Knowledge is not Wisdom, but without Knowledge, you can’t have wisdom

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We have all heard, perhaps, that you may have the best knowledge in the world, but you may turn up to be a foolish man. A PhD guy may end up with making the most foolish decision in life. The stats is clear. But a village woman or man with little or no education may make much wiser decision. The reason is knowledge is just knowing in the heads, but wisdom is actually application of that knowledge, and it involves judgement call, discerning your inner values, and personal convictions. Personal wisdom is vital and crucial, and the book of Proverbs has plenty to advise us.

Proverbs 1:5 5 let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance—

The word “learning” in Hebrew leqah means extensive study. Extensive study! A lot of us don’t read enough books at all, let alone extensive study. I do find from my experience that, depending on your culture and/or upbringing, if you don’t have much reading as a habit, you are not going to have extensive study. An average church member goes to church to listen to a 30 min-40 min sermon and come home watching TV or reading up the headlines news on internet. That includes pastors too. Extensive study is required (leqah in Hebrew in Prov 1:5) for adding to their learning or wisdom. So that begs the question that if you don’t read much at all, worse still not at all, how are you going to add to your learning?

So, can you have wisdom without knowledge? No. You have to be knowledgeable about a subject before you can apply it with the discipline, discernment, and discretion of wisdom (Tim Keller-Proverbs).  So, Proverbs calls those who would be wise to add to their learning.

Tim Keller writes: “To be wise we must understand human nature, how human relationships work, suffering and death, and the character of God himself. Wisdom is wedding thought and experience to become “competent with regard to the realities of life.” And among all other things we should study, true wisdom requires deep knowledge of the Scriptures. Even Jesus based his every move on the Bible, quoting Scripture to face and explain his death (Matthew 27:46; Psalm 22:1)”[1]

Based on my preaching experience before, I have always focused on the Scripture to expound from it from my limited life experience, and what I observed or read from news, but to understand human relationships, human nature, suffering and death, they are hardly found from the news’ reading. So, the idea of understanding better human nature, how relationships work, that’s just superficially scratched in my years of pulpit. Unless I begin to read books by these philosophers, thinkers, journalists, it will be a stretch for me to catch up. And worse still, I have been doing that for years on the pulpit without knowing it, thinking that all is good, a frustration that is unimaginable. With now being in New York City, I am very blessed to access all the good books recommended by a top pastor Tim Keller in NYC, and himself a theologian from the seminary, and begin to fill myself up with all this great knowledge about God, and about human relationships, dynamics in this real world. Also, listening extensively great sermons like Tim Keller, John Piper, Martin Lloyd Jones, have definitely opened my eyes to the treasures of the Word of God, and how it interfaces with humans in real world.

My point is we must get knowledge. The idea that we don’t need to read too much, because they are dry, but just wait upon the Spirit and let him reveal word of God, is appallingly shallow, short sighted, and missing out so much. Because God clearly says we need “leqah” which means extensive study in Hebrew. Prov 1 talks about gaining wisdom. That’s what Scriptures means leqah, extensive study. God says we need extensive study. We must be prepared for extensive study. I am in the seminary now doing my MA in Biblical Studies and am so blessed, and I am beginning to experience the “extensive study” that’s commanded in the book Proverbs 1. We would be naïve to think that somehow, by praying and speaking in tongues a lot, this will replace the extensive study. This will never help us to get to know the human relations with one another, the character of God etc. They come from extensive study. And of course, I am not saying that we only need extensive study, because we need also pray in tongues, pray in English or Chinese or BM or whatever language, and we need both. It’s like fire and wood. Wood is the Word of God, and the Spirit is the fire. These two combined will produce flame, fire.

The spiritual giants of our ancient fathers like Augustine, Aquinas, Calvin, Spurgeon, Jonathan Edwards, etc. all studied extensively, and their writing, preaching oratory skills is phenomenal. They did their work of extensive study. Luther, after studying Romans extensively, came up with the 95 theses, and nailed it onto the door of the church that eventually resulted in a spiritual revolution called Reformation in Europe in 16th century.

In modern days, for us to understand post-modernism, individualism, anxiety, fears, hopes, of a man or a woman, we must read and study extensively, listen to sermons that deal with our psychology and physiology, so that our preaching can connect with modern people with all their liberal education from colleges/universities today. If we hope to reach out to them, we must speak the language of rationality combined with our bible faith. Rational rhetoric is part of the bible. Augustine is expert on that. Try reading The Confession and it will blow your mind!

True wisdom requires deep knowledge of the Scriptures. To be competent to the realities of life. experience must meet with our thoughts. Thought can only come from deep study of the Scriptures. Amen.

