Read and Found the Joy of Knowing Christ #LeadersAreReaders April 2024

I was reading one of powerful stories from Richard Wurmbrand's Tortured for Christ (1969) about how he witnessed to a Russian lady officer on the street during the communist period in Romania. "I know that it is impolite to accost an unknown lady on the street, but I am a pastor and my intentions are earnest. I wish to speak to you about Christ," Wurmbrand said as he approached her. She asked, "Do you love Christ?" "Yes!" he replied passionately, "From all my heart." She fell into his arms and kissed him again and again. It was an embarrassing situation to do this in public, so he kissed her back, hoping people would think they were relatives. She exclaimed joyfully, "I love Christ too!"

He then took her home to meet his wife and talked to her where it was safer. He read to her selected Scripture passages. Along the way, he discovered that she knew nothing (Biblical facts, Gospel stories, what the Saviour and salvation mean) about Christ - absolutely nothing - except the Name. And yet she loved Him. He wondered, "How can you love somebody if you know only his name?" When he inquired, she explained, "As a child, I was taught to read by pictures. For an 'a' there was an apple, for a 'b' there was a bell, for a 'c' a cat, and so on. When I went to high school, I was taught my holy duty to defend the communist fatherland. I was taught about communist morals. But I did not know what a 'holy duty' or 'moral' looked like. I needed a picture for these."

"Now I knew that our forefathers had a picture for everything beautiful, praiseworthy, and truthful in life," she continued. "My grandmother always bowed down before this picture, saying it was the picture of one called 'Cristos' (Christ). And I loved this name by itself. This name became so real to me! Just to say this name gave one such joy!" Wurmbrand commented in the book: "Listening to her, I remembered what is written in Philippians that at His Name every knee should bow. Perhaps, the anti-Christ will be able for a time to erase from the world the knowledge of God. But there is power in the simple Name of Christ (Jesus) and this will lead to the light."

That day, the lady officer found (and was found by) Christ in the pastor's home and since then, the One whose name she loved lived in her heart in person. So, what does this story have to do with reading books, especially the Scripture? The goal is to know the personhood of God, and the primary means, special revelation, is through the Book. Secondly, through books about the God of the Book. Read and be led to the light! May you find the joy of knowing Christ. From pictures to words to Person.

 #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain #LeadersAreReaders #1Book1Week

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Book Review: Deliverance from Evil Spirits (2009) by Francis MacNutt

Deliverance from Evil Spirits: A Practical Manual (1995, 2009)
by Francis MacNutt

This is not my favorite genres. Angelology, Demonology and Spiritual Warfare topics seem too much for me to bear and digest. In the past, I read few of Mary K. Baxter's books, one Choo Thomas' Heaven is So Real!, one during my campus mission trip by Billy Graham entitled Angels, and recently Visions of Heaven by H. A. Baker. I'm curious and also skeptical. Come to think about it, I highly doubt Mary Baxter's and Choo Thomas's personal revelations. Billy Graham's is more believable because he supported his stories with the Scripture.

About this book. I read it because I'm going to attend a seminar based on this topic next week. At first, I read it out of obligation (to quickly finished my assignment), but after few chapters, I'm hooked. Of course, I read it with an open mind, critical thinking and prayed for a teachable spirit. I have to admit that this is one of the more balanced books on the topic of deliverance. The author points out the importance of discerning when the problem or a display of behavior is simply an expression of human emotions and the person may be purging his thoughts and feelings and when it may be influenced by evil spirits.

Francis mentions how many people (especially ministers) have caused damage to people who were already suffering by trying to exorcise demons from them when people were just experiencing pain and grief and needed tender loving care and comforting. He also mentions cases where people have developed multiple personality disorder from abuse and again how they are in need of healing and therapy, and not of exorcising demons. He advises ministers to be especially careful to not treat mental/physical/emotional wounds as demonic oppression. He repeatedly emphasizes the need for discernment and humility in this work. Be careful.

I like how MacNutt emphasizes the reality of what we see in the Scripture, especially in the Gospels and in Jesus' own ministry, in relation to the deliverance of demons/evil spirits. He shows how the deliverance ministry is as essential today as it was then and the church needs to be the experts in it. There is plenty of evidence in this book that demonic oppression is active in our cultures and the world today (but I might not agree with all the things that he said in this book. In fact, I have more questions than answers). MacNutt also gives good advice and warnings for Christian ministers. I personally think that he could emphasize more than he does how important a person's own devotional life is when involving in deliverance ministry, and this includes the necessity of having people to pray for and over his or her ministry and family members.

