Loyal and Kindness

Never let loyalty and kindness get away from you! Wear them like a necklace; write them deep within your heart. Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will gain a good reputation. Proverbs 3:3-4 (NLT)Loyalty and kindness is like a precious jewelry, priceless but often despised in today's world. No matter where we are; school, work or even marriage, often deceit and cunningness are more favorable than loyalty and kindness. Many people think that deceit brings prompt advantages and does not have any consequences in their lives. It is a lie far from the truth of God.Proverbs teaches us that loyalty (including honesty) and kindness must be put around our neck and become a radiating values that will attract other people to us. Besides draping the two values around our neck, Proverbs also teaches us to write them in our hearts. This means making the two values an inseparable part our lives, because they really show who we really are.I am not surprised to see your lives crossing God's goodness and favor from men poured into your life. And there's also a good reputation in stored for your future.

a foreword by Ps. Jose Carol

Distinction of a True Friend

This is a continuation of my previous lesson on "Distinction of a true friend". God has placed us on earth not only that we enjoy it, but also we manage it in the brief time we have on earth. Therefore, it is important that we examine our life whether we invest in our life correctly i.e. that we affect eternal life and leave things that are fruitful on earth. Have you been wasting or even wasting it.
If you mess today, you may have to erase tomorrow
In the last lesson I discussed on The Five characteristics of a true friend, on how we select our friend or how we bring someone to the next level in our relationship.
Introduction may happen by chance But friendship and relationship are result of a decision
Proverbs 27:19 of the Living Bible says "A mirror reflects a man's face, but what he really is shown by the kind of friends he chooses."
The lesson learned here is : A true friend will love you anyway regardless of what your situation is. "A friend is one who comes in when the whole world has gone out"
Your wife might not be as pretty that you can buy with your wealth and success. You've got to realize that has accepted you the way you are even before you become successful. If she has given her best years for you, I think this is the right time for you to pay her back. (Why am I saying this? Because this has happened many times)
In addition, I also shared, that a friend is someone who confronts you with the truth and will say things that you should hear rather than what you will hear.
There is no progress without learning, and there is no learning without feedback
If in the first lesson I have talked about how you observe a person and the criteria that we have to find in a (true) friend, today I am inviting you think about three (3) questions which I hope this will help you becoming a person that deserved to be called a friend, why? Because
The type of friend I am is the type of friend I will attract.
Three (3) questions that I will ask you?
Question #1: Are you the kind of person that encourage others the way God has encourage you?
Just recently I was conducting a service at a long time friend who was celebrating his son's birthday. They don't attend service at JPCC. Meanwhile, I met a young person who was conducting praise and worship during the service. Later I found out that he did not work although he just completed two programs at the bible school. I asked what he did for a living? His reply was that God had asked him to be quiet and to become a "pendoa syafaat". I went further to ask him what how he paid his bills. His reply was waiting for "blessing from God and waiting for a call" if there was someone who needed a prayer. I still asked him if he participated in any ministries in his church. His reply was that he participated in "worship" at the Sunday school. I insisted whether it was praise and worship leader in Sunday school? His answer was negative. He only took part in the worship and was not in the praise. According to him "praise" and "worship" are not alike.
The point I am trying to make is, that there are many among us who don't have vision in the their lives. Since I met that person my question was "What people will do to help him becoming the best he can be that God has made him" I did not know him in person, however, at that short meeting I believed that he's got more potential than what he was doing.
A challenge will always brings out the best in us
You are called to be the best in everything but you can be the best you can God has made you to be. Date Leader - Do you challenge people the best they can be? Parents/Leaders/Boss of a company.
How do you encourage people becoming the best they can be? How to challenge others becoming the best they can be?
1. When you encourage people, it needs to be real, when you encourage others, it has to come from within, honest, and pure not and it is not manipulating. Ken Blanchard wrote in his book entitled The One Minute Manager - " Catch people doing something right and then tell them".
This principle works in parenting and leadership. Manipulative encouragement: You can, although you are sure by saying that we will give him false hope.
2. It needs to be regular. Perpetually. Don't be stingy to those around you. Your praise should not only occur on Christmas.
3. It needs to be recognizable. To be effective it has to be precise The more specific it is, the greater the impact is.
Some people don't give praise precisely enough. Has another person complemented you but you didn't think it was a compliment.
Examples -Pastor, your sermon was….(sigh) Wom!!!, what do you mean? Good, awesome, touching, encouraging? It has to be precise. A husband would say something to his wife like "splendid" or "you must have spent lots of time preparing this meal". I really appreciate it.
Question #2: Do you have the guts to warn another person?
There is no progress without learning. There is no learning without feedback.
We need feedback that is honest to improve ourselves. Proverbs 27:17 - Iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the face of his friend. Do you have the guts to say to your friend "you are wasting your life". They don't just let people waste their life in silence.
Proverbs 27:6 (Good News) - A friend means well even if it hurts you.
You have got to realize that a reprimand does not intend to expose your weakness nor faults. A man doesn't need another person to expose his mistakes. You have to tell another person for his or her own interest. You have got to be sincere. (It is not a place to retaliate)
Questions #3: Do you tell people what you know? Do you show them what you know? To give an illustration of a Kung Fu master who saves the best moves for last.
Do you share what you have or do you want what they have? Are you generous enough? Generosity is an attitude of your heart and it has nothing to do whether you are rich or poor, whether you have it a lot or little.
The type of friend I am is the type of friend I will attract.
Type of a stingy person 1. How to enjoy without having to pay anything? 2. To do something out of circumstances only. EVERYTHING you do always is based on needs. You are moved not out of "abundance" Your gift is based on other people's need but not out of "abundance" and "generosity" of your heart.
Whilst you want to "laugh" with those who are in gladness, you change your mind after seeing that someone is already "laughing" with him. You are supposed to do it out of generosity and truth. You don't do it because of needs.
It does not matter how many people laugh with him/her, or people who "celebrate" with him/her, you are still going to be there to celebrate. Rome 12:15 - Rejoice with rejoicing ones, and weep with weeping ones.
This can happen to a wealthy person too, but can be overcome by a person who does not have much.
HOPE TO FIND A TRUE FRIEND IN EACH ONE OFF YOU.
(Source : Ps. Jose Carol)