[1] Tim Keller, Devotional Wisdom on Proverbs

Allah Yang Maha Kuasa di Perjanjian Lama Vs Allah yang Rentan dalam Perjanjian Baru di salib

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Banyak yang telah disebut-sebut sebagai nilai terdedah kepada dunia evangelis yang telah diperbaharui terutamanya di Barat, sebagai berikut, sebagai contoh, Yesus terdedah di hadapan salib dan di atas salib, dalam perjalanan untuk mencapai kemenangan terbesar dan paling penting dalam keseluruhan sejarah kemanusiaan. Itulah tindakan ilahi yang mengubah seluruh nasib dunia untuk kebaikan. Kuat!
Watak Yahweh dalam Perjanjian Lama (OT) dilihat sebagai Tuhan yang menakutkan yang membelah Laut Merah dan menenggelamkan beribu-ribu tentera Mesir, membunuh semua yang pertama lahir dari Mesir, membawa 3 juta orang Yahudi untuk berjalan melalui Laut Merah di Exodus yang paling berkuasa dalam sejarah, membuka tanah untuk menelan hidup semua deseden, keluarga pemberontak itu yang memberontak terhadap Musa dalam Keluaran, bergemuruh di Gunung Sinai dan menyebabkan asap untuk bangkit sehingga semua orang Yahudi takut kepada Allah, dan meminta Musa untuk bercakap kepada mereka bukan Tuhan. Pada & pada ….
Dan watak Yesus dalam Injil, Perjanjian Baru (NT), menunjukkan kekuatan dan kuasa dengan cara yang sangat berbeza, nampaknya cara terkawal. Dia menghalau setan dengan hukuman beberapa kali, membuka mata orang buta dengan perkataan atau sentuhan, membersihkan orang yang berkotak dengan perkataan, membangkitkan orang mati beberapa kali dengan memerintahkan orang mati untuk bangkit, berjalan di atas air dua kali, makan 5,000 lelaki dengan 2 ikan dan 5 roti, Yesus hanya luar biasa, dan pasti di luar manusia, dan kita memanggilnya sebagai manusia Tuhan, Manusia Tuhan. Tetapi apa yang menyerang kita semua, adalah kerendahan hati yang dilahirkan di dalamnya, sebuah palungan, dia tidak memerintahkan tentera, dia pergi ke Yerusalem pada keldai pada hari-hari terakhir kehidupan duniawi, menjalani kehidupan yang rendah hati sebagai tukang kayu sampai umur 33 tahun , kemudian melancarkan kementeriannya, dengan melakukan mukjizat, tanda dan angin dan kemudian ajaran Kerajaan Tuhannya. Yang paling menarik adalah keseluruhan saga penangkapannya, dia menyerahkan kepada orang Rom dan orang Farisi, dengan sikap tenang, sepenuhnya menyerah diri untuk melakukan kehendak Bapa, untuk mati bagi dunia untuk menebus dunia, atau umat pilihan.
Apa yang saya ingin tangkap di sini adalah bagaimana Dia, sebagai Anak Tuhan, tidak melawan dengan guruh dan kilat yang hebat, atau dengan malaikat mengelilinginya. Dia boleh memanggil Bapanya dan menghantar beribu-ribu malaikat bersedia untuk mencatat semua tentera Rom dan Pharisees digabungkan dalam satu minit. Tetapi dia tidak. Dia menyerah supaya dipukul dengan teruk sehingga dia dicemari, mengejek, dan meludah, dan kekejaman yang dilakukan kepadanya, ia membawa banyak kekuatan batin dan keyakinan dan cinta ilahi, maksudnya kekuatan batin, untuk menyerap, dan tidak bereaksi . Dia seorang lelaki yang fenomenal. Kekuatan batin yang ditunjukkan oleh Yesus pada hari-hari terakhirnya hanyalah menghembuskan nafas. Cintailah dan komitmennya, seperti yang dikatakan oleh Alkitab, dia telah menetapkan wajahnya seperti batu permata ke arah Yerusalem dan salib. Tiada apa-apa yang akan mengubahnya.
Ia adalah kekuatan dan kekuatan dalaman yang teguh yang dibawa oleh dunia oleh ribut. Tuhan kelihatan seperti Tuhan yang sama sekali berbeda dalam Perjanjian Baru dari Perjanjian Lama. Bagaimanakah pencipta alam semesta telah berdiri di sana yang diserang, diludahi, ditumbuk, dicambuk, dan akhirnya disalibkan sehingga mati di salib? Bagaimana mungkin Tuhan mati? Jawapannya ialah Yesus menunjukkan kepada dunia yang dia bersedia untuk menjadi lemah dengan orang yang lemah dan terdedah. Beliau mempunyai identiti lengkap ini dengan orang-orang patah dunia, dalam perjalanannya, membawa salib ke Golgota di mana dia akhirnya disalibkan. Dia menunjukkan kekuatan yang megah dan kemuliaan batin, bahawa dia memberitahu John, melihat Maria, “John, inilah ibumu.” Dia bahkan menjaga orang yang tersayang, pada minit-minit terakhirnya. Dia meningkat di atas kesempatan itu, dan menghancurkan musuh, godaan Syaitan untuk menghancurkan orang-orang Rom, yang bermaksud bahawa penebusan umat manusia akan ditiup! Tetapi dia benar-benar menyimpan kerennya dan bertahan untuk kegembiraan di hadapannya. Ibrani 12: “2 menatap mata kita kepada Yesus, perintis dan perfekter iman. Kerana kegembiraan yang ditetapkan di hadapannya, dia menanggung salib, menghina malu, dan duduk di sebelah kanan takhta Allah. “Itulah orang yang sebenarnya.
Tim Keller selalu berkhotbah di budaya kaunter, cara hidup Yesus yang intuitif yang perlu kita salin. Yesus mengalahkan yang kuat dengan yang lemah. Yesus tidak mendirikan Kerajaan Tuhan di bumi, oleh malaikat-malaikat malaikat surgawi yang kuat, yang dapat dilakukannya, tetapi dengan lemah dan lemah untuk mengatasi yang kuat di dunia. Dia memenangi dunia dengan mati di atas salib, bukan pada kereta kuda. Yesus menunjukkan rahmat Tuhan yang paling indah untuk menghancurkan kuasa-kuasa jahat kematian dan dosa, dan mendamaikan umat manusia / memilih kembali kepada Tuhan. Itulah bagaimana ia berfungsi dengan Yesus.

