What Is God's Will?

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Introduction
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We live in a day and age where we are fascinated with the future. We want to make sure that we live this life to the fullest. We don't want to make any mistakes. We don't want to have regrets. We don't want to date/marry the wrong person. We want a career that can satisfy us. Precisely because of this, Wisdom is important in making a healthy choice when we are stuck in a fork road. 

"What is the will of God for my life? What is God's will anyways? Is it possible for me to know it?"

Those questions are often asked within the Christian community. Christians tend to think that the will of God is a mystery or it is hidden from us. It is true that "the secret things belong to the LORD our God, BUT the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law."
(Deuteronomy 29:29)

We tend to over complicate the idea of God's will. I might be stepping on people's toes, but I think that we over complicate what God's will is, because we don't read the Bible. It is actually not very hard to answer those questions. In fact, those questions are already answered in the Word of God. His revealed will is in the text of Scripture. 
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According To Scripture
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1 Thessalonians 4:3 - Clearly, God's will for us is to be sanctified -  to be made holy - because we are not completely perfect yet. The first step to sanctification is to abstain from sexual immorality (πορνεία: Porneia). πορνεία carries a package of words in it. There is also a responsibility on our part, as followers of Jesus, to stop watching porn and masturbating, to stop having pre-marital sex, to stop having oral sex before marriage, to stop lusting, to stop bestiality, to stop homosexuality, to stop committing adultery, to stop friends with benefits, and the list goes on. We are living in a culture where we are sexually broken, and God's will is to transform us and heal our sexual brokenness when we commit to abstaining from πορνεία.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 - Clearly, God's will for us is to rejoice, pray unceasingly, and be thankful. 

1 Peter 2:15 - Clearly, God's will for believers is to live a godly life by doing good. By doing so, false charges against Christians will be put to silence.  

1 Peter 3:17 - Clearly, it is God's will for believers to suffer for doing good rather than to do evil. 

Romans 12:2 - Clearly, when our minds are being renewed day by day, we may be able to discern what is the will of God. 

Ephesians 5:10, 17 - Clearly, we are called to understand what the will of the Lord is and to do what is pleasing to Him. We are not to decipher the secret things of God; rather, we are called to understand His revealed will that is laid out in the Bible (Deut 29:29). 
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Conclusion
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Perhaps you do struggle with figuring out God's will. You ask questions that are related to marriage, a career, a house, a university and etc. 

Unfortunately, I can't go into every detail on this post, but there are books out there that I could recommend to you:

Can I know God's Will? by R.C. Sproul (it's free on kindle!)

Found: God's Will by John MacArthur

Romans 12:1-2 is practically helpful in my walk with God. In order to discern God's will, we need our minds to be renewed. In order for our minds to be renewed, we need to constantly meditate on the Word of God (Psalm 119:11; Philippians 4:8-9). When I immerse myself in His Word, I know what He wants me to do and I know what He does not want me to do. 

General rule of thumb, be faithful to God, and you'll see His guidance and His blessings in your life. I'll leave you with Peter's words, which are inspired by the Holy Spirit: 

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:6-7)

What Is Sin?

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Overview

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Willingdon School of the Bible, in one of the classes, provided a section on what sin is. I thought it would be helpful to share what the classes illumine in light of what Scripture teaches. I changed the notes a bit because I think they were not clear enough. I am aware that there will be others who might add another point or two.

The question, when looking into the Doctrine of Salvation or Soteriology, that we have to ask ourselves is, "What are we saved from?" We are saved from our sins. What is sin?

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What is sin?

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Sin is:

1. Anti-Theocentric (Romans 1:18-32)
• It is against God
2. Relational (i.e., anti-relational) (1 Corinthians 11:17-19; Psalm 51:4) 
• It can be between human and God, and between human and human.
3. Illegal (Romans 3:19-26; 7:7-13)
• Law-breaker 
• Transgressor
• Guilty
4. Universal (Romans 3:23) 
• Everyone is a sinner and separated from God.
5. Enslaving & Corrupting (Romans 6-7)
• Slave to sin
• Corrupts every aspect of our lives
• Total depravity
6. Sin elicits God's wrath (Romans 2:8; 1 Thessalonian 1:10; 2 Thessalonian 1:6-9, 2:10-12)

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Gospel (Reversal)

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The Gospel deals with all of the points that are above.

1. The Gospel reconciles our relationship with God and enables us to love Him. 
2. The Gospel reconciles our relationship with others and enables us to love both our neighbors and our enemies. 
3. The Gospel justifies us. 
4. The Gospel invites everyone to be reconciled to God. 
5. The Gospel sets us free from being slaves to sin (or power of sin) and converts us to being slaves to Christ.
6. The Gospel saves us from God's wrath now, and the wrath that is to come in the future. 

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, (1 Corinthians 15:3)

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Conclusion

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The Gospel is indeed Good News.  Because of the Gospel, God is calling us to holiness, to follow Him, to obey Him and to forsake worldliness (1 Peter 1:22-2:3).

