THE REAL STRENGTH OF ANY CHURCH

The Real Strength Of Any Church
by Rick Joyner www.morningstarministries.org

The real strength of any church will be seen through how strong the people are, not how great the preacher or pastor is. One of the greatest weaknesses in the modern church is that the people are rarely being equipped and released to do the work of the ministry as is mandated in Ephesians 4:11-16. We can therefore also expect its fulfillment to produce the strongest churches. Because the following Scriptures are the most concise and articulate of the purpose of true ministry in the church and its result, let's read it again before proceeding.
And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,
for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;
until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fulness of Christ.
As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;
but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ,
from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.
It has proven very easy for ministries to get distracted by building programs instead of people, but when the ministry of the church becomes a true New Testament ministry, equipping the people to do the ministry, we can then expect the church to attain:
1. The unity of the faith
2. The knowledge of the Son of God
3. Maturity
4. The measure of the stature that belongs to the fullness of Christ
We will then also see a church so strong and mature that:
1. It will no longer be childish or immature
2. It will not be tossed about by waves
3. It will not be carried away with every wind of doctrine
4. It will not be deceived by the trickery of men, their craftiness, or scheming
5. It will speak the truth in love
6. It will grow up in all aspects into Christ
7. The whole body will be held together by the joints, or joining of the different parts
8. Every part will be functioning
9. The body will keep on growing and building itself up in love
We can go on wearing ourselves and the people out with different plans, strategies, and projects, but this is the only one that is going to work to build the body into what it is called to be. So how do we practically equip the saints?
First, equipping is the fourth stage of the process, so this implies that the other three stages have already been accomplished, as the last one will be accomplished. These stages are:
1. Mobilizing
2. Teaching
3. Training
4. Equipping
5. Deploying
Most churches never get far past the first stage. They may begin to teach the people, but few go on to actually train them, and there is a difference between teaching and training. As a flight instructor, I would take time to teach the student what we were going to do in a flight lesson before we actually went up in the plane and I trained them to do it. Likewise, we need to teach people about the ministries they are called to, but that alone is not enough—they need to be trained. Isn't this what Jesus did? Remember, He is the leader of the church, and all true leaders who are following Him will do what He did. It is not enough to just teach people what to do; they must be trained, which is why Jesus went about "to do and to teach." He demonstrated everything He taught.
After the teaching and training comes the equipping. Only after my flight students had been taught and demonstrated their knowledge to me, and then demonstrated their skills to me by actually performing flight maneuvers, would I give them the airplane and let them fly solo or take off on their own. However, even this milestone was still but the beginning of their flight training. It is a noteworthy and encouraging accomplishment when an instructor trusts a flight student this way, but there is still a long way to go to becoming a proficient pilot.
This "solo flight" seems to be similar to what the Lord did in Luke 10 when He sent His disciples out without Him to preach the gospel, heal the sick, and cast out demons. They had to be greatly encouraged by this and would came back rejoicing. We have often seen how encouraging it is for people to see the works of God in their midst, but it is not even close to the encouragement of being used by God to do His works. I have had people who were on Super Bowl winning teams say that being used by God was much better!
Ministers who constantly demonstrate miracles and other works of God will encourage their people and draw many, but it will not be nearly as encouraging as when the people themselves get released and used. Anyone who has any spiritual weight or hunger will ultimately end up going to where they will get released and used themselves.
We also need to consider this if we are afraid that if we release people they are going to mess up. Get this straight now—they are going to mess up just like we did. If we do not release them because we are afraid they will make mistakes, then we are not following the Lord's example. In fact, He gave the most authority to the one who was prone to make the most mistakes—Peter!
A world-class musician told me he could always tell when a "live" album was truly live by the mistakes, which gave it life. If your church or your ministry does not make any mistakes, then it is because there is no life in it. People make mistakes, and possibly the greatest faith that pleases God is getting up after making one and pushing through. As Proverbs 24:16 states, "For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again...." Let this sink in—a righteous man falls! A righteous man actually falls over and over! But a righteous man also keeps getting up!
If you are a leader and you do not think your people are mature or stable enough to be released in ministry yet, then consider this—the Lord sent the seventy out to preach the gospel, heal the sick, and cast out demons in Luke 10. It was later in Luke 11 that those same disciples came to Jesus and asked Him to teach them to pray. Think about it. They were sent out by Him to do that kind of extraordinary ministry and were successful at it, and they had not even learned to pray yet!
Jesus was obviously the best, most successful ministry there ever will be. We will likewise be successful in ministry to the degree that we follow Him. One of the most extraordinary characteristics about His ministry was that He chose those who seemed the least qualified to be His leaders, turned them loose in ministry even before they knew how to pray, and used their experiences and mistakes to shape them into the most powerful force for the gospel that has ever been released on the earth. What would happen to the church if we started choosing our leaders the way that He did? It would rock the world again!

GLORIOUS AND POWERFUL CHURCH ARISING

Glorious and Powerful Church Arising
byRick Joyner http://www.morningstarministries.org/

The church is called to be a message to the earth of God's character and power, and His kingdom, which is His rule. As the church matures into its full purpose at the end of this age, it will become a part of heaven on the earth, being ruled more by the power and authority of heaven than by the earthly realm. The church is called to be the body of Christ, which is the very extension of His being on the earth that He seeks to do His works through.
So what will the perfect church look like? It will look like Christ, doing the works that He did. This is not just the miracles, though it does include them. However, the church will preach the message that He preached, calling men to repentance, to righteousness, and to the kingdom.
Just as Jesus did most of His works and preached most of His sermons in the streets in the midst of everyday life, in the end the church will not be as associated with buildings and services as much as it will be found in everyday life. True church life is twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Church is not something where we go—it is what we are.
Even so, one of the greatest hindrances to the church becoming what she is called to be has been zeal without wisdom—the idealism of some who try to go straight to the top of the mountain without the step-by-step climb that it will require. As we are admonished in Hebrews 6:11-12:
And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end,
that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
It will take both faith and patience to inherit the promises. True faith will always be demonstrated by patience. True faith does not grow weaker with the passage of time, but stronger, which we see beginning with Abraham, "the father of faith," and extending down through the testimony of all who carried the word of the Lord for their time. Even so, as the verses above exhort, we need diligence, and we must not be sluggish.
As we have covered before, Ephesians 4 is the most concise description of what the church is supposed to be in the Scriptures, which is summed up in verse 13 as, "the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fulness of Christ." The rest of that chapter describes how the church will get to this, the very "fulness of Christ."
When the kingdom fully comes, we know the earth will be restored to the paradise that it was originally intended to be. The prophets make clear that there will be no more crying, pain, hunger, disease, and no one will even hurt anyone else—even among the beasts, as the lions will lay down with the lambs, and children will play with cobras. That is the kingdom, but what about now?
Should the church feed all of the poor and heal all of the sick? Did Jesus? Think about it. At the pool of Siloam He must have stepped over some pretty bad cases to get to the one who He healed. He fed the multitudes a couple of times by multiplying food, and without a doubt He could have fed all of the poor on the earth if the Father had directed Him to, but He did not. If Jesus did not do this, why do churches and ministries try to do it?
One of the devil's most effective strategies for keeping the church weak and ineffective is to "wear out the saints." The primary way he does this is to get Christians involved in good works that the Lord did not call them to do. When we do things with the Lord, His yoke is easy, His burden is light, and we actually find refreshment for our souls while we are working. If we try to do work without Him, we will wear out and burn out, as well as not bear any real, lasting fruit.
An official of the CIA recently shared some insights about Christian missions that were remarkable. He used the example of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Billions of dollars of charity from Christian missions have been poured into Haiti with almost nothing to show for it. A tiny fraction has been directed to the Dominican Republic with remarkable results. What was the difference?
He likewise gave the example of South Korea after the Korean War. South Korea was possibly the poorest, most devastated nation on earth. Christian missions and charities poured into the country until the State Department cut it off. Why would they do that? Because they could see that it was hindering the national economy of South Korea. Who is going to make something if you can get it for free? Who is going to try to start a store to sell things if everyone can get them for free? Immediately after this charity was cut off, the economy jumped into gear. South Korea is now one of the largest and most stable economies in the world, and the nation has enjoyed the greatest growth in Christianity of any Asian nation.
As I have traveled quite extensively to many nations, I have come to the conclusion that about 90 percent of Christian missions and missionaries are ineffective, not really accomplishing anything. On the other hand, I also think some of the greatest, most effective missionaries of all time live today, as well as some of the most effective missions of all time. My point is that it would be wonderful to see the 90 percent that seem to be wasted going to those who are bearing fruit, which almost inevitably seem to be the ones who are the most lacking in support and resources. This seems to be because those which were the best missions and are the best missionaries are rarely good at self-promotion.
I also think this same ratio could be applied to the church in general. The small percentage which has an impact is far out of proportion to their size, being some of the highest impact, lowest maintenance groups probably on the earth. Then there are the rest, which may be as high as 90 percent, which are low impact, high maintenance, and are very busy with a multitude of programs to sustain the high maintenance members, but with very little true and lasting fruit to show for it.
If this seems like an attack on the church, it is not, so please hold the defensive emails. As we are told in Proverbs, the wise will desire more than the kisses of an enemy (see Proverbs 27:6). Last year I challenged the effectiveness and efficiency of the large Christian charities like the Red Cross and Salvation Army in this Word for the Week, and I quickly heard from their officials. Instead of possibly considering that they may have some problems, they just defended themselves. Like Shakespeare, "I think they do protest too much!" I obviously hit a nerve, and though I confess to being even more disappointed in them by the responses I received, I am glad I got their attention. I really do not believe in giving up on anything that began on a Christian foundation. I do not want to give up on these historic Christian charities, but there is a need for accountability. In this I am not talking about what an audit might find, as those will rarely turn up inefficiency, which is the point here.
Americans are generous, and Christians are the most generous Americans. This is definitely a good thing. It is better to give, even if only a fraction of what is given actually goes to the needs, than to not give at all. However, how we manage what we are entrusted with will determine whether we are told, "Well done, good and faithful servant" (see Matthew 25:21 NIV), or "You wicked, lazy slave" (see Matthew 25:26) on that great judgment day according to the Lord's message to us in the Parable of the Talents. Good management is that important to Him. Efficiency is that important to Him. It should, therefore, be important to us.
As Leonard Jones recently pointed out in one of his daily blogs, when you buy a new computer it is usually really fast. Then we start adding programs to it and it bogs down more and more. He was drawing the parallel to churches, and I think it is a good one. One of the ways that Christians, churches, and charities are being worn out is by devoting most of their time, energy, and resources to that which is really bearing the least fruit. In just a cursory examination of some of these, I think as much as 95 percent of the time, energy, and resources are being devoted to what is probably bearing less than 5 percent of the fruit. There may be some fruit, which keeps us in this devotion, but is it what it should be?
Our standard should be the Lord. He did not even have an organization, but He stirred a nation. He took twelve men and through them turned the world upside down. Of course, He is the Lord and we are not, but we are supposed to be growing up into Him. That should mean that we should constantly be getting more efficient, not less.
We do need to acknowledge that it is not all about efficiency either. If we only focus on efficiency, we will lose true charity. However, if we just respond to needs out of sympathy, we will be distracted from the course, wasting time and resources, and will wear out. There is a difference between human sympathy and God's compassion. Jesus did not do anything out of sympathy. In fact, He never responded to human needs, but He only did what He saw the Father doing. We must learn to do the same.
The whole key is to be yoked with Him, to abide in Him, and to let Him do His work through us. Many of the programs which now bog down churches and charities and are bearing little or no true fruit may have been very fruitful at one time. However, they did not realize when the Lord moved on. There is also a tendency for people to become possessive of these things, even wrapping their identity up in them. It can also be hard to prune them when they need it because of the seeming human pain. However, if it is not done they will fall further and further behind the Lord, and will bear less fruit with every passing season.
The Lord said that we can fall on the rock and be broken, or it will fall on us and crush us into powder (see Luke 20:18). In short, we can do this the easy way, or it will be done to us and be much harder. If churches and charities, which are supposed to be the arms of the body, do not heed the warnings and do it themselves, it will be done to them. As Paul said in Galatians 1:10, "If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ." If we are afraid of making people angry or disappointing them, letting that control us, then we will end up disappointing Him. We have a choice to make.
There will be a glorious and powerful church arising. There is a huge pruning coming to help us get there. This is not coming to destroy the church, but to set her free. We can make it easier if we will judge ourselves so that He does not have to do it.