Overall, MacNutt is thoroughly Scriptural and Christ-centred in his approach to deliverance. He does not present himself as a super-minister who stands above others in ministry, but he sees himself as part of the larger body of Christians and as one who needs others. I respect that. Francis and his wife, Judith, founded Christian Healing Ministry to expand the often-forgotten, often-avoided ministry of deliverance. He writes, "Only when we are able to free the oppressed and heal those suffering from the curse of sickness can we really preach Christ's basic message: The Kingdom of God is at hand and the kingdom of Satan is being destroyed."

There are seven (7) parts in this book:

Part 1: Necessary Background: Clearing Away Misconceptions [How I Got Involved in Casting Out Demons: A Parable for the Church]

Part 2: The Existence and Kinds of Evil Spirits [Do Demons Really Exist? The Scriptural Evidence / What Is the Evidence of Human Experience? / Should We Call It Possession? / How Do We Know If an Evil Spirit Is Really Present? / The Different Kinds of Evil Spirits]

Part 3: Curses and the Power of False Judgement [Falling Under a Curse / Curse-like Judgement and Ties That Bind / Who Can Pray for Deliverance?]

Part 4: Getting Ready [How to Prepare / Selecting a Team / How the Demonized Person Prepares for Deliverance]

Part 5: How to Pray for Deliverance [The Basic Form / Freeing a Person from Spirits of Trauma / Spirit of Sin / Spirit of the Occult / Satanic Ritual Abuse (SRA) / Other Kinds of Spirits / Deliverance through ‘Blessed Objects' / Follow-Up]

Part 6: Setting Places Free [Larger Dimensions of Deliverance / Deliverance of Places]

Part 7: Final Words [Baptism of the Holy Spirit]

Since Francis MacNutt often quotes Derek Prince, I now listened to Prince's sermons – YouTube and audio Mp3s.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Peter preached Jesus of Nazareth: 3,000 Died, 3,000 Saved (Acts 2:12-41)

“Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, ‘What does this mean?’ Some, however, made fun of them and said, ‘They have had too much wine.’ Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: ‘Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. Those people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel…”
(Acts 2:12-16, NIV)

When some of the people insult the disciples by saying they must be drunk, Peter doesn’t become angry, but quietly replies this is not the case at all. In the Middle East, people drink at night not early in the morning (But in Iban culture, it’s a different story). What Peter tried to say is that the disciples are not full of wine but are full of the Holy Spirit. In fact, he told them of a promise God gave long ago to Israel through the prophet Joel that God would pour out His Spirit on all the people (read Joel 2:28-32). On the day of Pentecost, only some of the people received the Holy Spirit, but the time is coming when more from all nations will received Him prior to Jesus’ second coming.

As I read the Scripture, Church history and my own experiences (limited of course), this event in Pentecost was one time event not to be repeated again. Nowhere in the Scripture tells another event such as this. It was like a grand opening, the birth of the movement of the Holy Spirit with a sole message: Jesus is alive and the Holy Spirit is here! However, the last part of Joel’s promise was true for us today as in Peter’s day: “[Everyone] who calls on the names of the Lord will be saved” (Acts 2:21). From here Peter went on to preach about “Jesus of Nazareth” (v.22). Although God had approved the work and Sonship of Jesus Christ, wicked men took Him and nailed Him to the cross. God knew in advance – “God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge” (v.23) – that this would happen and soon raised His Son back to life again. Why? Because “it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him” (v.24). Oh yeah!

Peter went on to prove that even God had told David His servant that Messiah would rise from the dead (read Acts 2:25-28). David could not have been speaking about himself, as his grave was right there in Jerusalem. But he was prophesying about Jesus. David went on to prophesied, “The Lord said to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet’” (Acts 2:34-35; Psalm 110:1). “The Lord” here is God the Father, and “my Lord” cannot be David himself but the Messiah, the Promised One, Jesus Christ, the Son of God. In short, Peter was showing to them about their terrible sin in opposing God’s Messiah. They had killed the very One whom God had approved before and now had glorified. If we reject Jesus, we are rejecting God too, and we will be in the same position as the Jews who crucified Him.

For those who want to believe and come to God, Peter said: “Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord our God will call” (Acts 2:38-39)

What was their response? What was the outcome of Peter’s boldness? Were there anyone believe? The Scripture tells us: “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day” (v.41). This number remind me of our Bible Study on the Book of Exodus. When some of the Israelites were not repented of their idolatrous sin of worshiping the Golden Calf in Mount Sinai, Moses told us about “three thousand of the people died” (Exodus 32:28). What is your respond to this article? Would you consider this Jesus of Nazareth? Who do you say Jesus is? Peter had reminded us, he even warned us: “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation” (v.40). Do something…

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus Is the Son of God: Nobody Can both Accept God and Deny His Son (1 John 5:9-10)

The Question: What is the Truth?

“Since we believe human testimony, surely we can believe the greater testimony that comes from God. And God has testified about his Son. All who believe in the Son of God know in their hearts that this testimony is true. Those who don’t believe this are actually calling God a liar because they don’t believe what God has testified about his Son”

(1 John 5:9-10, NLT).

