Monthly Archives: August 2014

INVEST IN GOLD – TRUE GOLD! BY KIANG P LEE

Greetings once more friends everywhere!

Jesus charge to His followers is to take and share the good news of the Gospel message to every living creature to the ends of the earth. The heart and core of the Gospel message is God’s desire to bring humanity to be with Him forever as His immortal children. (John 3:16-17) How does Christ expect us to play our part? The answer is in a parable He gave in Matthew 25. Beginning at verse 14, Jesus spoke this parable of the ‘bags of gold’ :

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“Bags of Gold” (Wiki Commons)

“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’ 21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ 22 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’ 23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ 24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’ 26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. 28 “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’” (Matt.25:14-30).

Parable of the Talents. Mironov.jpg

Parable of Gold – Matthew 25

“Gifts” Metaphor for Gold

Every one of the servants was entrusted with the Master’s wealth. The “gold” is the metaphor for a believer’s gift, a person’s calling, his/her destiny in Christ. It belongs to the Master which He gives out of His wealth. Our gifts are “Love-gifts” from the Father. Let’s call it “life-gift” for the purpose of this post. It is given according to your ability which is your gift. So, it’s obvious our “life-gift” or calling is not ours, but given to us as part of the Master’s wealth. So, Paul tells us where our “life-gift” comes from:  “Out of the generosity of Christ, each of us is given his own gift. That is why it says, ‘He climbed the high mountain, he captured the enemy and seized the booty, he handed it all out in gifts (gold) to the people’” (Eph. 4:7-8, 9-13, The Message).

Free Stock Photo of Kids Gift Shows Childhood Box And Occasion

True Gold & Fool’s Gold

We go out in search of physical gold and precious stones like diamonds, and measure our human worth by them, not realizing we possess an abundance of gold (gifts) from our Creator. We fail to realize that it is through our gifts and abilities that we acquire material riches. But we are not defined by material stuff, but spiritual gold. So the question is, what and how will we invest our lives searching – for true gold or fool’s gold?

Gifts are Magnets to Life

Life and gifts (gold) comes fused together and are inseparable. No human can claim to be without a gift given him or her by the Creator. Therefore, a person’s “life-gift” or dream is always magnetizing to him or her. A gift is like a magnet. That’s to say, the “life-gift” is the magnet in the person’s life. We have heard the adage, “Life is a gift.” Indeed, for the gift that comes with life is what makes life a gift. Think about this: A musician does not find his music, his music finds him. An author does not find his subject to write about, his subject finds him. An entrepreneur does not find his business niche, his niche finds him. We are all free to accept the prompts of our calling or reject them. We either flow with our gift or swim against it. Every prompt from the heart of our “life-gift” is a jigsaw piece that fits into a picture of your destiny that’s constantly magnetizing to us. Whoever a person is and becomes is only as good as the gift that defines him or her. That “life-gift” is the “bag of gold” in the parable.

Jesus – the “Gift-Giver,” Giving out of His “Treasure”

God is able to be all things to everyone through our varied gifts and that reveals His greatness. Paul said, “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to each of us…in proportion to our faith, let us use them” (Rom. 12:6). Paul again said, “[Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight. (Phil.2:13, AMP) Again Paul emphasized, “… In order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures (the wealth of the Master) of wisdom and knowledge.” (Col.2:2-3). No one can ever come to know about his or her “life-gift” without knowledge and wisdom. The application of gifts is a ‘mind-matter’ that begins with knowledge and knowing what your gift is, and its function through God’s Love.

Dove in the air with wings wide open in-front of the sun

File:Gezi2.jpgDove, Symbol of the Holy Spirit. First Gift of Holy Spirit – “God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us: Rom.5:5 (Pic: Wiki Commons)

The First Gift

The first gift we receive from God is the gift of the Holy Spirit – just like the original apostles and all who were gathered on that memorable Pentecost day. So, here we see how God is working in humans through His Tri-Personal Being. God is our Father, who gave us His Son to be our Savior, and His Spirit to empower us. Before Pentecost the disciples were cowering in fear, afraid for their lives. Then, the Spirit came and fear went out of them and Love entered and gave them something they never had – a new birth. A new person! Peter went out and preached a powerful message that converted 3000 that Pentecost day. People were surprised, ‘weren’t these the same people, the fearful followers of Jesus who scattered after Jesus was crucified? What has come over them? Here they are speaking in our own language and dialect.’ They don’t know what to make of it , that some thought they had too much to drink. The work of God in us is always the work of the Spirit’s Love in us. (Rom.5:5)

It can’t be done by human effort, although human effort is essential. There is a difference. It is a work of faith. Human effort alone is devoid of the Love of God. And we see how the Spirit makes all the difference before, and after Pentecost. Human effort can be done through human fear or through the Spirit’s Love. God will not possess you and take your life over and live it for you. That’s what the devil does using fear as a weapon. God’s Love does not force people, but He lets His people reason it out for themselves what to do. God says, “Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. (Isa.1:18) If we are forced against our will, then we are fallen human still.

