2005 - My year in summary…

This is my first year out of university. One of my biggest challenges this year is constantly remembering that university was just a stepping stone. I really enjoyed my time at university and the lifestyle that I lived. My schedule was in my hands. The demands were obvious but I could meet those demands how I wanted to. I could study when I studied best (in my case between 11pm and 2am). I could wake up and go to the gym when I wanted. Living was cheap and worries were few. At the end of every year I had peace knowing that I still had ‘next year’ to make things right and to improve. But now I’m out of uni.

I had a shaky start to the year. I left a company that I had been with for 2 years and moved to a mining company. I stayed there for 3 months and moved to my current company – an international engineering company. I have been here now for 8 months. I really enjoy it, especially the people that I come in contact with.

I got engaged to the most beautiful girl. We are planning to marry in September next year in Indonesia. It struck me on Christmas day that this will be the last Christmas that I am a single man. Next year I will be a married man doing married couple stuff.

My Christian walk was shaky at times. I have been battling to maintain control and not slide back to the old and easy way of life. That old way of life is the one that shouts every day “Live for yourself. Be materialistic. Sex is cheap and easy. Work to make a lot of money so that you can have a great lifestyle.” These lies are totally against the plan and will of God for every human life. God calls me (us) to live sacrificial life. To me pure hearted. Loving. Tender. Caring. Always giving. Praying. Blessing. Letting no foul things come out of our mouths. Encouraging others. Being sexually pure (only have sex within the sanctity of marriage). Not to get drunk. Not to be violent. But to always seek justice for the oppressed and to his hands and feet on earth. Showing people that there is more than this life. There is more than what you can touch and feel. Our God is a Holy and righteous God who demands that justice be done. He wants every human in heaven – but this can only happen by repenting of your old way of life and trusting that Jesus Christ has already payed the price for the sins that you and I committed. I want to be a person who preaches this message. This will mean that I will lose friends (which has already happened). People don’t like to be confronted. But it is out of love for people that I preach this message to them. I know that God gives a life much more abundant than that life which they live for themselves.

Anyway, back to the topic…

My Indonesian is steadily progressing. I went to Indonesia for the first time and I liked it. I left Metro and moved to Riverview. I lived in 3 different locations (Student Guild house until February, Applecross until March, and now South Perth until I get married).

My biggest challenge this year is learning that I am a human. I am subject to mistakes. It is pride that causes me to beat myself up so much. I feel that I should be in complete control. I ask myself… how could I do such stupid things? But that is wrong thinking. Every human is subject to similar weakness. We all make mistakes. Repent and move on. It is wrong that I should expect so much from other people. I should not put my confidence in people. I should love them while knowing that they are prone to failure. Only God is fully trustworthy. God is the one who does not change. It is God who needs to be my anchor. Though I am weak, God makes me strong. Without God I (and you) are nothing. He replaces our ashes with crowns. He replaces our sorrow with Joy. God is always faithful and will answer those who love Him and honor Him.

Once again, I’ve gone off topic. Well actually… no. I am right on topic. God is the theme of my daily life. It would be wrong for me to neglect what God is to me when recounting my year. God has been involved in my everyday life. He has lifted me up. He has sustained me. He has given me endless opportunity and ability. He has restored me and He never leaves me.

I like what the psalmist says about God… While King David was envying the gain of the wicked and questioning his own pursuit of righteousness, he came to an understanding that the wicked have only one end. After this realisation he said “I was like a brute beast before you God. But nevertheless you are still with me. You hold me by my right hand”.

A flood of Gods Spirit is going throughout the earth. God is doing something amazing in the hostile lands. Christianity is growing in China, Indonesia, Africa, the Middle East. We are living in the greatest times ever.

Next year I hope to grow more in every area. I hope to be an expert in my work. I hope to quickly advance in bahasa Indonesia. I hope to build stronger relationships with those around me. I want to be someone who people can turn to knowing that I will be a true friend to them. I want to improve relationships within my family. I want to grow closer with Gayle everyday. I want to build my relationship with God everyday. I want to put Him first. I want every decision to be made with a deep awareness of God. I want to show more people that truly Christ saves.

