ACCEPTING MY DESIGN

Accepting My Design
by Os Hillman www.marketplaceleaders.org

"Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?" (Rom 9:21).
My wife and I like to go to movies. She often comments about the lips of beautiful actresses: "Check those lips out! Boy, God sure short-changed me in the lip category," she laments. She has always felt her lips were too thin. Her girlfriends find her concern humorous and often kid her about it.
Have you ever wished that God made you differently? Perhaps you wished you were more athletic or could have a totally different career. Or perhaps you wished you were prettier or taller or even have a different nose.
God made every person differently and for different purposes. Not everyone is made to be in the public eye. Some are made to serve behind the scenes. It is important to know and be at peace with how and why God made you.
Paul tells us in Romans that we are all crafted out of the same clay. There is no one molded and shaped like you, No one has the exact personality as you. Your DNA is one of a kind.
God uses the common to produce the uncommon. No matter how inferior you may feel you are in a particular area, God desires to use you for His purposes. Your unique qualities are made to fit with the way He plans to use you for His purposes. This is why we must accept our uniqueness. We want His power to be manifested in our uniqueness.
Thank God today for the way He made you.

PENYIARAN KESAKSIAN DAVE BROOS

SHALOM UNTUK REKAN-REKAN YANG BERLANGGANAN TV KABEL, ANDA DAPAT MENYAKSIKAN KESAKSIAN SAYA DI CHANNEL "O", PADA HARI INI PUKUL 20.00. GBU, ALL

DARK, UGLY, STINKY THINGS

DARK, UGLY, STINKY THINGS
 
A few months ago I began to hear something in my spirit; something rather startling and yet exciting! This is what I heard:
 
"God specializes in taking ugly, dark, stinky things and transforming them into beautiful, bright, fragrant things for His glory and for our good."
 
As I thought about it, I became convinced that it was a word from the Lord to me, but also a word that God wanted me to share with others. From that time I have believed that word and have said it often to myself and to others. Then the other day on one of my prayer walks I asked the Lord to give me scriptural grounds for such a statement. He gave me three:
 
        "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them." NLT
 
        Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers and the Lord used their selfish, stinking, murderous act as a means of their own salvation, for it was Joseph who was used of God to provide food for them years later when they and their families were starving.
 
        The most heinous, dark, ugly, stinky thing mankind ever did was when we nailed the Son of God to that cross and watched him die. But God turned that foul deed into the means for the salvation of the world.
 
The story is told of a survivor of a shipwreck who was washed up on a small, uninhabited Island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but all in vain.

          He eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his meager possessions.

          But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames. The worst had happened; everything was lost. He was stunned with grief and anger.

          "God, how could you do this to me?" he cried. He went to sleep that night in a state of deep grief and discouragement. Early the next day he was awakened by the sound of a ship approaching the island. As the boat from the ship touched onto the shore he ran into the surf shouting, "How did you know I was here?"

          "We saw your smoke signal,"

          That which now seems to be nothing but total tragedy may be the instrument in the hands of God to bring you into total victory.

          "HE WHO HAS JESUS AND EVERYTHING ELSE HAS NO MORE THAN HE WHO HAS JESUS AND NOTHING ELSE." - C. S. Lewis

          Winston Churchill, the British Prime Minister during World War II, was invited to do the commencement speech at Yale University right after the war. He walked to the podium and stood looking at the vast audience for a long moment, then began his speech. The graduates and their invited guests sat waiting to savor every word of the great orator as he began to speak. Churchill boomed out the words:
 
"NEVER GIVE UP!"

(long pause) 
 
"NEVER, EVER GIVE UP!"

(another long pause)

       "NEVER, NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP!"
He stood there in silence for a long time looking out over the audience, then turned and walked back to his seat on the platform and sat down.     It was the shortest commencement address in the history of the University . . . but it might be the only one that will never be forgotten.
 
 
Robert & Joni Fitts
www.robertfitts.com

Where it all Starts
All fruitfulness flows out of intimacy. Out of the womb of prayer, praise and worship all things in the kingdom of God are conceived, nurtured, and brought to birth to the glory of God and for the good of mankind.

