The Forgotten Trinity: Recovering The Heart of Christian Belief (1998) by James R. White, Book Review

 The Forgotten Trinity: Recovering The Heart of Christian Belief (1998) by James R. White

I’m a Triunetheist or Trinitarian. I believe in the doctrine of Trinity because it is clearly taught in the Scripture. Like the existence of God, in the past, in my fallen humanity, I don’t like to believe that God exists (I’ve considered becoming an atheist) - but He does. Or, like the life, the death, and the resurrection of my Lord Jesus Christ, I used to wish that it wasn’t true or that He is a myth but the vast evidence in history and Biblical accounts - and my conviction - just can’t erase the truth from my heart and mind. Or, like the mystery of the Holy Spirit, I was lost in trying to understanding who He really is (the old translation “Holy Ghost” doesn’t help at all. For once, I thought He was a ghost! Scary!) but when I dive deeper into the Scripture and through personal experiences, truly, the Holy Spirit is a fully divine person. Some may think that these are very subjective approaches but one must understand that the truth is both subjective and objective (even fictional characters like Sherlock Holmes and Patrick Jane make guesses and theories all the time). There is no living creature who is purely objective. If you want to understand the concept of trinity, I suggest, you need to search the Scriptures, examine the historical accounts, apply reason, challenge your preconceived ideas, and be open with the supernatural experience. The Triune God can be known, if it’s true; and yet not fully known or comprehend, if He is God. 

Now, let's go to James White’s The Forgotten Trinity. Not only Mr. White is an accomplished and excellent Christian apologist, but he is also a very articulate author. I’ve read many theology textbooks on the Trinity. The excellent ones are by Wayne Grudem, Millard Erickson, and Charles Hodge. But what makes The Forgotten Trinity the best so far is, in my opinion, that it is precise, concise, and non-technical (except the Greeks!). This is a lay-person-friendly book. It is written with specific goals: to outline proofs that the doctrine of the Trinity is clearly taught in the Scriptures, to lead Christian readers to a knowledge of God’s truth & to invoke love and worship toward the Triune God or as Mr. White says, “I desire that you will join with me in being able to say, ‘I love the Trinity.’” What is the Trinity? He defines it as: Within the one Being that is God, there exists eternally three coequal and coeternal persons, namely, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The three foundations of the Trinity that Mr. White sets at the beginning of this book are very important too that I’m afraid most anti- or non-trinitarian often missed and misunderstood: Foundation #1 Monotheism: There Is Only One God; Foundation #2 There Are Three Divine Persons; and Foundation #3 The Persons Are Coequal and Coeternal. “Every error and heresy on this doctrine will find its origin in a denial of one or more of these truths.” Currently, I’m reading a book on Christian heresies, sects, and cults - so, I very much agree!

The book is divided into 14 chapters and progressively builds up from what is the Trinity, who God is, the nature and person of Christ, the truth about the Holy Spirit, brief church history, and finally, on Christian devotion, the Gospel and the Trinity. Usually, I try to read one book a week but this book took me about two weeks to finished, not because it is long but because I take time to savor, think, pray and examine (almost) every Bible passages that are quoted. I’m a Trinitarian like Mr. White, so I’m on his side. But it never crossed my mind that he or any theologian or preacher or apologist (or me, as a matter of fact) is 100% right. Only the Word of God is inerrant, infallible, and inspired - everything else is commentary. I’ve listened to almost a hundred debates on Christianity, Islam, atheism, other religions, cults, and social issues. I’m fully aware of alternative views, different interpretations, and refutes out there about the Trinity. But I’ve made up my mind that the Trinity is fundamental to the Christian faith. No Trinity, no real Christianity. Period. Let me end this somewhat review with a Christian hymn: “Holy, Holy. Holy! Lord God Almighty! All Thy works shall praise Thy Name in earth and sky and sea; Holy, Holy, Holy! Merciful and Mighty! God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!”

