During the history of the Israelites, a rivalry developed between Baalism and the true worship of the Lord. - Jer. 23:27 - Perhaps the best example of this rivalry was the conflict between Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel - 1Kings 18 -

Elijah's challenge to them to bring down fire from heaven was appropriate, because the Canaanites believed that Baal could shoot lightning flashes from the sky. Elijah's mocking of Baal struck at the heart of the claims; he knew that Baal was powerless, that the prophets of Baal had misled the people, and that only the Lord God of Israel was alive and able to answer. In the struggle to the death between true religion and false religion, Elijah knew that Baalism and its prophets had to be destroyed.

In Canaanite mythological texts Baal is sometimes called the son of Dagon. Dagon was the chief god of the ancient Philistines, a grain and fertility god whose most famous temples were at Gaza and Ashdod. - Judg. 16:23; 1Sam. 5:2-7; 1Chr. 10:10 -

With the recent discovery of documents at ancient ELBA in Syria, it is clear that Dagon was a much more ancient and prominent god. These texts show that Dagon was being worshiped before Abraham entered Canaan about 2000 B.C. Dagon continued to be worshiped by the Canaanites up to the time of Christ. In the APOCRYPHA mention is made of a temple of Dagon at Azotus in 147 B.C. - 1Macc. 10:83-84 - Azotus was a later name for Ashdod, one of the five chief Philistine cities.

Like the myths of so many pagan religions, Canaanite stories claim that Baal came to prominence by defeating other gods. One of the Baal's enemies was sea monster known as Leviathan. - Job. 3:8, 41:1; Ps. 104:26; Is. 27:1 - But in the Bible Leviathan is simply a powerful creature in the sea that man cannot control.

Baal's mistress or lover was Anat or Anath, the goddess of war, love and fertility. - Jer. 7:18, 44:17-19,25 - Anat was the patroness of sex and passion; lewd figurines of this nude goddess have been discovered at various archaeological sites in Palestine.

The goddess Asherah was portrayed as the wife of EI in Canaanite mythology. - 1Kin. 15:13; 2Chr. 15:16; Judg. 3:7 - Asherah was a favourite deity of women. Some of the wives of David and Solomon worshiped her, as Ahab's wife, Jezebel, also probably did. King Asa suppressed the worshiped of Asherah, and King Josiah destroyed "the articles that were made for Baal, for Asherah, and for all the host of heaven". - 1Kin. 15:13; 16:31-33; 2Kin. 23:4 -

Other pagan gods in addition to Baal and his companions were worshiped by the Canaanites.

                                                                       Page 2
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Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -

The great PLAGUES OF EGYPT before the EXODUS - (Ex. 7:14, 12:30) - struck at the heart of Egypt's religion. Their fertile land was struck with plagues; their sacred river was turned to blood; their glorious sun was darkened; and even the son of the "divine" Pharaoh was killed. The wonders that God brought against Egypt clearly demonstrated that their gods were powerless before the true and living God of Israel. And all that the Egyptians been worshiping are lifeless statue.

The pagan gods of Canaan. The pagan peoples who inhabited the land of Canaan before the Israelites arrived also worshiped many gods and goddess. The Canaanite literature discovered at RASHHAMRA (on the site of the ancient city of Ugarit) on the Syrian coast provides abundant information about several gods mentioned in the Bible.

The Canaanite god most often referred to is Baal, which means "lord" or "master". The word can be used as a title for any person who owned something, or any god considered to be lord or master. But the word Baal soon became identified with various regional gods that were thought to provide fertility for crops and livestock. As a god who symbolized the productive forces of nature, Baal was worshiped with much sensuality - Num. 22:41; Judg. 2:13; 1Kin. 16:31-32 -

Baal appeared in many forms and under many different names.Baal-berith, is a name under which Baal was worshiped in the time of the judges at Shechem, where he had a temple.
Baal-zebub was the god of Ekron-the name under which Baal was worshiped at the Philistine city of Ekron. This god was worshiped as the producer of flies that was able to defend against this pest. In the New Testament, reference is made to Beelzebub, a heathen god considered the chief evil spirit by the Jewish people, The Pharisees called him the ruler of the demons, and Jesus identified him with Satan. - Matt. 10:25; 12:27; Luke 11:18-19; Matt. 12:24; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:15 -

