PATH ISCF - Fellowship of Evangelical Students

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SEPATAH KATA
Head of Ministry
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ARTIKEL
Your Kingdom
Come: Jesus and
the Kingdom of
God
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REKOMENDASI BUKU
How God Became King:
The Forgotten Story of
the Gospels
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SHARING KAMPUS
POKOK DOA
SKETCH ISCF: Cycling, BBQ
PATH ISCF: Community Service
SIM ISCF: SIM Service
NTU ISCF: Camp
MDIS: “Do We Have Hope?”
CUCF ISCF: Camp
NUS ISCF: PU HTHT Talk
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Daftar Isi
PISTOS Edisi Januari 2015
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SURAT DOA STAFF
FES IM Staff
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GS DESK
Partnership in the
Gospel: What Does
It Take?
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LAPORAN
KEUANGAN
FES IM Agt-Nov 2014
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QUIZ
Crossword Puzzle
Sepatah Kata
2015!
SELAMAT
TAHUN BARU
Tahun 2014 sudah berlalu dan tanpa terasa
kita telah memasuki tahun 2015. Di awal tahun yang
baru ini saya mewakili tim staff FES IM ingin menyatakan puji
syukur kepada Tuhan yang Empunya pelayanan ini dalam kesetiaan dan belas
kasihan-Nya sekali lagi telah mencukupkan segala kebutuhan di dalam pelayanan kita
bersama selama setahun yang lampau.
Sekaligus kami juga bersyukur dan bersukacita menyambut bergabungnya Yanti
Agustin sebagai staff lapangan baru di FES IM. Secara khusus Yanti akan terlibat
di dalam Tim Media yang bertanggung jawab atas penerbitan buletin Pistos,
penanganan website, social media dan media resources FES IM, dan selama enam
bulan pertama akan mendampingi staff lapangan lainnya yang lebih senior untuk
observasi dan mengenal lebih jauh pelayanan ISCF di berbagai kampus. Mari kita
terus doakan agar Yanti dapat beradaptasi ke dalam pelayanan sebagai staffworker,
dan kiranya Tuhan yang terus memberkati dan menyertai Yanti dalam perjalanan
pelayanan dan pertumbuhan sebagai murid Kristus yang mentaati panggilan-Nya.
Melihat kedatangan Yanti sebagai staff baru, saya juga teringat akan masa-masa awal
saya bergabung dengan tim staff. Banyak hal yang saya tidak tahu atau tidak yakin,
dan banyak hal yang harus saya pelajari. Pada saat yang sama, banyak pihak terlibat
dan menginvestasikan tenaga, waktu, pikiran, bahkan finansial, untuk grooming saya
menjadi pelayan Tuhan yang baik.
Demikian kita bisa melihat bahwa pelayanan FES IM dan ISCF pada dasarnya
adalah pelayanan yang berinvestasi ke dalam hidup manusia (baik staffworkers,
mahasiswa dan alumni). Hal ini adalah investasi yang memerlukan banyak resources
dan beresiko tinggi. Tetapi untuk inilah kita telah dipanggil. Sama seperti Allah yang
menginvestasikan resources-Nya ke dalam hidup umat yang ditebus, yang seringkali
mengecewakan dan mendukakan hati-Nya, namun kasih setia, anugerah dan belas
kasihan-Nya tidak pernah meninggalkan kita. Demikian juga, di awal tahun baru ini,
saya ingin mengajak dan mendorong kita semua untuk tidak putus asa dan jangan
lelah untuk berinvestasi ke dalam pelayanan ini, dalam berbagai kapasitas yang telah
Tuhan percayakan kepada kita masing-masing. God has invested a great deal in our life,
and so we invest in people’s life, in order to bring God’s life into people.
Soli Deo Gloria,
Michael Senjaya Kang
FES IM Head of Ministry
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Artikel
Your
Kingdom Come
Jesus and the Kingdom of God
After Jesus had finished
instructing his twelve
disciples, he went on from
there to teach and preach in
the towns of Galilee. When
John heard in prison what
Christ was doing, he sent
his disciples to ask him, “Are
you the one who was to
come, or should we expect
someone else?” Jesus replied,
“Go back and report to
John what you hear and see:
The blind receive sight,
the lame walk, those who
have leprosy are cured,
the deaf hear, the dead
are raised, and the good
news is preached to the
poor. Blessed is the man
who does not fall away on
account of me.” As John’s
disciples were leaving,
Jesus began to speak to
the crowd about John:
“What did you go out
into the desert to see? A
reed swayed by the wind?
If not, what did you go
So all the evangelists agreed that the
burden of the message of Jesus – what
constituted the heart of his preaching –
was the theme of the kingdom of God.
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out to see? A man dressed
in fine clothes? No, those
who wear fine clothes are
in kings’ palaces. Then what
did you go out to see? A
prophet? Yes, I tell you, and
more than a prophet. This
is the one about whom it
is written: “ ‘I will send my
messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way
before you.’ I tell you the
truth: Among those born of
women there has not risen
anyone greater than John the
Baptist; yet he who is least
in the kingdom of heaven is
greater than he. From the
Vinoth Ramachandra is a graduate
of London University, with bachelor’s and
doctoral degrees in nuclear engineering.
He is the Secretary for Dialogue and Social
Engagement of International Fellowship of
Evangelical Students (IFES).
days of John the Baptist
until now, the kingdom of
heaven has been forcefully
advancing, and forceful
men lay hold of it. For all
the Prophets and the Law
prophesied until John.
And if you are willing to
accept it, he is the Elijah
who was to come. He who
has ears, let him hear. “To
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what can I compare this generation? They are like
children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out
to others: “ ‘We played the flute for you, and you
did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not
mourn.’ For John came neither eating nor drinking,
and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man
came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a
glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors
and “sinners.”’But wisdom is proved right by her
actions.”
Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which
most of his miracles had been performed, because
they did not repent. “Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to
you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed
in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they
would have repented long ago in sackcloth and
ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable for
Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for
you. And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to
the skies? No, you will go down to the depths. If
the miracles that were performed in you had been
performed in Sodom, it would have remained to
this day. But I tell you that it will be more bearable
for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”
At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of
heaven and earth, because you have hidden these
things from the wise and learned, and revealed
them to little children.Yes, Father, for this was your
good pleasure. All things have been committed to
me by my Father. No one knows the Son except
the Father, and no one knows the Father except
the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to
reveal him. “Come to me, all you who are weary
and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke
upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and
humble in heart, and you will find rest for your
souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
– Matthew 11:1-30 (NIV)
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What is the
“KINGDOM OF GOD”?
When John the Baptist was thrown into prison by King
Herod Antipas, Jesus began his public ministry in Galilee
with these words, “The time has come, the kingdom
of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!”
(Mk.1:15). The phrase “the kingdom of God” appears
on the lips of Jesus more often than any other. In the
synoptic gospels Matthew, Mark and Luke, it appears
104 times. If we look at comparable expressions, for
instance, the word “faith” or “believe” appears only 70
times on the lips of Jesus, the word “love” 36 times,
and” “the Holy Spirit” 35 times. So all the evangelists are
agreed that the burden of the message of Jesus – what
constituted the heart of his preaching – was the theme
of the kingdom of God.
It’s difficult to piece together everything that Jesus
said about the kingdom. Nowhere does he give us a
systematic explanation of what he meant by the term.
But his whole life only makes sense in the light of what
he taught about the kingdom. Jesus did not invent this
concept. It permeates the Old Testament scriptures.
Jesus assumed the ancient expectation of his people
that God would one day establish his liberating rule on
earth. If we forget the Jewish heritage of Jesus and the
cultural framework within which he lived, then we shall
err in our interpretation of his message. For instance,
there are some Christians who think of the kingdom of
God as purely an individual experience, something to
do with the interior life of the soul: “God ruling in my
heart.” There are others who think of the kingdom as
some other-worldly realm into which we pass when we
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Artikel
die. There are still others who equate
the numerical growth of the visible
church with the expansion of the
kingdom, while at the other end of the
theological spectrum; the term is used
increasingly as a synonym for sociopolitical revolution of a socialist kind.
One verse which has caused
considerable mischief in evangelical
church circles is Luke 17:21, where
we find the words of Jesus often
translated, “the kingdom of God is in
you” or “the kingdom of God is within
you.” That verse has often been used
to justify a purely individualistic and
pietistic understanding of the kingdom.
It’s not surprising to find many Hindus
using that verse to argue, “Well,
Hinduism is also saying what you
Christians say, that if you look into the
depths of your soul you will find God
there.” But read the context and you
will observe that Jesus was speaking
to the Pharisees, the very people who
opposed his ministry.
Now it is very unlikely that he would
be saying to them, of all people, “the
kingdom of God lies in your hearts.”
The Greek particle that is translated
“in” has many meanings: “within”,
“among”, “in the midst of.” In the
context of the public ministry of
Jesus and the Old Testament religious
background which he inherited, it is
more likely that Luke 17:21 ought
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to read “the kingdom of God is [now] in
your midst” or “the kingdom of God is [now]
amongst you.”
