Christian Missionaries

Christian missionaries have been part of the evangelical movement throughout the world for thousands of years as Christ followers heed the command of Jesus to go forth into the nations and share the good news of salvation. Christ himself traveled from city to city and village to village giving people of all socio-economic groups the opportunity to hear the message that God was sending through him – to repent and accept the free gift of salvation. And, in the way of Christ, believers have continued to reach out to countries who have not yet heard the message of Christ and to help establish Christian leadership and churches.

Today, as many countries have received the gospel message, there is still a need to continue in the tradition of sharing not only spiritual wisdom, but also material resources, as well. The Bible is clear that Christianity crosses cultural boundaries and that brothers and sisters in Christ are called to support one another in every blessing. As the world becomes more and more accessible with the Internet and with international travel, missions has grown to phenomenal proportions.

Most anyone can find an opportunity to take a missionary journey with a myriad of short-term options available. A missions trip can have many different objectives and can be approached in many different ways. We see a broad range of examples from the Bible. In the Old Testament, many consider that Abraham took a missionary journey by setting out to an unknown country following God’s directive. God also sent prophets and priests to cities and people groups to teach others about Him and His ways.

From the beginning, the Lord has been concerned for all people and He has chosen to use people to share this concern. When the Messiah arrives in the New Testament, Christian missionaries are conceptualized. Jesus sent His disciples out in groups to take the specific message of the gospel forward. As when a drop upon the waters sends out rippled waves, so the gospel message was to spread out in all directions, changing individual lives and impacting the world. After the death and resurrection of Jesus, the disciples had an even greater hope to share with the world: the hope of resurrection for all who would believe.

In the letters of the Apostle Paul, we see that men and women were sent forward not only with this message but for additional reasons, as well. Cross cultural financial sharing, encouragement, and church planting were all objectives of the new Christian faith. To discover more about what the Bible has to say about missions, be sure and check out these Bible resources. The objectives of missions have not changed, although the methods have seen many variations over the years. With travel expediency and technology, Christian missionaries reaching out to churches and those in need has opened an entire new way of interacting. And, missions has become a ministry that most anyone at any age can take part in.

The opportunities to meet and support Christian people groups in other countries are endless. And, there are still people groups that need to hear the salvation message of Jesus Christ. There are languages that have not yet been written, meaning that there are still cultures that do not have the Word of God available in their native tongues. There are established churches that need additional resources for training up disciples, and there is wide spread persecution of Christianity.

Those who suffer daily persecution are always in need of encouragement from their brothers and sisters from around the world. The need is great, and God has opened the doors of blessings, meeting needs at a greater rate than ever before. “Sing unto the Lord, all the earth; shew forth from day to day his salvation. Declare his glory among the heathen; his marvellous works among all nations” (1 Chronicles 16:23-24). These are truly amazing times in which to live and to take part in a missionary journey. As servants of Christ seek to serve Him and love all of His children through mission trips, there has truly been a global impact for Christ. Churches have been built, children have been fed, homes have been repaired, and lives have been changed for the better.

 Christian missionaries may go into an under-developed country and live among the people, dedicating their lives to building a foundation of the Faith. Short-term trips are often directed at providing aid or taking a gift, giving both the givers and the receivers the opportunity to learn more about each other and experience the Spirit of God in new and exciting ways.

Not only are there physical results, but there are spiritual and emotional outcomes, as well. When we are challenged to love and share with people who are from completely different cultures, we have our eyes opened to what God is doing in and through people who are different from us. Minds will be opened to see that God and his infinite ways are more vast, yet more understandable, evoking an incredible spiritual enlightenment.

All of this can be accomplished in a simple missionary journey, by taking a step out of comfort and into the exciting adventures of God. Take the quiz above and find out more about what the Bible has to say about missions.

For more information:

http://www.christianet.com/bibleverses

God Give You A New Heart…

How to Invest in Market

1. Understand The Stock Market

The more you understand, the more you’ll know what to do with your investment. Read books that can give you the big picture on the how stock market works. Then browse websites that offer stock trading simulation for you to practice what you’ve learned. As much as possible, familiar yourself with oll of the terms and systems used in stock and order securities trading.