Sin still dwells in the lives of believers - trying to wage war against the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-17). Christians still need to make conscious decisions to obey and to follow Christ (John 14:15, 21)

However, Christ is continually sanctifying His Bride (Ephesians 5:25-27). We wait for the day when sin, Satan and the evil ones will be completely destroyed - when we are in the New Heaven and New Earth with Christ (Revelations 21:1-8).

Already / Not Yet

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Overview
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This is a response to a recent theological discussion about our identity in Christ. It is a needed response. It is a desperate response. It is a gospel response. We need to firmly grasp what it means for Christ to live in us. In brief, the response is towards the “two words” at the end of the statement: “Christ lives in us, AS US”, and how it has huge theological implications in understanding the nature of who God is and how we live our lives. My response is not for the purpose of confirming that I am right, but that the Word of God is authoritative and is always perfect and right.
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Gospel
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Before I begin, I want to affirm that the “[Gospel] is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” (Romans 1:16) I am deeply grateful for the message of salvation that is revealed in the person and work of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:2-3).  I am deeply loved by the love of God (Romans 5:8) because He gave His Son for us (John 3:16-17). I am profoundly changed (John 9:25). I am adopted into the family of God (1 John 3:1). 

The gospel message is this: God created all of us to enjoy and worship Him. But sin came into the world through Adam and Eve, therefore we inherited sin from them, and we are born separated from God and in rebellion against Him. God the Father sent Jesus into the world on a rescue mission to save sinners from their sins. He lived a perfect life, obeyed the Father, performed miracles and claimed to be God. He was betrayed by Judas, arrested and tried by the Pharisees and Roman Soldiers, scourged and beaten, shed a lot of blood, nailed on the wooden cross and died hanging on the cross. On the third day, He was resurrected, proving that He’s alive and that He is God. The purpose of Jesus’ life was to redeem those who are lost, to forgive sinners, to save sinners from their sins and to save them from the wrath of God. Those who believe in Him will experience redemption. The Gospel calls sinners to repent and believe in Jesus Christ and live a radical new life by the power of the Holy Spirit.
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AS US
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The discussion of Christ living in us is an important matter. Evangelicals believe that when we place our faith in Christ, Christ lives in us, according to the Apostle Paul (Galatians 2:20). The discussion of the matter was centered on that verse and Romans 6, I think, and what they mean. Like I said before, my response is simply towards the “two words”: AS US. Here, I am presenting the interpretation from the view of another person whom I am not going to name.

 “I have been crucified with Christ”/ “our old self was crucified with him”

The interpretation of this line meant that our old nature - sinful nature – was completely crucified with Christ. If we are crucified with Christ, and Christ lives in us as us, then we are completely new creatures. 

“Christ who lives in me”

Because Christ is sinless, and lives in us, we are therefore perfectly sinless without a sinful nature. If we are perfectly sinless, then we do not have to do anything to be perfect or holy because He lives in us, as us. To say that we still have a sinful nature is to deny what Jesus Christ has done for us on the cross.
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No “AS US”
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To say that we deny Christ if we believe we have a sinful nature, may seem to honor Christ. But in reality, that is not the teaching of the Bible. The Bible never talks about “Christ living in us, AS US". There is no evidence. Those two words were added. I am deeply astonished that those two words can create theological distortions. I am also deeply astonished that people can come up with weird ideas that is not found in the Bible.

I have personally spoken to pastors, ministry workers and scholars about what they think regarding those added words in the statement. All of them found it bizarre. 
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ALREADY
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Now, I am going to provide an interpretation that is more in agreement with the Gospel, the teaching from the Word of God, and the results from my consultation with experts on the subject.  

We learn from Romans 6 and 7 that when we trusted in Christ as our Savior and Lord, we were united to Christ (Romans 6:5; 7:4). In this union with Christ we died (Romans 6:8; Colossians 2:20; 3:3) and rose again (Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12; Ephesians 2:6). A decisive and irrevocable new creation, therefore, came into being (2 Corinthians 5:17), and a decisive and irrevocable liberation happened (Romans 6:14, 18). We passed from death to eternal life. God's decisive judgment is behind us - at Golgotha (John 5:24). We have moved from the dominion of darkness into the kingdom of God's Son (Colossians 1:13). We are alive together with Christ and seated with Him in the heavenly places (Ephesians 2:5-6).
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NOT YET
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However, we also learn that our liberation from sin is not yet final and perfect. Let’s spell it out in three P-words: Penalty, Power and Present. When we place our trust in Christ, the penalty of sin has been paid for (Colossians 2:13-15). Basically, we have been justified by God (I will not go into details on Justification). The power of sin has been broken in the present time so sin cannot enslave a person who is confident and hopeful in God (Romans 6:6-8). The presence of sin, however, still dwells within us. We know that because of Romans 7:17, 20. This is the Apostle Paul speaking. If we are perfectly sinless because Christ lives in us, then what does that make of Paul and the rest of the teachings of the Bible? Evil is present in us (Romans 7:21). The "flesh" is a daily "troubler" of our souls (Romans 7:25). Paul recognizes that he is still not perfect, and still has a long way to go in order to obtain the crown and prize (Philippians 3:12). When we are justified by God, God is sanctifying us to conform more to the image of Jesus (Romans 8:29). We still need our minds to be renewed and to abhor worldliness (Romans 12:2). Hear the warning of the Apostle John to every professing Christians: we are liars if we say we have no sin (1 John 1:8, 10). 
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Conclusion
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The Bible teaches that the followers of Christ need to be humble and recognize that we do have a sinful nature or flesh. Although Christ had reconciled us to Himself, we have not attained perfection yet. 

