Romans 1:28-32 The Breakdown of Human Society (#LetterToTheRomans)

As I observe the current world events and study the Word of God, especially Romans 1, I see the inevitable breakdown of human society. As we move further away from God, we move nearer to our self-destruction. More than ever, the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men (see Romans 1:18). The question is, WHY? And is there any hope amidst all of this?

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


FB Page: https://facebook.com/LEGASI.tv/                        
Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiSpotify          
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LEGASItv/      

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

 

Romans 1:17 The Righteous Shall Live by Faith (#LetterToTheRomans)

"The righteous shall live by faith" (Romans 1:17). When Martin Luther, the Reformer, read this verse before his conversion, he writes: "I did not love, yes, I hated the righteous God... I was angry with God." But after the Holy Spirit revealed to him its true meaning, he then said: "Here I felt that I was altogether born again and had entered paradise itself through open gates!" What happened? #ServeToLead #PreachTheWord #TheRighteousnessOfGod

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

FB Page: https://facebook.com/LEGASI.tv/                        
Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiSpotify          
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LEGASItv/      

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

 

Angelus' Quote: We Are In Charge of Our Attitudes

The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past; we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one thing we have and that is our ATTITUDE 😇

Chuck Swindoll said I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you, we are in charge of our attitudes 😉 #GrowingLeader #ServeToLead

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

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

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

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

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

Angelus' Quote: True Beauty Is Character

I have a quote book 😬 and I love this: A lady was once asked the secret of her lovely life. She replied,

"For my lips, I use TRUTH; for my voice, PRAYER; for my eyes, PITY; for my hands, CHARITY; for my figure, UPRIGHTNESS; and for my heart, LOVE"

What a lovely lady 😍 She recognized that true beauty is CHARACTER 😘 #ServeToLead #GrowingLeader

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

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

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

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

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

6 Lessons on Righteous People that I Learned from Luke 1:5-25 (Short Bible Study)

Open your Bible to Luke 1:5-25 (NIV),

"In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.

Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.

Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous — to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”

Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.

When his time of service was completed, he returned home. After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”

6 Lessons that I Learned:

#1 Righteous People Is Not Perfect People

#2 Righteous People Serve God with Joy and Respect

#3 God hears the Prayer(s) of Righteous People

#4 Righteous People Let Got Raise their Children to Be Godly

#5 Even Righteous People have Doubts (Too)

#6 God will Reward His Righteous People

Haven’t watched Episode #1? CLICK HERE: https://youtu.be/PVorOCQqOVM

Blog: www.richardangelus.me

Instagram: https://instagram.com/richard_angelus

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 Law of God is Very Good and Useful (1 Timothy 1:8-9)

“Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient…”

(1 Timothy 1:8-9, ESV)

Be clear, the apostle Paul is not speaking against the law here. He is against those who using the law improperly. He emphasizes the goodness of the law even in Romans 7:7-12: “What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! ...the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.” If you’re familiar or have read letters of Paul to Galatians and Romans (or read thru the New Testament), you’ll realise that there were those who would seek to dilute the doctrine of salvation by grace alone by making the law as part of salvation or a rule of life for the Christians. It seems that our human nature want to “do something” to merit salvation. I assure you, this is true whether it be Jewish law-keeping in Timothy’s time or whether it be the salvation-by-works of the ‘Christian’ cults and major religions of the world today. The God of the Bible will have none of this! Salvation is by God’s grace alone through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9) and based upon the sacrifice of His Son on the cross. God’s grace + nothing = our salvation!

But know this too: “the law is good, if one uses it lawfully” (v.8). Paul then tell Timothy the proper use of the law and its purpose. Simply put, the law is made for unrighteous people. I once watched a documentary on how to make padlock on YouTube. I was fascinated by the mechanical engineering and many details that went into the making of padlocks. There are varieties of padlocks manufactured for specific use for different needs. Some are for shops and businesses, some for private homes and vehicles, and so on and so forth. Now a thought came to me as I recalled the documentary: “Padlocks are needed because there are thieves and trespassers.  If there were no law-breakers, padlock factories would be out of business!” If all men were good men then there is no need for locks on doors, either to keep men in or out. The facts that there are crimes mean men are trustworthy and lawless. We need laws today even more than ever before. The law was not made for righteous men but for unrighteous.