Archaeologists have discovered rock carvings that show Baal holding a club in his right hand and a lightning flash with a spearhead in his left. These symbols identify him as the god of rain and storm and as the rider of the clouds, a term showing his power over the heavens. - Psalm 68:4 gives this title to the God of Israel - a declaration that the Lord, and not the false god Baal, is ruler over the heavens.

Baal and related deities are also portrayed as a mating bull, symbolizing fertility. It is no surprise that while Moses was on Mount Sinai, receiving the Ten Commandments from the Lord, the disobedient Israelites fashioned a golden calf to worship. Jeroboam 1, king of Israel, acted in accordance with this pagan idea by making two calves of gold, setting up one at Bethel and the other at Dan. - Ex. 32; 1Kin. 12:26-30 -

 During the history...

                                                                       Page 1
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Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -

In contrast, the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible makes it clear that the forces of nature are not pagan gods that war with one another annually to bring about an established order of the universe. They are part of God's creation. - Genesis 1 -

The Babylonian god Bel is the same as Marduk, the chief Babylonian god. - Is. 46:1; Jer. 50:2, 51:44 - The Babylonian god Merodach an alternate spelling of Marduk, was the god of war and the patron deity of the city of Babylon.

Nebo was the Babylonian god of education, literature, writing, wisdom, the arts and sciences. Nisroch was an Assyrian god with a temple in Nineveh. The idol representing this pagan god had a human form with an eagle head. Sakkuth and Kaiwan was a name given by the Babylonian to the planet Saturn.

When Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, deported the inhabitants of Samaria to farflung regions of his empire, he also imported into Samaria settlers from afar to colonize this area of Palestine. These people brought their religion and their pagan gods with them. Among these gods were: Adrammelech, an idol of the Sepharvites worshiped by chid sacrifice; Anammelech, another god revered by Sepharvites; Ashima, an idol worshiped by the people of Hamath; Nergal, the war god of the men of Cuth; Nibhaz, an idol of the Avites; and Tartak, an idol also worshiped by the Avites. - 2Kin. 17:30-31 -

The pagan gods of Egypt were a constant threat to the Israelites, both during their years in bondage and afterwards. Their deliverance from Egypt was described by the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible as a great spiritual victory, with the sovereign Lord of Israel defeating the gods of the Egyptian. - Ex. 18:11; 2Sam. 7:23 -

Egyptian religion reflected the same pagan ideas that were popular in the ancient world, but with different figures. Horus was the god of Egypt's western delta; he was a human figure with a falcon's head. Hathor, the corresponding goddess, had a cow's body and a woman's head. The god Set had a man's body and an animal's head. Anubis had a man's body and the head of an ibis.

Besides gods that were composite with animal forms and human forms, some Egyptian gods were portrayed as completely human. The are many, many more. The Egyptians also worshiped the sun, moon, and the stars. The Egyptians had many other pagan gods and the worship of all the gods involved magic and superstition.

                                                                        Page 4
If you wish to donate. Thank You. God bless.

By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-25 -

Another god of ancient Mesopotamia was Adad, who represented the storm - either the beneficial rains for the crops or the destructive storms with hurricanes. Identical with Adad or Hadad, was Rimmon or Ramman, the Assyrian god of rain and storm, thunder and lightning. The two names, Hadad and Rimmon, were combined in one name, Hadad Rimmon, in the Old Testament reference. - Zech. 12:11 - In the Old Testament Rimmon was an Aramean (Syrian) god who had a temple at Damascus. Naanman and his royal master worshiped this pagan god. - 2Kin. 5:18 -

The ancient Babylonian and Assyrian goddess Ishtar symbolized Mother Earth in the natural cycles of fertility on earth. Many myths grew up around this female deity. She was the goddess of love, so the practice of ritual prostitution became widespread in the fertility cult dedicated to her name. Temples to Ishtar had many priestesses or sacred prostitutes, who symbolically acted out the fertility rites of the cycle of nature. Ishtar has been identified with the Phoenician Astarte, the Semitic Ashtoreth and the Sumerian Inanna. Strong similarities also exist between Ishtar and the Egyptian Isis, the Greek Aphrodite and the Roman Venus.