 A Declaration of Unity
I belong to everything that belongs to Jesus and everything that belongs to Jesus belongs to me! It's not us and them. It's just us! There's only one Body of Christ, and the problems of the church, the whole church, are our problems, for we are the church and we can do more united than we can do divided! So let's unify, simplify, and multiply!
 
Divine Appointment Prayer
Father, give me a divine appointment today with someone who is hungry for God, or sick, or in need, and give me grace to minister the love of Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit.
 
A Prayer for More Workers and More Miracles
Father, send more laborers into this harvest and grant us boldness to speak your word, by stretching forth your hand to heal and that signs and wonders be done in the name of Jesus. 

Winning the War on Terrorism Through Prayer
"Father, give every terrorist in the world an encounter with Jesus like Saul of Tarsus had on the road to Damascus."

LAW, NO! GRACE, YES!
The law demands, demands, demands, but gives me neither feet nor hands.
Now Grace and Truth are better things, they bid me fly and give me wings!

"DAVE, I CALL YOU AS AN INTERNET MINISTER"

“DAVE, I CALL YOU AS AN INTERNET MINISTER”

(SEBUAH PANGGILAN UNTUK MELAYANI MEREKA YANG TERHILANG & ENGGAN KE “GEREJA”)

Tidak terasa sudah setahun kami berada di kota Bandung. Terkadang aku merasa sedih sebab merasa belum melakukan pelayanan secara optimal karena terkendala oleh faktor keuangan. Namun haruskah itu menjadi suatu alasan untuk tidak melayani Tuhan dengan segenap hati dan kekuatan? Ketika aku membandingkan pelayanan yang kini kukerjakan dengan apa yang selama ini kukerjakan selama di luar kota Bandung, rasanya sangat lambat apa yang kukerjakan disini. Apa yang Tuhan taruhkan dalam hati kami seolah sulit kami kerjakan, tiap kami share dengan organisasi gereja yang ada. Belum ada yang tertarik untuk mendukung kami sepenuhnya, bilamana ada pun mereka menghendaki tenagaku, “sebagai staf gereja” dan melupakan visi yang Tuhan taruhkan dalam hati kami. Haruskah kami menyerah karena masalah uang dan melupakan visi yang Tuhan beri?
Ada rekan-rekan yang mempertanyakan panggilan kami ke kota Bandung, banyak rekan yang menyarankan agar kukembali saja ke Surabaya dimana ada begitu banyak pintu pelayanan dan kesempatan yang dapat mengakomodasi visi tersebut. Kami pun pernah berpikiran begitu kalau boleh jujur. Mungkin kami salah mendengar suara Tuhan. Mungkin kami terlalu emosional. Tapi kota Bandung telah ada dalam hati kami sekeluarga.
Itulah pergumulan kami, kami sangat yakin akan panggilan Tuhan atas hidup kami atas kota Bandung namun mengapa perintisan kami berjalan begitu lambat? Adakah yang salah dengan kami? Apakah kami kurang doa? Apakah kami terlalu eksklusif? Beribu pertanyaan menghujam pikiran kami.
Saat asa mulai hilang dan lemah kekuatan kami, saat itulah Tuhan mulai berbicara pada kami. Saat kami ikut beribadah di GKA Bandung City Blessing, Tuhan berbicara padaku secara spesifik,”Dave, I call you as an internet minister.”
Lalu Tuhan mengingatkanku akan pelajaran yang kudapatkan di Surabaya dua tahun lalu dari Steve Knight yang memiliki pelayanan Cyber ministry, ia seorang pelayan Tuhan yang tergabung dalam pelayanan Billy Graham. Ada banyak pelayanan Kristen melalui media ini namun “really” do something to do outreach (sungguh-sungguh mengadakan penjangkauan) dapat dikatakan jarang atau hanya dilakukan sporadis.
Pada bulan Desember tahun lalu, Christo dari Gereja Oikos Surabaya, memperkenalkanku pada cara penggunaan blog. Sejak saat itu, aku mulai menulis artikel-artikel kembali. Seiring dorongan untuk menulis dari dua temanku Fanny Lesmana (editor Renungan Wanita dll) dan Juanda (editor Tabloid Keluarga) dan dua “bapa rohani”ku, Pr Christopher K dan Ko Sam (Samuel Saputra). Hingga akhirnya aku mulai membuat beberapa blog, mengaktifkan milist yang sudah beberapa tahun lalu aku buat, aktif menulis di beberapa website teman-teman (Pustaka Lewi, Terang Dunia, Sahabat Surgawi, dll) dan melakukan outreach melalui website persahabatan seperti Friendster, Hi5, Tagged, Christian Vibes, dll dan juga menggunakan program chatting untuk membina hubungan, konseling maupun doa. Kendala keuangan untuk start pelayanan pun teratasi. Pelayanan jenis ini tidak memakan biaya sebesar kita merintis persekutuan atau gereja dengan beragam fasilitas yang dibutuhkan.
Tuhan berbicara saat kami menyembah Dia dan semuanya menjadi jelas. Aku kini sadar bahwa Tuhan ingin aku tidak “old fashion”, dan memikirkan pola pelayanan yang itu-itu saja dan mengandalkan pengalaman pelayanan selama 17 tahun terakhir ini. Aku bertobat dan belajar peka, siap untuk taat dan ditertawakan orang sebab lagi-lagi “Dave” punya pelayanan yang aneh dan berbeda.
Waktu kupindah terpikir dalam benakku untuk merintis persekutuan atau gereja bagi anak-anak geng dan subkultur lainnya seperti punk dan sejenisnya namun ternyata first step dari Tuhan berbeda dengan ide baikku. God’s idea is not always same as my good idea (Ide Tuhan tidaklah selalu sama dengan ide baik saya).
Namun buah ketaatan itu indah, melalui pelayanan dunia maya, kita bisa menjangkau seluruh dunia dalam hitungan menit. Ada banyak orang tersentuh melalui tulisan-tulisan dan kesaksian kami, ada banyak orang yang meminta konseling dan dukungan doa, ada yang minta dimuridkan, namun tentu ada juga yang tidak suka dan marah. Semua itu indah, meski banyak orang mempertanyakan pelayanan jenis baru ini. Seperti salah satu mentor saya, Inban, ajarkan,” Sebagai pemimpin kau tidak bisa menyenangkan semua orang.” Saya menyadari pasti ada pro dan kontra, terlebih bila kita dipanggil untuk melayani kaum terbuang atau marginal dengan cara yang tidak umum pula.
Tuhan mengajarkan pada saya bahwa kini adalah saatnya bagi setiap kita membuka diri terhadap Tuhan dan mulai berpikir “out of the box” (di luar kotak).
Apakah anda tertarik juga untuk menjadi seorang internet minister? Ingat ada begitu banyak orang yang on-line setiap hari. Ada banyak kesempatan bagi anda untuk menjadi saksi Kristus bagi mereka. May God bless us all.