Our identity is in Christ and we do not need to feel guilty about our sins. We do have a relationship with God. But if we are truly in Christ, the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin (John 16). As Christians, we can grieve the Holy Spirit when we sin (Ephesians 4:30). We do need to confess our sins and ask God to cleanse us from all unrighteousness to restore our fellowship with Him (1 John 1:9). 

In the 1st half of Romans, the 1st half of Ephesians, and the 1st half of Colossians, Paul teaches that the reality and indicative of the gospel. Because of the indicative, the 2nd half of his letters talk about the imperative - urging the Christians to live in holiness, to repent of sin, to worship and love God, and to love others.  

The Bible teaches that the followers of Christ do have the responsibility to repent from sin and work out our salvation (not work for our salvation) (Philippians 2:12-13).

The Bible teaches that we do have a new nature, walking in the Spirit, but it is still in constant battle against the flesh (Galatians 5:16-17; Romans 7:22-23).

The Bible teaches that we are sinners, and to deny that is exposing ourselves to the danger of falling away from true faith. We can easily deceive ourselves into thinking we are no longer sinners (1 John 1:8, 10).

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Reference
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- ESV Study Bible
- "Already: Decisively and Irrevocably Free, Not Yet: Finally and Perfectly Free" by John Piper

Church Without Walls

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Theology of Disciple-Making
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This week has been intense as an Immerse Student. I have been greatly challenged, reminded, encouraged and inspired to continue to fulfill the Great Commission. (Matthew 28:18-20) 

On Tuesday and Wednesday, I participated in a seminar called "Theology of Disciple-Making". I will go into more details as I will be developing a philosophy of disciple-making for myself and for the church. It was intense sitting under the teaching of the staffs in the Fellowship Pacific. There were at least 10 pages of information that I had to absorb, but a BIG IDEA that I took away from the seminar was to pray and be INTENTIONAL in disciple-making. The chief end goal for disciple-making is that disciples would be conformed more and more into the image of Jesus Christ. (Romans 8:29) If we are not seeing people becoming more like Jesus, then we have failed in disciple-making. 
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IMPACT 2014
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On Thursday and Friday, I was a delegate for my church to attend the Fellowship Pacific Convention or IMPACT. The theme for this year is called "Church Without Walls". Do not take it too literally, although you can. What are some "walls" that we are creating that prevent people from meeting Jesus? Is it tradition? Is it the style of music? Is it the negative way we see the lost - such as smokers, prostitutes, drug addicts? Is it the way we dress? Who are we welcoming and not welcoming? What are those "walls" that we need to break down in order for the lost to worship and meet Jesus? As Christians who believe in the Bible and follow Jesus, Jesus had no "walls". Pharisees put up "walls". Jesus ate with sinners. Pharisees despise sinners. Jesus was a friend of sinners. I challenge every church to reflect on the theme. 
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Alan Hirsch
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It was my first time ever attending the convention. I believe one of my greatest experiences in this convention was meeting Pastors and Ministry Workers in the Fellowship Baptist Denomination. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing stories of what God is doing in this world that almost made me shed some tears. Furthermore, the speaker for the Convention was Alan Hirsch. I was greatly convicted and disturbed, in a good way, by his lessons on Missiology and the reason why churches are declining. I highly recommend him to speak at conferences. He challenged us to go back to these four things, mainly the first one: Re-Jesus, Re-Disciple, Re-Mission, and Re-Organize. 
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Conclusion
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To be honest, it felt like a retreat to me. I have a stronger focus for the work that God has given me to do. 

The Sophos

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What is it?
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"The Sophos" (Sage) would be a topic where I share wise and edifying words from Pastors, Theologians, the Puritans and the characters in Scripture. May you find this entry encouraging.
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The Sophos
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Do you mortify? Do you make it your daily work? Be always at it whilst you live; cease not a day from this work; be killing sin or it will be killing you. ~ John Owen

The gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope. ~ Tim Keller 

Now, as [Christian] stood looking and weeping, behold three Shining Ones came to him, and saluted him with "Peace be to thee." So the first said him, "Thy sins be forgiven thee" (Mark 2:5); the second stripped him of his rags, and clothed him with change of raiment (Zechariah 3:4); the third also set a mark on his forehead (Ephesians 1:13); and gave him a roll with a seal upon it, which he bid him look on as he ran, and that he should give it in at the celestial gate: so they went their way. ~ Pilgrim's Progress, Pg. 52 

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. ~ Apostle Paul

I cannot choose but adhere to the word of God, which has possession of my conscience; nor can I possibly, nor will I even make any recantation, since it is neither safe nor honest to act contrary to conscience! Here I stand; I cannot do otherwise, so help me God! Amen. ~ Martin Luther

The Significance Of The Resurrection: 21 Reasons

My beloved, today we celebrate our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who has risen from the dead 2000 years ago. 

