It's All About Jesus: 44 Short Studies of 1st Epistle of John (YouTube & Podcast)

As you glance through the Bible you will see that some of the books (like the Psalms) are over a hundred pages long while others (like 2 John) are less than a page in length. 1 John is one which is not very long – about 5-7 pages in most versions (like my J. B. Phillips’s New Testament have 8 pages only). But this short book – a letter or an epistle – is packed with a great deal of vital information about our faith and many helpful guidelines regarding how to live as followers of Jesus Christ. Yes, 1 John (or the First Letter of John) is for Christ’s disciples not for non-Christians.

But before we begin our study of 1 John, let’s consider a few important questions:

Who Wrote It and Why?

In the early Church, there was general agreement that the Apostle John wrote the letter (not John the Baptist!). For one thing, the subjects, style and wording of 1 John are like those in the Gospel of John. Also, the writer of 1 John claims to have been an eyewitness to the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Lord (see 1 John 1:1,3 and 4:14). Furthermore, the author of 2 and 2 John refers to himself as “the elder.” These two letters, along with 1 John, have usually been thought to have been written by the same author. Often in his later years, John was called “the Elder.”

After serving for years as a disciple of Jesus, John spent a great deal of his time writing the Gospel according to John (or the Gospel of John), which describes the life and times of Jesus; 1, 2, 3 John which help Christians understand what they should believe and do; and the Revelation, in which he talks about the glorified and the second coming of Jesus.

We may tend to think or depicted Jesus’ disciples as saints who walked around with halos over their heads. Nah! John was a man who was very much a human being like the rest of us. Even though he talked often in his writings about love and forgiveness, he evidently had a hot temper. At least, he was. Jesus once called John and his brother James “sons of Thunder” (see Mark 3:17). One time, John got so angry – maybe he was very jealous – that he wanted God to destroy a village with fire, something Jesus refused to do (see Luke 9:51-56).

What Was the Setting?

In his later years, John settled in the city of Ephesus, a place where Christians were struggling with the teachings of false teachers and were tempted to leave their own faith. These false teachers or prophets denied that Jesus was really God’s Son (see 1 John 2:22). These teachers were claiming to be “in the light” but did not really care how they lived. They were unloving and sinful even as they claimed “special knowledge” regarding God. These false teachers were true liars, hypocrites!

In his own special way, John wrote a letter to his fellow believers (“my children”) to try to reassure and strengthen them. He wrote this letter as elder (authority) and as grandfather (relationship) to his children and grandchildren – a letter packed with wisdom, advises, encouragements, helps, truths and warnings. John was also concerned that the faith of some Christians was becoming more of a ritual than something real and active. By the time John wrote this letter (about A.D. 92, shortly after writing his Gospel), the thrill of being true believers in the early days of Christianity had begun to decrease but the hype for spirituality increase. The commitment of some Christians had become lukewarm rather than passionate. Many found it hard to stand up for their beliefs and preferred “to belong to the world” (John 15:19).

Lord Jesus Himself had predicted this possibility, as well as the coming of false teachers when He said: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming: ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many… At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved” (Matthew 24:4-5, 10-13, NIV).

John counters two (2) major threads in the false teachings of the heretics in this letter:

1) They denied the reality of sin. John says that if we continue in sin, we can’t claim to belong to God. If we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth (1 John 1:6, 8, 10)

2) They denied that Jesus was the Messiah – God in the flesh. John said that if we believe that Jesus was God incarnate and trust him for our salvation, we are children of God (1 John 2:22, 4:1-3)

[from Life Application Study Bible, NLT page 2015]

True in the time of John as it is today that the greatest danger to the Church seemed to come from within, from people who claimed to be believers but who were false teachers seeking to confuse the true believers and lead them into damnable false teachings. Happened in our churches today? Yes! Is 1 John irrelevant for today? Think again.

Now that we’ve identified who the author of 1 John was, why he wrote it, and the setting in which it was written, let’s get started on what I hope will be an exciting experience of growing, examining our beliefs, and purified our faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Lord. Remember, It’s All About Jesus.

