Give Thyself To Reading #LeadersAreReaders July 2022

 At this writing, I'm finishing a book by Jason Dorsey and Denise Villa entitled Zconomy: How Gen Z Will Change the Future of Business — and What to Do About It (2020). It is obvious from their research that Gen Zers are more attracted to visuals and videos than words. The immediate implication is that reading actual books are in decline. With social media, Netflix, and video games competing for our attention (not just Gen Zers), the side effects include a shortened attention span and a limited ability at deep and critical thinking. I wrote "our attention" because I'm fully aware that the temptation of consuming content for the sake of entertainment only and mindless viewing are real. If I'm not careful (or don't control it), I can be sucked into the vortex of shallowness. I'm horrified by the thought of not being able to think deeply and critically. God forbid!

One of the best antidotes (not the only one, of course) to this deathly sin is by reading books. I can quote lots of positive research that has been done to prove this but let me choose the most authoritative of all: The Bible. Particularly, the example of the apostle Paul. When he was in prison, waiting for his sure execution, he wrote to Timothy. His last request in the letter is to ask Timothy for a cloak to keep him warm and to bring his books! (read 2 Timothy 4:13). Charles Spurgeon, my favorite preacher of the 19th century, reflected on Paul's request:

"He is inspired, and yet he wants books! He has seen the Lord, and yet he wants books! He has had a wider experience than most men, and yet he wants books! He had been caught up in the third heaven and had heard things unlawful for a man to utter, yet he wants books! He has written a major part of the New Testament, and yet he wants books! The apostle says to Timothy and so he says to every Christian, ‘Give thyself to reading.’ The man who never reads will never be read; he who never quotes will never be quoted. He who will not use the thoughts of other men’s brains proves he has no brains of his own.”

Be inspired by Paul's love of books (actually, I'm also inspired by Charles Spurgeon's love of books too. Read his biographies!). Protect your mind. Think deeply and critically. Love knowledge. Savor God's wisdom in His Book and enjoy His general graces in human books too. Give thyself to reading! #ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain #LifeLongLearner

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Mirian and Aaron: Sibling Rivalry

I asked my smart little cousin, "Who annoys you the most?" Without missing a beat, he said, "My little brother!" (Oh, like Missy and Sheldon, my favorite TV Series Young Sheldon). But as brothers and sisters mature, there will be less rivalry, right? Well, read Numbers 12. Don't bet on it 😅⚡✔ #ServeToLead #SiblingRivalry #BiblicalCharacters

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Peter preached Jesus of Nazareth: 3,000 Died, 3,000 Saved (Acts 2:12-41)

“Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, ‘What does this mean?’ Some, however, made fun of them and said, ‘They have had too much wine.’ Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: ‘Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. Those people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel…”
(Acts 2:12-16, NIV)

When some of the people insult the disciples by saying they must be drunk, Peter doesn’t become angry, but quietly replies this is not the case at all. In the Middle East, people drink at night not early in the morning (But in Iban culture, it’s a different story). What Peter tried to say is that the disciples are not full of wine but are full of the Holy Spirit. In fact, he told them of a promise God gave long ago to Israel through the prophet Joel that God would pour out His Spirit on all the people (read Joel 2:28-32). On the day of Pentecost, only some of the people received the Holy Spirit, but the time is coming when more from all nations will received Him prior to Jesus’ second coming.

As I read the Scripture, Church history and my own experiences (limited of course), this event in Pentecost was one time event not to be repeated again. Nowhere in the Scripture tells another event such as this. It was like a grand opening, the birth of the movement of the Holy Spirit with a sole message: Jesus is alive and the Holy Spirit is here! However, the last part of Joel’s promise was true for us today as in Peter’s day: “[Everyone] who calls on the names of the Lord will be saved” (Acts 2:21). From here Peter went on to preach about “Jesus of Nazareth” (v.22). Although God had approved the work and Sonship of Jesus Christ, wicked men took Him and nailed Him to the cross. God knew in advance – “God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge” (v.23) – that this would happen and soon raised His Son back to life again. Why? Because “it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him” (v.24). Oh yeah!

Peter went on to prove that even God had told David His servant that Messiah would rise from the dead (read Acts 2:25-28). David could not have been speaking about himself, as his grave was right there in Jerusalem. But he was prophesying about Jesus. David went on to prophesied, “The Lord said to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet’” (Acts 2:34-35; Psalm 110:1). “The Lord” here is God the Father, and “my Lord” cannot be David himself but the Messiah, the Promised One, Jesus Christ, the Son of God. In short, Peter was showing to them about their terrible sin in opposing God’s Messiah. They had killed the very One whom God had approved before and now had glorified. If we reject Jesus, we are rejecting God too, and we will be in the same position as the Jews who crucified Him.