Ibu-Ibu PA Haleluya 17 Agustusan

LAPORAN PELAYANAN KAMI

LAPORAN PELAYANAN EAGLES NEST MINISTRIES AGUSTUS 2008

Lama kami tidak memberi kabar maupun berita dalam blog yang kami asuh. Pada akhir bulan Juli lalu, laptop kami terkena virus hingga pekerjaan kami tersendat. Kami tidak dapat menyetor tulisan kami ke Renungan Wanita. Puji Tuhan, pada akhirnya setelah bergumul dan mencari anti virus yang tepat….ta..na…we are back!!!! Kamsia untuk advice Christo dan adikku Lucille untuk dilemma menghadapi virus jenis worm Generic_c.M, yang sempat menghilangkan damai sejahteraku untuk menulis. Thanks untuk pengertian cs-ku tercinta editor Renungan Wanita, Fanny Lesmana, yang dapat mengerti kondisi kakaknya ini.
Thanks juga buat rekan-rekan di www.pustakalewi.net yang telah memuat banyak tulisan kami. God bless U 2, guys.
Akhir Juli lalu, kami sekeluarga (Dave dan Novie) diinterview oleh Berlian, dari CBN untuk mengisi acara Solusi di televisi. Puji Tuhan pada tanggal 5 Agustus lalu bertempat di Antapani-Bandung. Saya telah melakukan shooting untuk acara Solusi. Sedang untuk kesaksian Novie tertunda sebab para saksi/narasumber berada di Medan dan kami belum memiliki dana untuk membiayai mereka datang untuk proses shooting kesaksian Novie. Ya, tunggu waktu (kairos) Tuhan deh. Thanks untuk mbak sutradara Sutha, Ferry and the gang lainnya yang telah berlelah-lelah dari Jakarta. Makasih untuk Oma Elly yang telah jadi narasumber bersama istriku Novie, juga Om dan Tanteku keluarga Hotma Simanjuntak SH di Antapani.
Puji Tuhan, juga untuk PA Haleluya yang dipimpin istriku, Novie mulai berkembang secara kualitas dan kuantitas. Dukung doa dan juga dana untuk acara sosial yang akan kami lakukan untuk Panti Werda Karitas, yang kondisinya memprihatinkan di Cimahi. Target kami adalah membawa sembako bagi para lansia ini dan dana yang dibutuhkan adalah sekitar dua juta rupiah sekali kunjungan. Saat ini baru terkumpul sekitar 500ribu Rupiah dari sumbangan para anggota kelompok PA. Bagi yang terbeban dapat mentransfer dana ke rek BCA no 0081824788 atas nama Dave Broos. Bila anda mentransfer tolong beri tahu berapa jumlahnya dan juga kapan, agar tidak salah dalam pengalokasian dananya. Kami telah menargetkan membantu panti werda ini secara berkala terutama “di bulan-bulan sepi kunjungan”sebab mereka tidak memiliki donator maupun relawan tetap. Kami prihatin dengan kondisi ini.
PA Haleluya juga membutuhkan alat musik akustik, gitar sebab selama ini pujian penyembahan hanya dilakukan secara akapela. Hingga dua bulan terakhir ini kami pun pinjam pada tetangga kami..hahaha kacian deh lhu. Puji Tuhan untuk keluarga Panggabean yang telah dengan murah hati meminjamkan gitar akustik mereka tiap hari Jumat.
Praise God juga, bulan lalu akhirnya aku dapat menyelesaikan Diploma in the Deaconate and Ministry-ku dari Prophetic Voice Institute, yang dipimpin oleh Rev. Joseph Kostelnik PhD.
Tanggal 22 Agustus lalu merupakan HUT pernikahan kami yang ke sembilan..ih, tidak terasa ternyata rumahtangga kami sudah berjalan sekian lama…seperti baru kemarin kami menikah.
