Author: Jojo Agot

Pastor at Victory. Faculty and adviser at Every Nation Leadership Institute (ENLI). MA in Theology and Mission at Every Nation Seminary.

Those in Public Ministry…

[Those] who are called to the most active life must yet have their contemplative hours, and must first find time to be alone with God. Those are not fit to speak of the things of God in public to others, who have not first conversed with those things in secret by themselves.

When Christ would appear as a Teacher come from God, it shall not be said of him, “He is newly come from travelling, he has been abroad, and has seen the world;” but, “He is newly come out of the desert, he has been alone conversing with God and his own heart.”

–Matthew Henry Commentary of the Whole Bible

Dirty Old Trickster

As redeemed people, the Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirits that we are children of God. The devil tries with all his might to rattle that belief and security that we have in Jesus.

When the dove from heaven came down to Jesus during His baptism, it was the physical symbol that the Holy Spirit was with Him. Then a voice was heard. God the Father affirmed the Sonship of Jesus. This is one of the rare passages of the Bible where the Holy Trinity were all present in one particular scene.

Few verses later, Jesus was led by the Spirit to the wilderness to be tempted by Satan. You know Satan’s first bullet? “If you are the Son of God… I dare you to prove it!”

Dirty old trickster. After the glowing affirmation and display of the Triune God, Satan had the gall to question Jesus’ deity. Continue reading Dirty Old Trickster

If You Preach

[Those] who are called to the most active life must yet have their contemplative hours, and must first find time to be alone with God. Those are not fit to speak of the things of God in public to others, who have not first conversed with those things in secret by themselves. When Christ would appear as a Teacher come from God, it shall not be said of him, “He is newly come from travelling, he has been abroad, and has seen the world;” but, “He is newly come out of the desert, he has been alone conversing with God and his own heart.”

Matthew Henry

Wrestling with God

John Calvin on Jacob’s wrestling with the Angel of the Lord:

It was God himself [who tested Jacob]. This teaches us that our faith is tried by God, and whenever we are tested, he descends into the arena to try our strength.

At least it is God who tests our faith. At least it is God who tries the strength of our character. If we are to struggle, at least we struggle in the hands of a gracious and kind God because in His hands, there is mercy when we fail and sustaining power when we falter.

A practicing swordsman is better off training with his master than be cast off into the hands of a ruthless enemy in a real combat. In his master’s hands he can learn the art of fighting. In enemy’s hands, he can be destroyed.

The best thing about Jacob’s wrestling with God is that it was God who tried him, not Satan. God means to strengthen us while Satan seeks to destroy us.

Music and Theology

Matt Papa on Gospel-Centered Music:

The power of “song” is hard to exaggerate. Someone has said, “Let me make a nation’s (popular) songs, and I care not who make their laws.” Luther counted hymnody just under preaching in terms of theological formation. I say it this way: A song is a sermon people remember. People forget a sermon in a couple of weeks. They remember a song forever.

That means if we as worship leaders and Christian artists are leading people astray with our lyrics, I believe we’ve got a lot of heavy millstones waiting for us. Songs and art have power, permanence, and influence, especially in the realm of theology. And it probably goes without saying but that which influences theology influences everything. Continue reading Music and Theology