Associated with Ishtar was the young god Tammuz, considered both divine and mortal. - Ezek. 8:14 - In the Babylonian mythology Tammuz died annually and was reborn year after year, representing the yearly cycle of the seasons and the crops. This pagan belief later was identified with the pagan gods Baal and Anat in Canaan.

Another kind of god in both Babylonia and Assyria was a national god connected with politics. In Assyria it was Ashur and in Babylonia it was Marduk, who became prominent at the time of Hammurabih (about 1800B.C) The ancient ideas about the ordering and governing of the universe were taken over by these two gods. Marduk, for example, achieved his prominence by victory over Tiamat, goddess of the sea. This cosmic conflict, described also in ancient Sumerian, Indian and Canaanite myths, was believed to have established order. Marduk established order by destroying the goddess Tiamat.

In contrast, the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible makes it clear that the forces of nature are not pagan gods...

                                                                         Page 3
If you wish to donate. Thank You. God bless.

By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -

In time an elaborate system of beliefs in such natural forces was developed into mythology. Each civilisation and culture had its own mythological structure, but these structures were often quite similar. The names of the gods may have been different, but their functions and actions were often the same. The most prominent myth to cross cultural lines was that of the fertility cycle. Many pagan cultures believed that the god of fertility died each year during the winter but was reborn each year in the spring. The details differed among cultures, but the main idea was the same.

According to the Old Testament, the many pagan gods that served as a temptation to the Hebrew people may be conveniently grouped into four distinct types: the false gods of (1) Mesopotamia (Assyria and Babylon) (2) Egypt (3) Canaan (4) Greece and Rome.

The biblical references to pagan gods begin with the statement that Terah, Abraham and Nahor, when they dwelt on the other side of the River (that is in Mesopotamia), "served other gods". - Josh.24:2 - Ancient Mesopotamia covered the region that is roughly equivalent geographically to present day Iraq and Iran.
The prominent gods in Mesopotamia were those over heaven, air and earth, personified by Anu, Enil and Enki (Ea). Another group was made up of those that controlled the heavenly bodies: the sun, the moon and the planet Venus (the "morning star")

In fact, Ur, the city from which Abraham came, was the center for worship of the moon god - Sin - As Mesopotamian religion developed, each god had his own star, and the worship of the stars became popular with the development of ASTROLOGY. Many of the astrological texts and charts of the ancient Babylonians read like modern horoscopes.

The worship of the sun, moon and the stars eventually spread across the entire ancient world. The Egyptians, Canaanites and Phoenicians all incorporated features of this form of worship. Place names in pre-Israelite Canaan reflect the practice. Beth Shemesh - Josh. 15:10 - means house of the sun [god]. Jericho - Num. 22:1 - probably means moon city. Joshua's miracle of the sun and the moon standing still takes on greater significance in light of this fact. It was a demonstration of the sovereign power of the Lord God of Israel over the pagan gods identified as the sun and the moon, worshiped in pagan cities. - Josh. 10:12-13 -

Another god of ancient........

                                                                        Page 2
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By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -

PAGAN -- a follower of a false god or a heathen religion; one who delights in sensual pleasures and material goods. Pagan gods - the false gods and idols worshiped by people during ancient and Bible times - especially the false gods of Egypt, Mesopotamia (Assyria and Babylon), Canaan, Greece and Rome.

Religion has always played an important part in civilization; in the ancient world it was a powerful force. The pagan civilizations of Bible times worshiped many gods. They had male and female deities, high and low gods, assemblies of gods, priests and priestesses, and temples and sacrifices. All the forces of nature that could not be controlled or understood were considered supernatural powers to be worshiped and feared.