CLICK TITLE to listen or watch These Short Studies of 1^st Epistle of John

#1 Jesus: I Heard, Seen and Touched Him, No Secondhand Faith (1 John 1:1-2) https://youtu.be/eygEqZepw70 (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode1)

#2 Jesus: The Reason for Authentic Fellowship and the Source of Real Joy (1 John 1:3-4) https://youtu.be/pC4LPn8Q-CA (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode2)

#3 Jesus Is Light and There Is No Darkness in Him at All (1 John 1:5) https://youtu.be/LGS_Tnlokvo (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode3)

#4 Jesus Shows How Practical Our Faith Is (1 John 1:6-7) https://youtu.be/I18yrHu1xx8 (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode4)

#5 Jesus, God's Forgiveness Assured: Confess Your Sin, Don't Hide It (1 John 1:8-9) https://youtu.be/-x7W15zGYgA (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode5)

#6 Jesus the Righteous Advocator, Is Our Habitual Sin Breaker (1 John 2:1-2) https://youtu.be/E0j44xpLJbk (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode6)

#7 Jesus Is Not Only Our Saviour but He Also Our Example of Obedience & Living (1 John 2:3-6) https://youtu.be/NGC1UIHEclc (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode7)

#8 Jesus has Brought a 'New' Richer & Deeper Meaning of An 'Old' Commandment (1 John 2:7-8) https://youtu.be/GLOR9be1Vqo (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode8)

#9 Jesus' Message: Love and Light Belong Together (1 John 2:9-11) https://youtu.be/3cnELUrKxjw (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode9)

#10 Jesus on Spiritual Maturity: From Children to Young Men to Fathers (1 John 2:12-14) https://youtu.be/rq-xw8Hoi4I (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode10)

#11 Jesus asks for Your Loyalty: God the Father or Money of this World (1 John 2:15-17) https://youtu.be/e_6BESDJYiI (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode11)

#12 Jesus Hate these 3 Sins: Dominated by Appetites, Outward Show & Try to Look Important (1 John 2:15-17) https://youtu.be/ECGwrucNIRM (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode12)

#13 Jesus reminds Us: Material Things have No Future and Will Pass Away (1 John 2:17) https://youtu.be/k3qOvQDXhyY (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode13)

#14 Jesus is Coming Soon: We are Living in "the Last Hour" (1 John 2:18) https://youtu.be/hAWKjMcUPPU (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode14)

#15 Jesus wants Us to Beware of Antichrists and False Teachings (1 John 2:18-21) https://youtu.be/rao6E51zYAE (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode15)

#16 Jesus is God's Son: The Liar Denies This Truth (1 John 2:22-23) https://youtu.be/Ix8Sw1_0tns (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode16)

#17 Jesus is the Original Message: Remain Faithful to Him (1 John 2:24) https://youtu.be/tQnEhhTkv5I (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode17)

#18 Jesus Promises Fellowship and Eternal Life, If You... (1 John 2:25) https://youtu.be/pdqHWQqVku0 (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode18)

#19 Jesus Sends the Holy Spirit to Lives within Us (1 John 2:26-27) https://youtu.be/a1e6iCxf4q0 (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode19)

#20 Jesus' Return Soon: What Will We Be Like? Who Will We See? (1 John 3:1-3) https://youtu.be/v7VKzPS9nW4 (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode20)

#21 Jesus the Perfect Saviour wants Us to Take Sin Very Seriously (1 John 3:4-7) https://youtu.be/gpo8oUqT3Uk (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode21)

#22 Jesus Came to Destroy the Works of the Devil (1 John 3:8-10) https://youtu.be/D5rGZY4Cdys (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode22)

#23 Jesus Loves People But Why They Hated Him and the Christians so Much? (1 John 3:11-13) https://youtu.be/ImShQBbD1KM (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode23)

#24 Jesus says Love and Hate are a Matter of Life and Death (1 John 3:14-15) https://youtu.be/OUzA8rqK7ow (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode24)

