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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The Spirit-Filled Life: Restoring A Biblical Understanding and Experience of the Holy Spirit (1895, 2019) by John MacNeil, Book Review

To listen to the audiobook of this book, go to Aneko Press YouTube Channel

 The Spirit-Filled Life: Restoring A Biblical Understanding 
and Experience of the Holy Spirit (1895, 2019) by John MacNeil

If I want to listen to or read Bible-saturated Christian classics, the first place I go is the Aneko Press website and YouTube. So many good titles, sound authors, and the best is - it’s free! Although it's an old book, the heart of MacNeil’s message is timeless. Aneko Press has done a good job of updating and revising it. This book can be scary to read because it sometimes emphasized heavily the teaching of ‘inner life’ like that of Andrew Murray’s books. In fact, he, Murray, and others were parts of the controversial Higher Life Movement. If not careful, it will make you feel spiritually inferior. But with prayerful reading and Scripture meditating, your eyes will be open to how much God desire for His children to be filled with the Holy Spirit - and to know Him. “The fullness of the Holy Spirit,” writes MacNeil, “is the birthright of every believer.”

The author begins this book by quoting Acts 19:1-2, “Now it happened that while Apollos was in Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples. He said to them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’ And they said to him, ‘On the contrary, we have not even heard if there is a Holy Spirit.’” MacNeil comments on this situation, “Many - oh, so many - of God’s dear children are living on the wrong side of Pentecost, living on the same plane as that on which the disciples were living before they were filled with the Holy Spirit, and thus by their lives they practically make the sad confession, ‘We did not so much as hear whether the Holy Spirit was given or whether there is any Holy Spirit.’” Indeed, this is a sad confession. I have said it before too. Chapter 3: A Command to Be Obeyed; Chapter 4: Something Different from the New Birth; Chapter 7: The Time Between Regenerating and Filling; and Chapter 8: Other Words for Being Filled With the Spirit; are very helpful chapters to understand the distinction between being filled with the Spirit from being born (again) of the Spirit. The Scripture examples and passages that MacNeil used to support his writings are very persuasive. Don’t take it all at face value, of course, but do consider it seriously.

We need to continually be filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). I find that if I don’t, my spiritual life will be dry. There were times when I preached the Word of God, it was all rhetoric but no power. Bones with no skins. iPhone 13 software with short battery life. At one-third of the book, MacNeil gave a very valuable reminder: “[Be] on guard against desiring such an important blessing from wrong motives. We must seek it for the one supreme reason - the glory of God. If self is at the root of our motives at all, God will most surely block our way to fullness of blessing... there is a need for the refining fire to go through our hearts. God must be Alpha and Omega in the matter. ‘For God’s glory, and for God’s glory alone’ must be our motto as we proceed with our search for the fullness of the Spirit.” Amen. Read it!

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The Lord from Heaven (1958, 1974) by Leon Morris, Book Review

 The Lord from Heaven: A Study of the New Testament Teaching
on the Deity and Humanity of Jesus Christ (1958, 1974) by Leon Morris

This is a very worn-out book. But it is very good, insightful, and surprisingly still relevant amidst the many books on the same topic. I’ve read it during my flight to Cambodia a few years ago. Due to the holiday mood, I forget most of the contents (this is good because I can read it all over again as if it's new for me) but I remember thinking that I must read it again slowly and thoughtfully. I’m glad I did. Because over the years as I’m gaining more knowledge of the Scripture, interest in theology, and passion for the Person of Jesus Christ, I can appreciate it even more now. What I like about Leon Lamb Morris (1914-2006), a respected New Testament scholar, is that he writes in such a way that is both scholarly and yet readable, with depth and yet simple, just like the late John Stott and Michael Green. I highly recommend his Bible commentaries too especially on the Gospel of Matthew, John, and Romans.

