Good News from the Jakarta Congregation - Gideon Satria

Life Changing Moment

God is always at work and gives special surprises to those He loves. This is the beginning of a life story full of adventure with God for a young man named Gideon Satria Putra. This young man of Javanese descent is 25 years old, and on July 23 Gideon made the decision to follow Jesus.

Gideon successfully completed his Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Technology from Bogor Agricultural Institute and is currently working freelance for a government institution. Yet just like a wheel that keeps turning, there came a time when Gideon faced difficult days. He came from a very harsh family background, where his father was someone who worked in the military. This caused Gideon to have difficulty building a close relationship with his parents, especially with his father. Since childhood Gideon’s father showed little empathy toward Gideon, and this caused him to lose direction and purpose in life. Behind the worldly achievements Gideon attained, Gideon admitted that there was a deep emptiness that he always tried to cover with sin. Gideon became someone accomplished in his work and the projects he handled, but behind all that success Gideon was bound by the master he had been serving all this time, the one that promised temporary satisfaction, deceived him for years, namely SIN.

Gideon came to know the community through a sister who was a friend from his office named Mei. Sister Mei often posted about her faith on social media. One day Gideon asked Mei about what Bible study was. Sister Mei then explained it, and it turned out that this influenced Gideon quite a bit.

In April 2017 Gideon began his Bible study with a singles group in the Central Jakarta ministry. Challenge after challenge Gideon went through. God’s word opened the layers of wounds Gideon had carried from the past: bitterness toward the people closest to him, and the whirlpool of sin that had drowned Gideon for years. The deeper Gideon enjoyed his relationship with God and lived out the challenges of repentance, the more God began to change his heart and mind. The habit of having a quiet time and praying was no longer something strange in Gideon’s life; instead it became Gideon’s source of joy in filling all the emptiness in his life that had previously been filled with sin.

The story of the Samaritan woman in the book of John 4 inspired Gideon to understand the emotional needs he had never received from his family. Understanding sin and the Lord’s sacrifice made Gideon realize how deep and great Jesus’ love is for him. Gideon kept showing his repentance; he changed into a completely different young man, and his repentance transformed not only Gideon but his family as a whole. A family that had not been close to one another now became a family that made time to do devotionals together. This positive change also surprised Gideon’s friends; words like “this isn’t the Gideon I know” were often spoken by Gideon’s closest friends.

"...but whoever drinks the water that I will give him will never thirst again. Instead, the water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life 2" - John 4:13-14

Today Gideon begins his new journey with God, a journey that others may think is strange but is full of beautiful promises in the Lord. A journey that requires faith yet produces joy. A journey of battle together with God’s other soldiers to reach the finish line with the promise of eternity and glory from God.

Gideon with his new group

"God loves me without end. Even when I was far from God, God did not change His love for me. God still protected me and gave me the opportunity to return and always put my hope only in Him. There is indeed no promise of days that are always pleasant, but Christ’s promise of His presence with His children never changes." - Gideon

We hope that one day Gideon will be the one writing stories about the friends who were inspired by his life with God.