Love Creates a Life of Tension

It is similar to walking on a tightrope like a balancing artist in a circus, we don’t want our fallen human heart based upon fear to take over, and on the other hand we know we must allow the Spirit to use us in His Love. And every step of the way, there is this tension that exists to go this way or that – and it is normal in God’s way of Love for us, and we have to be free to make up our own minds to lean to the Spirit’s inclination, and deliberately stay away from our fearful and evil nature. And in this very dynamic of walking this tight-rope act, we enter the environment we commonly call facing trials. It’s not a bad thing, as I said, God can’t force us in His Love, and so we’re always living life in tension. Over time good habits take hold and it becomes easier.

File:Love What is It.JPG“God is Love” 1 John 4:8, 16.(Pic: Wiki Commons)

Trials are Magnet for Destiny

But here is the beautiful thing about this life of tension in God’s Love, the trials are magnets drawing you to your “life-gift” – to your destiny in Christ. God doesn’t give you His Spirit then suddenly you wake up one morning, and you say, “I’m going to be a scientist or whatever your dream may be…” No, this pattern of living in God’s Love attracts test and trials which leads us to our destiny. Why, because the world is functioning in an environment different from God’s Love – it runs on fear, and we see it all around us every day. The fruits of Love and the fruits of fear which Paul speaks so eloquently about to the Corinthian and Ephesian Christians, create this dynamism which we confront  in all seasons of life, and they come in every way, shape, and form.

Profit and Loss

In this Love/fear dynamism, a kind of trade takes place which Jesus metaphorically speaks of in His parable – we make profits and we make losses. (Matt.25) Because God’s Love is at work in our penitent minds, we will make more profits than loses. We encounter losses because we are still weak in our humanity. When we do make mistakes (because we are humans) we acknowledge our wrong and ask for forgiveness and move on. That’s how Jesus taught us to pray daily. (Luk.11:4) He has promised that no trial will come beyond our ability to cope, but will make a way of escape. (1Cor.10:13) What does that mean? It means God can create circumstances so you are always making a profit, despite intermittent loses, through the weakness of our humanity. Loses are lessons that teaches us how to make a profit the next time around, isn’t it? And if we’re making profits whatever way, then all things work together for good. (Rom.8:28) Mistakes and trials are magnets drawing us to our destiny. Each weakness that we change, we automatically assume its opposing strength. If you cease to hate then you learn how to love. If you acknowledge your pride as the source of your problems, then you will learn to be humble. If you don’t change then your weakness will strangle you spiritually and you will suffer loss. But if you change and learn to Love and respect, then you can only make a profit. God has provided His eternal absolution for human mistakes in His Son’s sacrifice and mediation.

Love is patient Love is kind printed on burned paper

The Fruits of Love as Taken from 1 Corinthians 13 (Wiki Commons)

Joseph the Dreamer

The Bible is filled with examples of this. Think of Joseph… each step of the way beginning with his dream – his destiny, his gift, his calling – attracted trials that was magnetizing him to his destiny. (Gen.37, 39-47) Sold as a slave by his brothers at age 17, he was placed on the human slave market in Egypt. He was bought by Potiphar, an Egyptian military top brass, and put in charge of his business. He was thrown in jail under false accusation. Then he met two servants of Pharaoh who had dreams which disturbed them. God revealed the meaning of the dream to Joseph. Two years later, Pharaoh had a dream. Joseph was called on to make its interpretation known to Pharaoh because the Egyptian wise men and magicians were helpless. Now, he came face to face with the destiny he saw in his dreams. He was made  second in command in all Egypt.

His destiny was to save the known world from a worldwide famine which Pharaoh saw in his dream. When Joseph’s family were reunited and his brothers stood before him, afraid that Joseph might say it’s pay-back time for what they did to him, he told them God was behind it all along. (Gen.45:4-7) Joseph’s life teaches us never to look at life and the trials that come with it in isolation from your “life-gift” – your destiny in Christ. Each trial, insignificant as it may appear to us, is a piece in the puzzle that fits into the picture of your dreams. If God had not given Joseph his dream to aspire for, he would have remained a shepherd like his brothers. Christ is your dream because He has the Giver who has given us gifts out of His wealth and treasure. He was the one who gave Joseph his dream.

