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DRUNK BEFORE DAWN
The ancient LunBawangs loved the rice wine so much that much of their rice was put aside for making "burak". The big jars were sometimes used to store the Burak. Before Southwell and his friends ministered among the Lun Bawangs, the Lun Bawangs were in terrible conditions. But they could not go away from the lure of rice wine. Quarrels occurred as a result. There were skin diseases too. As a result of all these unfortunate circumstances, the heart of the Lun Bawang was breaking into dispair. God must have allowed these to happen in order to bring our people to their knees. With their numbers being reduced from about 17000 before 1900, to about 3000 in 1905, my people were in a hopeless situation. The next thing they would do was turn away from these difficult life and and listen to someone who would bring them deliverance. Southwell and some Evangelists from Kalimantan
Something happened. Revival began among the Lun Bawang as early as before the 2nd world war. They left everything connected with the past including the rice wine. They don't even want to mention anything about the past!The entire society was changed unlike other tribes which still retain some of the past. My people were totally changed.
What a wonderful years were the period of 50's to early 80's in the Lun Bawang community. There were no rice wine, no cigar , no quarrels, no stealing etc..
CHANGE FROM WITHIN
The abrupt change among the Lun Bawang in the 1940's onward was described by Southwell and his fellow missionaries as genuine and complete. The Holy Spirit had changed them from within. The fruits of the change were hunger for the Word of God, clean living and hospitality. One missionary said that one could hear a needle being drop while he was preaching to the Lun Bawang people. This is to suggest the attention that they were putting on the sermon. The curator of the Sarawak museum could not believe his eyes when he saw the condition of the Lun Bawang. From the dirtiest, they had become the cleanest! When you talk about hospitality, visiting a lun bawang long house in the 60"s will change the heart of a visitor for life. An American who passed through the Lun Bawang country expressed that the Lun Bawang people were the most hospitable people he had ever met. As he went to each long house, he was fed, not by one family but by all the families of the Long house. They took turn to invite him for meal, and when he was on his way, they gave him provision.
The Lun Bawang children, who went to study in Lawas, a town down river had no problem of food and shelter during their journey to the town or back to their villages. They can stay in the long houses a long the way and will be fed and given provision.
Such will happen to anyone whose God is the Lord.
BONDAGE FROM BURAK (RICE WINE) BROKEN
I had met the man who claimed to have been drunk for 180 days, more than twenty five years ago. Like all the others, there were something at stake- when they started to drink. They want to prove to somebody of what they can do. They also drink to celebrate a successful head hunting trip or at a wedding celebration. Without God, they could not break away from the bondage. My people were edging towards self destruction, but God had other plans.
Rice wine or burak, are the same as alcholic drinks such as what you can find now. They bring a person down, physically and spiritually. In fact, the strong drink is a sure way to loose your mind and destroy family life.
So no wonder, when our people rejected the BURAK, the Holy Spirit was the One who made it possible, through the Word of God brought by those missionaries and our Lun Bawang evangelists.
IF BURAK IS TAKEN AWAY FROM A PERSON, HIS LIFE WILL BE IN ORDER AND HE WILL INVITE BLESSINGS FROM ABOVE, BECAUSE BY ELIMINATING STRONG DRINKS, MANY SINS WILL NOT BE COMMITTED!
LUN BAWANG VILLAGE IN THE 1960'S
Long Semadoh Rayeh in the 60's was a long house. There were no pigsty under the long house. The pigsties and chicken coop were yards away from the Long house. The trusan river was about 300 metres away. The paddy fields filled the valley. The church building was on its own, with the pastor's house nearby. The mothers wake up very early to cook. Some went to the kitchen as early as 4.00am. Long Semadoh is a cool place. Its really cold at night. In the long house, there were about 30 doors. Each family has a fire place on their portion of the gallery section of the long house, which was divided by a walk way and a platform, stretching from one of the long house to the other end. The fire place in the gallery is for people to warm themselves at night, while they talk. If there were visitors, they will sleep on the platform section and every family will invite them for meal. Which means, the visitor will be invited to the kitchen as many times as the number of family in the long house. In the 60's there were no more burak, no more quarrels and no more fights. The gallery section was used for morning devotion.
BURAK TODAY
One of the greatest challenges that the Lun Bawang and Kelabit Christian communities face is the rising number of its young returning to the burak. The burak of today is branded items such as Tiger beer, Henniken, stout etc.The abuse of these among the young people led them to spend their life and money away from their own family. Some love the beer more than their own families. They quarrel and fight and some patronise the night clubs and Pub in the towns. Some left their family for another who frequent those places. Some children, who became Christians felt reluctant to return homes because their father always return home drunk.
When we return to the burak, we are returning to the time our people had been in such a terrible condition that God had to send diseases to punish us. He had to send some Australian missionaries to help restore our lives and homes.
Therefore, pray for the young people so that the python (the burak), as i saw it in my vision will not strangle them.
THE EXAMPLE
A person asked another person whether he is afraid of drinking the beer, and the other man replied, "No! I am afraid of the EXAMPLE!"
As parents, are you afraid of the example? Are you aware that, when you bring the canes of beer into your house, you are actually bringing the "python", into the your homes, where your children, your nices, your nephews are?
When you bring those things and do it right infront of your children, you are actually teaching them to do the same thing as you did?
The home is where protection upon our own family is highest. But when you bring the drinks into your homes, invite others to enjoy the "kick" right infront of your family, you are in actual fact endangering your own family. Imagine a father not protecting his children from danger?
The strong drinks are making a come back. There are people who are more than drunk before dawn. Some are drunk almost 24 hours!
COMPROMISE
To create a chain smoker, a person has to walk the first step, that is, to try a bit first. slowly, he take some more step by finishing a stick. Then the third step is to buy himself. The fourth step is to add more sticks etc.
The same to drinking strong drink. First a person refuses but after some persuasion from friends, he take a sip, then a second sip. The first sips are free of charge from friends. Later, the person begins to buy and drink on his own. Then he buy his friends drinks...that is how he is also caught.
That is why brothers and sisters,don't open you house to these things. What i mean your house is for two particular thing- your body and your own house ( where your own family are)
Don't listen to these compromising words :-
1. Its alright to drink. Just don't get drunk!
2. I drink because of its medicinal purpose. some excuses.
3. My nature of work is hard and need such drink.
4. Its alright with me. I can look after myself.
5. See, some denomination allow drinking strong drinks.
Denomination doesn't save.
REMEMBER, ALL THOSE GUYS WHO ARE UNDER THE BONDAGE OF ALCHOLIC DRINKS SUCH AS BEER,ETC SAID THOSE THINGS BEFORE.
Please read the section on drinking wine.
WHY CAN'T I STOP?
-Drinking strong drinks actually is giving in to the DESIRE OF THE FLESH! ITS THE FLESH THAT LOVES IT! YOU LOVE THE TASTE, YOU LOVE THE SMELL, YOU WANT TO SATISFY YOUR FLESHLY CRAVING. If you are in the NEW LIFE, this is one battle you must fight against!The desire of the flesh which is the desire of the old life.
The book of Proverbs tell us exactly what the wine or burak will do. For more, read the ohter section in this website.
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