Forth-tell or Fore-tell

Hebrew 11:1Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.Romans 10:17So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.Just like a man building a house, what is the use of building the foundation when he does not know what he wants to build. What will you say when you see a person starts building a foundation, and when asked what he is building, all you get as the answer is,” We are still trying to figure out, the important part is the foundation, right?” Or,” We are trying to build something, let us see whether it becomes a good building, if it doesn’t happen, it’s also OK. At least we try…”Likewise our Christian lives. Yes, faith that comes by hearing the word of God is the foundation, but don’t we forger that the word of God talks about “something we hope for”. Do we know for sure what he hope for? Have we hope for it? Let us really hpe for it like we hope for our own salvation. A farmer who sows grain expects to reap.. grain.We often can answer confidently in regards to our salvation. But, how confident are we about the statement “give and you will be given”? Can we hope with the same hope we have for our salvation? Both are equally God’s promises written in the bible.The next thing after having the foundation of faith and hope is prophesy. We need to speak forth about the things we hope for. Speaking forth is different to foretelling. To foretell is to tell beforehand or to predict, or often common Christians call it the act of “claiming”.To forth-tell or to speak forth towards the things we hope for is to speak on behalf of the future. Not just muttering words, but speaking with authority. We can have authority when we have the word of God as the base of our words. And we can only use the word of God when he have heard the verses before. Isn’t this what is called by faith comes by hearing the word of God?So, to forth-tell: speaking on behalf of the future, is like we already have it in the fuure time, and we bring that confidence to our present time. We speak it with full authority because we have the word of God (that we have heard before) as our foundation.Happy forth-telling…..God bless you !

By Johnny Herjawan is a General Manager of BCA Card Center, and also the VISA Asia Pasific Risk Advisor for Indonesia. Jonny also serves as a General Manager of JPCC Office. With his wife, Grace, they are blessed with Joshua (15), Natasha (8), Karen (5), dan Danicca (2,5).

Come Home

Grace is hard to explain as a concept. But it’s easy to understand when you’re a recipient.I was 13 years old, living in Singapore. One afternoon, I had just received the results for my Primary School Leaving Examination. The exam would determine whether I qualified for the Express Stream which was a four-year secondary school course implicitly reserved for the smarter kids, or whether I would be condemned to the Normal Stream. A five-year alternative for kids who are “slow to learn”. I hadn’t studied very much. (Ironically, I was spending too much time in church activities.)And I knew I deserved what was coming. I was admitted to the Normal Stream.It wouldn’t have been much of a big deal to anyone, unless you come from a clan chock full of high achievers with expectations of cosmic proportions. Precisely the kind of family I was born into.I remembered roaming around the neighborhood mall for the next few hours. Head low. Ashamed. I was a disappointment to my family who had invested in my overseas education. I was afraid to go home. Eventually I mustered enough courage to return and break the news to my mom. She didn’t comment. What came next was a phone call. It was an aunt of mine. “You’re a disgrace to the family! None of your cousins performed so poorly! You’re the worst”I still don’t know how she found out so quickly. But it didn’t matter. I was devastated and heart broken. I buried myself in my bed crying.A couple of hours later, my dad returned home. I overheard my mom telling him what had happened. I saw him pick up the phone next to my bedroom door. He called my aunt. And he yelled at her. He defended me.In short, he had told her that she had no right to say such things to me, his son. And that if there’s anything that he disapproves of, only he alone would have the right to reprimand.I was shocked. I had expected some sort of punishment. But instead, he said that he’s convinced I’ve tried my best, and that I’m capable of much better.I didn’t understand what it was that I felt that night. Whatever it was, it motivated me to work my tails off the next year. I was a top performer in class. Got transferred to the Express Stream. Was placed in the top 25 percentile class of performers the following year. Today as I look back. I have come to understand. “It” was grace. I had deserved punishment, but received acceptance instead. Regardless of my performance, I am still my father’s son. No matter how I feel, I should never be afraid to come home. And it’s power - It motivates and enables me to change for good.The Bible says in Luke 11:13 “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" (New International Version)The point of this passage is not that our earthly fathers are evil. I believe it’s saying that as good as they are, they look evil compared to the goodness of our Father in heaven.The degree of grace that my dad displayed toward me is dwarfed by the grace that our Father has shown us, by sending Jesus Christ to redeem us from our futile lives.Which leaves me to ask.Do you think you deserve punishment? In Him you’ll find acceptance. And regardless of your performance, He still calls you His sons and daughters. Come to Him, and receive the power and enabling to accomplish His will and to do what is right.And no matter how you feel, don’t be afraid to come home.

By Kenny Goh