Total Commitment to Christ: What Is It? (Updated Edition, 2020) by A.W. Tozer, Book Review

 Total Commitment to Christ: What Is It? (Updated Edition, 2020) by A.W. Tozer

When I was having a crisis of faith a few years ago, I pressure myself to make one of the most important decisions in my life: If Jesus Christ and Christianity are false, I must leave everything that I believe and quit as a full-time worker (with my skills and talents, I can fairly earn more money!); but if He is truly God, Lord, and Saviour, then, I must give up everything, commit and follow Him and preach the Word for the rest of my earthly life (with humility, I will be His joyful-slave). I read lots of books on Christianity, against Christianity, other religions, atheism and - the Bible - and pray with even little faith that I have at that time and sometimes with zero feelings. To cut the story short, after about 4-6 months (I'm not sure exactly when the doubt appears) of struggling, the living God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, increases my faith even more than before. Somehow, without God-speaks-to-me-audibly, the joy of knowing Christ is flooding in my heart as I read the Gospel of Matthew. There and then, with no moon-splitting miracle but perhaps what I perceived as the work of the Holy Spirit's illumination and assurance, only by grace, I returned home to Him. In fact, He already runs toward me and is ready to embrace me. While I was "still a long way off, [The Father] saw [me] and was filled with compassion for [me]; he ran to [me], threw his arms around [me] and kissed [me]" (Luke 15:20, bracket mine]. I was lost and now was found. So, when I saw the title of this book on YouTube - Total Commitment to Christ - I immediately found and read the ebook and listened to the audiobook. This book (or booklet, to be exact) is a good reminder of why I'm called to commit and follow Christ until today. I recommend this book to you, for, what's the use of being a nominal, passionless and powerless Christian? We are either cold or hot, no in-between! A.W. Tozer, who is called a 20th-century prophet (not the kind of OT or NT prophet, but his writings were deemed as 'prophetic.' I think we should avoid the charismatic idea of a prophet altogether): "Christ is preeminent. He is above all things, underneath all things, outside of all things, and inside of all things. As the old bishop said, 'He is above all things, but not pushed up; He is beneath all things, holding it all up; He is outside all things, embracing it all; and He is inside all things, filling it all.' Our relation to Him is all that really matters. A true Christian faith is an attachment – a devotion – to the person of Christ. The attachment of the individual person to Jesus Christ is intellectual, volitional, exclusive, and irrevocable." Are you committed to Christ? Take up your cross and follow Him (Matthew 16:24) #ServeToLead #PreachTheWord #LeadersAreReaders #GrowingLeaders #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

FB Page: https://facebook.com/LEGASI.tv/            

Podcast: https://anchor.fm/LEGASI.tv/            

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LEGASItv/

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

As A Man Thinketh #6 How to Overcome Doubt and Fear

"Thoughts of doubt and fear can never accomplish anything. They always lead to failure"

(James Allen, As A Man Thinketh)

I think it's Napoleon Hill who said: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." When we spend inordinate amounts of time fearing something or event in the future (not happened yet), many times that which we fear comes upon us. When it does, we wonder why it happens to us, when in reality, we are responsible for the most part for our troubles. It all started with a thought of doubt. Then it causes an emotion of fear, which manifests itself physically as anxiety. Anxiety robs us of our power, energy, and focus. Severe anxiety will not only mess our minds but also undermine our health – and it's all brought on by a thought of doubt. It "can never accomplish anything."

There are three (3) basic ways that help me overcome thoughts of doubt. First, I change my mind about doubt and keep it changed. If I doubt whether I'm going to have enough money to make it to the end of the month, I change my mind about it. When doubt knocks, I pray and affirm to myself that: "God will always provide for me. He is good. And I always find a way to have enough of what I need." Dan Brule advised, "If you are going to doubt anything in life, doubt your limitations."

Secondly, overcome doubt and fear with massive actions. Do the thing you fear and fear will disappear (rhyming, huh?). "Inaction breeds doubt and fear," writes Dale Carnegie, "Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit at home and think about it. go out and get busy." This action-oriented mindset will always work! Trust me. Thirdly, replace fear with faith. Some people say fear and faith cannot co-exist. I disagree. They can co-exist. What's important is which one is greater? If my fear is greater than my faith, it will eventually fail. But if my faith is greater than my fear, success is my inevitable future. Bob Proctor puts it nicely: "Faith and fear demand you believe in something you cannot see. You choose." Think about it!