There is an illuminating verse in Isaiah 52:7,
“How beautiful on the mountains are the
feet of those who bring good news, who
proclaim peace, who bring glad tidings, who
proclaim salvation, who say to Zion ‘Your God
reigns!’”Notice the good news is spoken of as
“peace”, as “salvation” and as the announcement
– “your God reigns.” We see in this single verse
how the Old Testament understanding of peace
(shalom), salvation and the kingdom of God –
“your God reigns” – all point to the same reality.
Whether we speak of shalom, or of salvation, or
of the coming of God’s kingdom, we are speaking
of the same reality: namely, the renewal and
reconciliation of all things under the gracious
and just rule of God, the re-creation of a broken,
fragmented, and corrupt world.
The Jews also spoke of this as “eternal life” –
literally, in Greek, the “life of the age to come”.
This did not refer merely to an unending life that
was beyond history, but rather the redemption
of history which would be ushered in by a
powerful act of God, when he would
bring the rule of evil powers to an end
and heal the deformities of his creation.
When we come to the contemporaries
of Jesus, we find the “kingdom of
God” being interpreted more and
more in nationalistic terms. In many
Jewish writings of that time, we find
the hope expressed of Israel’s God
taking vengeance on the pagan nations
(especially the Romans) that oppressed
Israel and then elevating Israel and
installing her as judge over these other
nations. They looked backwards to
the reign of David and Solomon, when
Israelite power was at its peak and the
surrounding nations lived in awe of her;
and dreamed of another David who
would restore Israel’s political greatness.
Around 6 AD, a man known as Judas
the Galilean preached a message of
revolutionary nationalism. Since 63
BC Palestine had been under Roman
administration, either directly or
indirectly through local client-kings. Judas
the Galilean claimed that it was high
treason against God to pay tribute to the
Roman state. To do so was to commit
blasphemy against Yahweh, the covenant
God of the nation. Consequently, he
led a band of motley guerrillas against
the Roman authorities, confident that
Yahweh would fight alongside them and
restore his kingship in the process. Judas
may well have announced his programme
in words similar to those with which
Jesus introduced his own ministry, but
with a very important difference: “The
time has come, God’s kingdom is at hand;
therefore rise up and fight, for victory
against our enemies is assured.” Judas’
insurrection was quickly and brutally
Whether we speak of
shalom, or of salvation or
of the coming of God’s
kingdom, we are speaking
of the same reality:
namely, the renewal and
reconciliation of all things
under the gracious and just
rule of God, the re-creation
of a broken, fragmented,
and corrupt world.
suppressed by the Roman soldiers. He himself
was put to death. But the thinking of Judas, the
conception of the kingdom of God in purely
nationalistic and violent terms, lived on in
what was later called the “zealot” movement.
Yet there were others who withdrew into the
Judean wilderness, turning their backs on a
society which they felt to be utterly depraved.
They lived in a monastic community alongside
the Dead Sea and awaited the coming of a
divine kingdom that would cleanse the corrupt
Jewish establishment as well as bring judgment
on Rome.
So, it was in this kind of social and cultural
environment, with its different notions of how
God’s rule would take shape (and who would
be its beneficiaries) that Jesus begins his public
ministry. And it is against this background that
we must read his actions and his words.
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In Matthew 11, when John the Baptist first met Jesus, he hailed him as the “Coming
One”. He told his own disciples to leave him and to go after Jesus instead. He said,
“He must become greater; I must become less” (Jn.3:30). He recognised him as the
one who would now usher in God’s rule – “He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit
and with fire” – the fire of God’s purifying judgment. And yet, not long after this, John
himself was imprisoned by Herod Antipas. Here he is, then, languishing in prison; and
as he looks at the shape that Jesus’ ministry was taking, he is perplexed – “Can this
really be the hope of Israel? If so, why am I still in prison? Where is God’s kingdom?
Is this man a failure?” John then sends some of his disciples to ask Jesus directly, “Are
you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” (v.3)
Observe that Jesus does not directly answer John’s blunt question. His response
is simply to point him to what was actually happening: “The blind receive sight, the
lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised and
the good news is preached to the poor” (vv.4,5). In other words, God is at work.
His rule was actively shaping a new reality through the actions and words of Jesus.
In his ministry, the powers of the new age were already being unleashed. Evil was
being confronted; all its results – suffering, disease, death and poverty – were being
reversed. But the day of final judgment and deliverance was not yet. It was as if that
future realm which the Jews had looked forward to had already been brought into
the present, but in a partial way. A little bit of the future had been broken off, so to
speak, and planted in the present.
Jesus did speak of God’s judgment, but when he did so, it was in the future tense.
Look at those fearsome words of condemnation on the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida
and Capernaum – here were cities which had seen the signs of the kingdom, the
miracles of Jesus had been performed there, but because of their hardness of heart
The scandal of the kingdom:
JESUS AND JOHN
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they refused to repent; but
their judgment was not
immediate. He warned them
that if they continued in their
hardheartedness it would be
more bearable for Sodom
and Gomorrah than for them
on the coming day of divine
judgment. So, while God’s
kingdom was already dawning
in the ministry of Jesus, it
was not yet full noon. Or, to
change the metaphor, the
first act in the great drama of
the end-times had begun.
This truth is also brought
out in Luke’s Gospel chapter
4. At the beginning of his
ministry, Jesus went to
Nazareth his hometown, and
stood up in the synagogue
to preach. He chose Isaiah
61 and read from it, “The
Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed
me to preach good news to
the poor. He has sent me to
proclaim freedom for the
prisoners, and recovery of
sight to the blind, to release
the oppressed, to proclaim
the year of the Lord’s favour”
(Lk.4:18,19). Then he stopped reading, rolled up the
scroll, and sat down. If we refer to Isaiah 61:1,2 we
find that Jesus had not finished the whole sentence,
because the “servant of the Lord” (of whom the
prophet was speaking) went on to say that he had
come to declare “the day of vengeance of our God”.
But Jesus stopped with the proclamation of the
Lord’s favour. He then identified himself with the
“servant of the Lord” referred to in the passage. The
people in the synagogue – his kinfolk and those he
had grown up among – marvelled at his teaching.
But he went on to shock them by saying, “I tell you
the truth, no prophet is accepted in his hometown
... There were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time,
when the sky was shut for three and a half years and
there was a severe famine throughout the land.Yet
Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow
in Zarephath in the region of Sidon, (in other words,
a foreigner). And there were many in Israel with
leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not
one of them was cleansed – only Naaman the Syrian,
(again, a foreigner).” All the people in the synagogue
were furious when they heard this. “They got up,
drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow
of the hill on which the town was built, in order to
throw him down the cliff.”
Observe the hostile reaction that Jesus provoked.
Why? Because he announced that God’s kingdom is
for the outcast and the foreigner, and that mere birth
into the Jewish nation did not qualify a person for
entrance into that kingdom. Moreover, God does not
deal with humans on the basis of religious merit, but
rather grace. The new age which Jesus is ushering in
is an age of grace to all people. God does not desire
the destruction of the wicked, but rather that people
should experience the blessings of his rule.
If we now return to Matthew 11 and John’s
perplexity, Jesus goes on to say, “Blessed is the man
who does not fall away on account of me” (v.6). For
the self-righteous nationalists of Jesus’ time, this was
a hard teaching. It was an occasion for “stumbling”,
for being tripped up in their understanding of God
and God’s purposes for the world.
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The presence of the kingdom:
FULFILMENT AND
CONFLICT
As John’s disciples were leaving,
Jesus went on to observe that
the coming of the kingdom
meant, first, that the promises
of the Old Testament were
now in the process of being
fulfilled. The greatness of John
lay in the fact that he was the
last in a long series of prophets
who announced the approach
of God’s kingdom. But the
greatness of Jesus lay in the fact
that he actually ushered in God’s
kingdom. John stood on the
threshold of a new age, he was
standing on tip toe, as it were,
and peering forward. But he was
still living in the old age which
Jesus described as “the age of
the Law and the Prophets” (v.
13). Jesus not only ushered in
the new age, but he also enabled
men and women to enter in and
taste the powers of that age. That
is why he said “even the least in
the kingdom of God is greater
than John” – greater, not in terms
of moral excellence, but in the
sense of being more privileged.
On another occasion, Jesus said
to his disciples, “Blessed are the
eyes that see what you see. For I
tell you that many prophets and
kings wanted to see what you see
but did not see it” (Lk.10:23).
And then he challenges us to
reconstruct everything – our
ambitions, our hopes and fears,
our values, our structures
– around his person and his
kingdom.
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What then of John? Well, Jesus
reminded the crowd that John
was neither a “wimp” nor a
failure. He was not like the
reeds on the banks of the river
Jordan, swayed this way and that;
so it would be foolish to dismiss
him as a failure just because he
was in prison and going through
a period of doubt and inner
conflict. John was no less than
the “Elijah who was to come”
(v. 14). Jesus was referring to
a Jewish tradition that before
the Messiah established God’s
rule, the prophet Elijah would
reappear. The John who was
lying in prison and facing
execution was no less than the
Elijah who was to come – not
literally, of course, but as the
embodiment of the spirit and
power of Elijah himself. That was
why there was also conflict.
