No More Ancient Tradition

What is the meaning of becoming a Christian?

It is to following Christ and to become more and more like Christ; Also, become a citizen of God’s kingdom—the heavenly kingdom.

Hence, I am no longer a citizen of this earth but I am a member of God’s family.

It means I am not bound to follow any old tradition from this world; it’s simply because God has made me one of His people that living on His rules, not the world’s rules.

Thus, the world might see me as a freak, weird one, because of this difference. Still, what I am doing is normal for real Christians—people that truly love and follow God with all of their heart and willing to surrender everything for the Lord.  

I guess this brief explanation is enough…let’s get into the point.

Chinese New Year is coming. It has been a tradition for Chinese people to celebrate it, including Tiong Hoa (Chinese descendant people that live in Indonesia).

The family will gather together in one place despite of their home location (ex: Uncle from Java will go to Sumatera or vice versa), dine together, chatting, playing card game (it’s often become a family gambling event), and giving money inside of red envelope called angpao to youngster. Some families (non-Christians or “weird” Christians) even pray to gods for the whole night before the festive time and (sadly) go to their ancestors’ graves to clean the graves and pray to them (yes…to dead people who can’t do anything).

Family gathering is nice, dine together is also good…

Gambling? NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

To be honest, I admit that Chinese people have tendency to gambling (I experienced it and I saw for myself that the fathers, even some mothers, will gather and playing card with some money as the bet).

Angpao? What is the meaning of the red envelope? Sharing fortune to the family is good but sharing can be done every day, it doesn’t have to be the Chinese New Year. Call me freak but I believe there is something bad about those red envelope—painted with some weird pictures and unfamiliar Chinese words…you don’t know what will it bring, duh~

Pray to gods and ancestors? ……..

Le:26:1: Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God. (Imamat 26:1)

God has declared it clearly that He is the Lord. Christians “MUST” not bow unto anything but the Lord! How could you call yourself a Christian if you still bow unto other gods and do some praying to dead people?? STOP HURTING GOD!

Phew…

I guess, it’s all about faith then... People are free to believe in anything and do anything they think is right. On the contrary, it troubles me to see people, who called themselves Christian, still celebrate this event.

Well, perhaps they aren’t gambling or pray to gods and dead people. But they don’t realize that each year, they celebrate some beast!!!

Chinese New Year always comes with a beast: mouse, horse, tiger, pig, monkey, chicken, dragon, blabla (I don’t remember…praise the Lord!!) and this year, 2012, it’s going to be “water dragon”!!!

http://tiantian1008.deviantart.com/art/Water-Dragon-168715239

Dear fellow Christians, my dear brothers and sisters…you should know that dragon is the interpretation of the devil himself, right? Why would you celebrating his arrival? Why would you celebrating some kind of animals?

In my point of view (which is came just now…thanks dearest Holy Spirit :-* ), celebrating it also count as worshiping those beasts…

Chinese New Year come…it’s the dragon year! Then you’ll see many dragons images around you…people upload dragons as their profile picture, put those images on the doors, and billboard, blablabla… The greetings will come with dragons image attached and so on~~

Many people will see the dragon, happy about it because of the festive hype, gathering and singing some song to celebrate it… isn’t it the same as worshiping?

Even uttering, “Happy “dr**on” year” will be the same as celebrating the beast’s arrival. 

Do you still want to celebrate it? I don’t.

As Christians, we are no longer bound to do some ancient tradition from the world. Chinese New Year is one of many weird and dark tradition from the world that created by the devil himself to make people worshiping him unconsciously.

Jesus has freed us from darkness. Open your eyes! It’s time to be aware about our surrounding and run to God.

Step out and declare the war against the world!       

Carman , Great God

This song is such a blessing for me

God is a God of righteousness, God sits on the throne

God is strong in battle, God is God alone

God is a wise and merciful, God is Sovereign Lord

God is pure and holy, God reigns forevermore

He’s a great God, a righteous King

Ruler over everything

He’s a great God, we will proclaim

Honor and glory to His name

God holds up the universe, God sustains the soul

God exalts and God puts down, God is in control

God’s glory is eternal, God is love and peace

God knows all, sees all, is all, God is to be praised

He’s a great God, a righteous King

Ruler over everything

He’s a great God, we will proclaim

Honor and glory to His name

Blessing and glory and wisdom

Thanksgiving and honor and power and might

Be to our God forever and ever and all the Saints said

“holy, holy, holy, holy, holy, holy is His name”

Great God, great God

He’s a great God, a righteous King

Ruler over everything

He’s a great God, we will proclaim

Honor and glory to His name

Great God, a righteous King

Ruler over everything

He’s a great God, we will proclaim

Honor and glory to His

(3x)

Once again...

Last day was a challenge for me, my mind was in havoc and the battle was hard. The battle was intense and I have gain some awareness from it.

I admit I snapped for few times and in those events I might hurt some people. However, the worst case yesterday was when I was on my way home last night. I met this brat (again), a bad behaved brat who forced people to accept his envelope. He forced the passengers of the bus to accept his envelope, hoping that there might be (and there are…) some that will put some money in it. And when I wrote “force”, I mean it. Even if people refused to accept it, he will push and leave those envelopes; he even boldly put it in people’s pocket!! Such brat -___- and he has no manner at all…after he done he will walk around and collect his envelopes without saying “Thanks” whatsoever and mock people that feel offended of his behavior. To be honest, this brat wears good clothes; he even wears brand new shoes. So…why would he do that??? 

Let me share my thought at that time…

I want to kick him, push him down or throw him out of the running bus. I want to slap and yell at him, I want to rip those envelopes and throw them away from the window in front of his face. In the end, I have a desire to kill him. Well…to be precise, to hurt him real hard and make him regrets his birth -_-

 If…

I let my emotion to control me and do what I was thinking without trying to control it. I might have killed him and some street thugs might come after me because of my stupid action.

Nevertheless, I prayed in my heart and confessed it all. I do not want to lie, I told God about what I was thinking and I acknowledge my hatred to that boy. (You can’t lie to God anyway so why would I keep it and acting like a saint with a good heart? I told God the truth and He fixes my heart!)

Then a thought came out. If I were to follow my emotion at that time, I am no different than the devil. 

The devil deceives human to follow their emotion, to satisfy their soul without thinking of the consequences. If you want to drink alcohol, just drink it! If you want to have sex, just go for it! You are human after all, it is human! Just do it to please yourself, get those pleasures while you are in the world, satisfy yourself!

What a lie -____________-

The world is a temporary living place. Because the time is limited, human must search for God; instead of following their fleshly desire and get in troubles.

Then Sis reminds me… (Thanks God for using my sister to tell me this). Heaven and hell is real, why would I sacrifice my spot in heaven just because of a brat?

Simpler way is, why would I get into trouble just because of a brat? Just push and control that rage and I’m getting into no trouble—safe and sound in my room.  

In the end, managing your emotions is the first step for everything—avoiding problems that caused by some exploding emotion (lol).

 Furthermore, the mind of a person is a war zone. With controlled emotions, the battle will be easier. And to be able to managing the emotions…Jesus is the answer.

Once again, I was reminded that the key of salvation is Jesus…