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

 

FB Page: https://facebook.com/LEGASI.tv/

Podcast: https://anchor.fm/LEGASI.tv/

IG: https://instagram.com/legasi.tv/

YouTube: http://bit.ly/LEGASItv

Blog: https://www.richardangelus.me/

BOOK REVIEW Agnostic: A Spirited Manifesto (2016) by Lesley Hazleton

Agnostic: A Spirited Manifesto (2016) by Lesley Hazleton

Lesley Hazleton is a very interesting author whose work focuses on the intersection of religion and politics. Two of her most recent books that are selling at Popular & MPH bookstores all over Malaysia are The First Muslim (on the life of Muhammad) and After the Prophet (about what happened to the teachings of Islam and after Muhammad died). Very interesting books indeed. So when I read Agnostic, I was surprised to know that Lesley is not a Muslim but an agnostic Jew, which simply means, according to Google dictionary, “a person who believes that nothing is known or can be known of the existence or nature of God” [refer the diagram below to know the different].

In the first chapter Beyond Either/Or after she explains her religious background and journeys, she writes, “And there’s the problem - right there in that phrase ‘one way or the other.’ It sees the world in binary terms: yes or no, this side or that. It insists that I can be either agnostic or Jewish but not both, even though both are integral parts of this multi-faceted life that is mine.” I agree. “To be agnostic is to love this kind of paradox,” she continues. “Not to skirt it, nor merely to tolerate it, but to actively revel in it. The agnostic stance defies artificial straight lines such as that drawn between belief and unbelief, and shakes off the insistence that it comes down on one side or the other.” I agree.

“I stand tall in my agnosticism because the essence of it is not merely not-knowing, but something far more challenging and infinitely more intriguing: the magnificent oxymoron inherent in the concept of unknowability. This is the acknowledgment that not everything may be knowable, and that not all questions have definitive answers - certainly not ones as crudely put as the existence or non-existence of God.” Although I’m not an agnostic - theist, if we want to use a term here - I agree with this statement so far. “At its best, however, agnosticism goes further: it takes a spirited delight in not knowing... it’s a recognition that we need room for mystery, for imagination, for things sensed but not proven, intuited but not defined - room in which to explore and entertain possibilities instead of heading straight for a safe seat at one end or the other of a falsely created spectrum.” Very persuasive statement and I like what I read.

I agree with Lesley’s one of good points in the book: doubt is essential to faith. If I believe in something without having questions about it, this becomes dogma [and so this book is very helpful to challenge my beliefs], but asking questions, good to great questions will shed more and more light on the subject until it becomes a clear truth for me [so contrary to Lesley’s idea, I do believe that there are absolute truths and its knowable but most may remain mystery]. And that’s why I still believe in the living Jesus Christ, the Son of God!

Watch a wonderful TED Talk by Lesley HERE: https://youtu.be/6ORDQFh0Byw 

FB Page: https://web.facebook.com/LEGASI.tv/

IG: https://instagram.com/richard_angelus

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Billy Graham's Crisis of Faith: Could the Bible be Trusted Completely?

Currently, I'm reading Billy Graham autobiography's Just As I Am (1997). It is a thick book and I feel like an awesome-nerd when I read it in public. I was taken aback when I read about Graham's crisis of faith. Just like what I went through early in this year. So inspiring and good to know that giant of faith like Billy Graham have had that moment too. It starts when Charles Templeton, a fellow evangelist, and friend, became skeptical about the authority of the Bible and less than a year later Charles (or Chuck) declared publicly that he had become an agnostic. What it does to Graham is contagious. Here is his personal account of that issue:

"My very faith was under siege. For one thing, my friend and partner… Chuck Templeton… and [I] discovered that he was undergoing serious theological difficulties, particularly concerning the authority of the Scriptures. My respect and affection for Chuck were so great that whatever troubled him troubled me also… The particular intellectual problem I was wrestling with… was the inspiration and authority of the Scriptures. Seeming contradictions and problems with interpretation defied intellectual solutions, or so I thought. Could the Bible be trusted completely?"