Here are some of my recommendations of James White’s debates on the Trinity:

1) With Michael Brown vs. Anthony Buzzard & Joseph Good, Unitarians https://youtu.be/kYhaH0ftujI The Best!
2) Vs. Roger Perkins, Oneness (or, Unitarian) https://youtu.be/U-KMGuXCs-c 
3) Vs. Adnan Rashid, Muslim https://youtu.be/Y6G3AIqmB3I 
4) Vs. Shabir Ally, Muslim https://youtu.be/NKeMsW2b71U 
5) Vs. Dan Baker, Atheist https://youtu.be/UNZh-4pDio0 

#ServeToLead #PreachTheWord #LeadersAreReaders #GrowingLeaders #TheTrinity #DoctrineAndTheology #JamesWhite #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

To read my other #1BookWeek reviews, CLICK HERE: https://legasitv.blogspot.com/search/label/Book%20Review 


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The Ultimate Prescription: What the Medical Profession Isn't Telling You (2010) by Dr. James L. Marcum, BOOK REVIEW

The Ultimate Prescription: What the Medical Profession Isn't Telling You (2010)

by Dr. James L. Marcum, MD (with Charles Mills)

It's hard for me to ignore this: when the vaccines available for the public, I observe many people are eager to get shots for themselves and their loved ones. Try to get themselves and family members to register online and when the website jammed, they tenaciously try and try again. "Don't give up," a mantra that I read in one of my WhatsApp groups. Then when it's time for them to take the shot, people don't mind driving early in the morning, some even from miles away and very patiently queuing the long lines. There is no laziness, very few complaints, and little need for crowd control. But something is missing here: the same eagerness doesn't apply to most people's lifestyle when it comes to physical exercise, eating right, and mental health. It seems we are more concerned with which vaccines are the best but we are ignorant about how we treat our God-given bodies, minds, and spirits.

According to the World Population Review 2019, Malaysia has the highest prevalence of obesity among adults in South-East Asia at 15.6% (the 'fattest' country in Asia). According to the WHO, the top killer in Malaysia in 2014 was coronary heart disease (still is all around the world). The most recent epidemiological data, published in 2015 by the Malaysian Ministry of Health, identified that the prevalence of mental disorders among adults was 29% (that's about 3 in 10 people). Add these data with the effects of the pandemic and the stress of quarantines, we are doom if we don't take care of our health. Dr. James Marcum, in the back cover, argues that many of the diseases sending us to doctors' offices, surgical suites, and early graves are PREVENTABLE - and we don't need to be over-medicated (not anti-medicine) to cure them. "The painful truth is that we give the disease to ourselves by the choices we make over a lifetime. We create the chronic condition that brings about the acute event by placing endless stressors on our systems - stressors that eventually do us in."

Dr. James is a behavioral cardiologist, so he outlines many good scientific evidence to back up his claims, share lots of experience with his patients to authenticate his observations, and unapologetically tackle dozen of deadly misconceptions around us today. At the same time, he writes this book from a Christian perspective and believes that although modern medicines and technologies have done so much to combat the symptoms of diseases, only God, the Great Physician, through His Word (The Bible, 'owner's manual' as he called it), is the true source of healing. By gleaning truths from the Creation Story - Genesis chapter 1 to 3 - Dr. James skillfully let us see that God had already revealed His 'Health Plan' for us that is consistent with scientific findings. Perhaps I have issues with how he interprets some texts, but overall, he is theologically (but not a theologian) sound. Besides all the usual but often neglect natural ways to increase good health, he also highlights the spiritual aspect of love and worship. As cheesy as it may sound, this remains true: "Love [of God and with one another] is the solution to our global health care dilemma. Love opens the door for us to rediscover the ultimate prescription and find healing for our minds, bodies, and spirits. Love is the ultimate treatment. It's the final step to a full, long-lasting recovery" ❤ 
#LeadersAreReaders #GrowingLeaders #TheUltimatePrescription #HealthIsWealth #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

[P.s: In the final sections of this book, Dr. James gives very useful information about the symptoms, diagnostic testing, and treatment of cardiovascular disease. Sweet!]

