adalah yang membasuh dan menyucikan kita (Maz 51:2; Kis 22:16; Ibr 10:22). Bejana pembasuhan merupakan tempayan besar berisi air. Bejana ini digunakan untuk pembasuhan setelah menyembelih korban. Bejana pembasuhan terbuat dari tembaga, tembaga ini didapat dari cermin para wanita Israel (Kel 38:8). Mengapa cermin?

Cermin berbicara tentang penyerahan kebanggaan diri. Tuhan mau agar kita tidak lagi menghias diri untuk hal-hal yang duniawi (Yak 1:21-25). Maka bercerminlah pada Firman Tuhan.

Pembasuhan berbicara tentang penyucian, disucikan dengan firman Allah (Yoh 15:3) dan dibaptis dengan air dan Roh (Yoh 3:5).

Milikilah hidup yang dikuduskan dan disucikan di hadapan Allah dan dunia.

(evi susanti)

Kemenangan di Padang Gurun

2008-04-01T09:59:00.000+07:00

Pernahkah kita mengalami suasana padang gurun dalam hidup kita? Penuh dengan kekeringan, letih, dahaga. Suasana padang gurun dapat terjadi dalam banyak segi hidup kita. Mulai dari perkuliahan, pekerjaan, relasi dengan sesama, percintaan, bahkan sampai pelayanan.

Yesus, sewaktu akan terjun ke dalam pelayanan terlebih dahulu merasakan suasana padang gurun selama 40 hari dan dicobai Iblis pula. Kali ini kita akan belajar dari Yesus, bagaimana cara Dia dapat menang di padang gurun. Segala pencobaan Iblis tidak cukup ampuh untuk menggoyahkan Yesus. Apa sebenarnya kunci Yesus dalam menghadapi itu semua?

Bila kita menilik peristiwa yang terjadi sebelum Yesus dicobai, Yesus terlebih dahulu dibaptis, kemudian Roh Kudus turun ke atas-Nya dengan wujud burung merpati. Kunci pertama adalah Yesus telah diurapi Roh Kudus. Bahkan di Lukas 4:1 dikatakan “..lalu dibawa oleh Roh Kudus ke padang gurun”. Berapa banyak dari kita yang pernah mengalami cinta mula-mula, dipenuhi Roh Kudus, namun tak lama kemudian mengalami berbagai situasi yang tidak mengenakkan. Waktu berdoa terasa hampa, Tuhan sepertinya tidak hadir, waktu memuji dan menyembah, suasananya ‘ga ngangkat’. Bila hal itu yang terjadi, bergaullah terus dengan Roh Kudus, terus kobarkan pengurapan Roh Kudus yang ada pada kita. Roh Kudus adalah pribadi. Dia bukan sekedar pengaruh, bukan sekedar suasana merinding, bukan sekedar getaran-getaran. Hormati Roh Kudus, bertanyalah pada Roh Kudus, hiduplah di dalam-Nya.

Kunci yang kedua adalah mengerti dan memperkatakan Firman. Segala macam tawaran Iblis ditolak oleh Yesus dengan mengatakan “Ada tertulis..”. Alkitab memiliki segudang janji-janji Allah dalam hidup kita. Iblis tidak ingin kita mengerti segala janji tersebut, karena dengan merngerti Firman Tuhan, Firman tersebut dapat kita gunakan sebagai pedang Roh dalam peperangan kita melawan Iblis. Bacalah Firman Tuhan setiap hari. Bila masa padang gurun datang, perkatakan Firman tersebut.

Firman dan Roh Kudus itulah dua kunci untuk mendapat kemenangan di padang gurun. GBU

Wajah Ke-Kristenan 1000 Thn Mendatang (2)

2008-03-14T18:08:00.001+07:00

Skenario Empat

Adanya mayoritas tantangan yang membanjiri - seperti aborsi, terapi sel induk (stem cell) dan pornografi - yang dihadapi ke-Kristenan milenium mendatang yang digerakkan oleh teknologi-teknologi baru. Kelly menunjuk bahwa tantangan-tantangan saat ini masih jinak jika dibandingkan dengan yang akan datang.

Dan seperti yang telah disaksikan Kristiani, generasi Kristiani berikutnya akan berbicara bahasa Facebook dan YouTube semudah orang Amerika berbicara bahasa Inggris saat ini.

"Tren jangka panjang adalah lebih banyak teknologi dalam budaya Kristiani; apa yang hilang, dan yang membutuhkan beberapa generasi untuk mensuplainya, adalah pengertian makna spiritual dari teknologi," tulis Kelly.

Skenario Lima

Sebagaimana budaya terus bergerak maju ke masa depan yang penuh pertanyaan dan keraguan, ke-Kristenan harus "mengembangkan praktek budaya pertanyaan positif, keraguan kudus yang aktif, dan artikulasi yang jelas mengenai apa yang kekal dan apa yang berubah," catatnya.

Praktek itu tampaknya tidak akan dikonstruksi oleh para teolog, kata Kelly, namun oleh para anggota gereja di dunia dalam bentuk sumbangan konteks media. Semacam "Gereja wiki."

Dan itu termasuk Muslim.

Komunitas Kristiani semakin menyusut di Eropa sementara komunitas Islam terus berkembang. Dan sementara Islam berubah menjadi radikal dan militan di beberapa belahan dunia, Kelly menunjuk jutaan komunitas Islam moderat yang non militan.

"Dalam banyak isu sosial moderat Islam dan konservatif Kristiani memiliki persetujuan yang sama," katanya. "Mereka sama-sama orang dari buku. Keduanya sama-sama menghormati beberapa nabi yang sama. Mereka setuju terhadap beberapa isu-isu agama seperti doa, seksualitas, dosa dan keluarga.

"Jadi tidak mustahil untuk membayangkan Muslim dan Kristiani menjadi sekutu di perang budaya yang tidak terhindarkan di masa depan. Tidal lebih mustahil dari membayangkan Kristiani dan Yahudi akan menjadi sekutu seribu tahun yang lalu."

Kelly meramalkan 100 tahun dari sekarang, aliansi konservatif Kristiani-Islam bisa jadi kekuatan politik global yang serius.