This is the second implication
of the coming of the kingdom
in Jesus. Not only does it
mean that this is now the age
of fulfilment, but now is also
the age of conflict. Look at
verse 12: “From the days of
John the Baptist until now, the
kingdom of heaven has been
forcefully advancing, (or in some
translations, “suffering violence”)
and forceful men lay hold of it.”
It is a difficult verse to interpret.
There are some who think
it refers to the zealots who
through armed revolutionary
struggle, were trying to establish
the kingdom in Israel. But, more
probably, it refers to Jewish
religious leaders and to Herod,
who had opposed both John
and Jesus and were trying to
stifle their voices. So what Jesus
seemed to be saying is, “This
is the way that the kingdom
of God advances: it is through
conflict, it is through opposition
and suffering. That is how the
kingdom spreads.”
He went on to compare his
generation, the people who
opposed him and John, to little
children immersed in childish
games. They called to others,
“We played the flute for you,
you did not dance; we sang a
dirge, and you did not mourn”
(vv.16, 17). When we wanted
to play weddings, yon did not
come and laugh. When we
wanted to play funerals, you
did not come and cry. John
was mocked by the religious
establishment for being too
ascetic, Jesus was criticised for
being too “secular”.
People always hate the
man or woman who
is different. The whole
world-system finds the
eccentric person, the
nonconformist, deeply
disturbing. If he doesn’t fit
in, then they want to get
rid of him. And the new
order which Jesus has
introduced just cannot
be fitted into the old
way of things. We cannot
accommodate Jesus
into the thinking and
structures of this world.
As the theologian Edward
Shweitzer put it, Jesus
is “the man who fits no
formula.” We cannot put
a label on him. We cannot
put him in a box. We
cannot fit him into our
own private ambitions,
our own expectations,
our own values and
our own structures: he
shatters them all. And
then he challenges us to
reconstruct everything –
our ambitions, our hopes
and fears, our values, our
structures – around his
person and his
kingdom.
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The blessings of the
kingdom:
If childishness on the part of a grown man is something to
be ashamed of, childlikeness, said Jesus, is truly blessed. Look
at verse 25: “I praise you Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
because you have hidden these things (that is, the mystery of
the kingdom) from the wise and learned, and revealed them
to little children.”
The coming of the kingdom brings a new vision of God; and
this is not received by the “wise and learned” of this age – the
lawyers, the Pharisees and the prominent theological scholars
of the day. But it is received by those who are (or who
become like) little children. What is it about children that
made Jesus compare those who perceived and responded
to the kingdom to little children? We tend to have very
sentimental ideas here. We think that it is because children
are innocent, humble or good that Jesus compared those
who received his message to them. But the most obvious fact
about children is that they have nothing of their own. In the
societies of Jesus’ day, children were literally nobodies. They
possessed nothing; they had no status, no privileges and no
political influence. They had no academic qualifications. They
did not even have legal rights. A person could do anything to
a child and the law could not touch him. They were literally
nobodies, insignificant people, whose social value depended
on what kind of adult human beings they became.
It is to such hearers that God’s revelation, the new vision
of God, is given; because their vision is not clouded by
intellectual arrogance, material abundance or religious pride.
They do not have preconceived ideas about how God should
act, what God should and should not do. They are prepared
to receive what comes as a gift because they have nothing of
their own to hold onto and parade before others.
Jesus continued (in v.27) to make a statement that is utterly
revolutionary in more than one sense: “All things have been
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REVELATION
AND
FREEDOM
committed to me by my Father. No one
knows the Son except the Father, and no
one knows the Father except the Son and
those to whom the Son chooses to reveal
him.” It is revolutionary, first because of the
way Jesus addresses God as “Father”. The
Aramaic word is “Abba”, an intimate term
used frequently in the home, the equivalent
of “Daddy” in English. It was unthinkable
for a Jew to speak of the holy God,
Creator and Sovereign of the universe,
as “my daddy”. But this is precisely what
Jesus did. As A.M. Hunter, a New Testament
scholar put it, “the King of the Kingdom
is revealed to us as a Father.” But first
and foremost, as the father of Jesus. Here
perhaps lies the key to the fundamental
contrasts between Jesus and all the socalled “messiahs”, like Judas the Galilean,
who came before him; the root difference
lay in their different conceptions of God.
To Jesus, the in-breaking of the kingdom
meant the creation of a new human family
in which God is acknowledged, loved and
worshipped as Father.
The second way in which this statement
is quite revolutionary is in the selfunderstanding of Jesus. The first half of that
sentence is not, perhaps, very surprising.
If Jesus had simply said, “no one knows
me except the Father,” there would be
nothing unusual about that. All of us would
readily say, “If God is God, then he knows
me infinitely better than I know myself or
anybody else knows me.” But when he goes
on to say that no one knows the Father
except himself and those to whom he (that
is, Jesus) chose to reveal him, he cuts across
all religious and intellectual self-sufficiency.
We can search all the religious traditions of
mankind, all the Buddhist, Muslim and Hindu
scriptures, and we shall never come across
such a startling and self-centred statement
as this.
Several of us live in multi-religious societies
where there is a very subtle pressure,
even from some theologians and church
leaders, to play down the radicalness of
these words of Jesus and similar sayings of
his. We are often exhorted, in the name
of humility and tolerance, to simply pool
our “religious insights” with those of our
Buddhist, Hindu or other neighbours, and
cautioned against laying too much emphasis
on the uniqueness of Jesus. The logic of
these words of Jesus is plain. If they are
untrue, if Jesus is not the unique revealer
of God as Father to all humankind, then
there is no point at all in following one
who is either deluded or a fraud. There is
nothing unique to Christianity and we may
as well cease to be Christians. But if these
words are true, then we simply cannot put
Jesus on the same level as other religious
figures. Jesus possesses a unique revelatory
role in relation to God who is the source
15
Artikel
and definition of truth; and we must then evaluate
every human worldview and claim to truth against the
measuring rod of his words
and example.
Jesus went on to speak of the “little children” to
whom this new revelation is given as those who are
also “weary and burdened” (v.28): “Come to me” – he
issues the invitation. Jesus brought not only a unique
revelation of God to us, but also a unique liberation.
God’s self-revelation in a fallen, twisted, broken world
has to take the form of a liberating activity. If we were
in a sinless world, God could disclose his character
in merely propositional terms, a set of statements
describing what he is like. But if God is to be known
as a God who is not overcome by evil and as a God
of grace, mercy and compassion, then we have to
experience his sovereign rule and compassion in the
context of our slavery to sin. God must do something
about sin and its effects.
Jesus’ invitation is addressed to all who are broken,
crushed, oppressed by sin: the offenders and the
offended. Our own sin crushes us. It makes us guilty. It
drives us to immersion in all sorts of empty religious
rituals of purification. And our consciences are a
burden to us and oppress us night and day. But we
are also burdened and crushed by the whole weight
of other people’s sin directed against us. We hurt
emotionally and physically. We are often overwhelmed
by a feeling of helplessness before the powerful,
inhuman social and political structures within which
we live. Caste and class systems, racism, unbridled
“market-forces” and consumerism, torture and state
repression ... all leave a trail of battered lives in their
wake.
Traditionally, Protestant Christians have been strong
on the fact of human sin: all of us are individually
16
sinners before God, trapped in
our rebellious self-centredness.
But we have been weak in our
understanding of the fact that we
are also “sinned-against” people,
that sin is social and collective as
well as individual. The invitation of
Jesus is to humankind in sin: all of
us, who are crushed by our own
individual sins, the sins of others,
and the corporate sins of the
economic, political and cultural
systems which shape our lives.
And he calls us to
“take my yoke upon you and
learn from me” (v.29).
The yoke is the wooden bar which is placed on the
back of a buffalo or a bull when a farmer wants to
plough a straight field. And it’s with the aid of this
wooden bar that he guides the animal. It’s a common
sight in the vast rural areas of Asia. Jesus tells us
that his yoke is an “easy” one. He is replacing the
oppressive yoke of the whole religious and social
system (of Judaic legalism then and its counterparts
today) which crushes men with his easy yoke of
discipleship. “Take my yoke and learn from me.” The
disciple is the one who learns, who submits his mind
and whole life to the authority of Jesus, willingly and
gladly, because he knows that his authority is not one
that crushes people but one that sets them free.
To sum-up:
The kingdom of God is already a present reality,
inaugurated through the person and ministry
of Jesus Christ. A new order is now at work in
the midst of the old. God’s future plan for the
world has already been set in motion. The way
that the new order makes progress is through
conflict with the old – a conflict which leads to
suffering and apparent defeat. This is why, if we
are to recognise the activities of the kingdom,
what is necessary is not intellectual depth or
religious fervour, for responding to the reality
of the kingdom depends on spiritual insight and
discernment.
This article is
taken from the
monograph
“Your Kingdom
Come”, FES
Singapore, 2013.