#25 Jesus showed that Real Love is Costly (1 John 3:16-18) https://youtu.be/KC3NdFuaQGo (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode25)

#26 Jesus is Greater than Our Heart: Be Confident, Don't Feel Guilty (1 John 3:19-20) https://youtu.be/9PgKraoGsIY (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode26)

#27 Jesus Answers Whatever We Ask For, So Come with Bold Confidence (1 John 3:21-22) https://youtu.be/1bm_LfP8MKM (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode27)

#28 Jesus' Commandments: Believe in His Name and Love One Another (1 John 3:23-24) https://youtu.be/t3LVdpTu0QY (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode28)

#29 Jesus Don't Want Us to Believe Every Spirit but to Test Them all (1 John 4:1-3) https://youtu.be/vblVL_lFvCI (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode29)

#30 Jesus is Concerns about What You Believe: Be Open and Closed (1 John 4:4-6) https://youtu.be/4WIwUaPSuro (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode30)

#31 Jesus is the Embodiment of "God is Love" (1 John 4:7-8;13-16) https://youtu.be/tOrNjCOlRnI (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode31)

#32 Jesus Loved Us [First] While We Were Still Sinners (1 John 4:9-10) https://youtu.be/xYSyiESd84U (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode32)

#33 Jesus' Love is Not Only For You (1 John 4:11-12) https://youtu.be/3FzmYP-hc3Q (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode33)

#34 Jesus gives Us the Key that Unlocks the Door (1 John 4:13-16) https://youtu.be/7S7eagA56yI (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode34)

#35 Jesus' Perfect Love = No Fear of God's Judgement and Punishment (1 John 4:17-18) https://youtu.be/c6-jUABafjM (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode35)

#36 Don't Say "I Love Jesus" But Hate Others (1 John 4:19-21) https://youtu.be/OJeA4erXNsY (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode36)

#37 Jesus makes Us Sons and Daughters of God (1 John 5:1-2) https://youtu.be/-n9ogipN90Y (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode37)

#38 In Jesus, We Are Victorious! (1 John 5:3-5) https://youtu.be/hMtnQG6nFvY (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode38)

#39 Jesus is the Son of God: Three Witnesses, Come Forth! (1 John 5:6-8) https://youtu.be/DY64F1hO3ts (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode39)

#40 Jesus is the Son of God: Nobody can both accept God and deny his Son (1 John 5:9-10) https://youtu.be/iDric6zC8rA (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode40)

#41 Jesus the Son of God: We Can Have, Know and Enjoy Eternal Life (1 John 5:11-12) https://youtu.be/4DHv29El2QM (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode41)

#42 Jesus wants to Hear You Pray: We Have Freedom of Speech with God (1 John 5:13-15) https://youtu.be/4FphmUZZI3M (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode42)

#43 Jesus' Command: Pray on Behalf of Sinning Brother and Sister in Christ (1 John 5:16-17) https://youtu.be/l4i95LBevF4 (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode43)

#44 Jesus holds Us Secure: Three Great Assurances from God (1 John 5:18-21, THE END) https://youtu.be/_j_oF-e2_mU (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode44)

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

 

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War In Heaven: Taking Your Place In the Epic Battle with Evil (2003, 2015) by Derek Prince, Book Review

War In Heaven: Taking Your Place In the Epic Battle with Evil (2003, Expanded Edition 2015) 

by Derek Prince

First of all, do not be confuse Derek Prince with Joseph Prince, the Singapore megachurch pastor. Peter Derek Vaughan Prince (1915-2003) was a great Bible teacher whose daily radio program, Derek Prince Legacy Radio, is broadcast around the world in various languages even now. The radio existed before the exposure of social media mind you. I see Derek Prince as impactful and effective as David Pawson, another Bible teacher whom I admire so much. Both of them are anointed Bible teachers and have the gift of explaining the Scriptures in a clear, depth, and simple way. You can find their teachings online such as on YouTube, podcast, and their websites. Derek, who was born in India to British parents and died in Jerusalem peacefully, has helped build a foundation of faith in millions of lives including mine. What makes Derek different from other teachers, in my opinion, is that he emphasizes greatly the spiritual sides of the Christian life. He is sound in theology (not that I agree with everything he said or wrote, even in this book) but he sees more than mere theology – the victory of Christ over all things seen and unseen.