What has been hinted at is now stated clearly: God is the One behind all of these witnesses. Through the events we see in history (“the water” Jesus’ birth and baptism; “the blood” Jesus’ death and resurrection), and the coming of “the (Holy) Spirit” into our lives, we can know beyond a doubt that our beliefs are really true (1 John 5:6-8). We know that Jesus Christ, “the Son of God” became a man to take away our sins; we know that we have passed from death to life; we know that we are God’s children and have received victory over this evil world. “True Christianity,” writes Dr. Henrietta C. Mears, “is more than a creed – it is something that can be known and felt.”

If “we believe human testimony” in court when two or three give evidence, how much more we should accept the testimony of God – “We can believe the greater testimony that comes from God.” God’s Word is greater than human’s words. Notice that John writes “believe in” the Son of God. He makes an important distinction here. There is a great difference between believing about someone (knowing lots of details about that person) and believing in someone (accepting the whole person, believing and appreciating all that he stands for). The second kind of belief is the kind that God wants us to have. God does not just want us to believe everything about Him (though it is very important); instead first and foremost, God wants us to “believe in the Son of God,” Jesus Christ – making a wholehearted commitment to Him.

“Those who don’t believe [that Jesus is the Son of God] are actually calling God a liar because they don’t believe what God has testified about his Son.” We might not directly say that God is a liar, but by our unbelieving, we in fact believe that God’s testimony is not true. God has said all over the Scripture that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). He also said that Jesus is the Son of God. Some people do not believe this. They deny Jesus. They do not agree with God’s testimony. So they behave as if God tells lies. They act as if God’s words are untrue. They have refused to believe in God and Christ. “No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also” (1 John 2:23, NIV) and “No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son” (Matthew 11:27). To receive the Son is to receive the Father. To deny the Son is to deny the Father. Nobody can both accept God and deny his Son.

Again, nobody can both accept God and deny his Son. This is a serious matter. Here is God’s verdict: “He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life” (1 John 5:11-12). Do you have Jesus in your life? Don’t sleep until you settle this question.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. START SMALL.

Jesus Is the Son of God: Three Witnesses, Come Forth! (1 John 5:6-8)

“[Jesus] Christ was revealed as God’s Son by his baptism in water and by shedding his blood on the cross – not by water only, but by water and blood. And the Spirit, who is truth, confirms it with his testimony. So we have these three witnesses – the Spirit, the water, and the blood – and all three agree”

(1 John 5:6-8, NLT)

Not only we can “achieve victory through our faith” (1 John 5:4), but we can know for sure that our faith is correct and based on facts! The Apostle John has mentioned that we need to believe that Jesus “is the Son of God” (5:5), God became flesh and lived among us (John 1:14). But how can we know for sure that this is true? You know how important it is to have more than one witness when there has been an accident or a crime. This has been true in courts for many centuries. As in Deuteronomy 19:15, “…The facts of the case must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses”. Well, John realizes that we would be surer about our faith if there was more than one witness to verify these faith-beliefs. So he mentions three key witnesses to our beliefs about Jesus:

Witness #1: The (Holy) Spirit. Again and again, in the New Testament, we read that “the Spirit” opens our eyes to the truth, that the Spirit will help us realize that Jesus is “God’s Son”. The Spirit is an inner witness to what we hear and see. For example, in John 15:26, Lord Jesus says that the Spirit “will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me”; the Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 12:3, “I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus, and no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit” (see also John 16:13-14; Romans 8:14-16). In other words, we do not just come to the conclusion in our heads that Jesus is God’s Son; we also have an inner witness, a divine Person that helps us know that this is true.

Witness #2: The water. There is some disagreement over what John meant here. Since John says that Jesus came “not by water only,” some people, in fact I think that he is referring to the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist (read Matthew 3:13-17). A voice came from heaven as Jesus was being baptized by water at the Jordan River and said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy” (Matthew 3:17). That experience certainly would have been a witness to the fact that Jesus is the Son of God. Soon after this event Jesus began His ministry. Others suggest that the reference to “water” is really to Christians being baptized, which is also a witness to the work of Jesus in our lives. This again would be a witness that we make as we are baptized. Some others suggest that “water” refers to Jesus’ birth, but I doubt it.

Note: You could probably build a case for either position. But it seems to me that the first interpretation – that the baptism of Jesus was a witness to His being God’s Son – makes the most sense, for this was an outward, obvious witness to all who saw Jesus being baptized. They saw Him baptized; they saw the Spirit come in the form of a dove; and they heard God’s voice announcing that Jesus was truly “God’s Son.” This idea, in the context of this passage, makes the most sense to me.