To read my other #1Book1Week book reviews on health in general, click links below 

1) Happiness Is A Choice: The Symptoms, Causes, and Cures of Depression (2007, Updated Edition) by Frank Minirth, M.D. & Paul Meier, M.D. CLICK HERE
 
2) The Clever Guts Diet: How to Revolutionize Your Body from the Inside Out (2017) by Dr Michael Mosley CLICK HERE  

3) Diet Rehab: 28 Days to Finally Stop Craving the Foods That Make You Fat (2011) by Dr Mike Dow CLICK HERE  

4) Spartan Up! A Take No-Prisoners Guide to Overcoming Obstacles and Achieving Peak Performance in Life (2014) by Joe De Sena CLICK HERE   


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Not to Rest In Our Blessings But In the Blesser Himself

"When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws, and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied... then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery” (Psalms 16:2, NIV) #ServeToLead #PreachTheWord #DontForgetTheBlesser #SpiritualBlessingsAndRedemption

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Worship the Lord in the Midst of Your Responsibilities on Monday

"Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord! Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forevermore! From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised!" (Psalms 113:1-3, ESV) #ServeToLead #PreachTheWord #WorshipOnMonday

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

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

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

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Young Men and Women, Consider the Lordship of Jesus

“Christ died and rose again for this very purpose –
to be Lord both of the living and of the dead”
(Romans 14:9, NLT)

Here Paul claims that our Lord Jesus Christ died and came to life again for one main purpose – to establish His lordship over dead and living. This is in keeping with the crucial sentence of the Pentecostal sermon by Peter: “[God] has made this Jesus, who you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!” (Acts 2:36). We, as Christians – Christ-believers – must emphasize that Jesus who died for us lives to rule in the lives of those He has redeemed.

It is tragic that while many Christians verbally acknowledge Christ’s lordship, they do not display it in the day-to-day practice. They are willing to grant Him the position of constitutional Sultan (or Monarch), as long as they can remain prime minister (or president). Like Peter when God instructed him to eat, they reply Him back, “No, Lord” (Acts 10:14). Do we ever say “no” to Him? He moves us to pray in prayer meetings, but we say “no, Lord.” He calls us to service or witness and we say “no, Lord.” To such Jesus says, “Why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say?” (Luke 6:46).

It is possible to accept Christ as Saviour and to reject Him as Lord. But the truth is: He cannot be divided. We cannot accept Him in one position and reject Him in another. Hudson Taylor was right when he said, “If Jesus is not Lord of all, He is not Lord at all.” In almost the same way, A.W. Tozer writes, “It is altogether doubtful whether any man can be saved who comes to Christ for His help, but with no intention of obeying Him.” Jesus’ reign in our hearts is very practical and extends to every area of life. If we disobey Him, all our recognition of His lordship is nothing… useless. The test is not what we say but what we do. What we perform always speaks more loudly than what we profess. Isaiah puts the situation very abruptly, “O LORD our God, others have ruled us, but you alone are the one we worship” (Isaiah 26:13).

So now, how can we acknowledge Jesus’ lordship? We MUST do the following: 1) Understand that we are saved by His grace alone and so we worship Him gladly and freely; 2) Make a break with the past and vow that other ‘lords’ shall no longer rule in your life; 3) Decisively renounce all known sin or disobedience toward God and others; 4) Enthrone Christ alone and refuse to acknowledge any other name; and 5) Depend on the Holy Spirit – “No one speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus, and no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:3).

Jesus is Lord! Amen.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Timothy, Don't Permit a Woman to Teach or to Have Authority Over a Man (1 Timothy 2:11-15)

“A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. But women will be saved through childbearing – if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety”

(1 Timothy 2:11-15, NIV)

First, keep this in mind: the context of these verses is Paul’s instructions on worship service. And, remember that throughout the New Testament, the Christian home – husband and wife – is a picture of the union between Jesus Christ and His bride, the church (refer Ephesians 5:22-33). The man is the type of Christ and the woman is the type of the church. Ephesians 5:24 says, “Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.” This context and text are reasons why for the strict instruction in these verses.