In this book, War In Heaven, Derek Prince writes authoritatively about the spiritual warfare (I highly recommend Derek's other book They Shall Expel Demons) that has been going on since soon after the beginning of time, in between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2, where confusion and emptiness enter the world [refer to Chapter 3: A Pre-Adamic World]. According to Derek, when the Devil or Satan, who was formerly known as Lucifer (read Isaiah 14:12-15 and Ezekiel 28:12-18) rebels against God for his pride to be equal with God [refer to Chapter 4: Lucifer Challenges God], he and all the fallen angels who are powerless against Him now aim their attacks to us, human beings, who are created in the image of God and His likeness. We are made "only a little lower than the angels" but God "crowned us with glory and honor" and gave us "authority over all things" (Hebrews 2:7-8). We are created to be rulers and to have dominion over all the earth and most importantly to have an intimate fellowship and special relationship with God the Creator [refer to Chapter 5: The Adamic Race: Our Origin and Chapter 6 The Adamic Race: Our Destiny]. But our problem, the big problem is that not only we are attacked by dark forces that are jealous of our future destiny, but we are also tainted by sins that separate us from the holy God. That's when Jesus, the Son of God, came to our rescue [refer to Chapter 11: By the Blood of the Lamb]. "One of the amazing things to me in Scripture," writes Derek, "is how much God concerns Himself with man." I couldn't appreciate the Good News of Jesus Christ and praise God more for His goodness, mercy, and grace. Halleluiah!

Maybe I should explain why the title War In Heaven. Isn't heaven supposed to be peaceful? According to Derek and his simple expositions of the Bible, there are three heavens: 1) Low: the invisible heaven we can see with our eyes; 2) Mid: the mid-heaven, an expanse with different types of beings coming and going; and 3) High: the location of Paradise and the place of God's dwelling – the most sacred place in the universe. So, the war in heaven that Derek writes about is mostly referred to as mid-heaven but also includes low-heaven [refer to Chapter 1: What Is Your Picture of Heaven?]. Derek explains, "Most Christians assume that heaven is a place of unbroken peace and harmony, beauty and worship. That may well be true of the third [high] heaven, but it does not apply to the first and second heavens. Some Scriptures paint a very different picture of what is currently going on in the second heaven. As already stated, it is at times the scene of great conflict between warring angels – some serving God and others serving Satan. It is primarily in the heavenly regions that such conflict takes place. It is here, too, that Satan pours out a stream of slanderous accusations against the Christians on earth who are serving the Lord" [refer to Chapter 2: Life Is a Battle!].

Knowing that the warfare and the battle in heaven are real, what must Christians do? It's no use to be neutral and passive. Either you take a defensive mode and wait for the attack or take a stand in the battle in offensive mode and declare victory in Christ. As Derek said, "The Bible teaches that all Christians must be prepared to encounter conflict and warfare in the spiritual realm." I wish every Christian read this book, especially Christian ministers who are in the midst of God's people's business and are exposed to many spiritual attacks and daily temptations. Here are 5 ways to Engage In the Battle Equipped (these are my takeaways from this book, please read the book for more details, if you can):

#1 Submit Your Life to God Fully. Don't be a half-hearted Christian. Let the dedication of Caleb be ours: "I wholeheartedly followed the LORD my God" (Joshua 14:8). Amid the battle, we must choose sides. If not, we will be squeezed! "The real issue will be this: total submission," declares Derek, "If Almighty God is willing to come into my life, there is only one logical place I can offer Him: total supremacy, complete Lordship. Anything short of this is a sham."

#2 Let Go of Pride, Be Humble. After examining the fall of Satan, Derek concludes, "I believe it is vitally important for all of us to realize that the first sin in the universe was not murder, not adultery, but rather pride." To be prideful is to be like Satan (Isaiah 14:12-15) and thus vulnerable to evil influence. To be humble is to be like Christ (Philippians 2:6-8). Since "self-humbling is an issue of the will, not of the emotions," we need to make a personal decision to humble ourselves before God. Confess our sins of pride, arrogance, and selfishness and repent from all of them. Decide to follow and exemplify Christ and let the Lord change you.

