Monday, August 31, 2009

Testimony Ex Yasindo - Pst. Zulkarnain Syarief

Testimony of Pst. Zulkarnain Syarief
Pastor of Gereja Sidang Pantekosta di Indonesia
Pontianak, West Kalimantan

"A God-Transformed Life"

I was born the 3rd of 6 brothers, grew up in the city of Jakarta and in a devout Muslim family. Since young, we have been indoctrinated against the ethnic Chinese and Christians. By the time I grew up, my hate for the Chinese and Christians was fully formed and I would often harass them both mentally and physically.

In my teenage years, with my parents rarely at home and the influence of my peers, I started getting into fights, thefts, and drug addiction that I often got into trouble with the police. My parents decided to send me to a Muslim training school in the town of Tasikmalaya for 3.5 years with the hopes that I can change for the better. Instead, the opposite happens as I grew increasingly wicked with all the knowledge that I’d received.

I was incarcerated twice. The first time I went to prison was in 1987 as I got involved with drugs but with my parents’ assistance, I was given a light sentence and was convicted to 8 months’ jail in Rutan Pondok Bambu. Upon my release, I continued using drugs and even started injecting into myself a more lethal drug called Morphine. To pay for all those expensive drugs, I began to commit crimes, which started small but increased to larger scales. I was involved in some robberies with some friends which we managed to get away from. The law eventually caught up with us and we were arrested in 1989. I was found guilty of robberies, assault and possession of firearms and was jailed at Cipinang. 

Prior to my verdict, my days in jail were filled with fear, which escalated into frustration, and I eventually turned brutal that each time I returned my to my cell block from my court trials, I would abuse and torture some of my fellow inmates. The feelings of fear continued to torture me, especially when I heard rumors that I might be sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Until one night when I was relaxing, I noticed an inmate named Roni who was convicted of murder and has been sentenced to 20 years in prison, but he seemed to so at peace all the time. I began to try to find out the secret to his peacefulness, and it seemed to have come from a light blue book (which was actually the New Testament Bible distributed by Gideon). 

As a ‘little ruler’ in the small prison, I had the power to take away possessions of my fellow inmates, including Roni’s blue book for me to read (I would also use the pages of this book to wrap my tobacco powder in). When I first read the Bible, denials after denials arose in my mind against what was being said in it. However, my heart seemed to be increasingly stirred to want to continue reading that I actually finished reading from the books of Matthew all the way to Revelations. Then I came across Revelation 3:19 that said, "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.” As I read that paragraph, there seemed to be a voice of authority that spoke into my heart with a loving tone. And I was not aware that it was God’s voice at the time, and I was momentarily brought into a reflection of the life I’ve lived so far, realized that I was truly a sinner, and I was afraid to die as I’d committed so many sins. But the verses that I read in the Bible were so simple, all I had to do was to receive Jesus Christ into my heart and my sins would be forgiven, and have eternal life. Romans 10:9-10 said, "That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”

Then the day the final verdict was to be read arrived and at the time, the prosecutor strived for a 7-year prison sentence. I surrendered and submitted my life to God that He would direct the paths of my life. During the final trial before the verdict was to be read, I continuously prayed for God to make known His power, "Jesus, if You are indeed the living God that created everything, including men, surely it would not be difficult to cause the Prosecutor to demand only a light punishment, for the court clerk to record it and the Judge to confirm it, as I only want a 3-year sentence. If that happens, then I will follow You.” And His miracle truly happened as I was sentenced to 2 years in prison instead, so as a consequence of my challenge, I had to follow Jesus and serve Him.

After receiving Jesus into my heart, my subsequent days in prison were filled with joy. It was like something new was planted in my mind and heart (so this is what they call ‘born again’). Longings to seek the Lord continually arose in my heart, so I began to pray diligently, read the Bible and joined every worship service they conducted in the penitentiary (I’m very thankful that they conduct daily worship services there). I met with Mr. Toni Taniara, Mrs. Selvi Handoko and Mrs. LF. Simanjuntak, who ministered to me until I finally grasped the teachings of the Lord Jesus. 

Towards my last day in jail, I had questions in my heart as to where I should go upon my release. If I returned to my old life, I would return to prison life in no time. So I took shelter at a Prayer Fellowship for a while and it was there that brother Joshua kept encouraging me to serve God. The call to serve Him grew stronger in me and I felt the need to be equipped at a Bible school. So I persistently prayed for that and He answered my prayer through YASINDO Prison Ministry, who sponsored me to attend KBTC (Ketileng Bible Training Center) Semarang in 1991 for 6 months. Upon finishing Bible school in 1992, I was sent to serve God in West Kalimantan. I served in rural areas and helped the churches there. 

My areas of ministry were:
1. Dagog village, Karangan Mempawah Hulu disctrict, Landak county in 1992-1995 under the covering of
    GGPI - Indonesian Pentecost Church Movement, which pioneered church in other areas:
    - Tempak village, Menyuke district, Landak county.
    - Mangun village, Sompak district, Landak county.
    - Pondok village, Sompak district, Landak county.
2. Then I returned to Jakarta and served in Pasar Rebo, Pekayon - Bekasi in 1995-1997 under the covering 
     of GBI – Indonesian Bethel Church.
3. In 1998, I returned to West Kalimantan and was entrusted with the following:
    - To start a branch of the Bahtera Hayat Foundation in Pontianak.
    - To start the PD. PELMA – Students and Undergraduates Prayer Fellowship.
    - To teach high school religion in SMUN 3 and SMU-SMK Koperasi Pontianak in 1998 - 2001.
4. In 2000:
    - I started a branch of YASINDO Prison Ministry in West Kalimantan to serve the existing prisons.
    - I became Chairman of the Transformation Movement of West Kalimantan province.
5. In 2004 – 2006, I pastured in GRDSB - House of Prayer of All Nations Church.
6. In 2007, I pioneered GSPDI – Indonesian Pentecost Council Church in Pontianak and have been  
    pastoring there until this day.
7. In 2009, I am serving as Vice Chairman of PGPI – the Fellowship of Indonesian Pentecost Churches.

This was the story of my life, where only by His grace and power that He can turn me from the scum of society into Salt and Light (from an evil person to God’s servant). May my testimony be a blessing to many of you. God bless you!

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