Free Stock Photo of Gift Kids Blocks Means Youngster Surprise And Children

‘Life-Gift’

We all have different strengths, and we must focus on them. That’s our gift given us out of the wealth of the Master. Always believe in your uniqueness and difference and realize you’re that way for a purpose. The “life-gift” identifies your place in the plan of God and how each of us play a role in it. It need not be ecclesiastical or religious in nature. As I said, people seem to have this perception that when God is involved in a person, his calling ought to be religious in nature. It’s a myth that stems from the enemy who wants to vilify the good in people’s varied talents. We are given the freedom to be whoever we want. That obviously means in the area of our strengths, which most likely don’t lean towards things religious. Joseph’s gift was not of a religious nature. He was an administrator and manager of people. A person can be a plumber, or engineer, a doctor or gardener, an architect or builder, a marine biologist or fisherman, a basketball player or botanist, or whatever the gift. Gifts evolve as the Spirit supplies the faith. Peter was a fisherman. Then Jesus called him and said from this day forget the fish, let’s do something different with your skills – let’s fish humans. A person may be a basketball player with a short-term career. Then he moves onto something else. This is the way a person’s “life-gift” works in the Spirit’s influence and guidance.

person using chisel while curving wood

person molding vaseBlessed with Various Gifts (Wiki Commons)

Proud Owners of Destiny that Can’t Be Bought

Jesus said, “You are blessed when you are content with just who you are – no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought” (Matt. 5:5 MSG). God gives us purpose in the football field as much as in the pulpit. There’s divine purpose in being a housewife as well as a company executive. Think about this: a housewife who is a mother has a better defined view of seeing and applying God’s Love in her family situation, than a company executive whose mindset is to make more money for the shareholders. Unless of course, if you work for a company whose whole objective is service over money. God is present and involved in all of life. In our weak areas of life, where we may feel inadequate and make mistakes, He wants nothing more than to guide us the right way to our strengths to avoid harm and discouragement to ourselves. In the area of our strengths, He is the first to rejoice with and bless us (Ps. 37:23-24).

The Commission

So what is the answer to Jesus commission for us. The answer is, your gift – the “gold” you were handed when you received Jesus as your Savior and Master – that is your ministry to the world. You are the breathing, living, walking, Gospel of Christ. Where you are at present – in your job, in your hobbies, in anything you may be gifted to do exceptionally, with your family, is the place for God’s will and purpose for you. Even if you are considered unemployed or underemployed, Love always has a job for us. You’re never unemployed when it comes to God’s Love. Love transcends socio-economic conditions.

Deeds More than Words

Our actions speaks louder than our words, don’t they? Our gift speaks louder than our words. Words don’t have the effect that our actions do on people. Words are easier to forget, while our actions and abilities leave a more lasting impression. To put it in a nutshell, actions is what make people believe in you. When they see the personification of your gifts in the good you do to them, then your words carry weight – then your word has integrity. Not the other way around. Peter tells us, “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” (1 Pet.3:15). So Peter supports this model of how we are to take the Gospel – we are to lead with our gifts. He said, “in your heart revere Christ as Lord.” That means we follow His command and lead. He has given us “gold,” or our gifts to trade with. Your gift is the vehicle for our Father to show His Love with those we come in contact and relate with. Then once you have impressed people through your actions (His Love), then we convince them with your words. The Spirit will lead us to say what needs to be said, just as He did with Peter on that memorable Pentecost.

woman sitting on concrete pavement using smartphone

The Best Gift is Who You Are in Christ – Col.1:27 (unsplash)

Don’t try to convert anyone, that’s not our job, only the Spirit can convert the human heart. Did Peter convert the 3000, no, the Spirit moved and convicted the hearts of people. That’s exactly as Jesus foretold what the Spirit would do before He was crucified – He told the disciples it was good that he went away, because that way, the Spirit would come and He would convict the hearts of people of sin. (John 16:8-9) The name of Christ have been discredited and maligned because we have tried to force our words down people’s throats, so to speak. We have done that which is not our place to do. We have failed to heed the words of Peter “to do this with gentleness and respect.” Your job and mine is to sow the seed of the Gospel through our gifts followed by our gentle and respectful words, then leaving it to the Spirit to convert the heart. I have known people who heard the Gospel for the first time, and many years on a change of heart took place. Don’t ask me how and why – only the Spirit knows that. Jesus did not force people to accept His words. He just laid it out for them. He went about doing good through the miracles He performed. And it was through the gift of miracles, His good works He did among the people, that brought people in droves to come and hear His words. (Acts 10:38) His gift was the platform which attracted people to come and hear the Gospel.

