Home 2018 (Page 4)

Year: 2018

Feeding Program Ministries

“Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh…Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. “ – Luke 6:21,25.

I gave thanks to our Lord for pouring His love into the hearts of ministry workers around the world who work tirelessly to bring the gospel to the poor, especially the children, through such feeding and bible study programs.  I thanked the Lord for a brief time of fellowship with the ministers of such a wonderful ministry in 2016 – Give-A-Child-A-Future Philippines Inc in Aug 2016 in my first trip to Bacolod, Philippines.

In the midst of feasting during the Chinese New Year (CNY) this year, it dawned on me that a lavish CNY dinner at any restaurant here might cost as much as several months’ budget of a feeding program of a small ministry in the poor countries.  There and then, I was prompted by the Spirit of God to bless this feeding program ministry in Bacolod.  Later, the ministry worker of this ministry informed me that she had run out of funds for 2 weeks and she was praying for God’s provision that morning.  Thanks be to our Lord that JC’s Manifesto was the vessel used to answer this particular prayer.  I shared this incident solely for the purpose of testifying about God’s goodness and timely provision whenever we ask our Heavenly Father for our daily needs.

Praying that JC’s Manifesto may be a vessel in this area in the longer term to share the gospel in word and in deeds in such a ministry, God willing.

Guidance Tested

“They received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scripture daily to see if these things were so.”  Acts 17:11

God on occasion in Bible times communicated with some people by supernaturally telling them what to do, and He has not said He will never do so again.  Some at least of the glowing stories that are told about guidance of this kind can hardly be doubted.  Some see reason to deny that God ever did, or will communicate this way now that the canon of Scripture is complete, but that view seems to us to go beyond what is written and to fly in the face of credible testimony.  It is not for us to place restrictions on God that He has not placed on Himself !

Certainly, no messages from God of this kind could be regarded as canonical in the sense of carrying authority for universal faith and life in the way Scripture does.  This, however, is not to deny that “private revelations” as the Puritans used to call them, ever take place nowadays.  On that question we keep an open mind.  Though we know that self-deception here is very easy, we would not short-circuit claims to have received words from God; we would instead test them, as objectively and open-mindedly as we can, in light of the teaching Scripture itself.

Scripture teaches the principle of testing in such passages as Deuteronomy 18:22 where God’s people are told to listen to supposed prophets with discernment: “When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord,  if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously.  You need not be afraid of him.”  Similarly Paul instructs the church at Thessalonica in 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21, “Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good.”

  • Dr JI Packer, “The JI Packer Classic Collections”

Very glad to note that another theologian, Dr JI Packer, shared about testing such “private revelations” instead of denying them altogether.   For morally neutral events like calamities such as famine and economic crisis, there is no reason to deny that God can warn His people who walk intimately with Him.  The law of probability can be used to test and ascertain if the prophecy is from God by verifying whether the prophecy comes true against very slim odds.

Typology – Types In The Old Testament

John 5:39-40.  “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.”

What is typology or types in the Old Testament ?

“Typology is the idea that persons (e.g., Moses), events (e.g., the exodus), and institutions (e.g., the temple) can — in the plan of God — prefigure a later stage in that plan and provide the conceptuality necessary for understanding the divine intent (e.g., the coming of Christ to be the new Moses, to effect the new exodus, and to be the new temple.”  –  Graham Cole.

“A type is a shadow cast on the pages of Old Testament history by a truth whose full embodiment or antitype is found in the New Testament revelation” – Wick Broomall.

“A type is a real, exalted happening in history which was divinely ordained by the omniscient God to be a prophetic picture of the good things which he purposed to bring to fruition in Christ Jesus.” – paraphrased by Wayne Jackson.

The Greek New Testament uses several words such as shadow, pattern, copy, likeness, figure to denote what is defined above as type.

Types in the Old Testament are grounded in real history – the people, places, events were deliberately chosen by God to prepare for the coming reality of the work of Christ our Lord, His redemptive plan according to His predestinating purpose and the Kingdom of Heaven.

Below are 2 illustrations.