For those who want to believe and come to God, Peter said: “Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord our God will call” (Acts 2:38-39)

What was their response? What was the outcome of Peter’s boldness? Were there anyone believe? The Scripture tells us: “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day” (v.41). This number remind me of our Bible Study on the Book of Exodus. When some of the Israelites were not repented of their idolatrous sin of worshiping the Golden Calf in Mount Sinai, Moses told us about “three thousand of the people died” (Exodus 32:28). What is your respond to this article? Would you consider this Jesus of Nazareth? Who do you say Jesus is? Peter had reminded us, he even warned us: “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation” (v.40). Do something…

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Apakah Respon Musa Apabila Ada Orang Lain Bernubuat Seperti Nabi? (Bilangan 11)

“Maka keluarlah Musa lalu disampaikannya firman TUHAN kepada bangsa itu. Dia mengumpulkannya tujuh puluh orang daripada kalangan tua-tua bangsa itu dan disuruhnya mereka berdiri di sekeliling Khemah. Kemudian TUHAN hadir dalam awan dan berfirman kepada Musa. Diambil-Nya sebahagian daripada Roh yang ada pada Musa, lalu diletakkan-Nya pada kesemua tujuh puluh tua-tua umat itu. Ketika Roh itu turun ke atas mereka, bernubuatlah mereka seperti nabi, tetapi sesudah itu mereka tidak lagi bernubuat. Akan tetapi, ada dua orang tertinggal di perkhemahan, seorang bernama Eldad dan seorang lagi bernama Medad… Roh itu pun turun ke atas mereka dan mereka bernubuat seperti nabi di perkhemahan… Yosua anak Nun, yang menjadi pembantu Musa sejak masa mudanya, berkata, ‘Tuanku Musa, cegahlah mereka!’ Tetapi kata Musa kepadanya, ‘Adakah kamu mencemburui hal itu demi mendukung aku? Kalau sahaja seluruh umat TUHAN menjadi nabi kerana TUHAN mengurniakan Roh-Nya kepada mereka!’”
(Bilangan 11:24-26, 28-29, Alkitab Versi Borneo)

Musa sudah hampir burning out. Tugas yang diberikan oleh TUHAN kepadanya sangat besar dan adalah sangat mustahil bagi dia untuk melakukannya sendirian (walaupun Miriam dan Harun memimpin bersamanya). Jadi TUHAN meletakkan “sebahagian daripada Roh yang ada pada Musa” kepada “kesemua tujuh puluh tua-tua umat” atau pemimpin-pemimpin Israel. Selepas itu, Alkitab mengatakan bahawa ada dua orang daripada mereka – Eldad and Medad – keluar dari Khemah Allah dan mula bernubuat secara terbuka di kawasan perkhemahan orang Israel. Pada masa itu, Yosua merasakan ini merupakan suatu masalah yang besar!

Kenapa? Pada pendapat saya, Yosua melihat ‘tragedi’ ini sebagai suatu ancaman terhadap kepimpinan Musa. Sebelum ini hanya Musa yang bernubuat bagi orang Israel. Oleh itu, Yosua “mencemburui” hal itu kerana dia sangat ingin melindungi kepimpinan dan keunikkan tuannya Musa sebagai nabi orang Israel. Mungkin juga Yosua melihat Eldad dan Medad sebagai ancaman kepada kedudukannya sendiri. Dia menyeru supaya Musa mencegah atau sekurang-kurangnya menegur para nabi tersebut supaya tidak bernubuat lagi. Tetapi bagi Musa, dia tidak terasa diamcam. Malah dia mengalakkan supaya (jika boleh) “seluruh umat TUHAN menjadi nabi”! Musa tidak cemburu. Musa tidak rasa tergugat. Musa berharap semua orang diberkati oleh TUHAN, bukan dia sahaja. Memang padanlah apabila Firman Allah berkata: “Musa seorang yang begitu lembut hatinya, bahkan lebih lembut daripada semua umat yang berada di muka bumi ini” (Bilangan 12:3).

Dalam perkara-perkara rohani, ego boleh menjadi penghalang kepada kepimpinan kita. Melalui kes diatas, kita diingatkan oleh Musa supaya jangan terasa cemburu apabila ada orang lain dipanggil oleh TUHAN dan mempunyai kebolehan yang sama (atau lebih lagi) daripada kita. Semuanya tentang kemuliaan TUHAN, bukan tentang kemuliaan kita sendiri. Sebagai pemimpin, kita harus memberi galakkan dan mengajar orang lain untuk melayani TUHAN dan umat-Nya. Kita memimpin mereka supaya Kerajaan Allah yang harus diutamakan, bukan agenda kita didahulukan. Jika difikirkan baik-baik, sebenarnya kita tidak harus mendapat kredit apabila sebenarnya Roh Allah yang bekerja dalam kehidupan kita. Jauhi rasa cemburu dan ego dalam hal-hal rohani.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

10 Perintah Allah (Keluaran 20)

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Jesus is Here-and-Now, Not Just during Camp Experience... (Mark 9:2-9)

“After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking to Jesus”
(Mark 9:2-4, NIV).

“If we could just stay up here at camp site, it would be so easy to be a Christian. The beautiful surroundings, inspiring speakers, good Christian friends, good food and none of the hassles of living at home and campus. Jesus is so real here. Why can’t Christian life always be like camp experience?” In other word, why can’t Christian living be a ‘mountaintop experience’? If you’ve attended Christian camps as often as I have, response like wishful paragraph above is a very familiar one. After a week of fun, where praise and worship, quiet time and Christian friendships come so easily, who wants to go back home to the tests, trials and temptations of real life? It’s so much easier to live on the mountaintop.

