Energized by Books #1Book1Week August 2020

 

As an introvert (at its core), I'm energized when I read books quietly outside but noisily inside. And because I love to explore various subjects, find new ideas and challenge my beliefs, these lists are very enriching. Let me know if you want to discuss any of these books 😉

 < Blessing Or Curse> One of my favourite Bible teachers Derek Prince, in this book, shows how the forces behind blessings and curses might be at work in our lives. Drawing from God's Word and real-life experiences, he helps us understand the causes of curses and ways of blessing. Read my BOOK REVIEW here: https://www.richardangelus.me/.../blessing-or-curse-you...

 < Difficulties In the Bible > This book examines some of the difficulties surrounding the Bible and explains how we should deal with them when they arise (so, R.A. Torrey didn't deal with every difficulty). Each chapter focuses on a different passage of Scripture and provides an illuminating perspective on the biblical text. Read my BOOK REVIEW here: https://www.richardangelus.me/.../difficulties-in-bible...

 < Hitler > Some people say this is “In the best short biography of Adolf Hitler"; some disagree. N.A. Wilson comes from very narrow angles of what made the 'Fuhrer' the phenomenon he was. His conclusions make fascinating, somewhat controversial, and unique. I appreciate the brevity because I don't want to read a long biography of this man (or some say, animal). Read my BOOK REVIEW here: https://www.richardangelus.me/.../hitler-2012-by-n-wilson...

 < Rich Malaysia, Poor Malaysians > This statement says it all: "Malaysia is blessed with abundant natural resources, petroleum being the most precious. With income per capita of about US$9,970 and Petronas continuously providing an onerously generous 40 percent to government revenues, Malaysia has all the essential ingredients to flourish." But why? Oh why rich Malaysia, but poor Malaysians* still? Read my BOOK REVIEW here: https://www.richardangelus.me/.../rich-malaysia-poor...

 < The Art of Thinking Clearly > If you love reading about psychology and human behaviour like I do, this book is essential. It is about cognitive biases, namely, systematic errors in thinking that occurs when people are processing and interpreting information in the world around them and affects the decisions and judgments that they make. Read my BOOK REVIEW here: https://www.richardangelus.me/.../the-art-of-thinking...

 #ServeToLead #1Book1Week #LeadersAreLeaders #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain #Theology #Hermeneutic #Biography #Politics #Thinking

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Blessing or Curse: You Can Choose (2006) by Derek Prince, Book Review

Blessing or Curse: You Can Choose (2006) by Derek Prince

Last week I didn't post anything on my social media, so I have lots of time (and works too, but I'm able to manage my work very well) to read books. I finished two books. One by N. A. Wilson on the life of Adolf Hitler and this book. Now can you see how much time we wasted on social media weekly? Monthly? Yearly? Except for WhatsApps, I don't even have active personal social media accounts! You can be a reader - all of us can - if only you reduce your idle time on social media. Join my #SocialMediaSabbath every week. To know more, visit LEGASI.tv Instagram.

Okay, about this book. If I want to understand the Bible better, I refer to David Pawson; but if I want to learn more about spiritual warfare, I go to Derek Prince (don't be confused with Joseph Prince ya). There are invincible forces influencing our lives today. Some recognize it, some just simply ignorance. "The Bible speaks plainly about these forces," writes Prince, "In fact, it has a great deal to say about them. It calls them respectively blessings and curses." The word “bless” or “blessing” occurs more than 410 times in the Bible; the word "curse" occurs nearly 160 times. Both are absolutely real —so real that our Lord Jesus had to be made a curse so that we might be redeemed from the curse and receive the blessing (read Galatians 3:13).

Prince explains, "Some people are inclined to think that blessings are real but curses are imaginary, or hypothetical. That is an illogical idea. If we consider any pair of opposites, it stands to reason that if one is real, the other must be real. Take day and night, for example. If the day is real, then the night is also real. Heat and cold — if heat is real, then cold is real. Good and evil — if good is real, then evil is real. We cannot accept one and ignore the other. So it is with blessings and curses. Blessings are real, and so are cursed." I think the questions from the back cover are very telling: Are you or your family experiencing repeated sickness or accidents? Do you feel under mental, emotional, or financial pressure much of the time? Are your closest relationships in turmoil? Do you wonder why success comes easily to others but seems to elude you? If you say YES to most of the questions (there are very good questions outline in the book to identify it), probably, you're intentionally or unintentionally, is under a curse.