Jesus gave us another parable that essentially means the seeds of the Gospel God sows through our gifts will get only 25% response, and the remaining 75% of the people won’t even bother. (Matt.13:3-8, 18-23) Don’t be discouraged, Jesus had only 120 by Pentecost, even though he miraculously fed 5,000 hungry people in just one of His numerous miracles. He healed 10 lepers, only one returned to give thanks, that’s a 10% response. The parable says there are those whose heart are like the ground that’s full of weeds that kills the seed. Then there are those who have no depth for the seed to take a foothold because they have hearts of stone. There are seeds that fall on the pathway and never had a chance from the word go, and the birds come and eat the seeds. Only 25% fell on good ground. (Mark 4:1-19) And even the 25% can dwindle if we don’t look after them.

Reflection…

Let us reflect on the “gold” Jesus has handed us in our “gifts” and see how we can allow the Spirit to lead us to trade them more efficiently this year for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Pray about it. What do you think the person who buried his bag of “gold” was thinking? I think he thought that his gift was not important to him or Christ. He wanted to do his own thing. Or, if he thought it was important, he turned his “life-gift” into a “life of needs and wants” for his own selfish objective. Yet, his gift and the gifts of all His people was the very vehicle Jesus prepared for the Gospel to be taken to the farthest reaches of the world. It’s not hard to turn our gift into an ATM machine and forget the purpose for which it was given in the first place. We see it happening all around us. We live in a self-absorbed society and world where we mistakenly think that everything we have in our person is ours, and for our own self-centered ambition. They are cashing in on their talent, and sadly there’s even a “prosperity gospel” to promote this life-style for “believers.”

gold love balloon

“God is Love” 1 John 4:8

It took between 2 to 3 centuries for the Roman world to accept Christianity. But you know what, it was not easy. No amount of words could convince Rome. What changed Rome ultimately was the gifts, the blood, sweat, and tears of untold number of Christian martyrs who gave their lives for their faith. It was an unimaginable account of personal sacrifice and loyalty. That was the extent they were prepared to go for their Lord. Today, we are not called upon like they were then, although there are countries where Christians are persecuted. The framers of our constitution were Christians, thanks to the Christians before them who followed their Master’s commission to take the Gospel far and wide. The pilgrims came to the New Word seeking religious freedom. The baton is passed on from one generation to another with the Spirit at work in the midst of His people doing the Lord’s work.

Consider, when Paul was inspired to write that we will be conformed to the image of Jesus, it means we will take upon us all that He is in His Sonship, His gifts and abilities, His generosity, His charity, His powers. That is what it means when Scripture says that “all our treasures (gifts) lie hidden in Him” (Col.2:2-3; Rom.8:29).

Let’s reflect on that, and ask Jesus for conviction about the gift (gold) he has given us, and wherever we find ourselves, to give Him our best efforts, fully cognizant of the commission of Matt. 28 that the Gospel will be taken far and wide and accomplished on the backs of the gifts He has blessed and given His people. In the end, it is about investing the gold (gifts) Jesus has invested in us, so we can gain a greater return in His eternal riches.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to write me in the space provided below, or email me on bulamanriver@gmail.com.

Blessing

Until we meet again in my next post, may the blessing of the God who ceaselessly expresses Himself in His dependable Triune Love, be with you today and give you strength for authentic Triune Living as a Bula man-river.*

Kiang (Your Servant in Christ)

*Bulamanriver: To read the different facets of the life of the Bulamanriver, you may obtain a copy of my book, “Bula” Man-River, from Amazon.com; xulonpress.com, barnesandnoble.com, and other online book stores. All proceeds will go towards furthering the work of Gospel of Jesus Christ around the world.

"Bula" Man-River

Book Cover

Mission Statement: Read the Triune Life Mission, Vision, and Value statements at: http://bulamanriver.net/8664

* The “Bulamanriver” is the metaphor describing the union of man with the Love of the Triune God flowing in humans, making possible the “Triune Life” – the source of the miraculous life in man. To read the many facets of life of the Bula man-river, go to my website www.bulamanriver.com where you can order a copy of my Book.

All scriptures are taken from the NIV Version 2011, unless stated otherwise.

Note: Any information obtained from this website that is used for publication should be acknowledged by citing the website address, date of acquisition and information pertinent to original authorship. For general guidelines regarding web citations see The Guide for Citing Electronic Information .

DEPRESSION – BEAT IT! BY KIANG P LEE

Greetings friends around the world from Dallas, Texas!

With the sad passing of the beloved celebrity comedian Robin Williams, the subject of depression is once more brought to the forefront of world attention. Williams’ work will be remembered by many millions worldwide. Our sincere condolences to the Williams family for their untimely loss. 