Witness #3: The blood. This witness was the death of Jesus Christ as a sacrifice for our sins [In theological terms this is called substitutionary atonement]. Jesus not only told us that He loved us; He showed that He meant what He said by giving His very life for us (see His love actions in Matthew 27:50-54). A phony or liar would stop short of that action, saying, “Uhhh… I really love you, but dying is just too much…” No, Jesus went to His death, and later even came back to life – resurrection – so that we would know that what He had said and promised was really true!

We have these three witnesses:

The Spirit, the water, and the blood – and all three agree.

Agree about what? That Jesus is really the Son of God. Amen!

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Pray for Persecuted Church: Afghanistan

[The Voice of the Martyrs prayer calendar] Afghanistan remains mired in chaos as the U.S. prepares to decrease troop numbers from the ‘surge’ initiated by President Obama in late 2009. Attempts to negotiate with the Taliban have been fruitless, and relations between President Karzai (previous president) and members of parliament remain tense. The Taliban insurgency remains problematic, with political assassinations in July and an attack on the Inter-Continental Hotel in Kabul June 2011. Out of 76 people groups in the country, 70 are unreached by the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Category	Restricted Nation
Religion	Muslim 99.8%, Christian 0.01%
Ideology	Islam
Head of State	Mohammad Ashraf Ghani (Updated)

Converting from Islam to any religion is a crime, and proselytizing is illegal. There are no formal churches in the country. It is believed that several hundred Afghans now follow Christ. Christians experience intense persecution from family members and neighbors. Shoaib Assadullah was arrested in 2009 after giving a New Testament to a man who later reported him to authorities. The arrested Christian refused to recant his faith, despite promises of freedom if he would. Another Afghan Christian, Said Musa, was arrested after video depicting Christian baptisms was aired on national TV. Following international campaigns on their behalf, both men were eventually released.

Pray that believers will find creative and safe ways to worship and fellowship.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus' Public Identification with the Sinners

“Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. But John tried to talk him out of it. ‘I am the one who needs to be baptized by you,’ he said, ‘so why are you coming to me?’ But Jesus said, ‘It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires.’ So John agreed to baptize him” (Matthew 3:13-15, NLT).

John the Baptist and Jesus of Nazareth had a common message: “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near” (Matthew 3:2 and 4:17). For months before Jesus began his ministry, John had been confronting the crowds with their need to turn to God for forgiveness. When the Messiah arrived – that is Jesus – John soon stepped aside, for his role is complete. John knew that he was to prepare the way for Jesus’ coming. Therefore he said, “He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less” (John 3:30).

We don’t know how many encounters John and Jesus had, but Jesus’ baptism stands out in the Gospel story. Imagine, John devoted his life to preparing the way for Jesus, so when Jesus went to the Jordan River, he clearly didn’t expect Jesus ever ask to be baptized along with the crowds.  He knew Jesus had no reason to repent. Jesus never sinned (2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 4:15). Jesus once challenged the Pharisees to accuse him, “Which of you can truthfully accuse me of sin?” (John 8:46) – they can't. Jesus, the God-Man, never sinned and no need to be baptise. So, John replied is understandable. Instead, John suggested that Jesus baptize him. (Mind you, there is no magical about water baptism. It just a symbol. It simply an outward expression and public witnessing of being inwardly baptize by the Spirit of God when we accept Jesus as our Saviour and acknowledge His lordship over our lives.)

Jesus’ answer gives us a glimpse into his acceptance of God’s will over the course of his life. The phrase “we must carry out all that God requires” is similar to Jesus’ later words in the garden of Gethsemane, “I want your will to be done, not mine” (Luke 22:42). By insisting on baptism, Jesus was making public his identification with sinners. He went to the Cross as the ultimate act of substitution, but he began his ministry with this act of obedience that beautifully pictured his eventual purpose. Long before the nails were driven into his flesh, Jesus was taking steps that would make his sacrifice perfect and complete.

Think about this: Both the King (Jesus) and his herald (John the Baptist) had the same message: repent. The herald invited people to demonstrate their inner response with an outward action in baptism. The King submitted to the outward action as a way to confirm that repentance makes a difference in God’s eyes. This has always been the first step in responding to God – we must accept our hopeless condition apart from God’s mercy and respond in simple obedience. The King welcomes the humble and needy who come to him.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Reference:

Life Application Study Bible Devotional: Daily Wisdom from the Life of Jesus (Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2011)

Jesus, Repentance, the Holy Spirit and a Changed Life

This is awesome! Jesus’ last words to His disciples are a command to wait in Jerusalem until they are “equipped with power from on high” (Luke 24:49, the Message). The Book of Acts then begins with the gift of that power at Pentecost. “When the Feast of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Without warning there was a sound like a strong wind, gale force – no one could tell where it came from. It filled the whole building. Then, like a wildfire, the Holy Spirit spread through their ranks, and they started speaking in a number of different languages as the Spirit prompted them” (Acts 2:1-4, Msg).

