It has been a few weeks I think since I came back to Father. Many things had happened. The first thing was the rededication of this blog to His cause. The second thing were improvements in my ministries for the church...

Tomorrow will become a big day. I will play as Judas Iscariot on the Easter Cantata* "The Power and The Glory". Although I will only play in 3 out of the 14 chapters included (respectively Hosanna, Remember Me, and The Crucifixion) which will only net me less than 15 minutes face-time (although I will play a major role in The Crucifixion, but even in that part I will only get about 2 minutes face-time, the face-time of the play team is short compared to the choirs), I still feel somewhat tense and unable to relax. This is my first ever part in a big ministry, in the past I only ministered in the "behind-the-screen" ministries. I can't get myself to calm down... *wipes sweat* I really hope that today I, and all of the people in this team, can give our best to fulfill God's glory and to show the love and sacrifices of Jesus to the congregation of my church, and also for the people watching the VCD.

"What VCD?", you may ask. The cantata will be recorded on VCD, and I'm planning to copy and send it to some of my friends. Actually I really hope that everyone here can watch it, but I can't upload it over the net (the overall cantata is about one hour, which will be hard to upload). So the best way I can do is to send them to a few friends who are within reach, notably Ann/Jessy, Pau, Juli, Chees, Angie and Eve. I will also copy one VCD for myself and I will bring it when I go to my friends' places in Jakarta this July/August so that they can also behold The Power and The Glory of The LORD (and more importantly also the love and sacrifices that He has given us).

If I can, I would ask for all your prayers and support for the whole team. The cantata will start around 5.30 pm tomorrow (which is 10.30 am GMT). We have done all we can, we have practiced all the time, and tomorrow we will give it all to God so that His magnificent glory will be shown through us. I am sorry if not all of you will have the chance to watch it, I sincerely hope that one day I may have the chance to send you the VCD. Oh, and by the way, the cantata is in Indonesian, so it's unlikely David, Marisa and Chette can understand even if I can send it >_<

Sigh... I deeply want you guys to see this... even as I am writing this, some of the songs are resonating inside my head... Father, forgive them, so the Saviour prayed... Father, forgive them, for they are not guilty... Father, forgice them, I have cleansed all of their sins... I think I will ask some of my friends to call me so that I will sing for them. Although I am not in the choirs, I do remember some of the songs, because some of them left a deep inspiration inside my soul and I long to sing them again and again. I just can't stop singing.... I just CAN'T stop singing....

* Cantata, according to the English dictionary:
\Can*ta"ta\, n. [It., fr. cantare to sing, fr. L. cantare intens of canere to sing.] (Mus.) A poem set to music; a musical composition comprising choruses, solos, interludes, etc., arranged in a somewhat dramatic manner; originally, a composition for a single noise, consisting of both recitative and melody.


••• Friday, April 09, 2004 •••
I Thirst         John 19:28-30

After this, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, Jesus said, I thirst. (John 19:28)

In the world history, the most cruel and terrifying punishment was the punishment of the cross. The criminal would be brought to the cross site, where he would be stripped naked, laid to the ground with his body on top of the cross. His hands would be stretched and nailed to the horizontal cross block. Then that horizontal block would be united with the vertical pole that have been raised on the ground. Then the criminal's feet would be tied or nailed to the cross. Behind his body, near the sitting place, a wooden stake was placed to help supporting the weight of the criminal. Under the heat of the desert sun in Middle East on the day, and the cold dry air on the night, the criminal was left to die in suffering because of dehydration dan hunger.

In normal conditions, 70% of an adult's body comprises of water, and it needs 6 to 8 cups of water each day. Even if we do not eat, we can survive for a few weeks, but if we do not drink, we can only survive for a few days. The Scripture recorded that Jesus held on for 6 hours on the Cross before He died (Mark 15:25,34). Near His death, Jesus shouted, "I thirst". An extraordinary thirst because of dehydration in Jesus' body was not caused only by His being put on the Cross, but it started when He was whipped and crowned by the crown of thorns. His blood and sweat have started to drain by then. In that kind of condition, He was pushed to lift His Cross to the Calvary, then we can understand why Jesus was not able to lift His Cross and He had to be replaced by Simon of Cyrene.

"I thirst", were not just plain words shouted by a man, but a cry from the Son of God in the brink of his sufferings as a whole man. God's love for mankind left Him in that kind of suffering so that we would be freed from the pain of Hell. When we remember His sacrifices, do the words "I thirst" ring in our ears, our minds and our hearts?


••• Friday, April 09, 2004 •••
Eli, Eli, Lama Sabakhtani?         Matthews 27:33-56; Psalm 22:1-2

And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? That is, My God, My God, why have You forsaken me? (Matthew 27:46)

A loud and heart-stabbing cry was heard from the Cross. No one could understand this, not even David. Indeed, under the gift of the Father, David wrote this word in his psalms, according to his bitter experience when he was pursued by his enemies. David's experience was unique because not everyone had a position and condition like he had. And this indicates to us that Jesus' experience was super-unique because on Earth there was and would be no one that have the same position and condition as He had.