"He has risen! He has risen, indeed!"

This is a very significant day - not simply just for Christians - for Christ. The entire Bible points to this important moment. The Old Testament forth-tell this event. The New Testament (after the Gospels) points back to this event, and points toward the future hope that Christians have with Christ. 

I'm going to provide a list of verses and reasons (not exhaustive) that shows why this day is significant.
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What Is The Significance?
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The Significance Of The Resurrection Is That:

1. The Faith Of The Saints Is Not Futile (1 Corinthians 15:17)
2. The Faith Of The Saints Is Real (1 Corinthians 15:14)
3. There Is Forgiveness of Sin (1 Corinthians 15:17)
4. True Followers Of Jesus Christ Are Not False Witnesses (1 Corinthians 15:15)
5. The Saints Can Have Hope (1 Corinthians 15:18-19)
6. The Saints Will Be United With Christ In A Resurrection Like His (Romans 6:5; 2 Corinthians 4:14)
7. The Saints Are Made Alive By God Together With Christ (Ephesians 2:4-5)
8. Whether dead in Christ Or Alive At His Coming, The Saints Will Receive A Glorified Bodies. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)
9. The Saints Will Avoid The Future Wrath (1 Thessalonians 1:10)
10. The Saints Have A Good News To Proclaim To The World (Acts; Matthew 28:28-20)
11. Christ's Resurrection Was Physical (Luke 24:36-43)
12. Christ's Prophecy Has Been Fulfilled (Luke 18:13)
13. Christ Poured Out The Holy Spirit (Acts 2:32-33)
14. Christ Is Victorious Over Sin and Death (1 Corinthians 15:56)
15. Christ Will Never Die Again (Romans 6:9)
16. Death Will Be Completely Defeated (1 Corinthians 15:26; Revelations 20:14)
17. Satan Is Crushed And Will Be In The Lake Of Fire Along With His Followers (Genesis 3:15; Romans 16:20; 1 John 3:8; Hebrews 2:14; Colossians 2:15; Revelations 20:7-15)
18. Christ Is Glorified And Highly Exalted (Philippians 2:9-11)
19. Christ Is Seated At The Right Hand Of The Father (Ephesians 1:20; Acts 2:33)
20. Christ Will Make All Things New (Revelations 21:5)
21. Christ Will Get His Bride (Ephesians 5:25-27; Revelations 19:6-10)

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SONGS
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This day needs to be celebrated with joyful singing for our triumphal Lord and Savior! 

• Christ the Lord is Risen Today (Good Hymn)
• Happy Day
• Mighty To Save
• Because He Lives
• My Redeemer Lives
• All Hail The Power Of Jesus Name
• Crown Him With Many Crowns

Good Friday (The Darkest Day In History)

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What Happened?
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2000 years ago, Jesus of Nazareth went through the most extreme pain and suffering. He suffered a sleepless night while praying to the Father and sweating blood. He suffered into the hands of the Roman Soldiers, plus the betrayal of Judas. He got arrested and his friends turned their backs on Him. He suffered insults, mockeries, false accusations, spits and punches from the Pharisees, Priest and Roman Soldiers during his unjust trial. Peter denied Him three times. He suffered scourging and flogging that ripped His flesh open to the point of seeing his ribs. Pontius Pilate, governor of Rome, found no guilt in Jesus, but the crowd still screamed out, "Crucify Him!" He was taken up to the Place of Skull called Golgotha. He was executed through cruxification, along with two criminals on his side, but Jesus was not a criminal. Hours have passed by as Jesus was hung up on the cross. Darkness covered the sky. Jesus took the sins of the world, and the Father poured out His judgement upon the Son. For all of eternity, Jesus suffered a separation from the Father on this day. Isaiah 52:13-53:12 describes this event. 
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Jesus' Last Words
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Before He died, He spoke 7 last words:

• "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Mark 15:34)

• "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34)

• Speaking to one of the criminals: "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise." (Luke 23:43)

• "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!" (Luke 23:46)

• Speaking to John: "Behold, your mother!" (John 19:27)

• "I thirst." (John 19:28)

• "It is finished." (John 19:30) 

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Songs To Reflect On
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Reflect this day honorably, respectfully and in a worshipful manner.

• The Power Of The Cross by Stuart Townend and Keith Getty
• Once Again by Matt Redman
• Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone) by Chris TomlinJohn Newton
• When I Survey The Wondrous Cross by Isaac Watts
• Suffering Servant by Dustin Kensrue
• The Old Rugged Cross by 

Reflection Questions For The Easter Weekend

As we are approaching the Easter weekend, I highly encourage us to reflect on questions regarding the person and work of Jesus (death and resurrection) whether if you are doing a personal devotion or in a small group or seeking. I separated the questions into two categories: Theological, and Personal Application. 

