Jesus and the Jewish Roots of Mary: Unveiling the Mother of the Messiah (2018) by Brant Pitre, Audiobook

Photo taken from the internet

When I was considering Roman Catholicism many years ago, I had a few essential obstacles that hindered me from being one. But after I read books, listen to podcasts, examine the Scripture and Church history, and watch videos about Catholicism from both Catholics and Protestants (I don't take from atheists or agnostics for this important subject), I understand more and more of what I still disagree with, realizing the misunderstandings that I once believed, and observing straight-out anti-Catholic lies that people spread about the church.

For example, Mary of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph, and the mother of Jesus Messiah, My Lord and Savior. I still disagree with the claim of the prominence of Mary in the Scripture. It is definitely hinted at (as the author shows in this book) but it is not obvious (like the divinity of Jesus or the apostleship of Peter). I do, however, agree based on Scripture, traditions, and logic that Mary is the "Mother of God" (theotokos). It's NOT that she is the originator of the being of God (creator) or part of the Godhead (trinity) BUT because she gave birth to the eternal Son of God who became human (incarnation). If Jesus is God (He was/is), then, Mary is the mother or bearer of Jesus, who is God. I have no issue if Mary's perpetual virginity is true, I understand why there is a need to believe in the immaculate conception of Mary even though I think it is more philosophical concept rather than theology, and I'm still skeptical about the assumption of Mary to heaven (there is no internal evidence nor external refutation). But let's be objective: no true Bible-believing Catholics and the Church's Catechism teach people to worship Mary as/like/equal to God or goddess. Ignorance of this fact is a sign of gullibility. Veneration is not adoration (but of course, individuals' beliefs and practices might differ or even error and idolatry).

I thought about all of these - and more - when I listened to Dr. Pitre's book. Here he shows readers how deeply rooted Catholic views about Mary are in the Scripture by taking them step-by-step from Genesis to Revelation. He decodes how the Scripture itself, especially the Old Testament and ancient Judaism, claimed to teach that Mary is indeed the new Eve, the Mother of God, the Queen of Heaven, and the new Ark of the Covenant (the last part about she is also the last Rachel is very interesting). After I finished with this book and listened to his interviews, I'm still not a Catholic but I've become more appreciative and admire the blessed Mary as the servant of God and the mother of God. Because of His immeasurable grace: "Blessed are you [Mary] among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! ...the mother of my Lord... blessed is [Mary] who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord... For behold, henceforth all generations will call [Mary] blessed" (Luke 1:42-42, 45, 48).

#ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #Catholicism #MaryOfNazareth #JewishRoots #JesustheMessiah #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

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Seeing Jesus In All of Scripture #LeadersAreReaders May 2022

After the resurrection, Jesus appeared to two of His disciples on the road to Emmaus. This is one of the many post-resurrection appearances. The Scriptures say that “God kept them from recognizing him” (Luke 24:16). Interesting. As they were walking, the two disciples talked about “the things that happened to Jesus, the man from Nazareth” (v.19) to… Jesus. Interesting indeed. I’m not sure whether they believe everything they heard about Jesus was true or not, for sure, they heard that “Jesus is alive!” (v.23). Then, imagine this, Jesus, a stranger to them said strongly, “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?” (v.26). There and then, Jesus did an overview Bible Study with them. He “took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from ALL the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (v.27). read the rest of the passage. The good ending is this: “Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him” (v.31).

I love this sacred narrative. We can know about Jesus without really knowing Jesus. We can study the Scriptures diligently without recognizing Jesus in them (In John 5:39, Jesus said the Scriptures “point to me!”). And we can outline facts about what happened to Jesus from A to Z without really believing what we said. The two disciples were foolish and so are we if we don’t have faith to see Jesus the Messiah as He is. By God’s grace, He has opened my eyes to see and recognized Jesus in the pages of the Scriptures (This simply means I was foolish then and if I don’t see it now, I’m being foolish again). Now, this is both a supernatural and natural phenomenon. We can’t see and believe if God doesn’t open and make known to us the truth first. So we need to pray, “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law [or the Scriptures]” (Psalm 119:18, bracket mine). Yet, we can’t see and believe if we don’t read and study the Scriptures. The supernatural and natural must go hand in hand. For example, in Isaiah 32 verses 1 and 3, “Look, a righteous king is coming! [So we must look]… Then everyone who has eyes will be able to see the truth” [But God is the One who enables us to see].