Sementara mungkin tidak ada dari lima skenario di atas yang akan terjadi, mereka dipresentasikan agar dapat memperoleh gambaran yang kuat mengenai tren saat ini, kata Kelly.

"Kadangkala dibutuhkan latihan untuk memperhitungkan ribuan tahun dari sekarang untuk melihat apa yang akan terjadi esok. Hanya dengan memperpanjang tren kita dapat melihat apakah itu akan terus berlangsung, atau bertahan di tengah tren-tren lain, atau jika itu akan memprovokasi kesadaran mengenai sebuah tren yang tidak kita lihat sebelumnya."

Audrey Barrick
Koresponden Kristiani Pos

Wajah Ke-Kristenan 1000 Thn Mendatang (1)

2008-03-14T18:05:00.000+07:00

Seperti apa Gereja Kristen 1000 tahun yang akan datang?

Jika seorang Kristiani saleh dari tahun 1000 Masehi dibawa ke ibadah pagi gereja progresif abad 21, si Kristiani abad pertengahan itu mungkin tidak akan mengenali iman Kristiani, tulis Kevin Kelly dalam isu terbaru majalah Willow – sebuah publikasi dari gereja berpengaruh di Amerika Serikat, Willow Creek Community Church.

Jadi adalah "masuk akal dan bertanggung-jawab jika mengharapkan perubahan di gereja Kristiani" di milenium mendatang, tulisnya.

Disamping akhir jaman akan terjadi pada periode kehidupan itu, Kelly mengemukakan lima skenario lainnya - atau cerita yang masuk akal mengenai seperti apa gereja 3000 Masehi.

Dan ia memperingatkan, "Jika Kristiani tidak menangkap masa depan, orang tidak percaya yang akan."

Skenario Satu

Pusat ke-Kristenan akan terus bergeser ke barat. Sejak jaman Kristus, pusat gravitas dari gereja Kristiani global secara mantap bergerak ke barat dari pusatnya di Yerusalem. Ke-Kristenan telah berpindah ke Armenia, Yunani, Roma, kemudian ke Eropa, dan ke barat lagi ke Amerika Utara dan Selatan.

Banyak laporan yang mengindikasikan bahwa pusat ke-Kristenan saat ini berada di Asia dan Afrika dimana populasi Kristiani meledak.

Namun Kelly berkata itu tidak akan berhenti cukup disana.

"Jika pergerakan barat bergerak seperti yang terjadi selama 2.000 tahun terakhir, pusat gravitas ke-Kristenan akan terus bermigrasi ke barat mencapai Asia Timur dan Tengah. Misionaris-misionaris baru yang berbasis di Asia pada abad mendatang akan menjangkau orang tidak percata di tempat kelahiran ke-Kristenan."

Pada akhirnya, episentrum ke-Kristenan akan mengelilingi bumi dan tiba kembali di tempat dimulainya yaitu di Yerusalem.

Itu berarti, "jikalau ke-Kristenan di AS tidak berkurang piciknya dan lebih global, apa yang akan terjadi pada ke-Kristenan 500 tahun mendatang hanya akan menjadi pertunjukan sampingan," tulis Kelly. "Peristiwa utama akan terjadi di tempat lain di bumi."

Skenario Dua

Varietas Kristiani, termasuk jumlah pengakuan dan denominasi, akan terus berkembang. Denominasi Kristiani bertumbuh dari 500 pada 1800-an sampai 40.000 pada 2007, kutip Kelly.

Dan tampaknya tidak ada yang akan menghentikan deversifikasi itu.

"Saat ada 72 macam saus mustard di supermarket, pilihan diterima," tulisnya. "Tidak ada kekuatan utama yang nampak di budaya kita yang akan bekerja melawan meningkatnya varietas dalam pendekatan Kristiani."

Skenario Tiga

Gereja-gereja di luar arus besar ke-Kristenan akan bertumbuh paling cepat. Pertumbuhan terbesar yang diharapkan dari kelompok-kelompok marginal gereja seperti itu adalah kaum Mormon dan Amish. Akan tetapi, pertumbuhan itu bukannya tanpa kritik. Gereja-gereja ini akan, dan beberapa sudah, dianggap sekte atau sesat oleh kaum ortodoks, kata Kelly.

Namun bagaimanapun juga, Kelly mengatakan "taruhan teraman pasti denominasi terbesar 1.000 tahun dari sekarang belum eksis saat ini."

Saat ini, gereja terbesar di Amerika Serikat adalah Gereja Lakewood di Houston, sebuah gereja nondenominasional yang memiliki 40.000 pengunjung tiap minggunya. Gereja itu didirikan pada tahun 1959.

Change and Innovation

2008-02-11T16:39:00.000+07:00

By: Kenneth Boa Th.M.; Ph.D.; D.Phil. (Bio)

A cartoon I saw in The New Yorker showed a CEO winding up his speech at a board meeting with the following sentence: “And so, while the end-of-the-world scenario will be rife with unimaginable horrors, we believe that the pre-end period will be filled with unprecedented opportunities for profit.”¹ Somehow that seems to capture the spirit of our times.

Many of us live with the same perspective as King Hezekiah in 2 Kings 20:19. After being told that, because of his pride and arrogance, his wealth and posterity would fall into the hands of the Babylonians, he actually says, “The word of the Lord that you have spoken is good…. Will there not be peace and security in my lifetime?” Hezekiah was only concerned with how things would be during his own time here on earth. He gave no thought to the hardships others would endure after he was gone. Many of our environmental and financial decisions demonstrate this same outlook. And yet our time on earth is only a speck in cosmic terms. A.W. Tozer was rightly said,

The days of the years of our lives are few, and swifter than a weaver’s shuttle. Life is a short and fevered rehearsal for a concert we cannot stay to give. Just when we appear to have gained some proficiency, we are forced to lay our instruments down. There is simply not time enough to think, to become, to perform what the constitution of our natures indicates we are capable of.²

If life here on earth is all there is, then our mortality is distressing. But the Bible invites us to see that there is more to this life than the constant pendulum-swing from happiness to regret. You are not defined by your past; you are defined by your future. You have a destiny, a hope and a future. The past is finite, but the future is unbounded. The past is fixed, but lasting change is possible for those of us who are united with the God who makes all things new (Revelation 21:5). In fact, change is not only possible, it is normative for those who live their lives with a sense of holy calling, a determination to follow Jesus wherever he leads.