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Theological
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1. What is the Gospel - the Good News?
2. Regarding salvation, was it necessary for Jesus to die in order for people's sin to be forgiven? 
3. Explain what redemption is. How does redemption connect to Expiation, Propiation, Reconciliation, Ransom, Justification and Atonement? 
4. How was Jesus the perfect sacrifice?
5. What is "Penal Substitutionary Atonement", and how was that accomplish through Jesus?
6. There is a profound question, I think, by Anselm: Why did God become man? Check out this website for more questions.
7. What does Jesus' resurrection mean? Why is this so significant?
8. How does the resurrection speak to our eternal life in Christ?

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Personal Application
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1. We are saved and made right with God only because of Jesus, not our good deeds. Do you believe that Jesus' death and resurrection were enough to pay for your sins? 
2. Was it fair for Jesus to pay for your sins?
3. What is grace? Do you struggle to understand God's love for you? How should it affect our daily lives?
4. People attempted to explain away the resurrection. Why is that? What is the most compelling evidence of the resurrection?
5. In what ways does the resurrection give you hope and change the way you live?

Maundy Thursday

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Maundy Thursday?
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What is "Maundy Thursday"? Why do we call it "Maundy"? Maundy, in Latin, means "command" or "commandment". This day could also be called "Holy Thursday", one day before Good Friday. 

Unlike the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke), almost 25% of the Gospel of John is focused on "Maundy Thursday" where Jesus celebrated the Passover with his disciples in the upper room, which was also known as the "Last Supper" (chapters 13-17). This was a very significant evening as "Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father." (John 13:1) I will be focusing on chapter 13 on this entry.
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Jesus Washes His Disciples' Feet
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When he knew his hour had come, he "loved [his own who were in the world] to the end." (John 13:1) It was on this day, Jesus demonstrated great humility as He washed his disciples feet, a duty that was not fitting for a Rabbi to do. 

Even Peter said, "You shall never wash my feet." This is not right. You should not be doing this! I should be the one washing your feet, Jesus. Peter did not understand. Peter's refusal has a strong connotation, which could also mean, "Never in this life will you do this to me!" Peter missed out on the deeper meaning of what Jesus was doing. "Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no share with me." 
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Spiritual Cleanness
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To have "no share" with Jesus means that one does not belong to him. The purpose of the washing of the feet has a tremendous gospel meaning. It symbolizes the washing necessary for the forgiveness of sins, in anticipation of Jesus’ death for his people, by which sins are washed away.

In Scripture, it is apparent that Jesus washed all of his disciples' feet, but only Judas, figuratively speaking, was not clean because Judas plotted to betray Jesus. Judas, apparently, had no share with Jesus, but I won't focus on him on this post.
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A Commandment And An Example
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After the washing of the feet, Jesus said, "What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand." (John 13:7) What Jesus did signifies both a command and an example to follow because Jesus said, "If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you." (John 13:14-15)

The disciples had a dispute on who is the "greatest" (Luke 22:24-30). Jesus' other purpose for the feet-washing was to establish a model for a servant love for each other - "let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves." (Luke 22:26) Furthermore, Jesus, later on, said, "a new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:34-35) "Just as" Jesus loved points back to John 13:1, the washing of the feet and teaching them the symbolic meaning to it. 
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Conclusion
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Jesus, in humility and love, laid down His life for sinners - His enemies (Romans 5:8).  It is an amazing lesson and commandment that we could take away from on "Maundy Thursday" - it is a "command/commandment" Thursday. It is a powerful reminder for followers of Jesus to love each other in humility because it is a testimony to the world that we are His disciples.

Recommended Book: A Christian's Pocket Guide to Jesus Christ

In the book, "A Christian's Pocket Guide to Jesus Christ", Mark Jones carefully spells out, in 76 pages, the person and work of Jesus Christ - Christology. Christology is also the discussion about the divine and human nature of Jesus Christ. He unpacks the historical and theological view on this subject. Surely, Jones treatment on Christology on this book may be tiny, since it is an introduction, yet it contains treasure.

He provides different views (Catholic, Lutheran, and Reformed) on Christology, and he is a proponent of the Reformed view. He hammers down his argument through the support of Scripture as a whole - he carefully performs exegesis - and the works of John Owen and Thomas Goodwin and etc. - the Puritans. His writing and theology do resemble the works of the Puritans, so you might have to re-read it a couple of times in order to grasp what Jones is talking about. 

Here are some questions that the book answers (I still have to ponder and carefully think about them):

1.) Did Jesus have one or two wills?
2.) Did Jesus need to pray?
3.) Did Joseph have to teach Jesus how to be a carpenter?
4.) Did Jesus need to have faith?
5.) Was it possible for Jesus to sin? 

Check out this review and consider getting one. 

"Judas" in the church

Last week, there was a conference held in Louisville, Kentucky called Together For The Gospel. It's a conference that is held once every two years for two days. This year's theme is called "UnAshamed". Some of the speakers are well-known in the evangelical-circle. Nonetheless, all of them have made great contributions to the Kingdom of God.