Type of God’s Redemptive Plan Old Testament New Testament
Israel’s 40-year journey in the wilderness and test of faith  Deut 8 :1-20 Titus 2: 11-14
Exodus

–  escape from wicked king

–  declared God’s Son

–  40 years (days) in wilderness

–  Israel failed, Christ succeeded

–  launched invasion of Canaan

  

Ex 1:15-2:10

Ex 14, 4:22-23

Ex 40:34-38

Deut 8:1-3

  

Matt 2:13-18

Matt 3:13-17

Matt 4:1-11

Matt 4:3-4

Mat 4:12-15

 

What A Friend We Have In Jesus

G                                           C

What a friend we have in Jesus

Am                                      D

All our sins and griefs to bear

G                                C

What a privilege to carry

Am                                 D

Everything to God in prayer

Chorus:

C                                      G

O what peace we often forfeit

C                                    G

O what needless pain we bear

C                                     G

All because we do not carry

Am                                 D

Everything to God in prayer

(Am                  D          G)

Partnership With Prison Fellowship Cambodia

Many pastors in the Third World countries, volunteering with Prison Fellowship International in rolling out the various programs, are poor.  They supplement their income with farming.  By the grace of God and His provision,  JC’s Manifesto is able to fully subsidize the training cost of the self sustaining agricultural enterprise program in support of the work of Prison Fellowship International in Asia.  God willing, we will also acquire a piece of land here to duplicate the same success in Alfa Omega Ministries.

After having trained two pastors from Myanmar and one from Philippines in a pilot program in early 2017, JC’s Manifesto is glad to kick off this year by sponsoring another 2 pastors from Cambodia to be trained in this program held at Alfa Omega Ministry, Indonesia.

The training will start after the pastoral conference of the Body of Christ Fellowship currently being held in Batam from 24 to 26 January 2018.   Some 300 pastors came from Vietnam, Myanmar, Philippines,  Cambodia, South Korea and Europe to join fellow pastors from Indonesia in this yearly fellowship conference.

 

Testing The Spirits

1 John 4:1

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

It is actually not that difficult to test the spirits.  Here are some major tests :

1. Does the spirit exalt Christ ?

John 16:14.  He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

2. Does the spirit guide to all truth of our Lord Jesus Christ ?

John 16:13-15.   When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come…he will take what is mine and declare it to you.  All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

3. Does the spirit promote loving God and men more than gifts ?

1 Cor 13:1-2.  If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

4. Does the spirit oppose worldliness ?

Gal 5:17.  For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

If you see any minister who exalt the Holy Spirit over our Lord Jesus (though the Spirit of God deserves the same worship but as stated in John 16:14, His ministry is to exalt Jesus.); elevate experience as authoritative over Scripture; and embrace worldliness; thereby diminishes the glory and deity of Jesus and undermines the true saving gospel on the contrary, we can safely say that he or she belongs to another spirit other than of the Holy Spirit.

A Different Jesus Doctrine By The NAR False Prophets

The NAR prophets are proliferating a very dangerous teaching known as the Kenosis doctrine.  Such doctrine is not merely academic disagreement on certain interpretation of Scripture but it actually denies most essential doctrines.  By either diminishing the deity of Christ or undermining the union of the two fully-God and fully-man natures in one Person, this Kenosis doctrine has presented a doctrine of a different Jesus.  Marking themselves as false prophets through this Kenosis doctrine and many more,  it is not surprising to see more fruit of strange and bizarre teaching of pagan shamanistic-like practices from them.

(2 Cor 11:4.  For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough.)

The Kenosis doctrine teaches that the Messiah, in order to assume the form of a servant and become incarnate (into human flesh), had to give up some, several, or even all the powers and attributes of God and “live as a mere man.”  The logic is that since Jesus left His powers and attributes behind and lived as a mere man, we born-again believers are just as much an Incarnation of God as Jesus was.   So if Jesus did all His miracles through the power of the Holy Spirit, born again believers could do likewise and even more.

This Kenosis doctrine is extremely dangerous as it denies most essential doctrines, especially Christology.

  1. It destroys the integrity of the atonement.   

The Blood that redeemed the church has to be the blood of God.  Acts 20:28.  If He was not God, then His blood sacrifice was not INFINITELY powerful to redeem all who believe in every age.  In other words, if Jesus was not fully divine, then His atoning work would not be sufficient to atone for the sins of the world.  God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Col 1:19-20.

  1. It destroys the Christian view of the incarnation.

Sovereignty is an attribute of God. According to Don Fortner it means ruling “all things, everywhere, at all times absolutely.”  If, by becoming man, Christ gave up the use of His divine attributes in any way, then He was not sovereign. If Jesus was not sovereign during His earthly ministry, then He was not God. If He was not God, the Word that was God (Jn.1:1) never became flesh – only part of the Word did. And the name “Immanuel,” meaning “God with us” (NAS Mtt. 1:23), is a lie, and God’s Word is not true.

  1. It denies the immutability of God.

In order for the God the Son to abandon His sovereignty in any way, He would have to change His character or being. This, God would never do. “IAM WHO I AM” (NAS Ex. 3:14). “But Thou art the same, And Thy years will not come to an end.” (NAS Ps. 102:27). “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever.” (NAS Heb. 13:8). According to R.C. Sproul, “If God laid aside one of His attributes, the immutable undergoes a mutation, the infinite suddenly stops being infinite; it would be the end of the universe.”