I have no advice for the supernatural since it is beyond our willpower to do so except to pray and ask God the Holy Spirit with humility. But I do have advice for the natural ways to see Jesus in “ALL the Scripture.” First, read the Scriptures a.k.a. the written Word of God a.k.a. the Bible prayerfully. This is essential and all else is subordinate! Secondly, join sound teaching and Jesus-centered Bible Study (if you want to join #DugDownDeep let me know). And thirdly, read books that can supplement and instruct you deeper into the Scriptures. Good faithful pastors, preachers, teachers, and writers are God’s gifts to us for the growth of His church. Two books that I finished reading in May 2022 that are very instrumental in helping me to see and read the Scriptures with Jesus at the center anew are: 1) Finding Jesus In the Old Testament (2015, 2017) by David Limbaugh. He wrote, “Just as the Old Testament is foundational to the New, our basic understanding of the Old Testament is crucial to our comprehension of how Christ dominates its pages”; and 2) Encountering the Book of Hebrews: An Exposition (2002) by Donald A. Hagner. The Book of Hebrews doesn’t make sense without the Old Testament and the Old Testament - particularly the Law, the sacrificial ritual, the covenants, and typologies - doesn’t make sense without it all being fulfilled by Jesus the Messiah as explained very beautifully in the Book of Hebrews. Blessed!

#ServeToLead #PreachTheWord #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain #JesusInAllofScripture

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The Royal Path of Reading #LeadersAreReaders March 2022

In the late 1800s, a six hundred pages book entitled, The Royal Path of Life, written by T. L. Haines and L. W. Yaggy, M.S became popular both in the refined East and in the pioneer West (Thank you Pustaka Library for making this book available). It is filled with great maxims, observations, and homespun wisdom. Here are some parts from the chapter entitled Reading:

"There are four classes of readers. The first is like the hourglass; and its reading being on the sand, it runs in and runs out and leaves no vestige behind. A second is like a sponge, which imbibes everything, and returns it in the same state, only a little dirtier. A third is like a jelly bag, allowing all that is pure to pass away, and retaining only the refuse and dregs. The fourth is like the slaves in the diamond mines of Golconda, who, casting aside all that is worthless, obtain only pure gems.

"One's reading is, usually, a fair index of his character... 'A man is known,' it is said, 'by the company he keeps.' It is equally true that a man's character may be, to a great extent, be ascertained by knowing what books he reads.

"Master your reading, and let it never master you. Then it will serve you with ever-increasing fidelity. Only read books aright, and they will charge your mind with the true electric fire. Take them up as among your best friends; and every volume you peruse will join the great company of joyous servitors who will wait around your immortal intellect. Then, too, your daily character will bear the signatures of the great minds you commune with in secret. And, as the years pass on, you will walk in the light of an ever-enlarging multitude of well-chosen, silent, but never-erring guides.

"To read with profit, the books must be of a kind calculated to inform the mind, correct the head, and better the heart. These books should be read with attention, understood, remembered, and their precepts put into practice. It depends less on number than quality. One good book, well understood and remembered, is of more use than to have a superficial knowledge of fifty, equally sound. Books of the right character produce reflection and induce investigation. They are a mirror of the mind, for the mind to look in. Of all the books ever written, no one contains so instructive, so sublime, and so great a variety as the Bible. Resolve to read three chapters each day, for one year, and you will find realities there, more wonderful than any pictures of fiction that have been drawn by the penciling of the most practiced novel writer in the dazzling galaxy of ancient or modern literature."

