Founder/Author, Life & Truth Education (LEMAN Group); CAO, BiMAL Institute & General Overseer, FReN International
Theology As 'Faith Seeking Understanding' (Anselm of Canterbury)
Current/On-Going Dialogue: Secularization & Spiritual/Faith Formation
Prophetic Word 2023
Adopt A New Year Resolution 2023: To Be Wordful and Watchful, Prayerful and Powerful...!
The Season: Welcome to the Finishing Year of a Major Foundation Being Laid for the Finishing Army of the Lord. But the Times… Wait for No One. Now is the Time to Hurry Up and Catch the Flight! A Season God is Restoring, Renewing, and Reviving: 2021 – 2023 (in a Decade of Truth: 2020 -2030 – See the Faith Revival prophetic Word at new year 2020).
A decade of truth? No wonder the world has fallen short of the glory of God. Consequently, it has seen the opposite of the truth: lies, conspiracies, and hypocrisies too many. Sadly, not too few Christians have been caught up in it, but now is the time for the biblical four Rs: repentance and restoration, renewal and revival. At such times as these, the Church universal must stick to its true calling as ‘the ground and pillar of truth (1 Tim 3:15) to be sanctified by the truth and delivered from the evil days (Jn 17:15-17; Eph 6:10-18).
By the end of 2021-2023, A 3-year foundation (God checking hearts and restoring ‘the restorables’: Lk 13:7) would have been laid ‘…and from this day will I bless you [the repentant and faithful follower of Christ] beyond anything you have asked or imagined (Haggai 2:6-9, 18-19; Eph 3:20). Let Each Christian, Therefore, Make A New Year Resolution No. 1 (Seeking First The Kingdom…Mat 6:33) Through Being:
Wordful and Watchful, Prayerful and Powerful Identity of Christ on Earth [Imago Dei]! So that like Jesus, and as images of Christ, we also can go about doing good and healing all oppressed by the devil, for God is with us (Acts 10:38), and nothing shall by any means hurt us (Lk 10:19; Joel 2:7-8)!
Who’s ready to catch the Flight? Start today and experience your best year of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost (Rom 14:17), which is our practice of ‘receiving the kingdom’ (Heb 12:28 KJV). That’s how always praying and living ‘thy Kingdom come, thy will be done’ (Mat 6:10) occurs in our lives and on the earth.
(1) We, Receiving A Kingdom That Cannot Be Shaken/Moved (Heb 12:28): ‘…the removal of things that are shaken…wherefore we, receiving a kingdom that cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.’ Check the spiritual meter of your reverence and godly fear. Are you self-aware…how are you doing with your conscience and truth? Noteworthy is the ‘Receiving’ – present continuous tense: not ‘having received.’ Nor is it written ‘having taken’ but ‘taking the shield of faith’ (Eph 10:16): again present, continuous.
Beneath the pandemic era and lockdowns (2019/2020 to date) and the shaking of the earth/nations, the Holy Ghost has been raising a strong, HOLY, enduring underground and undefeatable army (Joel 2:7-8). Are you one …who has not cast off their first faith and love amidst the troubles of this world? Therefore:
(2) Let Go. Let Go. Let Go - A Removal of Things Shakable In Your Life:
There has been an ongoing removal of things that God has not planted: shakable things in the Believer’s life and the world: all shakable things – leading to doubt and unbelief (taking hold of the Believer), and sin and evil taking hold of the world (Heb 10:22-31) – all generated by and rooted in FEAR (2 Tim 1:7). Take your fear to the altar of the word and prayer, destroying it continually, seeking FIRST the Kingdom of God (Matt 6:33) and building faith, hope, and love; so, the Believer can still be what God wants each one to Be and to Do by continuing on track with the set race (Heb 12:1), looking unto Jesus, the author, and finisher of our faith. If or whenever you are off track, get back in line repentantly and quickly, and you are indeed a candidate. Now is the time. Therefore:
(3) Let God Restore. You Renew. We Revive.
Now Say With Us Concerning 2023: God Shall Restore. I Shall Renew. We Shall Revive!