"Feeling a little hypocritical, I began an intensive study of this question. I read theologians and scholars on all sides of the issue. I also turned to the Bible itself. Paul had written to Timothy, ‘All Scripture is given by inspiration of God' (2 Timothy 3:16, KJV). (I knew that the New Testament Greek term that translates as ‘inspiration' literally meant ‘God-breathed writings.') There was an impenetrable mystery to that concept, as with all things pertaining to God. Yet the basic meaning was clear: the Bible was more than just another human book…

"The Apostle Peter said, ‘For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost' (2 Peter 1:21, KJV). Jesus Himself said: ‘Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away' (Matthew 24:35, KJV). The internal testimony of the Scriptures to their own inspiration and authority was unequivocal. So was Jesus' own view of the Scriptures…

"I ached as if I were on the rack, with Miss Henrietta Mears stretching me one way and Chuck Templeton stretching me the other. Alone in my room one evening, I read every verse of Scripture I could think of that had to do with ‘thus saith the Lord.' I recalled hearing someone say that the prophets had used the phrase ‘the Word of the Lord said' (or similar wording) more than two thousand times. I had no doubts concerning the deity of Jesus Christ or the validity of the Gospel, but was the Bible completely true? If I was no exactly doubtful, I was certainly disturbed…

"I pondered the attitude of Christ toward the Scriptures. He loved those sacred writings and quoted from them constantly. Never once did He intimate that they could be wrong. In fact, He verified some of the stories in the Old Testament that we the hardest to believe, such as those concerning Noah and Jonah. With the Psalmist, He delighted in the law of the Lord, the Scriptures…

"As that night wore on, my heart became heavily burdened. Could I trust the Bible? With the Los Angeles Campaign galloping toward me, I had to have an answer. If I could not trust the Bible, I could not go on. I would have to quit the school presidency. I would have to leave pulpit evangelism. I was only thirty years of age. It was not too late to become a dairy farmer. But that night I believed with all my heart that the God who had saved my soul would never let go of me…

"I got up and took a walk. The moon was out… Dropping to my knees there in the woods, I opened the Bible at random on a tree trump in front of me. I could not read it in the shadowy moonlight, so I had no idea what text lay before me… The exact wording of my prayer is beyond recall, but it must have echoed my thoughts: ‘O God! There are many problems with it for which I have no solution. There are many seeming contradictions. There are some areas in it that do not seem to correlate with modern science. I can't answer some of the philosophical and psychological questions Chuck and others are raising…"

"I was trying to be on the level with God, but something remained unspoken. At last, the Holy Spirit freed me to say it. ‘Father, I am going to accept this as Thy Word – by faith! I'm going to allow faith to go beyond my intellectual questions and doubts, and I will believe this to be Your inspired Word'… When I got up from my knees at Forest Home that August night, my eyes stung with tears. I sensed it in months. My all my questions were answered, but major bridge had been crossed. In my heart and mind, I knew a spiritual battle in my soul had been fought and won."

[Quote above is taken from Just As I Am (1997) by Billy Graham published by HarperCollins Worldwide from page 159-160, 162-164. Edited without permission.]

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Where Is God When It Hurts? (1977, 1990) by Phillip Yancey

Where Is God When It Hurts? (1977, 1990) by Phillip Yancey

When my friend, Aderus Helen, died on 28th February 2018 due to lung cancer, I was devastated. I know him since he was a student and were there with him in and out of the hospital. The night after he died, I wrote this on my Facebook post [now already deactivated]:

"Knowing him first at TCS CF, I'm a staff and he was a student. Naturally, he was a quiet person, but when we became a friend I considered him as talkative. To shut him down, sometimes I challenged him with hard questions. During studies and after, he was very active in the ministry. Sometimes he joined me and Peter to camps and trips. And then, to cut the story short, he was diagnosed with bone cancer. It ended up with painful chemo and imputation of his right leg. I was there when he received his artificial leg. We who know him will no doubt recognize his amazing faith, this is his obvious gift (1 Corinthians 13:9). He was a simple preacher, ordinary, in fact, but an amazing encourager and motivator. His stories and experiences inspired his hearers... Growth!

"...Years later, he has to be admitted again. Cancer cells recurrence again. On hospital bed again. Lung cancer. Fluid-filled his lungs. He still can smile, talk and have a set of wish-list-after-discharged (he wanted badly to watch Black Panther!). His faith never wavers. When I and Steven came to visit, our topic was not about mortality but Monopoly.  But once in a while, he inserted faith-statement: ‘I'm ready to be with my Father.' He doesn't want to bring his laptop because he said, ‘I want to read the Bible' during his time in the hospital. Once I asked him, had he thought about getting married, he replied, ‘There is one girl who takes an interest in me... But I have to reject her, for her own good, because I don't want her to feel sad after I'm gone.' Wise but sad.