OVERHAULED MINDSET

Overhauled Mindsets
by Rick Joyner http://www.frangipane.org/

In continuing our study of the coming kingdom of God and how we are called to build a highway for the kingdom, we will look at how we can expect the church to rise up to its purpose in these times. The church is the Lord's body, and what He does He will do through His church. If we want to be a part of what God is doing, it is fundamental that we find our part in His body and begin functioning in it.
We must also acknowledge that there are many ways in which the contemporary church reflects the ways and organizations of this world more than the kingdom of God. However, the church is going through a most radical transformation at this time. It is so radical that the only way to describe it is metamorphosis, which we have discussed before, but we need to build on this thought a bit, so I will review it briefly here.
Metamorphosis is the process that a caterpillar goes through in the cocoon where it enters as a worm and leaves a beautiful butterfly. The Greek word that is the root of this word "metamorphosis" is the word translated "transformed" in Romans 12:2:
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
A caterpillar is a worm that crawls along the earth, conforming to all of the contours of the earth, but a butterfly soars above the earth. This is the transformation that is needed in us, and as it is specifically stated in this verse, the transformation must take place in our minds by their renewing.
Our minds have what are called "mindsets." A mindset is the setting of our mind so that when a word is spoken we form a certain, definite impression. For example, when the word "church" is stated, many have a very definite impression of it. For most of us, the church is in its caterpillar state—the worm that is still conformed to this world. However, that mindset is about to be changed and renewed. Those who see prophetically already see the church differently. She is about to become a very heavenly creature, and those who are still looking for her crawling along the ground may miss her as she soars by overhead.
Mindsets can be good and bad. There are mindsets that we should have about such things as the Scriptures being the Word of God which cannot be changed. However, there are a lot of mindsets which are in fact spiritual strongholds, bondages that need to be broken. These are broken by a transformation that is in fact a metamorphosis, which is a process. I know many people who get revelations, but that is just the beginning of a transformation in our thinking which points us in the right direction. Real transformation is a process that requires faith, patience, endurance, and focus.
Metamorphosis requires going into a cocoon, which is very confining. Even after the transformation has taken place, the cocoon is very hard to break out of. In fact, breaking out of the cocoon is often the greatest struggle a butterfly will ever go through. However, if it were not for this great struggle, which strengthens the butterfly's wings, it would not be able to flap those big wings and fly.
It is noteworthy that Paul was "strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, 'Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God'" (Acts 14:22). The mindset that many believers have today would make that message anything but "strengthening" and "encouraging," but for the spiritually mature it is. The Greek word "tribulations" basically means "pressures" such as the confining pressures of the cocoon. We are strengthened through those constrictions and pressures that the Lord allows to come upon us so that we will be able to soar above this world. Those who want to avoid these trials will be confined as worms to the earth.
There are many Christians who have stayed on the course, making the most of their trials, and they will soar high above the earth. There are many Christians who have not had the wisdom or maturity to do this, and they will always crawl. This is a demarcation which will become increasingly striking in the times ahead. Shortly after that all Christians will be soaring because those who have not been transformed will not be able to remain Christians.
When the Lord was asked about the signs of the end of the age, He replied "Woe . . . to those who nurse babes in those days" (see Matthew 24:19). I would translate this as "Woe to those who have kept their people in immaturity." For this reason, Romans 12:1-2 is critical for us to hear:
I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
To present our bodies to the Lord as living and holy sacrifices is our spiritual service and worship. The body is the temple of the Lord, and as Paul wrote to the Corinthians, if we continue to defile it we can expect it to be destroyed. The sins of the body have consequences that will destroy the body. That should be motivation enough, but a higher motivation is a love for God so great that we want to please Him in all things.
We must resolve not to be conformed to this world. If we do not care more about what God thinks of us than what people think of us then we are not worthy to be His bride. That is why Paul said in Galatians 1:10, "If I were still seeking to please men I would not be a bond-servant of Christ." The degree to which we are ruled by the compulsion to please men, to be acceptable to men, is the degree to which we will have departed from our service to Christ.
As the Lord Jesus Himself stated in John 5:44, "How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another, and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God?" The answer of course is that we cannot believe and have true faith if we are still seeking the glory of men. The word for "glory" in this verse could have been translated "recognition." Our minds cannot be transformed if we are still conforming to this world by seeking the glory or recognition of men rather than the recognition of God.
However, the great promise in Romans 12:1-2 is that if our minds are transformed we will be able to "prove what the will of God is." There is no greater freedom than knowing we are in the will of God. This allows us to soar high above any of the conditions or problems of this world. This is how Paul and Silas soared in worship even when they were in a dungeon. No dungeon could hold their spirits. If the things of this world are still holding us down, then we have not been transformed.
It is interesting that during the teenage years there is more pressure to conform to what is considered the norm than probably at any other time of life. This is precisely the time of life when our true identity and purpose should be becoming clear, and this pressure from the world seems to be especially strong at this time to keep it from happening. This is also the time when many yokes of bondage are placed on people that keep them bound their entire lives. When you see a generation breaking out of this, willing to be different, having such vision and focus during these years that they cannot be seduced by the ways of this world, you can be sure the end of this age is near because the bride is here.
So what about folks that are older? Certainly there will be Joshuas and Calebs from the previous generation, but there is also hope for all who are still alive to be a part. There is a renewing that will renew us. We can become young again. That the bride is "without spot or wrinkle" (see Ephesians 5:27) speaks of her being pure (without spot), and she does not age (no wrinkles!). We can be made young again in the Lord if we will repent and determine that we will not be conformed to this world, but rather be transformed. If we are still living, it is not too late, but we should not waste another day.
We also need to decide if we are going to let all of the previous wounds and disappointments determine who we are, or if we are going to be like Christ, using the cross to determine who we are, seizing the opportunity to die to ourselves and rise above this world and live in resurrection power. We cannot be resurrected unless we have first died.