The disciples were filled with God’s Holy Spirit and then Peter, the forgiven betrayer, stood up to speak. Peter showed that what was happening had been promised by God’s prophets in the Scriptures long time ago. Peter stressed that only those who call on the name of the Lord will be saved at the time of future Judgement. Peter also emphasised that Jesus is God, the Lord, the Christ, the Messiah – and that he had suffered, died and been raised to life. This Message is awesome!

The people were deeply affected when they heard Peter’s words. “So now what do we do?” they asked. Peter replied. Mind you, this famous reply must be the basis for everyone’s response to the Good News: “Change your life. Turn to God and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, so your sins are forgiven. Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38, Msg). In other words Peter was challenging them – us – to repent or change our mind and believe, to be baptized to show that we’ve changed our mind, to do it in Jesus’ name (that is, to call on his name and show that we’re depending on Jesus alone), receive the forgiveness of sins and to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Awesome!

Once I get the Message, I realised that God’s forgiveness is linked with these essential things: repentance, baptism, calling on Jesus and the gift of the Holy Spirit. And as I read the life and teaching of Jesus in the Gospel stories, forgiveness in the early church as in the Book of Acts is evidenced by a changed life, by a different way of living and thinking, and by a more forgiving heart. This is how the new lives of those who responded to the Good News that Peter proclaiming: “All the believers lived in a wonderful harmony, holding everything in common. They sold whatever they owned and pooled their resources so that each person’s need was meet” (Acts 2:44-45, Msg). This is awesome!

Repentance and baptism

Calling on Jesus’ name and the gift of the Holy Spirit

Result: The forgiveness of sins

Evident: A changed life.

This is the Good News

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus Going to Start Something Big (A Reflection on Mark 1:9-13)

Baptism and Temptation of Christ by Paolo Veronese

“Not long afterward Jesus came from Nazareth in the province of Galilee,

and was baptized by John in the Jordan…

At once the Spirit made him go into the desert,

where he stayed forty days, being tempted by Satan” (Mark 1:9-13, GNB)

I remember when we celebrated The Marathon: 10^th Anniversary of FES Sarawak, we use this phase for the program flow – On You Mark! Get Set! Go! Mark 1:9:13 are like the start of a race. They described Jesus’ entrance into public ministry. Here I notice that Mark, the writer, briefly includes 2 steps of preparation which Jesus took before He “Go!” – Baptism and Temptation.

On Your Mark!

I was wondered why Jesus was baptized? Isn’t baptism is the outward expression that a person has turned from sin to God? But Jesus was never sinned! John the Baptist also was puzzled when Jesus came to him for baptism (Matthew 3:14). As I studied the Scripture deeper, I understand now that the ultimate purpose of Jesus life, death and resurrection was to provide us His righteousness in exchange for our sinfulness. He became sin that we might become righteous. He humbled Himself even to the point of appearing (in public!) like a sinful man. Thank you Jesus.

Get Set!

I also was curious why Jesus needed to be tempted? Now (at least) I can be in peace with this part of the Scripture because of these 3 reasons: 1) God was not worried about losing Jesus to Satan or having His plan of redemption ruined. Satan tried to make Jesus sin, but Jesus proved that (or God proved that) He would stand. In fact, Jesus would not sin and ruined Satan’s plan instead; 2) Through temptation, Jesus knows what it’s like to be tempted as a human being and thus provide an encouragement and strength to resist sin and Satan ‘s scheme. He shows the way and gives us strength by the power of the Holy Spirit in us now to do the same; and 3) Jesus shows that He resisted temptation with the Word of God “It is written…” (Matthew 4:4, 6,10). God’s Word is a primary source to resist temptation. Period.

Go!

In Jesus’ humanity, baptism and temptation identified Him so completely with our sinful condition. In Jesus’ divinity, however, baptism and temptation proved that He came from God. During His baptism a voice came from heaven said, “You are my own dear Son. I am pleased with you” (Mark 1:11); and after His temptation “angels came and helped him” (1:13). With John the Baptist had been prisoned, and two critical steps of preparation behind Him, Jesus began His public ministry. He began preaching in Galilee. On Your Mark! Get Set! Go!

World, are you ready?

Or are you ready for the world?

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

We Belong to One Another. We Belong to Christ.

“I bless God that in Malaysia there are so many denominations. I’m an Anglican since I was a kid. I love to go mission trips with the Methodist church. I admire the Baptists passion for the Word. And the powerful worship by the charismatic churches. I practice some of the Romans Catholic church spiritual disciplines. These are not perfect churches, but the Lord of the church is.  I consider myself belong to the denomination that worship God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. I (desire) to be with Christian groups that fear the Lord and keep His eternal word – the Bible – with their life, talk and walk. This is my denomination!” (Richard Angelus)

“For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all” (Ephesians 4:3-4, NLT).