Jesus, the Change-Agent

An old story has a husband asking his wife, “Honey, why do you cut off the ends of a roast before you cook it?”

“Because my mother did it that way,” she responded with a smile.

Curious, the husband called the wife’s mother and asked her the same question. When she gave an identical answer, he called his wife’s grandmother. The moment the elderly matron heard the question she laughed and said, “I don’t know why they cut off the ends of the roast, but I did it that way because a full roast wouldn’t fit in my pan.”

That story illustrates how most practices are initiated to serve a purpose. But over time, even the best practice can lose its usefulness. It takes a wise leader to know when to change something. It takes insight to recognize when it’s time for innovation. Jesus certainly understood the role of change and rebuked those who stood in the way of innovation:

Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, “How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?”

Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast.

“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, he pours new wine into new wineskins.”

Mark 2:18-22

The Pharisees chided Jesus because he didn’t force his disciples to fast. Jesus informed them that he had not come to add a few new rules and regulations to Judaism. He had something entirely new to impart. The Lord made it clear to those religious leaders that he hadn’t come to patch an old system. Such an effort would be as foolish as putting a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, or putting new wine in an old wineskin. When the patch shrank, the garment would tear. When the wine fermented, the wineskin would burst. The old forms of Judaism could never contain the spirit of Jesus’ message.

Change challenges our existing categories. In order to change we must reorder our thought processes and see the same things in new ways. The idea that the Messiah would suffer and serve and live in poverty and humility – that was unthinkable for Jewish people prior to the Christ’s incarnation. They would never have imagined that the Messiah would be born in obscurity and die a criminal’s death. This was out of their box. Jesus was an innovator, a change-agent. So is every effective leader.

Change on a Cosmic Scale

In one way or another, all of us have an aversion to change, especially when things appear to be going reasonably well. But we serve a God who makes all things new (Revelation 21:5). God is not interested in preserving the status quo; he is committed to nothing less than an entirely new order or creation. The incarnation of God the Son brought about a radical change that disrupted the status quo for all eternity. The Gospel of John begins:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.

Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – children born not of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’” From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.

John 1:1-18

John deliberately opened his Gospel with an allusion to the opening words of the creation account in Genesis 1. Actually, John goes back before Genesis 1, which talks about the beginning of creation. Even before creation, the Word existed. At the time of the beginning, the Word already was. Through the mystery of the incarnation, the Word who created the world entered into his own creation and became one of us. He who forever existed as spirit has now and for all eternity become the God-man. There is a man in heaven – Christ is now in his glorified resurrection body – and because of this, he has made it possible for us to enter into the intimacy of fellowship with God himself. “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world” (John 17:24).

Significantly, the world he created is complex and elegant – filled with clues about the character and nature of its creator. The more we learn about this created order, the more sophisticated its designer appears. The magnificent design of the solar system and all the many galaxies we are now able to observe make it clear just how creative the creator must be. But we need not limit our observations to a telescope. By looking through a microscope, the same variety and imagination can be seen. From the very large to the very small, God’s intricate design reveals him to be a creator of amazing innovation and diversity.

It should not be surprising, then, that the One who infused creation with change and innovation should himself be innovative in his dealings with human beings. The flood, the call of Abraham, the Mosaic covenant, the new covenant, the incarnation, the crucifixion, the resurrection, the day of Pentecost, the second advent, the new heavens and new earth – all of these illustrate the dramatic and unprecedented innovations that have been wrought by God.

The Apostle Paul picks up this theme when writes:

For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

2 Corinthians 5:14-21, emphasis added

Here is the most inventive mind of all, taking on human flesh and limitations. He does this so that you and I can enjoy intimacy with him. As we grow in him we are being made truly human. Through his transforming power, we become the people God intended us to be. James S. Steward, noted Scottish preacher and friend of the famous William Barclay, tells us there once was in the city of Florence a massive, shapeless block of marble that seemed fitted to be the raw material of some colossal statue. One sculptor after another tried his hand at it, without success. They cut and carved and hewed and chipped at it, until it seemed hopelessly disfigured.

Then someone suggested they give Michelangelo a shot at it. He began by having a house built right over the block of marble, and for long months he was shut up there with it, nobody knowing what he was doing. Then one day he flung open the door and told them to come in. They did, and there before their eyes – instead of a shapeless, meaningless block – was the magnificent statue of David, one of the glories of the world. So it is that Christ takes defeated and disfigured lives and refashions them, changing them into the very image of God.³

No other religion has a concept such as this. In every other religious system, men and women are left to save themselves. To paraphrase Larry Hall, we are left to lift ourselves off the ground by our own shirt collar.⁴ Only the Bible shows us a true assessment of the human condition. Only here do we see our great dignity and our great depravity. Because we see ourselves honestly and accurately, we understand that God had to reach down in order to lift us up. Luder Whitlock, former president of Reformed Theological Seminary, writes:

The gospel offers an escape from the deadening influence of sin that chokes the joy from life and dashes it to the ground, producing an ugly, broken mess. God converts the believer into a new person in Christ. As the Lord remakes that person in his image, he gives the believer a new ability to reshape life and the world into a thing of beauty reflective of God’s own nature. The innovative, aesthetic dimensions of life find redemptive stimulation, and the corrosive, destructive tendency of sinful influence gradually diminishes as spiritual maturity increases. As the Bible states, ‘He has made everything beautiful in its time’ (Eccles. 3:11). This is true of God’s transforming influence on Christians. God’s perfection is linked to his beauty, so as sin and its influence diminish, his beauty is manifested, though imperfectly, in us. God’s creativity resulted in the making of not only new things but beautiful things. In similar fashion, as we become more like God, we become not only innovative or creative, but we develop a love for beauty and a desire to multiply it.⁵

The biblical doctrine of grace elevates without inflating; it humbles without degrading. We can repair and renovate, we can make things like new, but only God can make things new.

