Roaring Lion: Spiritism In Borneo Challenged by the Power of Christ (1968) by Robert Peterson, Book Review

Roaring Lion: Spiritism In Borneo Challenged by the Power of Christ (1968) by Robert Peterson

 
This is an exciting book by Robert Peterson, a missionary in Borneo (particularly in Kalimantan) who has seen the Lord at work in the lives of many Chinese and some Malays who settle there. During this time (and still is), there were many customs and practices common to the animistic tribes of the islands. Spiritism and demon worship occupied a major place in their daily lives. All this while, Satan, that adversary who prowled around like a “roaring lion” (1 Peter 5:8), boldly manifested his unchallenged dominion over them. But that won’t be long, because when Christ’s faithful servants like Robert Peterson went there and preached the gospel of peace, darkness became light and our true King, “the Lion of Judah” (Revelations 5:5), reigned mightily. George M. Steed writes, “We believe it is not just coincidental that when the Lord’s servants commenced openly to challenge the power of darkness and, in the name of our victorious Lord, command the demons to come out of the possessed ones, the gates of hell began to yield and captives were set free.”

Of course, we must not believe there are demons under every bush, but we must not deny the existence and influence of demons in our world today either. The supernatural is natural in the spiritual realm. If you believe in God, then recognizing the reality of Satan and demons shouldn’t be a problem. But the sad fact is that so many Christians have little knowledge of spiritual warfare, or even if they do, they tend to ignore it. Based on my experiences and, more importantly, from the Scripture, we must remember that: “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). As the author puts it, we must know a little better the ‘depths of Satan', and by knowing, we are able to ‘fight the good fight of faith.’

What I like about this book is that Peterson began the story by describing his failures in dealing with demon activities. After many encounters, risks, and mistakes, he started to examine the Scripture about the issue and progressively learned how to deal with it effectively through the power of the Holy Spirit and the living Word of God. The stories he told were very interesting because they reminded me of my own experiences during church mission trips to the interior parts of Sarawak many years ago. Read this book and know that God already gives us the weapons (for example, read Ephesians 6:13–20). The chief among them is that Christ is with and in us. “Many truths in the Word of God are a source of strength in our warfare against Satan, but the realization of the indwelling Christ and a day-by-day acknowledgement, acceptance, and utilization of this truth will set us on the victory road and keep us there,” writes Peterson. “Christ has never been and can never be defeated by Satan.” Amen.

#LeadersAreReaders #RoaringLion #TheLionOfJudah #Satan #JesusChrist #IndwellingChrist #RobertPeterson #BorneoForChrist #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

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Beyond AD 2000: A Call to Evangelical Faithfulness (1999) by Hwa Yung, Book Review

Beyond AD 2000: A Call to Evangelical Faithfulness (1999) by Hwa Yung

This is an essay by Bishop Emeritus Dr. Hwa Yung, when he was a principle of Seminari Theologi Malaysia (STM), addressing his concern for the Malaysian Church, especially the evangelicals, to “be the ‘salt of the earth’ and ‘light of the world’, to bear witness to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit in word and deed, and to proclaim to all humanity that the gospel ‘is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes.’” This essay was first written in a shorter form around 1994 and expanded into a longer essay in 1999 outlines six (6) agendas for evangelicals in Malaysia as he looked ahead toward the year 2000 and beyond. Bishop’s knowledge of the history of the evangelical movement is admirable. It shows clearly in Chapter 2: Evangelical Strengths and Weaknesses before he dives into the main issues. I have to admits that the cover and the title of this essay are unattractive (dear publisher, sorry), so it takes years for me to grab it and read (now you know how important is a first impression, right?). But when I take a second look at the table of contents, I was struck by the urgency and relevancy of the agendas that Bishop was so concerned about 22 years ago. Here are the first three agendas and my comments on each:

