Which Wolf Will You Feed TODAY? #LeadersAreReaders November 2022

A familiar story but let me put a twist on it. An old man is teaching his grandson about reading good books. "A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy, "It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One holds ignorance, sameness, comfort, passivity, laziness, distraction, and impatient. The other loves knowledge, new ideas, creativity, imagination, empathy, and good thinking."

"One is trying its best to make excuses not to read books. The other knows the magical potential of reading good books. One says, 'Someday'. The other says, 'Today.' The same fight is going on inside you and every other person too," says the old wise man. The grandson asks, "Which wolf will win?" Pointing his finger to his heart and then to his white-grey hair head, "It's the one you feed."

Which wolf will you feed TODAY? Mark Twain said this: “The man who doesn't read good books has no advantage over the fellow who can't read them.” I think it's okay if you don't read books, there are other ways of learning and improving yourself. But you might miss out on a lot of things. The world is moving forward so fast, so hectic, and so rushing. I believe the way to smartness and peace is by slowing down, stepping back a little, and pausing time by reading good books. Have you ever wondered why God gives us The Book a.k.a. The Bible instead of graphic manga, smartphone, YouTube videos, and audio recordings? The main means of His communication is the BOOK. Woff! Woff!

#ServeToLead #ReadersAreReaders #FeedTheRightWolf #TheBook #SlowingDown #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

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The Message of Hebrews: Christ Above All (1982) by Raymond Brown, Not-A-Review

Every time you hear or read something insightful from someone, you got to ask the question, "Where does she get that?" I believe that there are no good - or great and godly - insights that are totally original. It is not ex nihilo. Creative people or creativity, in my opinion, is just mastering the art of combining ideas. In the case of spiritual insight, it is the combination of life experience, personal reflection, and the Holy Spirit's inspiration (except for divine revelation and/or prophesy). If you hear or read something insightful from me, for example, be sure that I get that from other sources either directly or indirectly, consciously or subconsciously. If it sounds convincing, it's because I make it my own. The style, articulation, and language perhaps are mine but it's not original. The same goes for everyone else that we labeled as 'insightful' persons.

In the same way, when I preach and teach the Book of Hebrews, my insights come from many sources. I rely on the Holy Spirit as my main Teacher (see John 14:26) and the Scripture as my main Text. I also get help from other people and books too. It is arrogant to say/think, "I only need my Bible." I love The Book of Hebrews because of its obvious Christocentricity. But for those who aren't familiar with the Old Testament narratives and themes, Hebrews can be very difficult to understand. Preachers like John MacArthur, David Pawson, and David Guzik have helped me greatly. Bible commentaries such as this one, Donald A. Hagner's Encountering the Book of Hebrews: An Exposition (2002), and Leon Morris's The Expositor's Bible Commentary: Hebrews (1982) are good companions for the journey. These I treated as references only. The first rule of hermeneutics is "Let Scripture interpret Scripture." So, reading and interpreting Hebrews from the Scripture itself is essential.

A brief words about Raymond Brown's commentary on Hebrews. This commentary is part of my favorite The Bible Speaks Today Series. It is easy to read and follow especially if you want to see the big picture of Hebrews. Not too detailed but also not too simplistic. The Series is characterized by a threefold ideal: 1) To expound the biblical text with accuracy; 2) To relate it to contemporary life, and 3) To be readable. This book has all these ideals. His outlines are divided into three major themes: a) God's Son (Hebrews 1:1-6:20) focusing on the person of Christ; b) Christ's Work (7:1-10:18) focusing on the work of Christ, and c) Our Response (10:19-13:25) focusing on Christian ethics. Hebrews "illustrations are certainly drawn from a different world, but their message is timeless. Far from escaping into the past, it beckons us on to a better future, with its firm assurance that the eternal Son of God is supreme and sufficient." And then Brown concludes, "The message of Christ's uniqueness is always relevant." Amen!

#ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #BookOfHebrews #BibleCommentary #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

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THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.