The Necessity of Change

Change and innovation are integral components of both biological and spiritual growth. The Scriptures focus more on process than on product, because all believers are in a process (whether we resist it or not) of becoming the people God meant us to be. Without change, growth is impossible. Abram learned the truth that it is impossible to stay where you are and go with God at the same time:

The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and our father’s household and go to the land I will show you.

“I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

Abram was well established in Ur of the Chaldeans when God called him to leave his homeland. After he had settled for some time in Haran, his father Terah died, and the Lord once again instructed Abram to uproot himself, this time at the age of 75. Since the flood, God had been working with the nations in general, but now he was selecting a man whose descendants would constitute a new people who would be set apart for him. The Abrahamic covenant became the vehicle through which God would bless “all peoples on earth,” since the Messiah would come from the seed of Abram.

Abram experienced immense change through his encounters with God. This is no mere shifting of external elements in his life, not simply an adjustment of activity or schedule. God asked for a complete overhaul of Abram’s career, dreams, destiny. God even changed his name from Abram to Abraham to signify the depth of this change. But there is a huge gap between when the promise comes and when it is fulfilled. Weeks turn into months turn into years turn into decades – and still Abraham and Sarah have no child.

How could Abram respond? Very simply, “Abraham believed the Lord…” (Genesis 15:6). Abraham trusted God in spite of the evidence to the contrary. He continued to walk in obedience and faith. Then, when it seemed completely impossible and Abraham acknowledged his inability to provide an heir for himself, God provided.

When God calls a person, it requires trust and obedience to follow him. It is not simply a call to a new way of life; it is a call to a new kind of life. This level of uprooting and total change can generate great stress. It is threatening, scary and difficult. Change of this magnitude must be deeply rooted in a solid core of values.

When leaders contemplate change, their first consideration must be the anchors that provide stability in a changing environment. Abraham believed in the Lord, and that security allowed him to pursue revolutionary change. Similarly, the Christian life is an ongoing process of change and internal revolution, grounded in the belief that this process is reforming us to become more Christlike.

This process should not be thought of as “pain free.” God invites us to do something counter-intuitive: go through the pain and not around it. God often uses the painful experiences of life to shape us and aid the transformation process. Jim McGuiggan writes:

When we say suffering and death can be redemptive, we’re not saying they’re not hateful or excruciating; we’re not saying the sufferers aren’t in agony. No! We’re speaking our faith that God will not allow us to face anything without the privilege of his working it for good – if we will but say yes to his offer. He will not allow suffering to be meaningless but will, with our permission, force it to be the soil out of which things like compassion, sympathy, courage, and service grow.⁶

To take the “slings and arrows of outrageous fortune” and weave them into a beautiful tapestry, this takes imagination, creativity, innovation of the highest level. This is our Creator-God who promises to redeem our pain and refine us in the process.

Imagine the opportunity that is available to us – to spend all of eternity in unbroken fellowship with this level of innovation! Heaven will not be static. Nothing can remain the same in his presence. God is always full of wonderful surprises. The variety we observe on earth and in the cosmos is a mere shadow of what things will be like in heaven. Whatever adventures this life allows us, whatever joys and excitements we feel here will pale in comparison to heaven.

So God invites us to go through his refining process and promises us that he will be on the other end of it. He will receive us and welcome us to a place beyond our wildest imagination. The Apostle Paul knew this well and wrote, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).

Managing Change

Change is part of God’s plan for us, but it’s hard. Change is tough enough when we’re the only ones involved. But the role of a leader is to bring about change in others and/or in an organization. Now that’s really tough! God modeled some powerful principles of organizational change when he urged the exclusively Jewish church in Jerusalem to embrace Gentiles. Acts 10 tells the story:

About noon the following day as [Cornelius’ servants] were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”

“Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”

The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”

This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.

While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at his gate. They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there.

While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.”

Peter went down and said to the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?”

The men replied, “We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to have you come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.” Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.

The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa went along. The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.”

Talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean…. I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.”

Acts 10:9-28, 34-35

Change is inherent in leadership. The enormous reversal described in this passage shows how God led Peter from being an opponent of change to becoming its champion. Notice seven principles from the passage:

1. God started where Peter was. He addressed Peter’s values and convictions (vv. 9-16). The wise innovator takes time to understand the people who must adapt to the change and demonstrates that it will not violate their values and convictions (v. 15).

2. God allowed Peter to challenge the idea (vv. 14-15). If people’s objections aren’t dealt with in a forthright and honest manner, the leader can begin to perceive their concerns as antagonism.

3. God gave Peter time to work through his resistance (vv. 16-17). Adaptation to change takes time, and the wise leader allows people the needed time to work through their reservations.

4. God permitted Peter to observe change in a limited situation before suggesting wholesale change. He allowed Peter to “try on” the change under controlled circumstances. Effective leaders allow their people to experiment with the process of change in order for them to begin to anticipate its effects.

5. The change proposal was well prepared (vv. 1-7, 19-23, 30-33). God anticipated Peter’s questions and had evidence ready to support his answers. When introducing change, wise leaders will be prepared to answer questions that might arise.

6. God didn’t ask Peter to “change”; he invited him to participate in improving what Peter loved. Peter quickly saw the advantage of the new over the old (v. 34). Early in the process, God demonstrated the benefits that the “new” would produce (vv. 44-46). Abandoning the comfort of the status quo can be threatening, and understanding leaders will help their followers to recognize the improvements the change will bring about.

7. God convinced a key leader and allowed that leader himself to champion the change (Acts 11:1-18). Individuals are easier to work with than a group. Some changes need the support of a few key leaders who will then help others to reconcile themselves to the new circumstances.

Changing and Staying the Same – At the Same Time?

Change is important. But it’s also important to cling to core values. Peter experienced that tension, and God helped him facilitate change while not abandoning his core values. James C. Collins and Jerry I. Porras help us to understand the importance of both change and core values to a leader. In their excellent book Built to Last, they note that once a visionary company identifies its core ideology, it preserves it almost religiously – changing it seldom, if ever. They conclude:

[C]ore values in a visionary company form a rock-solid foundation and do not drift with the trends and fashions of the day. In some cases, the core values have remained intact for well over one hundred years…. Yet, while keeping their core ideologies tightly fixed, visionary companies display a powerful desire for progress that enables them to change and adapt without compromising their cherished core ideals.⁷

Collins and Porras effectively make the point that capable leaders, who recognize their core values, can change practices and procedures to enable their organization to move forward.