The suffering was uncomprehensible by mankind because it was so cruel and devastating. For David, the suffering left a deep wound in his soul; for Jesus, that suffering even destroyed His entire soul. How could the "unity" between the Father and the Son got separated because of the load of sin that was burdened on the back of the Savior? No one can think and reflect this because this suffering can only be understood with a godly mind that we don't have.

Even though we cannot understand it, this matter don't have to hinder us from getting close to Him, because even if it was only Him that can lift the burden, He has done it for us. He willingly endured the most suffering moments on the Cross once and for all in mankind's history. He did it heartily for us so that the wrath of God will not be poured upon us. That's why the scriptures said that He understands us verily, no matter how many sufferings we have, He can feel it because what He endured was uncomparable to our pains. Let us be thankful to have a God like Him, even He is there, wherever and whenever we endure our pains and sufferings. He endured them and strengthened us so that we will be able to pass through the valley of shadows to the land of glory.


••• Thursday, April 08, 2004 •••
Woman, Behold Your Son!         John 19:25-27

"Then when Jesus saw His mother and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, Woman, behold your son! Then He said to the disciple, Behold your mother! And from that hour that disciple took her into his own home." (John 19:26-27)

The third saying of Jesus was for His mother and John, the disiple whom He loved. When she saw the sufferings of Jesus, when she saw her own Son was crucified, as a mother, Mary's heart must have been broken. Amidst all things that happened, Jesus still thought about His mother. It was such a wonderful thing that even on the Cross, Jesus still thought about the needs of His mother. The responsibility as a son was not being forgotten that easily by Him. He kept His commitment as a son even when He was on the Cross.

Realizing that His time was coming near, Jesus entrusted His mother to one of His disciples so that he would have taken care of her. This was a very touching moment. Actually Jesus had brothers, but the Scriptures recorded that not one of them was present during His crucifixion. And the closest relative that He had at that moment was John, His cousin, and so Jesus entrusted His mother to him.

Until the last second of His life, Jesus has shown an example of a son that has done good deeds to His parents. We must be thankful for our parents that God has placed in our lives. As a child, have we done our responsibilities? Have we shown them our attention and love? Can we learn from Jesus, where even in times of suffering and pain, we can still give our attention to our parents? Hopefully this devotional can help us to be children that really look up to our parents, so they can see the glory and love of God from our lives.


••• Wednesday, April 07, 2004 •••
Today You Shall Be With Me In Paradise         Luke 23:39-43
"And Jesus said to him, Truly I say to you, Today you shall be with Me in Paradise." (Luke 23:43)

During old times in Persia, there was one unique way that the king did to show respect to a man of special reputation. The man will be invited to to walk with the king in a garden called Paradise, a beautiful castle garden that belonged to the king. In the Scriptures, the word Paradise is used three times: in Luke 23:43, II Corinthians 12:4 and Revelations 2:7. This word has a meaning as the place where God resides, or "Heaven".

In His last moments on the Cross, Jesus said to the criminal that was put to the cross beside Him, "Today you shall be with Me in Paradise". This saying of Jesus was not just an invitation, but it was more of a proclamation that on that day there was a criminal that has received a place with Jesus in heaven. Not long after that, the criminal died. Every man will die, and we do not know and can't choose when, how, and where. But did we ever consider, that if death comes to us today, where will we be? Even if he was a criminal, but on the last seconds before death came to him, he realized who he was and who was Jesus that was beside him. He repented for his sins, and thus he gave all of his hopes to Jesus Christ. In the end, he received heaven.

Whoever you are, no matter how large are your sins, there is no "too late" for you as long as you will come to Him, repent for your sins, and receive Him as your personal Savior. Then Jesus will say to you, "Today you shall be with me in Paradise". Have you owned this precious gift today?


••• Tuesday, April 06, 2004 •••
I got an Easter Booklet from my church that contains teachings about the seven sayings that Christ said when He was on the Cross. I will translate them to English and put them here one by one starting from today until Sunday.

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Father, Forgive Them            Luke 23:33-38
"Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34)

When Jesus was on the Cross, He only said seven sayings. Those seven sayings were not too long but were very powerful. As humans, when we suffer, when we are persecuted, maybe our minds will be filled with anger, hatred, desperation and curses. Even more, if we suffer not because of our faults, then we will not be able to accept the injustice that happens. But when Jesus was put to the Cross, the first sentence that He said was "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do". On the Cross, Jesus was still consistent with the purpose of why He came to this world, that is to give forgiveness. There were no curses that came out from Him, but instead, what came out from Him were words of forgiveness. Jesus asked forgiveness for they that have persecuted and treated Him badly. Jesus also asked forgiveness for they that have put Him to the Cross.

Forgiveness is a very important matter that He did for us when He was on the Cross. Because of His sacrifice, now we have received forgiveness for our sins. Jesus gave forgiveness even when He was still nailed on the Cross. The Scriptures said that "All have sinned (Rome 3:23) and The wages of sin is death (Rome 6:23)". Actually it is us that must suffer, it is us that must be persecuted and nailed to the Cross. But Jesus has became our replacement. Today Jesus offers forgiveness from sins for us. Will you accept it?

If we have received forgiveness from Jesus, then how will we go on with our lives? Are we Christians that fill our lives with praises for Him so that our lives can magnify Him, or have we forsaken the great sacrifice of God?


••• Monday, April 05, 2004 •••