Which Wolf Will You Feed TODAY? #LeadersAreReaders November 2022

A familiar story but let me put a twist on it. An old man is teaching his grandson about reading good books. "A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy, "It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One holds ignorance, sameness, comfort, passivity, laziness, distraction, and impatient. The other loves knowledge, new ideas, creativity, imagination, empathy, and good thinking."

"One is trying its best to make excuses not to read books. The other knows the magical potential of reading good books. One says, 'Someday'. The other says, 'Today.' The same fight is going on inside you and every other person too," says the old wise man. The grandson asks, "Which wolf will win?" Pointing his finger to his heart and then to his white-grey hair head, "It's the one you feed."

Which wolf will you feed TODAY? Mark Twain said this: “The man who doesn't read good books has no advantage over the fellow who can't read them.” I think it's okay if you don't read books, there are other ways of learning and improving yourself. But you might miss out on a lot of things. The world is moving forward so fast, so hectic, and so rushing. I believe the way to smartness and peace is by slowing down, stepping back a little, and pausing time by reading good books. Have you ever wondered why God gives us The Book a.k.a. The Bible instead of graphic manga, smartphone, YouTube videos, and audio recordings? The main means of His communication is the BOOK. Woff! Woff!

#ServeToLead #ReadersAreReaders #FeedTheRightWolf #TheBook #SlowingDown #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

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The Message of Hebrews: Christ Above All (1982) by Raymond Brown, Not-A-Review

Every time you hear or read something insightful from someone, you got to ask the question, "Where does she get that?" I believe that there are no good - or great and godly - insights that are totally original. It is not ex nihilo. Creative people or creativity, in my opinion, is just mastering the art of combining ideas. In the case of spiritual insight, it is the combination of life experience, personal reflection, and the Holy Spirit's inspiration (except for divine revelation and/or prophesy). If you hear or read something insightful from me, for example, be sure that I get that from other sources either directly or indirectly, consciously or subconsciously. If it sounds convincing, it's because I make it my own. The style, articulation, and language perhaps are mine but it's not original. The same goes for everyone else that we labeled as 'insightful' persons.

In the same way, when I preach and teach the Book of Hebrews, my insights come from many sources. I rely on the Holy Spirit as my main Teacher (see John 14:26) and the Scripture as my main Text. I also get help from other people and books too. It is arrogant to say/think, "I only need my Bible." I love The Book of Hebrews because of its obvious Christocentricity. But for those who aren't familiar with the Old Testament narratives and themes, Hebrews can be very difficult to understand. Preachers like John MacArthur, David Pawson, and David Guzik have helped me greatly. Bible commentaries such as this one, Donald A. Hagner's Encountering the Book of Hebrews: An Exposition (2002), and Leon Morris's The Expositor's Bible Commentary: Hebrews (1982) are good companions for the journey. These I treated as references only. The first rule of hermeneutics is "Let Scripture interpret Scripture." So, reading and interpreting Hebrews from the Scripture itself is essential.

A brief words about Raymond Brown's commentary on Hebrews. This commentary is part of my favorite The Bible Speaks Today Series. It is easy to read and follow especially if you want to see the big picture of Hebrews. Not too detailed but also not too simplistic. The Series is characterized by a threefold ideal: 1) To expound the biblical text with accuracy; 2) To relate it to contemporary life, and 3) To be readable. This book has all these ideals. His outlines are divided into three major themes: a) God's Son (Hebrews 1:1-6:20) focusing on the person of Christ; b) Christ's Work (7:1-10:18) focusing on the work of Christ, and c) Our Response (10:19-13:25) focusing on Christian ethics. Hebrews "illustrations are certainly drawn from a different world, but their message is timeless. Far from escaping into the past, it beckons us on to a better future, with its firm assurance that the eternal Son of God is supreme and sufficient." And then Brown concludes, "The message of Christ's uniqueness is always relevant." Amen!

#ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #BookOfHebrews #BibleCommentary #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

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Increase Your Personal Intellectual Capital #LeadersAreReaders October 2022

When I was working in management, I use to read monthly articles by the late Peter F. Drucker (1909-2005) in the business magazine. My workplace was near the bookstore. At the age of 90, he was more active than most 25-year-olds. As a consultant and an author known as 'the father of management thinking,' he was continually working on new books, most of which became bestsellers. Yet, midst his massive accomplishment, he still found time to read three to five hours a day on a wide range of subjects - a habit he first cultivated as a young man. Like Charles H. Spurgeon, one of my heroes of faith, you just have to admire them but don't need to emulate them.