#3 Use God's Word and Intercession Prayer. Ephesians 6:12 says, "We are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies" but evil spiritual beings. Thus, our weapons are not guns and bombs but spiritual weapons given to us by God (there are lists of the armor of God in verses 13 to 17). Two offensive weapons in Ephesians 6 are God's Word "the sword of the Spirit" (v.17) and prayer (v.18-19). Derek on God's Word: "The same respect that we owe to God, we owe to His Word" and on prayer: "For effective prayer, there are two things we need: authority and power" [refer to Chapter 7: One Man and His Prayer]. These weapons at the hand of God's faithful servant will enrich his or her own spiritual life and are effective to fight against the evil ones.

#4 Affirm the Authority of God. In Daniel 10-11, the conflict between Gabriel and the angels opposing him lasted for 21 days. "What weapons did they deploy?" asked Derek. "I cannot find any detailed description in Scripture, but my impression is that God's angels do at least three things: they make proclamations, they offer praise, and they worship" [refer to Chapter 9: Angels at War]. In the mouth of God's servants, the making of positive proclamations is one of the most powerful weapons that He has given to His people. In Jesus' early ministry, He read Isaiah 61:1-2, "The Spirit of the LORD God is upon Me… to proclaim liberty to the captives… to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord…" Proclamation based on God's Word and Spirit-led, together with true praise and worship, is a very powerful combination! I have experienced this power during mission trips and conferences.

#5 Apply the Blood of Jesus. "In [Christ] we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace" (Ephesians 1:7); We are redeemed "with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and spot" (1 Peter 1:18-19); "For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins" (Matthew 26:28); "[The] blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1:7). There are dozens other of verses that talk about the effect and power of the blood of Jesus. By His blood, God makes unrighteous people righteous. But Derek says that the blood gives us victory only as we learn to testify about it. The blood becomes effective when we testify about what the blood of Jesus does for us [refer to Chapter 10: Now Salvation Has Come!]. By faith, we testify:

Through the blood of Jesus, I am redeemed out of the hand of the devil.
Through the blood of Jesus, all my sins are forgiven.
Through the blood of Jesus, God's Son is cleansing me, now and continually, from all sin.
Through the blood of Jesus, I am justified, made righteous, just-as-if-I'd never sinned.
Through the blood of Jesus, I am sanctified, made holy, set apart to God.

This book, together with Derek Prince's sermon audios, has opened my eyes again to the world of the unseen, the reality of spiritual warfare, and the power of God available to us (As I read it, I also opened the Bible to check whether the references are accurate or not. This is important). There were times, I confess, when I do the Lord's ministry, I rely too much on my intellect and strength. This book reminds me that I must submit my life and ministry totally to the Lordship of Christ and let the Spirit lead me. Derek ends this book by describing the goal of achieving personal holiness (refer to Chapter 12: What Kind of People?]. God "has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness" (read 2 Peter 1:2-4 for context). "Achieving personal holiness is not something that God will do for us," Derek reminds us, "It is something that God offers us the grace to do for ourselves." Yes, God already provides us – and the church - the grace to win the battle against Satan, but it's up to us to take the Cross, follow Him, and take our place in the battle. God is sovereign, His will be done. His desire will be accomplished. The question is: Do you want to be on the side of victory or remain a victim?