Acts 16 is a record of Paul’s missionary travels. He was not one to be haphazard in his planning, but he remained open to the leadership of his Lord:

Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him. “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

Acts 16:6-10

Paul had his itinerary and his maps. “Bithynia or Bust” was written on the side of his donkey. But God changed this to “Macedonia or Bust!” Change – new direction. But Paul’s core value was not Bithynia. It was fulfilling God’s desire to expand his kingdom. Because he didn’t confuse his desire (to go to Bithynia) with his core value (to follow God’s call), Paul enthusiastically “sailed straight for Samothrace” (v. 11). Like Paul, all godly leaders need the ability to hold to core values while making those changes necessary to advance their cause.

Leonard Sweet is the dean of the Theological School and vice president at Drew University in Madison, New Jersey. He has written extensively to church leaders about the need to distinguish between content and containers. In his book AquaChurch, he writes,

Water is a liquid that fills the shape of any receptacle. As long as we trust the water and don’t tamper with the recipe – don’t dilute it, thicken it, or separate its ingredients – the content can remain the same while containers change…. I am a virtual fundamentalist about content. I am a virtual libertarian about containers. Only in Jesus the Christ did the container and content become one. Jesus’ comments about new wine in old wineskins reminds us that we cannot make an idolatry of any form or container. We must not elevate an ecclesial form to the level of authority or primacy that belongs only to the content…. The mystery of the gospel is this: It is always the same (content), and it is always changing (containers). In fact, for the gospel to remain the same, it has to change…. In fact, one of the ways you know the old, old truths are true is their ability to assume amazing and unfamiliar shapes while remaining themselves and without compromising their integrity.⁸

One of the great hymns of the church says, “God is the Fountain whence ten thousand blessings flow.” God is a fountain. St. Gregory of Nyssa used this imagery when he wrote:

If anyone happened to be near the fountain which Scripture says rose from the earth at the beginning of creation…he would approach it marveling at the endless stream of water gushing forth and bubbling out. Never could he say that he had seen all the water…. In the same way, the person looking at the divine, invisible beauty will always discover it anew since he will see it as something newer and more wondrous in comparison to what he had already comprehended.⁹

A fountain is still, yet it moves, constant and ever-changing, quiet and savage. It welcomes and warns. It goes up and down, in and out all at the same time. It’s water, but not the way most of us normally think of water. Innovative and faithful simultaneously, just like God, just like godly leaders.

¹Robert Mankoff, The New Yorker 9/9/2002.

²A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy (New York: Harper and Row, 1961), p. 52.

³James S. Steward, The Gates of New Life (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1937), pp. 245-246.

⁴Larry Hall, No Longer I (Abilene, TX: ACU Press, 1998), p. 127.

⁵Luder G. Whitlock, Jr., The Spiritual Quest (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2000), pp. 148-149.

⁶Jim McGuiggan, The God of the Towel (West Monroe, LA: Howard Publishing, 1997), p. 178.

⁷James C. Collins and Jerry I. Porras, Built to Last (New York: Harper Collins, 1994), pp. 8-9.

⁸Leonard Sweet, AquaChurch (Loveland, CO: Group Publishing, 1999), pp. 28-30.

⁹St. Gregory of Nyssa, Commentary on the Song of Songs (Brookline, MA: Hellenic College Press, 1987), p. 201.

Character

2008-02-11T16:38:00.000+07:00

By: Kenneth Boa Th.M.; Ph.D.; D.Phil. (Bio)

People generally don’t like being called “Dummies.” And yet how can we explain the overwhelming success of a series of books aimed at dummies? Beginning with the November 1991 publication of DOS for Dummies, the series now has more than 100 million books in print, dealing with everything from exercise and nutrition to managing finances to planning a European vacation.

From the very beginning, the concept was simple but powerful: Relate to the anxiety and frustration that people feel about technology by making fun of it through books that are educational and humorous – books that make difficult material interesting and easy. Throw in a dash of personality and some entertaining cartoons and – presto – you have a …For Dummies book!

The Old Testament book of Proverbs does much the same thing (minus the cartoons). It takes the timeless wisdom of God and makes it easy to understand for regular people with no theological training. You could call the book of Proverbs Wisdom for Dummies.

The Old Testament proverbs were collected and written down to help us make one of the most vital and basic choices in life – the choice between wisdom and folly, walking with God or walking on our own. In the book of Proverbs both wisdom and folly are described as people who walk through the streets of the city and call out to us, hawking their wares and beckoning us to taste a sample (Proverbs 1).

Solomon, who is credited with authoring the book of Proverbs, provides us with an excellent jumping off point for developing the character qualities essential to good leadership:

My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.

Then you will understand what is right and just and fair – every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.

Proverbs 2:1-11

Leaders cultivate character by acquiring wisdom and understanding. Of course, those possessions don’t come without a price. They require the kind of dedicated and patient labor exercised in mining for gold and silver. Leaders must diligently “search” for the wisdom that is buried within God’s Word like treasure covered by layers of earth and rock. That means using the right tools and exercising patience and diligence as we spend time immersed within this life-changing book. As Marjorie Thompson writes, “It would be nice if we could simply ‘practice the presence of God’ in all of life, without expending energy on particular exercises. But the capacity to remember and abide in God’s presence comes only through steady training.”¹ You cannot pay someone else to develop your character strength any more than you can pay them to develop muscles for you. If you want to grow stronger, you will have to push the weight yourself.

Neither can you expect to have a muscular character overnight. It requires effort and time. Douglas J. Rumford says, “Character is like physical exercise or any form of learning; you cannot ‘cram,’ hoping to do in a day or week what can only be accomplished by months and years of consistent practice.”² This is why the writer of Proverbs uses words that call his readers to energetic and passionate action.