As for salvation, the law is useless; but as for Christian living, the law is useful. I don’t want to be like hyper-grace teachers who say that the law is no longer necessary and is only useful as shadows and types that point us to Christ. Nor I want to be the legalists who overstate the role of the law and put Christians in bondage. All I’m saying is, like Paul to Timothy, that the “law is good.” It was Martin Luther who said, “The first duty of the gospel preacher is to declare God’s Law and to show the nature of sin because it will act as a school master and bring him to everlasting life which is in Jesus Christ.” It was John Wesley who said, “Before I preach love, mercy and grace, I must preach sin, Law and judgment.” It was Charles Spurgeon who said, “They will never accept grace until they tremble before a just and holy Law.” It was John Wycliffe who said, “The highest service to which a man may attain on earth is to preach the Law of God.” John Stott wrote, “We cannot come to Christ to be justified until we’ve first been to Moses to be condemned.  Once we have gone to Moses and acknowledged our sin, guilt and condemnation, we must not stay there, we must leave Moses and go to Christ.”

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Abram, Look at the Stars, Look How They Shine for You (Genesis 15:1-6)

“The word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: ‘Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.’ But Abram said, ‘O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?’ And Abram said, ‘Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.’

And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: ‘This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.’ And he brought him outside and said, ‘Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.’ Then he said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’

And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness”

(Genesis 15:1-6, ESV)

By now Abram was an old man. His wife, Sarai, was old too – in fact, decades beyond childbearing age. So when God came to him in a vision (you may called it ‘dream’) and repeated the promise He once made with Abram, it’s not hard to understand Abram’s doubt and fear. “I continue childless,” he said, “and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus [his chief servant].” Lot, his nephew has gone; and Abram had left his families behind. Since he doesn’t have any children or other close relatives, by law of the land, his chief servant will inherits his properties (unless he go back to his home town). I imagine it was a painful thing for Abram to think about: It wasn’t even a distant relative, but a servant who would inherit everything he had worked for.

Even though God seems to be ‘last-minute’ to me, it wasn’t what He had in mind when He promised to make a great nation of Abram. He wasn’t talking about servant(s) that will inherit his properties and promises. No, as unlikely as it sounded, God was going to give Abram his very own son.

God took him outside the tent [still in a vision, probably in spirit?] and told him to look up to the heavens. “Number the stars,” God said, “if you are able to number them.” [Again, I imagine Abram tried to count the stars with his finger and murmured 1, 2, 3, 4, 5…] “So shall your offspring be.”

Abram probably lifted his head once more, this time he looked at the stars not as numbers but possibilities. He took in the vast and shimmering sky – each star a son, a daughter, each one a blessing to the rest of the world. And somehow, Abram’s faith restored – Abram believed again.

I hope that this story – God’s Story – will lift up your faith again, restore your believe in God’s promises again, hope in Him again. May God’s righteousness be with you as you believe in His goodness and promises in His living Word.
[P.s: I’m not sure what “counted it to him as righteousness” mean; could it be God counted Abram as righteous because of his act of believe?]

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus Lives WITH Us and IN Us Because of the Holy Spirit

“[Jesus said] “If you love me, obey me; and I will ask the Father and he will give you another Comforter, and he will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit who leads into all truth. The world at large cannot receive him, for it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you do, for he lives with you now and some day shall be with you… I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. But when the Father sends the Comforter instead of me – and by the Comforter I mean the Holy Spirit – he will teach you much, as well as remind you of everything I myself have told you”

(John 14:15-17; 25-26, The Living Bible)

A lot we can expound from passages above, but I just want to focus on the subject of the Holy Spirit here. Lord Jesus now promised His followers they would experience His presence more fully and intimately because the Father would send them the Holy Spirit. The expression “another Comforter” or “another Advocate” in some translations implies that Jesus was the first and the Spirit would be the same kind of “Comforter.” When Jesus would no longer be with the disciples physically, the Holy Spirit would be with them and in them, and He would “leads [them] into all truth.”

Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit (John 20:22) on the disciples just before His ascension, and the Spirit was poured out on all the believers at Pentecost (Acts 2) shortly after Jesus ascended to heaven. The Holy Spirit is the presence of God with and in the believers, helping them lives as He wants and building Christ’s church – that is, the gathering of all believers, not church building per se – on earth. In chapter 14, Jesus taught these truths about the Spirit: #1 He will be with us forever (John 14:16); #2 The world at large cannot and don’t want to receive Him (v.17); #3 He lives with us and in us (v.17); #4 He will become our Teacher (v.26) and; #5 He will reminds us of Jesus’ words a.k.a. God’s Word (v.26) [Also if you read Chapter 16, the Holy Spirit will convicts us of sin, shows us God’s righteousness, announce God’s judgement on evil, guide us into all truth, and brings glory to Jesus].