"Every few years I pick another major topic and read in it daily for three years," Drucker once said candidly. "It's not enough to make me an expert, but it's long enough to understand what the field is all about. I've done this for 60 years." When I enter the full-time ministry, I somewhat learned this strategy from Drucker (and Spurgeon): read widely, from many different fields NOT just Christian books. Drucker is the epitome of the 'knowledge worker,' a term he coined to describe the most valuable resource in the new economy - intellectual capital. "Your knowledge and your experience are your new wealth. They belong to you, not your company. Leave an organization and you take that wealth with you."

Learning how to learn and increase your intellectual capital with practical skills. Be valuable. One of the best ways (meaning, not the only way) to do this is by READING BOOKS and/or through good literature. It takes curiosity and also discipline. In the Information and Digital Age, like the late Peter Drucker, the discipline of reading will be well rewarded. Wherever you go, you take that wealth with you.

#ServeToLead #PeterFDrucker #LifeTimeLearner #ReadersAreReaders #IntellectualCapital #KnowledgeIsWealth #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

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The Disappearing Act: The Impossible Case of MH370 (Mudlark, 2021) by Florence de Changy, Book Review

I checked the internet, how much can I quote from a book without permission? The answer is various from which sources and publications. On average, less than 300 words is safe, I estimate. Let me take the risk, assume ignorance, and quote this book at length without giving the gist and juice of the book that we - reasonable Malaysians and perhaps the majority of informed people in the world - don't already know: "The key to a successful disappearance is diversion: grab the audience's attention and make them look elsewhere while you execute your sleight of hand. If MH370's 'disappearance' is indeed a sleight of hand on a massive scale, there has been a fantastic simultaneous effort of diversion, and seemingly more than one.

"The world's media has been complicit in the affair, mostly passively, by not questioning enough, and occasionally actively, by spreading unchecked, erroneous, or false information. Public opinion is not and is not supposed to be, that gullible. Everyone knows the MH370 story does not add up. Everyone knows a Boeing 777, possibly the safest plane in the history of civil aviation does not disappear without a trace in one of the most politically sensitive regions of the planet. So rather than being incredible, the official narrative is simply not credible. Yet the idea that we are being blatantly cheated by the governments we are supposed to trust is so uncomfortable and so problematic that, for the sake of our mental comfort, we choose to look elsewhere and welcome any alternative explanation, including one that makes no sense and falsely accuses a decent man of being a mass murderer" (Taken from Epilogue: The Disappearing Act, page 345-346)

To quote Ms. Changy again and as she always said in all of her interviews [check YouTube] sometimes casually, sometimes frustrate, "To me, claiming that Flight MH370 could have disappeared sounded like an insult to human intelligence." I agree wholeheartedly by underlining this phrase in the book with a 1.5mm black ink pen! Reading this book near Malaysia's 15th General Election is adding to my already lack of truth in the government. By the way, I enjoy reading Ms. Changy's 400+ pages of investigative journalism and gripping account of one of the most profound mysteries of the 21st century (although the word 'mystery' is unnecessary because there are people who knew!). I like that she provided as many facts as possible (of course, sometimes I questioned her sources), outline the incident well, explain some alternative scenarios, when into the testimonies of the families of missing passengers, interviewed interesting people, and quite a vast knowledge on current political situations, military arrangements and some aviation technical lingo (which I have to admit my limited comprehension in this area).

As any journalist would do, as much as she wanted to be objective, she is not without personal biases and interpretations. Read this book not with an open mind but with a critical mind. Focus on the obvious and always ask good and right questions. This is one of the lessons I learned from Ms. Changy. Because only with good and right questions we can get answers. Although, with MH370, it may take some time. As my favorite childhood TV series, The X-Files tagline says, "The truth is out there." Buy this book!

#ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #TheDisappearingAct #MH370 #FlorenceDeChangy #CurrentAffair #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

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I Don't Have Enough Faith the Be An Atheist (2004) by Norman L. Geisler & Frank Turek, Book Review

David Limbaugh in his forward writes, "[This book] is the best single book I've seen to prepare believers to give the reasons for their faith, and for skeptics who are open to the truth. This book will serve as an indispensable evangelism tool, especially when dealing with nonbelievers with 'intellectual' obstacles to the faith. As we know, the intellectual obstacles are just an excuse for nonbelievers, but when you remove the substance of their excuse they are left naked to confront their real obstacles, their real demons." I agree with Limbaugh but with the exception that it is NOT "the best single book." There will be new 'intellectual' obstacles ahead of us (although principally "there is nothing new under the sun"), so, we have to always need new, fresh, and better books to tackle future issues with the same effectiveness as this one. Always preparing the way for the Lord and His Word to touch people's lives with the never-changing Gospel. Having said that, for me, this book is one of the best apologetic tools so far (probably next after Josh McDowell's Evidence That Demands a Verdict).

Between the two authors, I'm more familiar with Frank Turek because I subscribed to his podcast and YouTube channel with the same name as this book and frequently listened to his talks and interviews. Norman Geisler, now deceased, is the giant of apologetic who wrote and co-wrote many amazing books. Together they present the essential information needed for readers either to stand firm in their faith in the God of Christianity or to make a decision to come to the God of Christianity with a reasonable faith. For believers, your faith will be strengthened; for honest seekers, your beliefs will be challenged. Some people will read this book and yet remain an atheist or skeptical but they will have no excuse that they never knew. "One beauty of God's creation is this: if you're not willing to accept Christianity, then you're free to reject it," explain Frank and Norman. "God has provided enough evidence in this life to convince anyone willing to believe, yet he has also left some ambiguity so as not to compel the unwilling." I like that. It is consistent with the character of God that I read in the Bible. No one - especially mine - can claim absolute certainty about anything. Everything requires some amount of faith. Questions such as "Is truth knowable?", "Does God exists?" and, "Is the Bible the Word of God?" even with a fair amount of evidence, in the end, require faith. Vise versa, to reject them also requires faith. But as the book argues, it takes a lot more faith to be a non-Christian than it does to be a Christian.

Let me share five (5) reasons why I recommend this book (I could share more but, to misquote the Book of Hebrews, "time will not allow me"):

#1 The Logical Flow - At the outset, they outline 12 points starting from a general but crucial one "No.1 Truth about reality is knowable." What is truth? Can truth be known? Can truths about God be known? So what? Who cares about truth? Then, they progressively move to the last one "No.12 It is true that the Bible is the Word of God." Is the Bible historically reliable? Who is Jesus? If Jesus is who He said He is, what He taught about the Bible? They begin with general revelation to special revelation.

#2 Not Using the Scripture to Proof the Existence of God - In the first 5 out of 12 points, they argue about the existence of a theistic God not by using the Scripture but by science and reason. They use the Cosmological Argument (Beginning of the universe), the Teleological/ Anthropic Argument (Design of the universe, design of life), and the Moral Argument (Moral law). These arguments alone are enough for me to say that "I don't have enough faith to be an atheist"!

#3 Uses History, Philosophy, Logic, and Biblical Theology to Establish Their Arguments - For example, when they try to prove that the New Testament is reliable, they do not simply say that "The Bible tells me so" but give evidence from external and internal sources, historical and philosophical supports, logical and theological based. "We came to believe through evidence," they said, "...the fact THAT we are Christians is not the issue: WHY we are Christians is the important point."

#4 Anticipating Counter-Arguments and Answer Them Clearly - In the past, I almost lost my faith in Christianity. I figured, if Christianity is false then all religions* must be false too. I don't want to be an agnostic because I think the issue is simple: whether God exists or not. So my next best choice was to be an atheist. When I'm trying to explore the possibility of the non-existence of God, I have lots of questions. Every time I heard or read Christian's positive arguments, I always have counter-arguments or objections. Authors of this book anticipate objections as they presented their arguments. For example, take the case of the reliability of the New Testament again. They know those common objections such as "history cannot be known", "The New Testament documents contain miracles", "The New Testament writers were biased", and "Converted people are not objective" would be in the back of the reader's mind like I was. With vast experience, knowledge, and humility, they answer these common (not all) objections clearly.

#5 Provide More Than Enough Facts - To me, three reasonable facts are enough to change my opinions; five strong facts are enough to convince me to reconsider my beliefs; seven undisputed facts are enough to change my mind and make me a convert. Throughout the book every time the authors make a case they always give more than two reasons or facts. For example, in the question of "How do we know the moral law exists?" they give eight compelling reasons. In Chapter 11, they give "The Top Ten Reasons We Know the New Testament Writers Told the Truth" which is also the title of the chapter.