WORD OF TRUTH

Word of Truth
by Rick Joyner www.morningstarministries.org 

To continue our discussion on rightly dividing the word of truth, we must also understand that the Lord may be saying one thing to us, or leading us in a certain way, and saying something very different to others at the same time. One biblical example is how the Lord had a different word for each of the seven churches He spoke to in the Book of Revelation. These churches all existed at the same time and in the same general location, yet each needed a different message.
This is the reason I become skeptical when I hear someone say that a single word or message they have been given is what the Lord is saying to the church now. It may be what He is saying to their church, and maybe even many churches, but except for the centrality and preeminence of Christ Jesus, such universal words to the whole church are very rare. We must give room for the uniqueness of the gifts and needs of churches and individual believers if we are going to go on to maturity and the required unity that the church is called to walk in. The unity of the church is a unity of diversity, not conformity.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, one of the great prophetic voices of the twentieth century, said if one was prone to solitude he needed to live in community, but if one was overly dependent on community, he needed to learn to live in solitude. There is an important truth to this. Everyone is unique, and God is doing something unique with every one of His people. Yet many tend to get comfort and security out of how many are going through just what they are going through. Therefore, they try to get their fellow believers to go through what they are going through.
How does this apply to this study? There are some who have devoted themselves to financial planning and management, and God is leading them into more of a devotional life. There are some who have a good foundation in their devotional lives, but really need to learn some things about practical responsibilities. However, as I travel around to different groups, I notice that those who tend to need some practical discipline in their lives often consider those who are devoted to this unspiritual; those who need more devotion, prayer, and worship in their lives tend to view those who are devoted to this as irresponsible and ineffective in their faith. This is one of the areas of division in the church, and like most divisions, there is truth and error on both sides.
This is basically the issue that James was addressing in James 2:20-26, a passage which many throughout the church age wanted to cut out of their Bibles, even to the point where the Book of James nearly missed being included in the Protestant canon:
But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?
Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?
You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected;
and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness," and he was called the friend of God.
You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone.
And in the same way was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works, when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?
For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
As James stated, if you claim to have faith, then there should be some fruit and your works will be the demonstration of it. A friend of mine once told me about a couple he met. When he asked them what they did for a living, the man replied that he "lived by faith." When he asked the woman what she did, she replied, "I work so that he can live by faith!" As Paul the Apostle lamented concerning this kind of thing, it is a reproach to the gospel and not true faith. He went on to say in II Thessalonians 3:10-11:
For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone will not work, neither let him eat.
For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies.
I appreciate those who have such a devotion to the Lord that they want to spend all of their time in prayer, fasting, and worshiping. This is a noble devotion, but it becomes very ignoble when they become a burden on the church and other believers. They become a burden when they have to pressure others for support. However, this, too, can be complicated because the reasons can be varied. One reason is the church is not supporting the Levites (those called to full-time service) as they should. The other is that there are many who claim to be Levites who are in fact just spiritual bums freeloading off of the church. However, these can be discerned by their "undisciplined life," and they almost always become "busybodies," which are people who try to assume responsibility and authority where they have not been given it, so they gossip and spread strife.
Even so, we must mature so as to distinguish between faith and presumption, as well as faith and irresponsibility, or even laziness. You do not have to stop working to grow in your devotional life, or to grow in faith. I would not support anyone to be a missionary who was not an effective missionary while working and providing for themselves. I would not provide for someone to be a full-time worshiper and intercessor who was not worshiping and praying effectively while having a job and providing for themselves, as well as contributing to the church and other missions responsibly. The support for someone to go into the work full-time will almost always be the result of their own sowing beforehand and it being multiplied back to them.
On the other hand, when someone is effective in prayer, this is far more valuable than any secular job they could hold, and as a church leader, I am looking for those to support. I am looking for the spiritual Levites who are called to this day and night prayer before the Lord. It was when Israel failed to support the Levites to serve in the tabernacle or temple of the Lord that Israel repeatedly fell into apostasy. Every church should have a vision of finding those who are called as Levites and supporting them to do what they are called to do. Just as it was for Israel, it is a reproach on the church when the Levites have to get a secular job.
These are basic issues of kingdom management that we must resolve. True missionaries are my favorite people to be around, and I do believe the devotion to missions is a basic barometer of the spiritual condition of a church. It is also my opinion that about 95 percent of the missionaries in the field today are ineffective and should not be there. At the same time, we possibly have some of the greatest missionaries in the church age who are doing some of the greatest works in the church age. The 95 percent who are not effective are consuming the resources that should be going to the effective ones. This is bad management on our part, and must be corrected if we are going to be good stewards of what we have been entrusted with.
It is obviously a basic characteristic of the Lord that He does not like waste. Even when He multiplied the food for thousands, He had what was leftover gathered up so that it would not be wasted. In Revelation 2, the Lord commended the Ephesian church for putting to the test those who called themselves apostles but were not (see Revelation 2:2). An apostle is basically "one who is sent." If we are going to be trusted with the resources that will be coming to the righteous, we have to do things right, and the church must learn to put to the test those who claim to be sent by God.
Most of the ineffective missionaries are great Christians who have a real heart for the Lord and for missions. However, I think only a small percentage of them are called to this work full-time and would be much more effective part-time missionaries. Many of these would be far more effective in the churches that sent them. Of the ones who may be called to full-time missions, they were either sent into the field prematurely, were not trained and equipped adequately, or have been sent into the wrong field.
If you are a wise investor, you would certainly investigate a company before you bought stock in it. Checking out the product and its potential would be important, but checking out the management and their ability to make the product well, affordable, and distributable would also be crucial. These are things you check off when considering to invest in a company. We need a similar checklist for "putting to the test those who call themselves apostles." In this, I am not just speaking of those who claim to have the ministry of the apostle, but those who claim to be sent by God. To do this is not unspiritual, but rather it is being responsible with the resources we have been entrusted with.
Over the next few years, we are going to witness missions and ministry going to a new level of effectiveness and anointing. To be entrusted with this we do need to correct some matters, which in many places will result in a radical pruning so we can bear more fruit. Then we will hear on that great day, "Well done, good and faithful servant!" (see Matthew 25:21 NIV)

MANY EXPRESSIONS TO IMPACT COMMUNITIES

Many Expressions to Impact Communities
by Rick Joyner www.morningstarministries.org

We have discussed two of the most basic elements of a healthy, thriving church life. One element is openness to both the old and the new, which would be both the historic church and the new breakout movements in our own time. For this to be demonstrated in local church life would mean having a ministry for children, youth, and the elderly, with a healthy interchange between them.
The second element is a healthy interchange and fellowship with the rest of the body of Christ. These two are essential for a healthy, thriving church life that will have continued momentum and spiritual growth. This week we will discuss another foundational characteristic for a church or movement that will continue to grow and mature and not become stagnant.
The Lord Jesus ministered on three basic levels. He taught the multitudes, He trained the seventy and sent them out, and then He had His most intimate group of twelve that He shared everything with. A healthy church life should also minister to people on all three of these levels.
Today, some (not all) of the largest churches in the West are the "seeker friendly" churches, which cater to either new believers or those who are not even believers yet, but who are seeking. Though these churches are obviously successful numerically, they have many critics because of their seeming shallowness and lack of a call to radical, biblical discipleship, with the corresponding weakness of their members.
They may indeed have this lack, but I personally think they have their place and are performing a great service in reaching their communities. However, for more in-depth teaching, equipping for ministry, and even deeper worship, many feel that they must leave these churches and go to those which are devoted to more depth. This may be true for some, but I have met many very solid, deep, and radical disciples of the Lord who are members of seeker friendly churches. I think we can all prosper and grow wherever the Lord has placed us. However, in general, for a true and deeper spiritual maturity, the seeker friendly churches often tend to fall short.
As a counter-balance to the seeker friendly churches, there are many local churches which are devoted to more in-depth teaching and a depth of spiritual life that would be considered threatening to new believers and maybe even weird. These are the ones who claim to draw those who are the most radical, serious disciples, and they usually do. Those who seek the Lord for more depth will find it, and these are the churches which can have spectacular experiences which can radically change believers far more than just knowledge or teaching ever could
This is viewing the church from the two most basic kinds of churches as far as how they reach people, and such generalizations are never completely true. However, the most healthy churches will be those who have both of these elements in the same congregation. This is not only possible, but essential for a truly healthy church. We will say more about this later, but first let's look at an even more important reason for the church.
The temple is supposed to be the Lord's dwelling place. What would the church look like if it was built with one purpose in mind—being a dwelling place for the Lord, not just attracting people? What would the church be like if we really let the Lord build it and not the desires of the people? I think we could conclude that the church the Lord builds will reflect His own ministry on the earth—it will reach people at all levels, and it will do far more to touch people in everyday life, and every day, than just one or two days a week in services.
True church life is supposed to be seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day. It is not a building, but the church can meet in buildings of almost any type because the church is not the building. Any time we define the church by how and where it meets, we have grossly and tragically reduced the potential of that church. The church is far bigger and more dynamic than any building or mere human program can hold. Buildings and programs can be used to help build the church, but if the church's identity is reduced to just those buildings or programs, then it is sadly lacking the power and life which it is called to have. For the church to be what it is called to be, it must touch everyday life.
The Lord had a tabernacle built for Israel in the wilderness, a specific dwelling place, but it was mobile and accessible, always being found right in the middle of the camp of the people. This was the center of their lives; the camp revolved around God's presence, not the other way around. True Christianity is not an appendage to our lives the way that modern Christianity has evolved with many—it should be the nuclear center and source of power and light for our lives.
The dwelling places of God in Scripture, such as the Tabernacle of Moses and the Temple of Solomon, began with three places. There was an Outer Court for the multitudes, a Holy Place where only the priests could go to minister to the Lord Himself, and then the Holy of Holies where the presence of the Lord actually dwelt and only the High Priest could go. These were given as blueprints for His dwelling place, and the churches that are going to be the most healthy will have these three basic levels to them.
The churches that become exclusively "seeker friendly" can become shallow and therefore unhealthy if they do not have a way for those who become "finders" to have a path to help them mature. Likewise, churches that are devoted to just drawing the radical believers who want to go all the way with the Lord can become introspective and proud, and begin taking on a nature that repels the Lord instead of draws Him. Without question, Jesus was the deepest soul to ever walk the earth, but He attracted the unspiritual. The deeper we become in the Lord, the more souls we should be leading out of darkness, not less.
One of the greatest weaknesses of the modern church has been to build around a single preacher or leader. Even when Jesus walked the earth, the greatest preacher and leader who would ever be, He had His disciples doing a great deal of the ministry. In fact, the Lord called together His disciples and began training them before He started drawing and ministering to the multitudes. The leaders who are the greatest followers of the Lord will do likewise. They are not just doing the work of the ministry, but they are equipping the people sent to them to do the same.
We see this pattern continuing with the first twelve apostles in Jerusalem. Even though Peter may have been the initial and most visible leader, the people immediately saw twelve people as their leadership, all of whom were vitally involved in it. Soon there were more than twelve, as they were known as "the apostles and elders." Next came the appointed deacons, at least two of which arose to have powerful ministries themselves, with Stephen even seeming to eclipse the apostles in power for a time. Then, when the church in Jerusalem was scattered by the persecution, all of the believers went out preaching the gospel very effectively.
The true health of a church or movement will not be determined by the most visible ministries, but by the strength of the individual believers. When the Lord was asked about the signs of the end of the age, one of the things He said was, "Woe . . . to those who nurse babes in those days" (see Matthew 24:19). We might interpret this as "Woe to those who keep their people in immaturity." As the times unfold, these will be the churches and movements which will quickly collapse.
For this reason, it is imperative that the leadership of the church take up the Ephesians 4 mandate to equip the saints. As I was shown prophetically a few years ago, the Lord's patience with the shepherds and ministries who are not doing this is running out, and they will be removed from their places. However, New Testament ministry does not just do the work of the ministry, but equips others to do it as well, just as the Lord Himself gave us an example.
We are just beginning to dust off a few of the important issues facing the modern church. It is crucial that we do this. There can be no preaching of the gospel of the kingdom without a true representation of it on the earth, which the church is called to be, and you can be sure it will become this. The strongest generation of Christians is about to be released on the earth, and they will be the fruit of the strongest churches.