After Jesus’ crucifixion, burial and resurrection, all of these about the Holy Spirit came true. How about now? You see, Jesus did not leave the disciples – and us – alone. He is with us and in us. He is with us through His Spirit encouraging, assuring, convicting, guiding, enlightening and empowering. We need to depend on Him, listen to Him, and follow His lead. The question is: Are you living in the Spirit of Christ?

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

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, I Do Believe; Help Me Overcome My Unbelief (Mark 9:14-29)

Jesus, Peter, James and John were coming down the mountain…
“When they come to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him. ‘What are you arguing with them about?’ he asked. A man in the crowd answered, ‘Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.’ ‘You unbelieving generation,’ Jesus replied, ‘how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.’ So they bought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. Jesus asked the boy’s father, ‘How long has he been like this?’”
(Mark 9:14-21, NIV).

“From childhood,” the father cries helplessly. “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us” (Mark 9:22). Jesus then encourages the man to have faith, to believe in Him. “Everything is possible for one who believes” (9:23). But the confused father cries the words that describe the state of faith in most Christians: “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (9:24). When I first read it, it sounds like a contradictory statement. But I personally identify with that man as I heard myself once prayed, “Lord, I believe in You and Your power. But I’m having trouble believing in You for a particular situation. Help me in this area of my faith.” The statement is not contradictory – it’s reality! So, Jesus responded the desperate father by delivering his son from the evil spirit (read Mark 9:25-27).

Faith, in simple terms, is the ability to see and act upon what God can do in a certain situation. For example, Oliver can “see” his friend Khai coming to Christ in the future, so he prays for Khai and invites him often to a campus Bible Study. Supang “see” God active in her life as a result of her personal quite time, so she spends 10-15 minutes each morning before she go to work reading the Word and praying to God. Faith look ahead to see what God wants to do and then acts on what it sees. The Bible uses strong words to describe the role of faith in the Christian life: “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6); “The righteous will live by faith” (Romans 1:17); “Everything that does not come from faith is sin” (Romans 14:23). In 1 Corinthians 13:13, the apostle Paul said faith was one of the three great qualities in the Christian life – the others being hope and love. In Christian life, faith is indispensable.

But in reality, there are times when our faiths can look ahead and see God at work; but there are also times when doubt, worry and spiritual ignorance can blinded us to what God wants to do. The father in Mark 9 could see God doing somethings, but he couldn’t see his son being delivered from the evil spirit. Oliver can see Khai becoming a Christian, but he has difficulty seeing God at work in his studies, so he worries about CGPAs constantly. Supang sees God at work as a result of her quite time, but sometimes she is unable to see God’s provision for her financial needs, so she seldom gives any generous gift to the church. Yes, faith is sometimes like Kit Kat: now you see, now you don’t. Sometimes I’m able to exclaim, “I do believe!” But at other times I beg God to “help me overcome my unbelief.” And if you feel that way too, take heart. It’s a confession that is common to all hopeful Christians.

Two encouraging messages about faith from God’s Word in Mark 9:14-27 that I learned at this moment. First, God is the One who distributes faith to me (read Romans 12:3). I can’t earn it or buy it – God gives it. Second, faith grows in proportion to my relationship with Jesus and the Word of God (see Romans 10:17). I can expect my faith to grow toward “I do believe” and away from “unbelief” as I relate myself to Jesus and His Word through reading, studying, obeying and sharing the truths in the Bible. It assures me to know that even Jesus’ disciples, though they watched Him minister for three years, were often short of faith (see Mark 9:28-29). Perhaps you, like me, are convinced of your need to grow as men and women of faith. Let us recite the disciple’s prayer for more faith: Lord, Jesus “increase our faith!” (Luke 17:5). Amen.

“Everything is possible for one who believes”

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus Came to Destroy the Works of the Devil (1 John 3:8-10)

“But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practise of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God”

(1 John 3:8-10, NLT).

The Apostle John goes on to make it very clear that the devil is the mastermind of this problem of sin. Just as love and obedience are evidence that a person belongs to Jesus Christ, so habitual sinning and hating are evidence of the devil’s involvement.

