Sekilas awal perjalanan hidup saya yang lahir 10 November 1962 di Pacitan Jawa Timur. Perjalanan yang kemudian menjadi berarti karena anugerah Kristus.
Getting to know Christ
My parents were still Muslim when my oldest sister who was two weeks old and suffered vomiting and diarrhea. They lose hope because my sister did not recover even though they had taken to the doctors and native healer. Then a man came to our house and offered to pray for my sister. Right at that time also my sister was get healed. My parents later knew that this man was a Christian.
The incident made my parents were interested in Christianity and started studying the Bible. In 1959 they both became believers in Christ. Since then their children sent to Sunday school and hearing the gospel. At age 12 I myself finally confessed Christ as my personal savior in the congregation of the Baptist Church in Kediri.
But after that, until entering college, it occurred to me that I received Jesus Christ couples of time. It was happened because of my lack of understanding about the meaning of accepting Christ and the new birth. And also especially no one helped me in my spiritual growth personally.
Early February 1982, I was invited by a friend to attend a discipleship group organized by the Navigators in the UGM Student Center. When I got home from that small Bible study I wrote in my diary excitingly, “This is it!”, since I had found the learning process that apparently had long unconsciously I’ve been waiting for.
Since that time I grow in knowledge of the truth of Christ through the discipleship and enjoy affirmation in Him. In 1983 I began to be trained to serve in discipleship.
Hari Widodo was a senior student in college who discipled me at that time. Until now I still have a warm relationship and a wonderful cooperation with him.
Growing as a disciple and God’s worker
Two main things that really help me in my growth as a disciple of Christ are disciplehip ministry in small groups and man to man ministry. Interacting around the Word of God in small groups makes me so intense in learning process. Exclusive attention to my personal development as a person gave me a chance to develop and grow in a systematic way to know Christ.
Besides Hari Widodo, who was instrumental in my early growth as a disciple of Christ, Al Cox is another person who equipped and trained me further.
My years equipped and trained by Al Cox became foundational in my calling as a laborer and a leader.
Early 90s, when I was invited Al Cox to keep the home of a missionary friend who took a leave, became one of the cornerstones in changing my life.
That night, while I was praying before going to bed, my heart and mind so vividly illuminated and so I knew who I truly was: a man fully belong to Christ. That night was the beginning to surrender my life totally to Christ. The direction and orientation of my life completely changed afterwards.
The very valuable promises of God
Up to this time, I repeatedly came to the Lord, like David as stated in 2 Samuel 7:18-19,
“Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, ‘Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?19 And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God. You have spoken also of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord God!’”
It started in 1991, when God personally gave me the promise, which is very valuable and very big for my life. At that time approximately 7:30 p.m, I was reading Revelation chapter 5. As to verses 9 and 10, attracted me to repeat reading. Suddenly I felt like God spoke to me: “This is the promise for you!”. My response is re-read of the early chapters and more detailed attention to the context. I was amused and commented: “Wow, how is it possible for me; this verse is a promise for the Lamb who is worthy to receive it !!. “
Then I felt God speaking softly, “Well, look at Romans 8”. Then when I read Romans 8:17, Iwas so elated because it saysthere ‘and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.‘.
Since that time through this verse God promises to energize my life; it is a dream guiding my life actions, especially in dedicating myself to reach the Muslim-majority in Indonesia (a large country with many tribes and languages).
The essence of the promise in Revelation 5: 9-10 is that God will raise up His laborers and bless the tribes in Indonesia, and even also other nations. And I was made proper to take part in the fulfillment of the promise. Through more than 25 years, this verse is so obvious proves that God is faithful in fulfilling His promises, and still continues to be the energy of my life. Of course, because I still look ahead that Indonesia will be blessed by the Gospel through the God’s generated laborers.