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Terror in Lake Toba 1816-1833

For historical background I present you quotes about Pongkinangolngolan alias Tuanku Rao then newly converted Batak who lead the first terror for the Padri of Minangkabau between 1816-1821, http://batarahutagalung.blogspot.com/2008/01/beberapa-catatan-mengenai-tuanku-rao.html

Genoside conducted by the Padri jihadist around the lake Toba led by Tuanku Rao, following direction of Tuanku Nan Renceh of Bukittinggi stalled altogether in 1820. This is because many jihadist died from epidemics of cholera and plague and pestilence. From the original 150,000 Padri army who entered Batak Land in 1818, only about 30,000 left two years later. The vast majority were not killed in battle, but died of various diseases.

Padri jihadist attacked again the second time in 1827, directly under the leadership of Tuanku Imam Bonjol ready to resume their attrocities. It's because Tuanku Rao had been killed earlier in the battle for Air Bangis in 1821. This time the Padri attack with greater force and with better preparation. However when camping in Pahae, even before entering Silindung valley, various elements of Batak society together with security troops who were there, destroyed the Padri. Padri forces retreated entirely from the Batak land in 1833 and fought until its demise in Bonjol Pasaman 1837. Tuanku Imam Bonjol himself died in exile in 1864.

For this, we thank Lord Jesus Christ because He spared the Batak tribe and opened their hearts for the good news of the Holy Gospel some 40 years later.

Isaiah 1:24
Therefore the Lord, the LORD Almighty,
the Mighty One of Israel, declares:
"Ah, I will get relief from my foes
and avenge myself on my enemies.

Amin

Sunday School Song

Tuesday, September 22, 2009 at 10:03pm

Dear Friends,
Can you send me your Sunday School song lyrics?
Its for me and for Immanuel, we're both enrolling again shortly:)
Hmm, maybe not shortly but in 5 years definitely

That is if you still remember them, ehehe...
Peace in Christ Jesus, our Lord and Saviour

Lho kok jadi begini yah?

Tuesday, September 22, 2009 at 3:01pm

Hari ini saya sedang melihat2 email yg masuk dan ketemu dgn photo yang dishare oleh teman lama. Berikut saya share juga disini, Jiah!! kok jadi begini yah? Tempo hari masih tanah kosong lempang kok malah jadi ada kantor guru didepan? Jadi kalo mau parkir sepeda motor apa di gas lewat meja guru BP dulu atau lewat ruang tamu kepsek? Ehehe

Lah kalo lubang pagar di belakang, yang ada dekat hall basket dan mengarah ke SoftBall masih ada ga ya? Wah apa kawan2 udah tau sekarang tampak depannya udah kaya gini? Dan lagi itu halaman tengah udah ganti nama jadi ceremonial plain, wuih apa pulak artinya tuh. Hmm silahkan komentar tapi jangan marbadai dison ya. Yang sopan dan dewasalah kita hendaknya.

Botima, Tole Bahen, Suar-Sairhon ma jolo catatan on, Saok ma!
Abba Nuel

Pergeseran Adat Batak Toba

Wednesday, September 9, 2009 at 11:14pm

sumber: http://www.silaban.net/2006/06/25/pergeseran-adat-batak-toba

Kepada teman-teman dan sanak saudara kami yang kami hormati, marilah kita sejenak bertukar pikiran mengenai pergeseran Adat Batak Toba yang kita praktekkan dan kita jalankan.

Terutama dengan adanya keterkaitan antara adat inti Habatakon dengan animisme ataupun parmalim yang merupakan dasar bagi kita untuk menggeser hal-hal tesebut untuk menjadi yang lebih baik, yang lebih berkenan dan kudus dihadapan Tuhan dan Juruselamat kita Jesus Kristus dan sesuai dengan Firman Tuhan yang kita baca dan terima di dalam Alkitab.