Our knowledge of the pagan gods of the ancient world comes from the religious literature, idols, and other objects discovered by archaeologists. We have also learned from the meanings of names found in the literature from this period. People in ancient and Bible times were often named with sentences and phrases; sometimes they used the name of their favourite god in the compound name. Thus, names very often reflected popular religion. Most of the people of the ancient world were polytheistic; they worshiped more than one god.

The people worshiped these gods in the form of representative idols. This practice is called idolatry. The nation of Israel, however, was forbidden to make graven images of the one true and living God whom they worshiped. - Exodus 20:3-6; Deut. 5:7-10 - The pagan nations made statues or images to represent the powers which they worshiped. Most of the idols were in the form of animals or men and women. But sometimes these idols represented celestial powers like the sun, moon, and stars; forces of nature, like the sea and the rain; or life forces, like death and truth.

Belief in these false gods was characterized by superstition and magic. The people believed that what happened to their gods would also happen to them. Puzzled by the workings of nature, they assigned the causes of various natural happenings to their gods. Rain was absolutely essential to life in agricultural societies. If it rained, they believed this was caused by a rain god. If it did not rain, they thought this was because that god had not sent the rain. They prayed and sacrificed to the god to send it.

In time an elaborate system of beliefs in such natural forces was developed into mythology.............

                                                                        Page 1
If you wish to donate. Thank You. God bless.

By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -

Hope distinguishes the Christian from the unbeliever, who has no hope. Indeed, a Christian is one in whom hope resides.

Simply reverence the Lord Jesus Christ in your hearts, and always have your answer ready for people who ask you the reason for the hope that you all have. - 1Peter 3:15 - Eph. 2:12 - 1Thess. 4:13 - 1John 3:3 -

In contrast to the Old Testament hope, the Christian hope is superior. This becomes even more clearly evident when there appears a second Melchizedek, who is a priest not by virtue of a law about physical descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. For it was about him that the prophecy was made: You are a priest of the order of Melchizedek, and for ever. The earlier commandment is thus abolished, because it was neither effective nor useful, since the Law could not make anyone perfect; but now this commandment is replaced by something better - the hope that brings us nearer to God. - Heb. 7:15-19 -

Christians hope comes from God and especially His calling, His grace, His Word and His gospel. Hope is directed toward God. Its appropriate objects are eternal life, salvation, righteousness, the glory of God, the appearing of Christ and the resurrection from the dead. - Rom. 15:13,4, 5:2 - Eph. 1:18, 4:4 - 2Thess. 2:16 - 1Thess. 1:3, 5:8 - Col. 1:23,27 - 1Pet. 1:21 - Acts 24:15, 23:6, 26:6-7 - 1Tim. 1:1 - Titus 1:2, 3:7, 2:13 - Gal. 5:5 -

                                                                        Page 1
If you wish to donate. Thank You. God bless.

By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -

Faith, Hope and Love are part of the Christian life from the beginning to end.

We are God's work of art, created in Christ Jesus to live the good life as from the beginning He had meant us to live it. - Eph. 2:10 -

Take the case, my brothers, of someone who has never done a single act but claims that he has faith. Will that faith save him? If one of the brothers or one of the sisters is in need of clothes and has not enough food to live on, and one of you says to them, "I wish you well; keep yourself warm and eat plenty," without giving them these bare necessities of life, then what good is that? Faith is like that: if good works do not go with it, it is quite dead.

This is the way to talk to people of that kind: You say you have faith and I have good deeds; I will prove to you that I have faith by showing you my good deeds - now you prove to me that you have faith without any good deeds to show. You believe in the one God - that is creditable enough, but the demons have the same belief, and they tremble with fear. Do realise, you senseless man, that faith without good deeds is useless.

You surely know that Abraham our father was justified by his deed, because he offered his son Isaac on the altar? There you see it: faith and deeds were working together ; his faith became perfect by what he did. This is what scripture really means when it says; Abraham put his faith in God, and this was counted as making him justified; and that is why he was called 'the friend of God'.