Here are my sort-of book reviews for this month:

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

2) Leadership Language: Using Authentic Communication To Drive Results (2018) by Chris Westfall, CLICK HERE

3) Jesus the Messiah: A Survey of the Life of Christ (1996) by Robert H. Stein, CLICK HERE

#ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #TheRoyalPathOfLife #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

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Jesus the Messiah: A Survey of the Life of Christ (1996) by Robert H. Stein, Book Review

 Jesus the Messiah: A Survey of the Life of Christ (1996) by Robert H. Stein

I always carry a book or two in my bag. I wouldn’t feel complete without one. A book to read for personal enjoyment and curiosity always had space. That extra weight never is unnecessary. But not too heavy, of course, so that I can still freely move around with ease. There is a problem when I wanted to read more academic or scholarly books because they usually come with huge volumes (such as N.T. Wright’s Jesus and The Victory of God). Jesus the Messiah is just the right book for me! Not too thick nor too thin. Scholarly and yet suitable for the educated layperson. Readable, sound, and sensible. This book is the result of Robert H. Stein’s career of research and writing on Jesus and the Gospels as a scholar-professor of the New Testament. Stein writes with clarity about the Jesus of the Scripture, the reliability of the Gospels, the reality of the supernatural, and at the same time interacts with a variety of contemporary critical and philosophical biblical scholarship.

There are many features that I like about this book. First, as I already hinted earlier, it is not a boring but interesting book to read as opposed to a much dry writing style written by academics (Although, the first part of this book is quite technical). Secondly, there are very helpful bibliographies at the end of each chapter for the reader to explore further on the subject discussed. Thirdly, Stein begins the book by establishing the methodology for studying the life of Jesus and argues clearly about the necessity of the supernatural approach. “A study of the life of Jesus that excludes the miraculous is destined from the start to produce a Jesus who is an aberration… Attempts to strip the supernatural from Jesus’ life can only produce a Jesus so radically different that he is unrecognizable and his impact on history unexplainable.” I agree! Fourthly, although Stein uses the Christian Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John as the primary sources for studying the life of the historical Jesus, he also introduces the reader to the extrabiblical (e.g. apocryphal gospels) and non-Christian sources, which sub-divide into pagan (e.g. Pliny the Younger, Tacitus, and Suetonius) and Jewish (e.g. The Talmud and Josephus). These non-Biblical sources - whether they are accurate or not - are important, in my opinion, because they establish beyond reasonable doubt that Jesus was truly a historical person.

Fifthly, Stein often discusses briefly some possible theories (e.g. Jesus’ crucifixion) before he came to the most probable and biblical one. He also doesn’t hide some difficult passages and problems that sometimes arise from the study (e.g. the chronology of Jesus’ final week). Lastly - this is very important - Stein not only responded to issues and teach with broad knowledge on the subject at hand but he regularly drew some theological lessons and spiritual applications for the readers to think about (e.g. on Jesus’ ethical teaching and the meaning of Jesus’ resurrection). In conclusion, I enjoy reading Jesus the Messiah. I refer to it a lot for my expository teachings on the Gospel of Matthew in my podcast. Fully recommended it! ✔

#ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #TheLifeOfJesus #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

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Romans 1:3-4 Jesus Is Truly Man, Truly God (#LetterToTheRomans​)

[The Gospel] "concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 1:3-4) There are six (6) things that we need to know about Jesus in these verses ���️‍♀️���✍ #ServeToLead #PreachTheWord #TrulyManTrulyGod  

To watch previous short studies of #LetterToTheRomans CLICK HERE ��� http://bit.ly/LegasiRomans 

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Simple Book Review: "Jesus the Messiah: A Survey of the Life of Christ" (1996) by Robert H. Stein

Jesus the Messiah: A Survey of the Life of Christ (1996)
by Robert H. Stein

This book is very scholarly, I mean, technical but not that hard to understand. It seem like Professor Robert Stein aims at writing this book for seminary students. Prof Stein is a fine evangelical New Testament scholar. In this book, he draws together the results of a career of research and writing on Jesus and the Gospels. “Every episode in the life of Jesus is here treated with historical care and attention to its significance for understanding the life and ministry of Jesus.” To me, this book give inquiring minds a sure grounding in Jesus the Messiah.

This book is divided into 2 parts and 19 chapters:

Part One: Key Issues in Studying the Life of Christ

1)    Where You Start Determines Where You Finish: The Role of Presuppositions in Studying the Life of Jesus

2)    Where Can We Go? Sources for Studying the Life of Jesus

3)    When Did All This Take Place? The Problem of Chronology

Part Two: The Life of Christ

4)    Conceived by the Holy Spirit, Born of the Virgin Mary: How It All Started

5)    What Was the Boy Jesus Really Like? The Silent Years

6)    The Baptism of Jesus: The Anointing of the Anointed

7)    The Temptation of Jesus: The Battle Begun, the Path Decided

8)    The Call of the Disciples: You Shall Be My Witnesses

9)    The Message of Jesus: “The Kingdom of God Has Come to You”

10) The Person of Jesus: “Who Then Is This, That Even the Wind & Sea Obey Him?”