I listened to one of the messages preached by John MacArthur. The title of his message is called "Mass Defection: The Great Physician Confronts the Pathology of Counterfeit Faith". His main passage was on John 6:60-71, plus other passages. This was not a typical sermon that he preached. It was not like his Sunday sermons. This message is spoken out of his personal life and heart. It was a pastoral sermon. 

Before I explain, let me tell you a story that happened today. My brother recently bought two water jugs. This afternoon, my brother got very upset because he thought someone spilled tons of water and did not clean up after himself, so he had to clean up everything. Later on in the afternoon, while I was making lunch, I wanted to get some water. I noticed there was still a flood of water on the counter. I thought my brother already cleaned the mess that was made. I took one of the jugs, and I saw water leaking out a tiny bit at the bottom of it. I checked the other one, and it was perfectly fine. Hence, my brother said it correctly, "One of them is a defect." It is somewhat precisely what the message is.

In the description of the message, it says, "there are unconverted disciples like Judas in our churches even today". This is a powerful, frightening and heart-felt statement. It is a calling for all of us to, as Paul said to the Corinthians, to "examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!" (2 Corinthians 13:5)

John MacArthur distinguishes two types of people that are lost: the unreached and the "reached". The reached? What kind of ludicrous is this? Aren't the reached usually called saved people? How are "saved" people lost. Here, in this message, MacArthur focuses on the "reached". He carefully explains and clarifies what he means by that. There are those who are true disciples of Jesus Christ. Those true disciples were those that followed Him, loved Him, obeyed Him and worshiped Him. During and after the Pentecost, those true disciples were willing to give up their lives for the sake of the gospel and forsake worldliness. These disciples are truly reached for Christ. However, there also those who are false disciples of Jesus Christ that are "reached". And one of them is called Judas Iscariot. 

Judas is one of the characters in the Bible that is challenging to comprehend. Why? Think about it. He spent three years in ministry with Jesus. He saw Jesus performed miracles. He himself went out did a short-term missions trip.  John MacArthur goes more in-depth in his message, so you can check it out by clicking here. 

In my experience and personal reading of the Bible, I can definitely say that there are false disciples in churches. I've seen far many people who loved and walked with the Lord turn away from their faith. There are those that profess to be Christians, but do not walk with God. There are those who profess to be Christians, but do not love Jesus (John 14:21). There are those who profess to be Christians, but do not have a deep and innate desire to know the LORD. There are those who profess to be Christians, but love the world. There are those who profess to be Christians, but continually practice sin and not repent.

After listening to this sermon, I needed to check my heart and pray. I remember making this plea in my other entry so you can click here. I do not want to be a "Judas" or a "Demas" (2 Timothy 4:10). Not only that, it's a call for me to pray for the church that Jesus would continue to "sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish." (Ephesians 5:26-27).

Indeed, there are false disciples. There are those that are defects. There are those who have a counterfeit faith, and not a genuine faith. I believe there are defects in churches, especially Oakridge Baptist Church. You might think you're saved, but maybe you're not.

I do not know where you are at in your relationship with God. I do not know your heart. You know your heart better than I do, but God knows your heart better than you do. I say this because I do love you. Therefore, my prayer for you, brothers and sisters, is that you would take your faith seriously, that you would love Jesus, that you are a true follower of Jesus Christ, and that you will finish the race at the end of your life. Do not play games here. This is life and death. I humbly submit to you, DO NOT BE LIKE JUDAS.

Check your heart.

Bibliology

Last year, the leaders in my church developed a program called The Learning Tree. The purpose of this program, I think, is to gather the church family together to learn different things from each other. The classes do not have to be anything theological. Teachers, who are gifted in their own expertise, could teach anything that would be beneficial and edifying for six weeks.

The classes that ran during the 1st module were "Introduction To Psalms" and "Dating & Relationship". The 2nd module had variety of classes such as "Cooking", "Drawing" and "Prayer". The 3rd module had "Money Management" and "Card Making".

In this 4th module, my pastor asked me to teach a class. When he asked me, my mind immediately came up with different courses. The first thing that came into my mind was "Biblical Studies". This subject has been tucked into the back of my mind for two years because I wanted to teach and disciple some infant/growing Christians. Two years ago, it never worked out due to personal circumstances. Now, in prayer and by the grace of God, I am again given an opportunity to teach this class, if there are enough students.

Here is the class description:

"This class introduces one of the fundamental and foundational truths of the Christian faith - The Holy Bible. We will examine the Bible’s preservation, copies and early manuscript, inspiration, authority, sufficiency, canonicity, inerrancy and translation. We will also look at a few helpful methods and principles on how to study and interpret the Bible." 

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.(Matthew 24:35) 

You can simply register by coming to Oakridge Baptist Church. I will also give you a short syllabus of the class, so you can choose to come to one of these topics if you can't commit to coming every week.