Oleh itu, banyak pendakwah yang diperbaharui, gereja-gereja, bercakap mengenai kelemahan manusia dan wanita moden, di tengah-tengah kekacauan, tekanan, kecemasan, gaya hidup kaum lumba-lumba, untuk tumbuh di dalam Tuhan. Walaupun Pentakosta tidak pernah bercakap tentang menjadi lemah, tetapi menegaskan kemenangan dalam Kristus, tuntut ini, dan tuntut itu! Beritahu menjadi kemenangan Kristus (ini bukan alkitabiah). Walau bagaimanapun, terdapat kontras yang tajam. Sebenarnya, cara yang dahulu, cara Reformed, akan muncul di atas, kerana itulah yang dilakukan oleh Yesus.
Saya telah membuat kesimpulan dalam fikiran saya, datang dari latar belakang karismatik saya sendiri, dan kini sedang direndam dalam dunia yang telah diperbaharui, saya dapat memberitahu anda bahawa menjadi lemah bukan sebahagian daripada istilah Pentecostal. Itu pasti kurang percaya. Terdapat teka-teki yang nyata di sini bercakap tentang iman. Untuk karismatik, ini datang dari apa yang dikatakan Yesus kepada wanita itu dengan masalah pendarahan, “wanita, imanmu telah menyembuhkanmu”. Markus 5: 33 Tetapi perempuan itu, yang mengetahui apa yang telah terjadi padanya, datang dengan ketakutan dan gemetar, dan sujud di hadapan-Nya dan memberitahukan kepadanya seluruh kebenaran. 34 Kata Yesus kepadanya: “Hai anakku, imanmu telah menyelamatkan engkau; lanjutkan dengan selamat, dan sembuhlah penyakit anda. “Ini adalah ayat-ayat seperti ini yang menyebabkan Pentakosta berfikir; itu sebenarnya iman wanita yang telah menyembuhkannya menurut Yesus! Yesus menghairankan sepenuhnya dengan kepercayaan wanita itu yang menyembuhkannya. Itu sebenarnya merangsang Pentakosta untuk berkhotbah seperti doktrin, dan dengan itu pergerakan iman. Tetapi jika anda melihat kes ini, ia adalah ketabahan wanita dan keputusasaan untuk mencari Yesus, yang membawa dia mengalahkan gerombolan lelaki yang berkumpul di sekitar Yesus, dan menyentuhnya, kerana dia berfikir pada dirinya sendiri, 28 Sebab dia berkata, “Jika saya menyentuh bahkan dia jubah, saya akan sembuh. “29 Dan segera aliran darah menjadi kering, dan dia merasakan dalam tubuhnya bahawa dia sembuh dari penyakitnya. Penyembuhan adalah segera! Hallelujah! Itu luar biasa! Dalam konteks wanita ini menekankan segala kemungkinan, kerana wanita tidak bercampur-campur dan tidak menyentuh lelaki di kebudayaan tengah timur pada masa itu, dia bertahan dan menolak untuk menyentuh Yesus. Imannya kuat, dan Yesus melihatnya dan mengakui itu. Tetapi sebenarnya kuasa datang dari Yesus, bukan imannya, hanya imannya kepada Yesus menyentuh Yesus yang kemudian melepaskan kuasa untuk menyembuhkannya. Iman sahaja tidak akan melakukan pekerjaan itu, ia adalah kepercayaan berterusan terhadap semua kemungkinan, memindahkan hati Tuhan. Maka ayat-ayat seperti ini melancarkan Pentakosta untuk “mendakwa” penyembuhan, yang, dalam fikiran saya, tidak berdasarkan alkitab. Anda tidak boleh menuntut penyembuhan, tetapi anda boleh meminta Tuhan untuk penyembuhan. Anda tidak memilikinya, dan tiada apa yang perlu anda tuntut.