When you think of the devil or Satan, what comes to your mind? Many people think of a monster-type figure with a terrifying face, goat-like head, dressed in red, and carrying a pitchfork. Other people may think of a demon who floats in the air like a ghost and causes scary things to happen. Some may just believe whatever the movies depicted Satan to be. What do I think? I’m not sure. I don’t care much. But I’m very sure that Satan is able to “disguises himself as an angel of light” (1 Corinthians 11:14).

As we read the Scriptures, we know that Satan existed for a very long time even before the earth was created (see Ezekiel 28). It was Satan who masqueraded as (or influenced) a serpent and tempted Eve and Adam to disobey God. Satan “has been sinning since the beginning” and is the very essence of evil. And he seems to be very sly and cunning. Satan, no doubt, has great power and influences great numbers of people. He even has a temporary throne (see Revelations 2:13; 1 John 5:13). Many people are so influenced by Satan and his demons that they worship him as the god of this world. They are totally under Satan’s control (see John 8:44; 2 Timothy 2:26).

But you my friends, don’t be afraid! We might think that Satan’s power is so great that he will rule the world forever. Don’t be afraid! The Scriptures make it clear that even though the devil is powerful, God is even stronger. In fact, Satan’s overthrow began with the coming of Jesus (read Matthew 12:25-29; Luke 10:18; John 12:31). “The Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil.” Jesus took Satan’s power away to neutralize this terrible influence and replace it with the power of love, freedom, peace, and forgiveness. But even though the devil has been knocked down, he still is alive and doing well in the lives of many people. He serves God’s purposes on earth. Soon God will finally destroy Satan totally when Christ returns to earth (read Revelations 20:10). Then Satan’s power will be gone forever. Even at this moment, anytime Jesus would wish to snap His finger, Satan will be destroyed!

Then John goes on to say that “those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practise of sinning, because God’s life is in them”. “God’s life” is also translated as “God’s seed.” I think John here is compares the Word of God to a seed that produces new life (read James 1:18 and 1 Peter 1:23). Just as a beautiful plant must begin by being a seed which is fed and watered, so we as human beings grow spiritually as we study, understand, and obey what God wants us to do. God’s Word gives us strength and guidance to know who God is, and what God wants us to do. If God’s Word is in us “[we] can’t keep on sinning, because [we] are children of God.”

There are two basic tests to show what influence God is having in our lives: 1) the first is whether a person continues to sin deliberately, knowingly, and habitually. This is different from the occasional sin (which you and I, all Christians will continue to do), and shows that sin is still dominant. The second test is more positive: 2) the children of God show that they belong to God by living righteously and loving other believers. According to John, then, we show who our spiritual father is – God or the devil – by the way we behave. It’s not our words but our actions that make the difference. Talk can be cheap; actions are more costly. And the actions of the Christians are to be summed up in one word: LOVE, agape.

What can you do to change your attitudes, behaviors, and so on,

so that you can look forward eagerly for Christ to return?

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus Has Brought a "New", Richer and Deeper Meaning of An "Old" Commandment (1 John 2:7-8)

“Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment for you; rather it is an old one you have had from the very beginning. This old commandment – to love one another – is the same message you heard before. Yet it is also new. Jesus lived the truth of this commandment, and you also are living it. For the darkness is disappearing, and the true light is already shining” (1 John 2:7-8, NLT).

In the previous verses, old Apostle John writes to us as “children,” now as “friends.” He reminds us that he is not writing about something new, but about a commandment that has been around practically since the beginning of time. That commandment is to love God with everything we have – with every energy and strength we have – and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves (see Leviticus 19:18; Deuteronomy 6:5). So, the idea of love is not new, is it? But why John said, “yet it is also new”?

What John – I’m convinced – trying to say is that his Master, Lord Jesus Christ has bought a richer and deeper meaning to the idea of loving God and others. The New Testament tells us that we are to love everyone, including those who may be different from ourselves because of their popularity level or race or economic level or style of clothing or whatever (But it doesn’t mean you have to like everyone). Jesus told a story to illustrate what he means by loving our neighbors. A story of a Good Samaritan (read Luke 10:29-37). Jesus told about a man who had been brutally beaten and left for dead all alone. It was not the priest or the religious leader who stopped to give help, but it was a Samaritan, a hybrid race who had been hated by the Jews for centuries, and who showed love in actions. He not only bound the man’s wounds but also took him to a hotel and even paid the bill!