You see now that it is by doing something good, and not only by believing, that a man is justified. There is another example of the same kind: Rahab the prostitute, justified by her deeds because she welcomed the messengers and showed them a different way to leave. A body dies when it is separated from the spirit, and in the same way faith is dead if it is separated from good deeds. - James 2:14-26 -

                                                                          Page 1
If you wish to donate. Thank You. God bless.

By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -

Have FAITH and HOPE in God's will leads us to please His GREATEST COMMANDMENT i.e. " Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and 'Love your neighbour as you love yourself.'" "Do this and you will live," and "Receive eternal life." - Luke 10:25-28 - Mark 12:28-34 - Matthew 22:34-40 -

Charity may be a very short word, but with its tremendous meaning of pure love, it sums up man's entire relation to God and to his neighbour. As our Lord explained; "It is on love/charity that all the Law and the Prophets depend." - Saint Aelred of Rievaulx (1110-67) -

Unless we love God, we can scarcely persevere in grace.

He who does not acquire the love of God will scarcely persevere in the grace of God, for it is very difficult to renounce sin merely through fear of chastisement. - Saint Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787) -

What does it avail to know that there is a God, which thou not only believest by Faith, but also knowest by reason; what does it avail that thou knowest Him if thou think little of Him? - Saint Thomas More (1478-1535) -

Salvation is shown to faith, it is prepared for hope, but it is given only to love/charity. Faith points out the way to the land of promise as a pillar of fire; hope feeds us with its manna of sweetness, but love/charity actually introduces us into the Promised Land. - Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622) -

It is by the path of love, which is love/charity, that God draws near to people, and people to God. But where love/charity is not found, God cannot dwell. If, then, we possess love/charity, we possess God, for God is Love/Charity. - Saint Albert the Great (d. 1280) -

To habour no envy, no anger, no resentment against an offender is still not to have love/charity for him. It is possible, without any love/charity, to avoid rendering evil for evil. But to render, spontaneously, good for evil - such belongs to a perfect spiritual love. - Saint Maximus the Confessor (d. 622) -

All our religion is but a false religion, and all our virtues are mere illusions and we ourselves are only hypocrites in the sight of God, if we have not that universal love/charity for everyone - for the good, and for the bad, for the poor and for the rich, and for all those who do us harm as much as for those who do us good. - Saint John Mary Vianney (1786-1859) -

The proof of love is in the works,
Where love exists, it works great things,
But when it ceases to act, it ceases to exist. - Saint Gregory the Great (d. 604) -

                                                                           Page 1
If you wish to donate. Thank You. God bless.

By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -

ASCENSION OF CHRIST - the dramatic departure of the risen Christ from His earthly, bodily ministry among His followers. Since His birth in Bethlehem by the miracle of the INCARNATION, Christ had lived physically on earth. But 40 days after the resurrection, His earthly ministry ceased with His ascension into heaven. - Mark 16:19 - Luke 24:50-51 - Acts 1:9-11 - They must now wait for the promised Holy Spirit through whom the work of Jesus would continue.

Jesus' departure into heaven was a bodily ascension in His resurrection body. Saint Stephen and Paul both reported seeing Jesus in bodily form after His ascension. - Acts 7:56, 9:27 - 1Cor. 15:8 -

The ascension marked the beginning of Christ's intercession for His followers at the right hand of God. - Rom. 8:34 - Heb. 4:14, 6:20, 7:25 - Although Christ is not physically present with His people today, He is no less concerned for them or less active on their behalf. Christians enjoy love, peace, joy, hope, and security because Christ is their advocate with the Father. - 1John 2:1 -

The ascension set in motion the coming of the Holy Spirit with His gifts for believers. - John 14:16-18, 26; 16:7-15 - Acts 2:23 - Eph. 4:11-12 - God determined that the presence of Jesus would be replaced by the presence of the Holy Spirit, who could be everywhere at the same time. Jesus' followers and believers now enjoy the presence of the Holy Spirit and the operation of the Holy Spirit's gifts through them.