LET GOD BUILD HIS WAY

Let God Build His Way
by Rick Joyner www.morningstarministries.org

Reinventing became the rage in industry a couple of decades ago. This included reinventing everything from basic organizational structure, to how the process of making a product was done, to how it was marketed and delivered. This was helpful to many industries and businesses, but for others it only helped them to make and distribute the wrong product better, and of course they still failed.
Reinventing then became the rage in much of the church. Likewise many churches really needed a makeover, and this helped them. Others may have changed their style and even their basic organization, but they failed because their basic message was wrong and all of the repackaging in the world would not help them.
The message that we preach is crucial, but there is something else even more important. As my friend Francis Frangipane repeated often, "The church now has just about everything it needs, but God." It is the Lord in our midst, moving and doing things as only He can, that alone truly sets us apart from every other religion and philosophy in the world. More than just building to attract people, we must build that which will attract God, which will only be what He builds Himself.
Certainly there is a need to be in tune with and relevant to the times and to timing. Much of the messages of John the Baptist and Jesus spoke to the times and specific situations. Jesus did not talk to the woman at the well about being born again, but about living water. She was thirsty, not old like Nicodemus. This is why the Lord had a different message to each of the churches in the Book or Revelation, even though they each existed at the same time and in the same basic region. Each still had unique needs and a unique purpose that needed to be addressed.
One of the greatest crimes against humanity that the church has committed has been to misrepresent God to the world by being so boringly uniform. The whole creation, which we are told testifies of God, testifies most boldly about His love of diversity and creativity. For this reason, Christians, who know and are called to represent the Creator, should be the most creative people on the planet. Every church should be overflowing with such creativity that the world beats a path to the door of the church to find the new trends in everything from fashion to music to movies to all forms of art.
Now, in everything from art to music to leadership and management, and trends such as reinventing, the church tends to lag even decades behind the world. Even then, the church still cannot copy the world with even close to as much class and quality, which makes it an even sadder situation. However, this is going to change, and when it does, it will change quickly.
The main way it is going to change is when the church stops trying to compete with the world in the things that they are going to do much better than the church—such as entertainment. When we try to build on technology and entertainment, it turns our services into shows and we are not building on what will last. The only foundation that can last is Jesus Himself. He is also infinitely more interesting than any form of entertainment could ever be, not to mention that He fills the deepest need of the human heart.
The second irresistible "product" that the church is supposed to have is true fellowship. The first thing the Lord said was not good was loneliness, and there are abundant studies that show people are getting continually lonelier. People live next door to others in apartment complexes for years and do not even know each other's names. This is why television programs such as "Cheers" and "Friends" have been so popular—they are built around people connecting. However, they are popular because people are connecting with TV personalities and living vicariously through them without developing their own friends. With the breakdown of the family, loneliness is becoming even more acute.
Church is called to be the ultimate fellowship. The congregations which follow this pattern will draw the lonely like nothing else can. However, we must work hard at making newcomers feel welcome and letting them break into the community of the saints. When people come and see a depth of fellowship in the church, but are not made to feel included, it becomes even more repelling. That is why our fellowship must also be built on a sincere love of the lost and love of our neighbors. If we love them, we will open our hearts and our homes to them.
Not forgetting the most important things such as the presence of the Lord and true fellowship, let us revisit briefly the creativity and leadership issues that should also be the special domain of the church. Because we are called to represent the King of kings, the One who is above all rule and authority and dominion, the world should be beating a path to the door of the church for the best leadership and management. Who should be better leaders than those who are the disciples of and serve the ultimate Leader, the ultimate King? It does seem that the church is quite far from this leadership, but this will change, just as creativity in the church will soon be released in a way that has not been seen for many centuries.
We must address creativity and leadership together because they are linked. The greatest leaders have almost always been those who were the most creative and who could think outside the box to see what others could not see. They would likewise have the confidence and boldness or faith to be different and innovative. The church is called to be the head and not the tail, which means the world should be following us, not us following the world. The Lord's basic nature is obviously both creativity and leadership, and those who follow Him closely will be these things. The greatest example of this is the transformation that we see in His disciples who went from being anything from simple to misfits, and impacted the world like no other group of people ever have.
We are seeing the signs of a great wave of the Holy Spirit building in the U.S. It seems poised to especially touch youth, who are the future leaders of not only the church, but the world. This emerging generation is an extraordinary one, unlike any other in some ways. I see great potential in this generation—not only to see radical, biblical Christianity restored to the earth, but to actually walk in things all of the previous generations dreamed about—to truly do the works that Jesus did and even greater works as He promised. I have no doubt this emerging generation will actually cross the metaphorical Jordan River and start possessing the promised land of God. I also know that a great trap has been laid for this generation, and will be a continual trial to it. This trial is the same one that Joshua faced and failed. It is written in Joshua 9:3-6 so we can understand it and not fall to the same trap.
When the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai,
they also acted craftily and set out as envoys, and took worn-out sacks on their donkeys, and wineskins, worn-out and torn and mended,
and worn-out and patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes on themselves; and all the bread of their provision was dry and had become crumbled.
And they went to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and to the men of Israel, "We have come from a far country; now therefore, make a covenant with us."
Joshua did not discern the trick of the Gibeonites. He made the covenant, and the Gibeonites became a thorn in the side of Israel for their entire history. The lesson is: When you start becoming successful, when you start to possess the promises of God, watch out for those who come with stale bread and old wineskins.
As the momentum and victories begin to take place for the emerging generation, they can count on such to come and try to make alliances with them. At the same time, the emerging generation will not stay in their promised land long if they do not properly honor their fathers and mothers, which is the commandment with the promise to stay long in the land that the Lord gives.
To keep these two things in proper tension will help to keep this generation on course, but it will be a continual trial that is needed. It seems that the Lord helped Israel in a great way by giving them Joshua and Caleb to lead the generation that crossed over. Joshua and Caleb were both remarkable for being a "new generation" in their mentality decades before the new generation arose. They were also remarkable in how they never were bitter or resentful toward the older generation even though that generation cost them forty years of wandering in the wilderness. By this, Joshua and Caleb proved to have the most important foundation of all for possessing the Promised Land, or the promises of God—faith and patience.
The new generation is here now and ready to cross over. I know many extraordinary leaders from the previous generation are ready to lead them over. They, too, have kept the faith and had patience. We can expect many others from the previous generation to pass soon. These are the ones who disqualified themselves from such leadership because they did not grow in faith with the passage of time, as true faith always does, but became bitter, resentful, old people. These are the ones who spend more time talking about what's wrong with the church than they do promoting vision and faith.
The fact that we are in the age of grace means there is always the potential for grace, and there is still time for some of the older, bitter ones to repent and be changed into the leaders who are needed. However, there is not much time left for this. We are approaching the Jordan River.

RELEASING YOUR LIFE THROUGH YOUR DEATH

RELEASING LIFE THROUGH YOUR DEATH
By Robert Fitts

    One of the amazing and glorious realities of life is that we are able to almost completely ignore the fact that someday we will die.  The specter of death does not hang over us like a dark cloud, making it impossible to enjoy life day after day because of a nagging fear that "today might be the day that I die."  There is not even a faint, subconscious, recurring thought, "someday I'm going to die".  I may think about it from time to time, but it does not torment me daily.

    Death happens to everyone.  It could come at any time, either suddenly or slowly.  It knocks on every door and eventually we all have to answer that call.  It is a miracle that we live as long as we do in the light of the innumerable things that cause people to die . . . diseases, killer virus, germs, warfare, accidents, murder, heart attacks, terrorist attacks, strokes . . . and on and on.