As we dig, we must ask God to provide us with insight and understanding. Ultimately, only God can open our eyes to see spiritual truth and then enable us to apply that truth to our lives (Ephesians 1:18). As God fills our minds with wisdom, our character will develop so that we’ll possess the ability to consistently make right choices – choices that are just, fair and moral. As Henry Blackaby and Claude King note in their book Experiencing God:

Once you come to believe God, you demonstrate your faith by what you do. Some action is required…. You cannot continue life as usual or stay where you are, and go with God at the same time…. To go from your ways, thoughts, and purposes to God’s will always requires a major adjustment. God may require adjustments in your circumstances, relationships, thinking, commitments, actions, and beliefs. Once you have made the necessary adjustments you can follow God in obedience. Keep in mind – the God who calls you is also the One who will enable you to do His will.³

As we seek to possess God’s wisdom, we’ll be able to move beyond simply expressing the vision and values of a leader. We’ll possess the kind of character from which lofty visions and values flow, the kind of character that isn’t swayed by public opinion or fear but pursues true greatness and knows Who the real audience is. Our character will be truly godly, so that others will delight in following us.

God: He’s Quite a Character!

Think about the people you know and admire. Do you know any wise parents, mothers and fathers who demonstrate sound judgment in how they conduct their lives and raise their children? Do you know any grandparents who know when to cheer and when to rebuke, when to be tender and when to use force? Have you ever had a teacher who knew when to give advice and when to just listen, when to instruct and when to let life’s consequences be the teacher? Now try to put a value on those wise insights. How much are they worth?

We all esteem people who possess wisdom in their inward character. If we admire these quality people, how much more should we value the perfection of the living God from whom all wisdom, patience and discernment is derived?

When Moses asked God to reveal his glory to him, the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence” (Exodus 33:18-19). God had to shield Moses from the fullness of his glory by covering him in the cleft of a rock, and as he passed in front of Moses, God accompanied this awesome display by proclaiming the perfection of his own character:

And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.”

Exodus 34:6-7

When God revealed himself as the compassionate and gracious God who is slow to anger, who abounds in love and faithfulness, who maintains love to thousands and who forgives wickedness, rebellion and sin, he made it clear this his personal character is the absolute standard by which all of these qualities are defined. God is accountable to no one, and there is no higher standard to which he must conform. As the great thinker Anselm said in the 11^th century: “God is that than which nothing greater can be conceived.”

Anselm originally made this statement in an attempt to prove God’s existence. But as Michael Witmer points out,

The real legacy of Anselm’s argument is not its attempt to prove God’s existence but rather how it teaches us to speak about God. If God is “that than which nothing greater can be conceived,” then we know there are certain things we must say about him. For starters, we must use only our best words to describe him. God must be righteous, powerful, loving, and kind – all the things that it is better to be than not to be. We may disagree about what items should go in the list…but we all agree that the list must include all the great-making properties we can imagine….

God is qualitatively superior to anything in his creation. There is nothing that compares with the greatest possible being. He is in a class by himself – literally.⁴

God’s own eternal and uncompromising character is the unchanging standard that gives ultimate meaning to love, graciousness, faithfulness and forbearance. And yet the incredible call of the gospel is that fallen creatures such as we are can now begin to reflect our Father’s character in our own lives. The One who is goodness in his essence, the One who defines virtue by his very being, promises to empower those who will trust him enough to live according to his will.

Character from the Inside Out

People are not impressed by façades or manipulation, but by authenticity and by those who are genuinely other-centered. Character is not a matter of outward technique but of inner reality. God is concerned with what you are really like when no one else is looking. Douglas Rumford, in discussing the sad situation of a Christian leader who lost his ministry due to sexual misconduct, explains that this kind of thing is bound to happen when we allow a “character gap” to develop in our lives. He writes,

The character gap is a weakness that will one day become apparent, when the circumstances or stresses of life converge and reach a breaking point. We may be able to coast for a while, and we may feel quite secure. But raw talent, personality, and fortunate circumstances cannot substitute for the forging of inner holiness, resilience, and the convictions that comprise integrity of character.⁵

Second Peter 1:5-8 lists the qualities of life and godliness that God wants for each of his children:

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The character qualities listed in these verses are admirable, but they are also overwhelming. We may aspire to these characteristics, but is it really possible for us to attain them? The answer, both from Scripture and from sheer human experience, is a resounding, “No!” In our own strength, this kind of character is not merely difficult to attain; it is impossible to attain.

If it were simply a matter of fitful human effort, the attempt would be futile. So what are we to do? Shall we simply throw up our hands and walk away from the text, claiming that it makes impossible requests? That would be foolish. What we should do is pay attention to the context into which Peter wrote those words.

The sentences just prior (2 Peter 1:3-4) provide the necessary key: In Christ we have been permitted to access God’s divine power and have been granted the incomprehensible privilege of participating “in the divine nature.” There is only one person who is able to live the Christlike life: Jesus Christ himself. You cannot live the life he calls you to without him (John 15:5). Only as you maintain your connection to him can he live this life through you. As Martin Luther said, “It is not imitation which brings about our sonship of God, but our sonship which makes possible imitation.”⁶ We have not only received a new nature in Christ (Romans 6:6-13), but we are also indwelled by the Holy Spirit, whose power within us makes it possible for us to manifest these qualities of Christlike character.

True spiritual and character transformation takes place from the inside out, not from the outside in. The attributes of faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love flow from the life of Christ that has been implanted within us.

Peter: A Case Study in Character

It’s easy to read Peter’s inspirational words and wonder, “Who writes this stuff? Where do people with such ideals and insights come from?” Well, the man who wrote those inspiring words, the man who exhorted us on to such strength of character, didn’t always live up to those same ideals.

The man who called himself “a witness of Christ’s sufferings” (1 Peter 5:1) was not there when Jesus was hanging on the cross; he was hiding in fear. The man who calls us to be “eager to serve” (1 Peter 5:2) remained seated while Jesus washed the disciples’ feet. The man who tells us that we should “be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray” (1 Peter 4:7) fell asleep while Jesus was sweating blood. The man who so boldly tells us to “submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men” (1 Peter 2:13) lopped Malchus’ ear off in the Garden (John 18:10-11).

None of this is meant to demean Peter. The point here is to give us hope. This man Peter, who was so impulsive and immature, grew into a great leader of the church. The Peter we read about in the four Gospels became the Peter we read about in the book of Acts and the Peter who wrote two epistles. It took time and effort, but God transformed him. And the same Holy Spirit who worked this transformation in Peter’s life is actively at work transforming those of us who have placed our faith in Christ.