Schedule (every Thursday)
May 1 - Preservation, Copies and Early Manuscript
May 8 - Inspiration, Authority, and Sufficiency
May 15 - Inerrancy and Infallibility
May 22 - Canonicity
May 29 - Translation and Methods
June 5  - Application 

Time: 7PM - 8:30PM

Location: Oakridge Baptist Church

*topics are subject to change without notice* 

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.(Isaiah 40:8) 

We will tackle some critical questions: Where did the Bible come from? How did it get here? Is it historically relevant? Why should I trust the Bible? I will do my best to answer these questions.

My prayer is that believers would be strengthened in their faith and would desire to love and read the spoken word of God given by special (divine) revelation. Additionally, may they be thoroughly equipped “to make a defense to anyone who asks [them] for a reason for the hope that is in [them].” (1 Peter 3:15)

The law of the LORD is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the LORD is sure,
making wise the simple;
the precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the LORD is pure,
enlightening the eyes;
the fear of the LORD is clean,
enduring forever;
the rules of the LORD are true,
and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
and drippings of the honeycomb.
Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
(Psalm 19:7-11)

Immerse Program

Today, I can finally make a big announcement regarding the shift of changes in my life. My church, the pastors, elders, and deacons, called me forward and introduced me as their new staff at Oakridge Baptist Church.

What is my position? I am a Seminarian Intern. If I am a seminarian, then that means I attend a seminary. What seminary am I attending? I am attending Northwest Baptist Seminary & College. What program am I attending? The program that I am in is called the Immerse Program. 

In a brief description, Immerse Program is not like any program that other seminaries can offer. It is a robust-training that theologically equips students for the work of ministry and practically applies the studies within the context of the local church. I am grateful to have three highly trained/experienced/seasoned mentors who will guide and help me through this program.You can listen to the promotional video by Kent Anderson, the President of Northwest Baptist Seminary & College.

What do you hope to do after the studies? The goal and vision of this program are not simply to put books/textbooks into my brain. In their effort to pour out their strength and experience in me, they hope that I would grow in character, leadership, knowledge, experience and competency so that in the future, I would be able to pastor a local church. In short, after I graduate from the program (Lord willing), I will be well-experienced and seasoned to lead a church with the given competency that I will have. In this program, I am specializing in Lead Pastor Training.

Prayer Request 

• I recently started this program, and it is moving quite slowly since I do not know what to do at the moment. Patience is important as I am waiting for the next instruction.
• Please pray for wisdom, knowledge and unity for my church, pastors, mentors and leaders as they are also directly or indirectly involve with this program 
• Pray for the Seminary and Students who are being raised up to become future leaders.
• Even the Apostle Paul, as godly as he was, needed prayer in his ministry. Please pray for me in terms of my physical health, spiritual health and ministry.

God is very good, and I am excited for what He will be doing in the church. 

If you have any questions, then feel free to leave a comment. 

Speak O Lord

This hymn, Speak O Lord, has been speaking to me lately. My church sings this song very often before my pastor steps onto the pulpit and preaches. I sang it way too much that the melody and the sound dulled my hearing of its lyrics. I took some time to listen to it more often, and I realized that not only did it edify me, it also showed me how to pray before I read His Word or hear His Word preached. May this hymn show us something new when we approach the Scripture because God has ultimately spoken to us through His Word.

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Speak O Lord

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Verse 1
Speak O Lord as we come to You
To receive the food of Your holy word
Take Your truth plant it deep in us
Shape and fashion us in Your likeness
That the light of Christ might be seen today
In our acts of love and our deeds of faith
Speak O Lord and fulfill in us
All Your purposes for Your glory 

Verse 2
Teach us Lord full obedience
Holy reverence true humility
Test our thoughts and our attitudes
In the radiance of Your purity
Cause our faith to rise
Cause our eyes to see
Your majestic love and authority
Words of power that can never fail
Let their truth prevail over unbelief 

Verse 3
Speak O Lord and renew our minds
Help us grasp the heights of Your plans for us
Truths unchanged from the dawn of time
That will echo down through eternity
And by grace we'll stand on Your promises
And by faith we'll walk as You walk with us
Speak O Lord till Your church is built
And the earth is filled with Your glory

Book Worm (April 6th, 2014)

For the past few months of working at the Amazon Warehouse, I have encountered numerous of books. I created a list and a wish list of the books that I want add into my library. When I see a book that seems interesting to me, I would write it down and go back home to review it and consider purchasing it.

With a lot of books on my shelf, desk, bed, and also in the tablet, I want to briefly share what I've been reading (if you are ever at all interested) and give a short description of the content. 

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Antinomianism: Reformed Theology's Unwelcome Guest? by Mark Jones

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Mark Jones is a pastor, theologian and elder of Faith Presbyterian Church. He is a theologian that is trained in Christology, a discussion about the deity and humanity of Jesus Christ. He has written a few books, one of which is called Puritan Theology with Joel Beeke. He is an expert on the Puritans where he would often quote dead guys on top of his head. I am privileged to be under his teachings at a Willingdon School of the Bible.

