The Power of The Word and words #LeadersAreReaders January 2023

I was doing a house cleaning last week when I discovered my old notes with amazing stories in them. Let me share one about the transforming power of the Word. It is written by Peter V. Deison about a man named Ramad. Ramad was the most dangerous man in all of India. His gang attacked, plundered, and terrified the remote villages of the area. He was wanted dead or alive. While ransacking a small home in one of these villages, he found a small black book.

At first, he started to throw it away, but he noticed that the paper was very thin and just the right size for roll-you-own cigarettes. Each evening after a meal Ramad would relax with a smoke. He would take out the little book, tear a page out, and fold it over for the tobacco. One evening while folding the paper, he noticed the writing was in his own language. So each evening after eating, he would read a page of the little book - presumably the New Testament - and then smoke it.

One evening, by God's grace, over time, he was convicted! He knelt and asked Jesus Christ to forgive his sins and confessed Him to be his Lord and Savior. At once he turned himself over to the police, much to their surprise, and turned from a bandit to an evangelist for Christ in the prison! It became Ramad's first mission field where he led many other prisoners to Jesus.

I heard and read many real-life stories like this when God's Word - even His servants' words a.k.a. books about the written Word - made a change in people's lives. It's true: "Know it in your mind; Stow it in your heart; Show it in your life; Sow it in the world." Amen!

#ServeToLead #ReadersAreReaders #PrisonMinistry #ThePowerOfTheWord #Repentance #ChangedLife #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

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Romans 2:1-4 God's Kindness Leads To Repentance (#LetterToTheRomans)

Why does God still let the sinners live? Surely it's NOT because they are good but because God IS good. Many of us misunderstand the goodness of God towards the sinners. "God’s kindness [or goodness] is meant to lead you to repentance" (Romans 1:4). The clock is ticking. The offer is now. Today is probably your last breathe. Will you repent? ⏳⌛⚡

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

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Romans 1:26-27 The Reason for Homosexual Behaviour (#LetterToTheRomans)

"For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature," writes Paul the Apostle in Romans 1:26-27 and, "the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men..." These are the consequences of something MORE important ⚡What is the reason for homosexual behavior? What is the context of these verses? Where it should lead them - and every one of us - to? #ServeToLead #PreachTheWord #SinIsSin #ThePowerOfTheGospel

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Transformed By The Written Words #1Book1Week June 2021

Have you ever read a sentence or paragraph that contains such a profound nugget of truth that it jumps off the page and hits you right between the mind's eyes? Bam?!! Sometimes you say to yourself, "That's exactly what I've been thinking but could never put into words!" And sometimes you're just amazed, "I never thought of it that way before. That's so true! That's it!"

Every reader has experienced special moments like these when we're instantly transformed by the written words a.k.a. books. Those moments of insight wake us from our slumber of self-contentment or shake our self-absorption - and push us to grow. Slowly we move out from darkness to light; from stuckness to solutions; from despair to hope. Author of Wake Up And Live!, Dorothea Brande describes the experience this way:

"I found the idea which set me free. I was not consciously looking for it. I was engaged in a piece of research in a different field. But I came across a sentence in a book I was reading which was so illuminating that I put the book aside to consider all of the ideas suggested by that [one sentence]. When I picked the book up again, I was a different person."

"I was a different person." Wow, this line is VERY relatable! I know exactly what Dorothea means because that's what happened to me. When I finished reading James White's The Forgotten Trinity, for example, my knowledge, confidence, and love for the triune God of the Bible grow. When I considered the importance of sleep outlines in Matthew Walker's Why We Sleep, I was more aware of my sleeping habits. When I listened to J.C. Ryle's Repentance, I was reminded to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ together with the call to repentance. That is one of the hidden powers of reading. It can transform us and make us different - and better, gradually - than we were one month or year earlier. Will you emerge from the pandemic stronger, better, and more knowledgeable? Or, weaker, worsen, and remain the same? READ BOOKS ���������

#ServeToLead #GrowingLeaders #LeadersAreReaders #BeADifferentPerson #GrowDontJustSurvive #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