Don't be discouraged if you think you do. The good news is that God has provided the means to overcome it. From the beginning, God desires for you to receive His blessings and not curses through Jesus Christ, His Son. In my life, relationships and ministry, I sense that something is not right and believe that spiritual warfare and curses were in operations. Only when I acknowledged what's going on, I then bring it in prayer to my Father in heaven. Now I know that I'm free and experience God's blessing in my life. The best is yet to come! I really recommend this book. Or, you can start by watching YouTube video How to Pass from Curse to Blessing by Derek Prince. Would you pray this prayer:

"Lord Jesus Christ, I believe that You are the Son of God and the only way to God; and that You died on the cross for my sins and rose again from the dead. I give up all my rebellion and all my sin, and I submit myself to You as my Lord. I confess all my sins before You and ask for Your forgiveness — especially for any sins that exposed me to a curse. Release me also from the consequences of my ancestors’ sins. By a decision of my will, I forgive all who have harmed me or wronged me — just as I want God to forgive me. In particular, I forgive [say the name of the person]. I renounce all contact with anything occult or satanic — if I have any 'contact objects,' I commit myself to destroy them. I cancel all of Satan’s claims against me. Lord Jesus, I believe that on the cross You took on Yourself every curse that could ever come upon me. So I ask You now to release me from every curse over my life — in Your name, Lord Jesus Christ! By faith, I now receive my release and I thank You for it."

😊⚡✔ #ServeToLead #1Book1Week #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain #LeadersAreReaders #DerekPrince #BlessingsAndCurses #SpiritualWarfare

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THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Lessons of CURSE > BLESS > SAVIOUR I Learned from Luke 1:67-80 (Short Bible Study)

Open Your Bible to Luke 1:67-80 (NLT):

Then his father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy:

“Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and redeemed his people. He has sent us a mighty Savior from the royal line of his servant David, just as he promised through his holy prophets long ago.

Now we will be saved from our enemies and from all who hate us. He has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred covenant — the covenant he swore with an oath to our ancestor Abraham. We have been rescued from our enemies so we can serve God without fear, in holiness and righteousness for as long as we live.

“And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins. Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.”

John grew up and became strong in spirit. And he lived in the wilderness until he began his public ministry to Israel.

Lessons of CURSE > BLESS > SAVIOUR:

#1 From CURSING to BLESSING

#2 From BLESSING to SAVIOUR KING

#3 Before SAVIOUR KING, one must PROCLAIMING!

Want to Watch Previous Videos?

Episode #1: https://youtu.be/PVorOCQqOVM

Episode #2: https://youtu.be/F5Kp-JU-c90

Episode #3: https://youtu.be/1h56S9IGvf0  

Episode #4: https://youtu.be/2fQYRCvIn5k

Episode #5: https://youtu.be/4JsE7rFRCig   

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THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus' Triumphant Entry (the Spirit of Palm Sunday): Either You Praises or Curses Him

“Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, ‘Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me’… The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’ ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ‘Hosanna in the highest heaven!’”
(Matthew 21:1-2, 6-9, NIV)

Jesus knew how to get a party started. On that day there were thousands of Jews journeyed to Jerusalem to celebrate their annual Passover festival. Jesus chose that crowded day to enter the city on a donkey. What may seem like an ordinary ride to some people (for an Iban like me, this event is meaningless) was actually a significant fulfilment of a prophecy by the Old Testament prophet, Zechariah, that the Promised One, the Jewish Messiah, would ride into Jerusalem on the back of a young male donkey (read Zechariah 9:9 and Matthew 21:5).