Why this book is important? Simply this: Jesus Christ is. His question to the disciples, “Who do you say I am?” (Matthew 16:15) is what we - the believers and the potential believers - must discover over and over again for the rest of our lives. Knowing Jesus is not enough. Knowing the right Jesus as taught in the Scripture is essential. Knowledge of truth leads to saving faith, faith leads to eternal life. Our theology affects our doxology. What do we say and believe about Jesus matters! The main purpose of Leon Morris in this book is to give a short and simple outline of what the New Testament says about the Person of Jesus. He concludes that the Scripture taught clearly that He is BOTH God AND man. I agree. Morris writes, “The great thought of the New Testament is that God has taken action in the Person of His Son to put away man’s sin. This is not the idea of one or two writers, but the whole of the early church. Nowhere in the New Testament do we find any such thought as that Jesus is like one of the angels, or that He can be fully explained in purely human terms. With one accord the New Testament writers insist that Jesus must be thought of as God in the fullest sense. His relationship to the Father is the very closest relationship possible. There is no doubt about the place they ascribe to Jesus.”

He continues, “This is all the more remarkable in view of their convinced monotheism. They do not seem to have envisaged the possibility of a multiplicity of gods. They took it as an axiom that there can be only one God. Without compromise on this basic tenet, they yet affirmed the deity of Christ.” Right. When someone asks me to explain about the Doctrine of the Trinity, how can one God exist in three Persons, I usually added one more challenging issue to the inquiry by stating the Doctrine of the Incarnation, that God became human, and He - Jesus - was truly God and truly man. How can it be? Well, I can help him or her to examine the Scripture but I can never explain it fully. “How these two, the deity and the humanity, are related, or even how they could come to co-exist in the one Person, we do not know,” said Morris honestly. “The evidence does not indicate that Jesus was partly God and partly man, that He did some things as God and others as a man. Rather He was one Person, though a Person with divine and human characteristics.” This is a mystery beyond any man’s power to solve or to explain it away. I think we are free to reject this doctrine if we also reject the consistent testimonies of the Scripture, particularly the New Testament, regarding the Person of Jesus. But if we accept the Scripture as the written Word of God (I do), there is no way for us to deny that Jesus was God incarnate. As H.E.W. Turner, quoted by Morris, emphasizes strongly, “The Person of Jesus does not come apart in our hands into the two halves of humanity and divinity, one of which we have to set on one side when we begin to examine the other. His Personality is a seamless whole.”

This book is divided into eight (8) chapters, namely, 1) Jesus of Nazareth; 2) Jesus’ View of Himself; 3) Jesus the Man; 4) A Prince and A Saviour; 5) The Lord of Glory; 6) A Great High Priest; 7) God the Word; and 8) Conclusion. In each chapter, Morris unpacked what the New Testament taught about the humanity and divinity of Jesus from multiple angles, genres, and themes but leave the verdict for us to answer ourselves: “Who do you say about Jesus?”

#ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #TheLordFromHeaven #LeonMorris #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

Related book review: The Forgotten Trinity (1998) by James R. White, CLICK HERE
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The Supremacy of God In Preaching (1990, 2004) by John Piper, Book Review

The Supremacy of God In Preaching (1990, 2004) by John Piper

 

“There are always two parts to true worship,” writes John Piper, one of the role models who taught me to delight in God, to love the Scriptures, and to proclaim the truth with passion, “There is seeing God, and there is savoring God. You can’t separate these. You must see him to savor him. And if you don’t savor him when you see him, you insult him. In true worship, there is always understanding with the mind, and there is always feeling in the heart. Understanding must always be the foundation of feeling, or all we have is baseless emotionalism. But the understanding of God that doesn’t give rise to feeling for God becomes mere intellectualism and deadness. This is why the Bible continually calls us to think and consider and meditate, on the other hand, and to rejoice and fear and mourn and delight and hope and be glad, on the other hand. Both are essential for worship.” This is one of the most critical passages in the book. If you get this - especially the preachers - you will see why the work of preaching is not just informing but also transforming the mind and the heart of the (listening) hearers to look Godward. Piper continues by saying that the reason that preaching is so essential is that “it is uniquely suited to waken seeing God and savoring God… with the exposition of the Word of God and exultation in the God of the Word.”