Markus 10: 46 Kemudian mereka pergi ke Yerikho. Semasa Yesus dan murid-muridnya, bersama-sama dengan orang ramai, meninggalkan bandar, seorang lelaki buta, Bartimaeus sedang duduk di tepi jalan yang meminta. 47 Ketika ia mendengar, bahwa itu adalah Yesus dari Nazaret, ia mulai berteriak: “Yesus, Anak Daud, kasihanilah aku!” 48 Banyak orang menegurnya dan berkata kepadanya, “Tenanglah! Daud, kasihanilah aku! “49 Yesus berhenti dan berkata,” Panggil dia! “Lalu mereka menyerukan kepada orang buta itu,” Bersoraklah! Di kakimu! Dia memanggil kamu. “50 Melemparkan jubahnya ke samping, ia melompat berdiri dan datang kepada Yesus.51” Apa yang kamu kehendaki saya lakukan untuk kamu? “Tanya Yesus kepadanya. Orang buta itu berkata, “Rabi, saya ingin melihat.” 52 “Pergi,” kata Yesus, “imanmu telah menyembuhkan kamu.” Segera dia melihat dan mengikuti Yesus di jalan.
Adakah anda melihat bagaimana bersungguh-sungguh orang buta dalam mencari Yesus ketika dia menjerit kepada Yesus untuk belas kasihan dan dia ditegur oleh banyak orang untuk diam? Tetapi dia menjerit lagi. Kemudian Yesus berhenti dan memanggilnya, dan dengan segera ia mendengar apa yang orang buta itu inginkan, Yesus berkata, “Imanmu telah menyembuhkan kamu”, segera dia melihat! Apa kesepakatan di sini? Adakah imannya menyembuhkannya lagi? Kisah yang sama, prinsip yang sama, Yesus melihat kesungguhan hatinya, dan dengan itu imannya, Yesus menyembuhkannya. Pertama, Yesus melihat imannya, dan kemudian Yesus menyembuhkannya. Pentakosta selalu menggunakan ayat-ayat ini untuk menyimpulkan, itu adalah iman kita. Tetapi kepercayaan kita dalam dua konteks terakhir adalah benar-benar hati kesungguhan dan ketekunan, menentang segala kemungkinan. Itulah perjanjian itu.
Saya akan membuat kesimpulan bahawa kita harus lebih lemah untuk berjalan di kasut Yesus, untuk mempelajari kerendahan hati untuk melayani dunia, tetapi terus mengembangkan hati kita merindukan Tuhan dan melepaskan iman seperti itu untuk melihat keajaiban dan orakel.
Ini menangkap Tuhan WT dengan indah:
Matt 12 “Inilah hamba-Ku yang telah Kupilih,
yang saya cintai, yang saya gemari;
Saya akan meletakkan Roh saya kepadanya,
dan dia akan memberitakan keadilan kepada bangsa-bangsa.
19 Ia tidak akan bertengkar atau menangis;
tiada siapa yang akan mendengar suaranya di jalanan.
20 Suatu bulatan yang lebam ia tidak akan pecah,
dan sumbu yang membara dia tidak akan meniup,
sehingga ia telah membawa keadilan melalui kemenangan.
21 Dengan nama-Nya bangsa-bangsa akan menaruh harapan mereka. “

