"Peace", When There Is No Peace

Once you are in vocational ministry, it does not take too long for you to take into careful consideration of all the teachings that are in the world. These teachings are from "Christians", theologians, pastors, authors, and writers. As a minister, I do read the news from time-to-time. I notice what is happening in the world. At the same time, I also read articles, news, and blog entries written by professing Christians who claim to have high-view of Scripture. High-view of Scripture is a good attitude to have; at the same time, a person with a high-view of Scripture may also have low-literacy of Scripture.

I regret this, but I read some entries from Huffington post by this guy, some guy and the same guy. I know who Mooney is though not personally. Like Rob Bell who questioned the existence of Hell in his book, Love Wins, Mooney makes very bold statements and claims that Jesus did not believe in hell, Jesus did not care about doctrines, and God saving everyone in the end like the story of Jonah. Because of all those posts, there is no need to believe that everyone will go to hell. God's grace and love will prevail in the end. Everybody will be saved. 

On a personal note, I really want to believe what Mooney says. Let's all admit...Hell is not a pleasant word. To some, hell can be a good word since they'll meet their buddies and party there. I really want to believe that in the end everyone will be saved. No one needs to suffer. It does sound very nice. 

Knowing the Word of God to be inspired by God and His Word is inerrant, I cannot believe what Mooney says are absolutely the Word of God. I cannot promote "Peace"; when in the end, there is no peace. I cannot promote "Everyone will go to heaven"; when in the end, not everyone will go to heaven. I cannot promote "No Such Thing As Hell"; when in the end, there will be some who will be "vessels of wrath" (Romans 9:22).  

Thankfully, I am not the first one to see this. Young Jeremiah have experienced it in his time in Jerusalem (Jeremiah 6:14). When Jerusalem was prophesied to be destroyed by Babylon, many false prophets have risen to comfort everyone with lies. They claim to have come from God, when God never called them (Jeremiah 23). 

Let's fast-forward to Jesus' time. Jesus gave his disciples a prophetic event that will happen in the future. The reality of this future event implies that "many false prophets will arise and lead many astray." (Matthew 24:11) Jesus calls us to be ready because the "Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." (Matthew 24:44) God's final judgement will come through 2nd coming of Jesus Christ. Similar to what happened to King Zedekiah, God's judgement came on Jerusalem through Babylon. 

Let's fast-forward to the time of Paul's last letter to Young Timothy. False teachers have already crept inside the church, and Timothy had to deal with them. Timothy was timid, weak, and constantly had ailment. Paul does not sympathize with him, but gives him strength and exhortation to press on. Paul said, "preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. (2 Timothy 4:2-4)

I really hope Mooney also read the book of Nahum because Nahum prophesied God's judgement on Nineveh a generation after Jonah.

The Nature Of A Spiritual Infant

A baby is completely dependent upon the care and provider of the parents. A baby cries for various reasons, and the parents have to decipher what the baby wants. A baby hungers and thirsts, so the parents feed their baby with milk. So, we can agree that a baby naturally needs someone in order to survive.

The analogy of a baby is a good transition to the topic that I want to speak about. A Christian is described in various images in Scripture: a sheep, a member of the body of Christ, a part of the temple of God, a bride of Christ, a salt, a light, an infant and so forth.

A Christian is an infant. Thankfully, God knows fully well what a Christian needs. Peter said, "Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good." (1 Peter 2:2-3)

Christians are newborn infants because they have been spiritually born-again by the Holy Spirit (John 3). As newborn infants, Christians are no longer "by nature children of wrath" (Ephesians 2:3); Christians are a "new creation" (2 Corinthians 5:19). Because Christians are born-again, because Christians are infants, because Christians are new creation, Christians ought to naturally desire milk - spiritual food - Scripture or the Bible. 

It is the nature of Christians to be dependent on God. It is the nature of Christians to progressively know God. It is the nature of Christians to progressively desire to know God. It is the nature of Christians to progressively and naturally hunger and thirst for God. Jesus said, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." (Matthew 5:6) The Beatitudes are the characters that describe what a Christian looks like. Any Christians who are self-reliant and independent would lead him/her to spiritual despair, amnesia and vulnerability.  

Singing hymns are generally my preferable style of worship. Not all hymns, however, equally have good theology. In "Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah", I invite you to read these two lines:

Bread Of Heaven, Bread Of Heaven 

Feed Me Till I Want No More

In context of this hymn, when the Israelite was in the wilderness, they need manna or food. Manna were breads that fell from heaven. Physical nourishment is important, and there is a suggested theological implication that physical fulfillment is temporal. 