I will not get into a lengthy explanation of depression and its medical types and terms. I offer the following quote, “depression is a mental, emotional, and psychological disorder, usually characterized by a pervasive and persistent very low mood, low self-esteem, loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities. Major depression significantly affects a person’s family and personal relationships, work or school life, sleeping and eating habits, and general health.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/)

The World Health Organization (WHO), reported in 2012, “Depression is a common illness worldwide, with an estimated 350 million people affected.  It can cause the affected person to suffer greatly and function poorly at work, at school and in the family. At its worst, depression can lead to suicide. Suicide results in an estimated 1 million deaths every year. The burden of depression and other mental health conditions is on the rise globally.” In May 2012, WHO called for a comprehensive, coordinated response to mental disorders at country level. (http://www.who.int/mediacentre)

It is obvious that depression, in whatever form it takes, is prevalent at epidemic proportions worldwide. I will, as I have always dealt with issues in the past, confront the matter at its root cause. Treating a problem at the root cause will spontaneously take care of symptomatic affects and provide remedial solutions. As readers of this blog have known by now, I have always tried to view any given issue through the prism of the Trinitarian nature of God. Why is that? Because man and all creation was made in God’s Triune image, and thereby creation and man is forever connected to His Maker. (Gen.1:26-27) Man once lived in perfect union with His Maker in Eden and had no inkling of any depression whatsoever. Then rebellion became a way of life, and Adam and Eve were evicted from their Maker’s presence. What happened to man from then on is an open field day for man’s future destiny, as his disconnection from the image of his true triune self is now overturned and distorted forever. As long as man is disconnected from his Maker he will live an unfulfilled life, and will suffer from low self-esteem, unhappiness, and ultimately depression. It’s that simple. To liken oneself to the image of the Creator, is to psychologically be lifted above created life to the level of the divine with all its glory. This is the place where depression has no footing to start with. It is a place of complete Love, peace, and joy unbound. It is the place to defeat depression. It’s the place to start and restart life when a person has depression. 

Think about this, God is Trinitarian, that’s to say, He is One God existing in three hypostasis (shared existence) in the Father, Son, and Spirit. God is not only Triune, but He is Love. (1John 4:8) All creation has this 3-dimensional stamp bearing the expression of His Love. The universe is made of three primary and independent, yet interdependent components: time, space and matter, which makes up one universe. The atom is formed from three particles: electrons, protons, and neutrons. The three states of matter are solids, liquids, and gases. All colors begin with three primary colors, red, yellow and blue. From these three come the three secondary colors, purple orange and green. With the additions of various shades of white and black, an endless color spectrum can be created. There are three basic forms of energy, motion energy, heat energy, and light energy. (Reflections of the Trinity, by Perry J Webb) The human family, fashioned after the Trinity, has three components, the father, mother and children. I could go on.

And here is the crux of the matter, man is no different in his constitution. Man was made to reflect  the Trinitarian image of his Maker. To be a whole person, he has to express himself in his 3-dimensional nature in which he was created: that is, through body, mind, and spirit. Or, as author Fred Sanders put it, ‘head (mind), hand (body), and heart (spirit).’ Until man expresses himself holistically in his inter-connected makeup, he cannot exist in his Maker’s likeness. Man is triune in his makeup like His Maker. Within himself, man lives a shared 3-dimensional inter-connected existence. So, God creates to reflect His Triune Self, in Love. Nothing in creation lives in “solitary” form of itself, all of life and creation is interconnected like the Trinity exists in Love.  

The obvious question for man is this: is he using the three integrated components of his makeup to live his life? Or, is he leaving out any component part of his triune person? All of creation around him by which man lives and subsists, openly display and witness to him about this inter-connected life that’s the stamp of the Creator who is Triune. The Psalmist say, “Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. 3 They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. 4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. Creation declares the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.” (Psa. 19:1-4)

What would happen to our universe if suddenly we find there is no matter but only time and space? There would be no universe as we know it. Or, what would happen to our world if the atom’s electron should cease to exist, can the neutron and proton particles do the job of creating energy on which the universe subsists? What if the color blue were to disappear, how would our sky look like? Our capacity for distinguishing light, shade, and other objects, would be hugely affected. You get what I mean? What would happen to humanity if a man and woman have no way to procreate? Humanity would cease to exist! The only living organism that’s living contrary to this 3-dimensional interconnected way of life, is man. Why? Because, unlike creation which has this interconnected life hard-wired, man was made to live a dynamic life with his mind – in the image of his Creator! Nothing else in creation has this Godly mind power, except man. Whereas animals have a purely physical life and governed by preset interconnected instincts, humans have both a physical and a spiritual life that’s reigned in by the mind. Man’s body, mind, and spirit life is lived through his mind and thought process. With the mind, man face choices – through his perspective he makes decisions. In other words, man has to make a deliberate decision to live by his integrated 3-dimensional life. He has to pay attention to his body, his mind, and his spirit. And the underlying influence governing their integration is the divine Love. (Rom.5:5) To leave out any one would be detrimental to the person.