旧约中的强大雷神与十字架上新约中的脆弱神

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在改革后的福音派世界中，特别是在西方，脆弱的价值被吹捧了很多，例如，耶稣在十字架上和十字架上变得脆弱之后，在实现整体上最大和最重大胜利的道路上人类历史。那是一种神圣的举动，永远改变了整个世界的命运。强大！
耶和华在旧约中的品格被视为可怕的可怕神，他分裂了红海并淹死了数千名埃及军队，杀死了埃及的所有长子，并带走了300万犹太人在红海中穿行。历史上最强大的出埃及者，打开了一片土地，吞噬了所有后裔，该叛乱者的家人在出埃及记中反抗摩西，在西奈山打雷，并引起浓烟升起，所有犹太人民都非常敬畏上帝，并要求摩西讲话给他们而不是上帝。继续…。
耶稣在福音中的品格，新约（NT），以一种截然不同的方式显示了力量和力量，这似乎是一种可控的方式。他用一句话多次驱除恶魔，一言不发地睁开了盲人的眼睛，一言不发地清洗了麻风病，命令死者复活，将死者复活了几次，在水面上行走了两次，喂了五千耶稣有2条鱼和5条面包，他们简直太不可思议了，而且绝对超越了人类，我们称他为神圣的人类，神人。但是，令我们所有人震惊的是，他出生于一个谦卑的人，一个马槽，他没有任何军队，他在尘世的最后几天骑驴去了耶路撒冷，过着卑微的木匠生活，直到33岁然后通过执行奇迹，标志和绕线器以及他的神国教义开始了他的事工。最令人震惊的是他被捕的整个传奇，他以安静的姿势屈服于罗马人和法利赛人，完全屈服于天父的旨意，为世界而死，以赎回世界或选民。
我想在这里捕捉到的是，作为神的儿子，他是如何没有强大的雷电和天使包围的。他本可以拜访他的父亲，并派出数千名天使准备在一分钟之内消灭所有罗马士兵和法利赛人。但是他没有。他投降得太厉害了，以至于他遭到了伤害，嘲笑和吐口水，残酷地对待他，这使他充满了内在的力量和神圣的信念和爱心，我的意思是内在的力量吸收了而不是做出反应。他是一个真正的非凡的人。耶稣在末世表现出的内在力量简直就是呼吸。正如圣经所说，他的爱与奉献使他的脸像火石一样朝向耶路撒冷和十字架。什么都不会改变。
坚强的内在力量和力量席卷了整个世界。在旧约中，上帝似乎是与旧约完全不同的上帝。宇宙的创造者怎么能站在那儿，在十字架上被鞭打，吐口水，打孔，鞭打，最后钉在十字架上流血致死？上帝怎么会死？答案是耶稣向世人表明他愿意与弱者和弱者同在。在途中，他对这个世界上的残酷人有完全的认同，将十字架带到了戈尔哥萨，最终被钉在了十字架上。他表现出了如此威严的力量和内在的荣耀，他告诉约翰，看着玛丽，“约翰，这是你的母亲。”他在临终的时刻甚至照顾着自己的亲人。他超越了这个机会，摧毁了敌人，因为撒但诱惑粉碎了罗马人，这本来意味着对人类的救赎被吹走了！但是他绝对保持冷静，并在他面前忍受着喜悦。希伯来书12：“ 2着眼于耶稣，信仰的创始成全者。对于他面前的喜乐，他忍受了十字架，蔑视十字架，坐在上帝宝座的右手。“那是真正的男人。
蒂姆·凯勒（Tim Keller）一直倡导我们要复制的反文化，反直觉的耶稣生活方式。耶稣用弱者胜过强者。耶稣并没有通过强大的天上天使使世人建立上帝的王国，但他本来是软弱无力，才能战胜世界上的强者。他死于十字架，而不是骑在战车上，赢得了世界。耶稣展示了上帝最美丽的恩典，以粉碎死亡和罪恶的邪恶力量，并使人类/选民与上帝和解。这就是耶稣的工作方式。

The Mighty Thunderous God in OT Vs the Vulnerable God in NT on the cross

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Much has been touted in the value of being vulnerable in the reformed evangelical world especially in the West, following, for example, Jesus being vulnerable before the cross and on the cross, on his way to achieve the biggest and most significant victory in the entire humanity history. That’s a divine act that changed the entire destiny of the world for good. Powerful!

The character of Yahweh in the Old testament (OT) is seen as the awesome fearsome God who divided the Red Sea and drowned thousands of Egyptian army, killed all the first born of Egypt, brought 3 million Jews to walk through the Red Sea in the most powerful Exodus in history, opened the land to swallow alive all the decedents, family of that rebel who rebelled against Moses in Exodus, thundered at Mt Sinai & caused smoke to rise that all Jewish people feared God so much, and asked Moses to speak to them instead of God. On & on….

And the character of Jesus in the Gospels, New testament (NT), has shown might and power in a very different way, seemed to be a controlled way. He cast out demons with a sentence numerous times, opened the eyes of the blind by a word or a touch, cleansed the leprous by a word, raised the dead a few times by commanding the dead to rise, walked on waters twice, fed 5,000 men with 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread, Jesus was just incredible, and definitely beyond human, and we call him as divine human, God-Man. But what strikes us all, is the humility that he was born in, a manger, he commanded no army, he went to Jerusalem on a donkey on the last days of his earthly life, lived a humble life as a carpenter till 33 years old, then launched his ministry, by performing miracles, signs and winders and then his Kingdom of God teachings. Most striking is the whole saga of his arrest, he yielded to the Romans and the Pharisees, with quiet posture, completely yielded himself to do the will of the Father, to die for the world in order to redeem the world, or the elect.

What I want to capture here is how He, being the Son of God, didn’t fight back with mighty thunder and lightning, or with angels surrounded him. He could have called upon his Father and sent thousands of angels ready to annulate all the Roman soldiers and Pharisees put together in a minute. But he didn’t. He surrendered to be beaten so badly that he was marred, mocked, and spit at, and the cruelty done to him, it took him a lot of inner strength and divine conviction and love, I mean inner strength, to absorb, and not react. He was a truly phenomenal man. The inner strength shown by Jesus in his last days is simply breath taking. His love and commitment, as the bible says, he has set his face a like a flint towards Jerusalem and the cross. Nothing is going to change that.