Other related Book Reviews that you might be interested:

1. Deliverance from Evil Spirits: A Practical Manual (1995, 2009) by Francis MacNutt (CLICK HERE)
2. Deliver Us from Evil (1973) by Don Basham (CLICK HERE)

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

 

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As A Man Thinketh #8 Pain Is Inevitable But Suffering Is Optional

"Suffering is always the effect of wrong thought in some direction. It is an indication that the individual is out of harmony with himself, with the law of his being"

(James Allen, As A Man Thinketh)

Most people associate suffering with pain be it physical, mental and/or spiritual. They assume suffering to be an automatic result of all pain. I used to think like that too. However, suffering is not a result of pain, it is a RESPONSE to pain. Haruki Murakami, a Japanese writer, says: "Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional. Say you're running and you think, 'Man, this hurt, I can't take it anymore.' The 'hurt' part is an unavoidable reality, but whether or not you can stand anymore is up to the runner himself." Pain is an unpleasant signal that is warning you that something is wrong. This is normal and good for us. Suffering, however, results from our thinking about the pain. That's why James Allen says, "Suffering is always the effect of wrong thought in some direction."

In his interview with Larry King, Christopher Reeve, legendary actor of Superman movies, talked about a riding accident that left him paralyzed from the shoulders down and dependent on a ventilator. It was obvious that Reeve has endured and continues to endure an incredible amount of pain. However, his response to this pain has been anything but suffering from it. He instead devoted his life to helping others, especially those with paralysis like him. Reeve was a realist but at the same time very positive and inspirational. He says, "My feeling is you have to deal with the reality as it is, but not accept it as permanent. I'm sorry, but I just don't believe there is any reason to give up. The goal is cure. The goal is to get up and out of the wheelchair. And in the meantime, you deal with reality. But if you don't have a vision, nothing happens."

Like Reeve, the 'Man of Steel', we don't have to suffer from our pain – it's our choice. We don't have to be Superman or Superwoman to deal with it. First, change your mind about your suffering. Remember: Pain is inevitable but suffering is optional. Think about it!

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

 

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As A Man Thinketh #7 You Can Choose Your Thoughts

“A person cannot directly choose his circumstances, but he can choose his thoughts, and so indirectly, yet surely, shape his circumstances”

(James Allen, As A Man Thinketh)

In Pam Golden’s book Choose the Happiness Habit, she writes a good illustration for this quote: “Take the story of two brothers who are twins. One grows up to be an alcoholic bum. The other becomes an extremely successful businessman. When the alcoholic is asked why he became a drunk, he replies, ‘My father was a drunk.’ When the successful businessman is asked why he became successful, he says, ‘My father was a drunk.’ Same background. Same upbringing. Very different choice.” The brothers chose different thoughts about the identical experience. Those thoughts over the years shaped the circumstances they now find themselves in. The successful brother chose to view his negative upbringing as a positive motivation to be a better man than his father. He chose his thoughts rightly “and so indirectly, yet surely, shape his circumstances.”

Bob Proctor, author, and motivational speaker, says, “You’re either living in the problem or you’re living in the solution.” Whenever I’m in negative circumstances, I try my best to view them from a positive perspective first. In my mind, I thought: if this is a problem, then I can solve it; if I can’t solve it, then it’s a fact of life. If I can solve it, no matter how hard and long it will be, it will be solved. Then, I shouldn’t worry about it. If it’s a fact of life, I can’t do anything about it, so might as well, it is useless for me to worry about it. There are two empowering thoughts whenever you face a bad circumstance: #1 Be In A Problem-Solving Mode. List down ideas that might be a solution and don’t delay, take action, and #2 Activate Your Learning Mode. Never be so caught up in solving the problem that you missed the lessons. Focus on the possible lessons you might learn from the circumstance.

George Bernard Shaw has this great saying: “People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want and if they can’t find them, make them” …Think about it!

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

 

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The Clever Guts Diet: How to Revolutionize Your Body from the Inside Out (2017), Book Review

The Clever Guts Diet: How to Revolutionize Your Body from the Inside Out (2017) by Dr Michael Mosley

"All disease begins in the gut," says Hippocrates of Kos (460-370 BC), Greek physician, the father of Western medicine. Based on Dr Michael Mosley's book, Hippocrates was right! Gut, the not-so-glamorous organ of the human body, plays important role in extracting energy from our food, accounts for most of our immune system and produces lots of essential hormones that influence everything from our appetite to our mood. Not only all (I think, most) disease begins in the gut, but good health also somewhat begins in the gut. Deep buried in our intestines, the gut is "made up of the same cells, neurons, which are found in the brain" and "there are over 100 million neurons [in it], as many as you would find in the brain of a cat," write Dr Michael. Technically, the gut is our 'second brain’ (I have a 'gut feeling' about this). Whenever I see a cat now, I imagine its brain is neurotically almost the same numbers as my gut!