If you read 1 Corinthians 14:33-35, you’ll understand that women during Paul’s time were creating a disturbance or disorder in the public worship services by “speak in the church,” which I assumed that they questioned negatively about what was being preached. Some commentaries say that these women of Ephesus were new converts and thus have little experience. And due to the Jewish male-dominated society of the time, the women were not allowed to study and thus having little knowledge of the truth (that was why if you study false teachings, cults, or ancient religions, most of the leaders were women. See 2 Timothy 3:1-9). Here Paul outlines two main theological reasons why he “do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man”:

#1 First, the order of creation gives headship to the man (Genesis 1-2). “For Adam was formed first, then Eve.” This doesn’t mean man is superior to woman in creation, but man was given the place of priority, and God intends that it should remain so. #2 Secondly, the woman was the one who falls into sin first. “And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner.” The fall in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3) was disastrous as a result when the woman first took a place of leadership that was never meant for her. Had Eve remained in the place of “quietness and full submission” to Adam, the fall might never have taken place. Therefore, the woman is instructed to take the place of a learner (quietness) and one of subjection (full submission) to the man.

Now… we are told in the Scripture that the woman is not to teach or exercise authority over the man and remember this is part of Paul’s instructions for worship service. This doesn’t eliminate women from teaching at all or writing books that help men or being in full-time ministry or teaching their children. I learned a great deal about Christian living, knowledge of the Scripture, and examples of lives from women in my life like Annette, Kim Cheng, and my mother. Timothy was taught about the faith from his mother and grandmother (2 Timothy 1:5). Among Paul’s co-workers were great women like Priscilla, Euodia, and Syntyche. Most of them held positions of responsibility in the church. And are you not amazed by faithful women like Ruth, Esther, and Deborah in the Old Testament? Superb! Years ago, I concluded that in salvation, discipleship, and status as God’s children, we – men and women – are equal. But in matters of headship and leadership, men should take the lead. If family, church, or organization doesn’t work properly, men are to be the first to take responsibility not women!

About the last verse (v.15), I have to admit, I’m still confused and don’t know which interpretations or believes I should hold. For sure the woman should continue to “live in faith, love, holiness and modesty” (NLT).

Readers, either you agree with me or not,

Lord, I try to be as faithful to your Word as possible.

I’m not afraid of men, but forgive me if I put errors in your Word. Amen.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Timothy, Tell the Men to Lead in Worship and Prayer (1 Timothy 2:8, Men Only)

“I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer,
without anger or disputing”

(1 Timothy 2:8, NIV)

Keep in mind that the apostle Paul here is continuing his instructions concerning prayer which were begun in verse 1. Here, in this verse, Paul instructed who is to do the praying and how they are to pray. He wrote, “I want…” Previously, he said that God “wants all men to be saved” (v.4), but now Paul “wants men” to pray. He is expressing what he would like to see take place in the church.

And this is interesting, “men” here is not referred to as mankind in general, but men in specific contrast to women. Paul, based on my reading of his epistles, is pointing out that the leadership and responsibility for prayer in the public worship service are upon the men, not women. This doesn’t mean that a woman cannot pray in public worship service, far from it (read 1 Corinthians 11 where Paul gives instructions for women to do so), but the headship and leadership of men are to be recognized. Again, keep in mind that Paul is giving instructions for the public worship service (church service, if you would like to call it), not a service specifically called for prayer. Women should not hesitate to participate freely in such a service as long as the headship of men is recognized. This is God’s will.