And this discernment is given by God to all
who are like little children, who are prepared
to be stripped of everything, especially their
achievements, prejudices and preconceived ideas
about God. Such people come to Jesus because
they perceive who he really is: the one through
whom the kingdom of God is taking shape.
And as they submit to his gentle authority, they
become a liberated and a liberating people.
17
Rekomendasi Buku
HOW
GOD
BECAME
KING
HarperOne / 2012 / Hardcover / 278 pages
Something is missing.
You know it – sense it, more accurately
– but you can’t quite place it.You begin
searching, but of course it’s hard to find
what isn’t. More frustrating, you can’t even
figure out the vocabulary to describe
it. So you learn to live with that feeling,
that itch you can’t scratch, that helpless
notion of running into the same dead end
over and over again. Over time, the itch
subsides, the roaring distraction becomes
a dull ache, and you move on.
Then along comes someone who clearly
and succinctly describes not only what
you’ve been missing, but how you can
replace it.
That moment becomes a life-changing
18
one, when everything begins making sense for
the first time since … when? Ever?
For me, that moment came while reading N.T.
Wright’s How God Became King:The Forgotten
Story of the Gospels (HarperOne, 2012).
For nearly two years, I’ve been studying toward
a degree in history and theology. A few books
along the way have proven monumental in
reshaping my view of God, faith, science,
politics, the nature of humanity and the nature
of creation. But for all of that reassessment,
much of it chronicled in this blog, something
was missing.
That something was Jesus. More specifically,
it was a deep understanding of who Jesus
was and why he lived, died and rose again. I
was attempting to renew my faith with an old
understanding of Jesus, and it wasn’t working.
What’s more, I didn’t even realize it fully until
N.T. Wright came along.
Wright isn’t the first person
to deconstruct the traditional
evangelical view of how the
gospels portray Jesus and his
ministry; Scot McKnight’s King
Jesus Gospel predates this book
by a few months. For that matter,
I’m sure this isn’t the first time
the prolific Wright has addressed
these topics in print. But it’s the
first time for me to hear him do
so – and for anyone to do so in
such an accessible way.
By the end of How God Became
King, the conclusion is inescapable:
those of us raised with a
traditional view of atonement
and salvation – one in which
Jesus comes so that we can say a
prayer, “ask him into our hearts”
and procure insurance against
the fires of hell – have been
sold a bill of goods*. We have
become unwitting accomplices
to the cheapening of the lifechanging message of Jesus, to the
corruption by Western individualism of what the gospel
writers understood to be the world-reshaping entrance
of God’s kingdom in the person and ministry of Jesus, a
kingdom that calls us to ensure the doing of God’s will
on earth, as in heaven.
…
In other words, this Christianity thing isn’t about
escaping hell and this world to go to heaven. It’s about
bringing heaven to this world and abolishing hell
forever.
The message of the gospel, then, becomes much more
difficult, especially for those of us in the modern and
postmodern comfort of the West. After all, it’s easy to
say a prayer and go on with our lives, fire insurance in
hand. It’s harder – a lot harder – to understand that the
privilege we’ve been given as citizens of God’s kingdom
comes with responsibilities to help put this broken
world to rights.
But it also is much more robust, much deeper, than
the shallow “check the box” method of traditional
evangelicalism. It is the missing piece we didn’t know
was missing.
Paul
Full excerpt of “How God became King”
written by Paul can be obtained from
https://disorientedtheology.wordpress.
com/2013/01/07/book-review-how-godbecame-king-by-n-t-wright/#comment-2080.
This partial excerpt was taken from the
blog without his permission, as he was
not contactable before and during the
preparation of the current edition of
PISTOS.
19
Sharing Kampus
NTU ISCF
CAMP
“Pursuit of Holiness”
Pada tanggal 8-11 Desember 2014 yang lalu, NTU ISCF
kembali mengadakan camp rutin tahunan yang bertemakan
“Pursuit of Holiness”. Berbeda dari camp-camp sebelumnya,
kali ini camp NTU ISCF diadakan di Johor Bahru, Malaysia
setelah beberapa tahun ini diadakan di Aloha Changi.
Diikuti oleh sekitar 25 anggota NTU ISCF, camp tahun ini
juga merupakan camp gabungan dengan NTU ECF (English
Christian Fellowship) dimana sesi games dan beberapa sesi
workshop sengaja digabung supaya terjalin persekutuan
yang lebih erat dari keduanya.
Di dalam camp yang berlangsung selama 4 hari 3 malam
ini, tema-tema workshop yang menarik dan dekat dengan
pemuda saat ini seperti “A Popular Potrayal of the End
Times”, “Scripture and the Public Sphere” serta “ A Dialogue
on Catholicism & Protestantism” diangkat sehingga banyak
membawa berkat bagi peserta. Dikemas dalam dialog
antara seorang pastor Roma Katolik dan seorang penganut
agama Kristen Protestan, sesi workshop “A Dialogue
on Catholicism & Protestantism” terbukti sangat diminati
peserta. Pertanyaan-pertanyaan mengenai kepercayaan
Roma Katolik yang berbeda dengan Kristen Protestan,
baik mengenai Bunda Maria, keberadaan santo-santa, serta
patung-patung Yesus pun diajukan, menambah wawasan
peserta mengenai perbedaan antara keduanya.
Dalam sesi-sesi utama camp kali ini, tema mengenai
kekudusan menjadi fokus. Dipimpin oleh Kak Petrus
Budi Setyawan dari Yayasan Gloria, Kitab Hagai dikupas
dengan baik sehingga mendorong peserta untuk dapat
lebih mempertanggung jawabkan kekudusannya di hadapan
Tuhan. Pada sesi pertama di camp ini, peserta diajak untuk
kembali merenungkan dimana posisi Tuhan dalam hidup
mereka. Belajar dari keadaan bangsa Israel yang buruk
20
Levi Andrea
NTU
Accounting,
3rd Year
Pokok Doa:
1. Supaya NTU ISCF boleh
memberikan impact yang nyata di
kampus melalui kehidupan anggota
yang kudus dan mau berkorban.
2. Supaya exco NTU ISCF boleh
bekerja lebih giat dan sungguhsungguh lagi dalam melayani Tuhan
di semester terakhir dalam masa
jabatan tahun ini.
3. Supaya setiap anggota boleh tetap
bertumbuh melalu wadah-wadah
yang telah disediakan oleh NTU ISCF.
karena lebih mengutamakan untuk menghias
rumah-rumah pribadi mereka daripada
membangun rumah Tuhan terlebih dahulu,
para peserta diingatkan untuk meninggalkan
mentalitas “Me First” yang mendukakan
Tuhan dan membawa akibat buruk bagi
setiap orang yang tidak memprioritaskan
Tuhan dalam setiap aspek hidupnya.
Pada malam terakhir, Dedication Service
pun dilangsungkan dimana tiap peserta
memperbarui komitmen mereka untuk
hidup kudus di hadapan Tuhan.
Walaupun singkat, banyak yang bisa dipelajari
dari camp tahun ini. Penulis hanya berharap
supaya pembelajaran dan teguran yang telah
disampaikan tidak dilupakan begitu saja,
tetapi komitmen yang telah diambil boleh
dilakukan di dalam tahun yang baru ini.
Hagai 1 : 2 – 4 “Beginilah firman Tuhan
semesta alam : Bangsa ini berkata : Sekarang
belum tiba waktunya untuk membangun
kembali rumah Tuhan!” Maka datanglah
firman Tuhan dengan perantaraan nabi Hagai,
bunyinya : “Apakah sudah tiba waktunya bagi
kamu untuk mendiami rumah-rumahmu yang
dipapani dengan baik, sedang Rumah ini tetap
menjadi reruntuhan?”
21
CUCF ISCF
CAMP
“Chapter 20’s: When Idealism is
Collapsing”
teman-teman terutama di
Curtin.
Terlebih dari itu, pada
awal trimester ini kami
juga memulainya dengan
mengadakan Camp CUCF
di Salvation Army. Tema
Camp yang diangkat adalah
“Chapter 20’s :When Idealism is
Collapsing”. Melalui Camp ini,
setiap rekan-rekan di CUCF
boleh dibekali bagaimana
menghadapi dunia
Matius 22:39; “Kasihilah
kedewasaan yang
mendekat
sesamamu manusia seperti semakin
ketika mereka
dirimu sendiri”
masuk ke lingkungan
universitas dan
Oleh sebab itu tema ini kami
terlebih lagi menjelang
pilih untuk membekali setiap
mereka memasuki dunia
anggota CUCF untuk boleh
kerja. Bagaimana setiap anak
membagikan kasih Tuhan bagi
Allah tidak boleh ragu untuk
Tak terasa satu trimester
hampir usai. Tema kami selama
satu trimester ini adalah
tentang kasih. Tuhan sebagai
By: Andersen Stefanus sang sumber kasih karunia
Soeharto telah lebih dahulu mengasihi
setiap kita anak-anakNya.