    The Bible admonishes us to "number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom".  Numbering our days means that we must take into account that we will not live forever on this earth and that the day of our death is as certain as the day of our birth. We have only so many years to finish what we feel we were sent into the world to accomplish.  Life is a cycle that has a beginning, middle, and end. Life is a temporary assignment.

    The Bible does not take a negative or somber view of death.  It speaks of death as something that does not have to be a chilling, forbidden arena of darkness and grief, but a passing from this realm into another that can be a time of celebration rather than a time of anguish and sorrow.

    Jesus Christ gave some very encouraging promises about dying.  He said that those who believe in him would never die but would live forever and ever.  He said, "He who believes on me shall never see death . . . shall never taste of death."   According to this promise, the death of a believer is not like the death of an unbeliever.  There is a difference.  Even though all depart this life and leave this body, we do not all die, or experience death, in the same way.

    The Bible says, "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints."  There is something precious to God about the passing of a Christian.  One thing we need to keep in mind is that once we die we leave this body behind.  My spirit does not; cannot stay in my body.  If death does nothing else, it separates my body from my spirit.  The Bible says that we will be given a new body when we depart this one.

    I have a body, but I am a spirit.  One day I will leave this body and I will not come back to see how it's doing.  I will not feel anything in that body again.  That part of my existence is over.  It will not matter to me what happens to my body after I die.  I will no longer be attached to it in any way.  Some people die and are buried.  Some die and their bodies cannot be buried.  Some drown in the sea and that becomes their place of burial; their bodies are never recovered.  Thousands in recent wars were completely incinerated.  Some were blown to pieces by powerful explosives.  It will not matter what happens to my body after I die.  I will not feel a thing for I will not be there.  I will be gone.

    This is not to say that your body is unimportant or that there will not be a resurrection of your physical body.  The teachings of Jesus and the apostles give us that hope firmly established in many places throughout the New Testament.  Those who die in the Lord will certainly rise again with a glorified body, a perfect body, whether they were eaten by lions, or burned at the stake, or whether their bodies disintegrated in the sea or in the grave over the years.  We will still have our personalities intact, and physical features that people who have known us on earth will recognize in heaven.  I will still be me and you will still be you, but a much better me and a much better you, for we shall be like Jesus!  (I Corinthians 15:35-58 and II Corinthians 5:1-4)

    Aside from the spiritual considerations surrounding the event of my death, there are the practical aspects that face those I leave behind.  They are faced with many details, the most immediate of which is what to do with my dead body.  Wisdom says to make that preparation long before the event and make sure you have enough insurance to cover the cost of the funeral, the coffin, the gravesite, and other details.

    The high cost of living is now being rivaled by the HIGH COST OF DYING!   The average funeral now costs around $6,000.  The death and burial industry has become just that . . . an industry!  Huge conglomerates are rapidly buying up local funeral homes and the cost of dying is getting higher and higher as the funeral industry comes ever closer to becoming a monopoly with the ability to fix funeral prices.

    A few years ago I was reading through a missions magazine and came across an interesting little clip that was admonishing Christians to step away from traditional funerals and do something sacrificial and life-giving in the event of their death.  The article said, "Make it plain in your will that you want your body cremated at a fraction of the cost of a traditional funeral and that you want the funds that would have gone into your traditional funeral sent to the missionary organization of your choice to help proclaim the message of God's love to the millions who have not yet heard." 
   
    As I read this I was impacted with that thought and, over the years God has added to it in my mind and given me a plan that I call RELEASING LIFE THROUGH YOUR DEATH.

    One of the most beautiful funerals I ever attended was not really a funeral at all, at least in the traditional sense.  The "Celebration" was held in the church of which the deceased was a member.  The husband was present along with many friends and loved ones.  There was no casket up front.  Her body had been cremated. There was a long table in front of the pulpit covered with some of the things, beautifully arranged, that this lady held dear in her lifetime.  There were also pictures of her and her family along with an urn containing her ashes.  The pastor said a few words and read from the Bible some appropriate passages and then opened up the meeting for family and friends to come to the front and tell how this lady’s life had blessed their lives.  That part of the celebration took over an hour, an hour that seemed to pass all too quickly.  It was wonderful!

    That "funeral" became a part of the scenario that was beginning to take shape in my mind about funerals.  It has taken more than fifteen years for all the pieces to come together but now I am confident that I need to make a bold statement about what I want to happen to my body when I leave it.  But that is only one part of the project.  The other part is to communicate this vision to the Body of Christ and pray that it will go out to all nations and make some radical changes in the way that we arrange the commemoration of our passing from this life to the next.

    I believe our "passing" can become a great blessing to those we leave behind.  We can so arrange the details of our "Celebration" that our dying will bring forth the birthing of new life, both physical and spiritual. The following is a simple explanation of this plan:

    1. Prearrange to have no grave-site, no coffin, no funeral, no cremation, but rather a "Graduation Celebration."

    2. Choose DONATION rather than CREMATION.  Do not have your body buried or cremated, but rather give your body to those who are sick and waiting for donors to provide them with needed organs.  The cost to your family is absolutely nothing.
    There are over 78,000 people waiting for an organ transplant.  Every 14 minutes a new name is added to the UNOS  (United Network For Organ Sharing) National Transplant Waiting List.  Everyday more than 15 people die for lack of an organ.  Most people who receive "The Gift of Life" are living productive lives more than 5 years after their transplant surgery.  Donation of organs and tissue gives one the opportunity to save and enhance as many as 50 people’s lives.

    3.  Arrange to have a "Graduation Celebration" Instruct the minister that he is to present the simple message of the gospel and give an invitation to those present to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and lead them in a prayer to receive him then and there.

    4.  At that celebration all your friends who so desire should be given an opportunity to stand and say what is in their hearts about some favorite memory of you or how your life may have left an imprint on their lives.

    5.  In the event cremation is chosen rather than donation, do not let the ashes enter the picture.  Too many have made the urn containing the ashes the focus of the event and even planned a very costly "Ashes Scattering Ceremony" that includes hiring a boat or airplane to scatter the ashes over the face of the waters, etc.   This has given rise to the idea that in some way the person is still present in that urn and the urn of ashes is given special attention, sometimes in very bizarre ways. The person is GONE!  Ashes have no significance and should not be given any.  It is very important to think of that person as still alive and not think of them in the grave or in an urn in the form of ashes.

    6. Prearrange for the money that would have been used to pay for an expensive funeral to be given to a missionary organization that has a vision to reach all nations with the gospel of Jesus Christ.  In so doing you will be giving life both physically and spiritually.  Physically, to those who otherwise would die, in donating your organs, and spiritually, in the gift of finances for the proclamation of the good news of God’s love and forgiveness through Jesus’ death on the cross for us.

    May the Lord quicken these thoughts to a multitude of sincere Christians who are excited about making their death a beautiful event that will not only bring life to the sick and dying, but will also bring the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ into the hearts and lives of people who attend the "Graduation Celebration," and on out to every country in the world!  In so doing you will make your passing into the next life an event that will release life, both physical life and spiritual life to a multitude.
   

REKAYASA GENETIKA, SEBUAH JAWABAN

REKAYASA GENETIKA, SEBUAH JAWABAN

    Siapa tidak ingin awet muda? Bukankah umur manusia sudah ditakdirkan? Sudah
dibuatkan cetak birunya, itu yang disetujui para ilmuwan. Maka, mulai banyak yang bertanya-
tanya, bagaimana bila cetak biru itu bisa diubah? Beberapa studi menemukan, cacing bisa
berumur dua kali lebih panjang bila cetak birunya diubah. Studi lain menyebutkan,
mengurangi konsumsi kalori bisa membuat seseorang hidup lebih lama dan lebih sehat. Jadi,
bisakah seseorang dibuat awet muda?
    Yang sudah pasti, Pusat Pencegahan dan Pengendalian Penyakit AS mengumumkan,
angka harapan hidup warga AS saat ini 30 tahun lebih lama daripada 10 tahun lalu.