One additional result of the ascension is that Jesus began His heavenly reign at the right hand of the Father. - 1Cor. 15:20-28 - This reign will last until His SECOND COMING, when He will return to the earth as the reigning Messiah. - Acts 3:20-21 - Acts 1:11 - Jesus will return to earth in bodily form just as He ascended into heaven.

                                                                        Page 1
If you wish to donate. Thank You. God bless.

By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -

RESURRECTION - being raised from the dead. Resurrection has three primary meanings in the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible.

1.- Miraculous healing. - In the usage, resurrection refers to individuals who have been brought back to life (resuscitated) in this present world. Such raising were performed by Elijah on the Zarephath widow's son, - 1Kin. 17:20-24 - by Elisha on the Shunammite woman's son - 2Kin. 4:32-37 - and the dead man who touched Elisha's bones, - 2Kin. 13:21 - by Jesus on Jarius' daughter - Mark 5:41-43 - and Lazarus - John 11:43-44 - by Saint Peter on Dorcas, - Acts 9:40-41 - and by Saint Paul on Eutychus. - Acts 20:9-12 - In these raising there is no suggestion that the the person will not experience death.

2. - Our Lord Jesus Christ resurrection. - This resurrection is clearly linked with the overcoming of the powers of evil and death. Christ's resurrection is the basis for the doctrine of general resurrection. - 1Cor. 15:12-19 - a central doctrine of Christianity that affirms that God raised Jesus from the dead on the third day. Without the resurrection, the apostle Paul declared, Christian preaching and belief are meaningless or useless. - 1Cor. 15:14 - The resurrection is the point at which God's intention for Jesus becomes clear -Rom. 1:4 - and believers are assured that Jesus is the Christ.

So significant is the resurrection of Jesus that without it there would be no Church or Christianity, and we would still be in our sins. - 1Cor. 15:17 - The appearances of Jesus are clearly at the heart of early Christian belief. The consistent witness of the New Testament is that in the appearances of Jesus something incredible happened. The two followers in Emmaus, upon realizing it was the risen Jesus, forgot their concern with the lateness of the hour and rushed back to Jerusalem to tell the others. - Luke 24:29-33 - The doubting Thomas uttered Christianity's greatest confession when he realized that the risen Christ was actually addressing him. - John 20:27 - Peter left his fishing nets for good when the risen Saviour asked him, "Do you love Me?" - John 21:15 - And at a later time - 1Cor. 15:8 - the persecutor Paul was transformed into a zealous missionary as the result of a special appearance by the risen Lord Jesus Christ. - Acts 9:1-22 -

When the New Testament writers speak of the resurrection of Jesus, they are bearing witness not to what God did for them but what God did to Jesus. Certainly, as a result of the resurrection of Jesus human lives were transformed. For Saint Paul this transformation of Christians is not only termed resurrection but salvation. "In Christ" is the expression which Saint Paul uses for the spiritual experience of the living Christ.

Finally, the resurrection of Jesus, His ascension - Acts 1:6-11 - His exaltation to the right hand of the Father, - Acts 2:33 - and the giving of the Holy Spirit - John 20:22 - are all to be seen as a single complex events and as closely integrated theologically. Together they represent the first-fruits of the new age.

3. - The hope of a general resurrection. - Many of the Greek philosophers, such as Plato, believed that an immortal soul inhabited a body and that at death the soul left its bodily prison and soared upward to the divine spirit. - Is. 14:9-11 - Ps. 49:15 - Job 19:26 - This expectation was the foundation upon which the Jewish ideas concerning the resurrection were built.

By the time of Jesus, two positions were firmly entrenched within Judaism. THE SADDUCEES, who were oriented to this world, rejected any belief in the resurrection. They believed that such an idea was irrelevant to this life and was not part of the revelation with God gave to Moses. - Mark 12:18-27 - Jesus condemned their understanding of Moses and Sacred Scriptures.