11) The Events of Caesarea Philippi: The Turning Point

12) The Transfiguration: A Glimpse of the Future

13) The Triumphal Entry: Israel’s King Enters Jerusalem

14) The Cleansing of the Temple: God’s House – a Den of Thieves

15) The Last Supper: Jesus Looks to the Future

16) Gethsemane, Betrayal & Arrest: God’s Will, Human Treachery & Governmental Evil

17) The Trial: The Condemning of the Innocent

18) Suffered Under Pontius Pilate, Dead and Buried: Despised & Rejected, a Man of Suffering

19) The Resurrection: “Why Do You Look for the Living Among the Dead”?

This book is very helpful for my personal and groups study on the Gospel :)

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Jesus is Not "My Buddy" but My Righteous Friend and Loving Judge (Mark 11:12-21)

“The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, ‘May no one ever eats fruit from you again.’ And his disciples heard him say it”

(Mark 11:12-14, NIV).

There is a lot we can learn from Mark 11:12-26 but I just want to focus on our Lord Jesus Christ. Here Mark sketches two quick portraits of Jesus in a role we sometimes fail to see when we read the Bible. These verses do not show the ‘meek and mild’ Jesus of our childhood stories and our adult imaginations. Rather we see here Jesus the Judge – standing firm against the unrighteousness and executing judgment on offenders of God’s law.

The first incident shows Jesus coming to a fig tree to pick and eat some fruit from it. In His humanity, He was hungry. However, the tree had leaves only but no fruit. Seeing this, Jesus uttered a statement of judgment as His disciples listened: “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” When Jesus and the disciples passed by the fig tree the next day it was completely withered (Mark 11:20-21). Most scholars see the fig tree cursing as an object lesson parable. The fig tree represents Israel, barren because her devotion to God had grown cold by Jesus’ day (in connection with “the temple courts” incident on Mark 11:15-18). The curse in verse 14 meant that Israel the nation through which God intended to bless the world, was about to be set aside because she had rejected Jesus as the Messiah.

The second incident shows Jesus in the Temple area expelling those who were desecrating the “house of prayer” (v.17). If we were to imagine ourselves inside the Temple areas, what could we see? Geoff Treasure writes: “Far from a place of prayer, their very buildings had taken on the character of a den of thieves. You were aware of them as soon as you entered the part of the temple reserved for Gentiles. The money changers confronted you… They exacted a high fee for the exchange and an even higher one if you wanted to change as well as exchange… Their profit was enormous… Others had set up in business with one eye on the profits and the other on their pockets. These were the animal sellers… These merchants had a man-made monopoly, for no animal could be offered to God unless it had been passed as acceptable by the priests. The regulation was open sesame for self-aggrandizement.”

In short, the atmosphere was anything but worshipful! Jesus the Judge saw the sacrilege and injustice with which the people had polluted the Temple, and He executed judgment on them. In what must have been an impressive display of authority, Jesus turned these “den of robbers” (v.17) upside down as he cleared the courtyard of the Temple of the distractions to prayer.

This is a facet of Jesus that we don’t look at very closely (your preachers might skip this sermon). Youthful Christians particularly like to call Jesus “my buddy” or “my pal.” He laughs at our jokes and overlooks our pranks. Sure, Jesus is the most emotional person I ever knew: He smiled, He laughed, He cried, He loved, He angered and serious. Sure too, Jesus is our Friend. But He is also a righteous and loving Judge. Jesus is not looking for buddies to pal around with, but men and women who will live lives of righteousness. As apostle Peter expressed it, “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right” (Acts 10:34-35).

Friend and Judge? Yes, Jesus is both. He is the perfect blend of love and justice. His love forgives our sins but His justice confronts us with the task of clearing sin out of our lives and replacing it with righteousness. Friend and judge; love and justice. You can’t have one without the other. Amen.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus: Many Have Looked, Few Have Seen Him

One of the most dramatic scenes in the New Testament occurred in a city known as Caesarea Philippi… It was indeed a dramatic picture. In the midst of this carnival of marble columns and golden idols, a penniless, homeless, nameless Nazarene asks His band of followers, “Who do you say that I am?”