Selamat ulangtahun juga untuk GKB Cibadak dan Pak Yahya sebagai gembala sidang. Thanks untuk sobat lamaku, Suwita Antoro alias Dede.. atas undangannya. Maju terus teman-teman, meski daku sudah tidak di GKB lagi tetapi kita tetap satu dalam Tuhan dan memiliki tujuan untuk mengembangkan Kerajaan Tuhan.
Makasih untuk Pdt Amos Benyamin, GS GKB Eklesia Malang, yang masih sering kontak-kontak… thanks Bro…atas persahabatan kita.
Senang juga dapat kontak dengan kakak rohaniku, Hermina Usmany (Kak Nona) di Jakarta yang masih sibuk dengan outreach dan pendoa syafaat yang setia bagi kaum Kedar. Ayo, Kak Nona, kita terus bersyafaat sampai something happen…PUSH (Pray Until Something Happen) tea.
Kami juga berterimakasih pada keluarga besar GKA Bandung City Blessing yang telah menerima kami sebagai bagian keluarga dalam Kristus. Khususnya untuk Pastor Yosi (Yohanes Sudarmadji), Ibu Atiek dan anak2. God bless U all.
Untuk mensupport hidup sehari-hari saat ini, kami coba untukmensiasati dengan berjualan pakaian dan buku rohani, jualin barang-barang dari teman kami, Bram dan Lily. Thanks untuk kepercayaan kalian…teman. Juga beberapa usaha jual kaos kaki dan kain kiloan bersama Pak Deddi, salah seorang pengurus di GKA BCB….doakan agar kami berhasil….
Hidup masih pas-pasan…pas butuh pas ada….Tuhan tetap pelihara kami..meski harus mengalami pengalaman Elia di tepi Sungai Kerit.
Puji Tuhan juga untuk putra kami, Philip, yang telah duduk di kelas 3 dan terpilih jadi Ketua Kelas….good 4 U, my son, go for it..go for the things of God.
Oya, selamat atas pernikahanmu ya Sildo Soukotta di Surabaya..sori kakakmu ini tidak dapat menghadiri acara paling bahagia dalam hidupmu…Om Dan dan Tante Wel, selamat atas pernikahan Sildo….akhirnya!!!!
Untuk Ever Sopamena sekeluarga…makasih untuk update beritanya di Surabaya…memang kamu MR. KABAR-KABARI…hehehe.
Makasih untuk Gereja Oikos Surabaya dan Om Yo (Pnt Yohanes Hardjanto) yang telah banyak membantu. You guys are the best supporter 4 us. Juga untuk “komunitas rumah” Sriwedari…LungLung and the gang….thanks untuk support and doa kalian juga.
Juga semua anak-anak rohani dan keluarga rohaniku di Surabaya…we miss U, guys. Akur-akur disana…ya, saling membangun dan mendukung…doa kami beserta kalian semua…pokonya semua yang dulu pernah aktif baik di PD SYCC maupun GKB “CKB”/ICC. We still love and care for you guys. And also for our mentor in Surabaya, husband and wife, IC and R, I know that you don’t want me to mention any of your names but we want to really appreciate for every good influence and teachings that you have ever plant in our lives. We just want to say that what you guys plant in our lives is not useless. Thanks for the good and bad times that we ever go along together in the past. In everything that ever happen, the Lord use them to mold us, so His character is appear in us. I pray and hope, you guys have a fruitful and happy life in Surabaya.
Sekian dulu kabar-kabari kami dari Bandung.