“I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer…” Although lifting or raising hands while worship is harmless even good, I don’t think Paul is talking about bodily posture here. Our heart posture in which we offer prayers matters more than our body posture: “If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, my Lord would not have listened” (Psalms 66:19, NLT). “Holy” refers to a quality of life, not a part of the body. The heart must be clean and the life holy if prayer is to be heard. Sins have cut us off from God (refer to Isaiah 59:1-2), therefore, holiness is necessary for effectual prayer. Remember, we can be holy because through and in Christ we have been made holy (read Hebrews 10:10). We are and we can be. There also must not be “anger or disputing” or as Eugene Peterson paraphrased, “not shaking angry fists at enemies but raising holy hands to God.” Anger against one another and/or resentment against God also can cut us off from Him and makes prayer unacceptable.

So, when we pray to God – when men pray – men should take the headship, leadership and godly examples in the public worship service. We must examine our hearts daily and confess our sins so that it will not cut off our relationship with God. And ask the Lord to fill us with His holiness, peace and mercy as we lead others in prayer. Where are men of God today? Be one.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

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

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

be honour and glory forever and ever. Amen.”

(1 Timothy 1:17, ESV)

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

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

“Deep honour and bright glory

to the King of All Time –

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

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Pray for North Korea: Will Be the Next World's Greatest Revival?

[This article originally appeared on the Open Doors Australia blog by Mike Gore. Edited version, mine]

Over the last few weeks I’ve read post after post on my newsfeed of the tension increasing between North Korea and the US, South Korea and China. It made me think particularly of the church in North Korea. On top of being one of the most oppressive countries in the world, North Korea is also the hardest place on the planet to be a Christian. It’s illegal to own a Bible, and Christians face severe punishment and life in a labour camp if their faith is discovered. I heard from a friend and colleague, Ron Boyd MacMillan, about the time he met a believer who shared about the greatest revival in the modern world. It was in a country under a harsh dictatorship, yet it was a dictator that God used to bring revival–in China.

A toast to Mao Zedong

Statues of Mao

Just months after the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989, Ron met Mr. Bao in China. Mr. Bao was a professor by day, but at night taught the Bible in underground churches. Ron was invited to meet with Mr. Bao and other Christians in Beijing. Shortly after he arrived, the Chinese Christians raised their glasses and shared a toast, to Mao Zedong–one of the worst dictators in the modern world. Ron was confused, he asked Mr. Bao, “Surely Mao was a monster?”

“God has a use for monsters too!” Mr. Bao replied. “Mao said we were going to build heaven on earth. He said we would build it through truth. He said we could only do it by faith–in each other. He said we would be part of an eternal China. Then he organised us. Gave us hymns to sing. He instituted rituals of confession and repentance, called ‘struggle meetings’. He even forced us all to get together into small groups and expound a ‘sacred’ text together. At the height of it all he would gather us together at Tiananmen Square. Millions would crowd in, especially the youth. Mao would walk out onto the balcony and spread his arms sideways, palms raised almost in the crucifixion position–the crowd would thunder back their adulation, slapping their little red books to their breast. He wouldn’t need to say a thing.”

Ron asked what was he doing, playing god? “Exactly!” was Mr. Bao’s response. “He taught the Chinese people how to worship.” Meo Zedong became a ‘god’, a jealous god. No other gods were allowed. He closed the churches, jailed pastors, burned Bibles – he tried to wipe out the church, and many Christians died.

So How Does that Bring Us to the World’s Greatest Revival?

After Mao Zedong’s death in 1976, freedom increased, people were able to travel around the country. So Christians went from village to village with the gospel. Mr Bao was one of them. He said, “We would start telling them about Jesus Christ and the people would shout, ‘Stop–we want to believe!’ I would tell them wait a minute. You haven’t heard the whole story yet, and they would say, ‘No, this is the God who Mao taught us to look for. We thought it was Mao who would save us, but it cannot be because he died. We see now that it must be Jesus.’” By the mid 1980’s, it’s estimated 50 million people had come to faith in Jesus.