Aek godang tu aek laut
Dos ni roha do sibahen na saut
Nangkok si puti tuat si deak
a i na ummuli ima tapareak

Seluruh saran dan komentar mohon disampaikan di dalam iman pengharapan dan kasih.Tujuan dari note ini untuk sharing topik yang penting ini dan mendapat diskusi yang membangun, agar seluruh adat Batak Toba nantinya yang akan kita praktekkan dan jalankan seluruhnya tiada yang melanggar Firman Tuhan.Mohon maaf bila ada kata-kata yang salah dan sulit untuk dimengerti

Amin
Bapa Nuel

Misrepresentation of the Holy Trinity

Sunday, September 6, 2009 at 3:54pm

Sadly, this is a very common error of the Muslims. The single greatest instance of this is in the doctrine of the Trinity. Muslims so often attack a false understanding of the Trinity by stating that it is three gods. That is not the correct Christian definition of the Trinity doctrine. Christianity does not teach there are three gods. It never has and it never will. The doctrine of the Trinity is that there is only one God who exists in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Trinitarianism is monotheistic. If a Muslim continues to proclaim that the Trinity is three gods, then I simply stop discussing the issue with him because he is not willing to accept what the definition is and it isn't possible to have a meaningful dialogue.

Another Christian doctrine they fail to understand is the Hypostatic Union. This is the teaching that Jesus is one person with two natures. He is both God and man as is declared in Col. 2:9, "For in Jesus Christ dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily." Because Jesus was also a man, we have verses such as John 14:28 where Jesus says "the Father is greater than I." Muslims will say that if Jesus is God, how could He be greater than Himself? Of course, they fail to understand the Trinity (three persons) and they fail to understand that Jesus, as a man (Phil. 2:5-8), cooperated with the limitations of being a man and was in a lower position than the Father (Heb. 2:9) for a while.

Sometimes Muslims refuse to accept Christian explanations for things because it doesn't fit their agenda nor their preconceived ideas of what they think Christianity is. Oddly enough, Christians often contribute to this problem by offering inadequate and sometimes erring explanations of Christian doctrine. Thus, many Muslims are led into error regarding what Christianity really teaches. Christians need to know their doctrine, and Muslims need to understand the proper explanations for those doctrines.

INDONESIA RAYA, Selamat Ulang Tahun Republik Indonesia ke 64

Friday, August 14, 2009 at 9:38am

Indonesia Raya
(Wage Rudolf Soepratman)

Indonesia tanah airku,
Tanah tumpah darahku,
Di sanalah aku berdiri,
Jadi pandu ibuku.

Indonesia kebangsaanku,
Bangsa dan tanah airku,
Marilah kita berseru,

Indonesia bersatu.
Hiduplah tanahku,
Hiduplah neg'riku,
Bangsaku, Rakyatku, semuanya,
Bangunlah jiwanya,
Bangunlah badannya,
Untuk Indonesia Raya.

Indonesia Raya,
Merdeka, merdeka,
Tanahku, neg'riku yang kucinta!
Indonesia Raya,
Merdeka, merdeka,
Hiduplah Indonesia Raya

Selamat Ulang Tahun Republik Indonesia
Selamanya jaya dan berdaulat

Jerusalem יְרוּשָׁלַיִם القُدس , the Holy City

Friday, August 7, 2009 at 10:22pm

This portion of the lyric of the song Holy City stuck in our minds each time we mention Jerusalem (Hebrew: יְרוּשָׁלַיִם Yerushaláyim) (Arabic: القُدس al-Quds)

Jerusalem! Jerusalem!
Lift up your gates and sing,
Hosanna in the highest!
Hosanna to your King!

This is the city where our Lord triumphantly enters on Palm Sunday, the city where the Lord has His last supper, the city where our Lord was arrested by the temple guards, faced the trial in front of Sanhedrin and then from Pontius Pilatus, the city where our Lord was sentenced to death but not before He suffered the sadistic flagellation and crowned with thorns, carried His cross along Via Dolorosa and the city where our Lord was crucified and later resurrected on the third day, gave us the Holy Spirit and our great commission before He ascended up to heaven.