The immensity of the question is staggering. I would imagine that Peter’s answer did not come without some hesitation. Shuffling of feet. Anxious silence. How absurd that this man should be the Son of God. No trumpets. No purple robes. No armies. Yet there was that glint of determination in His eye and that edge of certainty in His message. Peter’s response sliced the silence. “I believe that you are… the Son of God.”

Many have looked at Jesus; but few have seen Him. Many have seen His shadow, His people, His story. But only a handful have seen Jesus. Only a few have looked through the fog of religiosity and found Him. Only a few have dared to stand eye to eye and heart to heart with Jesus and say, “I believe that you are the Son of God.”

[Taken from On the Anvil by Max Lucado]

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Jesus is the Real Apologist and - the Messiah (Mark 8:27-30)

“Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, ‘Who do people say I am?’ They replied, ‘Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.’ ‘But what about you?’ he asked. ‘Who do you say I am?’ Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah.’ Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him”
(Mark 8:27-30, NIV).

Whether you ask or read what people write about Jesus, most people have an opinion of Him. Jesus is been called a philosopher, teacher, rebel, revolutionary, con man, legend, magician, prophet, lunatic and many other things since He first visit to our planet. Trouble is, most people give their opinion of Jesus Christ based upon what other people say about Him – historical writings, fiction, religious teachers, etc. They are answering Jesus’ first question to His disciples – “Who do people say I am?”

Then Jesus asked the disciples another question – similar to the first one, but much more personal: “Who do you say I am?” In other words, Jesus wasn’t satisfied in knowing how well His followers had listened to sermons at the synagogue (for us, church) or rumours from the marketplaces. Jesus wanted their personal opinion based on their exposure to and experience with Himself first-hand. Peter, like always, speaks for the others when he answers: “You are the Messiah” – the Promised One! In this brief confession I hear Peter saying, “Jesus I’ve witnessed your authority over sick bodies, demon-possessed minds, over wind and wave, your selfless love for people and most of all, your love for me. You’ve got to be the Saviour of the world we’ve been waiting for!” Amazingly, but truly, Jesus makes no attempt to deny Peter’s declaration, but accepts his confession as true. Jesus is the Messiah. Months of patient teaching and friendship have borne fruit, the disciples have discovered the truth about Him. Jesus stands alone, unprecedented, unparalleled, unrivalled, unique Son of God!

Peter’s declaration was right on! Even though he may misunderstood much of what the Messiah came to do (I’ll get to that in a later post), Peter and his fellow disciples formed a correct opinion of Jesus based on their experience with Him. So, if Peter’s confession is the truth, then why Jesus “warned them not to tell anyone about him”? As I read commentaries on this, there are two main reasons: First, there were many popular ideas of Messiah being a military or political leader, which Jesus did not fit into. Secondly, Jesus always wanted people to discover the truth for themselves. Jesus was not in the business of making bold statements that gave people no choice. Jesus’ way was always: “Look at the evidence, what do you think?” Jesus is the real apologist!  

Have you ever played the game “telephone line” (we called it “radio buruk” or whatever you call it)? One person makes up a story and whispers it to the first person in a line. The listener then whispers it to the next person in line and so on until the story passes to the other end of the line. The last person tells the story out loud as he heard it, and it’s always funny to hear how the story get distorted from one end of the line to the other. I think, that’s the trouble with listening to other people about who Jesus is. The story gets distorted. To form a true opinion of Jesus, you must meet Him personally through the Bible especially the Gospel stories, pray for the Holy Spirit illumination and interaction with other strong and mature believers [If you’re not-yet-believer, what I mean is: read the Bible, pray to God and ask knowledgeable and matured Christians]. Like Peter, you will confess, “Jesus, You’ve got to be the Messiah!”

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Jesus Healed with One Simple and Easy-to-Understand Word, "Ephphatha!" (Mark 7:31-37)

“There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him. After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, ‘Ephphatha! (which means ‘Be opened!’). At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly”
(Mark 7:32-35, NIV).