It is that resolute inner strength and power that’s taken the world by storm. God appeared to be a completely different God in NT from the OT. How could the creator of the universe have stood there being flogged, spit at, punched, whipped, and finally crucified bleeding to death on the cross? How could God die? The answer is Jesus showed to the world he was willing to be vulnerable to be with the weak and the vulnerable. He had this complete identification with the broken people of this world, on his way, carrying the cross to the Golgotha where he was finally crucified. He showed such majestic strength and inner glory, that he told John, looking at Mary, “John, here is your mother.” He even took care of his loved ones, on his dying minutes. He rose above the occasion, and demolished the enemy, Satan’s temptation to crush the Romans, which would have meant the redemption of the mankind be blown away! But he absolutely kept his cool and endured for a joy before him. Hebrews 12: “ 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” That’s the real man.

Tim Keller has always preached on the counter culture, counter intuitive way of life of Jesus that we are to copy. Jesus overcame the strong with the weak. Jesus didn’t established the Kingdom of God on earth, by the powerful heavenly angelic angels, which He could have done, but by being weak and vulnerable to overcome the strong in the world. He won the world by dying on the cross, not on a chariot of horses. Jesus demonstrated the most beautiful grace of God to crush the evil powers of death and sin, and reconciled mankind/elect back to God. That’s how it works with Jesus.

So, a lot of reformed preachers, churches, talk about the vulnerability of modern man and woman, in the midst of brokenness, stress, anxiety, rat race lifestyle, to grow in the Lord. While the Pentecostals never talk about being vulnerable, but stressed the victory in Christ, claim this, and claim that! Speak into being the victories of Christ (this is not biblical). Nevertheless, there is a sharp contrast. As a matter of fact, the former way, the Reformed way, will come up on top, because that’s what Jesus did.

I have concluded in my mind, coming from a charismatic background myself, and now being immersed in the reformed world, I can tell you that being vulnerable is not part of the Pentecostal lingo. That would have been lack of faith. There is a real conundrum right here talking about faith. For charismatics, this came from what Jesus said to the woman with the bleeding problem, “woman, your faith has healed you”. Mark 5: 33 But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. 34 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” It is verses like this caused Pentecostals to think; it’s actually the woman’s faith that has healed her according to Jesus! Jesus surprisingly accredited totally to the woman’s faith that healed her. That actually spurred Pentecostals to preach on such as a doctrine, and hence the faith movement. But if you look at this case, it’s the woman’s tenacity and desperation to find Jesus, that brought her overcame hordes of men crowding around Jesus, and touched him, because she thought to herself, 28 For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” 29 And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. The healing is immediate! Hallelujah! That’s incredible! In the context of this woman pressing in against all odds, as women do not mingle and definitely not touching men in those middle eastern culture at that time, she persevered and pushed in to touch Jesus. Her faith was strong, and Jesus saw that and acknowledged that. But really power comes from Jesus, not her faith, it’s only her faith in Jesus touched Jesus who then released his power to heal her. Faith alone won’t do the job, it’s the persistent faith against all odds, moved the heart of God.  So this kind of verses fired up the Pentecostals to “claim” healing, which is, in my mind, unbiblical. You can’t claim healing, but you can ask God for healing. You don’t have it, and there is nothing for you to claim.

Mark 10: 46 Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus was sitting by the roadside begging. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”48 Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” 50 Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.” 52 “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

Did you see how earnest is the blind man in seeking out Jesus as he shouted out to Jesus for mercy and he was rebuked by many to be quiet? But he shouted all the more. Then Jesus stopped and called him, and as soon as he hears what the blind man wants, Jesus said, “Your faith has healed you”, immediately he saw! What’s the deal here? Is it his faith that healed him again? Same story, same principle, Jesus saw the earnestness of his heart, and hence his faith, Jesus healed him. Firstly Jesus saw his faith, and then Jesus healed him. Pentecostals have always used these kind of verses to conclude, it’s our faith. But our faith in the last two contexts is really the hearts earnestness and perseverance, going against all odds. That’s the deal.

I would conclude that we should be even vulnerable to walk in Jesus shoes, to learn the humility to minister to the world, but continue to develop our hearts longing for God and releasing such faith to see wonders and oracles.

This captures the NT God beautifully:

Matt 12 “Here is my servant whom I have chosen,
    the one I love, in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
    and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
19 He will not quarrel or cry out;
    no one will hear his voice in the streets.
20 A bruised reed he will not break,
    and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out,
till he has brought justice through to victory.
21     In his name the nations will put their hope.”

There will be consequences for rejecting God’s Word

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Every one of us feels rebellions at times, and there are times we actually did it, and thereafter we regretted and repented. But there are those times, when some people went against God’s commands, and never repented of it, they would reap the consequences. The bible speaks clearly about reaping what you sowed.

Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. (Galatians 6:7-8)

It says God is not mocked; you can’t get away from what you sowed. Everything points back to God. Isn’t it interesting that, when people have trouble, a lot of non-believers and Christians get mad with God, and many in the world indeed curse the name of Jesus! And when they have success, they barely thank God, but bottom line, it’s true that God is the center of gravity. 