This is the kind of quality that the “new” commandment is bringing – to love not only those with whom we are comfortable but to also reach out to those who are unpopular or unloved. Truth is not only something to be understood but that which results in action. John here tells us that this great truth is seen not only in Jesus but also in us! As Jesus was, so we are supposed to be. As people watch the way we live, they see how practical and helpful our faith can be.

The Apostle also talks about the fact that “the darkness is disappearing, and the true light is already shining.” This might sound confusing but it’s not when we remember that the “age to come” (Hebrews 6:5) actually began when Jesus Christ came to earth; He is the true light. The present age is called “evil” (see Galatians 1:4). These two ages – the “present evil age” and the “age to come” – actually overlap. We, today, are in both ages. The devil indeed continues to have much power in this world but it will be over soon. Even today we have already begun to taste the wonders of our life in Christ, the wonders which will continue forever! This present age which began when Jesus came to earth for the first time will end when He returns to earth someday. “Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelations 22:20).

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus the Righteous Advocator, is Our Habitual-Sin Breaker (1 John 2:1-2)

“My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins – and not only our sins but the sins of all the world” (1 John 1:1-2, NLT).

Apostle John here begins with his familiar greeting, “My dear children.” Now that you’re not a child anymore, I know, you probably don’t like to be referred to as a child. If your name is Richard (as mine is), you may prefer to be called Rich or Chard, rather than Richie, if that was your childhood name (mine is Pan). Most of us want to be called names that show we are no longer children. But John doesn’t mean to put us down but because he was quite old when he wrote this letter and because of his special affection for us since we are part of God’s family, he called us his children. We’re part of John’s family and we – all true Christians – are God’s family as well. Brothers and sisters in Christ.

I want to highlight this: “I am writing this to you so that you will not sin” because it creates some confusion for some people and some have interpreted this to mean that it is possible in this life not to sin. Wrong. But let’s put this thought in perspective. Remember, in chapter 1, John said that the person who claimed to be without sin was really not telling the truth; sin marks our lives from beginning to end. We must not conclude that we might as well sin as much as we want because God is always there to forgive us. This is an error. John reminds us that such a lax or casual attitude toward sinning is not what God wants for us. When I look at this verse in the original language (Greek), I found that what John is actually saying is that we should stop – habitually sinning or the habit of sinning again and again. In other words, we should stop making sin a habit.

But Apostle John knew that as human beings we often fail. Even though we should aim to stop making sin a habit, we know that when we do sin we have a way to deal with it. Jesus Christ is like a bridge that will bring us back to God. John here is talking in legal terms. Here Jesus is referred to as our “advocate” (Some versions translate as “intercessor”). In other words, Jesus, in this sense, becomes like a lawyer, “pleads our case before the Father.” Even when we sin, Jesus does not lose interest in us. He does not condemn us and walk away; instead, He keeps on serving as our “intercessor” or “defense” before God (see Hebrews 7:25).

John also explains in a little more detail what he is saying. Back in the Old Testament times, the Jewish people had to offer special sacrifices to be forgiven and restored to God. But with Jesus’ death (and resurrection) he became “the sacrifice that atones for our sins”. Through the laying down of His life, we can be brought back into a relationship with God. And it’s a gift – God’s grace – no strings attached. Only true Christians will understand this, and they will not play around with God’s grace. All we have to do is to repent, confess and accept it (see also John 3:16). So, Jesus brings us into a full, joyful, and exciting life in which we know we are loved by God. No other religions are as sure as the salvation and forgiveness of sin in Christ alone.

Jesus is also the great “habit breaker” when it comes to the habit of sinning again and again. Some of us may find that there are certain sins that we keep committing again and again. But with the encouragement and help of God, we can work to break these bad habits. Assurance seals in the blood of Jesus. Amen.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus takes All the Credit for Our Salvation

“Then [Jesus] asked them, ‘But who do you say I am?’ ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’ Jesus replied, ‘You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being’” (Matthew 16:15-17, NLT).

When Jesus asked, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” we can sense the sudden tension in the air. They had been brainstorming the different ways the crowds were identifying Jesus. Now Jesus was asking them for their own view. First, I assume, there was silence. Then Peter, the spokesman for all the disciples said: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus did not ask Peter what he meant (I wonder what would it be, right?). Depending on the Bible translation, the first title in Peter’s declaration may be “Christ” or “Messiah.” “Christ” comes from transliterating the Greek term Khristos, which along with Messiah (Hebrew) means “the Anointed One.” Peter was placing Jesus “the Anointed One” in the singular category of the Promised One from the Old Testament prophesies. Peter (that mean all the disciples, I assume) got the title right, even if he didn’t fully understand what it meant. Peter would have to discover what each of us eventually discovers – we can have the right answer about God, but there will always be more to God than our answers. Even our right answers are only a glimpse of all God has to reveal.