"When it was just both of us, we played chess. I never pretended to be a looser, I tried hard to defeat him, but he was so good with chess that he wins every time! After a week, he transferred to Radiotherapy building. It was hot there, so I bought him a fan. One night his nose was bleeding. Then the next day his back hurt, so he couldn't really sit properly. The next day he was in a very painful state. His stomach hurt, probably gastric. A few days later, he was using oxygen cylinder by his side. The night before he couldn't breathe properly. Many times, I told him to tell others that he is in the hospital, but he refused. Sad faces, unnecessary words and healing prayers (in front of him) are not helpful. He did tell his pastor, some other Christian leaders, and friends. Basically, he wanted to be unnoticed. We respect that. But the immediate implication of that is loneliness (his mother only came after he changed wad).

"One day he texted me, ‘When are coming to visit me in this filthy place?' Jokingly, I replied, ‘Tonight, this filthy man will visit his site!' There was this moment when I and Steven came, and about to open Monopoly games cards, he said, ‘Tonight I can't, maybe tomorrow after I'm getting better.' After few days, he was not getting better. He speaks less, he kept himself awake but once in awhile his eyes will close, and I saw his sad face. Before I went to KL, my last meeting with him was on Monday morning with Ibi. ‘Next week I come back,' I said, ‘we go watch Black Panther.' He knew that I knew that it was impossible. ‘I'm going back to Sibu tomorrow if the doctor allows me,' was his last words. We went back, he sleeps.

"This morning, I (and some others who frequently visited him) received a painful news. Everyone shocked. I'm speechless... From beginning to his end... I suspect his faith waver a little bit, but I know, sure as I'm alive today, that his hope was unshakeable. Here is a man who faced death once, used all his energy and passion to preached Jesus his Saviour until he faced another battle, facing death again, but now forever alive in the Saviour! As for all of us, we are alive, but are we really living? Don't waste your life! Aderus is our example of faith, hope, and love. I'm sad, but at the same time - rejoices!"

So you know, I asked God the exact question: Where is God when it hurts? This book (and my other meetings with colleagues) helped me during those dark moments. I underlined and meditate on this book, struggle with every statement, rejoice with every pearl of wisdom, and checked all the Scripture quotes which slowly restored my faith. Although most of my questions are remain unanswered, I gain trust in the goodness of God. "Everyone will face a crisis of doubt in his entire Christian life," Bishop Hwa Yung once told me. Yancey words resonate with me when he wrote at the conclusion of this book: "My anger about pain has melted mostly for one reason: I have come to know God. He has given me joy and love and happiness and goodness. They have come in unexpected flashes, in the midst of my confused, imperfect world, but they have been enough to convince me that my God is worthy of trust. Knowing him is worth all enduring."

[P.s: This is not a book review after all. I just want to say that this book helped me in my struggles. I recommend this book wholeheartedly.]

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus' Exclusive Claim is the Evident of Grace

“[Jesus said] ‘You know where I am going and how to get there.’ ‘No, we don’t,’ Thomas said. ‘We haven’t any idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?’ Jesus told him, ‘I am the Way – yes, and the Truth and the Life. No one can get to the Father except by means of me. If you had known who I am, then you would have known who my Father is. From now on you know him – and have seen him!’”
(John 14:4-7, The Living Bible)

I like this, Thomas verbalised what all the disciples must have been thinking but reluctant to ask (One day, one of my student said ‘Amen’ to my Scripture background sharing, so I asked him, ‘Can you repeat what I had just said?’ He don’t know). The disciples couldn’t understand Jesus’ words about “going to prepare” a place for them (v.2). Jesus answered by identifying Himself as the very means for them to see the Father. He claimed to be the unique and ultimate resource when He said: “I am the Way… no one can get to the Father except by means of me.” Jesus’ response also showed that the destination is not a physical place but a Person (the Father) and that the way to that destination is another Person (the Son, Himself).

