My Own RZIM Story

Back in the day when internet was slow and costly, and reading materials were scarce, I used my surfing hours to search for Christian freebies offered on the web. Because my theology back then was awfully bad, most of my subscriptions were to the publications of awfully bad teachers of the "Prosperity Gospel"/"Word of Faith"/"Name-it-Claim-it"/"Blab-it-Grab-it"/"Positive Confession" movement. But sometimes by God's providence, I stumble upon some good materials. I don't know how in the world did I find Ravi Zacharias because I had no idea who he was.

The old issues of Just Thinking (RZIM's tri-annual communique) was printed on ordinary white paper with a simple layout. It was not flamboyant in appearance unlike the glossy pages of the false teachers' magazines. But it was definitely not lacking in substance. It featured not only essays by Ravi, but also by other RZIM writers like Michael Ramsden, Stuart McAllister, Danielle DuRant, Amy Orr-Ewing, Paul Chamberlain and Joe Boot. They introduced me to concepts too big for me then like "postmodernism" and "relativism". Well, they're still too big for me now but not as much as when I was younger. I would like to acknowledge Ravi's contribution to my spiritual development. I praise the Lord for the man and his ministry.

3rd Halo-halo Huwebes

Trigonometry and Honesty

"Today I am giving two examinations- one in trigonometry and the other in honesty. I hope you will pass them both. If you must fail one, fail trigonometry. There are many good people in the world who cannot pass trig, but there are no good people in the world who cannot pass the examination of honesty"

- Madison Sarratt of Vandervilt University
  Our Daily Bread, Vol. 31/ July 10, 1986

If they hated Spurgeon, keep in mind that they hated Christ first

(John 15:18) 

Observe that the enemies of Charles Spurgeon in the "Downgrade Controversy" denied some of the essentials of the evangelical faith:

1. the imputation of Adam's sin
2. the imputation of Christ's righteousness
3. the doctrine of everlasting conscious punishment
4. the verbal inspiration of the Scriptures
5. the Trinity

"We are now at the parting of ways, and the younger ministers especially must decide whether or not, they will embrace and undisguisedly proclaim that the 'modern thought' which in Mr. Spurgeon's eyes is a 'deadly cobra' while in ours it is the glory of the century. It discards many of the doctrines dear to Mr. Spurgeon and his school, not only as untrue and unscriptural, but as in the strictest sense immoral; for it cannot recognise the moral possibility of imputing either guilt or goodness, or the justice of inflicting everlasting punishment for temporary sin. It is not so irrational as to pin its faith to verbal inspiration or so idolatrous as to make its acceptance of a true Trinity of divine manifestation cover polytheism."

-Christian World

cited in R.J. Sheehan's C.H. Spurgeon and the Modern Church

Ano nga ba ang aking istilo sa pagsusulat?

In this site, you can submit a few paragraphs of your work for "statistical analysis". Based on your word choice and writing style, the site will tell  "which famous writer you write like".

I submitted "God's Sovereignty Over the Wills and Desires of People Around Us", and the result was I write like William Shakespeare.

 I submitted "We Have Seen His Glory", the result was I write like Edgar Allan Poe.

 I submitted "Beautiful Extravagance", and the result was a name I never heard before-- I write like H.P. Lovecraft, "American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction, especially the subgenre known as weird fiction" !!! (Wikipedia)

Since it was a three-way tie, I submitted another post to break it. After analyzing "How to love your son without walking in the path of Marlene Aguilar -Pollard", the final result is William Shakespeare.

The Influence of Books and Teachers

"If I had even the faintest clue when I was younger as to how profound an impact books and professors would have upon my life, I would have kept a better record of my thoughts and emotions. Why? Because some books and teachers leave indelible fingerprints on our souls. And when those fingerprints are left, it's as if your DNA has changed. Our physical body takes on characteristics because of our chemical DNA. Likewise, those whom we've read and those whose feet we have studied will transform our passions, power and purpose."

-Ravi Zacharias

Just Thinking (Winter 2003), p.1

also appeared in the book Indellible Ink:

22 Prominent Leaders Discuss the Books That Shaped Their Faith (Ed. Scott Larsen)

Reading Should Ignite Writing

Resolution #2 should lead to Resolution #3. Reading should ignite writing, that's according to Ravi Zacharias:

"... learning how to articulate and analyze what you read is one of most vital things you can do. The concern of reading great writers only is that you might conclude that they alone know how to say it well. Don't fall into the trap of parroting someone else's thoughts. The great writers should serve as igniters and inspirers that enable us to express the way God has gifted us, and not make us feel inadequate." (Ravi Zacharias, Just Thinking, p.8, Winter 2003)

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