THE PHARISEES, in contrast, believed in the resurrection. - Acts 23:6 - The prophet Isaiah seems to express a view that the resurrection is for the faithful and the wicked may not arise. - Is. 26:10-19 - The Jewish loyalist of the apocryphal book of 2 Maccabees apparently agreed that for some there will be no resurrection to life. But prophet Daniel announced, "Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to the everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt". - Dan. 12:2 -

The New Testament consistently teaches hope in the resurrection of the believer based upon the resurrection of Christ as the "firstborn from the dead". - 1Cor. 15:12-58 - Col. 1:18 - 1Thess. 4:14-18 - 1Peter 1:3-5 -

But not all who sought identification with the Christian church proclaimed a future resurrection. Some preached a spiritual awakening, or resurrection, that was already past. Such a view, adopted by Hymenaeus and Philetus and adopted by the later Gnostic heretics, was sternly condemned by Saint Paul. - 2Tim. 2:17-19 -

                                                                        Page 1
If you wish to donate. Thank You. God bless.

By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -

Let us give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Because of His great mercy He gave us new life by raising Jesus Christ from death. This fills us with a living hope, and so we look forward to possessing the rich blessings that God keeps for his people. He keeps them for you in heaven, where they cannot decay or spoil or fade away. They are for you, who through faith are kept safe by God's power for the salvation which is ready to be revealed at the end of time. - 1Pet. 1:3-5 -

For we remember before our God and Father how you put your faith into practice, how your love made you work so hard, and how your hope in our Lord Jesus Christ is firm. - 1Thes. 1:3 -

Set your hearts then, on the more important gifts. I may be able to speak the languages of men and even of angels, but if I have no love, my speech is no more than a noisy gong or a clanging bell. I may have the gift of inspired preaching; I may have all the knowledge and understand all secrets; I may have all the faith needed to move mountains - but if I have no love, I am nothing. I may give away everything I have , and even give up my body to be burned - but if I have no love, this does me no good.

Love is patient and kind; it is not jealous or conceited or proud; love is not ill-mannered or selfish or irritable; love does not keep a record of wrongs, love is not happy with evil, but is happy with the truth. Love never gives up; and its faith, hope, and patience never fail. Love is eternal. - 1Cor. 12:31, 13:1-7 -
                                                                 Page 1
If you wish to donate. Thank You. God bless.

By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -

BLESS, BLESSING - the act of declaring, or wishing, God's favour and goodness upon others. The blessing is not only the good effect of words; it also has the power to bring them to pass. In the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible, important persons blessed those with less power or influence. The patriarchs pronounced benefits upon their children, often near their own deaths. - Gen. 49:1-28 - Even if spoken by mistake, once a blessing was given it could not be taken back. - Gen. 27 -

Leaders often blessed people, especially when getting ready to leave them. These included Moses - Deut. 33 - Joshua 22:6-7 - and Jesus. - Luke 24:50 - Equals could bless each other by being friendly. - Gen. 12:3 - One can also bless God, showing gratitude to Him - Duet. 8:10 - in songs of praise - Ps. 103:1-2 - God also blesses people by giving life, riches, fruitfulness, or plenty. - Gen. 1:22,28 - His greatest blessing is turning us from evil - Acts 3:25-26 - and forgiving our sins. - Rom. 4:7-8 -

Cases of the opposite of blessing, or cursing, are often cited in the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible. - Deut. 27: 11-26 - Although the natural reaction to a curse is to curse back, Christians are called to bless - to ask for the person's benefit. - Matt. 5:44 -

BLASPHEMY - the act of cursing, slandering, reviling or showing contempt or lack or reverence for God. In the Old Testament, blaspheming God was a serious crime punishable by death. - Lev. 24:15-16 - It was a violation of the Third Commandment, which required that the name and reputation of the Lord be upheld. - Ex. 20:7 -

The unbelieving Jews of Jesus' day charged Him with blasphemy because they thought of Him only as a man while He claimed to be God's Son. - Matt. 9:3 - Actually, the lawlessness of the Jews themselves was causing God's name to be blasphemed among the Gentiles. - Rom. 2:24 - By their bitter opposition to Jesus and His gospel, they themselves were guilty of blasphemy. - Acts 18:6 - Jesus condemned as blasphemy their attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan. - Matt. 12:31-32 -

Christians are commanded to avoid behaviour that blasphemes the Lord's and teaching. - 1Tim. 6:1 -

                                                                        Page 1
If you wish to donate. Thank You. God bless.