    Linda Walsh baru 42 tahun. Namun, rambutnya mulai rontok. Persendiannya mulai
kothekan, dan ia mulai gampang lelah. Kulitnya juga mulai memperlihatkan bercak-bercak
tanda ketuaan. Namun, kini penduduk California Selatan itu kembali mulus. Tak ada lagi
bercak penuaan di kulitnya. Rambutnya juga kembali subur. Dan, ia kembali sehat dan aktif
menjalankan bisnisnya.
    Kok bisa? Walsh mengaku berhutang budi pada suplemen antioksidan dan produk-produk
perawatan kulit yang tiap hari dioleskannya ke wajah dan seluruh tubuh.
    Sesederhana itu? Tidak, rupanya. Menjadi awet muda tak selalu sesederhana minum pil
dan mengoleskan lotion. Para ahli genetika bilang, penyebab penuaan berada jauh di pusat
sel-sel tubuh. Itulah gen, cetak biru hidup manusia. Dialah yang menentukan bagaimana
seseorang tumbuh, berkembang, dan menjadi tua.
    Hanya, ketika Pusat Pencegahan dan Pengendalian Penyakit AS (CDC) melaporkan
betapa angka harapan hidup warga Amerika kini 30 tahun lebih lama daripada sepuluh tahun
lalu, harapan untuk memperpanjang harapan hidup dianggap bukan lagi sekedar fantasi.
Apalagi, temuan para ahli mendukung pula. “Kian banyak saja gen yang bisa mengubah
bagaimana kita menjadi tua dan berapa lama kita hidup,” kata Dr George Martin, guru besar
genetika University of Washington School of Medicine di Seattle.
    Sejak 10 tahun lalu, Martin meneliti Werner’s syndrome, penyakit yang membuat orang
mengalami gejala penuaan saat masih berusia 20 tahun. Penderita sindroma ini mengalami
ubanan, osteoporosis, penyakit jantung, dan diabetes, yang biasanya hanya terjadi pada
lansia.
    Pada 1996, Martin dan kolega-koleganya di laboratorium di seluruh dunia menemukan
penyebab kondisi tadi: sebuah gen yang mereka sebut recQ. Gen ini bermutasi sedemikian
rupa sehingga ia tak lagi bekerja mendukung mesin perawat gen dalam sel. Ketika mesin ini
mulai lamban, tubuh pun mulai menunjukkan tanda-tanda penuaan dini. “Karena perubahan
sebuah gen bisa menyebabkan gejala penuaan, para dokter suatu hari nanti mungkin akan
mampu memanipulasi gen tertentu untuk memperlambat proses penuaan,” kata Martin.
    Isu antioksidan. Temuan Martin, tentu, berarti harapan. Namun ada tawaran lain. Para
ilmuwan Universitas Colorado menemukan beberapa gen cacing gelang. Bila gen ini
dimutasikan, cacing tadi jadi hidup dua kali lebih lama. “salah satu gen ini diketahui
mengontrol seberapa banyak antioksidan diproduksi tubuh,” kata Thomas Johnson, guru
besar genetika perilaku Universitas Boulder.
    Ketika gen tadi dimutasikan, tubuh memproduksi lebih banyak antioksidan untuk
memerangi radikal bebas. Radikal bebas adalah produk sampingan proses metabolisme, yang
bisa menyebabkan penuaan dengan jalan merusak jaringan dan sel. Cacing gelang yang
memiliki lebih banyak antioksidan ditemukan hidup dua kali lebih lama daripada cacing
dengan jumlah antioksidan normal.
    Dalam kasus Walsh, bisa jadi suplemen antioksidan memang menghilangkan tanda-tanda
penuaan di kulitnya. Namun, Johnson mengingatkan, itu bukan berarti antioksidan (yang
meliputi vitamin A, E, dan C) meningkatkan kemampuan tubuh memerangi radikal bebas.
Menurut ia, beberapa studi menemukan, tubuh justru memproduksi lebih sedikit antioksidan
jika kebutuhan antioksidan disuplai dari makanan.
    Dicari, obat awet muda. Kini Johnson membangun perusahaan GenoPlex di Denver.
Perusahaan ini mencoba mengembangkan obat untuk mengintervensi proses penuaan di
level gen. Manipulasi gen, tampaknya memang jalan yang harus dilalui.
    Helen Blau, guru besar dan ketua farmakologi molekuler Stanford University School of
Medicine, juga berpendapat sama. Kini, ia dan tim risetnya mengembangkan sel-sel otot yang
direkayasa secara genetika untuk merangsang tubuh memproduksi pembuluh darah.
Pembuluh-pembuluh darah ini akan mencegah penyakit jantung, juga menunda atropi dan
mengatasi luka yang sulit sembuh pada lansia. “Sejauh ini, sel-sel yang direkayasa secara
genetika tadi sukses merangsang pertumbuhan pembuluh darah pada tikus,” kata Blau. Kini,
tinggal melakukan uji klinis untuk mengetahui apakah sel-sel yang sama juga bisa
menumbuhkan pembuluh darah pada manusia.
    Toh, seperti juga ilmuwan lain, Blau juga mengingatkan betapa terapi anti penuaan masih
perlu waktu. Ia bilang, meski para ilmuwan telah tahu banyak tentang genetika penuaan,
terapi genetik masih menjadi masa depan. “Ini sangat mengagumkan. Namun, ia belum siap
tayang,” katanya.


        GAYA HIDUP, SETITIK HARAPAN

    Tak banyak, kalaupun ada, orang yang bisa dengan bangga bilang, “Saya telah berusia
90 tahun dan tetap sehat.” Tapi, Ernest Umberger punya kebanggaan itu. Sejak 1958, mantan
farmakolog ini jadi responden studi tentang penuaan. Maka, warga Rockville (Maryland) itu
ibarat eksperimen hidup saja.
    Penuaan sehat. Bersama Umberger, ada 1.300 responden yang mengikuti studi ini. “Studi
ini tak akan membantu orang hidup lebih lama. Lebih realistik menemukan cara untuk
membantu lansia hidup lebih sehat meski tak perlu berumur lebih panjang,” kata Jerome Fleg,
direktur studi ini.
    Dan, para ilmuwan menemukan, kunci utama itu adalah gaya hidup. Perokok, mereka yang
kurang gerak, dan penggemar fastfood ditemukan lebih cepat tua dan lebih dini sakit.
    Peran hormon. Temuan lain, hormon mungkin juga amat terkait dengan proses penuaan.
Dr. Marc Blackman, guru besar kedokteran di Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine,
telah meneliti hormon pertumbuhan selama 20 tahun. Hasilnya, pemuda yang kekurangan
hormon pertumbuhan memperlihatkan tanda-tanda penuaan dini. “Tanda penuaan ini hilang
begitu mereka minum hormon pertumbuhan buatan,” katanya. Studi lain menemukan, lansia
yang minum hormon ini mengalami peningkatan massa otot dan pengurangan lemak.
    Meski begitu, Blackman menyarankan kita tak minum suplemen hormon pertumbuhan
sampai peneliti menemukan bukti lebih kuat. Sebab, peminum hormon ini bisa mengalami efek
samping tekanan darah tinggi, sakit kepala, dan sindroma saluran karpal.
    Diet panjang umur. “Kunci lain tetap awet muda mungkin amat sederhana, sekedar
makan lebih sedikit,” kata Dr Roy Walford, guru besar patologi Universitas California di Los
Angeles, penulis teori pembatasan kalori. Teori ini menyebutkan, orang akan hidup lebih lama
jika mereka mengurangi jumlah kalori yang mereka konsumsi setiap hari.
    Walford meneliti tikus. Hasilnya, tikus yang diberi makan lebih sedikit mampu bertahan
hidup 39-56 tahun, setara dengan 110-162 tahun pada manusia.


                   OLAHRAGA SENJATA UTAMA

DR Howard Wechsler sudah 30 tahun lepas dari Perang Vietnam. Kini, ia menghadapi
pertempuran baru, pertempuran untuk awet muda, sehat, dan bugar. Lawannya, apalagi kalau
bukan waktu, “Pertempuran ini tidak mudah,” kata para ahli. Ia menuntut disiplin ketat dan
motivasi untuk berolahraga teratur, makan dengan benar, dan mempertahankan sikap positif,
unsur-unsur penting untuk mendepak musuh: penuaan. Dan, Wechsler memilih olahraga
sebagai senjata. Ia berlatih tiga kali seminggu, masing-masing 20 menit dengan mesin
kardiovakuler dan 40 menit latihan beban dan latihan lain untuk memperkuat otot.
    “Wechsler memilih senjata yang benar. Latihan fisik merupakan faktor penting untuk
mengurangi dampak proses penuaan,” kata Miriam Nelson, direktur Pusat Kebugaran di
Universitas Tufts yang juga pengarang buku laris Strong Women Stay Young. Dikatakannya,
olahraga mencegah kecenderungan tubuh menumpuk lemak serta kehilangan massa otot dan
tulang, yang biasanya berawal pada usia 35 tahun. Olahraga teratur juga mengurangi risiko
sakit jantung, osteoporosis, diabetes, kegemukan, dan depresi; sekaligus memperbaiki
kepercayaan diri, kualitas tidur, dan harga diri.
    Bill Valentine juga yakin olahraga penting. Namun, warga California Utara ini
menambahkan perlunya diet rendah lemak dan gizi yang tepat. Menurut Dr Robert Russell
menambahkan, diet berperan mencegah penyakit degeneratif. Bahan penting yang mesti ada
dalam diet lansia adalah kalsium dan vitamin D yang mencegah osteoporosis, vitamin E yang
mencegah risiko sakit jantung dan Alzheimer, dan vitamin B12 yang mencegah anemia dan
disfungsi saraf. “Dengan mengikuti panduan gizi yang direkomendasikan, sistem imun akan
tetap sehat dan tubuh terbebas dari infeksi dan kanker.”


Dengan panjang umur akan Ku-kenyangkan dia,
dan akan Ku-perlihatkan kepadanya keselamatan dari pada-Ku.    
Mazmur 91:16
Takut akan Tuhan memperpanjang umur, tetapi tahun-tahun orang fasik diperpendek.     
Amsal 10:27

FILM DAN ALIRAN DARAH

FILM DAN ALIRAN DARAH

      Menonton film komedi meningkatkan aliran darah ke
jantung, sedangkan menonton film sedih akan mengurangi aliran
tersebut. Demikian hasil penelitian tim peneliti Universitas
Maryland yang dipublikasikan kemarin. Penelitian itu melibatkan
20 pemuda yang menonton cuplikan film komedi dan serius
selama 15-30 menit. Dengan bantuan ultrasonografi, aliran
darah yang melalui brachial artery, yaitu darah yang mengalir di
antara bahu dan siku, mereka diukur.
      Aliran darah 14 dari 20 sukarelawan melemah ketika
menonton cuplikan pembukaan film Saving Private Ryan.
Tetapi, 19 dari 20 sukarelawan itu aliran darahnya mengalir
cepat ketika menonton cuplikan film-film komedi, semisal
cuplikan film Something About Mary. Perbedaan antara kedua
aliran darah itu bisa lebih dari 50 %.