But most impactful on me that stirred me to write this article is from what Calvin wrote:

Nor would the obtuseness (slow in perception, intellect) of the whole Jewish nation today in awaiting the Messiah’s earthly kingdom be less monstrous, had the scriptures not foretold long before that they would receive this punishment for having rejected the gospel. –John Calvin [1]

Such sharp comment by Calvin on the state of the Jewish nation still waiting for their messiah even today. But it’s true that they would receive punishment for having rejected the gospel as in:

2 Corinthians 3:13-15 not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts.

This is saying to this day, when the law of Moses is read to them, a veil lies over their hearts. In other words, they can’t see the Lord, as their hearts were hardened, and still are. Hardened heart is the hardest thing to crack, to help someone to come to know Christ. It’s not the intellectual head knowledge, but the heart condition. But why?

The words” punishment for rejected the gospel, or Jesus” of Calvin rings aloud. But is punishment part of God? Isn’t He a God of love and forgiveness? That’s true, but he is also a God of justice, and righteousness and holiness.

Calvin writes: For it so pleased God in righteous judgment to strike blind the minds of those who by refusing the offered light of heaven voluntarily brought darkness upon themselves. Therefore, they read Moses and continually ponder his writings, but they are hampered by a veil from seeing the light shining in his face. (2 Cor 3:13-15)

Did you see that God struck blind the minds of those who refused the light of heaven, and as a result, they brought voluntarily darkness upon themselves. My key point here is that God initiated a punishment, judgment, in response to their refusal and rejection of Christ as the Savior of the world. To say that God is long suffering, and patient, and kind, and forgiving, and hence take advantage of his patience, is not only wrong, but also dead dangerous. There will be prices to pay. There will be consequences. Just like this in the case of the Jewish nation, they paid the price, just like they shouted in Matt 27 And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” It’s a horrendous thing to say, and to have said that to the Son of God himself!

And God swiftly responded as in 2 Cor 13: But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted…. As a result of that their hearts were hardened. Hardened hearts will never respond to God, until the mercy of God comes around.

Romans 11 Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,

You see that hardening is partial, until a certain number, and then all Israel will be saved. My thesis in this article is that, any rebellion against God’s Word will carry a price tag. There will be consequences. For the Jewish nation, it’s the partial hardening, with a veil over their hearts when Moses is read. By rejecting the Messiah, this is a consequence. It’s a deadly price to pay. More severe, and dark than anything you could imagine, to see literally generations gone without seeing the true Messiah and hence salvation.

Bring it back to today’s situation in America and round the world. Individually, if a Christian walks away from the Lord, there is a drastic horror awaits.

Hebrews 6 For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.

Someone who has been enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, and tasted the goodness of God and the powers of the age to come, and fallen away, will be impossible for them to come back to Christ, as they crucified the Son of God once again and hold Christ up to contempt. Wow, a big warning. A warning that’s less preached in pulpit today, but it’s so important to teach it.

What about corporate church fallout? Like what we just seen the splitting of the United Methodist church this week. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/03/us/methodist-split-gay-marriage.html

United Methodist churches split because of gay marriage. We have heard that before with the PCA & PCUSA (Presbyterian USA & America). I consider the issue of homosexuality, gay marriage is the most potent force to cause church split, historically, statistically, and there is no doubt. But what I am saying is that those who walk away from the scriptures will pay the price. There will be consequences on a massive scale. The Bible is clear on this:

1 Cor 6 9 Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

There is no doubt consequences await those who walk away from God’s Word.

[1] John Calvin, Institutes of Christian Religion p 449

God doesn’t set goal of carnal prosperity & happiness but for the hope of immortality

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If you are after only the temporal blessings and happiness, you are short sighted in life. This is one of the most common problems of humanity because that’s how the world’s wired us. Not so with God; he has wired us for eternity.

He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. Ecc 3:11

The goal set before the Jews by God in the Old Testament was not the carnal prosperity & happiness. (Calvin, Institute of Christian Religion)

But this is precisely the thing that we all aspire to have in our modern day New Testament era. If you look at the culture we live in today, many times Christians don’t look very different from non-believers. How? Because of our craving for happiness, material comfort, victories and triumphs. Why is that a problem? Because that produces shallow Christianity & that’s not the God we worship. This breeds a materialistic worldview in our lives in the midst of a very materialistic and sensory driven society we live in today. Looking to God for happiness, should be replaced with looking for joy. Happiness is external and transient but joy is within us that makes us rejoice in the Lord and not in circumstances only. That is one example of deeper walk with God. Culturally we live in a “I want” culture, greed driven culture, and without proper teaching Christians will be very lost in this world. And especially with the largely what I want from the Lord mindset, and what I can get from God, this is tremendously damaging to true Christianity. With the advent of the great move of Pentecostal growth, we praise God for miracles healing but it’s the asking God for all the blessings and not willing or able to grow in deeper understanding of Gods call in our lives is a precarious situation. That may just be like the golden calf, idolatry.