To read my #1Book1Week reviews of these books and others, CLICK HERE

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Repentance: What It Means to Repent and Why We Must Do So by J.C. Ryle, Audiobook Review

 Repentance: What It Means to Repent and Why We Must Do So 

(First Edition, 1878; Updated Edition, 2021) by John Charles Ryle

In the past, although I always said that Charles H. Spurgeon’s books influence my Christian believes (besides the Bible) the most but in terms of number, I read J.C. Ryle’s books the most. Ryle (1816-1900) was the Bishop of Liverpool, England, and had gained a reputation for straightforward preaching, passionate evangelism, and Gospel-centered writings. His books, in my opinion, are easy to understand and very rich in theology and practical applications. I take C.S. Lewis's advice on the reading of old books like this one: “If [one] must read only the new or only the old, I would advise him to read the old.” Lewis recommended reading one old book for every contemporary book or two. I do read old books especially Christian classics from time to time because I know the value and importance of it (but I don’t come close to his recommended ratio). If you haven’t read one old book yet or if it’s been a while, I recommend you to read this book ���

The book opens and closes with this verse: “Except you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:5). For sure this is a warning verse. It might sound harsh and forceful or “stern and severe” but as J.C. Ryle explains: “From whose lips did these words come, though? They came from the lips of One who loves us with a love that passes knowledge. They came from Jesus Christ, the Son of God. They were spoken by One who loved us so much that He left heaven for our sake. He came down to earth for our sake. He lived a poor, humble life on earth for thirty-three years for our sake. He went to the cross for us, went to the grave for us, and died for our sins. The words that come from lips like these must surely be words of love.” Indeed, this verse is ultimately a plea from One who loves us so much and desires to deliver us from the fire of hell (“perish”). So important is repentance that when Lord Jesus began His early ministry, He preached, “Repent, and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15). Peter’s sermon at Pentecost began with, “Repent, and be baptized…” and ended with, “Repent you, and be converted” (Acts 2:38; 3:19). When Paul defended himself, he told his audiences that he had taught all people that they should “repent, and do works fit for repentance” (Acts 26:20). "Repent!" is the call to all of us.

J.C. Ryle knows how urgent this call is. As a preacher-teacher, he wants to makes the call clear and unadulterated. So, he skillfully outlines this book into three (3) sections:

1)The Nature of Repentance: What Is It?
2)The Necessity of Repentance: Why Is Repentance Needful?
3)The Encouragements to Repentance: What Is There to Lead People to Repent?

These three sections and the conclusion are packed with biblical truths. The five marks of repentance that J.C. Ryle highlights are very crucial for us to differentiate between true or false repentance, namely: “True repentance begins with 1)KNOWLEDGE of sin. It goes on to work 2) SORROW for sin. It leads to 3) CONFESSION of sin before God. It shows itself before a person by a thorough 4) BREAKING OFF from sin. It results in producing a 5) DEEP HATRED for all sin.” If you have experienced all the marks, then, as Ryle would say, you are a truly repentant person! ��� #ServeToLead #PreachTheWord #GrowingLeaders #SpiritualLeaders #LeadersAreReaders #BiblicalRepentance #BishopJCRyle #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

To read PDF ebook Repentance by J.C. Ryle, CLICK HERE ��� https://anekopress.com/product/repentance-ebook/ 

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Leading Through Brokenness (#GrowingLeader)

 

Everyone is broken. While most people pretending they are alright, spiritual leaders leading through brokenness. How? Henri Nouwen equips: "Our life is full of brokenness - broken relationships, broken promises, broken expectations. How can we live with that brokenness without becoming bitter and resentful except by returning again and again to God's faithful presence in our lives" 💪🙏⚡ #ServeToLead #GrowingLeader #LeadingThroughBrokenness

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The W.W.E. of John the Baptist from Luke 3:1-6 (Short Bible Study)

Watch other Bible Study videos:

CHAPTER 1

Luke 1:1-4 https://youtu.be/PVorOCQqOVM   

Luke 1:5-25 https://youtu.be/F5Kp-JU-c90  

Luke 1:26-38 https://youtu.be/1h56S9IGvf0  

Luke 1:39-56 https://youtu.be/2fQYRCvIn5k  

Luke 1:57-66 https://youtu.be/4JsE7rFRCig  

Luke 1:67-80 https://youtu.be/Swmh_gjEBp0  

CHAPTER 2

Luke 2:1-7 https://youtu.be/A-lKr7906JI  

Luke 2:8-20 https://youtu.be/OmCUs95ozUQ  

Luke 2:21-24 https://youtu.be/MfVXnV3X-Og  

Luke 2:25-35 https://youtu.be/-hODLozQbmM  

Mother’s Day Special https://youtu.be/56a8cmkRpd8

Luke 2:36-38 https://youtu.be/56a8cmkRpd8

Luke 2:39-52 https://youtu.be/QaLBTLSkMls  

_______________

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Learn Manhood from David #2 Handsome With Inner Character > Outer Appearances

The Lord said to Samuel, "Don't judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn't see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart"

(1 Samuel 16:7, NLT)

In his book, Wild At Heart, John Eldredge explained the nature of man after Genesis 3:10, "You don't need a course in psychology to understand men… We are hiding, every last one of us. Well aware that we, too, are not what we are meant to be, desperately afraid of exposure, terrified of being seen for what we are and are not, we have run off into the bushes… Most of what you encounter when you meet a man is a façade, an elaborate fig leaf, a brilliant disguise." In short, John called it – the Poser.

King Saul was a poser. When the pressure was on, in the heat of the battle, his true character revealed itself. Confused and fearful, he tried to engineer circumstances by partially obeying God's clear instructions when it served his own purposes. But when confronted with his disobedience, Saul justified, rationalized, and attempted to excuse his actions. For example, when Samuel found out that Saul sacrificed the burnt offering by himself, Samuel was furious and Saul gave this excuse, "You didn't arrive…" Just like when Adam when fall into temptation said to God, "It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit…" (Read the whole event in 1 Samuel 13:8-14). Saul's heart was dominated by self-righteous and arrogance toward the things of God. Tragically, we men are a lot like Saul in some areas of our lives. Oh, correction… Tragically, I'm a lot like Saul in most area of my life!

What a contrast David was! While Saul pursued independence from God, David longed for a deeper intimacy with Him: "I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your instructions are written on my heart" (Psalms 40:8). Although David's life, like any man's, was riddled with inconsistencies, his heart remained consistently pure toward God. In the sight of the Lord, David was transparent and open toward God. He was not a poser.

Like David, we all struggle and fail at times. Yet if we fall because of sin, we know that our standing with God remains just as it was: "If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness" (1 John 1:8-9). When David sinned, he confessed and repented. Thus, God forgave him and he was "cleanse from all wickedness." But when Saul sinned, he just regretted it and do nothing. He was “fooling” himself and “not living in the truth.” This is the difference between David's and Saul's heart. Our conduct reflects our character, and our character reflects what is ordering our hearts. If we want to change our conduct, then our character must change. And if we want to improve our character, our hearts must be transformed. "Create in me a clean heart, O God" (Psalms 51:10).

Again, like David, we can ride out any storm if our hearts are secure in the Lord and in His love for us. As Thomas a' Kempis, a Christian mystic, once said, "Man weighs your actions. God weighs your intentions." As God weighs the intentions of your heart, which way is the scale tipping?

"Most Christians are still living with an Old Testament view of their heart. Jeremiah 17:9 says, 'My heart is deceitfully wicked.' No, it's not. Not after the work of Christ, because the promise of the new covenant is a new heart" (John Eldredge)
THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus' Leadership #24 Turn Things Upside-Down

In almost every situation in which Jesus found Himself, His purpose was to turn things upside-down. In fact, that was His calling:

“The people have forgotten who the Father is. Turn this upside-down”

“There is a little girl dying. Turn this upside-down”

“People dishonoring the Temple of God. Turn this upside-down”

“Saul (later became Paul) was out to harm His disciples. Turn this upside-down”

If people were sitting in ashes, His job was to give “beauty for ashes” (Isaiah 61:3). The list goes on and on of the upside-down things He was sent to do. He did not have nor did He take the luxury of looking at difficult situations and saying, “Well, politically it would be wise for me to just go with the flow here…” No! In fact, He said at one point, “I did not come to bring peace, but a sword…” (Matthew 10:34).