Few people like John Piper understand the real goal, purpose, and high calling of preaching today. Perhaps the other preacher is the late Martyn Lloyd-Jones (I’m currently reading Preaching & Preachers by Dr Lloyd), who said: “To me, the work of preaching is the highest and greatest and the most glorious calling to which anyone can ever be called.” It is always dangerous, in my opinion, to compare previous faithful preachers with contemporary preachers because times have changed. But if the truth is unchanged, then the means to declare the truth is unchanged too, namely, through preaching. “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). But many of the so-called preachings nowadays is nothing more than just a motivational talk or an inspirational sharing or a psychological counselling session. Sprinkling Bible verses here and there, exciting the audiences with music and dramatic actions, delivering TED talks-style man-centred teachings, which people call preaching today. Far from the truth! As much as the judgment of God goes to the modern-day false preachers, the people also play the role and are held responsible for lifting them to celebrity status (read 2 Timothy 4:3). Preachers must teach the truth, and the people must hunger for the truth. How do you know if the preacher is teaching the truth? He will point you to SEE God. How do you know if you are hunger for the truth? You will be longing to SAVOR God.

Read what Pastor John said about the supremacy of God in preaching: “The dominant note of preaching be the freedom of God’s sovereign grace, that the unifying theme be the zeal that God has for his own glory, that the grand object of preaching be the infinite and inexhaustible being of God, and that the pervasive atmosphere of preaching be the holiness of God.” It is God from beginning to end. God reign! There are many gems in this book, and I highly recommend it to every pastor, teacher, preacher, and growing Christian. Although I’m not particularly called to be a preacher but a staff worker, I find this book helps me to remind myself that the chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying him forever. [Note: The Westminster Shorter Catechism summarizes the chief end of man by using the word “and” to connect the two statements, but John Piper has suggested that the word “by” would be more consistent]. I have read this book for the third time. The first time I was in the FES Penang office during my visit many years ago, the second time I moved back to FES Sarawak, and again this year. Read it!

#ServeToLead #GrowingLeaders #LeadersAreReaders #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain #JohnPiper #TheSupremacyOfGodInPreaching

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Extreme Smile (Romania: Milan Haimovici) #PersecutedChurch

The cold, dark prison cell was crowded with Romanian Christians who were determined to bring the light of Jesus into the darkness. One of these prisoners was Milan Haimovici. While he was witnessing for Jesus, he was asked, "How can you say that you walk and talk with him?" This was his reply... #ServeToLead #PreachTheWord #PrayForThePersecutedChurch

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The story is taken from The Voice of the Martyrs Extreme Devotion Apps

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Extreme Question (Rome: Ptolemaeus) #PersecutedChurch

"Are you a Christian?" Three times the question was asked. Three times the answer was, "Yes." Three Christians were martyred. The Roman ruler Urbicus has no tolerance for Christians in A.D. 150 ✝#ServeToLead #PreachTheWord #PrayForThePersecutedChurch

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Romans 1:21-25 The Origin of Idolatry (#LetterToTheRomans)

"Claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things" (Romans 1:22-23). There are three stages involve from suppressing the truth about God to idolatry. What are they? ⛔ #ServeToLead #PreachTheWord #TheOriginOfIdolatry

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Two Things that Are Suited to Humble the Soul of Men

 "Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O Lord, and You exalt Yourself as head over all" (1 Chronicles 29:11) #ServeToLead #PreachTheWord #TheGreatnessOfGod

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Five (5) Lessons I Learned from William Carey: Pioneer Missionary (this edition 2000) by E.A. Annett, Book Review

 