Jesus provides all we can know and need to know about God. He is “THE WAY” – our path, bridge, transport not just an example or road sign pointing the way. Jesus is the WAY. He is also “THE TRUTH” – our source of wisdom, intimate knowledge of the Father and the reality of all God promised. Jesus is THE TRUTH. He is “THE LIFE” now and forever – our only source of eternal life (Remember, eternal life in the Bible is mainly refers to knowing God intimately, the fullness of life not merely the length of life). He is THE LIFE.

Jesus’ exclusive claim is unmistakable. His self-description invalidates other ‘alternative plans’ of salvation – Jesus is THE ONLY WAY (“No one can get to the Father except by means of me”). Some say – maybe you now – that a single way is too restrictive, too narrow. But we must understand that the human condition is desperate. We are totally deprave and sinful. We are totally lost without Jesus. Think about this – Yes, think! – that God provide A WAY at all is the greatest evidence of God’s grace, love and hope! Hey, knowing that Jesus is the only way should encourage us to live boldly for Him, to share this Good News to others, and to continue living in gratitude, gladness and thanksgiving to God because Jesus came to our lives.  

Knowing Jesus should affect how we view our eternal future
and how we live our life here on earth.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus is Infinite and Omnipotent: Boy's Five Loaves and Two Fish Made All the Difference

“Late in the afternoon the twelve disciples came to Jesus and said, ‘Send the crowds away to the nearby villages and farms, so they can find food and lodging for the night. There is nothing to eat here in this remote place.’ But Jesus said, ‘You feed them.’ ‘But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish,’ they answered. ‘Or are you expecting us to go and buy enough food for this whole crowd?’ For there were about 5,000 men there”
(Luke 9:12-14, NLT).

“Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, ‘There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?’” (John 6:8-9)

The disciples were shocked by Jesus’ response and – so do I. They didn’t understand what he was saying. How could they possibly feed this huge crowd? Thus they gave him the typical reasons his request seemed impossible: too many people, no stores, no money. So Jesus told them to find out what they actually had (see Mark 6:38). A check of the resources yielded just a boy with five loaves of bread and two fish, a small boy’s lunch that he was willing to share for Jesus’ use.

The Bible doesn’t tell us what the boy was thinking or even where his parents were, for that matter. Was he the only one who had thought ahead? He was risking a lot, turning over his lunch to Jesus. We don’t know the interchange between the boy and the disciples, but they brought the food to Jesus. In all the accounts of this incident in the Gospels, we read nothing about the disciples giving of their resources to Jesus. Instead, they expressed their grave concerns about the problem and their doubts about any possible solutions. In contrast, the boy gave Jesus everything he had, even though it wasn’t much in light of the huge need. The boy’s faith in Jesus, expressed by turning over his meager resources, made all the difference.

Think about this: Because we are painfully aware of our weaknesses and limitations, we can easily think we have nothing to offer to God. After all, we might think, I’m only a housewife or I’m only a layperson or I’m only a college student or I haven’t been a Christian very long or I’m poor. We and our resources are meager, but our God is infinite and omnipotent, with unlimited resources. He wants us to release control, to turn everything over to him. Yes, we are poor; He is rich! Yes, we are finite; He is infinite! Yes, we are weak and doubtful; He is omnipotent! With all that we have, with Jesus, we can make a difference. 

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

So You Want to Be a Calvinist? John Calvin on the Nature of Faith

In this important analysis of the nature of faith, provided in the 1559 edition of the Institutes of the Christian Religion, Calvin establishes a direct relation between faith and the merciful promises of God. Note the emphasis placed upon the role of the Holy Spirit in revealing and sealing this knowledge. Calvin also deals with the question of whether the certainty of faith necessarily implies that doubt is excluded from the Christian life. For Calvin, doubt is a normal part of the Christian life, and is not inconsistent with his emphasis upon the trustworthiness of God’s promises. Calvin wrote:

“Now we shall have a right definition of faith if we say that it is a steady and certain knowledge of the divine benevolence towards us, which is founded upon the truth of the gracious promise of God in Christ, and is both revealed to our minds and sealed in our hearts by the Holy Spirit…

When we stress that faith ought to be certain and secure, we do not have in mind a certainty without doubt, or a security without any anxiety. Rather, we affirm that believers have a perpetual struggle with their own lack of faith, and are far from possessing a peaceful conscience, never interrupted by any disturbance. On the other hand, we want to deny that they may fall out of, or depart from, their confidence in the divine mercy, no matter how much they may be troubled.”