The goal set before the Jews by God in the Old Testament is actually their adoption into the hope of immortality; and assurance of this adoption was certified to them by oracles, laws, and the prophets. (John Calvin).

That’s a tremendous insight by Calvin. All these times, I am of the impression that if Israel obeys God, God will just bless them, prosper them.  And the covenant with the Lord was supported, not by their own merits, but solely by the mercy of God who called them.

So in other words, all the blessings God gave the Jews in the OT, were not for their own consumption per se, and that’s exactly the same for us today. So its not for carnal prosperity or happiness. Why? Because it produces more carnality, which is of the flesh, opposite to godliness. That’s a really important understanding. God doesn’t want us to be carnal. So what does God want? He wants to bring blessings to the Jews in the OT so as to bring them into the adoption into the hope of immortality. What’s immortality? That’s eternal life. You see, this is clear that God is not interested to make you happy for a short period of time, He wants to give you immortality, eternal life to be with him forever and ever, through adoption into his family in Jesus. That’s even in the OT. I know the adoption happens in the NT:

Eph 1 “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.”

But even before the creation of the world, God already predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ! God’s prosperity blessing upon us is all about adoption as sonship through Jesus. In other words, God’s blessings, discipline, and warnings of Israel are all wrapped up in the eventual goal of adoption of them into the immortal family of God. A really important concept to understand is that the covenant God is making with Israel was not by their merits, but solely by the mercy of God who called them. All the blessings God given them arose solely out of God’s goodness and kindness.

John 8: Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.

Jesus said Abraham, in the OT, even before the time of Moses, rejoiced at the thought of seeing Jesus’ day, and he saw it and was glad. What does that mean? That means even in the OT, Prophets in the OT , like Abraham, rejoiced to see Jesus’s day! This is like thousands of years before Jesus incarnated into this world! Abraham rejoiced at the thought of Jesus coming! He didn’t rejoice seeing Jesus, but just the thought of seeing Jesus bringing salvation to the world! We actually have Jesus now. Jesus is the Mediator, for our adoption into God’s family even in the OT times.

Conclusion is we can’t just want God’s blessings and prosperity when we know all these blessings from God is in the idea of the eventual goal of adoption into the immortality in God’s family. Unless we see the bigger picture of immortality or eternity, we will actually become carnal in receiving the prospering blessings of God. Only when we see our blessings of God is meant for God’s immortality real blessings, we may become blessed in a real way.

Jesus will separate the sheep from the goats

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By Albert Ngu Dec 28, 2019

Matt 25: 31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 

This is absolutely scary. This is actually going to happen. Jesus will come and all the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another like separating the sheep from the goats.

Psalm 1: Blessed is the one     who does not walk in step with the wicked 2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,    and who meditates on his law day and night.3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,    which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—    whatever they do prospers.4 Not so the wicked!    They are like chaff    that the wind blows away.5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,    nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,    but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

Psalm 1 talks about the wicked are like chaff that the wind blows away! (v4). The wicked shall not stand in the judgment and their way leads to destruction. But the righteous shall be like a tree planted by stream of water and yield its fruit in season, their leaf doesn’t wither, and whatever they do they prosper.

Scottish Psalter of 1595 says “Heavenly Father has given us his holy law, to be the only rule and measure (the Bible) whereby we shall live well and godly, make us by thy good grace to renounce our own carnal and fleshly desires, and all evil company, eschewing the way of sinners, that we may bring forth some fruits of the Spirit that, being always under thy holy protection, we may have perfect assurance and confidence; that when thy Son Jesus Christ, shall appeal to divide the goats fro the sheep, we may be accounted among the number of them that are redeemed by his blood. So be it.”[1]

First it’s a prayer for God to help us to live well and godly. To live a godly life in this world is challenging, but God has given us all provisions to enable us to do that. Remember, it’s not your trying to do it yourself, its more you crying out to God to enable you and help you. Then you can ask God for his grace to renounce our carnal and fleshly desires. That’s grace from the supernatural power of the sovereign God. Not by merit of ours, but totally a gift and endowment of God. That’s a clear nuance that we Christians must get hold of. Don’t push it by your won effort to be holy, because it will become man’s effort, not God’s grace.

Result: We may renounce carnal desires. Desires from the flesh, from the world, which is all around us from internet, media etc. But there is a bigger thing in life!!

So that we have this perfect assurance and confidence when the Son of God Jesus Christ shall appear in the end time to divide the goats from the sheep, we will be among the sheep. That’s so serious! Did you know that in the church today, its what reformed theology calls as the “Visible church”. The visible church is what you see now, and the invisible church s the real born again elect of God. Because not every one in the visible church is a born again elect of God. Some are just not born again, though they may feel guilty when doing wrong, though they may even go to church and pray etc, but Jesus clearly warned of the apostasy coming.

Matt 7 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

You see there is this divide. The goats from the sheep. There will be a separation. It will happen. Make sure, you reach out to God and walk by his power and grace.

[1] David Calhoun Prayer on the Psalms-Scottish Psalter of 1595, The Banner of truth