Damai sejahtera Allah, yang melampaui segala akal, akan
memelihara hati dan pikiranmu dalam Kristus Yesus.
Jadi akhirnya, saudara-saudara, semua yang benar, semua
yang mulia, semua yang adil, semua yang suci, semua yang
manis, semua yang sedap didengar, semua yang disebut
kebajikan dan patut dipuji, pikirkanlah semuanya itu.
Filipi 4:7-8

PESAN TUHAN MELALUI CATHERINE BOOTH

PESAN TUHAN MELALUI CATHERINE BOOTH

Bagaimana sikap kita terhadap mereka pelaku aborsi maupun anak-anak yang selamat/akan diaborsi?

Kasihilah “tangan-tangan mungil” yang dibuang oleh orangtuanya dan kuatkan para wanita yang mengalami kehamilan di luar pernikahan….pulihkan, kuatkan, latihlah, perlengkapi dan utus mereka mnjadi saksiKU yang hidup.

Pesan Tuhan bagi tubuh Kristus secara keseluruhan!

Suatu kehidupan kekristenan yang berkemenangan, yaitu di saat kita menyerahkan segenap hati, segenap kasih kita pada Yesus, menolak sama sekali hal-hal yang berasal dari dunia, tekun dalam menyelamatkan jiwa-jiwa terhilang (yang kita kasihi dengan kasihNYA) dan memberikan kemuliaan bagi Allah. Tingkat penyerahan seutuhnya yang membuat setan tidak berkutik.
Kita harus memiliki kesederhanaan, kemurnian dan penyerahan diri seperti yang dinyatakan gereja mula-mula dalam Kisah Para Rasul.

CALLING EVIL GOOD IN THE WORKPLACE

Calling Evil Good in the Workplace
by Gerald Chester www.strategieswork.com

For twenty years, Chinese researchers sought to understand why the United States was the most powerful and prosperous nation in the world. They analyzed all aspects of the United States, including its political, economic, monetary, and social systems. The researchers concluded that the United States was the most powerful and prosperous nation in the world because of its Christian values. (See Gleanings from April 2007; http://strategieswork.com/publications/gleanings/2007/2007-04.htm.)
As stunning as this conclusion is, it is even more impressive when you realize that the conclusion was reached by atheists.
If these atheistic researchers are correct, then why is the United States, as a people and culture, seeking to pervert the biblical values that made it so great?
Recently someone sent me the following prayer attributed to Paul Harvey, which poignantly expresses this perversion of values.
Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, “Woe to those who call evil good,” but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem. We have abused power and called it politics. We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us, oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Amen!
The prayer is built around Isaiah 5:20 which reads as follows:
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. (NIV)
To understand this text, we need to define good and evil. To help us with this, consider an interaction that Jesus had with a wealthy man. The wealthy man initiated the conversation with the appellation “good master.” Jesus responded by saying that there is only One who is good—that is God. Therefore “good” is a divine attribute (Matthew 19:16–17). Given that good is a divine attribute, then the opposite of good, namely evil, is anything inconsistent with God’s nature.
Using this definition to understand the Isaiah text suggests that calling evil good is saying that evil is consistent with the nature of God, which is clearly false. Hence, Isaiah declares that the person that calls evil good is under judgment because that person is asserting a lie about God.
As I reflected on the reality of how we are declaring evil good in our public policy, which is the main focus of the above prayer, I began to consider how we are declaring evil good in the workplace. Consider the following seven examples:
1. Greed is good. This is a famous statement from the movie Wall Street. The sentiment expressed is that money is the bottom line and therefore the driving agenda of business. Even though we should be good stewards and make a profit, ultimately success—from a biblical worldview—is not denominated in monetary terms, but in the degree of alignment with the will of God (John 17:4; James 4:13–17).
2. Lying is an acceptable tactical tool. A study found that 93 percent of workers use lying as a tactical tool to accomplish their objectives. This means that truth is subordinated to results or, as is commonly stated, that the end justifies the means. John 8:32 states that the truth sets us free from the bondage of sin. Given this reality, the opposite must be true, namely, that lies put us into bondage to sin. A person in bondage to sin will not prosper (Psalms 1).
3. Pride is a sign of strength. A popularly regarded teaching is to never apologize because that would be a sign of weakness. Pride was the original sin of Satan and of Adam and Eve in the Garden. The opposite of pride is humility. When the question was posed, What does the Lord require of man? one of the key virtues was humility (Micah 6:8).
4. Cheating on expense reports is a perk. Most companies reimburse employees for expenses incurred during the course of business. Many employees discern how closely these reports are monitored and take the liberty to fudge and pocket a little extra cash. This practice is an injustice to companies and is an example of unjust weights and measures that God detests (Proverbs 20:10).
5. Deception is a competitive advantage. In an aggressive workplace, it seems that everyone is looking for a competitive advantage. For those who believe that values can be compromised for the sake of profit, truth is frequently sacrificed. Solomon exhorts us to buy truth and to not sell it, which means that truth is to be highly valued and not to be compromised. (Proverbs 23:23)
6. Stealing is an entitlement. Most workers view companies as wealthy and stingy. In other words, workers many times assume that companies make a lot of money but fail to properly compensate their workers. Hence, these workers feel entitled to rectify this inequity by stealing. Worker theft includes stealing company resources, failing to properly use time, and failing to develop and utilize talents. In addition, workers steal whenever they place personal agendas ahead of the organization’s interests (Titus 2:9–10).
7. Self-centeredness is self-protection. Another common assumption of workers today is that “no one is looking out for me so I have to look out for myself.” This creates a narcissistic environment in companies, which is counterproductive. To perform well, a company must function as a team, which requires selflessness, not self-centeredness, on the part of the workers (Matthew 16:24; 1 Corinthians 12).
If the prophet Isaiah were alive today, he would no doubt pronounce woe on the modern day workplace for calling evil good. Among other sins, he would surely note that greed, lying, pride, cheating, deception, stealing, and self-centeredness are not good, as they are inconsistent with God’s nature. Perhaps he would offer a prayer similar to the one above which is attributed to Paul Harvey. Isaiah's prayer of woe for the modern workplace might read as follows:
Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, “Woe to those who call evil good,” but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We are greedy for money and call it the measure of success. We lie and call it necessary to accomplish our purposes. We live in pride and call it a mark of strength. We cheat on our expense reports and call it a perk. We deceive others and call it essential to gain a competitive advantage. We steal time and money from our companies and call it an entitlement for being underpaid. We are narcissistic and call it self-protection. Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Amen!
If you want to be free from the judgment of God, the solution is simple. The answer to sin is always the same—repent and turn to God by embracing Jesus Christ as your Savior. Accept His virtues and reject the world’s ideas, which are inconsistent with God’s nature. Only then can you enjoy deliverance from judgment and blessings from your Creator.

TULI MENGANCAM KAUM MUDA

Tuli Mengancam Kaum Muda

Menurut penelitian, ketulian menyerang orang makin dini. Penyebabnya adalah gaya hidup modern, seperti mendengarkan musik melalui earphone.

Entakan irama musik menemani perjalanan Linda. sebut saja begitu namanya.selama penerbangan dari Bangkok menuju Jakarta .

Sejak pesawat lepas landas hingga mendarat di Bandar Udara Soekarno-Hatta, sekitar tiga setengah jam, earphone yang tersambung pada alat pemutar musik mini terus menempel di telinga gadis 18 tahun ini.

Semula Linda merasa asyik dan nikmat bisa mendengarkan musik kesayangannya tanpa peduli orang sekitar. Namun, ketika kupingnya tak lagi disumpal, dia terkejut.

Ternyata kupingnya terus berdengung dan gerebek-gerebek. Berkali-kali Linda menelan ludah, berharap dengungan dan rasa ¨penuh¨ di telinga segera pergi,tapi gagal.

Kupingnya malah makin budek. Hiruk-pikuk kesibukan bandara cuma terdengar sayup-sayup.

Untunglah, perlahan-lahan dengungan itu memudar. Tapi Linda merasa
pendengarannya tak setajam sebelumnya. Kondisi ini memaksanya mendatangi klinik telinga, hidung, dan tenggorokan (THT). ¨Dia mengalami ketulian sampai 110 desibel,¨ kata Ratna D. Restuti, dokter spesialis THT dari Rumah Sakit Proklamasi, Jakarta Pusat, yang menangani gadis itu.

Angka 110 menunjukkan ukuran intensitas pendengaran atau audiogram. Untuk orang dengan pendengaran normal, audiogramnya terletak antara nol dan 20 desibel.. Di atas angka itu, artinya kondisi telinga sudah tidak beres.

Kebiasaan mendengarkan musik dengan alat yang langsung disumpalkan ke
telinga (earphone) yang menjadi tren di kalangan anak muda masa kini
membuat prihatin Ratna. Apalagi lingkungan sekarang tak bebas dari kepungan suara
bising: rumah dengan suara berbagai peralatan elektronik, jalan raya yang penuh kendaraan bermotor, tempat-tempat hiburan dengan musik keras, dan pabrik yang penuh geraman mesin.

Menurut hasil penelitian Jenny Bashiruddin, yang juga ahli THT, efek bising ini memang luar biasa. ¨Tak ada yang menyadari, misalnya, pusat permainan anak-anak di mal juga sumber bising berbahaya, karena tingkat kebisingannya mencapai 90-95 desibel,¨ kata Jenny, yang melakukan penelitian efek bising di berbagai tempat selama 2007.

Dengan tingkat suara setinggi itu, anak-anak seharusnya hanya boleh tinggal satu-dua jam. Jika lebih lama dari itu, akan terjadi kelelahan koklea(rumah siput), yang berperan penting dalam proses pendengaran. Kelelahan koklea yang terjadi terus-menerus dan tak segera ditangani dapat menyebabkan gangguan pendengaran menetap. Menurut Jenny, makin sering dan lama diserbu kebisingan, makin cepat berkurang masa seseorang mampu mendengar secara normal.