Lebih dari itu, Allah sendiri
yang memerintahkan kita
untuk mengasihi sesama kita
seperti yang Ia katakan dalam
injil
22
Pokok Doa:
1. Persiapan anggota CUCF untuk
menghadapi Final Exam pada
Minggu ke-2 Februari.
2. Berdoa juga proses regenerasi
anggota CUCF karena sebentar
lagi banyak yang akan lulus.
3. Berdoa bagi mereka yang lulus
agar boleh terus memuliakan
Tuhan dalam perjalanan hidup
mereka selanjutnya.
4. Berdoa juga untuk Ko Vibo dan
keluarganya, semoga kasih karunia
Tuhan boleh terus menyertai
mereka terutama dalam pelayanan
Ko Vibo.
terus berpegang pada Christian Idealism yaitu Tuhan
itu sendiri. Memasuki dunia yang memiliki banyak
tantangan bukan berarti kita harus berkompromi untuk
beradaptasi dengan lingkungan yang baru. Melainkan
kita tetap harus berpegang teguh kepada FirmanNya
dan tanpa ragu untuk terus mewartakan FirmanNya
melalui setiap perbuatan dan tutur kata kita.
Sebagai penutup, mari kita doakan bersama untuk
setiap anggota CUCF yang sebentar lagi akan
menghadapi Final Exam pada Minggu ke-2 Februari.
Semoga Tuhan memberkati setiap kami untuk boleh
mempersiapkan diri dan mengerjakan setiap soal
dengan baik, dan Tuhan turut bekerja dalam setiap kami.
Berdoa juga untuk persekutuan kami (CUCF), yang
sebentar lagi banyak dari kami yang akan lulus. Kiranya
Tuhan terus memberikan rekan-rekan baru untuk
boleh bersekutu bersama di CUCF. Juga berdoa untuk
mereka yang lulus agar boleh terus melayani Tuhan
dimana pun mereka berada, baik yang akan bekerja
ataupun studi lanjut. Terakhir, doakan juga untuk Ko
Vibo dan keluarga dalam setiap pelayanan mereka.
Semoga Tuhan boleh terus memberkati dan menyertai
seluruh anggota keluarga Ko Vibo. AMEN.
23
Sharing Kampus
Stella Aurea
MDIS
Mass Communication, 3rd Year
Pokok Doa:
1. Give thanks for 2 years of
fellowship in MDIS ISCF.
2. Pray for the continuity of every
member’s spiritual growth.
3. Pray for unity, harmony and lasting
friendship among the members.
4. Pray for God to equip committee
members with energy, perseverance,
skill and patience to serve in the
ministry.
MDIS ISCF
NATAL
“Do We Have Hope?”
24
Pada tanggal 10 Desember 2014, MDIS ISCF
mengadakan acara natal bersama dengan
tema “Do we have hope?” Persekutuan ini
dimulai dari pukul 7 malam hingga pukul 10
malam. Orang yang hadir berjumlah 26 orang,
termasuk didalamnya 4 orang dari NUS ISCF
dan 2 orang staff. Kami mengucap syukur
kepada Tuhan karena Ia telah menambahkan
jumlah orang yang hadir dan menyertai
kelangsungan acara natal ini.
Acara dimulai dengan doa bersama lalu
diikuti dengan ice-breaker. Game pertama
yang dimainkan adalah mengenai alkitab.
DO WE HAVE HOPE
Peraturannya adalah masingmasing kelompok harus
menemukan ayat yang diminta
oleh MC dan membawa benda
nyata dari ayat yang dimaksud.
Kelompok yang paling cepat dan
paling banyak menjawab adalah
pemenangnya. Selanjutnya, game
kedua adalah mengenai kerjasama.
Jadi, masing-masing kelompok
diminta untuk memegang
tangan anggotanya (tidak
boleh bersebelahan) lalu dari
pegangan tangan yang berantakan
itu, mereka diminta untuk
membentuk sebuah lingkaran.
Tentunya, anggota yang berhasil
membentuk lingkaran dengan
rapi, tidak terputus dan tidak
terbelit adalah pemenangnya.
Hasilnya, suasana menjadi lebih
hangat dan teman-teman yang
hadir bersukacita.
Kemudian, acara dilanjutkan
dengan pujian dan penyembahan
dan Firman Tuhan. Sesuai dengan
tema yang sudah disebutkan
sebelumnya, Ko Ian berkotbah
tentang pengharapan.Yesus datang
ke dalam dunia adalah bukti
bahwa Ia membawa pengharapan
kepada semua orang. Namun,
masalah seperti perang, kelaparan,
kemiskinan, hubungan yang rusak
dengan keluarga dan teman, ataupun
masalah lainnya seringkali menghapus
pengharapan yang kita miliki. Maka
dari itu, tugas kitalah sebagai anakanak Tuhan untuk menyampaikan
pengharapan ke tengah-tengah dunia
yang sudah hancur dan rusak ini.
Lalu, sebagai bentuk aplikasi dari
Firman Tuhan yang telah didengar,
kami mengadakan kegiatan follow-up
bertemakan Acts of Kindness. Kegiatan
ini bertujuan untuk menghadirkan
kerajaan Allah kepada lingkungan
sekitar kita yang sedang membutuhkan
pengharapan. Kegiatannya sederhana
yaitu mendengarkan pergumulan
teman. Pada dasarnya, kegiatan
ini sering dilakukan oleh semua
orang, tetapi yang membedakan
adalah kenapa kita melakukannya.
Kemudian, Acts of Kindness kedua
adalah membangun kesatuan
di antara mahasiswa Indonesia
dengan mahasiswa yang berbeda
kewarganegaraan. Cara melakukannya
yaitu dengan menyapa mahasiswa
tersebut dan membagikan makanan
khas Indonesia. Karena seringkali
terlihat di lingkungan kampus MDIS,
mahasiswa baik berasal dari Indonesia
maupun bukan hanya bergaul atau
berkumpul dengan orang-orang yang
asal negaranya sama dengan mereka.
Acara pun diakhiri dengan
persembahan, persembahan pujian dari
exco, tukar kado dan makan bersama.
Kami juga mengucap syukur karena
bisa mengakhiri tahun 2014 dengan
bersekutu bersama saudara seiman di
dalam Kristus.
25
Sharing Kampus
SKETCH
ISCF
OUTING
Cycling and BBQ
It was a celebration, an end to a semester of school.
And indeed we needed to celebrate! There were
much to be grateful for. The intense projects and
sleepless nights were over! Though there are more to
come, for now it is time to feast and enjoy each other
as one community in Christ. It was time to be joyful.
We started our day with a simple exercise. We went
cycling to East Coast Park and amazingly it did not
rain. The weather had us worried because it had been
raining for days. We were ecstatic when the sun came
out. We took pictures and shared laughter while we
enjoyed the breeze.
After we finished our cycling at East Coast Park, we
went back and got ready for our BBQ. While waiting
for the charcoal to heat up, we started our barbeque
with songs and praises. With thankfulness in our
hearts we shared stories with one another. The rest
of the night went on without a hitch. The food was
delicious and we even shared stories and laughter.
In the midst of the celebration, we also share what
we were thankful for. And one thing that I am truly
thankful for is having the chance to be part of this
community, to be able to enjoy one another, enjoy
Christ through this fellowship. A fellowship like this is
not easy to find and I am truly grateful for these past
few years I was able to learn more about Christ, to
watch my brothers and sisters grow in Christ. And be
part of this fellowship, this family.
26
Amelia Kho
Nanyang Academy
of Fine Arts
Interior Design,
3rd Year.
Pokok Doa:
1. Berdoa untuk regenerasi
SKETCH Fellowship.
2. Berdoa untuk pergantian
kepengurusan tahun 2015.
3. Berdoa supaya SKETCH
Fellowship tidak putus harapan
karena jumlah orang yang ada, tetapi
semakin semangat untuk menjadikan
persekutuan ini persekutuan yang
memuliakan Tuhan dan berkenan di
mata Tuhan.
27
Sharing Kampus
NUS ISCF
PU HTHT
Heart To Heart Talk
Ines Christy Satyawan
NUS
Chemical Engineering,
2nd Year
“Karena itu pergilah dan jadikanlah semua
bangsa muridKu…” Matius 28:19a
Amanat Agung untuk bermisi adalah satu
aspek penting dalam hidup orang Kristen
yang justru sering diabaikan. Selain berfokus
untuk menjadi murid Kristus yang sejati,
tahun ini, NUS ISCF berfokus juga untuk
menjangkau teman-teman sekitar kita untuk
menjadi murid Kristus.
Tanggal 7 November 2014 kemarin, NUS
ISCF memiliki persekutuan yang lain
dari biasanya, persekutuan khusus untuk
menjangkau teman-teman di kampus. Tema
persekutuan kali ini adalah “Heart to Heart
Talk: Boy Girl Relationship”. Pasti banyak dari
kita yang bertanya-tanya, “Loh? Menginjili
kok jadi membahas tentang BGR?”.Ya, misi
bukan hanya mencakup proclamation of The
Gospel secara langsung, tapi juga meliputi
semua aspek kehidupan. Kami rindu untuk
menyampaikan nilai-nilai kekristenan dalam
semua aspek kehidupan, salah satunya, dalam
hal berpacaran. Topik ini dirasa relevan dan
menarik untuk dibahas bersama temanteman yang ingin dijangkau. Puji Tuhan,
Tuhan mengirimkan 5 orang yang nonKristen untuk ikut hadir dalam persekutuan
tersebut.
