#xtremeworkout

After a rather short 1 week of break, it seem like it is time to go back to school.

The next 7-8 weeks are really going to be the most challenging period in every school terms. With finals approaching that means, formal reports, assignments submission and EVEN more quizzes.

Reading 2 Timothy was really timely for me. I was really frightened about the upcoming period because of the little time I have. And the following verse just jumped out and smacked me in the face.

 “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7

As I was reading 2 Timothy, Timothy was indeed having challenges with regards to leading his Church which was entrusted to him. But Paul kept encouraging Timothy to look at Paul’s life as an example. His life served as a fine example about Christian Leadership and Mentorship. Timothy must have been struggling with certain issues and fear could have been choking him and preventing him from doing the ministry which God had called him to do. 

As we are on our journey through extreme workout, just this week we find ourselves starting on the book of Romans. I must say that Romans is such a theological book, so many arguments about Christian living is found in it, it is so clear and fascinatingly written and furthermore, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I have never ever seen the book of Romans with such a clarity.

Well, today I would like to share about something Ps. Daniel share this afternoon. 

CONDEMNATION.

As the Word was being preached, I started asking myself, “Am I living in condemnation?” After I asking, immediately flashes of events starting popping through my head reassuring me that I am a victim. Truth be told, I slightly in denial, well it could have been because I have numbed myself to the pain I was feeling on the inside, the feelings of not being good enough, and the voices which told me I was never going to make it. I had become so accustomed to them that to me, I was like “This can’t be condemnation.” How wrong I was.

All these hurts and pains hung onto me like a hook pierced through the lips of a fish. And my natural response was to say that this was normal. But hold on a minute, CONDEMNATION IS NOT NORMAL FOR A CHRISTIAN. It is completely against the will of God for my life. 

I knew I had to respond to God at the altar call because He wanted me to recognize that I don’t have to battle my condemnation on my own. It’s a battle I can never win. Rather it’s a battle that only through my Heavenly Father it can be won. 

As I was being prayed for, a few words resounded so clearly in my heart,”Father, arrest these condemning thoughts.”  

These words were similar to what was said in 2 Cor 10:5  “.... and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

Day 7- 2nd February 2016 (Mark 12-16, Luke 1-2) 

Today we begin the Gospel of Luke. Luke is a physician and historian. Luke wrote a 2 volume on how Christianity started, namely the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. 

In both books, Luke a doctor by profession starts in his preface by emphasizing the reliability of his writings. He starts his gospel by stating the purpose of the book clearly….. “that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.” (Luke 1: 4) 

In his writings, Luke is absolutely sure Jesus was no myth but a historical figure. So like a skilled lawyer, he sets out his case in 5 logical stages (verse 1-4) 

First stage was certain “things…have been fulfilled among us” (vs. 1). These were the events of Jesus’ ministry. 

Second stage was these events were seen by eyewitnesses who handed down what they had seen to others (vs.2) 

Third stage, Luke was the one who carefully investigated everything from beginning (Vs. 3) 

Fourth stage, Luke wrote down the result of his research, giving an orderly account of it. (Vs. 3) 

Fifth stage, there would be readers, including Theophilus, who would find in in Luke’s gospel solid grounds for their faith. 

Last week, my son Dominic asked me a rather interesting question, when I was writing the post for the opening of the X’treme Workout. He wanted to know how did Luke know so much and in turn wrote so much, when he was not even one of the original 12 disciples. I thought to myself, what a great question. 

Well Luke got to know and acquired all those materials (Fun Facts: Most people know that Paul wrote the most letters in the New Testament. But did you know that Luke wrote the most amount of material in the New Testament? In fact in both his books alone, contain more verses (1,151 verses) than the 13 books attributed to Paul combined. ) especially for his gospel, mainly through interviewing eyewitnesses and through thorough investigations. 

But when did Luke pursue his investigations? While Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea (Acts 24:27), Luke resided in Palestine for two years. Bible experts believe it is during this time that Luke travelled extensively and gathered material for his gospel and for the early Jerusalem based story of Acts, visiting sites associated with Jesus’ ministry, familiarising himself with Jewish culture (he was a gentile) and interviewing eye witnesses(they were still alive).

Among these interviewees must have included virgin Mary, mother of Jesus. For Luke tells Mary’s story including intimate details surrounding Jesus’ birth, that could only have come from someone who witnessed the first Christmas first hand. 

Day 4- 28th Jan 2016 (Matthew 21-26) 

As we read through today’s text, we find Jesus begins His final journey to Jerusalem. Arriving to a hero’s welcome, He is hailed as King while making His humble entrance into the city. It is now the final week of Christ’s earthly life-one that will change the world forever. 

It is also during this time that Jesus prophesied some rather remarkable things. What He said shocked everyone listening, especially the disciples; who were still thinking Jesus had come to overthrow the Romans and become king. 

One of His prophecies that shocked those who were listening was about Herod’s temple. During that time, Herod’s temple was the most magnificent building in Jerusalem and it captured the attention of those who passed by. His disciples in 24:1 commented on the beauty and splendor of the temple to Jesus and that set the stage for Jesus to tell them about future events. He talks about the signs of the end times, beginning with the destruction of the temple. 

Jesus predicts and said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” This prophecy was fulfilled right down to the letter. In A.D. 70, Roman soldiers lay siege to Jerusalem and finally destroyed Jerusalem. Josephus a Jewish historian witnessed the destruction of Jerusalem, gave a vivid account of the city’s fall and reported more than 1 million Jews perished in one day. The soldiers even set the temple on fire. In their eagerness to recover gold that had melted between the stones of the temple during the burning of the temple, literally tore the temple apart stone by stone and threw them down to the valley below. 

Everything that Jesus said came true. While there are still some parts of that prophecy yet to happen, the signs and warnings seem to point that we are living in the last days. Just like the disciples and the people who were listening to Jesus that day, it would serve us well to heed the warnings of Jesus and look out for His return, whilst serving and living for Him faithfully. 

Have you ever witnessed a people at the airport awaiting for someone they love or someone very important to them? How did those people express their eager expectations? Perhaps they tiptoed for a better look? Perhaps they jostled for a better position among the other bystanders? Every fibre of their being shouts out the message that they are waiting for someone special…. That they want to be ready when that special someone arrives…