We must acknowledge that we belong to one another. Everyone who belongs to Jesus is a member of our family, a co-heir of His grace. Just as in a normal family there are some members who get along better and have more in common with each other, so it is in God’s family. In our earthly families we don’t deny someone is our brother or sister simply because they are different from us. Neither should we do that in the church, for we are members of one another (read Ephesians 4).

I remember telling a friend that there was one group of Christians I could never work with or be publicly identified with. I felt that their doctrine was so bad and their evangelistic practices so poor that they were a disgrace to the Lord’s name. It would have been embarrassing compromise for me to be identified with them. I went on to tell my friend that I believed they were Christians but thought they were very wrong and I hated what they stood for and the way they expressed their faith. They weren’t stealing, lying, or denying the deity of Christ, but I just ‘knew’ their superficial practices were hurting the Lord.

My friend told me I had a problem, and it was pride. What a shock! I thought I was so righteous, so biblically sound in my beliefs and practices. After the initial indignation wore off, I asked the Lord to show me if I was wrong. Immediately I began to think of how much Christ loved me in spite of my many sins and failures, to the point of welcoming me into His family and giving me His name. If the Son of God was able to identify with me, a member of the sinful human race, why did I think I was unable to identify with these other believers?

Ironically, the more I got to know the people in that particular group, the more I liked them. My pride had blinded me and kept me from accepting them and what they had to teach me. Perhaps our prejudices against other Christian groups reflect our blindspots – the places where we are weakest and most need them to help us grow.



Pic taken from:
staffordlakay.blogspot.com



There is only one church. However, judging from our behavior one would think that we seriously believe that when we get to heaven God will divide us into different sections so we can huddle together within our little group or denomination. Worse still, some behave as if their group will be the only one there. But when we do get to heaven we will all be one, so why not get a head start and begin getting to know Christians of other denominations and groups right now? Let’s lay aside our sectarianism, fear and pride, and reach out to one another – after all, we belong to one another.

It was Count Zinzendorf of the Moravians who taught that God does not reveal all his truth to any one person or Christian group. He believed that God had distributed knowledge of biblical truth to all groups so that we would be dependent upon one another for balance and protection. If we could really grasp this insight, especially those of us who are leaders, our attitude towards one another would be very different. Think and pray about it.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Siri Kehidupan Kristian: Sukacita dalam Pembaptisan (vi)

Apa itu pembaptisan, dan siapa yang harus dibaptiskan? Sebelum Tuhan Yesus diangkat ke syurga, Dia berkata kepada pengikut-pengikut-Nya: “Pergilah kepada semua bangsa diseluruh dunia dan jadikanlah mereka pengikut-Ku. Baptislah mereka dengan menyebut nama Bapa, Anak, dan Roh Allah. Ajarlah mereka mentaati segala yang sudah Aku perintahkan. Ingatlah, Aku akan sentiasa menyertai kamu sehingga akhir zaman” (Matius 28:19-20, BM).

Menurut Firman Allah di atas, adalah kehendak Tuhan Yesus supaya hamba-hamba-Nya pergi bersaksi tentang Berita Baik ke seluruh dunia dan membaptis mereka yang sudah menerima Berita Baik itu. Pembaptisan ialah kehendak yang Tuhan Yesus sendiri sudah perintahkan. Perkara ini telah menimbulkan dua pertanyaan; satu, bagaimana perintah pembaptisan itu harus dilakukan? Kedua, apakah maksud pembaptisan?

Untuk mendapat jawapan kepada soalan pertama tadi, kita harus merujuk buku Kisah Rasul-Rasul 8:26-39. Di dalam cerita itu, ada seorang pegawai tinggi ratu negeri Etiopia sedang menaiki kereta kuda sambil membaca kitab Nabi Yesaya (bab ke-53 dalam Perjanjian Lama). Pegawai ini ialah seorang yang benar-benar haus akan kebenaran; dan dengan itu, Allah telah memerintahkan hamba-Nya, Filipus, untuk bersaksi kepadanya. Filipus memberitahu dia “Berita Baik tentang Yesus Kristus” dan akhirnya – pegawai itu percaya. Pegawai itu kemudian meminta Filipus untuk membaptiskan dia... dan Filipus pun setuju untuk melakukannya asalkan dia benar-benar percaya kepada Yesus Kristus dengan sepenuh hati.

Baca dan fahami ayat 38 dan 39:

“Lalu pegawai itu memberikan perintah supaya kereta kudanya dihentikan. Kemudian Filipus dan pegawai itu turun ke dalam air dan Filipus membaptis dia. Apabila mereka keluar dari air, Roh Tuhan mengambil Filipus dari situ. Pegawai tinggi itu tidak nampak dia lagi, lalu meneruskan perjalanan dengan sukacita”.

