Jojo Agot

On Death and Losing a Loved One

Last week, I received news that the father of two of my friends died. These siblings used to attend my discipleship group in Caloocan before I transfered here in Tacloban about a year ago. I didn’t know why but even at a distance of over a thousand kilometers, I could feel the sense of loss and devastation in the family.

The news really got me thinking about the place of death in the Bible. I realized that even believers of Christ are not spared from the fangs of death for now. We all lose someone, and one day, someone will lose us too. Such is the destructive effect of the original sin on humans. Death came as a result of the fall. Death tears us apart, it puts a sudden stop to our relationships, it leaves us in mid-sentence, it doesn’t give us the chance to finish saying the things we needed to say. Continue reading On Death and Losing a Loved One

Why Theology is Different from Other Sciences

Louis Berkhof:

In the study of all other sciences man places himself above the object of his investigation and actively elicits from it his knowledge by whatever method may seem most appropriate, but in theology he does not stand above but rather under the object of his knowledge. In other words, man can know God only in so far as the latter actively makes Himself known. God is first of all the subject communicating knowledge to man, and can only become an object of study for man in so far as the latter appropriates and reflects on the knowledge conveyed to him by revelation. Without revelation man would never have been able to acquire any knowledge of God. And even after God has revealed Himself objectively, it is not human reason that discovers God, but it is God who discloses Himself to the eye of faith.

How humbling. Whatever knowledge we have of God is only possible because he revealed himself to us. Apart from revelation, we are in the dark.

Nimrod and the Birth of Babylon

Derek Kidner on Genesis 10:9-10:

Nimrod looks out of antiquity as the first of ‘the great men that are in the earth’, remembered for two things the world admires, personal prowess and political power. The Bible does not underrate them: there is warmth in the reiterated ‘before the Lord,’ marking God’s estimate of his skill – it is more than a mere formula. At the same time there is tragic irony (that is, irony not yet apparent in the story) in the note of his further exploits: The beginning of his kingdom was Babel … The next chapter, and the further progress of Babel (Babylon) to the catastrophe of Revelation 18, add their comment to the tale of earthly success. Continue reading Nimrod and the Birth of Babylon

Should I Post Prayer and Fasting Photos on Social Media?

QUESTION:
Kuya Jojo, question po. Why do we publicly announce our prayer and fasting? Matthew 6:16-18 tells us to fast in secret. We also take pictures and post them on social media. Di ba parang masyado siyang commercialized?

ANSWER:
We announce the schedule for logistical purposes: to invite people to join in and to let everyone know the time and the place of our prayer meetings. The act of fasting is between you and God. That is the part that is meant to be private.

Matthew 6:16-18 talks about the posture of the heart during fasting. Roughly, the text means that when you fast, don’t try to make a show of it to make people think you are more spiritual. Instead, put on your usual cosmetics (anointing the head is the ancient equivalent of applying cosmetics) and look normal. The Father rewards genuine fasting. The caution is not in letting others know that you are fasting (your household cook must be informed at the very least) but in the reason why you feel the need to let them know.

If you carefully read the text, you will notice a bit of grammatical detail. Look at this: “When you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret.” The word ‘secret’ in verse 18 actually refers to God, not to the fasting. How do I know this? Because of the relative pronoun “who.” Basic English grammar tells us to use “which” for things and “who” for persons. Also, in Greek, the word translated ‘secret’ also means ‘invisible.’ If you put these together, the verse actually means that ‘the invisible God who sees what we do rewards the kind of fasting that is not done in hypocrisy.’

About the pictures, well, you raised a good point there. Some people use social media as a photo album. Others use it to airbrush their public image so they would look busy or important or cool. Churches often use social media to document events and give church members a place to get their photos. The difference is in the motive of the heart. Sure, there will be people who will think you are showing off. That’s why for all our good intentions, we should also exercise caution and wisdom.

Dare to Read Difficult Books

January 1. It’s that time of the year again when people sit down to list down goals that need to be accomplished in the next 365 days. These are my reading goals for this year. I don’t want to burden myself with unrealistic expectations so I’d just aim for a few books:

1.) Read my ESV Bible from cover to cover. I know I haven’t been successful at doing this in the past but I still want to do this anyway. I am choosing Jason DeRouchie’s Kingdom Bible Reading Plan this year. If you are using OliveTree Bible App on iOS, you can download the reading plan on your mobile device. If you need other options, Justin Taylor’s post might be helpful to you. Continue reading Dare to Read Difficult Books

Preaching and Teaching

RC Sproul:

The concept that the primary task of the minister is to teach is all but lost in the church today. When we call ministers to our churches we often look for these men to be adept administrators, skilled fundraisers, and good organizers. Sure, we want them to know some theology and the Bible, but we don’t make it a priority that these people be equipped to teach the congregation the things of God. Administrative tasks are seen as more important.