2. Find Out All You Can About Your Broker

It is absolutely vital that you completely trust your broker and have faith in the securites firm that he or she represents your trading in the stock market will be carried out through a stock brokerage firm which is a member of the stock exchange make sure that you choose a reputable and reliable broker.

3. Set Long-Term Goals

Long-term investment tend to yield better return over time than short-term ones. Than stock market is designed for both long and short-term investments. However, while occasional market crashes can wipe out the short-term investors, those who set their sights long-term can expect to recover and grow the value of their investments over time.

4. Invest Only a Portion of Your Earnings

Investments have an upside as well as downside potential. Always remember that you have risk of loosins that investment. There is no such thing as a risk-free investment. Determine how much money you and your family will absolutely need for living expenditure, decide how much you want to save, and then only use the remaining money that you have for your stock investments.

5. Choose the Company You Invest In Wisely

Get informed knowledge and advice on the companies that you decide to invest in. you do not have to be a financial analyst to figure out the balance sheet of a company, but it will help if you have rudimentary  knowledge on how to read a balance sheet. If not, go to someone who does. Understanding how companies perform and their future prospects is crucial to stock investing.

6. Diversify Your Holdings

No one should invest all their money in just one industry or one asset category. In the stock market, as in the real world, different industries cannot be expected to shine at the same time. At any given year, some industries will perform well, others not so well. By diversifying our holding, we reduce the risk of being exposed to the poor performance of any one industry or asset category.

7. Avoid Market Timing

There is no full proof system to predict when is the right time to buy or sell stocks. Most successful investors do not watch the arket constantly in order to buy ‘low’ and sell ‘high’. Not do they perpetually move in and out of different stocks. If there is indeed a full-proof system of predicting where the market will go, wouldn’t you think that everyone will be rich from the stock market by now?

8. Prepare Yourself For Good and Bad Times

Even the best managed companies can have their bad days. Even after you have taken every precaution, and followed the advice of every expert in the market, there will be times when you will lose money on your trade. You simply cannot win or be profitable on your investments all the time. So be prepared for the bad times and don’t let emotions get the best of you.

9. Remain Focused on Your Goals

Remember your long-term plan and never lose the focus of your goal over temporary events. Unfolding events, however disastrous, may just be temporary in nature. In other words, stock markets have always recovered from crashes, no matter how large they are. So, unless you are in the market for the short-term, hold on to your investments and give a chance for the market to recover.

10. Review your needs from Time to Time

We should review our investment strategies from time to time, to adjust to changing needs or new opportunities. Sometimes our financial needs can change from time to time. Or new investment opportunities may arise. Good investments often require flexibility even as we remain focused on our long-term goals.

11. Beware of Investment Scams

Don’t be taken be investment offers which appear highly appealing, but which you know little about. The stock market has its share of scams and fraudulent activities. Even when the stock market is not to blame, there are companies that are driven to ground by bad management or embezzlement. All these can harm your investment. So, do your due diligence and never act without sound knowledge.

12. Continue to Learn As You Go

Investing in the stock market can be a lifetime learning. If you want to save money, learn from the mistakes of others. No matter how knowledgeable you may be about the market, it always pays to seek for and listen to professional advice. Remember that if you make unwise decisions investment, you could end up losing some or most of your investments.

Sources:

http://suarainvestor.com/

Cara Membeli Saham

Saham adalah surat berharga yang paling popular diantara surat berharga yang ada di pasar modal. Kenapa? Karena bila dibandingkan investasi lainnya, saham memungkinkan pemodal untuk mendapatkan re-turn atau keuntungan yang lebih besar dalam waktu relatif singkat (high return).
Selain high return, saham juga memiliki sifat high risk yaitu suatu ketika harga saham dapat merosot secara cepat, atau sahamnya di delist (dihapuskan pencatatnya) dari Bursa sehingga untuk jual-beli harus mencari pembeli/penjual sendiri dan saham tidak memiliki harga patokan pasar. Dengan karakteristik high risk high return ini maka pemodal perlu terus memantau pergarakan saham yang dipegangnya, agar keputusan yang tepat dapat dihailkan dalam waktu yang tepat pula.