DAVE, NOVIE AND PHILIP

DARK, UGLY, STUNKY THINGS

DARK, UGLY, STINKY THINGS
 
A few months ago I began to hear something in my spirit; something rather startling and yet exciting! This is what I heard:
 
"God specializes in taking ugly, dark, stinky things and transforming them into beautiful, bright, fragrant things for His glory and for our good."
 
As I thought about it, I became convinced that it was a word from the Lord to me, but also a word that God wanted me to share with others. From that time I have believed that word and have said it often to myself and to others. Then the other day on one of my prayer walks I asked the Lord to give me scriptural grounds for such a statement. He gave me three:
 
        "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them." NLT
 
        Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers and the Lord used their selfish, stinking, murderous act as a means of their own salvation, for it was Joseph who was used of God to provide food for them years later when they and their families were starving.
 
        The most heinous, dark, ugly, stinky thing mankind ever did was when we nailed the Son of God to that cross and watched him die. But God turned that foul deed into the means for the salvation of the world.
 
The story is told of a survivor of a shipwreck who was washed up on a small, uninhabited Island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but all in vain.

          He eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his meager possessions.

          But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames. The worst had happened; everything was lost. He was stunned with grief and anger.

          "God, how could you do this to me?" he cried. He went to sleep that night in a state of deep grief and discouragement. Early the next day he was awakened by the sound of a ship approaching the island. As the boat from the ship touched onto the shore he ran into the surf shouting, "How did you know I was here?"

          "We saw your smoke signal,"

          That which now seems to be nothing but total tragedy may be the instrument in the hands of God to bring you into total victory.

          "HE WHO HAS JESUS AND EVERYTHING ELSE HAS NO MORE THAN HE WHO HAS JESUS AND NOTHING ELSE." - C. S. Lewis

          Winston Churchill, the British Prime Minister during World War II, was invited to do the commencement speech at Yale University right after the war. He walked to the podium and stood looking at the vast audience for a long moment, then began his speech. The graduates and their invited guests sat waiting to savor every word of the great orator as he began to speak. Churchill boomed out the words:
 
"NEVER GIVE UP!"

(long pause) 
 
"NEVER, EVER GIVE UP!"

(another long pause)

       "NEVER, NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP!"
He stood there in silence for a long time looking out over the audience, then turned and walked back to his seat on the platform and sat down.     It was the shortest commencement address in the history of the University . . . but it might be the only one that will never be forgotten.
 
 
Robert & Joni Fitts
76-6309 Haku Pl.
Kona, HI 96740