Agenda One: The Primacy of Scripture. The first strength of the historic evangelicalism was the sola scriptura (Scripture alone) principle. “Yet,” Hwa Yung observes, “there are clear signs that evangelicals in Malaysia are losing their grip on the primacy of Scripture in their life and ministry.” I agree. I’m a bookworm. In Malaysia or Sarawak to be exact, there are very few bookstores. And sadder still is that there are very rare Christian bookstores. And if you find one or two, you’ll be amazed by the kind of books that are available. “The books that really sell are those centered on experience, rather than on the Word.” The author said that this is a reflection of the spiritual state of our own churches. I would like to add: the decline of reading habits among Malaysian Christians nowadays is a sure correlation with the decline of reading Scripture for themselves. If Scripture is not read, then, the primacy of Scripture is non-existence. Besides that, “many Christians appear to accept rather uncritically the misleading and wrong teachings that have been often meted out to them, supposedly from the Bible.” Careless interpretation of Scripture as one of the products of liberal Christianity also contributes to the problem. Hwa Yung's advice is first, we must strongly emphasize again the sola scriptura principle today; secondly, we must make every effort to master God’s Word and be mastered by it; and thirdly, teach it properly and faithful to God’s people.

Agenda Two: The Holy Spirit and Revival. “The second great strength of evangelicalism has been its recognition of the place the Holy Spirit plays in bringing new life to the individual and revival to the church.” It seems to me, as a Borneoan, the East Malaysian churches here are very into the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the yearning for revival in our land. The good side of these emphasizes is that our understanding of Christianity should not just be about knowledge but also experience. But there are dangers too such as extremism, triumphalism, and anti-intellectualism. Added with the lack of the primacy of Scripture, our churches are exposed to the heresies of the hyper-charismatic, the prosperity gospel, and false teachings in general. Thus, we need to “hold Spirit and God’s Word together in proper harmony.” I have a copy of Colin Whittaker’s Great Revivals (1984) where he reviews revivals from the days of the great awakening under Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, and John Wesley, right up to the thrilling move of the Holy Spirit in Communist China. One thing I noticed is that the inseparable partnership of Spirit and Word that gave birth to genuine revivals. What God has joined together, let no one separate! At the end of this chapter, Bishop encourages this reader to learn from Asian Christian leaders of the past such as Sadhu Sundar Singh, John Sung, and Petrus Octavianus. Why? Because they, in his opinion, “combined outstanding demonstrations of signs and wonders in their ministries with a strong biblical stress on the holiness of character and sacrificial living.” Not to mention, as exemplified by one of my heroes Dr. John Sung, they were also Bibline. 

Agenda Three: Evangelism And Cross-Cultural Missions. This agenda is kind of obvious. What is being an evangelical if not engage in evangelism? But don’t be surprised that many Malaysian churches today, especially the natives in my view, have neglected the mandate to proclaim the gospel (Greek, euangelion, means good news) to the world. Most of the Christian events that I’ve seen nowadays are very inward focus, rarely do I see about witnessing to the unbelievers or the challenge to the mission. We need to commit ourselves again to the Great Commission as commanded - NOT suggested - by our Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 28:18-20. “The first is the work of evangelism within our own country,” equips Hwa Yung, “The second is the work of cross-cultural missions overseas.” One question that stuck with me that the Bishop asked is this: “Are we really serious?” You and I might see the importance of this agenda but are we really serious about doing it? Do my finance, choices, and ministry agree with it? This chapter is an easy read but hard to swallow. The author gave the example of the Nestorian Church of Persia, despite the pressures and persecution it faced, during the early part of the 8th century up to the 14th, the church was the most powerful missionary force in the whole Christian world. Reason being? “Strong evidence exists to suggest that it was the missionary spirit of the church which fed back into the life of the mother church in Persia, to constantly renew its vitality, and turned it outwards instead of inwards as it did elsewhere. In other words, because it was willing to give life to others, it was itself given new life.”