“Decapolis” (Mark 7:31), though largely a Gentile area, had considerable numbers of Jews, and it was the place where Jesus healed demon-possessed man (Mark 5:1-20). I think he had witnessed so faithfully of what Lord Jesus had done for him, thus, when Jesus arrived at their place, people immediately recognized Jesus the miracle-worker. So, they brings to Jesus a man who is both “deaf and could hardly talk” to be healed by him. The likelihood is that he had lost his hearing, rather than being born deaf, possibly through an illness or accident, for he had some speech.

Of all the people, why the crowd brought only this man to Jesus? Is he an important man and that’s why they “begged” Jesus to heal him? Or is he just an ‘experiment’ subject to witness Jesus done miracle show in front of them? Maybe both. But whatever the reasons, Jesus “took him aside, away from the crowd,” so that he can communicate with him more effectively and personally. It is fascinating to read how Jesus deals with the man, because, for God, each person was special and deserved a unique approach (The way God deals with me will be different from you, and you from others). First, Jesus “put his fingers into the man’s ears” as a sign language to show that He wants to restore his hearing. It was a beautiful way for Jesus to enter into this man’s world.

“Then [Jesus] spit and touched the man’s tongue.” Jesus’ actions here may seem strange and almost disgusting. But actually Jesus identifies with the man’s need for speech. “Spittle,” explain Life Application Bible Commentary on Mark, “was commonly recognized in the ancient world as having healing properties. The man responded in faith and desire for healing.” Then Jesus looks up to heaven to demonstrate to the man where the healing is coming from – God the Father, the source of Jesus’ power. The “deep sigh” is probably a token of his identification with the man’s suffering. See, how every touch and gesture of Jesus has meaning. Awesome!

Finally, Jesus commands healing: “Ephphatha!” or “Be opened!” Immediately, “the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.” Jesus only used one simple and easy-to-understand word, not like magicians and exorcists (and some faith-healers today) who would use incantations made up of nonsense words or syllables to perform their tricks or healings. Jesus simply says, “Ephphatha!” and he was healed completely.

We then read Jesus’ familiar instruction: “Not to tell anyone” (Mark 7:36). He did not want His ministry hindered by those who would look upon Him simply as a miracle-worker and healer. The man must have found that the command was hard to obey. He and some others who witnessed this miracle “kept talking about it” anyway until “people were overwhelmed with amazement.” The people of the region are very impressed by what they have seen but have yet to understand who it is Who has done this amazing thing. I noticed that this incident is parallel with Genesis 1, where all God’s creative works are perfect, and so is the manifestation of His Son’s power. God’s work is so good, and here the people responded to Jesus’ miracle in the same way: “He has done every well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak” (Mark 7:37).

Dear readers, Jesus is more than a miracle-worker and a healer,

more than a great teacher and prophet,

He is – if only the people have gone a step farther and realized who Jesus is –

“the Christ” (Mark 8:29), the Son of God, the promised Messiah!

By faith, if you still can’t see who Jesus is, listen to His commands “Be opened!” and obey.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

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

The Question: What is the Truth?

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

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

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

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

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

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

THINK BIG. START SMALL. START SMALL.

Jesus the Coming King

His Majesty. The emperor of Judah. The soaring eagle of eternity. The noble admiral of the Kingdom. All the splendour of heaven revealed in a human body. For a period ever so brief, the doors to the throne room were open and God came near. His Majesty was seen. Heaven touched the earth and, as a result, earth can know heaven. In astounding tandem a human body housed divinity. Holiness and earthliness intertwined.

This is no run-of-the-mill messiah. His story was extraordinary. He called Himself divine, yet allowed a minimum-wage Roman soldier to drive a nail into His wrist. He demanded purity, yet stood for the rights of a repentant whore. He called men to march, yet refused to allow them to call him King. He sent men into all the world, yet equipped them with only bended knees and memories of a resurrected carpenter…

Let’s follow His sandalprints. Let’s sit on the cold, hard floor of the cave in which He was born. Let’s smell the sawdust of the carpentry shop. Let’s hear His sandals slap the hard trails of Galilee. Let’s sigh as we touch the healed sores of the leper. Let’s smile as we see His compassion with the woman at the well. Let’s cringe as we hear the hissing of hell’s Satan. Let’s let our voices soar with the praises of the multitudes. Let’s try to see Him.

