Bahan Alkitab: Act 13:47 “I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.”
Tanggal: 23/05/2021
Ringkasan:
Last week, we learnt about Adoniram and Dr Price, who since at a young age studied diligently and had a heart that fear the Lord. They also loved God with all their hearts and loved to share gospel with many people.
Adoniram and Dr Price, were children before like all of you but God used them when they became adult as blessings for others for God’s glory.
I would like to ask, anyone here that would like to be used by God, please raise their hand.
Start from now, pray every day, every morning, every night and when prayer before eating, to ask God to use you when you grown up, like Adoniram.
Adoniram was man of God who obey God. Whatever God want him to do something, there is no “but” and no “why”, he would straight away do it.
Remember last week story which Adoniram bravely met with King Bagiydaw. He was the king who did not trust in the Lord and there was a risk for burmese people who converted to Christian to be punished. After meeting with the King, the King rejected him and did not accept the bible gift and even throw the tract.
Adoniram felt sad and went back to Rangoon, not long after that Ann was sick and had to go to America to see doctor so Adoniram must serve the missionary works alone.
Then after Ann went to America, God used Dr. Price, who was skillful eyes surgery doctor to go to Burma to help Burmese people and through his medical skill many Burmese people who had eyes problem was healed.
Soon, King Bagiydaw heard about Dr. Price skills and invited him to come to the Kingdom of Ava and also asked him to stay nearby palace. King also looked for interpreter, and the only person who fit to the position was Adoniram.
Off they go to Ava from Rangoon and king welcome Dr Price and king was nice to Adoniram too. King even asked Adoniram to preach and Adoniram explained that he preached in Burmese language and King listened to Adoniram preaching the Gospel.
One day, Adoniram asked for King’s permission to go back to Rangoon to pick Ann whose came back from America and already very healthy. Adoniram and Ann were together again and prepared to go back to Ava.
When they reached Ava, the life was peaceful. Adoniram preached every Sunday at Dr Price house which had 18 Christian and Ann opened preschool that teach writing, reading and bible stories. They even adopted 2 Burmese children whom the mother were sick. The life was peaceful.
but God had a plan to use Adoniram and Ann to be blessings to more people and for that purpose the road may not be always easy.
Let’s turn our eyes upon Jesus who came down to earth, from baby and then teenager and then grown up man. Whom was in sufferring, being tortured, mocked and nailed on the cross to die for us, to save us from our sin.
Teacher ever wondered, Is there other way, other than Jesus came to the earth and died, so we can be saved? the answer is no. Only through Christ and His Cross. This is the only way.
And we know that Jesus rose from the death and that’s why we as a Christian always has a hope in Christ because he is with us.
This made Adoniram faithful always to God, no matter how hard it is.
He went to Burma which was difficult journey.
He could not speak the language and he studied for 3 years and 12 hours a day
Burma’s weather always hot and made his son, Roger died at 7 months old
But through all these difficulties, Adoniram never give up and continue to serve God because his hope is in the Lord and he continue to be faithful even in the next story we will listen that Adoniram was put in the prison.
Why God let Adoniram go to prison, because God has a purpose and plan. Adoniram was sufferred in prison but God is with him and never leave him.
After Adoniram came out from prison and plus many years he stayed in Burma, the believer is growing and growing, even after Adoniram died. Many missionaries who continue Adoniram’s missionary works and has been inspired by Adoniram faithful journey in God.
In this year 2021, Christianity is the 2nd largest religion in Burma, now Myanmar, and there are 3.1 million believer which start from 1st person to be baptized by Adoniram, that we learnt the person’s name last week, Maung Nau.
So let’s take a look at Adoniram’s difficult path in today’s story but we will also see how God be with him, and strengthen him and use his suffering as an instrument in God’s hand to expand the gospel.
Dr. Price told them at one evening, there could be a war.
What is war.
War is fighting between 2 countries and they may use gun in order to win in the fighting.
At that time, Burma and British not in good relationship and King Bagiydaw threaten British that his soldier would attack British and they would win.
Responding to a threatened, British attack Burma and King ordered to catch all the foreigners stay in Ava because King worried that the foreigner was a spy that informed Burma secret data to British.
the soldier off they went, to Adoniram’s house.
dok dok dok…
where is the teacher !
Here i am, said Adoniram.
The King has called you !
and then they took Adoniram and tied his hand. Ann asked the soldier , please dont take him. but still they bring Adoniram to a prison.
the next day Ann brought the food for him and also Dr Price.
On the way to the prison, Ann worried but she try to remember God’s word in the bible
“Not even a hair of your head will perish” from Luke 21: 18
Ann was pregnant when the guards took Adoniram to prison.
when Ann reached prison, Adoniram was very tired, hungry and thirsty.
Ann quickly gave Adoniram food.
After that Adoniram asked, how is the bible.
Ann has buried the bible translation in the garden, under the soil.
because people hate God and hate God’s word too, If they found the bible, they would burn it.
But Adoniram said, it is not safe, because raining is going to come.,
so Ann went home, Ann quickly took it out from the garden soil and put inside the box and put it again inside the pillow case. She passed “the pillow” to Adoniram. Adoniram took care of the pillow. No one knew what is inside the pillow, only Adoniram, Ann and God.
Inside the prison, Adoniram felt sad and he thought about Jesus all the time, how Jesus also sufferring and Adoniram believed that Jesus was with him through all the difficult days.
on Jan 1825, Ann gave birth to little baby girl and she name her Maria.
Ann brought Maria to see the father in prison when maria 10 days old.
Adoniram so happy.
After 7 months in Ava prison, they were moved to another prison.
Adoniram cant stop looking at his pillow when prison guard took him.
Adoniram thought God could easily assign other person to translate the bible again.
Adoniram thought today he may go to heaven.
but he did not, because God had works that Adoniram has to do and so when the general want to give kill the prisoner, the general has died first.
but they still continue being prisoned in other place.
until 21 months, Burma need interpreter to make a peace with British. So they asked Adoniram help and Adoniram free from prison.
After that, Adoniram and Ann came to their old house in Rangoon and found that Maung Sway Gaung has died and before died, he has accepted Jesus as his savior. His friend met with Adoniram and Ann and told them , before Maung sway gaung died, he wanted me to pass something to you.
When Adoniram open, Adoniram said Praise the Lord.
It was the pillow and inside was the bible translation, the hardwork of Adoniram.
The pillow was so dirty because soldiers walk over it and kicked it but God watched over it. watched over it closely. One day Maung Sway Gaung came to look for Adoniram but Adoniram has left the prison and moved to other prison. so he was so sad but then he saw the pillow and kept it and took good care of it. Praise the Lord.
Ayat Hafalan:
Act 13:47 “I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.”
Act 13:47 “I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.”