We pray for peace in this holy city and for the Christians brothers and sisters here to be able to live in their homes, own lands and freely worship and practice their faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Peace in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour
Abba Immanu'el
Undeserved Forgiven Sinner

Jericho, in the steps of our Lord Jesus Christ

Tuesday, August 4, 2009 at 9:05pm

I was going to write this note sooner but for some reason or another, now it's the right time to do it. In comparison to several other places in the West Bank I found out that Jericho is one of my favorite place to visit. An oasis in the Arava Jordan, and a holy place because Lord Jesus steps on this land and gave us eternal life through His grace.

Jericho (Arabic: أريحا) is a city located near the Jordan River in the West Bank of the Palestinian territories. Situated well below sea level on an east-west route 16 kilometers north of the Dead Sea, Jericho is the lowest permanently inhabited site on earth. It is also believed to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities of the world.

For me, I focused on the Gospel of Jesus Christ in thinking about Jericho.Mark 10:46-52 Blind Bartimaeus Receives His SightThen they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means "son of Timaeus"), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called to the blind man, "Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you." Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see." "Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

How we love to be Bartimeus to throw away our full of sin vengeance and fear cloaks, receive our sight and peace back, made whole and follow Him wherever He go.

and also in that Parable of the Good Samaritan; Luke 10: 25-37"A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead with no clothes. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, and he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, he too passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and looked after him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.' "Which of these three do you think was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

Very well, the Lord has commanded us to do likewise, then by all means we shall do likewise

Salam al Massie7 ma3kom
Abba Immanu'el
Undeserved Forgiven Sinner

Dalihan Na Tolu Kami, 28 July 2009

Friday, July 31, 2009 at 7:51pm

Jujur saja ya, saya tidak mengerti adat batak makanya agak ragu dalam menuliskan catatan ini.Alkisah suatu hari ada seorang tua-tua adat yg dianggap berpengalaman punya sedikit waktu untuk menjawab beberapa pertanyaan dari penulis saat santai sebelum mar-tonggo raja untuk ulaon salah satu dongan tubu kita.

Berikut pertanyaan dan jawabannya:
P: apa itu dalihan na tolu?
J: suku Batak memiliki falsafah adat dan sosial yang disebut Dalihan Natolu yakni Somba Marhulahula (hormat pada pihak keluarga ibu/istri), Elek Marboru (ramah pada keluarga saudara perempuan) dan Manat Mardongan Tubu (kompak dalam hubungan semarga). Dalam kehidupan sehari-hari, falsafah ini dipegang teguh dan hingga kini menjadi landasan kehidupan sosial dan bermasyarakat di lingkungan orang Batak. Dalihan na tolu ini seperti tiga tungku sejajar, semua berdiri sama tinggi, duduk sama rendah.

P: lah hula-hula saya siapa?
J: mama Immanuel kan boru Sinambela Si Raja Oloan jadi mereka itulah hula-hulamu. Kamu menantu mereka. Sementara tulang mu Tobing Jae Jae.

P: terus dongan tubu saya?
J: ya jelas dongan sabutuha/ semarga kamu, ya Aritonang-lah, Radjagoekgoek, Datusangap -Tagor Nilaut.

P: nah yg disebut boru?
J: ya marga2 yang mangalap boru Aritonang dan dianggap menantu laki2 dikeluarga Aritonang

P: ehmm, noh disitu ada ditulis bona tulang, tulang rorobot, apaan tuh artinya?
J: Kalau tulang rorobot ya tulang istrimu, tulangnya mama Immanuel kan Pangaribuan, ya Pangaribuan- lah. -Nah kalo bona tulang ya itu tulang dari ayahmu, ya Hutapea Puraja Laguboti kan.

P: terus yang disebut tarombo itu apa ya?
J: Tarombo (berarti silsilah) merupakan suatu hal yang sangat penting bagi orang Batak. Bagi mereka yang tidak mengetahui silsilahnya akan dianggap sebagai orang Batak kesasar (nalilu). Orang Batak khususnya lelaki diwajibkan mengetahui silsilahnya minimal nenek moyangnya yang menurunkan marganya dan teman semarganya (dongan tubu). Hal ini diperlukan agar mengetahui letak kekerabatannya (partuturanna) dalam suatu klan atau marga.