Agenda Four: Social Responsibility In God’s World; Agenda Five: Personal Holiness And Christian Character; and Agenda Six: The Heart of the Gospel - The Cross. Again, although this essay was written about 22 years ago, the agendas that Bishop Hwa Yung outlines here are still reverent and all the more urgent for today to call us to evangelical faithfulness. I’ve been blessed by the message and am grateful for the reminder. I wish he would revisit this essay and write a full book about it with new materials, updates, and exclusively aim for the Malaysian church. He did a condensed version of his earlier book, Mangoes Or Banana? The Quest for an Authentic Asian Christian Theology (1997), to Toward an Asian Theology (2020), so it is possible, right? Come on Bishop!

#ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #GrowingLeaders #EvangelicalFaithfulness #BishopHwaYung #MalaysianChurch #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

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To read my review of Hwa Yung’s Bribery and Corruption: Biblical Reflections and Case Studies for the Marketplace in Asia (2018), CLICK HERE

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Book Review: Light In the Sarawak Jungle (2016) by Leah Cubit

Light in the Sarawak Jungle: An Epic Story of How the Gospel Spread Among the Kayan People
 and How the Bible was Translated into Their Language (2016) by Leah Cubit

“Tebara Ka ‘atih aleng lirui mayak akui, dahin malah te’ alan kui” (Psalm 119:105). With this verse, Leah Cubit ended her encounters, stories of obedience to the Lord’s call from Australia to Borneo Island. Leah (to whom the Kayan gave the name ‘Ubong’) and Win Burrow (‘Bulan’) were among the earliest BEM/OMF missionaries who have been ministering to the Kayan people of Borneo. These two women were sent by God to work at Long Atip and other Kayan villages in the Baram area of Sarawak, East Malaysia. Leah recorded: “Travel was by launch on the Great Baram River of Sarawak to Marudi, then for three days in a dugout canoe on the Tutoh and Apoh tributaries of that river, with thick jungle on both sides. I lived there with those beautiful people for about 27 years.”

As I read this action-packed diary of Ubong, I was very inspired! They opened a school, provided medical services, built an airstrip(!), hiked for hours in the interior jungle, ministered to the Penan and Kenyah people too, ate monkey’s brains (!), trained leaders and pastors, encountered poisonous snakes, and many more. And the greatest of them all – translating the whole Bible into Kayan language. Leah as the pioneering translator together with Taman Ngau Juk, Taman Ayub, Taman Joseph, Taman Sara’, and others – local and overseas – finally finished translating the Bible after 12 years of hard work, almost giving up and much prayer. “The Bible in our own language,” the Kayan people said, “is like eating a banana without the skin on it” (the “skin” being a language they had to learn before they got to the flesh).

28-19^th July 1988 were memorable days for the Church of Borneo as hundreds gathered – including YB Ramsey Jitam, Miss Sylvia Webb, YB Luhat Wan, the Penan and Kenyah people, and especially the Kayans – at Long Bedian for celebration services with sermons, thanksgivings, praise and worship because God’s Book, the Wonderful Book, the Word of the Eternal God, were given by the Glorious Lord to His precious children, the Kayan people! This book is published by Borneo Evangelical Mission (BEM), so, many BEM churches can promote or translate this book in BM. If you’re a Kayan person (or married one or about to marry one), read this book. If you already read Unchartered Waters by Hudson Southwell and/or Longhouses Open Doors by Ray Cunningham, you’re going to love this one too! Thank you missionaries, local churches, pastors and leaders, and supporters from overseas for your great courage and hearts for my country and Sarawak specifically. With tears of joy in my eyes, the Lord bless you all. Amen.

My Psalm of Praise
(written by Leah)

Praise ye the Lord,

For it is good to praise Him together.

He is majestic,

And his works call forth our praise.

He builds up his Church in Borneo,

He gathers the pagans to be His people,

He breaks the power of smoking and drinking,

He flings away the betel-nut from those who have been bound.