So you want to be a Calvinist? Please reread what John Calvin himself wrote.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

References:

1) Institutes, III.ii, in Joannis Calvini: Opera Selecta, ed. P. Barth and W. Niesel, vol.4 (Munich: Kaiser, 1931), 16.31-35; 27:25-36.

2) The Christian Theology Reader edited by Alister E. McGrath (Oxford: Blackwell), pg. 15

Evidence of Jesus’ Resurrection #5: Eyewitness Accounts

Jesus ascended to heaven as depicted by the A.D. The Bible movie 

“[Jesus] appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me”
(Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:5-8, ESV).

Obviously, the disciples were eyewitnesses that Jesus had raised from the dead. He appeared to them on numerous occasions over a period of time. Acts 1:3 records: “After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the Kingdom of God.” From these accounts we can clearly see that Jesus himself wanted to convince them that he was truly alive. But they were not the only ones to see Jesus. The Bible records that on one occasion, “more than five hundred” people saw him at one time (1 Corinthians 15:6).

Here are some (only some) of the other people who were eyewitnesses to Jesus’ return:

Eyewitnesses	Scripture reference
Mary Magdalene	John 20:10-18
The other women at the tomb	Matthew 28:8-10
Simon Peter in Jerusalem	Luke 24:34
The two travelers on the road	Mark 16:12-13
Ten disciples behind closed doors	John 20:19-25
All the disciples, with Thomas (excluding Judas Iscariot)	John 20:26-31
Seven disciples while fishing	John 21:1-14
Eleven disciples on the mountain	Matthew 28:16-20
Jesus’ brother James, the apostles and Paul	1 Corinthians 15:7-8
Those who watched Jesus ascend into heaven	Acts 1:3-8

During these appearances, Jesus let people touch him. He ate with them. He traveled with his friends and explained the Scriptures to them, especially how the Old Testament predicted his death and Resurrection. And he continued teaching with his emphasis on “the Kingdom of Heaven.”

Some of his followers even saw him ascend into heaven when his work on earth was completed. In all cases, the ones who witnessed his appearances were convinced beyond doubt that he was the same person who died on the cross just a few days earlier. Having eyewitnesses would be critical in their testimony as Jewish Law requires the testimony of at least two or three witnesses in a court of law. So if Jesus is alive then, he is alive today! He has risen!

Evidence of Jesus’ Resurrection #5:

Eyewitness accounts

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Evidence of Jesus' Resurrection #2: The Lives of the Disciples

Peter and John, both were former fisherman now become preachers of Good News.

“We must obey God rather than men”

(Peter boldly said to the Sanhedrin council, Acts 5:29, ESV).

Among the most convincing proofs of the reality of Jesus’ Resurrection was the change in the lives of the disciples. They changed from being scared and scattered followers to being confident and courageous evangelists who did not fear for their lives. In fact, all of them but one (Judas Iscariot) died gruesome deaths as martyrs because of their testimony that Christ rose from the dead. Peter, the disciple who denied Jesus during his trial just before his execution, clearly attests, “For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the power of our Lord Jesus Christ and his coming again. We have seen his majestic splendour [emphasis added] with our own eyes” (2 Peter 1:16). What splendour was Peter taking about? The resurrected Christ!

Who were these disciples? Were they extraordinary people who were prepared from childhood to represent Jesus? Jerry Rose, former president of the National Religious Broadcasters, says, “As individuals, they were completely unremarkable, middle class at best. They came from all walks of life – fishermen, a tax collector, even a militant rebel. But drawn together by the Messiah himself, this unlikely band of brothers would change the world.”

After Christ’s Crucifixion, this band of followers scattered, cowering behind locked doors, in fear for their own lives. What changed them? A miracle beyond what they could ever dream – the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. From those early days on, they became a powerful force that spread the news of this miraculous event that changed the world in one generation.

But no one was in the tomb during the Resurrection. How could the disciples be sure that it actually happened? Because Jesus physically appeared to them numerous times after the Resurrection. John tells of the first appearance in his Gospel: “On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord’” (John 20:19-20).

But one disciple was not present – Thomas. When he heard of the experience the other disciples had with Jesus, he doubted that it was true. We can feel sympathetic toward Thomas. He was filled with grief; he thought he would never see Jesus again. All his hopes for the future had been dashed. Although Thomas has the reputation as the doubting disciple, none of Jesus’ followers believed in the Resurrection until they saw the proof for themselves – his presence among them.