By the way, Immanu'el Aritonang rencananya akan dibaptis di gereja rumbai; desember ini.Segitu saja dulu. Kan nanti bisa tambah dan edit kan?
Ok deh, Shalom Aleichem

One moment in your border, 1 June 2008

Thursday, July 16, 2009 at 9:07am

We were in the wall security embankment one day early in June, passing the wall in order to return to Jerusalem to continue our prayer at Via Dolorosa.We didn't know that the IDF border guard was looking for somebody returning back from Bethlehem. There it happens. The bus was redirected to the parking lot and we got down for the passport check and x-ray.

In the confusion, my wife mistakenly put her wristwatch on the conveyor without putting it on a plastic basket. Surely enough, her watch got stuck and the conveyour was jammed. I told the IDF soldier to stop the conveyor in order for us to retrieve the watch.

She didn't understand simple english and instead she called another IDF soldier to check what is wrong which leads to my talking to her from the line.

This IDF grunt just shouted at us to get back then ask the conveyor x-ray operator "what's wrong?"

He then proceed to talk to me rudely shoving his automatic assault rifle in my face. Wrong choice brother! I shouted obscenities back at him, then at his sargeant at the gangplank 3 meters above and to all his squad fellows nearing up. Basically I let it all rip!

It is just unbelievable how these youngsters act toward pilgrims, US dollar paying ones, who happen to be a respected visitor in this land.

That settled, the IDF soldiers was admonished by their sargeant above and got back to their stations with their tails behind their legs.

I was told later that Shin-Beth was trying to catch individuals known to have attacked a watchtower with stones and bee bee guns.

Wow, I told him -we are Indonesian who live day by day in a third world country violence and mayhem, anybody shouted at you and point their rifles ought to know better and do better. Indonesians stands to and never retreats, let alone by this green 18 year old rambo wanabees

Lesson learned for me as a new father to Immanuel Aritonang

Tuesday, July 14, 2009 at 3:14pm

It's nothing new, and you probably have read this somewhere down the line, written by different people with different approach and different conclusions.But here is my lesson learned as a new father.

Immanuel Aritonang was born 3 months ago on April 13, 2009 and lo and behold was blessed with yours truly as his lovely father.
As you all may have guessed, yes I did not and have never taken any fatherhood class or any daddy grooming seminars.
It's all learning by doing.And the following shall be my humble list of lesson learned. You are all free to comment, add or advise to delete or edit, but keep the insults and the sarcasm to the minimum, alright!

So here goes:
1. It's best that you prepare before hand your wife's clothes and things inside a bag in your car before you go to the hospital for child birth. Your new child's clothes shall be lent from the hospital when he is born but your wife needs her clothes, bathing stuff etc.

2. For you who cannot stand the sight of blood, then it's best to opt out attending the child birth in the delivery or operating room. I pass out just watching the video, let alone being in there personally. The doctors are so focused on your wife's labor and child's birth, let's not trouble them by passing out and dropping to the floor while your wife is in labor.

3. Try not to hear the complaints of the nurses and midwife about how ill-informed you are as a new father. Their father's and husband's poor performance might have bigger impact in their perspectives.

4. When your wife has just finished her caesarean section in the operating room, chances are she is still under sedation when your child needs feeding. So prepare a baby milk before hand to feed the baby. This is just for the early phases. Once she regain her consciouness, mother's milk is better by far. Now Immanuel only feed on his mother's milk until 6 months -nothing else for now.

5. Learn how to help your wife feed and nurse the baby, bathe them with warm water and to look for symptoms of irregularities such as warm, flu etc. I learned on how to hold Immanuel and to burp him in these early days. I am so proud of myself, ehehehe.

6. Babies tend to love being hold and carried around. Don't worry it's just the way babies make sure that they got proper love, attention and care from mother and father. Immanuel does not cry but he shall shout and throw punches and kicks if you do not carry him around showing stuffs in the house.