28
Pokok Doa:
1. Tolong doakan untuk teman-teman
yang mengajak non-believers ke PU
HTHT ini agar mereka bisa diberikan
kebijaksanaan dari Tuhan untuk bisa
keep in touch dengan mereka dan bisa
share the Gospel pada mereka.
2. Di semester depan, NUS ISCF mau
fokus dalam menumbuhkan passion
for individual growth. Doain ya supaya
exco boleh dipimpin Tuhan untuk
memfasilitasi ini dan supaya members
boleh memiliki passion yang berkobarkobar untuk bertumbuh semakin
serupa dengan Kristus.
3. Doain juga untuk KTB-KTB yang
sudah ada supaya bisa menjadi wadah
pertumbuhan member-member.
“Karena itu pergilah dan jadikanlah
semua bangsa muridKu…”
Matius 28:19a
Persekutuan dibuka dengan beberapa lagu pujian dan game Ice-Breaker. Satu hal
yang berbeda lagi dari persekutuan kali ini adalah adanya perjamuan kasih, semua
members ISCF datang dengan membawa makanan untuk dibagikan kepada temanteman. Sebelum masuk lebih dalam ke topik yang akan dibahas, Ko Tjeli membuka
dengan sebuah video tentang berpacaran untuk mengajak semua yang hadir untuk
mulai berpikir.
Bentuk persekutuan kali ini adalah diskusi, bukan Firman Tuhan yang disampaikan
satu arah saja. Persekutuan ini memfasilitasi members ISCF dan teman-teman nonKristen untuk bertukar pikiran, ini merupakan salah satu bentuk misi in Dialogic
HEART TO HEART
Model. Dialogic Model adalah salah satu cara yang
penting untuk Engage the University as a Whole. Bisa
dilihat interaksi yang hidup antara members ISCF dan
non-Believers. Anak-anak NUS ISCF bisa belajar untuk
share apa yang kita percayai khususnya dalam hal Boy
Girl Relationship, bagaimana kasih Kristus pada jemaat
bisa menjadi landasan kita dalam hal ini.
Bersyukur juga non-Believers dengan berani
mengutarakan pendapatnya ke banyak orang. Di
saat yang bersamaan, mereka juga bisa mendapatkan
pengertian bagaimana Firman Tuhan mempengaruhi
cara orang Kristen berpikir dan berperilaku dalam isu
Boy Girl Relationship.
Diskusi mengenai Boy Girl Relationship dilakukan
dalam kelompok-kelompok kecil yang dipimpin
oleh fasilitator yang telah diperlengkapi sebelumnya.
Namun, sesudah itu dibahas lagi dalam kelompok
besar yang dipimpin oleh Ko Tjeli. Ada
beberapa isu spesifik yang dibahas
seperti tujuan pacaran, batasan fisik
ketika berpacaran, dan isu pacaran
beda agama. Beberapa pasangan yang
sedang berpacaran juga membagikan
pengalamannya tentang berpacaran
kudus yang berfokuskan kepada Tuhan.
Persekutuan misi ini bukanlah satusatunya wadah untuk menjangkau,
tapi ini merupakan sarana untuk bisa
membangun hubungan yang lebih
dalam dengan non-Believers. Tugas
members ISCF selanjutnya adalah
untuk terus mendekatkan diri dan
melakukan follow-up. Menjangkau
teman-teman disekitar kita merupakan
panggilan untuk setiap kita.
29
SIM ISCF
NATAL
SIM SERVICE
Shalom semuanya
Bersyukur kepada Tuhan
akhirnya untuk pertama kali SIM
ISCF punya kesempatan buat
melakukan SIM Service.
SIM Service ialah suatu kegiatan
untuk membagikan sukacita
natal dengan memberi
bingkisan kepada security
yang mendedikasikan diri
mereka untuk keaman kampus.
Bingkisan yang kami beri berupa
kacang, biskuit, dan beberapa
bungkus kopi. Dan kami juga
menyertakan Christmas wishes
dalam bingkisan tersebut :))
Heryanto Jaya
SIM (University of London)
Accounting Finance, 3rd Year
30
SIM punya 4 blok; A, B, C dan
D. Kami terpecah dalam dua
grup untuk memberi bingkisan
tersebut. Grup pertama
mencari security di Blok
A & B dan grup kedua di
C & D. Security di blok
A & B mudah untuk
ditemukan, blok C & D
sebaliknya. Maka dari itu,
tugas grup pertama hanya
selesai kurang dari 1 jam
sementara grup dua terus
berkutat. Akhirnya grup
2 merge sama grup satu
untuk mencari security di
blok C & D. Dan ternyata,
setelah kami tanya salah
satu security di blok B,
security di blok C & D
berkumpul di satu ruangan
yg gak ada di denah
gedung. Dan, Puji Tuhan,
akhirnya kami menemukan
mereka and they are glade
to receive our gifts. Berhubung itu
adalah acara terakhir SIM ISCF di
akhir tahun 2014, kami lanjutkan
dengan makan malam bersama di
Sixth Avenue ^^
“And do not neglect to do
good and to share what you
have, for God is pleased with
such sacrifices”
- Hebrews 13:16 (NET)
Kami berharap berikutnya punya
kesempatan untuk melakukan hal
yang sama
Soli Deo Gloria
Pokok doa:
1. Pergantian kepengurusan yang akan diadakan sekitar
bulan Februari. Kiranya Tuhan memberikan hikmat
dan kebijaksanaan untuk pengurus agar dapat memilih
pengurus selanjutnya dan kiranya pengurus selanjutnya
diberikan Tuhan kerinduan untuk melayani di SIM ISCF.
2. Camp SIM ISCF yang akan diadakan pada tanggal 1618 Januari 2015. Kiranya acara dapat berjalan dengan
baik dan peserta diberkati Tuhan.
3. Exam-exam yang akan datang, baik untuk UOL, DMS,
Birmingham, dan RMIT. Kiranya kami selalu diberikan
kesehatan dan kekuatan oleh Tuhan agar kami dapat
belajar dengan baik dan kiranya Tuhan memberikan
hikmat kebijaksanaan dalam proses belajar kami.
The highlight of ISCF events this semester was our
local community service. On 8 October 2014, our
Christian Fellowship decided to cooperate with
Willing Hearts to serve the needy community by
preparing and providing them food. Willing Hearts is
a 100% volunteer-run, non-profit organization set up
to help providing the needy in Singapore, regardless
of race or creed. On that day, we woke up around
5am because we needed to reach Willing Hearts
PATH ISCF
LOCAL COMMUNITY
SERVICE
WILLING HEARTS
31
location by around 7 am. Upon our arrival, we
split into smaller groups to help the Willing
Hearts team. A few of us helped to prepare the
raw materials, some helped to cook the food,
and others assisted to package and deliver
the food to the needy people. During that day,
Willing Hearts together with our team and
other volunteers managed to provide food for
around 3,000 needy people including the elderly,
adults, and children.
It was really a fruitful and rewarding experience
for all of our members. From this experience,
we learned to be grateful for what we have
been given by God. There are still many people
who could hardly meet their basic needs such
as food. Therefore, we believe that it is indeed
our privilege and our obligation to be a channel
of God’s blessing for them. We were very
grateful for the opportunity to help them as we
were confident our labor was not in vain. We
hope we could continue to do this community
service initiative again next semester. We also
want to encourage more students in SMU to
join this initiative as we feel the experience is
truly priceless.
Pokok doa:
1. Please pray so that God always sustains
non-profit organization such as Willing
Hearts to continue to make positive
impacts to our community.
2. Please pray for us so that God
strengthens and guide needy families in
Singapore. May God always continue to give
them His peace and encouragement.
3. Please pray for us so that we continue
to have an open heart that is eager to help
others and be a channel of His blessings.
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Surat Doa Staff
VIBO
Bersyukur untuk pembelajaran
dalam setiap pelayanan yang
sudah dijalani selama ini.
Bersyukur untuk setiap teman
mahasiswa, alumni, dan staf
yang menjadi kawan-kawan
seperjalanan yang memberikan
penguatan di dalam menjalani
suka dan duka dalam pelayanan
di FES. Untuk 3 bulan ke depan
akan menjadi masa transisi untuk
persiapan menjalani sabatikal
selama setahun ke depan yang
akan dimulai April 2015. Berharap
dalam sabatikal ini saya boleh
menyelesaikan studi di TTC
sekaligus merenungkan kembali
hal-hal yang bisa dikerjakan
dalam pelayanan FES setelah
menyelesaikan studi dan sabatikal.
Bersyukur untuk tugas semester lalu yang sudah
diselesaikan pada waktunya dengan hasil yang
cukup memuaskan. Untuk 3 bulan ke depan,
akan ada satu essay lagi yang harus dikerjakan.