Sekarang, apakah kepentingan (atau maksud) tentang pembaptisan yang kita baca sebentar tadi – yang sehingga pada zaman sekarang ianya masih lagi dilakukan?

1) Pembaptisan ialah amalan atau pekerjaan yang dilakukan untuk mentaati perintah Tuhan Yesus (Matius 28:19). Ianya bukan bertujuan untuk menyucikan kita daripada dosa (hanya pekerjaan Yesus di kayu salib sahaja yang boleh menyucikan kita); tetapi ianya bertujuan supaya orang Kristian sedar dihadapan Allah dan mengetahui bahawa dia sudah mentaati perintah Tuhan Yesus. Hanya mereka yang sudah mendengar dan percaya sahaja yang layak untuk dibaptiskan (Kisah Rasul 18:8).

2) Pembaptisan ialah simbolik atau gambaran tentang kebenaran rohaniah (Roma 6:3-5).

i) Air ialah simbolik untuk penghakiman dan kematian. ii) Apabila Kristus mati, Dia masuk ke dalam ‘air’ penghakiman dan kematian bagi dosa kita. iii) Oleh sebab Kristus mati bagi orang yang percaya kepada-Nya, maka, ini juga bermaksud orang yang percaya juga mati bersama Kristus. Dengan erti kata lain; apabila Kristus mati, kita mati juga. Apabila Kristus dikuburkan, kita dikuburkan juga. Apabila Kristus dibangkitkan, kita dibangkitkan juga. iv) Dengan itu, orang Kristian yang percaya sudah mati untuk dosa, untuk keinginan dunaiwi, dan untuk keinginan diri sendiri. Kristus sudah mati bagi semua itu, dan mulai sekarang Tuhan Allah tidak lagi melihat kita sebagai pendosa – tetapi melihat kita di dalam Kristus yang telah bangkit dari kematian dan memiliki kehidupan baru melalui-Nya. v) Oleh itu, apabila kita orang Kristian melakukan pembaptisan, kita seperti menyatakan kepada dunia bahawa kita sudah mengambil tempat bersama Kristus dalam kematian dan kebangkitan-Nya. Dengan ini, kita bersaksi bahawa kita sudah memiliki kehidupan yang baru di dalam Kristus.

3) Pembaptisan yang sebenar ialah pembaptisan yang bukan hanya dilakukan dengan air, tetapi pembaptisan yang juga dilakukan dengan kuasa Roh Allah. Pembaptisan yang sebenar akan menunjukkan bahawa dosa dan kehidupan lama kita sudah pun mati. Kehidupan baru akan menampakkan dan memancarkan kemulian Allah kepada semua orang. Pembaptisan haruslah berlaku di dalam setiap hati orang Kristian secara dalaman – dan juga melalui kesaksian secara luaran.

Akhir Kata

Pada masa Gereja mula-mula dahulu, apabila ada orang yang percaya dibaptiskan, mereka seringkali atau kebanyakkannya akan dianiaya, diseksa dan dibunuh. Namun begitu, ini tidak pernah mematahkan semangat dan keinginan orang Kristian untuk mengkhabarkan Berita Baik kepada semua orang. Semakin ramai yang dianiaya, semakin ramai lagi yang percaya kepada Yesus Kristus dan dibaptiskan (sila baca kitab Kisah Rasul-Rasul dan buku-buku tentang sejarah Gereja untuk mengetahui apa yang berlaku kepada orang Kristian pada masa dulu).

Pada masa sekarang juga tidak banyak beza (lebih-lebih lagi di tempat yang jarang kita tahu). Pembaptisan ialah seakan-akan permulaan bagi orang yang percaya untuk dianiayai. Di kebanyakkan tempat, seorang Kristian yang benar masih lagi boleh ditoleransi asalkan dia hanya mengaku Kristus ialah Tuhan dengan mulutnya sahaja. Tetapi, apabila dia secara umum mengaku Kristus ialah Tuhan melalui pembaptisan, pihak musuh akan menentang dia dengan cara yang keras. Pihak musuh akan menganiayai, menyeksa dan menghukum dia. Ini berlaku terutamanya di negara-negara komunis. Keadaan di Malaysia dan di negara-negara lain mungkin tidak sama. Penganiayaan mungkin tidak seteruk atau secara fisikal seperti di negara China atau Rusia. Tetapi kebenarannya tetap sama – sesiapa yang ingin mengikut Kristus pasti akan dianiayai seperti Kristus juga.

Walaupun begitu, setiap kita yang percaya dan sudah dibaptiskan akan mengalami pengalaman dan perasaan yang sama seperti pegawai tinggi ratu negeri Etiopia itu tadi. Alkitab mengatakan bahawa: “[Dia] meneruskan perjalanannya dengan sukacita” (Kisah Para Rasul 8:39, YB).