Just One of Three Reasons for Depression

Of course, this is one of the three explanations of man’s search for answers about depression – the spiritual aspect. There are legitimate medical explanations as it concerns his body and mental (mind) faculty. Here, I quote from an article title, “It Can’t Be Depression, I’m Christian,”: “In the late 1990s and early 2000s several groundbreaking studies brought significant insight into the biology behind depression. In laymen’s terms, these studies showed that some people’s brains simply do not have the capacity to recover from the biological effects of stress and crisis (Kramer, p. 131). This in turn literally shrinks a part of the brain that controls feelings. The cause of depression is rooted in brain chemistry. The chemicals necessary to maintain this particular area of the brain are not sufficient. As a result, one’s mood is affected, and depression eventually can set in. Genetics has a strong impact on a person’s tendency to become depressed. It isn’t a matter of being Christian or not Christian, converted or not converted or saved or not saved. As Dr. Peter Kramer states in his book, Against Depression, when talking about a study focused on twins: “Even bleak environments elicit depression only in the vulnerable. That a shared environment rarely shows up in the chain of what causes depression pushes a good deal of what we call environment into the background” (ibid., 135). We all accept the fact that our bodies wear out and run down and are susceptible to disease. We can even accept the fact that our brains can be ravaged by diseases such as Alzheimer’s. But some Christians will not accept the fact that clinical depression also has specific biological causes. They’d rather categorize depression as a “bad attitude” or “lack of faith.” (www.gci.org). In other words, depression is not just about man’s faith, that’s just one aspect, there’s medical explanation also for his body and mind or brain function. Man is body, mind, and spirit no matter what his religion. His spiritual impoverishment does affect him both bodily and mentally, and vice-versa.

All aspects of this dreaded affliction must be aggressively investigated. What I cover here is the ‘trunk of the tree’ aspect of the issue. Let me continue. Often, man likes to live his 3-dimensional life separately and “solitarily” and it can’t be done. The illustration below show what I mean:

Blog Post, Depression, Media 081514

The three circles represent a person’s makeup: body, mind, and spirit. When we try to live these three components in “solitary” mode we don’t properly understand the integrated life of the body, mind, and soul so vital to human well-being. If we live only two of them without a third, then we’re headed for trouble. Hence, when God told Adam, “You shall surely die” (after he disobeyed), it meant Adam had replaced the Spirit life he had with God with a spirit which stood in opposition to Him, and thereby disconnected man from a vital aspect of his 3-dimensional life. And sadly, many times we leave out one of the triune components to our own detriment. The Psalmist say, “In his pride the wicked man does not seek Him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.” (Psa.10:4) They are living under the rebellious spirit of Adam which had him evicted from Eden. This is how humans are wired, and we see it in all creation. The only difference is the human mind is what differentiates man from the rest of creation. In fact the illustration above should be rendered as follows, showing the integrated reality of man’s 3-dimensional existence in body, mind, and spirit:

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The three functions are integrated into a single expression of life. It can never be separated or function “solitarily,” because if we do, we do so to our own hurt. G.K. Chesterton said that humans are incomplete thinkers. He said, “We want things in fragments, that way we do not have to think of our inconsistencies. That way, we do not mind when our work contradicts our ideals (or principles), or when our politics contradicts our faith, and we keep each thing in its watertight compartment.” (The Apostle of Common Sense, Pg.19) Yes, we try to live this “solitary” persona compartmentalizing our actions and living a life of contradictions. We live a ‘double life’ when we ought to have one unified triune life. You are living against the grain of who you are as a person, and sooner or later it catches up with you. The end-result of that is we bring upon ourselves unnecessary stress which works against us and leads to all kinds of issues, especially to mental health. If this is not corrected, depression sets in, and the condition worsens with time unless we do something about it. However, where Love is unifying the 3-dimensional life, depression has nothing to hold on to. Does depression exists in God presence? No, Christ came to give us a life in the Father’s presence through Him. Depression thrives only when Love is non-existent.

The Bible is clear about this 3-dimensional aspect of man’s life and that it is to be expressed in unison and in harmony in a Trinitarian way. Paul said, “May God Himself (“God is Love” – 1John 4:8), the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul (mind) and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1Thes.5:23) Yes, Love and peace will dominate your life to the end of your days. The Bible shows also that only His Word, His guidance for us in this life, is capable of reaching down into the deepest parts of our being, to tap into our innermost feelings, our profoundest thoughts, where one else can, so we can find meaning and purpose in life. Without it, we’ll live empty lives, always in search for answers, and without direction we turn to the wrong sources which do us more damage than good. Paul says to us, “For the Word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Heb.4:13) The root cause of depression was told to us in the story of Adam and Eve, it was the spirit of rebellion, that’s passed down to mankind. Unfortunately, it continues to this day. It’s mainly our refusal to activate the spiritual component of our 3-dimensional makeup, or inheriting the wrong spiritual component, which is the basic cause of mental and many other issues. Yet, the Bible speaks of a second Adam, Jesus Christ, who came to right the wrong Adam had done. Jesus came to give man back the Spirit life Adam lost in Eden. We can start a new journey with a genuine 3-dimensional integrated healthful life by giving ourselves to Him.  