One warning. Something happens to a person who has witnessed His Majesty. He became addicted. One glimpse of the King and you are consumed by a desire to see more of Him and say more about Him. Pew-warning is no longer an option. Junk religion will no longer suffice. Sensation-seeking is needless. Once you have seen His face you will forever long to see it again.

[From God Came Near by Max Lucado]

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus can Transform Us: From Self-Centeredness to God-Centeredness

Phote taken from: holidaycamps.org.au

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?’”
(Matthew 16:24-26, NLT).

Recognizing and confessing belief in Jesus as the Messiah is only the beginning of discipleship. Jesus invites every person, but those who want to follow him must be willing to “turn from,” “take up,” and “follow.” Jesus didn’t make being his disciple sound easy. To those who were hoping to have special positions in Jesus’ earthly Kingdom (see Luke 22:24), these statements would have been tough to hear. Denying their personal desires and taking up a cross in order to follow this man was not the life they had imagined.

To “turn from your selfish ways” means rejecting the “me first” attitude. Our normal, sinful human tendency is to take care of ourselves, focusing on personal desires and security (I just describing myself). Jesus was saying that anyone who wanted to follow him first had to turn away from those selfish desires and earthly security and put him in charge. This attitude transforms self-centeredness to God-centeredness. It means dying to self and living for Christ, putting personal desires and life itself into his hands.

Jesus went on to say that those who willingly “give up” their lives will “save” it. This statement was as jarring to people in Jesus’ day as it is today. The Greek word for “life” is psyche, referring to the soul, the part of the person that includes the personality with all its dreams, hopes, and goals. Those who “hang on to” their lives in order to satisfy desires and goals apart from God, ultimately “lose” their lives. Those who willingly “give up” or “lose” their lives for the sake of Christ, whoever, actually “save” them. Think about this: Nothing we can gain on our own can compare to what we gain with Christ. Jesus wants us to choose to follow him, to turn all that we are and have over to his disposal. Instead of letting us foolishly try to control our futures – which only he know – he wisely wants to take care of our lives for his own glory. In Jesus we really live. Amen.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus Warned Us: Don't Guide or Advice Him, Just Follow Him

“But Peter took [Jesus] aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things, ‘Heaven forbid, Lord,’ he said. ‘This will never happen to you!’ Jesus turned to Peter and said, ‘Get away from me, Satan! You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s’”

(Matthew 16:22-23, NLT).

Right after confessed his heartfelt belief in Jesus as “the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (16:16) and having been given great authority in the Kingdom of Heaven (16:18-19), Peter was shaken to hear Jesus predict these terrible events. He must have wondered what Jesus’ death would mean for the disciples, specifically for him. So Peter began to “reprimand” or rebuke Jesus. The word translated “reprimand” is a strong term meaning that Peter was, in fact, rejecting Jesus’ interpretation of the Messiah as a suffering figure. He was against Jesus’ plan. He disagreed. Peter, in effect, was trying to talk Jesus out of going to the Cross. But if Jesus hadn’t suffered and died, Peter would have died in his sins. And do all of us.

Shortly before this interaction, Jesus had told Peter, “You are blessed, Simon son of John” (16:17). But at this point Jesus told him, “Get away from me, Satan!” What happened? Peter had quickly turned from God’s perspective to evaluating the situation from a “human point of view.” (Jesus doesn’t mean, Peter = Satan). In the process, Peter was either being used by Satan or using one of Satan’s tactics in trying to protect his beloved Master or both. Notice this: Peter and other disciples were motivated by love and admiration for Jesus, nevertheless, their job was not to guide or advice and protect him but to follow him. Unknowingly, the disciples were trying to prevent Jesus from going to the Cross and fulfilling his grand mission. Only after Jesus’ death and resurrection would they understand why he had to die.

Think about this: When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness (see Matthew 4), he tried to get him to look at his life and the world from a human point of view. But Jesus dismissed Satan’s plan by the Word of God. Jesus remain in God’s perspective. Why endure a cross when you can have an earthly crown? But God’s perspective changes everything. Way more important than any earthly fame, fortune, relationships, or power is doing what God wants. This life is but a prelude to eternal life with Him. Amen.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.