Cara Membeli Saham

1. Membuka rekening Efek
Sebelum anda melakukan jual beli saham, seperti layaknya membuka rekening di bank maka terlebih dahulu Anda harus membuka rekening di satu atau beberapa Perusahaan Efek. Dengan membuka rekening efek tersebut maka secara resmi Anda telah tercatat sebagai nasabah dan data identitas anda tercatat dalam pembukuan Perusahaan Efek yang terdaftar di KPEI separti Nama, Alamat, Nomor Rekening Bank dan data-data lain. Bersama dengan pembukaan rekening ini, Anda menendatangani perjanjian dengan Perusahaan Efek yang menyangkut hak dan kewajiban kedua belah pihak. Perusahaan efek ini biasanya disebut dengan Broker atau pialang. Dana Minimal Untuk Buka Rekening Efek atau Berinvestasi
Pada dasarnya tidak ada batasan minimal dana dan jumlahnya untuk membeli saham. Dalam perdagangan saham, jumlah yang dijualbelikan dilakukan dalam satuan perdagangan yang disebut Lot
Di Bursa Efek Indonesia (BEI) satu lot berarti 500 saham, itulah batas minimal pembeli saham. Lalu dana yang dibutuhkan menjadi bervariasi karena beragamnya harga saham-saham yang tercatat di Bursa. Misalnya harga saham XYZ Rp 1.000,- maka dana minimal yang dibutuhkan untuk membeli satu lot saham tersebut menjadi (500 dikali Rp 1.000) sejumlah Rp 500.000. sebagai ilustrasi lain, jika saham ABC harga per sahamnya Rp 2.500 maka dana minimal untuk membeli saham tersebut berarti (500 dikali Rp 2.500) sebesar Rp 1.250.000.

Beberapa Biaya Jual Beli Saham
Komponen dari biaya jual dan beli saham adalah sebagai berikut:

Nilai pembelian saham + komisi pialang + PPN 10% atau Nilai penjualan saham + komisi + PPN 10% + pajak penghasilan 0,1%.Untuk pembelian dan penjualan saham, pemodal harus membayar biaya komisi kepada pialang atau broker yang melaksanakan pesanan. Artinya besarnya biaya komisi dapat dinegosiasikan dengan pialang/broker dimana pemodal melakukan jual-beli saham. Umumnya untuk transaksi beli pemodal dikenakan fee broker sebesar 0,3% dari nilai transaksi sedangkan untuk transaksi jual dikanakan 0,4% (untuk transaksi jual pemodal masih dikenakan pajak penghasilan atas penjualan saham sebesar 0,1% dari nilai transaksi).

2. Membeli Saham
Untuk berinvestasi di pasar modal, kita dikasih banyak pilihan saham karena Bursa Efek Indonesia memiliki lebih dari 300 anggota bursa atau saham. Dalam membeli saham kita tidak boleh mengandalkan hanya feeling kita karena jika kita mengandalkan feeling pasti penyesalan yang didapatkan. Oleh karena itu dalam memilih saham kita harus melihat dan meneliti apakah perusahaan yang akan anda beli itu memiliki Fundamental yang baik apa tidak. Karena fundamental perusahaan itulah kita bisa melihat kinerja perusahaan itu (laporan keuangan,dll) baik apa tidak untuk kedepannya. Sebetulnya ada beberapa kiat untuk berinvestasi diantaranya sebagai berikut:

Tentukan tujuan investasi anda. Sebelum memulai investasi
Tentukan rentang waktu yang diperlukan untuk mencapai tujuan investasi tersebut.
Kenali seberapa besar resiko yang bisa anda ambil dan kemampuan anda menanggung resiko tersebut.
Kenali instrument dan produk investasi. Pelajari secara seksama ekspektasi keuntungan dan tingkat resikonya
Bandingkan tingkat imbalan hasil instrument investasi anda dengan acuan (benchmark) yang ditentukan sebelumnya untuk mengukur kinerja investasi tersebut, misalnya : dibandingkan dengan suku bunga Deposito, apabila sudah melebihinya jual saja, jangan sampai serakah. Karena musuh utama berinvestasi adalah tamak.
Ragamkan investasi pada berbagai instrume dan produk. Buatlah portofolio investasi yang sesuai resiko dan potensi keuntungan yang anda harapkan.
Lakukan pengawasan secara berkala untuk memantau perkembangan investasi anda.
Setelah anda memilih perusahan atau saham mana yang akan anda beli/jual sesuai dengan pertimbangan anda, maka anda harus menghubungi pialang/broker anda (biasanya lewat telefon) untuk bisa menyalurkan pesanan/order anda ke Bursa Efek.