The apostle John writes about what happened when Jesus appeared to Thomas: “Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord!’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.’ A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.’ Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’” (John 20:24-28).

One of the most amazing facts of the transformation of the disciples is that they had no reason to claim that Jesus had been raised from the dead. When jurors sit on a case in a court trial, one of the questions they ask about the testimony of the witnesses is: “What does this person have to gain by giving this testimony?” For some, it could be that the testimony will lead to financial gain or status. That puts their testimony into question.

But the disciples had nothing to gain by attesting to the Resurrection – not wealth, political gain or prestige. They weren’t going to get a retirement fund set up in their names or a villa at a Roman resort. The apostles received no benefits outside their reward in the eternity. In fact, they were persecuted and executed for their faith. But they were so convinced that Jesus rose from the dead and was alive that they endured beatings, stoning, ridicule, loss of family, and horrific deaths. There is no doubt that they valiantly claimed to have seen him alive with their own eyes.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

References:

1) David W. Balsiger and Michael Minor, The Case for Christ’s Resurrection (Orlando, Florida: Bridge-Logos, 2007), p. 8-10.

2) Twelve Ordinary Men, DVD, David W. Balsiger, senior producer, Grizzly Adams Productions, Inc. 2005. 

Encounters with Jesus: Unexpected Answers to Life's Biggest Questions

One of the biggest obstacles for people to accept or believe in Christianity is that they think they know all about it already. After all, hasn’t it been around for thousands of years? Doesn’t everybody know what Christians believe?

But if we look at Jesus’ encounters with various men and women during his life, we will find some of our assumptions challenged. These conversations were not about personal sins or specific religious views and practices, nor were they a set of talking points or a political platform. Instead, in these encounters we see him meeting people at the point of their big, unspoken questions: Who are we, and why are we here? Why be a good person; why love instead of hate? What’s wrong with the world— and what, if anything can make it right?

The Gospels are full of encounters that made a profound impact on those who spoke with Jesus in this way. In this monthly free book offer of Encounters with Jesus by Timothy Keller, I want to invite you to explore with Tim these encounters and how they can still address our questions and doubts today. Comment below if you want a copy of this book. Write: “I want to read this book because…” (Not less than 10 words), E-mail me your name, phone no. and postal address for me send the book. This offer is available until 31^st May 2015.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus “the Secret” (A Reflection on Mark 4:11-12)

As I studied the Gospel of Mark, I was puzzled with Mark 4:11-12. Jesus said this to His disciples when they asked to explain the parable of the sower: “You have been given the secret of the Kingdom of God” (Mark 4:11, GNB). The secret of the Kingdom of God? What secret?

The word “secret” is the same as “mystery” in other translations. In the New Testament, secret or mystery meant something previously hidden which God had now revealed. But what is the secret or mystery of the Kingdom? It is like the no. 1 best-selling book The Secret edited by Rhonda Byrne? Or is it like the secret of Malaysia’s Internal Security Act (ISA) operations?

As I read through the Gospel stories, some commentaries and Bible Study notes, I find that there are three main possibilities of meaning:

First, the secret is God’s kingly power and rule revealed in the life and teaching of Jesus that can only be recognized by those who had faith in Him. The secret was the secret of Jesus’ Messiahship and divine Sonship and yet it was partly hidden and partly seen. I remember how Jesus manifested His Sonship in His authoritative teaching, His miracles and casting out of demons; but on the other hand Jesus asked people to keep quiet about His miracles not to reveal His true identity. Believers would see the truth but unbelievers will “not see”, “not understand” (Mark 4:12) it.

Second, the secret could also refer to the humility and suffering of Jesus. This was a “mystery” because everyone expected the Kingdom of God to be full of power and glory. But, unfortunately Jesus’ life and His first coming was not full of power and glory in the way people of His time expected. On the contrary, it was full of humility and suffering.

Third, the secret could also refer to the fact that all the expectations concerning the coming of the Kingdom of God were not all fulfilled at once. The Jews expected that the coming of the Kingdom would mean judgment for God’s enemies (particularly, Rome) and deliverance and power for God’s people. They expected the Messiah to rule as a great King (read John 12) but this did not happen in the ministry of Jesus (However Jesus was saying that the Kingdom of God really had come in His life and ministry even though the expected signs could not be seen).