  1. It undermines the monotheistic distinctive of the Christian faith.

The only way to limit the use of attributes of one Person without limiting the attributes of all three members of the Godhead is to divide God into three divine Beings for each of the three Persons. Jesus could then suspend His omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, etc., while the Father and Holy Spirit would continue to exercise sovereign dominion over the universe. This view of the Trinity, however, is polytheistic, not Christian. The Christian faith is monotheistic. We believe there is only one God. “Hear O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord” (Mark 12:29). The Creed of Athanasius  affirms this truth: “The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, but there are not three gods, but one God…The Father is omnipotent, the Son is omnipotent and the Holy Spirit is omnipotent, but there are not three omnipotent Beings, but one omnipotent Being …We distinguish among the Persons, but we do not divide the Substance.”

(Article is extracted from www.kenosis.info and re-phrased.)

 

Evangelistic Outreach Through Solar Lamp Project

One of my given missions is to share the gospel both in word and in deeds  in galvanizing churches in the region to meet the basic needs of the community and gain a hearing of the gospel as a result.   Over the years of feasibility study by the grace of God,  JC’s Manifesto has narrowed down to 3 evangelistic outreach projects as the most effective approaches – the farming aids, technology to rear poultry, the bio-sand water filter and the solar lamps.

JC’s Manifesto had participated in relief effort by supplying solar lamps to the typhoon victims in Tacloban, Philippines before.  We have also given these lamps to some Nepalese pastors in enabling them to gain a hearing of the gospel in the border towns with India.

In late 2016,  Bishop Martin of the National Chaplains of Philippines had gone to share the gospel in the mountainous regions in northern Luzon enabling the people there to have bible study in the evening using the solar lamp as there is no electrical grid in these regions.

So far, the missions to use the solar lamp as a bridge to evangelism have been relatively successful.

Praise the Lord !

Christian Liberty

1 Cor 10:23-33

23 “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. 24 No one should seek their own good, but the good of others. 25 Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, 26 for, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.” 27 If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience. 28 But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, both for the sake of the one who told you and for the sake of conscience. 29 I am referring to the other person’s conscience, not yours. For why is my freedom being judged by another’s conscience? 30 If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for? 31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32 Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— 33 even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.

Although Paul talked extensively about food offered to idols, the issue regarding Christian liberty is not limited to just food and drink but whatever we do.  1 Cor 10:31.

On one extreme, we have believers that believe they have the right to do anything which may deteriorate to license.  On the other, we have believers with weak conscience which may also lead to legalism.

On talking specifically about the issue of food offered to idols, Paul cited two examples of such situations in which believers might eat such food : the public meat market where food was purchased for home consumption and private meals in a non-believer’s home.  And he continued to explain the issue was not the food itself but the situation in which it was eaten.

Likewise regarding Christmas celebration for an example, we should not focus on the apparent inappropriateness of the background or arbitrary chosen date, but on the situation it is celebrated.

In situation where Scripture is silent on matter of conscience, this saying regarding biblical response is true :

Essentials (matter of truth),  unity;

Non-essentials (matter of conscience);  liberty;

All things, charity.

(On Scripture being “silent” on matter of conscience, I mean Scripture does not mention that it is specifically forbidden and I believe one has the liberty to act or not to act on the matter of conscience.  Allow me to illustrate.  For some countries, if there is no U-turn sign, the cars are not allowed to make U turn.  But in most western countries,  if there is no “No U-turn allowed” sign,  the cars are free to make the U-turn.  It is the latter situation to which I am referring.)

Whether to celebrate or not is up to each believer according to his conscience.  If one chooses to celebrate, he shall do it for the glory of God and shall not stumble a brother with a weaker conscience.  But he will be taking a wrong turn to judge others on whether to celebrate or not.

When the angel announced the birth of our Lord to the shepherds, he said,”…I bring you Good News that will cause great joy for all the people…” I celebrate because it is Good News. And I express my great joy through celebration.

Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. – Colossians 2:16

1 Cor 10:29b-32a summarizes the biblical response for matter of conscience :

For why is my freedom being judged by another’s conscience? If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for? So whether you eat or drink or WHATEVER YOU DO, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble…

Holy Are You, O Mighty God

Holy, Holy, Holy, Holy are You, Lord

Holy are You, O Mighty God                                         (2x)

Glory, Glory, Glory,  All glory to You, Lord

Glorious are You, O Mighty God                                 (2x)

Worthy, Worthy, Worthy, Worthy are You, Lord

Worthy are You, O Mighty God                                   (2x)