So it seems like Peter, James and John got a taste of the Christian camp, only in a much more graphic way than you and I. As Jesus’ three closest disciples looked on in trembling amazement, Jesus’ appearance was drastically changed. Jesus “was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them.” It was a touch of heaven, just like our typical Christian camps experience, only less. Then two Old Testament “stars” – Elijah and Moses – mysteriously appeared and began talking with Jesus as the three disciples stared and “were so frightened” (9:6). The Jews believed that both Elijah (representing the prophets) and Moses (representing the law) were noteworthy among their ancestors because of their great departure from earth (see 2 Kings 2:11 and Deuteronomy 34:5-6). With this knowledge, I think, perhaps Peter, James and John expected God to bring them from the mountaintop into heaven. What a way to go!

Peter, a man who was never at a loss for something to say, stepped forward to suggest that they “put up three shelters” (9:5) or build three shrines to commemorate the glorious event. He wanted the event to last as much as we want our camp to last forever! But Peter was interrupted by “a cloud [that] appeared and covered” the heavenly trio. Then “a voice came from the cloud” boldly announced: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” (9:7). Then Elijah, Moses and the cloud disappeared leaving Jesus and his three disciples standing alone on the mountain. Sadly, the mountaintop experience ended.

Friends, isn’t that the way it is at camp? Great music, inspiring speakers, prayerful atmosphere – Christianity couldn’t be easier! On the way to camp we sing songs until our lungs out. Then on the last day we give a glowing testimony of our fresh commitment to Christ. Everything is rosy and bright – heavenly! But then, here is Monday morning. The thrill is gone! Camp is over! Life with all its disgusting realities and complexities is back. No! But that’s the way it is after a spiritual high like camp. It’s happened to me and almost every students I’ve ever known. We come back to the nasty here-and-now.

But wait a second! Take a look back up on the mountain in Mark 9:9. “As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus…” There are four of them who went back to the valley from the mountaintop experience. Peter, James, John – and Jesus! It’s not Jesus in shining cloth, accompanied by Elijah and Moses, and surround by cloud of heaven. No, it’s Jesus in everyday clothes, walking closely to His disciples as He accompanies them back to the nasty here-and-now. I think that’s what we tend to forget when coming back from camp, church, prayer meeting or any other mountaintop experience. Jesus is not confined to a mountaintop chapel, sanctuary or campsite. Jesus journeys with us into everyday life to help us with difficulties, temptations and trails.

No doubt, it is a great journey to a mountaintop and get a glimpse of a gloriously glowing Jesus. These occasional experiences with Christ help charge our spiritual batteries (Thus, I promote Christian camps). But everyday life is in the valleys and on the land, not on the mountaintop. And that’s where Jesus is today – right here in the valleys with us, helping us to live out the mountaintop glow. Life after camp is where we spend most of our time. Friends, do you see Him in the ordinary?

“As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus…”

I love Jesus. He is surely with us on the mountaintop,
and definitely – in everyday life.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Before Abraham was Born, Jesus says "I Am"

“I am telling you the truth. Before Abraham was born, ‘I Am’”

(Jesus says about himself, John 8:58, TEV)

It all begins in the time of Moses, Israel’s great national hero. When God called on him to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, Moses was reluctant to accept – in fact, he played hard-to-get or in my local language: ‘Jual mahal!’ (Read about it in Exodus 3). He offered all sorts of excuses for not going. One of the more reasonable was that he couldn’t explain who had sent him. Moses said to God, “When I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ So what can I tell them?” (Exodus 3:13, TEV). God replied (and it’s a little difficult to make it sound sense in English): “I am who I am. You must tell them: ‘The one who is called I Am has sent me to you’” (3:14).

Clearly, in the New Testament John 8, Jesus’ use of the phrase “I Am” would remind His hearers of that incident and of that special name for God. More than that, the fact that Jesus said, “Before Abraham was born, ‘I Am’”, and not “I was”, would suggest something else: that He was claiming to be what only God really is – eternal. Only God can legitimately claim “I Am” at any time, past, present, or future; but there is Jesus saying that He is also eternal, that His birth in Bethlehem was not His beginning, that He had always been in existence, even before Abraham.

This was highly provocative. Jesus must have realized that His words would imply these things and would arouse the anger of His critics (as He always does). By applying the name “I Am” to Himself, Jesus was talking for Himself something that was properly God’s alone – Jesus was claiming to be equal with God. Morgan G. Campbell writes, “These are the words of the most impudent blasphemer that ever spoke, or the words of God incarnate.” His critics took it as blasphemy, and in their Law, the punishment for that was death by stoning. So angry were they by now, that they dispensed with arrest, trial and sentence. So clearly understood Jesus’ statement that they grabbed the nearest stones and trying to kill Him there and then. Even today, the real Jesus is so hated by the enemies because He, in God’s Word, says, “I Am.”

Is Jesus really the “I Am”?

Do you know Jesus of the Bible?

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