Finally, Dearly Beloved, Fasten Your Seat Belt with Truth (Eph 6:14) and Remain Wordful and Watchful, Prayerful and Powerful in the Holy Scripture and the Holy Ghost!
Recent Publication
Nurturing students’ spiritual development in secular contexts: a case study of Evangelical theological education in Australia (By Dr. Momoh & Prof. Naidoo)
ABSTRACT
The awareness of secularisation may not have served as a focus for curricula development in theological education, yet it critically shapes the entire educational process influencing values and practices. Australian theological colleges need to be aware of, and alert to their secular, westernised culture that places a high premium on individual rights, personal liberty, and freedom. This article reports on an Australian study discussing the nature of secularised contexts and the relevance of evangelical theological education to these contexts, especially the role of spiritual formation as a key component to better equip theological students to deal with their secular context. The article argues for stronger awareness of, and preparedness for robust engagement with secularised contexts. It highlights the importance of engaging the influence of secularisation values in theological education.
To Read Full Article, Click The Button Below
Emphasizing Scripture
In Christan Education
Writing on "Practicing Christian Education with Scripture," Maddix & Estep (2017:100) state that:
'The formative role of Scripture affirms that just as the Holy Spirit was active in inspiring the authors of the Bible (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21), the Spirit illuminates the person who reads and interprets the text (1 Cor. 2:14; John 14:26; 16:13)…'
'This cooperative process between the reader and the Spirit helps us discover potential meaning about God and God's ongoing work of salvation. Given that the Bible functions in formative ways, practicing Christian education calls us to consistently read and engage the Scriptures. And when we do, we move from viewing the Bible primarily as a means of information to experiencing the formative power of Scripture that transforms our lives' (Maddix & Estep 2017:101).
'The shift from viewing Scripture as information to formation can be a difficult transition.' 'One of the primary roles of Christian educators is to help believers understand the difference between these two approaches. It's a challenge because many of us have it ingrained in us to approach Scripture reading as informational, to uncover certain biblical ideas or truths, a purely cognitive pursuit. We have been taught to read Scripture so as to master the text instead of having the text master us or viewing Scripture as a means of formation. Christian educators need to help believers reorient how they approach and encounter Scripture. They must also help believers develop formative practices in their faith journeys and within the life of the church community. The goal is that through reading and interpreting Scripture, we are being formed and transformed into faithful disciples of Jesus Christ' (Maddix & Estep 2017:102).
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The Era Of Divine Authority Is Here…
But Is Your Faith Working Through Love (Gal 5:6) As Biblically Required In The Evil Day (Eph 5:16, 6:13)?
All six chapters of the Book of Ephesians are, in a nutshell, about divine authority in the evil day -
(1) Chapters 1 & 2: Divine authority as invested in the individual Believer. Next time you read this chapter, you should be prayerfully meditating and using that authority more instantly and regularly in the evil day.
2) Chapters 3 & 4: Divine authority invested in the Church/ community of faith. Next time you read this chapter, you should be prayerfully meditating and using that authority for your local church and the Body of Christ more instantly and regularly in the evil day. The next two chapters end the Book of Ephesians and provide the biblical pattern for building that authority for the Church and the Believer. That is on the foundation of the Word of God and the Holy Spirit as follows:
(3) Chapter 5: The Holy Spirit Through Love. Next time you read this chapter, you should be prayerfully meditating on using that authority (found in chapters 1-4) in your day-to-day circumstances and spiritual warfare based on the Holy Spirit through love. Chapter 5 is about the Holy Spirit and the love He sheds in the heart of the Believer.
(4) Chapter 6: The Word of God Through Faith. Next time you read this chapter, you should be prayerfully meditating on how to use that authority (found in chapters 1-4) in your day-to-day circumstances and spiritual warfare based on the Word of God through faith. Chapter 6 is about the Word of God and the faith it generates in you when you believe, without which prayer is weak.
Hence, the faith that will truly overcome the ongoing evil day… that is, ‘the victory that overcometh the world’ (1 Jn 5:4) is that which combines the spiritual weapons of (3) & (4) above: the ‘faith that worketh by love’ (Gal 5:6).