In each instance His upside-down technique was different. He followed no set of formula. If He had, all our prayers-fixed, tradition-observed or step-by-step-healing-method will be the same for all (Boring!) He didn’t come to give us formulas. He came to give us a new mindset – one that has an upside-down mentality. In fact, the word repent loosely means to turn around.

We are each called to be upside-down leaders. When we are faced with difficult situations, we should rejoice because that’s what we’re here for. It was said that the early Christians under the influence of the Holy Spirit “have turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6) even though they were under heavy persecutions. Late Billy Graham commented: “[Jesus and His Word] were simple yet profound. And they shook people, provoking either happy acceptance or violent refection.  People were never the same after listening to Him… The people who followed Him were unique in their generation. They turned the world upside down because their hearts had been turned right side up. The world has never been the same.” Leaders should respond positively like how Norman Vincent Peale said, “When you see a problem coming down the road, holler ‘Hello, Problem! Where have you been? I’ve been training for you all my life!’”

We each have within us the power and Spirit to turn things upside-down. In fact, if Jesus is our Leader and Lord, it should be ours too. Of course, not every problem or issue needs to be settle by turning it upside-down. But when it is required of you to do it as a leader, then, do not hesitate. Turn it upside-down!

What situation in your family, workplace, organization or team

would you like to see turned around, upside-down? Why? (or Why Not?)

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Timothy, The Helpers Are to Held A High Standard (1 Timothy 3:8)

"Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere,
not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain"

(1 Timothy 3:8, NIV)

Deacon means "one who serves." I like to call deacons as "helpers" for the overseer, the same way the Holy Spirit is the Helper (John 14:26, not lower in position and power but different office) for the Lord Jesus Christ. The helpers were first created in Acts 6 when the apostles asked for seven men "who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom" to be selected to provide for "daily distribution of food" to the widows so that the apostles would give their "attention to prayer and the ministry of the word" (read Acts 6:1-7). This is the right kind of church organization! The bishop or elder or the leader is to focus primarily on the study, preaching, and teaching of the Word of God and prayer. Others are to be selected to care and help for mundane (but also important) matters that must be done.

The deacons or helpers are those who would serve in the work of the church and so these standards apply to all of them (1 Timothy 3:8-12). First, the helpers "are to be men worthy of respect" and "sincere" or as The Message puts it more plainly, they are to be "serious, not deceitful." This does not mean a false religiosity and poker-faced, but rather men who are served in all seriousness. Far from serving out of obligations, they ought to be joyful and sincere. And since their responsibilities require them to minister to those in need and therefore often involved in visitation among church members, they must keep their character (not gossipers or rumor-mongers) and attitude (serving rather than bossing) in check. In this way, they are "worthy of respect"!

Like the leader, the helpers must also "not indulge in much wine." Although wine was used as a common drink by the people in the Bible times, this historical truth cannot be used as justification for drinking today. A drunkard church helper is always bringing a bad image for the God that he is serving. In my culture, the Iban-culture, alcohol is the single greatest problem! Although there is no explicit prohibition of drinking wine or some sort of alcoholic drinks in the Bible, it did warn us about drunkenness and "indulging in much wine." To this issue, Paul elsewhere warned believers: "It is better NOT to eat meat [offer to idols] or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall" (Romans 14:21). Unbelievers expect Christians to show good examples.

One of the differences between the leader and the helpers is that the leader gets his financial need mostly from those he serves, the church (see Galatians 6:6) but the helpers are on their own. The helpers (all!) are subject to the same temptation concerning money as the leader – perhaps even more since they will be in the business world from day today. Thus, the helpers are commanded to "not pursue dishonest gain." The helpers also must be above reproach in money matters.

Dear helper, are you up to the standards above?

If yes, well done, good and faithful servant!