Mereka yang dibaptis akan berjalan dengan sukacita. Amen.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Part 1: Jesus Christ – Main Events in the Gospels (ii)

Actually, this series is from Understanding Bible Truth booklets by Robert Hicks and Richard Bewes (1981), but I have expanded some texts for modern readers (to make it easier to read) and added Scripture quotes (I’m using ESV Bible) into these writings to clarify its points more clearly. My purpose of making this series available in the internet is single: So that you can be clear the essential facts about the Bible’s teaching in a readily understandable form.

First, What is Gospel?

The word “gospel” is derived from the two Anglo-Saxon words ‘God’, meaning ‘good’, and ‘spell’ meaning ‘tidings’ or ‘history’. Therefore, the ‘gospel’ means ‘Good tidings’ or as many understands it as ‘good news’. Good news concerning what? The good news concerning Jesus, the Son of God (Henrietta C. Mears writes a very good, simple and easy-to-read chapter on ‘Understanding the Gospel’ in her book What the Bible is All About. I recommend this Bible Handbook to you).

The four Gospels (according to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) present the reader with selected significant events in Christ’s life. The following are of particular importance.

Jesus’ Humble Birth

Jesus was born during the reign of the Roman emperor Caesar Augustus, into an extremely poor family (By the way, many prosperity preachers and religious-motivational books today claimed, “God want you to be rich, because Jesus was rich materially” – this is a cosmic joke). He was born in alien surroundings during a Roman census, and He was born into immediate danger – as King Herod sought to kill Him.

These two elements, the humility and insecurity of Jesus’ birth, were to set the pattern of His whole life.

[Refers Luke 2:1-7, Luke 9:57-58, Matthew 2:1-7]

Jesus’ Sinless Baptism

The Baptism of Jesus marks the beginning of His ministry. John the Baptist was calling his hearers to a baptism of repentance. Jesus, however, had no sin of which He could repent. But by His submission to John’s baptism, He showed His identification with sinful humanity. The descent of the Spirit like a dove and the Father’s words of acceptance, which accompanied the baptism, came as God’s approval of the ministry to follow. Matthew 3:16-17 record this event;

“And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

His Prolong Temptation

Immediately following His baptism, Jesus went into the desert for a period of 40 days, during which He fasted and tempted by the devil.

The temptations that are recorded for us (Matthew 4:1-11) took the form of challenging Jesus to by-pass His mission. Jesus successfully resisted these and all the other temptations that occurred throughout His life. Jesus “in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).

His Revealing Transfiguration

Towards the end of His public ministry Jesus took three of His disciples to a mountain-top where He became brilliantly radiant before them (or Jesus Christ in His 'glorified form'). Moses and Elijah appeared, and spoke with Jesus about His coming ordeal in Jerusalem. The disciples also heard a voice of divine approval, as Christ’s baptism, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” The event was clearly a preview, a miniature, of Christ’s glory that lay ahead (Refer to Luke 9:28-36).

His Obedient Death

The tide of events turned against Jesus after His triumphant entry into Jerusalem. The Passover meal that He celebrated with His friends was swiftly followed by His betrayal, by a series of unjust trials, ultimately by death on the cross and by His burial. (P.s: God did not substitute Jesus to someone who looks like Jesus to die on behalf of him like heretics were/are claiming. I was really Jesus died on the cross).

It was a dark hour, but it was the hour for which Jesus had come into the world. He made it clear that He had come, not only to teach and heal, but also to suffer and die for all men.

[Refers to Matthew 26 and 27]

His Victorious Resurrection

36 hours (approximately) after the burial, Jesus’ tomb was found empty, except for the discarded grave clothes; “…the linen cloths lying there, and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself…” (John 20:6-7). It was sufficient for John who “saw and believed” (v.8).

Then Jesus began to appear to His friends over a period of 40 days. This was not an illusion, for He took food, could be touched, and was seen alive by hundreds of people. And yet He was uniquely and powerfully different – the victor over death.

The Great Commission

The last time the disciples were to see Jesus on earth was on the Mount of Olives. He commanded them to make disciples everywhere (Matthew 28:16-20); and He promised them the gift of the Spirit, who would give them the power to do this. Jesus was then taken from them, visibly, “[Jesus] parted from them and was carried up into heaven” (Luke 24:51). He would not be seen again until His second coming – His return.

My Conclusion about Main Events in the Gospels

The main events in the Gospels give us record of how our Lord lived, died and rose again – and now live forevermore. Take one event out in the gospels, and we cease to behold the full ministry of Jesus God-man in our universe. To understand the narrative of the Big Picture of God’s plan in the gospels is to understand where you and I would stand in the future. We confidently hope to be with the Lord Jesus in His Kingdom forever. Amen.   

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.