In his book, he traces back to a historical debate in 16 century in the Reformed theological tradition, which is called Antinomianism, that has crept up in the 21st century. We are living in an era where legalism was a big problem, but nowadays Antinomianism is becoming a more detrimental problem within the church. Antinomianism in of itself preaches absolute contrast between the law and the gospel. (i.e. "No Work" or "No Law" and "God Loves Me Unconditionally No Matter What I Do" or "Jesus Already Finished The Work For Us") Mark Jones, with his scholarly work on church history and scriptural argument, carefully reconciles the Law and the Gospel together with Christology. 

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Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments by Geerhardus Vos

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Do not ever underestimate fine old books. This piece is truly a modern classic. Vos is considered to be a modern puritan and has been called the father of Reformed Biblical Theology. He lived from 1862 to 1949. 

Sara Shim gave me this book. When she gave it to me, knowing that I will enter into pastoral ministry, encouraged me to read through it. My first impression was indifferent because the font and the book cover look old. I also had no clue what this book was about besides Biblical Theology. Mark Jones altered my thoughts when he mentioned that book during the class on Biblical Theology and highly recommends it. Majority of well-known Biblical Theologians also recommend this treat for those who want to dig deeper in understanding Biblical Theology. This year, this book resonates to me because I have a special interest in specializing in Biblical Theology and a bit of Christology when I do Th.M (Lord willing).

Biblical Theology is a not for those who wants to seek a basic understanding about that subject. It is an advanced material that is comparable to the works of John Owen and Jonathan Edwards. This is truly a book that would cure insomnia. The way that Vos chooses his vocabulary and structures his sentences helps me to carefully ponder at his points. Essentially, Vos is providing an account and theological themes of how God's revelation unfolds, not simply the big idea of the entire Bible. He structures his book in three parts: The Mosaic Epoch of Revelation, The Prophetic Epoch of Revelation, and The New Testament.

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What is Reformed Theology?: Understanding the Basics and What is the Church by R.C. Sproul

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Sproul is one of the well-known evangelicals/theologians that Christians look up to. He has a ministry called Ligonier Ministries. This ministry is dedicated "to help Christians know what they believe, why they believe it, how to live it, and how to share it."

Yesterday, I decided to immerse myself in the realm of Reformed Theology. Sproul is gifted not only in theology, but also in teaching theology in basic terms that even a Christian layperson could understand. Sproul makes a fine argument that Reformed Theology, or the Reformed Tradition, is not simply about the five points of calvinism although it is part of the treatment of theology. First of all, Sproul carefully distinguishes difference between the study of religion and the study of theology. Later on, Sproul explains the historic reformed tradition that was brought about during the time of the Reformation in the 16th century. For the first half of the book, he lays out "The Five Foundation Stones" in Reformed Theology: 

(1) Centered On God 

(2) Based On God's Word Alone 

(3) Committed To Faith Alone 

(4) Devoted To Jesus Christ 

(5) Structured by three covenants. 

The 2nd half of the book speaks about the five points of Calvinism/Reformed Theology or the Doctrine of Grace. 

"What is the Church" is a short book that explains that question. Sproul again carefully expounds a biblical understanding of unity within the local and universal church. Unity is not a simple word, as Sproul explains it in his book. With the rise of Christian liberalism, can liberal churches and conservative churches be united? Doctrines do divide churches, therefore, should we hold peace and unity over doctrine? Sproul answers those questions in his book. For your information, Ligonier is giving away all of Sproul's "Crucial Questions Series" for free on kindle or ebook. 

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Conclusion

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And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.
(Colossians 1:9-10)

Unforgettable Hymns

I've been singing hymns ever since I went to Oakridge Baptist Church. However, my appreciation for hymns wasn't strong enough. During my teen years, I thought they're simply the old classic worship songs that the seniors at my church sang during their youth or adulthood. I enjoyed listening to contemporary Christian music more than hymns.

It's time for me to confess: I absolutely love singing hymns. It all began when I started leading worship more often during Sunday school a few years ago. I enjoy listening to and singing classic hymns more than contemporary Christian music. What I love about hymns are the richness of the lyrics because they contain rich theology.

I do not dislike contemporary Christian music. To be fair, there are some lyrics in the hymns that I do not agree with, such as "Away In A Manger" and "We Three Kings". I deeply appreciate the work that Chris Tomlin does, such as "How Great Is Our God" because it is so God-exalting. This song aligns with the hymn, "How Great Thou Art". Not to mention "Might To Save" by Hillsong. Graham Kendrick composed some great pieces, such as "Knowing You" and "We Worship At Your Feet".

How can we not remember the "Amazing Grace" that God lavished upon us? As Christians, we remember that our hope is found "In Christ Alone" because "Jesus Paid It All". "All Creatures of our God and King", let's lift up our voice and praise Him and "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus"! The list goes on: "Come Thou Fount", "Be Thou My Vision", "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" and etc.

We are to "sing new songs" to the LORD (Psalm 149:1; Psalm 40:3; Psalm 33:3; Psalm 98:1; Psalm 144:9). Praise songs are one of the means to teaching and admonishing one another (Colossians 3:16). Throughout the book of Psalms, we need to be reminded that "praise & worship" ultimately has to do with bringing glory and honor to God, not self.