Men’s faces light up as they recount the blessings,

Women say, “O, we didn’t know that the Lord was like this.”

Young people sing words and harmony blending the praise to our God,

Even children run to the house of prayer, praising and worshipping in truth.

Praise ye the Lord.

God has revealed His purity,

And the darkness has fled before it,

Secrets are revealed publicly by the spirit of God,

Even Satan’s things hidden in dark places,

They are dug out, they are flung away,

The people rejoice.

Praise ye the Lord.

God gives joy in the place of burden,

And love instead of suspicion,

Praise replaces the curse,

And the gentleness of the word of anger.

He opens the mouths of young people,

They proclaim His words.

He opens the purses of men,

They pour them out for Him.

He makes their feet to run swiftly,

Running with the good news of grace.

Praise ye the Lord.

The Word of God is quick and powerful,

And sharper than any two-edged sword;

It is food, it is water,

It is strong meat, it is honey.

Men seeking for light, read it and say, “Why, this is Truth.

Why aren’t we walking in this?

This is the Word of God.”

The Fathers come to the Bookroom, ‘Have you any Bibles?

Thank you. I’ll take the lot,

Our people want them.”

Praise ye the Lord.

Praise the Lord, all you my praying friends!

Praise Him you who give to His works!

Praise Him Council members, prayer groups, and missionaries!

Praise ye the Lord.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

With the Wild Men of Borneo

“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”

(Jesus Christ, Mark 16:15, NIV)

“To know God and to make Him known.” (Loren Cunningham)

Borneo lies almost exactly under the equator, and is one of the larger islands in the great East Indian Archipelago. It is 830 miles long and 600 miles wide. The size of this island may be appreciated by a comparison of its area with that of a part of Great Britain. It is roughly five times as large as England and Wales.

Little is known of the early history of Borneo, although European navigators and trades touched it shores about the year 1511, in search of the riches of the East. The Portuguese were the first to establish commercial relations with the island; and during the sixteenth century, Spanish traders tried, with some success, to obtain a share of this profitable commerce.

The formation of the Dutch and British East India companies destroyed the monopoly so long enjoyed by the earlier traders, with the Dutch taking the lead throughout the Malay Archipelago.

The rich cargoes of the trading vessels offered great temptations to the unprincipled natives of Borneo and adjacent islands; and piracy become such a menace to the lives and property of the European traders that efforts were made to stamp out the nefarious business.

People of Borneo

One of the British expeditions under Sir James Brooke, in 1838, was very successful in suppressing piracy, and gained for the British considerable prestige with the natives of Borneo. This aggravated the rivalry between the Dutch and the British in their efforts to control the trade and not until 1891 were the boundaries of British and Dutch Borneo finally defined. The north and the west coast are now (at this writing it was 1922) under British rule, and in these districts the most successful missionary efforts have been conducted. The work of Pastor Mershon and his capable in British Borneo shows what the Gospel can accomplish in changing the hearts and lives of such unpromising people as are found in these far off regions.

This little book, With the Wild Men of Borneo, is sent out with the assurance that it will do its part in stimulating the reader’s interest in the great work now going forward – “The Gospel to All the World in This Generation.”

Introduction by the publishers,

Pacific Press Publishing Association, U.S.A. (1922)

Opus Publications Sdn. Bhd., Kota Kinabalu (2012)

Quotes above and book recommended by,

Richard Angelus

Blogger, Word Speaks Today

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FREE BOOKS!

Happy New Year 2014! This month of January 2014, I would like to offer you 3 BOOKS (ONLY) entitled With The Wild Men of Borneo by Elizabeth Mershon.

You are welcome to get a copy of this book for yourself by simply do these 2 things:

1. First, comment below “Rich, give me one copy (Your name). I hope that through this book I can/may… [Not less than 10 words]”
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