William Carey: Pioneer Missionary (this edition 2000) by E.A. Annett

Reading biographies of heroes of the faith like William Carey never fails to inspire me to continue to serve the Lord and stop complaining. As much I admire his accomplishments, I'm encouraged the most by his passion and perseverance amidst difficulties. If only young* people nowadays are exposed to great men and women of God of old (not perfect, of course) like Carey, William Tyndale, Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Knox, John Sung, Corrie Ten Boom, Catherine Booth, etc. and not to be soo obsessed with K-Pop idols, they will grow stronger in the faith and maturity in the mind. When today's depression causes many youngsters to self-destructive behavior, Charles H. Spurgeon, who was battling with depression until the end of his life, by the grace of God, was able to change the world of Christianity during his time and beyond. How do I know it's possible? Read Christian biographies.

Now, there are lots of things I can say about Mr. Carey and so many lessons I have learned. Let me briefly just share five (5) of them:

1) Evangelism: Winning Lost Souls for Christ. After his conversion, he grows rapidly. He studies the Scripture diligently and has a great interest ("fierce energy of love for the heathen") to reach the lost. One of his first book or booklet that he wrote to share his conviction for reaching the world outside England was entitled, An Enquiry Into the Obligation of Christians to Use Means for the Conversion of the Heathen ("heathen" is an old word for the ungodly or pagans or unbelievers). The local church wasn't ready for this, but he was very persuasive about it and see to it that God's given-dream be done.

2) Calvinism: Theology on Fire. Now, to be clear, the book doesn't mention his Calvinistic view but simply said that he was a Baptist preacher in England before he went to India. Other biographers, however, stated that he was a devout Calvinist in the matters of a systematic approach to Biblical hermeneutics. And because of his high view of God's sovereignty, he sparked the people's consciousness about their responsibility to share the Gospel to the lost, when he preached a sermon from Isaiah 54:2-3. Two great principles were recorded from this sermon: "Expect great things from God; Attempt great things for God." God alone can do it; God will enable us to do it.

3) Vision: Don't Give Up. From England to India; from a fairly good European life to poverty-stricken missionary life; from suspicious and reluctant support by the Baptist Missionary Society at home to doubtful locals of India; from unreliable partners at first to most faithful brothers (thank God!) like Joshua Marshman and William Ward. In all of these challenges and more, Carey doesn't give up. Only after 6-7 years of ministering tirelessly, then he and his friends saw the first fruits of conversion. Then, as they gain momentum, they started Serampore Mission school, college, and literature classes. When God gave the vision, don't give up... "attempt great things for God" (P.s: The cost of the vision also very heavy for Carey, especially for the family).

4) Bible: People Must Know God's Written Word. E.A. Annett writes: "In early days, while still engaged at his shoemaking, Carey hammered out his system of evangelization. With sanctified genius, he had recognized that the main instrument in the great work must be the Bible translated into the vernaculars of the peoples." With no formal education or any language-grammar training, Carey and his friends - the trio - learned the Indian languages through self-taught and by practice. They, together with Indian pundits, have translated the entire Bible and/or in part into 29+ languages and dialects. One time their printing house was on fire but the next day they started all over again. Just like Martin Luther and William Tyndale, when the people understand the Bible in their languages, reformation - spiritually and intellectually - will unavoidably happen. Such is the power of God's Word unleashed!

5) Humility: In the End, to God Be the Glory. Mr. Carey was the most industrious man. He teaches in the university, he translates the Bible daily, he preaches in the public, he trains new preachers, he studies always, he leading prayer meetings, he wrote letters, he wrote books and pamphlets, he devours every morning to reading and meditating, he defends and protects the Mission from the enemies (both from within and without), he loves to examine insects, birds, and plants, he takes care of his garden and more. Of course, as he gets older, he can't do most of these things. And yet, with all that he has done for God, he never takes off his eyes from the Lord, the One who has done everything through him. One day he responded to his guest, "Mr. Duff, you have been speaking about Dr. Carey, Dr. Carey; when I am gone say nothing about Dr. Carey - speak about Dr. Carey's Savior." Wow! In the little cemetery where he was buried, there is a simple inscription (chosen by himself) that say:

WILLIAM CAREY
Born August 17, 1761
Died June 9, 1834

"A wretched, poor and helpless worm,
On Thy kind arms I fall."