The heroes inside our gut are called microbes. Dr Michael explains: "Until recently the world of the microbiome was a dark, dank and private one. Down there live creatures that have never seen the light of day, more than 50 trillion of them, at least 1000 different species, a richer diversity of life than you would find in a rainforest." Astounding! (this fact reminds me of Giulia Enders' Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body's Most Under-Rated Organ). If you study the gut and microbes inside our body and how it influences our decisions in some ways, you will wonder, as human beings do we really have free-will? That's a good philosophical question, right? …for another time. By the way, microbes are called "Old Friends" because they are always with us since the beginning and are essential for our health. In this book, Dr Michael explores the kingdom of the microbiome first by self-experimentations, find the reliable and latest scientific researches, share stories and end with how to improve, heal and 'help' our good "Old Friends" in the most practical ways.

It is said that junk foods and overuse of antibiotics (in the animal meats, especially. Probably in Malaysia we are slightly safer than that of the Western countries like America and British. But we never know for sure) have wiped our many 'good' gut bacteria, leading to a very modern phenomenon of allergies, coeliac diseases, food intolerances, irritable bowel syndrome and obesity. We need to nurture and create good conditions in our gut to make sure that 'good' bacteria (hard to pronoun names I tell you) are always available and lively in our body for optimum health. How to do it? There are lots of suggestions in the book, but basically:

1) Make Your Biome More Diverse. The more different types of plants you eat, the more diverse your microbiome. In short, eat more plants. Avoid junk foods and anything to do with antibiotics (as I said, this we can't be sure. So, minimize your intake of meats). Get your hands dirty like gardening or exercise outdoor can expose you to good bacteria. Just don’t be overexposed…

2) Nourish the Gut with Food Boosters. To borrow Dr Mike Dow's Diet Rehab term, 'booster', is referring to food (and activity) that is good for you. Here Dr Michael outlines such as olive oil, oily fish, fruits and vegetables, herbs and spices, home-made yogurt and fermented foods. These will put a smile on our “Old Friends.” All of these foods, I think, must be taken in moderation and based on your body needs. I suggest you experiment with it and read more about it because as you know, information can differ. Other ways to nourish your biome are intermittent fasting, exercise regularly and have a good sleep.

3) Avoid Gut-Killers Foods. Top of Michael's list is sugar and processed food. Besides sugar in general, artificial sweeteners also must be avoided or reduced drastically. As for my own personal practice, I avoid fast foods and snacks. High-fat, trans-oil, high-sugar and bad-carbs are a no-no game. Not only they will kill 'good' bacteria, but they also can promote the growth of 'bad' bacteria in our gut. Resulted in what? Bad health and excessive weight (let's be honest here, once in a while, I eat at the fast-food restaurants and chew some snacks. I don't make it a habit though).

I'm familiar with the works of Dr Michael Mosley, doctor and medical journalist, because I watched some of his TV documentaries especially my favourite The Story of Science: Power, Proof and Passion (2010) Documentary. He is curious, clever and a good storyteller. I'm interested in the realm of health only recently this year especially after I read Spartan Up! I share Dr Michael's hope and dream that the future of eating healthy is bright even though there are lots of counterfeits at the moment. He concludes, "Keeping your biome properly fed and cared for is definitely worthwhile. If you look after all those friendly microbes then they will look after you. We are at the start of what I am convinced is a whole new way of approaching and understanding nutrition, one that could change the way we treat a wide range of diseases, from obesity to depression. This is just the beginning – there is so much more to come." Gut feeling tells me that this can be true. 