After doing much research on this hymn, this lyric was probably not the original, but was probably edited. Regardless of what the original was, "feed me till I want no more" does not sound correct. It is implying or suggesting that spiritual nourishment is temporary rather than an ongoing desire for that nourishment. 

Think about it, a baby naturally needs physical nourishment. For Christians, they naturally (or supernaturally) also need spiritual nourishment from the Word of God. Without the knowledge and practice of the Word of God, Christians cannot spiritually grow into maturity (2 Timothy 3:16-17). 

Meditate on this response from a "Christian": "Thank you God for the Bible. I finished reading it and I want it (or God) no more." 

A proper response would be this: "Thank you God for feeding me with your Word, and I desire more." And off you go to your other activities as you look forward to your next devotion because you want more of God's Word and Himself. 

As I was saying about the lyric, there was a change. Whether if you have been a Christian for a long time or if you've recently became a Christian, I hope that we would always have the attitude of being an infant that longs for God and be close with Him. So here's the alternate lyric:

Bread Of Heaven, Bread Of Heaven 

Feed Me Now And Evermore

My First VLOG

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pu_73Y1ayfM

Knowing Dead Guys

For those who are in my church, you may have heard me quote a sentence during sermons, seminars or Sunday school lessons, and I would say, "The person who said this quote is a dead guy in the [so and so] century."

Although the selected sentences may sound archaic - or should I say "old"? - they contain more theological richness than, I think, John Piper, John MacArthur, Mark Jones and so forth could pen down.

Dead guys such as John Bunyan, who draws out words or sentences, using allegory, to tell a beautiful story, yet deep theology, in Pilgrim's Progress.

Dead guys such as John Calvin, who was a genius exegete.

Dead guys such as Charles Spurgeon, who was known as the prince of preacher.

I found knowing dead guys have greatly reinforced my walk with Christ and my understanding of Scripture. Their works are influential and edifying to the souls. Their works have caused them to spill their own blood. Their works are worth attentive studying and reading (although I admit that reading Geerhardus Vos' Biblical Theology has put me to sleep countless times).

I encourage you to get to know some of these dead guys. Indeed, be updated with modern issues that they may not have dealt with.

Personally, I don't expect myself to know all of them at great length, but I have chosen to study two or three dead guys' work.

John Owen - known as the greatest theologian in history.

Charles Spurgeon - known as the prince of preacher.

James Montgomery Boice - known as the defender of Biblical Inerrancy.

Reformation Day

On Friday, many people, especially children, will dress up and collecting candies from door-to-door. People look like the characters they see in the movies or TV shows. It can be scary or entertaining. 

For Christians, however, October 31st is a sweeter treat than Halloween candy. Christians do have a "day" to celebrate. It is a significant day that we can never forget and take for granted. October 31st is indeed Reformation Day. This day commemorates an event that struck Wittenburg (Germany) with a hammer bang on the church door by a man named Martin Luther. 

Luther confronted the issues that the Roman Catholic Church was doing for the lay people who had no access to the Bible. The Catholic church was promoting this false teaching called indulgence where it basically teaches that in order to be saved, you have to pay your way to heaven. Luther opposed that idea, the Catholic church and the Pope. Indeed, this confrontation and opposition got him into a lot of trouble in the Catholic church. Luther was soon tried by the church and had to recant of his teaching. During the trial, Luther's response shocked the crowd, "I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I can do no other, so help me God. Amen."

Martin Luther's legacy has lived on for 500 years. Luther is one of the most significant figures that God raised up in the early 16th century - October 31st, 1517. Luther nailed his 95 thesis on the church of Wittenburg for the purpose of restoring the missing doctrine called the Doctrine Of Justification By Faith, and confronting the Catholic church. The Catholic church was teaching that we obtain salvation by merit. Luther's rediscovery of the forgotten truth lead to what it was historically called the Reformation or the Protestant Reformation. Luther rediscovered from Scripture that "salvation is by grace alone through faith alone, and good works result from our faith, they are not added to it as the grounds for our right standing in the Lord’s eyes (Eph. 2:8-10). Justification, God’s declaration that we are not guilty, forgiven of sin, and righteous in His sight comes because through our faith alone the Father imputes, or reckons to our account, the perfect righteousness of Christ (2 Cor. 5:21)." (Link) 

You can read more about Reformation Day by typing this event on the Google Search Engine.

In our western society and the church, this historical event has been forgotten. Christians attend church without understanding the history of how the church got here. Christians, we need to understand why we believe what we believe and teach what we teach. By doing so, we will know what we believe, why we believe it, how to live it, and how to share it. 

Did you know that because of Reformation Day, we have our own translation of the Bible? Let us continue to not take our faith for granted, but to equip ourselves with Biblical Truth and live out that truth daily.