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Lord, Heal My Tongue: The Reason You Have a Tongue (Part 8/9)

"Our tongues are our glory," said Derek Prince. You might ask why. The answer is because the Creator gave each of us a tongue for one supreme purpose - to glorify Him. The only reason for a tongue is that with it you and I may glorify God. That is why our tongues become our glory. It is the member by which, above all others, we may glorify the Creator.

[This is a reading from Derek Prince's Does Your Tongue Need Healing? (1986) by Derek Prince Ministries International. Published by Whitaker House] #ServeToLead #HealMyTongue

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If Your Gift Is Writing (or Whatever Your Gifts Are), Do It to Honor God and to Benefit Others (Read 1 Kings 3:1-15)

So far, King Solomon had carefully lived by God's Wonderful Law and He gave him success. Solomon asked God for wisdom, and with it, God gave him economic prosperity and fame. "[Give] to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil…," (1 Kings 3:9, NKJV) asked Solomon. God was pleased with Solomon's prayer, He replied, "Because of you have asked this thing… for yourself understanding to discern justice, behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you. And I have also given you what you have not asked…" (1 Kings 3:11-13). Solomon asked for wisdom to lead God's people; God gave him the wisdom to serve others. In short, God had given you gifts, talents, and potentials so that we can use it to do His will. When we do, everyone else benefits.

"I recently flew to St. Louis on a commercial airline," recalled Max Lucado in his book Cure for the Common Life (2005), "The attendant was so grumpy I thought she'd lemons for breakfast. She made her instructions clear: sit down, buckle up, and shut up! I dared not request anything lest she pushes the eject button. Perhaps I caught her on a wrong day, or maybe she caught herself in the wrong career.

Two weeks later I took another flight. This attendant had been imported from heaven. She introduced herself to each passenger, had us greet each other, and then sang a song over the intercom! I had to ask her, ‘Do you like your work?' ‘I love it!' she beamed. ‘For years I taught elementary school and relished each day. But then they promoted me. I went from a class of kids to an office of papers. Miserable! I resigned, took some months to study myself, found this opportunity, and snagged it. Now I can't wait to come to work!'…

"You can do something no one else can do in a fashion no one else can do it. Exploring and extracting your uniqueness excites you, honors God, and expands His Kingdom. So ‘make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that' (Galatians 6:4, The Message). Discover and deploy your knacks," concluded Max. If you were given Solomon's opportunity to ask for anything, what would you choose? Would your requests benefit others if God granted them?

In your prayer, as you about to finished reading this blog post,

Ask God for your heart's desire (I always wanted to inspire others).

Trust in God's generosity to you (He gave me the wisdom to write).

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Timothy, This Is the Great Mystery of Our Faith (Six-Fold Descriptions about Christ in 1 Timothy 3:16)

"Without question, this is the great mystery of our faith:

Christ was revealed in a human body

and vindicated by the Spirit.

He was seen by angels

and announced to the nations.

He was believed in throughout the world

and taken to heaven in glory"

(1 Timothy 3:16, NLT)

After Paul wrote about "how people must conduct themselves in the household of God" (v.15), he now focuses on what is at stake and why it is important to do so (v.16). He begins by saying "without question" or contradiction. It gives the thought of something that cannot be denied, "…this is the great mystery of our faith." Mystery? This is not like a mystery novel, unknown or secret truth. Rather, as H. A. Ironside, a Bible teacher, and preacher, said that it is "a secret revealed only to initiates." He continues, "This mystery is that of the incarnation – that God came down to earth, taking into union with His Deity a human body, a human spirit, and a human soul so that He was both God and Man in one blessed, adorable Person." This is the great mystery of our faith; this is the foundation on which our faith stands; this is the foundation of the truth (v.15) – Jesus Christ, our Lord, and Saviour! He is the One in whom is centered the "mystery of our faith." Here are six-fold descriptions about Christ:

#1 Jesus is Fully Human: "Christ was revealed in a human body..." If anyone wants to know what God is like, they can look at Jesus. "No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father's heart. He has revealed God to us" (John 1:18). Again, in John 1:14, "[The Word] became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father's one and only Son." And so, "God was in Christ" revealed in a human body.