7. Make sure that your babies are feed properly. In Immanuel's case he wants to be fed every 15 minutes in his initial days. Now in his 3rd month, he wants his baby milk every 3 hours.

8. I don't know exactly what happened, but Immanuel does not like baby talcum powder. He sneezed a lot when applied and told us that he does not like talcum. Baby oil works wonders, so please use baby oil instead of baby powder.

9. Our bed is 2 meter by 2 meters and the height is around 1.25 meter. My mom and mother in law told me to remove the bottom portion and just use the pillow top. Having your baby rolls over and drop from that height straght to the floor is a definite no-no. Prepare yourself with baby car seat and stroller for traveling and his crib for social time in the living room. For Immanuel: we have to be careful, he is an active baby with lots of roll over, bends and kicks.

10. Keep fresh clothes at all time for your babies. There's lots of pee-pee time and poo-poo time. It's normal. Anyway Immanuel is the new boss in this house and he can do whatever he wants to do anywhere, anytime he wants it done.

God bless everybody!

Bali vacation package cost a lot more than Thailand package ??

Thursday, July 9, 2009 at 1:46pm

This is amazing facts.
I just found out that the current prices for a trip to Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya is a lot cheaper than a trip to Bali.
Comparing between the two packages which includes the same classes of accomodation and transportation and of course the same duration, I was so surprised even when I check into the details.

Why is this happening? We are in Indonesia and the logical choice would be Bali for it is still in Indonesia.
Ah, but lots of people do not tangle themselves with this question and proceed to book Thailand instead of Bali.
There goes the income to this country.
That also goes for corporate or company getaway or functions for they are booking a lot of people at the same time and the priced difference played a lot in their choice.
Amazing, Thailand won on this one and I believe that this has been going for quite sometime.
Maybe somebody can answer this question for me.

Michael Jackson memorial

Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at 6:51pm

On the memoral for Michael Jackson,
I thank God that Katherine Jackson put a ruling foot on every thing on that memorial.
Yes, they made a Christian memorial.
Jermaine who has been a muslim for 20 years did not utter a single word of Allah.
Plus no members of Nation of Islam there.

Michael Jackson's mother Katherine said no way.
I thank God for comments from Smokey Robinson, that gospel choir by Andrae Crouch, "Jesus is Love" song by Lionel Richie and the commodores and Stevie Wonder performed a version of his song "Never Dreamed You'd Leave in Summer" and "They Won't Go When I Go" , Mariah Carey saying thank you Jesus on her last part of "I'll be there", Queen Latifah reception as one of MJ fans, both Martin Luther King III & Bernice King and Sheila Jackson Lee said Christians eulogies for MJ and that was good along with Rev Al Sharpton who said "There wasn't nothing strange about your daddy. What was strange was what your daddy had to deal with"Especially the Christians prayer by Pastor Lucius Smith, the Jackson family friend.

Yes, I am glad that they did it as a Christian memorial.

Friends, by Kahlil Gibran

Your friend is your needs answered.
He is your field which you sow with love and reap with thanksgiving.
And he is your board and your fireside.
For you come to him with your hunger, and you seek him for peace.

When your friend speaks his mind you fear not the "nay" in your own mind,
nor do you withhold the "ay."
And when he is silent your heart ceases not to listen to his heart;
For without words, in friendship, all thoughts, all desires, all expectations are born and shared, with joy that is unacclaimed.
When you part from your friend, you grieve not;
For that which you love most in him may be clearer in his absence, as the mountain to the climber is clearer from the plain.
And let there be no purpose in friendship save the deepening of the spirit.
For love that seeks aught but the disclosure of its own mystery is not love but a net cast forth: and only the unprofitable is caught.

And let your best be for your friend.
If he must know the ebb of your tide, let him know its flood also.
For what is your friend that you should seek him with hours to kill?
Seek him always with hours to live.
For it is his to fill your need, but not your emptiness.
And in the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures.
For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.