Jesus affirmed Peter and his answer, using his formal name – “Simon, son of John.” He declared Peter “Blessed,” not because he had given the right answer but because that right answer had been given to him by Jesus’ “Father in heaven.” God demonstrated his favour on Peter’s life by giving him the insight to speak the right answer.

Think about this: We also have been given the same insight from God’s Holy Spirit, so that we can acknowledge Jesus as the Promised One, the Son of God. We are, therefore, blessed by God. God’s Word makes it clear that we can’t claim to generate the faith it takes to believe in Jesus. The Scripture stated, “By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). When it comes to receiving credit for our salvation, we get none – all of it goes to Christ. Jesus himself said, “[My] Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being.” In that moment when we believe, that simple act of faith is itself a gift from God. Amen – so be it.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus warns Us Not to Follow Blind Leaders

“Then the disciples came to him and asked, ‘Do you realize you offended the Pharisees by what you just said?’ Jesus replied, ‘Every plant not planted by my heavenly Father will be uprooted, so ignore them. They are blind guides leading the blind, and if one blind person guides another, they will both fall into a ditch’” (Matthew 15:12-14, NLT).

By confronting the Pharisees regarding their teaching of traditions above or same level with the Scripture (read Matthew 15:1-11), Jesus was establishing himself as the right interpreter of the Scripture. God had given Israel numerous dietary laws, but these laws and the religious leaders’ interpretations of them had become more important than the meaning behind them, leading to the idea that people could be clean before God because of what they refused to eat, for example. And because the Pharisees had become the religious authorities of the day, they naturally become offended by what Jesus said. The disciples pointed out this offense, implying that Jesus had made a great risk against religious establishment (“Jesus the controversial,” said John W. Stott).

Because of their hard-heartedness, Jesus explained that they were being rejected as leaders of God’s people and like weeds in the garden (symbol of evil influences), they would be “uprooted.” Then Jesus told the disciples to “ignore them.” The disciples shouldn’t follow, listen to, or regard the hypocritical Pharisees. The issue is this – the Pharisees claimed to be leaders of the people, but Jesus turned this around to show that, in reality, they were “blind guides” who would lead people the wrong way and thus resulted them to “fall into a ditch.” That’s hurt!

Think about this: Today many claim to be religious authorities. Some teachers, preachers, pastors, para-church workers, and others draw large crowds and have huge followings in churches, special events, concerts, seminars, online, and in publishing. Although they (us, including me!) may sound and look good, we must be careful whom we follow. Our earthly spiritual leaders should affirm basically; 1) Jesus as fully God and fully human; 2) Jesus as the only way to salvation; and 3) the Bible as God’s written and inspired Word, our only rule for faith and practise. Any leader who is offended by those beliefs and values should be left behind. Don’t follow them. If their living doesn’t match with their teachings, don’t follow them. As soon as we know the true motive of a teacher or preacher is not God’s glory, we should stop listening to him or her.

On the positive note, by all means follow the right and godly leaders.
By the way, Who are your spiritual leaders?

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

In Relationship put Holiness before Happiness

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6, NIV).

Because you are an imperfect human being, you are not “perfectly” happy, and you won’t have “perfect” relationships – and that’s perfectly okay with God. He is far less concerned with your happiness than He is with your holiness. Max Lucado writes, “You don’t have to be like the world to have an impact on the world. You don’t have to be like the crowd to change the crowd. You don’t have to lower yourself down to their level to lift them up to your level. Holiness doesn’t seek to be odd. Holiness seeks to be like God.”

God continuously reveals Himself in everyday life, but He doesn’t do so in order to make you contented; He does so in order to lead you to His Son. So don’t be overly concerned with your current level of happiness: it will change. Be more concerned with the current state of your relationship with Christ: He does not change. And because your Saviour transcends time and space, you can be comforted in the knowledge that in the end, His joy will become your joy – for all eternity. This is more important than seeking happiness in relationship (though it is praiseworthy to do so). Holiness is more permanent. His joy will surely be yours.

God is Holy and wants you to be holy.

Christ died to make you holy.

Make sure that you response to Christ’s sacrifice is worthy of Him.

So when you think of relationship, please included holiness.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.