“That’s why we say Mao brought us this huge revival,” said Mr Bao, “He created a society full of worshippers and when their object died, they became a society of seekers intent on finding another god. Mao thought he was the largest annihilator of the church; in fact he was doing the pre-evangelism on a scale unique in human history. Mao meant it for evil but God meant it for good. Mao was used to prepare this country for the greatest outpouring of the Spirit ever seen in his church. He’s God’s fool! He planted in the people’s hearts the desire for true religion then failed them so spectacularly that they kept seeking until they found the one true God.”

What Does this Mean for North Korea?

The Kim's statues

For decades, the people of North Korea have been ruled by the Kim dynasty. People are forced to worship their ‘dear leader’ Kim Jong-un, who promotes himself as an all-powerful god. They must attend weekly meetings and memorise communist ideology. They even have a kind of religion written by Kim Il Sung known as ‘Juche’. They have limited TV channels and websites, and an underground market to purchase goods from abroad. Some North Koreans even think he can read their minds.

Sound familiar? What would happen in North Korea if the current leadership dissolved? North Koreans have been taught to worship the Kim’s as gods–as their saviour. What will happen when they are free to hear about the One True Saviour, Jesus?

Oh yes!

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

The Effects of Pentecost to the Church: How About Today? (Acts 2:40-47)

“With many other words [Peter] warned them; and he pleaded with them, ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.’ Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day”
(Acts 2:40-41, NIV)

Some of those who heard Peter’s Christ-centred preaching wanted at once to do something about it. So he told them to repent. And to show their true repentance, they must be publicly baptized. About 3,000 did so that very day of Pentecost. What a joy that was to Peter, to all the disciples, to those who were just saved, and to the Lord Himself in heaven! If you read further in Acts 2:42-47, you’ll noticed evidences of Spirit-filled people. Because nowadays many churches are so obsess with modern day’s ‘Pentecost’, let’s check what happened to the first century church lead by the Holy Spirit as describes in the Book of Acts. They became…

A Learning Church. “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching…” (v.42). First evidence of Spirit-filled people is their hunger for the truth. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth. And the Truth of God is the Word of God (“the apostles’ teaching”). I’m convince that Spirit-filled church is New Testament church that hold firm to the New Testament teachings and doctrines. They will not despise Christian mind and theology, but embrace it together with their passion for Christ. Don’t ever think that theology is dry as sand, true theology will produce rivers of living water. See here, there were “many wonders and signs performed by the apostle” (v.43).

A Loving Church. “…and to fellowship…” (v.42). Spirit-filled people love to be together. “All the believers were together and had everything in common” (v.44). Because the Father loves the Son, the Son loves the Father, and the Spirit is in us; this love of God become the ultimate source for our love with one another. Not only that, because the Father and the Son loves to give good things for us, the Spirit teaches us to give and share with others too. For example, first believers volunteeringly “sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need” (v.45). Not that we have to do the same, but the attitude of giving should be the attitude of the Spirit-filled church. Their love is visible.

A Worshipping Church. “…to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (v.42). Worship is the expression of Spirit-filled people. Here I notices that their worship (or can I say their prayer meetings?) was both formal “in the temple court” and informal “in their homes” (v.46). Also, I realized that both the fear of the Lord “filled with awe” (v.43) and the joy of the Lord “praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people” (v.47) are mutually together. There is a place for formal worship. And there is a time for informal worship. But one thing for sure: We all must worship God with joy and reverence.

An Evangelistic Church. “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved” (v.47). Harry Boer in his challenging book Pentecost and Missions writes, the Acts “is governed by one dominant, overriding and all-controlling motif. This motif is the expansion of the faith through missionary witness in the power of the Spirit… Restlessly the Spirit drives the church to witness, and continually churches rise out of the witness. The church is a missionary church.” No doubt, Spirit-filled people are missionaries. As we go and witness the Good News of Jesus to the world, remember the Lord is the One who saved people. Once saved, they belong to us. Oh, may our church today become Spirit-filled church: continuous learning, extravagance with love, ever praising God, and missionary-minded. Amen.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.