Thanks for stopping by Mustard Seed Faith–I’m glad you’re here! On this blog I write book and film reviews, as well as critical essays on topics relative to Christian culture, epistemology, theology, and whatever other subject may take my fancy at a given moment.
I began writing this blog in 2010 as an exercise in both obedience and self-discipline. Obedience because I felt a clear command to write. Self-discipline because I recognized the importance of writing in developing thoughts which otherwise might end up buried in a pile of scrap papers somewhere in my home. There’s still quite a pile of scrap papers, but there are fewer of them than there might be.
If you’ve read any of the posts here, then you know that those small scraps of paper have a habit of becoming rather substantial essays, which might be a happy metaphor for faith like a mustard seed; remember, everything big in faith begins with small, repeated obedience.
My name is Jeremy Rios. I’m currently finishing my PhD at the University of St Andrews in theology. Before that, I was a pastor at Burnaby Alliance Church in Burnaby, British Columbia. I studied Greek and Latin at Wheaton College and have an MDiv from Regent College. I’ve written five books, and if you’d like to know more about those projects you can either click on any of the book covers or visit my personal website at jeremyrios.com.
I also blog at Toolshed Meditations. There I post short Scriptural devotions, devotional thoughts, great quotes from the books I read, and other things that I find challenging or encouraging.
Every blessing as you read!
Mustard Seed Faith 
Hello, Jeremy! Mike Morrell asked me to contact you because he really appreciates your blog and thinks you’d be an excellent candidate for his Speakeasy Blogger Network. Do you like to review off-the-beaten path faith, spirituality, and culture books? Speakeasy puts interesting books in your hands at no charge to you. You only get books when you request them, and it’s free to join. Sign up here, if you’d like: http://thespeakeasy.info
Dear brother Rios. I want to comment on your book review of the Heavenly Man. I liked it. I just want to share some information I gathered along the way. I have read The Heavenly Man in English a few times and in Spanish also more than once. I believed all of it. But I see you are not sure about some of it. I would like to tell you about my findings in an attempt to possibly clear the waters a bit. The first part is Yun’s real long stay in that last prison without liquid or food. This may sound a bit miraculous in itself but it is the truth. I was on the Skype a few years ago, around 5 years I think. I can get that date more exactly if you wish. While on Skype I received a friend request from someone in China. A young man that called himself Lyndon. His statement is “I want to learn more about the bible”. That sounded good to me so I accepted him. I got to know him better as time went by. He is a prison guard in a medium security prison in Guangdong. After conversing for a couple of months off and on and reading the bible together a bit, he asked me if I could help him with an aspect of his job that was new to him. He was selected by his bosses to arrange a Christmas play for the prisoners. It would be the first one they ever had. He said there would be around 200 prisoners and mostly all African that mostly spoke English as a second language. Since Lindon’s English wasn’t bad, he was chosen. I gave him some tips, such as reading the bible to them about the birth of Jesus. I thought a small Christmas gift would be nice too. Well he did both and some other things too. He told me that while he read to the prisoners they were all reverent and mostly all with their heads bowed. After the play most of the prisoners lined up to thank Lyndon for his reading the bible to them. Lyndon’s bosses were impressed with how well it went and congratulated him. A few more days went by and a thought came into my head. I wanted to know about Brother Yun. Of course I used his real name. Lyndon said that he would see what he could do. I gave him the data about the prison that Yun had escaped from and the time frame. In about two days Lyndon calls me back on Skype and says he had my information for me and it was 100 pages long. He said he couldn’t have it for very long and just what did I want to verify. I said first, was both his legs broken? He checked and said yes but after about a year in prison. Then I wanted to know about his 74 day complete fast. He said that most of the report was about that. The guards had to record when the prisoners ate or drank and anything unusual. Well since he refused the food and water, they had a lot of entries that he said he didn’t have time to check all entries but he got up to 55 and said it looked like all of them could easily reach onto the seventies. He said what else did I want. I said his escape. He took a look and said he was the only person to ever escape that prison and the authorities were not happy about it and reprimanded many guards that let it happen. They said that it must have been an inside job but so far couldn’t find any accompleses at all.
Now the second thing you might find of intrest is that I met brother Yun in person in church in Irvine about four years ago. Saddleback church. I took my mother in law and her husband to see him. My mother in law speaks only Spanish. Her name is Consuelo Chacon. Her husband speaks a little English. She had read El Hombre Celestial and really was blessed by it. She had a lung problem and I took her to Holy Cross hospital to get looked at. Exrays were taken and the verdict didn’t look good, possible cancer and she was 81 yrs old. The doctors wanted her back for more tests soon. Well she went to that church service and it was something to see. After the service brother Yun stays to pray for all that request prayer. He kneels down with everyone but when I took Consuelo to him there was a very long line formed but the interpreter, a young Chinese american spoke to brother Yun and she was let next and she stood to be prayed for. A three way prayer, Chinese by Yun and English interpretation by the ABC and Spanish by me. When she went for her follow up exam, the doctor could not find any sign of anything wrong with her lungs and she has been fine ever since. Praise the Lord! And I thank God for having read that book and met him in person and interpreted his prayer of healing for my mother in law Consuelo. I have Lyndons chinese phone number if you wish to check. I only have some doubts about Yun’s regular interpreter, not about brother Yun. It seems he adds to what brother Yun says now and then. Brother Yun’s English is still poor. My Chinese is not good either so it is just a suspicion. I hope I am wrong. But that could explain some things.
When I come to sites or others pages, I fail to see the love for Jesus Christ Himself. The Spirit will definitely testify of the Spirit. However, what I do see is a profession of accomplishments i.e. this degree or that. Where they pastor and etc. I would like to see someone somewhere profess the love for Christ and come against sin boldly as the apostles of old did. So many seem to be a professor of themselves and it is sad.
Thanks, Aretha. I prefer, personally, to know about people’s credentials in a space like this!
You get some things very right and you get some things very wrong.
This makes you a pilgrim like the rest of us. Keep at it.
May you grow in the love and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
[…] Dr. Jeremy Rios had this to say about the Scofield Bible in his article, Scofield’s Abominable Study Bible: […]
[…] Dr. Jeremy Rios had this to say about the Scofield Bible in his article, Scofield’s Abominable Study Bible: […]
Your blogging is helpful. God is so good.