The Gospels leave the reader with two impressions of Peter. The first is that he was at times a comically impulsive character. Twice he jumped out of perfectly seaworthy boats, fully clothed. He challenged Jesus; he spoke out of turn; at times, he seemed to demonstrate more energy and creativity than was appropriate for the moment. But it is that very energy and creativity that underlie the second impression of Peter.

Peter was the disciples’ unofficial leader. He often served as their spokesperson. He was one of the three disciples in Jesus’ “inner circle.” Certainly after Jesus’ departure, the disciples looked to Peter to give them direction. Luke’s record of the church’s early years (the book of Acts) leaves no doubt about Peter’s leadership.

This seemingly conflicting combination of qualities exists in many young leaders and may be identified by a term such as “high mental energy.” Peter was always thinking, and he always thought with a view toward action. When he heard “question,” he immediately thought “answer.” When he observed “problem,” he thought “solution.” When he encountered “options,” he thought “decision.” But he also demonstrated the unfortunate side of that same characteristic. When he heard “silence,” he thought “talk.” When he encountered “disagreement,” he thought “challenge.” “Error” (or at least Peter’s perception of error) sparked “correction.” But whatever the situation, at the very least he did think, and his thinking inevitably led to action.

In his younger years Peter exercised little constraint, and his answers, solutions, decisions and speech sometimes seemed buffoonish. At times his behavior was perceived as insensitive, unconsidered and immature. But like many great leaders, Peter survived himself. With Jesus’ guidance, Peter’s fertile and active mind matured. Through all of his experiences he developed a more-godly, Christlike character. This maturity led his thinking process into more productive channels. He collected, sorted and connected information. He honed his reasoning skills. Peter became a leader because he was not afraid to make a decision. And his godly character informed the decisions he made.

Anyone serving under a leader who suffers “paralysis by analysis” will appreciate Peter’s quick response time. Anyone working in an organization in which “decision by indecision” is the rule understands why people were drawn to Peter. As we follow Peter’s life through the Gospels and then hear his mature voice resonate throughout his two epistles, we appreciate this optimistic, energetic, highly intelligent man of action and deep character. In fact, the Gospel of Mark, which many believe Peter dictated to Mark, is the Gospel that portrays Jesus as a man of action and urgency. The Greek word translated “immediately” is used 42 times in Mark’s 16 chapters.

When the church was on the move, when both the Roman and Jewish leaders were opposing it, when Christians were being martyred for their faith, someone needed to make quick, Spirit-led decisions. And we can only imagine the kinds of issues that could have splintered this frail organization when the church leaped over its cultural boundaries to include Greek-speaking Jews, then Samaritans, then local Gentiles, then Asians and Greeks and Romans. Because Peter was a leader whose ego could endure the threat of disagreement, challenge or even a bad decision, he was not afraid to act. He was not careless, nor did he deal frivolously with critical matters. His godly character wouldn’t allow that. But he was not afraid to move, and under his leadership the church got things done. Peter was a leader who made decisions that mattered.

Loving Your Way to Good Character

It’s amazing what God can do with a person who wants to grow personally and develop character. The great news is that God wants you to grow as much as you can. He redeemed you for that purpose. To discover the lengths to which God will go to forge steel into our character, let’s walk through the smelting furnace along with Peter.

This man had denied Jesus at a critical time; yet later in his life he suffered beatings, imprisonment and eventually death rather than to deny him again. We all know that such character is not developed in a single event. We know that Jesus’ resurrection had a profound influence on Peter’s character transformation. But the manner in which Jesus helped Peter to recover from the worst failure of his life should afford us great encouragement about asking the same Lord Jesus to help us to develop strength of character as well.

Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee,” she said.

But he denied it before them all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.

Then he went out to the gateway, where another girl saw him and said to the people there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.”

He denied it again, with an oath: “I don’t know the man!”

After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them, for your accent gives you away.”

Then he began to call down curses on himself and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!”

Immediately a rooster crowed. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

Matthew 26:69-75

To discover just what this event represented to Peter, perhaps we should go back and read a passage from earlier in the same chapter:

Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me….

Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.”

“I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.”

But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same.

Matthew 26:31a, 33-35

At this earlier point, Peter’s strength of character could hardly be questioned. He said he was willing to die with Jesus if he had to. But the Son of God was right. That same night, Peter denied even knowing Jesus.

Following all of these events, Jesus was crucified and buried. Three days later he was raised from the dead and was seen briefly by Peter and the other disciples (John 20). But the first conversation between Jesus and Peter, recorded in John 21, shows how Jesus dealt with Peter’s failure:

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

Again Jesus said, “Simon, son of John, do you truly love me?”

He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.”

John 21:14-17

Notice Peter’s sound theological affirmation in verse 17: “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Peter was correct. Jesus wasn’t asking Peter the question because he needed to know that answer but because Peter needed to know that answer. Why was it so important for Peter to come to grips with his own answer to that question? It is important for you as well to determine whether your love for Jesus Christ is strong enough to enable you to develop the character qualities his Word encourages and demands. These are the qualities Peter lists in 2 Peter 1:5-8.

In the first 12 chapters of the book of Acts we see Peter as the prominent leader in the fledgling church. His strength of character and conviction are a source of inspiration, challenge and encouragement to many. Our Lord is still seeking men and women who will answer, “Yes Lord, you know that I love you,” and who will then develop the character qualities needed to be a godly leader.

Such character is forged in the small things of life. The big events of life can be viewed as final examinations which reveal the true nature of our inward selves. It is in the seemingly unimportant decisions that our character is strengthened bit by bit. C. S. Lewis used the image of the “central core” within each of us that is formed and molded by our choices:

People often think of Christian morality as a kind of bargain in which God says, “If you keep a lot of rules I’ll reward you, and if you don’t I’ll do the other thing.” I do not think that is the best way of looking at it. I would much rather say that every time you make a choice you are turning the central part of you, the part of you that chooses, into something a little different from what it was before. And taking your life as a whole, with all your innumerable choices, all your life long you are slowly turning this central thing either into a heavenly creature or a hellish creature: either into a creature that is in harmony with God and with other creatures, and with itself, or else into one that is in a state of war and hatred with God, and with its fellow-creatures, and with itself. To be the one kind of creature is heaven: that is, it is joy and peace and knowledge and power. To be the other means madness, horror, idiocy, rage, impotence, and eternal loneliness. Each of us at each moment is progressing to the one state or the other.⁷

The choices we make today determine our character. And we’ll take our character with us into eternity. Choose wisely!