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

 

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Diet Rehab: 28 Days to Finally Stop Craving the Foods That Make You Fat (2011), Book Review

Diet Rehab: 28 Days to Finally Stop Craving the Foods That Make You Fat (2011) 

by Dr Mike Dow

In March 2010, the Scripps Research Institute release a ground-breaking study (read page 15-16) that find rats who were fed high-fat, high-sugar diets such as bacon and chocolate (lucky rats!) developed full-brown food addictions such as drug addictions. Oh ya, they gave cocaine to the rats too. Amazingly, the food had altered their brain chemistry. Because of this, these rats – overweight and food-addicted – desire for more and more 'junk' food to experience pleasure or at least, just to feel normal. "Now here's the even scarier part," writes Dr Mike, a psychology expert on addictive behaviours, disordered eating and food addictions, "After cocaine-addicted rats stopped taking the drug, it took only 2 days for their brain chemistry to return to normal. For the food-addicted rats in the food study, though, their brain chemistry took 2 weeks to return to normal. In other words, food habits affected their brain MORE than drugs in some ways!" Now, that is scary!

Let me repeat: Food addictions alter brain chemistry the same as cocaine addictions but it took longer for food addictions to recover. Mind-blowing! In this book, Dr Mike focuses on two main brain chemicals that affect our food intakes, body weight and wellbeing, namely - dopamine and serotonin. Dopamine is the pleasure, excitement, 'fall in love' and energizer chemical. If you're low in dopamine, you'll be listless, sad and feel lonely. Concerning food addictions, the more you eat high-fat foods, the more doses of dopamine you'll get to get 'high.' But the more you feed yourself with extra fat, neurons that release, receive and keep your dopamine moving become overloaded, then damaged. Thus, you need greater and greater quantities of dopamine 'junk' foods to feel normal again. This will create a downward spiral cycle of your food addictions. "The more you eat, the more you want." Serotonin, on the other hand, is feeling calm, peaceful and positive chemical. If you're low in serotonin, you'll feel anxious, fearful and perhaps depressed. You'll crave for high-sugary and sweet foods and the vicious cycle of the downward spiral will happen. Your craving for foods is the response of your craving for dopamine and serotonin boosts (among other important brain chemicals). You eat to feel calm when you're nervous, sad or depressed. Weight gain is the by-product.

There are two hallmarks of addiction: 1) Tolerance. "When you keep needing more to get the same high", and 2) Withdrawal. "The pain of giving up an addictive substance that the body has come to rely on." Any diet programs will have to face these two obstacles. And so, Dr Mike introduces his Diet Rehab program. His approach to addiction is based on 'gradual detox' in which "you begin by adding foods that will boost your serotonin and dopamine levels before you even cut back on anything." This is well illustrated in The Dr Oz Show (watch YouTube Dr Mike Dow's 28-Day Plan to Kick Cravings). Gradual detox is based on the understanding that it takes a month (about 28 days) for the human brain to create a habit. So, during Diet Rehab, you need to gradually replace "pitfall" foods, activities and thought patterns with "boosters." There are lots of examples of pitfalls and boosters listed in the book. I love the secret of Diet Rehab because it deals with not only the food that you eat, but also the activities that you do, and the thought patterns that you keep. It can be summed up in two-sentence, says Dr Mike:

1) First add booster foods (more greens and healthy foods) and booster activities (take a walk, exercise, sing, etc.) to your life

2) Then gradually reduce pitfall foods (saturated/trans- fat, high-fat, high-sugar, high-salt, etc.) and pitfall thoughts ("I'm not good enough", "I'm always a failure", etc.)

What I love about this book is that Dr Mike gives good suggestions and science-based reasons for what, why and went we behave in certain ways that are stealing our lives. My favourite is Part 3 entitled Free Yourself from Food Addiction where he talks about obsessive eating, emotional eating and binge eating. This part alone is worth your money and time reading it. I bought this book for only RM10 (on sale) and I learned a great deal about the psychology of food addictions and behaviours and how to overcome them. To be honest, I didn't follow the 28-Day Diet Rehab Programme but I watch carefully what I eat, adding more booster activities and keep my thought patterns in check. If you have an eating disorder or eating emotionally (if chronic, check with your doctor), I highly recommend this book. Dr Mike has dozens of exercises that can help you to understand yourself better and how to deal with it.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

 

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