After that Jesus continued, “But the others, who are on the outside, hear all things by means of parables, so that, ‘They may look and look, yet not see; they may listen and listen, yet not understand. For if they did, they would turn to God, and he would forgive them’” (Mark 4:12, GNB). Jesus was quoting Isaiah 6:9 when He said this because, I think, He wanted to compare His unresponsive listeners with the hard-hearted people in Isaiah’s day who rejected God’s message. Now I understand the ministry of Isaiah as told in Isaiah 6:9. Now I understand why there was many people want to become Jesus’ followers but not His disciples. The parable – all parables – are “the secret of the Kingdom of God” revealed to the believers and sincere seekers, but it is the “the secret” hidden to the unbelievers and hard-hearted listeners. Which one are you?

Do you know the Secret?

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Let Go of Prejudice and Read It Firsthand

I once read that G. Campbell Morgan - an evangelist, preacher and teacher - had grown up in a Christian home, never questioning that the Bible was the Word of God. But in college, before he became known as Bible teacher, his faith was severely challenged and he began to entertain doubts. “The whole intellectual world was under the mastery of the physical scientists,” he later said, “and of a materialistic and rationalistic philosophy. Darwin, Huxley, Tyndall, Spencer, Bain. There came a moment when I was sure of nothing.”

In those days, opponents of the Bible appeared every Sunday in great lecture and concert halls across England, attaching Christianity and the Bible, and these brilliant atheists and agnostics troubled the young student. He read every book he could find, both for and against the Bible, both for and against Christianity, until he was so confused, so riddled with doubt that he felt he couldn’t go on.

In desperation, he closed his books, put them in his cupboard and turned the lock. Going down the bookshop, he bought a new Bible, returned to his room, sat down at his desk, and opened it. He said, “I am no longer sure that this is what my father claim it to be – the Word of God. But of this I am sure. If it be the Word of God, and if I come to it with an unprejudiced and opened mind, it will bring assurance to my soul of itself.” As he looked into the book before him, studying its form and structure and unity and message, he was amazed. He later said, “That Bible found me. I began to read and study it then, in 1883, and I have been a student ever since.”

Are you in doubt of the Bible? Here are my suggestions:

Let down your predetermined prejudice about the Bible,

Open your mind and let it speaks for itself,

Then you’ll discover that it is what it is – the written Word of God – or not at all.

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.

"Finding the Real Jesus": FREE BOOK for Curious Christians and Skeptical Seekers

“The first to speak in court sound right, until the cross-examination begins” (Proverbs 18:17, NLT)

“Finding the Real Jesus by Lee Strobel is so persuasive that by the time I finished reading it I felt like I want to climb up the top of KLCC building; stand and shout: Jesus is alive! Jesus is alive!” (Richard Angelus, Blogger)

For centuries, the Christian church has taught that Jesus is the divine Son of God, crucified for sinners and raised from the dead.

In recent years, however, that picture of Jesus has come under widely publicized attack from many sources. The new portraits of Jesus seem persuasive. You can’t help but wonder…

Did Christianity merely copy its belief from earlier mythology?

Did the church suppress alternate gospels?

Is Jesus a purveyor of secret wisdom or redeemer of the world?

Was Jesus unsuccessful in fulfilling the ancient prophesies?

Did Jesus never die on the cross or rise from the dead?

Are stories of His resurrection fabricated?

Is the New Testament hopelessly riddled with errors?

Who was Jesus – really?

FREE BOOKS!

This month of September 2013, I would like to offer my readers (ONLY) 3 BOOKS entitled “Finding the Real Jesus: A Guide for Curious Christians and Skeptical Seekers”. In this book a former atheist, a journalist and a bestselling author Lee Strobel will helps his curious and skeptical readers separate truth from media hype, sound scholarship from bias, and fact from speculation. Digging below the surface, readers will find credible, informed answers to today’s most pressing questions about Jesus.  

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… [Not less than 10 words]”

2)    Then, E-mail me at Motivates4life@hotmail.com or send message to my Facebook account your real name, phone no. and your postal address. Thank you.

Enjoy reading!

Happy Discovering and investigating!

May the book will lead you to responding!

That you may find the Real Jesus of the Bible – and start believing. Amen.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.