#2 Jesus is Fully God: "…and vindicated by the Spirit." Jesus was God manifest in the flesh or revealed in a human body by the revelations of the Holy Spirit on several occasions in His earthly life such as during His baptism, transfiguration, and so forth. During His baptism, for example, God the Father opened the heavens above Him, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him, and the Father's voice was heard declaring, "This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy" (Matthew 3:17). Thus, Jesus was vindicated by the Spirit. As you read the gospel stories, you can see that behind His humanity there lies His divinity. He healed, He preached, and He forgives sin all by "the Holy Spirit's power" (Luke 4:14).

#3 Jesus is Greater than Angels: "He was seen by angels…" Do you know that angels – these mighty creatures – were present at the very high points of Jesus' early life and ministries such as His birth, temptation, agony in the garden, resurrection, and ascension? If you read Hebrews 1-2, the angels were there when God the Son was with the Father and the Holy Spirit in heaven. H. A. Ironside puts it this way, "Before God became incarnate in Jesus Christ He was invisible to created eyes. God the Father was invisible; God the Son was invisible; God the Holy Spirit was invisible. Angels could look only upon the glory of God but could not see the invisible One. But when the Lord Jesus Christ came down to earth… they knew they were looking into the face of the God who had created them. As He walked on earth angels were beholding the wondrous works wrought by God manifest in flesh." Angels are created beings, God is the Creator. Therefore, Jesus is greater!

#4 Jesus is the Message of Salvation for All: "…and announced to the nations." Because of Jesus the Son, God was no longer to have one people (the Jews) separated from the rest of the nations (the Gentiles) but His love could go out to all mankind. "Call him [Jesus] Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us'" (Matthew 1:23). This is the message to the nations, "In Jesus Christ, God is with us! Not against us!" All may be saved who turn to Him in faith.

#5 Jesus is the Saviour of the World: "He was believed in throughout the world…" This is a missionary statement. Soon and very soon, the whole world will believe Him. I don't mean that all will believe in Him and be saved. What I mean is that the world will know that Jesus is the Saviour of the world. Jesus prayed for His disciples to the Father that "they will all be one, just as you and I are one – as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me" (John 17:21). Either the world will believe in Him in faith or rebellion, the Bible is clear all will: "At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:10-11).

#6 Jesus Came to Be Rejected but He Returned in Glory: "…and taken to heaven in glory." Jesus Christ, the Man-God is now in heaven or as Paul says "in glory." What Paul wanted to emphasize here is not so much about where He went but how He went "…in glory." For about 30 years, Jesus walked humbly on earth like one of His own creations. He never did anything but good. He healed people, raised the dead, and loved the sinners. Yet He was despised and rejected. Finally, He bore the ultimate rejection through suffering, pain, and death. But as you and I know that was not the end of the story. This is the redemption story: Jesus was raised back to life! He has risen! He appeared in splendor and glorious body! He was lifted in glory!

It took me about 2 hours to finished writing this article. Every description of Christ in this one verse in 1 Timothy 3:16 is precious and worth to consider and meditate upon. Take your time today to praise and thank Him for who He is and for what He had done for you and me. Amen.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Young Men and Women, Christ Is All that Matters

“Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us”

(Colossians 3:11, NLT)

Paul compresses his comprehensive creed into these 12 words: “Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.” Each word brings to light all the excellences and glories of Jesus Christ our Lord. I love how New King James Version simplified it: “Christ is all and in all.” Letter to the Colossian church aims primarily at the exaltation of Christ in His glory and splendor. Of the 95 verses in this letter, Christ is mentioned more than half! Christ, Christ, Christ. “Christ is all and in all.” The Colossian Christian were being taught and lured away by the false teachings of Gnosticism (you're required to have ‘special knowledge’ to get to know God, to put it simply).  Paul here directs their attention toward Jesus alone as the source of wisdom and knowledge – Christ is all that matters.