God bless you all.

Indonesia's Shame - Stop the injustice! Stop the executions!

Ibrahim B., December 17, 2005 www.IndonesiaWatch.org Urgent action needs to be taken now to avoid a serious miscarriage of justice. The execution of Fabianus Tibo, Dominggus da Silva and Marinus Riwu must be stopped to allow time for justice to prevail.

IndonesiaWatch has been carefully studying the case against three men on death row in Central Sulawesi, the Court proceedings and it is clear that there are some serious problems with this case: 1. Evidence was presented by a series of witnesses, both Muslim and Christian that vindicated Fabianus Tibo, Dominggus da Silva and Marinus Riwu. 2. Evidence that was offered to prove the guilt of the accused was surrounded in emotional lies at a time when the newspapers had already named and convicted these men. One example was the evidence that airplanes and helicopters were supplying weapons to Christians in Tentena and Kelei. Not only was there no longer any airport in the area, but if such flights were undertaken, how come the radar of airports in Palu, Makassar, Luwuk and Manado had no such records. Where could they have come from? America? How ridiculous. Such information was accepted rather than the testimony of those who vindicated the three men. 3. Every week of the trial Islamic masses tried to storm the prison vehicles and kill the defendants and even their lawyers were at risk. The masses called out that if the three men were not convicted, then the masses would take law into their own hands and even the panel of judges would be executed. Such intimidation on the court defiles the process of justice. 4. The injustice of this case is even more obvious when one understands the history of what happened in Poso. At Christmas 1998 and Easter 2000 there were massive Islamic attacks against the Christian community burning down homes, churches, shops and killing the innocent. One girl killed was a maid at the Pentecostal church. She was chased by the mobs to the river. She tried to run across the bridge. Others came at her from the other side so she jumped into the river. She tried to swim ashore but machete wielding men slashing at her kept her in the river till she drowned. There are many other such incidents. But who was arrested? Why have not the murderers of the Christians been arrested? It was the failure of the Government, the military and the police to protect the Christian minority that forced the Christians to have to protect themselves. The three men are only on death row because they dared to try and defend the Christian community in the third round of attacks in May-June 2000. The masterminds of the first and second attacks, and the Government, police and military officials who failed in their responsibility should be held accountable before any responsibility should be laid at the feet of those who only wanted to protect their homes and families. 5. There is an evil rumor afoot that the execution of these three men has been hastily brought forward to balance the impending executions of the Bali bombers. It is also to show “balance” and “fairness”. If only the Islamic bombers are executed the Government runs the risk of being accused of being unfair and even anti-Islamic. So to balance the books, execute the Christians as well. This is grossly unjust and must not be allowed to proceed. The underlying causes of the Poso tragedy need to be thoroughly investigated before any executions take place. In the name of justice, Stop the Executions! 6. The timing of these planned executions is all wrong. Since the three men were arrested, tried and sentenced to death there has been an unrelenting attack against the Christian community. With these three men charged and sentenced to death and with none of the perpetrators of the many killings, bombings, assassinations and burning and looting of Christian villages from 2001 to 2005, arrested, tried and convicted, the timing is all wrong. The Christian community already feels betrayed by the Government, military and police who they feel are allowing a slow genocide to take place. It was once claimed that these three men were the instigators of the violence, but in Christmas 1998 and Easter 2000 these men were not involved. They did not instigate the attacks against the Christian community. They only became involved in May 2000 in the third round of attacks in order to defend their community against a genocide to which the government, police and military were closing their eyes. Furthermore, after they were arrested, how could they have been behind the following events in the area: i. New Year’s Eve bombings of five churches in Palu ii. The burning down and looting and killing in the villages of Pantangolemba, Betelemba, Saatu, Masani, Tangkura, Dewua, Sangginora, Mayumba, Beteleme, Sepe and many others. These attacks even used Government owned trucks to carry the jihad warriors, used a Government owned Kerosene Tanker to spray the homes of Christians as they travelled back and forth on a narrow road, the only road, and the police and military said they saw nothing. iii. The frequent withdrawal of police and military who were protecting Christian villages an hour before the village was attacked. The community knew that if the police were withdrawn it meant their village was about to be attacked. iv. The government – The Provincial Governor and the City Mayor both publicly, and reported in the news media, welcomed the Laskar Jihad to come and participate in Poso. v. Assassination of Pastor Susanti while preaching in her church. vi. Assassination of Chief Justice Silalahi on his way home from Church. vii. Assassination of the Synod Treasurer of GKST churches with his nephew. viii. The bombings of the Omega and Antariksa buses killing many passengers ix. The killing of an Italian on his honeymoon, Lorenzo Tadei, on a bus travelling to Tentena. x. The Laskar Jihad inspection posts where Christians were dragged from their vehicles and executed. xi. The Tentena market bombing killing 24, seriously injuring another 56. xii. The beheadings of three school girls - Theresia Morangke, Alfita Poliwo and Yarni Sambue. xiii. The shooting in the face of two schoolgirls – Ivon and Siti in Poso. xiv. The shooting of Novlin Pallinggi and her husband Pudji Laksono on their way home from church. xv. The assassination of the two witnesses to who was behind the Tentena market bombing, Mr. Budiyanto and Mr. Sarlito and the police officer investigating the bombing, Detective Agus Sulaiman. xvi. And many other incidents that have occurred since the three men were arrested, tried and sentenced to death. In the face of all these unsolved attacks, murders, lootings, assassinations, bombings, terrorism, how can it be just to single out three men who were forced to defend themselves, their homes, their families and their community, and then to execute them? Stop this injustice! Stop the executions!