I invite you to think about this matter with urgency as it concerns yourself and those of your loved ones. If you are already suffering from depression, then please find an excellent professional who can help you, someone who is licensed by the state and/or country where you reside. Most especially, embrace God in your life and activate the spiritual component of your life. Paul comforts us with these words, “God can do anything, you know – far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, His Spirit deeply and gently within us.” (Eph.3:20, The Message) I close with the Psalmist expression of God’s Love, in The Message translation:

“God’s Love is meteoric, His loyalty astronomic, His purpose titanic, His verdicts oceanic. Yet in His largeness nothing gets lost.” (Psa.36:5-6) This is not the place of depression, but of peace, joy, and Love!

Blessing:

Our prayers are with those who suffer from this dreaded condition. Our sympathies with those who have lost loved ones to this affliction. May the God who heals extend His compassionate hands and make you whole and comfort you.

Until we meet again in my next post, may the blessing of the God who ceaselessly expresses Himself in His dependable Triune Love, be with you today and give you strength for authentic creative “Triune Living” as a Bula man-river.*

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to write me in the space provided below, or email me on bulamanriver@gmail.com.

Kiang                                                                                                                                                                  (Your Servant in Christ)   

*The “Bulamanriver” is the metaphor describing the union of man with the Love of the Triune God flowing in humans, making possible the “Triune Life” – the source of the miraculous life in man. Man is the “riverbed” and the Spirit is the “living waters” that cover him and flows to all in his valley (destiny). (John 7:37-39)

To read the many facets of life of the “Bula man-river,” go to my website www.bulamanriver.com where you can order a copy of my book. Remember, when you purchase my book you lend a hand in Jesus’s Work, for all the proceeds go towards dispensing the Gospel worldwide. (Mark 9:41; Matt.28:28:18-20; Eph.2:10). Thank you for your support.

NOTE: All information from this website is copyrighted. Any use of its content should be acknowledged by citing the website, address, date of acquisition and information pertinent to original authorship.

All scriptures are taken from the NIV Version 2011, unless stated otherwise.

THE NEW COVENANT – WHAT DOES IT HAVE TO DO WITH ME? BY KIANG P LEE

Greeting once more from Dallas, Texas! What is the New Covenant?

The New Covenant is the foundation of the Christian faith and life. If the New Covenant can be encapsulated in a phrase or sentence what would that be? You may have heard it said that the Bible does not need interpreting, it interprets itself. So, the encapsulating phrase of the Covenant can found in this passage of scripture:

“Then God said, “Let Us make mankind in Our image, in Our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,and over all the creatures that move along the ground. So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them.” (Gen1:26-27) So, the New Covenant is a reminder of God’s promise to remake man into His immortal likeness and Love.

The New Covenant is ratified in Jesus blood, as God further promised, “For God so Loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son” (John 3:16-18; also Heb.9:12-15). 

File:The National Covenant, Huntly House Museum, Edinburgh.JPG

“National Covenant.” Believed to be the original from which copies were made for distribution of the fifty-two words long Preamble to the Constitution of the United States (1787) echoes phrases in the National Covenant – “We the People…” Photographed in subdued light. (Wiki Commons)

Two Broad Objectives

So, the Covenant has two broad objectives in humanity, the first is God’s Love (God’s character image, 1 John 4:8), and the second is God’s Sovereignty and Rule (God’s image of reign over His creation, Neh.9:6). Man’s stewardship of the earth (rule/dominion) and his relationship with others of his kind (Love), were the principles upon which life was going to be lived on the earth. Man is to rule the earth under God (Love, for “God is Love” – 1John 4:8). Incidentally, the Old Covenant had the same twin objectives, but through a different route by way of the nation of Israel. Israel was not faithful, hence, making the New Covenant necessary. (Heb.8:7-9)

Let’s now read the New Covenant:

“This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel* after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 11 No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. 12 For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” (Heb.8:10-12, emphasis added; also Jer.31:31-34)* (Gal.3:26-29; Rom.2:28-29)

The message of the Bible has never been complicated, but simple. Man once lived in perfect union with his Creator in Eden as we saw in Genesis 1:26-27. Then rebellion set in and Adam and Eve were evicted from Eden. (Gen.3) And man’s journey has always been to return to his Eden-like life with his Maker. Until man does return to the life he had with God in Eden, his life and the life of those around him, will remain unfulfilled and empty. Man was made in His Creator’s image, so his well-being and state of existence is forever tied to the One in whose likeness and temperament he was fashioned. It’s about living in harmony with God (Love) in order to obtain harmony in himself and with others, and his domain over the earth under God. It’s that plain, it’s that simple! And because of the absence of man’s covenantal state of existence today, we see evil so prevalent in the world.