Paul tells them that in Christ, “dwells all the completeness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9). A hymn by an unknown author puts it wonderfully,

In Him most perfectly expressed,

The Father’s glories shine,

Of the full Deity possessed

Eternally divine.

Jesus is the complete embodiment of all there is in God. Jesus Himself declared: “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father… I am in the Father and the Father is in me” (John 14:9, 11). Paul here demolished the Docetic* heresy which maintained that Jesus has no real body and the Cerinthian* heresy which separated the man Jesus from the divine attribute.

Christ is the all in all of creation. “Everything was created through him and for him” (Colossians 1:16). “Everything” here means the whole universe. This is the Christ-centred universe – a Christocentric universe! He is its nerve center. Paul is underlining the central activity of Christ in creation. The whole creation is designed to reveal Him. The natural points us to the spiritual.

Christ is the all in all of the providence. “He existed before anything else” (Colossian 1:17). J. Oswald Sanders writes, “Christ occupies the whole sphere of human life and permeates all its developments. Nature is not a machine. Its laws are formulated and administered by the risen Christ.” It is by Him that all things unified, hold together and “in him, we live and move and exist” (Acts 17:28).

Christ is the all in all of the redemption. He “purchased our freedom and forgave our sins” (Colossians 1:14). Through His blood we have redemption! He alone has redeemed us. He paid the debt of our sin not with silver or gold but by His own precious blood. Jesus nailed our sin to the cross thus “ canceled the record of the charges against us” (Colossians 2:14). At the same time, He gloriously defeated “the [evil] spiritual rulers and authorities” and held them up to public shame and disgrace (read Colossians 2:15).

Christ is all that matters

And you know what? He lives in all of us. Wow!

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Timothy, Hear this Doxology! (1 Timothy 1:17)

“To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God,

be honour and glory forever and ever. Amen.”

(1 Timothy 1:17, ESV)

I never knew this word before – doxology. Simply, it mean “an expression of praise to God.” As I read through 1 Timothy 1, it’s not surprise that the apostle Paul, who recognizes the grace and mercy of God in his own life, would conclude his testimony with a doxology praising the God who did it all. Paul calls God “the King of the ages” which literally described God as the eternal King. He is unaffected by time and is the King ALWAYS. Paul also refers the Lord Jesus as King, “King of kings and Lord of lords” (1 Timothy 6:15). In the time of Paul and Timothy, most early Christians were persecuted because they won’t acknowledge the Roman emperor as divine and they paid for their lives believing and praising God as the only King that they will worship! Describing God as “the King of the ages” represents Him as higher than all authorises or other gods of the Roman and pagans world (Paul was writing this letter to Timothy who served in the city of Ephesus in which emperor worship took place).

God is also “immortal,” meaning He does not die, ALWAYS is. He is “invisible” as the Spirit (read John 1:18 which also refers to Jesus) and He is “the only God” (read Exodus 20:1-4 and Deuteronomy 6:4-5). With all of these wonderful descriptions about God, I join Paul in giving “honour and glory” to Him my King! The closing phrase “forever and ever” is also translated as “to the ages of ages” and this compliments God as “King of the ages,” the Triune God. Wow! The word “amen,” meaning “so be it” or “Yeszzza!” concludes the doxology very well. This is how Eugene Peterson paraphrased Paul’s doxology and as you read this – on laptop, tab or smartphone – read it aloud (it’s okay if people think you’re crazy) as you give praise to the King:

“Deep honour and bright glory

to the King of All Time –

One God, Immortal, Invisible,
ever and always. Oh, yes!”

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.