Bersyukur juga untuk kelahiran Leviel di bulan
November yang lalu. Masa penyesuaian selama 2
bulan ini juga boleh dijalani dengan cukup baik.
Pengaturan waktu antara keluarga, pelayanan dan
studi akan menjadi salah satu tantangan khususnya
untuk punya waktu istirahat yang cukup.
Mohon dukungan doa teman-teman:
1. Untuk transisi pelayanan di mana pendampingan
pelayanan kampus akan diserahkan ke staf yang
lain. Bila tidak ada perubahan SKETCH akan
didampingi Yanti dan Curtin akan didampingi
Darryl.
2. Kesehatan di dalam masa-masa yang cukup
hectic dengan tanggung jawab keluarga, pelayanan
dan studi.
33
Surat Doa Staff
DARRYL
34
Dalam beberapa kesempatan di semester
lalu, ada waktu-waktu di mana saya merasa
khawatir dan cenderung takut. Salah satunya
nampak dalam Camp NTU Desember
kemarin. Dengan setting yang baru, dan
juga jumlah keikutsertaan yang menurun,
membuat banyak kekhawatiran di awal
camp tersebut. Namun, saya bersyukur
untuk menyaksikan interaksi antar anggota,
komitmen dari panitia yang jumlahnya kecil
dan juga bagaimana peserta diberkati lewat
sesi. Sekali lagi menyaksikan dan mengalami
penyertaan Tuhan dalam hal-hal baru.
Memikirkan ulang peristiwa-peristiwa
seperti itu, tolong doakan supaya saya terus
diberi courage di dalam pelayanan ini, agar
berani melangkah dan melakukan apa yang
seharusnya dilakukan dalam tugas dan peran
yang saya jalankan (baik ketika mendampingi
mahasiswa, membawakan renungan, juga
menjalani role-role baru). Juga mohon
doanya, supaya terus diberi ketahanan
dalam memimpin KTB-KTB yang ada, agar
bisa membimbing adik-adik KTB dan terus
berupaya agar mereka (dan juga diri) terus
bertumbuh seperti Kristus. Thank you buat
dukungan doa dan support-nya.
Kalau napak tilas tahun 2014 kemarin,
saya bersyukur untuk banyak hal :-)
1. Bersyukur karena kalau dibandingkan
dengan tahun-tahun sebelumnya, saya
merasa lebih banyak bertumbuh secara
rohani melalui pelayanan setahun ke
belakang ini. Saya merasa lebih mengenal
diri, mengenal Tuhan, mencintai Tuhan,
dan peduli sama orang lain dibanding
waktu-waktu sebelumnya.
2. Bersyukur untuk pertambahan jumlah
mahasiswa yang ikut MDIS ISCF dan
juga kehangatan persekutuannya yang
juga dirasakan oleh teman-teman yang
belum percaya di MDIS. Doakan supaya
ada proses pemuridan yang solid dan
konsisten dan juga motivasi yang benar
ketika ikut ISCF.
IAN
3. Bersyukur untuk student-initiative yang
berkembang di NUS ISCF. Doakan supaya mereka
yang terkonviksi akan visi misi IFES dan merasa
terpanggil menjadi staff boleh menggumulkan
dengan sungguh-sungguh di hadapan Tuhan dan
tidak melarikan diri ;)
4. Bersyukur karena akhir Desember lalu bisa
liburan sama beberapa teman dan keluarga dan
merasa liburannya diberkati Tuhan :-)
5. Bersyukur karena lewat pergumulan saya
yang berat di tahun 2014 kemarin, saya makin
boleh mengalami Tuhan dengan real seperti lagu
“Blessings” karya Laura Story di bawah ini...
We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while,You hear each spoken need
Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things
(Chorus)
‘Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if the thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to
know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise
We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt your goodness, we doubt your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
And all the while,You hear each desperate plea
And long that we’d have faith to believe
Chorus
When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
Chorus
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
What if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise
35
Surat Doa Staff
Yang terkasih Saudara/i sepelayanan di FES IM,
Salam di dalam kasih Kristus. Pertama-tama
saya mau mengucap syukur kepada Tuhan dan
Raja kita, yang telah menyertai, memimpin dan
mencukupkan pelayanan kita di FES Indonesian
Ministry sepanjang tahun 2014 yang baru
saja berlalu. Mewakili tim staff, saya juga mau
bersyukur karena kami dapat mengadakan
retreat tim staff FES IM di bulan Desember lalu,
untuk mengadakan perencanaan pelayanan ke
depan selain untuk refreshing.
Mewakili Working Committee dan Badan
Pengurus Harian (BPH) dari FES IM, saya
hendak menyaksikan kasih setia dan belas
kasihan Tuhan bagi pelayanan ini, khususnya
MIKE
secara finansial yang sempat kembang
kempis memasuki kuarter terakhir
tahun 2014. Dalam hal ini, kami
sangat bersyukur atas kerja keras
rekan-rekan di BPH dan Tim Zakheus,
yang sejak bulan November lalu
mencurahkan tenaga dan waktunya
untuk fund-raising, baik untuk
menutupi defisit, menyediakan Annual
Wage Supplement, maupun untuk
penyediaan dana di tahun 2015. Sekali
lagi kami bersyukur dan memuji
Tuhan!
Saya sekeluarga sangat bersyukur
untuk kesempatan liburan di
Indonesia di akhir bulan Desember
lalu, sehingga kami merasa lebih
refreshed memasuki tahun yang baru.
Kami juga bersyukur dan memohon
dukungan doa dari rekan-rekan untuk
Anaiah yang sejak awal tahun ini
masuk ke pre-school jenjang Nursery
2. Kiranya di minggu-minggu awal ini
khususnya, proses adaptasi Anaiah
ke sekolah dapat berjalan baik. Dan
kiranya Tuhan terus memberikan saya
dan Cindy kekuatan dan bijaksana
dalam membimbing dan memberikan
teladan yang baik bagi Anaiah, selain
juga terus menjaga hubungan kami
sebagai suami-istri.
Untuk studi saya di SBC, saya
bersyukur karena anugerah dan
penyertaan Tuhan, saya dapat
menyelesaikan dua subyek (Greek
I dan Church History) di semester
yang lalu. Semester ini saya akan
melanjutkan dengan 2 subjek lagi
(Greek II dan Missiological Perspectives).
Sekali lagi saya mohon dukungan
rekan-rekan sekalian di dalam saya
menyelesaikan semester ini dengan
baik. Selamat tahun baru 2015!
36
YANTI
WELCOME!
Pada tanggal 5 Januari lalu,Yanti Agustin resmi
bergabung di FES IM sebagai full-time staff.Yanti lahir dan
besar di Medan sejak 22 Agustus 1992 hingga akhirnya
pindah ke Singapura pada tahun 2010 untuk menjalani
studi Product Design di Lasalle College of the Arts.
Di persekutuan kampus, dia melayani sebagai ketua
SKETCH Fellowship (Lasalle – NAFA Indonesian Student
Christian Fellowship) periode 2013.
“Alasan kenapa saya menjadi staff adalah karena adanya
konviksi tentang pentingnya discipleship terutama bagi
mahasiswa dan saya pribadi merasa sangat terberkati
dengan kehadiran para staff yang membantu spiritual
journey-ku semasa studi. Adanya kerinduan untuk
membagikan berkat itu kepada orang lain, namun
ada juga rasa gentar dan takut ketika berkomitmen
mengambil langkah ini”
Yanti bersekutu di Gereja Kristus Yesus Singapore
dan melayani dalam pelayanan sekolah minggu serta
pemimpin pujian di pelayanan pemuda.
Surat Doa
Merupakan suatu privilege bagi saya untuk bisa
bergabung dalam FESIM sebagai staff dan saya
sangat bersyukur untuk keluarga baru yang Tuhan
berikan ini. Jika dipikir-pikir lagi, sungguh luar biasa
penyertaan dan pengarahan dari Tuhan selama
masa pergumulan dimana Tuhan yang memberi saya
kekuatan untuk mengambil langkah ini meskipun
saya sendiri sebenarnya sangat takut ketika melihat
tugas para staff. Namun saya bersyukur untuk
kehadiran staff-staff senior yang membantu dan
membimbing saya yang masih newbie ini.
Doakan agar saya bisa
menyesuaikan diri dengan
tugas-tugas staffworker.
Dalam menjalankan tugas,
doakan supaya lebih
bersandar kepada Tuhan
dan bukan kekuatanku
sendiri. Doakan juga agar
kiranya semangat melayani
ini terus berkobar dan bisa
tetap setia menjalankan
panggilanNya.
37
GS Desk
PARTNERSHIP IN THE GOSPEL:
WHAT DOES IT TAKE?
In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of
your partnership in the Gospel from the first day until now.
(Phil 1:4-5)
When I read the name list of FES donors and supporters, I often ask myself why
they could be faithfully there for years, and some, for decades. What does FES have
in our ministry that compels them to stay supportive? As I look at several of those
names in more details, I could also recall several experiences in the past together
with them up and down for the sake of student work in FES. They not only gave
financially, but also availed much of their time and energy. Why should they do that?