The authors acknowledged that "evidence alone cannot convince someone to become a Christian. Some atheists and non-Christians may reject Christianity not because the evidence is inadequate but because they don't want to accept it." It seems oversimplified but in the final analysis, it's true. They continue, "Some people choose to suppress the truth rather than live by it. In fact, we humans have a fatal tendency to try to adjust the truth to fit our desires rather than adjusting our desires to fit the truth." Don't do that. This is about your eternal destiny. This book cannot answer ALL your questions. In fact, we will never have ALL the answers anyway. But this book - by God's grace - has more than enough answers to show beyond a reasonable doubt that Christianity is true. The Scripture says: "[If] you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved." Lord, give the reader enough faith to believe and confess! Amen.

#ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #IDontHaveEnoughFaithToBeAnAtheist #FrankTurek #NormanGeisler #Apologetics #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

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Lead Like Christ: Reflecting the Qualities and Character of Christ In Your Ministry (Audiobook, 2021) by A.W. Tozer, Book Review

I like to think of A.W. Tozer (many have called him a modern-day prophet) as a very bold and manly writer. We need more men of God like him. I'm not comfortable calling a living person a "man of God" anymore because the last time I said that to the late Ravi Zacharias, I was frustrated and ashamed of myself after the exposè. Of course, it's not wrong (if due respect) to call someone a man or woman of God, it is safer for the soul and faith, in my opinion, to reserve that title or honor to the long-gone, time-proven, faithful Christ followers such as A.W. Tozer. Although he passed away in 1963, his influence - writings and Christian living - is critical today. My first encounter with Tozer was through his classic book, The Knowledge of the Holy and also a biography by James L. Snyder entitled A.W. Tozer: In Pursuit of God. I have some issues with Tozer's mysticism but his love for God and His Word surpassed my judgment and is remained central in his life and writings.

Lead Like Christ edited by James Synder for modern readers is a compilation of Tozer's sermons on the Epistle of Paul to Titus which particularly focus on spiritual leadership. If you're looking for a management-side or practical method of leadership, this book is not for you. For that, as I see the importance of knowing how to lead, I would recommend other books. But if you, as Tozer puts it, have "an incurable hunger and thirst for the deep things of God" you will be blessed by this book. His insights on the Scripture, particularly the Letter to Titus, are admirable. His thoughts on the impact of spiritual warfare, the urgent need for sound doctrine, the call of servanthood, the three words he uses to describe Titus (integrity, discretion, and enthusiasm), and more are skillfully articulate to connect to the topic of spiritual leadership. He gives examples of Paul, other apostles and prophets, his contemporaries, and chiefly the Master, our Lord Jesus Christ.

There were times when I have to pause and reflect on what he said and consider my own walk with God and the people I try to lead. As Paul said to another of his mentee, Timothy, "Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching" (1 Timothy 4:16), that is, teach "accords with sound doctrine" (Titus 2:1). We need more leaders today. But not the worldly kind of leaders. We need Christ-centered leaders that can turn the world upside down with silent obedience and loud character that bring glory to "our great God and Savior Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13). This is a high calling, Holy Spirit, help us! Amen.

#ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #LeadLikeChrist #AWTozer #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

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Take the Cue From Mark Zuckerberg! #LeadersAreReaders September 2022

In 2015, Mark Zuckerberg shared his New Year's resolution to focus on books. The founder of Facebook decided to read one book per week (I did it a few years ago). To show his commitment, he created a special page, "A Year of Books", where he initially share the books that he read and where other readers can find new books and participate in discussions about them. The picked books help to learn about different cultures, beliefs, histories, and technologies.

This is how Mark Zuckerberg explains his decision in a Facebook post on 3rd January 2015: "I’m excited about my reading challenge. I’ve found reading books very intellectually fulfilling. Books allow you to fully explore a topic and immerse yourself in a deeper way than most media today. I’m looking forward to shifting more of my media diet towards reading books." I guess that also includes social media like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp... how ironic.

Steve Jobs won't let his kids use an iPad, Bill Gates limited screen time for his kids, and Mark Zuckerberg said reading books allow us to go deeper on a topic than most media. Maybe we should take the cue: Reduce social media and device usage, and increase your time for reading books.

#ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

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