My Allignments (from Psalm 16)

I just came across this in my card wallet... taken from a message at church earlier in the year...

Towards help
Towards blessing and away from lack
Towards health in life and relationships
Towards answers (what I do know) and away from questions (what I don't)
Towards growth
Towards strength - not weakness
Towards what's right with a thing - not what's wrong with it
Towards largeness - not smallness
Towards vision - not the past

We are all responsible for our lives. Through the many bad choices that we make, there is always time and opportunity to make the right choices. In all of the right choices that you make, God supports you. In all of the wrong choices that you make - you can not exhaust God's love and grace. He is able and willing to forgive you.

I also read this in a book that I'm currently reading...
"Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny"

I need to live on this stuff more and more every day.

Thus is my life...

Get up. Fall. Get up. Fall. Get up. Fall. Get up. Fall. Get up. Fall. Get up. Fall. Get up. Fall. Get up. Fall. Get up. Fall. Get up. Fall. Get up. Fall. Get up. Fall. Get up. Fall. Get up. Fall. Get up. Fall. Get up... Walk a little bit... Fall again. Get up. Fall. Get up. Fall. Get up...

When and how will this cycle end?

The whole world is in His hands

My view of God is that He is strong to deliver and mighty to save. But I don’t always trust in that. I take my eyes away from God and focus on current circumstance too often. These are some scriptures that I need to learn…

When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze. (Isaiah 43:2)

My God has the whole world in His hands. He has known my name and my life. He has known me in the evil I have done and in the good. In spite of this He still calls be blesses and loved. His promise for me is that He will always be with me. He will keep me.

Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4)

Whether I am in Australia serving God in my office, or in the jungles of the Philippines, It is God’s will that I fear no evil. He is with me here as He would be with me there. The same God, the same promise.

The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you;
he will never leave you nor forsake you.
Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." (Deuteronomy 31:8)

God’s will is that I walk confidently and boldly in all situations, knowing that He (the one who holds all power) goes before me and goes with me. I’m a servant and child of the King. An ambassador of heaven.

This is what the LORD says—
he who made a way through the sea,
a path through the mighty waters,
"Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland. (Isaiah 43:16,18,19)

Though I make mistakes every day, say and do wrong things, God redeems me. His forgiveness is for today. Christs sacrifice was sufficient. He wants me to come to Him daily to confess and repent (turn away from) my sins. God’s future for me is bigger than my past. When I look at situations that I see as being too tough, or that I am insufficient to succeed, God makes the way.