3. Keuntungan dan Resiko Berinvestasi Saham
Pada dasarnya semua pilihan investasi mengandung peluang keuntungan di satu sisi dan potensi kerugian atau resiko di sisi lain. Seperti tabungan dan deposito di bank memiliki resiko kecil karena tersimpan aman di bank, tetapi kelemahannya adalah keuntungan yang lebih kecil dibanding potensi keuntungan dari saham. Investasi di property (rumah dan tanah) semakin lama harganya semakin tinggi, tetapi juga beresiko apabila tergusur atau terjadi kebakaran, sedangkan usaha sendiri (wiraswasta) beresiko bangkrut/pailit sementara investasi emas memiliki resiko harga turun.

Keuntungan
1. Capital Gain
Yaitu keuntungan dari hasil jual beli saham berupa kelebihan nilai jual dari nilai saham. Misalnya sewaktu membeli nilainya Rp 2.000 per saham dan kemudian dijual dengan harga Rp 2.500. jadi selisih yang sebesar Rp 500 ini disebut Capital Gain.
2. Deviden
Merupakan keuntungan perusahaan yang dibagikan kepada pemegang saham. Biasanya tidak seluruh keuntungan perusahaan dibagikan kepada pemegang saham, tetapi ada bagian yang ditanam kembali. Besarnya deviden yang anda terima ditentukan dalam Rapat Umum Pemegang Saham (RUPS) perusahaan tersebut. Namun yang perlu dicatat adalah bahwa perusahaan tidak selalu membagikan deviden kepada para pemegang saham etapi tergantung kepada kondisi perusahaan itu sendiri (khususnya berkaitan dengan keuntungan yang diraih). Artinya jika perusahaan mengalami kerugian tentusaja deviden tidak akan dibagikan pada tahun berjalan tersebut.

Resiko / Kerugian
1. Capital Loss
Merupakan kebalikan dari capital gain, yaitu suatu kondisi dimana Anda menjual saham yang Anda miliki dibawah harga belinya. Misalnya saham PT. ABC Anda beli dengan harga Rp 2.000 per saham, kemudian harga saham tersebut terus mengalami penurunan hingga mencapai Rp 1.400 per saham.
Karena takut harga saham tersebut akan turun, maka Anda kemudian menjual pada harga tersebut sehingga Anda mengalami kerugian sebesar Rp 600 per saham. Itulah capital loss yang menimpa Anda.
2. Resiko Likuidasi
Perusahaan yang sahamnya dimiliki, dinyatakan bangrut oleh pengadilan atau perusahaan tersebut dibubarkan. Dalam hal ini hak klaim dari pemegang saham mendapat prioritas terakhir setelah seluruh kewajiban perusahaan dapat melunasi (dari hasil penjualan kekayaan perusahaan). Jika masih terdapat sisa dari hasil penjualan kekayaan perusahaan tersebut, maka sisa tersebut dibagi secara proporsional kepada seluruh pemegang saham.
Namun jika tidak terdapat sisa kekayaan perusahaan, maka pemegang saham tidak akan memperoleh apa-apa. Ini merupakan resiko yang terberat dari seorang pemegang saham dituntut untuk secara terus menerus mengikuti perkembangan dari perusahaan yang sahamnya dimiliki.

Sources:

http://suarainvestor.com/cara-membeli-saham

Rev. A. A. Allen Sermon – Go And Sin No More

100 Peristiwa Penting dalam Sejarah Kristen

100 Peristiwa Penting dalam Sejarah Kristen

Sumber :
A. Kenneth Curtis, J. Stephen Lang & Randy Petersen, 100 Peristiwa Penting dalam Sejarah Kristen, Immanuel, 1999.

Tahun dan Peristiwa

Tahun-tahun di bawah ini merupakan beberapa yang terpenting dalam sejarah gereja.

Top 7 Leadership Mistakes – Kristine Geimure

Leadership and management skills are something that rarely come naturally for most people. But if you follow some basic rules and are willing to learn how to work with people you will have things running much more smoothly in the workplace in no time.
Here’s a list of some the things you should NOT be doing.