If not, ask God to show you in which area you should repent.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Timothy, the Depth of My Sin Only Demonstrate the Depth of God’s Perfect Patience (1 Timothy 1:16)

“The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life”
(1 Timothy 1:15-16, ESV)

Paul, who confessed to being Public Sinner Number One (see previous post), says he now has become the first and foremost demonstration of God’s perfect patience. God waited and waited while Paul was blaspheming and persecuting (read 1 Timothy 1:13). The depth of Paul’s sin only demonstrated the depth of God’s perfect patience. God was holding back His righteous acts against Paul’s sin for a very long time so that he might be saved.

If God’s perfect patience applied to Paul and his day, how much more does it apply for this past 2,000 years of world history and especially to the world today in which we live. I don’t know about you, but I’m sick and tired of sin. I’m fed up with it as I face it day by day in my own life. I wish the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil will go away! Moreover, I’m sick and tired of sins that I see around me that laugh at God, no fear and respect for God, and ignorance of God’s grace and perfect patience in this world. If a mortal man like me feels like this, I wonder how a holy God must feel who sees sin infinite times over with His all-seeing and all-knowing attributes. Surely, most surely God must be a God of grace, mercy, and perfect patience! He is! But why?

The reason for God’s perfect patience is that “an example” might be given for “those who were to believe in him for eternal life” in this age of grace. Paul is saying that God’s grace in saving him was an example for every believer like you and me. This example is big enough to include anyone no matter what the nature of his or her sin or how great it might be. This week I had the privilege of dealing with a college student who honestly thought he was too great a sinner to be saved by Christ. So I showed him 1 Timothy 1:12-17 and explained that Paul was the Public Sinner Number One and yet God shows His grace and mercy and saved him (and I gave my testimony). Nobody needs to fear that God wouldn’t receive him or her – only repent and believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

God “is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish,

but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9)

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Timothy, I'm A Public Sinner Number One (1 Timothy 1:15)

“The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost” (1 Timothy 1:15, ESV)

“Here’s a word you can take to heart and depend on: Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. I’m proof – Public Sinner Number One” (The Message)

Verse 15 is one of the best-known verses in the New Testament and clearly declares the purpose of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ into the world as well as the humility of Paul. This verse should be preached during Christmas! Paul stresses the pre-existence of the Saviour – “Christ Jesus came into the world.” This was the expression that Jesus used of Himself: “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners” (Matthew 9:13); “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). This was also a favorite expression of the apostle John in speaking of the entrance of Jesus into the world: “He came to his own…” (John 1:11, read the John 1:1-18). The main purpose of why Jesus, the Son of God came – the one that overrides all the others in the Bible put together – the reason why we need Him is: “to save sinners.” Who are the sinners? Not just Paul, but all of us, for “all have sinned” (read Romans 3:23). Nobody is an exception, all of us need Jesus because all of us sinners. No matter how good one may appear in the eyes of men, by God’s standard of perfection, “the whole world may be held accountable to God” (Romans 3:19).

See Paul’s humility as he compares himself by Jesus’ standard of holiness and perfection, Paul said, “I am the foremost,” the chief sinners, or “Public Sinner Number One.” Before a holy God, the great apostle Paul sees his sinfulness. Paul, I think, could not forget the days when he was a “blasphemer, persecutor and insolent opponent” (1 Timothy 1:13) against Jesus and the believers. The realization of the magnitude of his sin caused him to see himself as the worst, rotten sinner that God ever saved or would save. When I read this, I say to myself, “This is truly the cry of a repentant heart.”

A few years ago, I sat in the audience during a preaching service in a youth camp by an ‘anointed’ preacher. The verses that he quotes were powerful (of course, God’s Word is powerful regardless of who preach it), and after he preached with little offense to sin or the sinner, he invited people to come to the front to make a decision. He prayed loud and clear: “O God, bless all these wonderful people who come to you tonight.” It wasn’t wrong per se, but to me, when I read the Scripture (when I witnessed my conversion and other’s) whenever a repentant-sinner comes to Jesus Christ, he or she won’t see himself as a ‘wonderful person! They will stand like the apostle Paul before Christ as the “Public Sinner Number One” and cries like the humble tax collector in Luke 18, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” (v.13). This I perceives as the evidence of a revival, a heart awakened to Christ by the Holy Spirit. Only when we have this awareness or realization of genuine repentance, then God will fill you and me with joy indescribable! This is wonderful indeed.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.