This reminds me on a sweet and prominent thought in Paul’s epistles to the
Philippians. Partnership in the Gospel.
Paul writes a very intimate letter to the Philippians. In the thanksgiving section, he
expresses his joy because of their partnership in the Gospel. And he consistently
describes this throughout the letter. The word “partnership” used by Paul is
koinonia. In some English translations, the word “fellowship” is used. However,
koinonia means more than mere fellowship. Koinonia basically means sharing
something together or partnering together for a common purpose. This is an
expression of closeness or intimacy in which there are many things being shared in
common.
Paul mentions at least four areas throughout the letter in which the Philippians are
called to partner Paul in the Gospel.
The first area is the invitation to partner Paul to stand for the Gospel. In Philippians
1:7, Paul mentions that the Philippians have been “the partakers ... of grace … in
the defence and confirmation of the Gospel”. Also in verses 1:27-28, he calls the
Philippians to “[stand]ing firm in one spirit with one mind striving side by side for
the faith of the Gospel” and to wholeheartedly “let your manner of life be worthy
of the Gospel of Christ”. Knowing that Philippi is a colony of the Roman Empire,
38
and most of the Philippians are
Roman citizens, Paul challenges
their allegiance by showing that
the way they should live is for
the Gospel, and not for the
Roman Empire.
Secondly, as there are many
opponents of the Gospel (as
described in 1:12-16), the
partnership is also to suffer
for the Gospel (1:29-30; 4:14).
Thus, Paul calls them not to be
frightened, but instead believe
that they are also granted “not
only [to] believe in Him but also
[to] suffer for His sake” (1:29).
Thirdly, Paul’s plea is for the
Philippians to partner him in
praying for the Gospel (1:19).
Paul encourages the Philippians
to pray for him as he is confident
that “through [their] prayers and
the help of the Spirit of Jesus
Christ”, it will turn out for his
deliverance. Take note that most
likely Paul wrote this letter when
he was in jail. In other words,
Paul believes that God will use the Philippians’ prayer for
him while he is in captivity to help him persevere. How
much Paul appreciates the prayer ministry!
Lastly, Paul also acknowledges the Philippians’
partnership through their giving (4:15-18). He stated that
no one in the Macedonian church had been involved in
“giving and receiving” (4:14), except them. Nevertheless,
though he is very grateful to those gifts, he seems to
distance himself from relying on this material gift, saying,
“Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have
learned in whatever situation I am to be content” (4:11).
Stephen Fowl in Philippians: Two Horizons New
Testament Commentary noted that Paul never thanked
the Philippians directly for their gifts, as “to do so would
invoke social conventions concerning reciprocity and
the status of Paul and the Philippians.” In the GrecoRoman world, expressing thanks for a gift would bind
the receiver to pay with some sort of reciprocal act and
even could risk damaging the relationship between the
giver and the receiver.
Therefore, Fowl argues that Paul, instead, tactfully
writes his appreciation of their gift in 4:10-20 by linking
it as something that is “congruent with the Gospel, in
ways that recognize that the partnership Paul and the
Philippians enjoy is founded, enabled, and maintained in
Christ.”
Similarly, here and now, with much thanksgiving for your
partnership in the Gospel in past years, let us continue:
Standing for the Gospel
Suffering for the Gospel
Praying for the work of the Gospel
Giving materially for the
cause of the Gospel.
In His grace,
Lisman Komaladi
General Secretary
39
Laporan Keuangan
FES IM
Agustus-November 2014
“And we know that for those who love God all things work
together for good, for those who are called according to his
purpose.” – Romans 8:28
Kami senantiasa bersyukur pada Tuhan
atas penyertaanNya terhadap pelayanan
FES IM. Puji Tuhan di akhir tahun 2014 ini,
keuangan FES IM lebih baik di bandingkan
dengan periode sebelumnya. Seperti
yang dapat dilihat dalam data di bawah
ini, selama bulan Agustus – November
2014 FES IM mengalami surplus sebesar
$3,657.86. Hal ini di karenakan ada
Agu’14
Sep’14
Okt’14
Nov’14
Total
(Agu’14-Nov’14)
Pemasukan
$ 18,419.62
$ 19,201.27
$ 18,181.37
$ 25,925.26
$ 81,727.52
Pengeluaran
$ 18,151.84
$ 19,394.97
$ 21,160.20
$ 19,133.88
$ 78,069.66
$ 267.78
($ 442.47)
($ 2,978.83)
$ 6,791.38
$ 3,657.86
Surplus/Defisit
40
beberapa sumbangan one-time dari
donatur-donatur di bulan November dan
masuknya donatur-donatur baru. Kami
terus bersyukur atas para donatur yang
terus setia mendukung pelayanan FES
IM. Kami percaya bahwa Tuhan setia dan
akan terus mencukupi kebutuhan FES IM
sebagaimana Ia telah lakukan selama ini.
Pokok doa:
1. Bersyukur atas penyertaan Tuhan terhadap
pelayanan FES IM.
2. Kami juga bersyukur atas donatur-donatur
yang setia men-support pelayanan FES IM,
kiranya Tuhan yang terus memelihara mereka
dalam menjalani panggilan hidupnya masingmasing.
3. Berdoa untuk kebutuhan dana di 2015
yang akan meningkat dengan bertambahnya
jumlah staff, kiranya Tuhan saja yang terus
mencukupkan kebutuhan FES IM.
KUIS BERHADIAH
bagi 5 orang pemenang yang akan
diundi secara acak
QUIZ
Crossword Puzzle
Caranya adalah isi crossword puzzle
yang dibawah ini, kemudian kirimkan
ke email [email protected]
dengan subjek “Jawaban Crossword
Pistos Edisi Jan 2015”.
Deadline submission:
8 Februari 2015 (jam 23.59)
41
Are we aware of current affairs, challenges,
struggles in Singapore and how do our
identities as the people of God have
anything to do with them? What are our
responsibilities? Are we ready to be salt
and light, engaging and transforming our
surroundings (campus, society, and Singapore)
for Christ?
Year twenty fifteen. Fellowship of
Evangelical Students(FES) biennial National
42
Conference(NC) is here. Let’s participate in
a one day Equipping Conference on 7 March,
and journey thereafter, as a community of
His people. Let’s seek to explore what does
Shalom look like in Singapore, with mentors
from Incubators.
Wondering what is an Incubator? What are
Shalom Movement, and Passing the Torch? Find
out more on NC15’s official website:
http://www.fessingapore.org/nc2015/
and register yourself today!
(Registration ends on 28 February)
“I simply argue that the Cross be
raised again at the centre of the
market place as well as on the
steeple of the church.
I am recovering the claim that Jesus
was not crucified in a Cathedral
between two candles,
but on a Cross between two thieves;
on the town garbage heap;
on a crossroads so cosmopolitan
that they had to write his title in
Hebrew and Latin and in Greek;
at the kind of place where cynics
talk smut, and thieves curse, and
soldiers gamble.
Because that is where He died and
that is what He died about. And that
is where Christians should be and
what Christians should be about.” 1
George McLeod, founder of the
Iona Christian Community
Fellowship of Evangelical
Students Indonesian Ministry
Address : 420 North Bridge Road
#05-05 Singapore 188727
Tel: 63383665 Fax: 63382054
Website: www.fessingapore.org
FES IM Affiliates
•
Nanyang Technology University Indonesian
Students’ Christian Fellowship
•
National University of Singapore Indonesian
Students’ Christian Fellowship
•
Singapore Institute of Management Indonesian
Students’ Christian Fellowship
Pioneering Work at Curtin University, Nanyang
Academy of Fine Arts, LASALLE College of the Arts,
Singapore Management University, Management
Development Institute of Singapore
FES General Secretary
•
Lisman Komaladi
FES IM Head of Ministry
•
Michael Senjaya Kang
PISTOS
Januari 2015
MIC (P) 141/10/2014
Editorial Team:
•
Theo Ariandi, Olivia Wong, Christiana Novianty,
Manoel Yohanes, William Jason (Comic Cover),
David Giovanni (Crossword Puzzle), Adrian
Nugroho, Rika Widjaja,Yanti Agustin
PISTOS terbit tiga kali setiap tahunnya, dengan tujuan
membagikan informasi terkini mengenai perkembangan
pelayanan FES Indonesian Ministry dan mendorong
pemikiran yang lebih mendalam dan luas mengenai
berbagai aspek yang berpengaruh terhadap kehidupan
dan kesaksian orang Kristen.
1
George McLeod, Only One Way Left, quoted
in Donald E. Messer, Contemporary Images of
Christian Ministry (Nashville: Abingdon, 1989)
p.170. McLeod uses “churchmen” instead of
Christians; I have amended his text.
FES is an interdenominational Christian organization
that seeks to reach, nurture, and equip tertiary
students in Singapore to be a faithful evangelical
witness on campus and in society, making and building
disciples of Jesus Christ who will be effective salt and
light of the world.
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