   Neglecting workers

Your workers ARE your business and they have to be treated that way. Failing to send this message to workers can be a financial and productivity drag for any business. Our workers are people with feelings and emotions and have to be told in many ways how important they are to the company.

Not being able to handle criticism

Just because you’re in a leadership position does not mean that you suddenly become immune to making the wrong decisions. As a leader you have to listen to constructive criticism and make the changes necessary. If a worker cares enough to share criticism, the least you can do is listen.

Unable to delegate responsibilities
This is often a problem for small business owner / managers. We have to trust that our workers can do the things we have done for so long. If they really can’t do the job because a particular skill is needed, then get them the training required or hire someone that can. A big part of leadership and management is about making sure that things run smoothly and efficiently, and that does not mean running from job to job doing everything ourselves!

Knowing everything

Many of the world’s greatest leaders are people of average intelligence that don’t know all there is to know in their industry. They understand that they can’t possibly know everything and they hire people that do know everything! The success of any business is in the hands of its workers and the leading managers and entrepreneurs of the world all strive to hire the best in their field.

Procrastination

Putting something off till tomorrow that should be done today! Often procrastination is a result of having no plan or list of priorities. Look into time management and goal setting for more ideas on how to overcome procrastination.

Lack of focus

Obviously there will be things come up during the day that require immediate action that will distract us from our work, but we have to have a clear set of priorities to follow. Doing a little bit of everything gets nothing finished, causing stress and feelings of being overwhelmed.

Afraid to change

The ability to change in business is essential. Changes in technology, the way we deal with people, the way we present the business, and in every other aspect of running and operating the company. Holding on to old ways of doing things just because they’ve always been done that way is a sure way to lose business. If any aspect of the business can be improved then there has to be change, even if this means getting rid of a poor performing worker or product range that is no longer profitable.

As a manager or leader you have to treat your business like a garden. Continue to water, fertilize and weed your garden and it will continue to reap a quality harvest year after year.

 

The Truth About Vaccines and Autism

Do vaccines cause autism?

“There is no link between any vaccine and autism,” says pediatrician Ari Brown, spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics.

As the autism rate increased over the last two decades, theories surfaced blaming vaccines for the rise. Some believed thimerosol, a mercury-derived preservative found in several inoculations, was the culprit. Others blamed an inflammatory response to the measles mumps rubella (MMR) shot. But numerous scientific studies, including a definitive 2004 Institute of Medicine report, have debunked those theories.

Empat puluh dua martir dari Ammoria – 845 Masehi

Lebih dari 1000 tahun yang lalu, empat puluh dua orang Kristen ditangkap oleh orang-orang beragama mayoritas di daerah dekat kota Ammoria di Timur Tengah. Orang-orang Kristen tersebut dipenjarakan selama 7 tahun dan dikunjungi beberapa kali oleh pemimpin kelompok tersebut yang mendesak mereka untuk menerima iman mereka. Orang-orang tersebut berpendapat bahwa nabi mereka adalah nabi yang sejati sedangkan Kristus bukan. Orang-orang Kristen mengingatkan kelompok tersebut bahwa dalam sistem hukum mereka sendiri jumlah saksi menentukan hasil suatu kasus. Kristus telah menyatakan kedatanganNya sejak dari Musa sampai Yohanes Pembaptis sedangkan nabi mereka hanya menyatakannya sendiri.

Bila Allah Melangkah Turun dari Sorga

Bila Allah Melangkah Turun dari Sorga

Revival

Bila mana orang di jalan-jalan takut untuk membuka mulutnya dan mengeluarkan kata-kata kotor, supaya pebghukuman Allah tidak turun, bila orang-orang berdosa karena hadirat Allah yang begitu hebat, gemetar di jalan-jalan dan menangis mohon belas kasihan, bila tanpa kebaktian-kebaktian khusus dan iklan-iklan yang menarik, Roh Suci menyapu kota-kota dan desa-desa dengan kuasa Allah dan menangkap orang-orang dengan keyakinan dosa yang dahsyat, bila tiap “toko menjadi mimbar, tiap hati menjadi mezbah dan tiap rumah menjadi ruangan suci” dan manusia berjalan dengan tertib di hadapan Allah, maka inilah kegerakan.