Lining Jesus’ path with clothing and branches was a sign of paying homage to the One they now proclaimed as their God-sent King. Like screaming fans watching a celebrity walk to the red carpet, the Jewish people shouted with joy over Jesus’ arrival. Many considered Him their long-awaited Deliverer who would rebuild Jerusalem and restore the line of King David. They hailed Him as “the Son of David” which He was through the linage of both Joseph and Mary.

But Jesus’ glory ride would soon end (for the people) in tragedy. The crowds would change their praises of him “Hosanna!” to curses “Crucify him!” (Matthew 27:22-23). Why such dramatic changed from “Hosanna” to “Crucify him”? Because the crowds had the wrong expectations of Him. You see, Jesus on His first coming didn’t come to earth for people’s honour, recognition, privilege or title. He said His mission on the previous chapter: “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28).

This Palm Sunday please be remember that: ‘the triumphant entry’ story is about the King who came as a lowly servant on a donkey, not in royal robes; but on the clothes of the poor and humble. Jesus comes not to conquer by force as earthly kings; but by love, grace, mercy, and His own sacrifice for His people. His is not a kingdom of armies and splendour; but of lowliness and servanthood. He conquers not nations; but hearts and minds. If Jesus has made a triumphal entry into our hearts, He reigns there in peace and love. As Jesus followers, we must exhibit those same qualities – the spirit of Palm Sunday – love, grace, mercy, servanthood and peace. Let the world sees the true King living and reigning in triumph in us. Amen.

If you display love, grace, mercy, servanthood and peace in your lives, you praises Him;
If you display the otherwise, you curses Him

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

"Dark Shadow" Ministry: A Curse can become a Blessing

It’s amazing how something seen initially as a curse can become a blessing. Alcoholism, when accepted, becomes a source of well-being and inspiration. Cancer, when accepted, brings the key to a spiritual search that leads to Christ and inner peace. HIV, when accepted, can be the beginning of a healthy lifestyle, an awareness of being human and a new creation in Christ, and the opportunity to serve in a unique way the needs of others.

I beginning to meet people and read more and more about the importance of the ‘dark shadow’ in people’s lives – the hurtful experience in our lives – the ‘dark shadow’ that few people are willing to talk about. It is in our ‘dark shadow’, I believe, that disease (I have few friends with HIV/AIDS in mind as I write this) has a special place because it gets mingled with fear and strength, shame and hope, rejection and love. If we are able to confront our disease and speak about all the feelings that surround it and seek Christ in it, then we become aware of who we are in a most special way. God in Christ loves you and me. It’s cliché but true: disease presents challenges that lead to growth.

Friends, to face and live with a disease on a daily basis, inviting it to be the source of dependence on God’s grace and use that opportunity to serve others, and making it a friend, is a unique life experience. I don’t have a serious ‘dark shadow’ in my life, but I observed that those who face lives with a disease in a way that is glorifying God have a blessed life indeed. Isaac Tan, founder of Crisis Home, a non-profit ministry caring for people living with HIV/AID, have many great stories to tell. Stories about how the ‘dark shadow’ can become a living hope, well of inspiration and create awareness in people’s lives. Most teachers, have at some time been forced to confront their ‘dark shadow’ and we all are the beneficiaries. I’m one of the benefactors. I’m not sure what I’m getting at as I write this… but thank you. Thank you for those who stay strong living in their ‘dark shadow’ and making the Light known in your ministry. Thank you for your unique ministry.  

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

What Jesus Does for You

What Jesus Does for You

By Frances Ure

Jesus takes the lone out of loneliness,

And puts the friend into friendship.

Jesus takes the fear out of fearful,

And puts trust into trusting.

Jesus takes the fright out of frightful,

And puts peace into peaceful.

Jesus takes the doubt out of doubting,

And puts believe into believing.

Jesus takes the hate out of hating,

And puts love into loving.

Jesus takes the curse out of cursing,

And puts bless into blessing.

Jesus takes the down out of downcast,

And puts lift into uplift.

Jesus takes the grief out of grieving,

And puts happy into happiness.

Jesus takes the sin out of sinful,

And puts forgive into forgiveness.

Jesus takes the sick out of sickness,

And puts health into healthy.

Jesus puts the gold into the Golden Rule – isn’t He wonderful!

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.