Alhasil, tuli pun makin dini menyerang orang.

Ini rupanya menjadi kecenderungan global. Di Amerika Serikat, melalui
penelitian lebih komprehensif, telah disimpulkan bahwa pendengaran sekitar 5,2 juta anak berusia 6-19 tahun terganggu gara-gara terlalu sering terpapar musik keras akibat pemakaian Walkman dan iPod, kebiasaan menikmati televisi ukuran jumbo dengan suara menggelegar, atau pergi ke klub joget dengan musik tekno ajib-ajib.

Para ahli kesehatan di sana memperkirakan anak-anak iPod generation ini bakal lebih awal mengalami presbiakusis (tuli karena usia lanjut), yakni pada usia 40-an tahun. Padahal, secara normal, pengurangan kualitas pendengaran baru terjadi saat menginjak usia 60-70 tahun. Kondisi Indonesia pun tidak jauh berbeda. Apalagi makin banyak saja orang wira-wiri dengan kabel bersumpal ¡¨tertancap¡¨ di telinga.

Bila tidak percaya kedahsyatan dampaknya, lihat saja nasib Linda. Menurut Ratna, gadis muda itu didiagnosis mengalami tuli akibat bising karena telah mendengarkan musik dengan perangkat yang langsung menempel di telinga secara terus-menerus lebih dari tiga jam. Alat seperti ini semakin berakibat buruk karena si pemakai cenderung menggeber volume keras-keras agar telinga mereka tidak terganggu suara berisik di sekitarnya. ¨Seperti jika digunakan di
kendaraan, termasuk pesawat dan kereta api,¨ kata Ratna.

Untunglah Linda segera mendapat pertolongan. Dengan terapi
hiperbalik¡Xmemberin ya obat-obatan khusus tingkat ketuliannya berkurang,tapi tak sembuh. ¡¨Tuli akibat bising memang cuma bisa dikurangi, tidak bisa pulih seratus persen jadi normal kembali,¡¨ ujar Ratna. Sebab, yang rusak adalah sel rambut pada organ telinga bagian dalam yang berfungsi menangkap rangsangan atau frekuensi suara. Bila bagian ini sudah terganggu dan rusak,tak akan bisa kembali normal.

Menurut Damayanti Soetjipto, ahli THT dari Rumah Sakit MMC, Jakarta
Selatan,paparan bising merupakan salah satu penyebab ketulian di Indonesia, yang kasusnya mencapai 0,4 persen dari total jumlah penduduk. Penyebab lainnya adalah congek, serumen (kotoran telinga), obat-obatan, usia lanjut, tuli sejak lahir, dan tuli mendadak. ¨Sebenarnya sebagian bisa dicegah, tapi kesadaran masyarakat soal ini masih rendah,¨ katanya.

Untuk mendongkrak kesadaran masyarakat itu, Komisi Nasional Penanggulangan Gangguan Pendengaran dan Ketulian dibentuk dan diresmikan Sabtu dua pekan lalu di Jakarta . Damayanti, yang menjabat sebagai ketua, menerangkan komisi nasional ini dibentuk atas rekomendasi lembaga regional yang dibentuk Badan Kesehatan Dunia (WHO), Sound Hearing 2030.

Tujuan utamanya mengurangi kasus gangguan pendengaran dan ketulian hingga 50 persen pada 2015, dan 90 persen dalam 15 tahun berikutnya.

Masalahnya, kebisingan belum dianggap sebagai ancaman serius. Bising malah dianggap keren.. Beberapa aktivitas kehidupan modern identik dengan kebisingan. Konser-konser musik digelar dengan sound system makin canggih.
Tengok juga sejumlah kafe dan diskotek serta berbagai tempat nongkrong anak muda yang bertebaran di penjuru kota . Juga jalan raya yang makin semrawut dan bising. Itu semua masih ditambah dengan hobi mendengarkan musik dengan earphone. Sepertinya, makin bising makin keren. Tapi, jika sudah tuli,pasti tidak lagi keren.
Nunuy Nurhayati

____________ _________ _________ __

Suara Mengalir Sampai Jauh

1.Saat suara masuk, tulang-tulang pendengaran bergetar.
2.Suara lalu diteruskan ke koklea (rumah siput), yang terletak di
bagian tengah telinga.
3.Pada koklea terdapat sel-sel rambut yang berfungsi menangkap
rangsangan atau frekuensi suara.
4.Sel rambut juga berfungsi mengubah energi akustik menjadi rangsang
listrik untuk dapat diteruskan ke pusat persepsi pendengaran di otak..

Suara berfrekuensi lebih dari 80 desibel dapat membuat sel-sel
rambut mengalami kelelahan.

*Sel-sel rambut yang sering lelah lama-kelamaan rusak.
*Kerusakan pada sel rambut menyebabkan terganggunya proses mendengar.
Akibatnya, terjadi penurunan fungsi pendengaran.
*Pada awalnya, penurunan fungsi pendengaran hanya bersifat sementara,
tapi bila paparan bising berlangsung terus, kerusakan akan permanen.

Batas Intensitas Kebisingan
Lama Pemaparan
Ruangan tenang: 30-40 desibel
80 dB
16*

Percakapan normal: 65 desibel
85 dB
8*

Pengisap debu, televisi: 60-70 desibel
90 dB
4*

Walkman/iPod: 96 desibel
95 dB
2*

Arena bermain anak di mal: 90-95 desibel
100 dB
1*

Diskotek atau klub malam: 100-120 desibel
105 dB
1/2*

Orkes simfoni: 110 desibel
110 dB
1/4*

Konser musik: rock 110-140 desibel
115 dB
1/8*

*Lama pemaparan tiap hari (jam)

NASIONALISME YANG MEMUDAR

Nasionalisme yang Memudar
Ada hal yang cukup membuatku resah akhir2 ini...yaitu tentang cenderung menurunnya kecintaan dan pengabdian generasi muda gereja kepada bangsa sendiri. Memang tidak semuanya bisa dipukul rata kondisinya tetapi toh kenyataannya ada dan mentalitas ini akan meluas jika tidak dicermati. Sebut aja sebagai melemahnya semangat nasionalisme dari generasi muda gereja. Jauh hari sebelum kita ada, Musa telah menjadi contoh untuk hati yang cinta bangsa dengan berkata kepada Tuhan: " Ah, bangsa ini telah berbuat dosa besar, sebab mereka telah membuat allah emas bagi mereka, tetapi sekarang , kiranya Engkau mengampuni dosa mereka itu-dan jika tidak, hapuskanlah kiranya namaku dari dalam kitab yang telah Kau tulis." Demi keselamatan bangsanya, sama sekali tidak memikirkan dirinya! Masih ingat di benak ini lawatan Tuhan atas kampus2 di Bandung yang akhirnya semangatnya mencintai Indonesia menyebar dan meluas di kalangan generasi muda gereja...sampai ke kota dan kampus saya di Salatiga!... diekspresikan melalui lagu2 rohani yg sarat dengan pesan cinta bgs Indonesia. Lagu2 rohani yang penuh kuasa yang menggerakkan kebangunan rohani dengan thema misi yang kuat pun tidak lagi sering terdengar dan diciptakan di masa sekarang ini. Ditambah dengan pesan2 tsb tidak lagi kuat di mimbar2 dan forum2 diskusi. Malah digantikan dengan lagu rohani yang bernada melo dengan lirik berfokus hubungan vertikal saja , lbh parah lagi banyak yang liriknya berisi permohonan pada Tuhan untuk berkat dan kebaikan semata...semakin memabukkan umat untuk memikirkan diri sendiri..selfish. Mulai lupa beri diri bagi negeri. Pesan2 dan berita2 pun tidak memberi dorongan yang lebih kuat ke arah visi dan"passion" itu. Tidak salah dengan semua itu..hanya saja segala bentuk ketidakseimbangan adalah bahaya. Tuhan senang kita menyembah Dia dan memohon dari Dia..namun ada juga karya nyata yang Dia harapkan untuk kita kerjakan demi menanggapi perintahNya: "Pergilah.." Tuhan berharap kita berkarya nyata bagi bangsa ini dan mencintai bangsa ini seperti Dia mencintainya. Bagus juga mengingat pesan dari seorang hamba Tuhan yang pernah berkata: Mission without worship: dry up..Worship without mission: blow up...but worship with mission: we will change the world.
Serbuan budaya asing (inkulturasi) yang sarat dengan hedonisme dan pemuasan diri secara materialistik semakin menipiskan lapisan kerohanian anak negeri. Sekedar hidup berkonsentrasi mengejar trend dari fashion sampai gadget telah memudarkan konsentrasi kepada membangun bangsa. Pada dasarnya setelah kita berhenti bergumul dan menangis bagi diri sendiri barulah kita dapat bergumul dan menangis bagi sesuatu yang di luar diri kita.
FT berkata:"Seluruh makhluk sedang menantikan saatnya anak2 Allah dinyatakan."..Termasuk Indonesia yang sedang sakit sedang menantikan kita. Bangkitkan pesan kita..lagu kita..gairah dan visi kita! Sambil mengingat bait dari lagu lawas dari album teman2 COP(Celebration of Praise)..yang menjadi lagu favorit saya di era 90-an semasa saya masih melihat pergerakkan mahasiswa Kristen yang murni dan berkebangunan rohani: "...Indonesia nantikan curahan RohMu..Indonesia rindu kemuliaanMu..Inilah doaku...slamatkan Indonesia..itulah kerinduanku..".