¹Marjorie J. Thompson, Soul Feast: An Invitation to the Christian Spiritual Life (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 1995), p. 11.

²Douglas J. Rumford, SoulShaping: Taking Care of Your Spiritual Life (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 1996), p. 354.

³Henry T. Blackaby and Claude V. King, Experiencing God (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1994), pp. 147, 151, 153.

⁴Michael E. Witmer, Heaven Is a Place on Earth (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2004), p. 40.

⁵Rumford, Soul Shaping, p. 354.

⁶Quoted in Gordon S. Wakefield, The Westminster Dictionary of Christian Spirituality (Philadelphia, PA: Westminster Press, 1983), p. 209.

⁷C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York: Macmillan, 1943), pp. 86-87

Calon Peserta Sekolah Sabtu

2008-01-30T23:41:00.001+07:00

Campuran semua tingkat (dasar maupn lanjut).
1. Yandri (085228993993)
2. Yekti (081578054845)
3. Ferdinand (085290266654)
4. Wanta (085228966026)
5. Ferry (085213432073)
6. Kadek (081933051305)
7. Meta (085256603491)
8. Maya (085228842555)
9. Evi (08995207868)
10. Chocho (0852191429 dan 02746537375)
11. Mala (08157892573)
12. Lina (08170413881)
13. Sofi (081802745986)
14. Dedy (085656312855)
15. Dimas (081804099725)
16. Budi (081806050494)
17. Satria (085229319588)

Sekolah Sabtu PMK Teknik UKDW 2008

2008-01-30T23:14:00.000+07:00

Pengumuman :
Sekolah Sabtu akan dimulai pada Sabtu, 2 Februari 2008. Jam 06.30. Di belakang kapel UKDW.
Untuk sementara, ini berlaku untuk semua tingkat dalam Sekolah Sabtu

Kecolongan?

2008-01-22T12:03:00.000+07:00

Syalom..
Posting ini dimulai dengan pertanyaan : "berapa banyak bagian yang iblis curi dari kita selama tahun 2007 kemarin? "
Ya, iblis adalah pencuri..Dalam setiap bagian dalam hidup kita, iblis bisa mencurinya..
Jika kita lemah dan lengah, maka dengan mudah iblis akan mencuri bagian2 dalam hidup kita..
Dihubungkan dengan PMK, apakah ada bagian2 yang iblis curi dari PMK kita? Berapa banyak jiwa2 yang tadinya aktif, namun sekarang tidak terlihat lagi?Apakah kesatuan hati masih ada dalam PMK kita?Apakah semangat yang menyal-nyala masih ada dalam PMK kita?
Setiap kita tentu punya jawaban tersendiri..
Di tahun 2008 ini, mari berjaga-jaga dan berdoa dengan sungguh-sungguh..
Ya, kesungguhan hati sangat diperlukan dalam mengarungi medan PMK..Jangan kita berpuas apabila kita mencapai 'average'..
Ayo, jangan sampai kecolongan lagi..
GBU

Bahan Skul Sabtu Lanjut

2007-12-17T22:56:00.002+07:00

Sodara-sodara,

rencananya bahan skul sabtu lanjut aku ambil dari www.teal.org.uk, khususnya yang bagian "Leadership Character"...
Silakan dilihat dulu..
Kalo ada masukan atau tambahan, monggo..

Visi PMK Teknik UKDW (2)

2007-12-17T21:56:00.000+07:00

(lanjutan)
Apa itu Pemimpin yang melayani..?
Pemimpin->orang yang bisa memimpin baik diri sendiri maupun orang lain..
Orang yang tidak dapat memimpin dirinya sendiri, dapat dipastikan dia tidak dapat memimpin orang lain..
Melayani->bandingkan dengan hamba yang melayani tuannya..
Bila digabungkan dengan kata pemimpin, seakan terlihat bertentangan. Pada umumnya para pemimpin lah orang yang dilayani oleh bawahannya..
Yesus, seorang Pemimpin terbesar, memberi contoh hidup yang luar biasa ketika dia membasuh kaki murid2..di sinilah kerendahan hati NYA nampak.
Kerendahan hati mutlak diperlukan oleh seorang pemimpin..

Visi PMK Teknik UKDW (1)

2007-12-17T21:48:00.000+07:00

Visi PMK Teknik UKDW saat ini kurang lebih kata2 nya : 'pemulihan integritas kristen di pmk untuk menumbuhkan pemimpin2 yang melayani'..
Apa itu integritas Kristen?
sederhananya, integritas adalah "apa yang anda lakukan di hadapan teman2 sama dengan apa yang anda lakukan ketika anda sedang sendiri"..
Apabila anda terlihat baik di hadapan teman2, namun ketika anda sendiri anda 'tidak baik', dapat dikatakan anda tidak memiliki integritas..(munafik)..
adanya kata Kristen berarti berhubungan dengan Tuhan..
Secara sederhana (lagi) orang yang memiliki integritas kristen, tentunya hidupnya berkenan di hadapan Tuhan..

Syalom..

2007-12-14T08:52:00.000+07:00

Hai teman2 skalian..
Selamat berjumpa dengan blog gembala dan domba..
blog ini tercipta dengan ide dasar menyuarakan suara gembala dan mendengar suara domba-domba..
Gembala yang dimaksud adalah para anggota divisi penggembalaan PMK Teknik Universitas Kristen Duta Wacana..
Sedangkan domba2 adalah anda sekalian yang merasa dirinya adalah domba2nya Tuhan:-)
Kami harap blog ini dapat kita gunakan semaksimal mungkin sebagai ajang interaksi gembala-domba..
Silakan memberi comment apabila anda ingin mengomentari setiap posting yang ada..
Salam dugem (dunia gembala) :-)
thx.Gbu