Relationship not Rulership 

For humans, rulership or dominion carries with it a proviso. Man’s rule precludes humans. We are to have dominion over all creatures and the earth and its resources under God, but not over another human. The Scripture makes that abundantly clear. (Gen.1:26, 28) Only God has the prerogative to rule humanity whom He created in His image. God ‘rules’ mankind in Love and gave His Son to save humanity. Paul said we are to “owe no man anything except the continuing debt of Love.” (Rom.13:8) Jesus restated the Genesis ‘dominion mandate’ precluding humans, after His own disciples argued about who was greater or more dominant among them (Matt. 20:25-28). He said, “those who exalt themselves will be humbled; those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Matt. 23:8-12). Jesus washed His disciples’ feet to show the humility that ought to govern our relationship with each other. (John 13:12-17) It’s about relationship, not rulership!

Covenant Expounded

So the covenant establishes God’s promise to bring humanity back to “Eden,” not a literal physical Eden, but a spiritual one, for God’s image is ultimately spiritual, not physical.

* By stating, “I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more” (V.12), God the Father promises a Savior to make man’s forgiveness, and freedom from the prison of sin possible. That Savior was and is His only Son, Jesus Christ. (John 3:16)

* By saying, “all will know Me, from the least of them to the greatest” (V.11), He gave man the gift of the Holy Spirit to make this union with Him possible through the Spirit’s work of regeneration. The Spirit also bring man’s gift and calling in life, which provides the way humans rule and communicate with God.  The Holy Spirit brings a new birth into God’s Love-nature. (Rom.5:5; John 3:3-7)

* By declaring, “I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts” (V.10a), God the Father has received and accepted the mediatory life of Jesus’ as the vicarious substitute for all human responses. This is what Paul meant when he said, “It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God–that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.” (1 Cor. 1:30; also Phi.3:9) Paul said further, “For it is God who is at work in you to make you willing and able to obey His purposes.” (Phi.2:13) Then in a sense of finality he told the Colossians, “You are complete in Christ.” (Col.2:10, KJV)

* When God said, “I will be their God, and they will be my people” (V.10), He promises humanity a new birth in the resurrection to immortality to make mankind His eternal children. (1 Cor. 15:51-58) Jesus said, “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I shall lose none of all those He has given Me, but raise them up at the last day. For My Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.” (John 6:39-40) 

In these provisions, we see the fulfillment of the two broad objectives we read earlier in Genesis 1:26-27. The first three show what God does, and how He does it, in order to make man into His image of Love, and the fourth provision shows how He gives humans eternal life so humans can become His children and live in joyous existence with Him forever. Careful read of the Covenant will make us realize that the basis of the Covenant is the miraculous life the believer is privileged to live. Not one of the provisions can be executed successfully to its desired end without the direct immersion of the Trinitarian God in the life of man. The Covenant makes the miraculous life a reality in man. The Covenant is the source of the “Triune Life” believers live in heaven even in this earthly sojourn. Paul said this, “For the Kingdom of God is not in word but in power.” (1 Cor.4:20)

Man today is still in this journey back to ‘Eden.’ God has handed Jesus reign “over all rule and authority, power and dominion” upon this earth, so it is He who will restitute all things back to God from Adam’s rebellion. (Eph.1:21; 1Cor.15:24-25) Take Jesus’ hands and let’s return to our true roots as humans created after God’s own image of Love and to reign with Him.

Blessing:

Until we meet again in my next post, may the blessing of the God who ceaselessly expresses Himself in His dependable Triune Love, be with you today and give you strength for authentic creative “Triune Living” as a Bula man-river.*

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to write me in the space provided below, or email me on bulamanriver@gmail.com.

Kiang                                                                                                                                                                  (Your Servant in Christ)  

*The “Bulamanriver” is the metaphor describing the union of man with the Love of the Triune God flowing in humans, making possible the “Triune Life” – the source of the miraculous life in man. Man is the “riverbed” and the Spirit is the “living waters” that cover him and flows to all in his valley (destiny). (John 7:37-39)

NOTE: All information from this website is copyrighted. Any use of its content should be acknowledged by citing the website, address, date of acquisition and information pertinent to original authorship.