By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -

By faith we are judged righteous at peace with God, since it is by faith and through the Lord Jesus Christ that we have entered this stage of grace in which we can boast about; we can boast about our sufferings. This sufferings bring patience, as we know, and patience brings perseverance, and perseverance brings hope, and this hope is not deceptive, because the love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit which has been given us. - Rom. 5:1-5 -

Suffering has been part of the human experience since man's fall into sin. - Gen. 3 - The Psalms, one-third of which are laments, include graphic descriptions of suffering. - Psalm 22 - The theme of the Book of Job is the problem of suffering and why God permits the righteous to suffer. The Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible makes it clear that some suffering is the result of evil action sin in the world. This type of suffering came upon man after the FALL in the Garden of Eden. - Gen. 3:16-19 -

But some suffering is not related to the past. It is forward-looking in that it serves to shape and refine God's children. - 1Pet. 1:6-7, 5:10 - The Book of Hebrews declares that Jesus learned obedience by the things which He suffered, - Heb. 5:8 - and He was perfected through suffering. - Heb. 2:10 - Suffering has the potential of demonstrating God's power. - 2Cor. 12:7 - Those who suffered are in a position to comfort others. - 2Cor. 1:3-6 -

Suffering also helps believers to identify with Christ, which is more than suffering for Christ. Through persecution and tortures, people have suffered for the sake of Christ and His kingdom. - Phil. 1:29, 2Thess. 1:5, 2Tim. 3:12 - Saint Paul speaks of the "fellowship of His [Christ's] sufferings". - Phil. 3:10 - Believers share in the suffering of Christ in the sense that through suffering they identify with Christ. To be a disciple involves suffering like the Master, Christ as Lord and His believers as disciples are bonded even further through the experience of suffering.

Looking back to the cross, Saint Peter explained that "Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God". - 1Pet. 3:18 -

My brothers and sisters, you will always have your trials but, when they come, try to treat them as a happy privilege; you understand that your faith is only put to test to make you patient, but patience too is to have its practical results so that you will become fully-developed, complete, with nothing missing. If there is any one of you who needs wisdom, he and she must ask God, who gives to all freely and ungrudgingly; it will be given to him and her. But he and she must ask with faith, and no trace of doubt, because a person who has doubts is like the waves thrown up in the sea when the wind drives. That sort of person, in two minds, wavering between going different ways, must not expect that the Lord will give him and her anything. - James 1:2-8 -

                                                                        Page 1
If you wish to donate. Thank You. God bless.

By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -

It is difficult to name another Catholic doctrine of as hallowed antiquity as the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit that is subject to such benign neglect. The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are, according to Catholic Tradition, heroic character traits that the Lord Jesus Christ alone possesses in the plenitude but that He freely shares with the members of his mystical body. (i.e., His Church) These traits are infused into every Christian as a permanent endowment at his baptism, nurtured by the practice of the seven virtues, and sealed in the sacrament of confirmation. They are also known as the Sanctifying gifts of the Spirit, because they serve the purpose of rendering their recipients docile to the promptings of the Holy Spirit in their lives, helping them to grow in holiness and making them fit for heaven.

The nature of the seven gifts has been debated by theologians since the mid-second century, but the standard interpretation has been the one that Saint Thomas Aquinas worked out in the thirteenth century in his Summa Theologiae:

1--WISDOM is both the knowledge of and judgment about "divine things" and the ability to judge and direct human according to divine truth (I/I.1.6;I/II.69,3;II/II.8.6;II/II.45,1-5).

2--UNDERSTANDING is penetrating insight into the very heart of things, especially those higher truths that are necessary for our eternal salvation - in effect, the ability to "see" God. (I/I.12.5;I/II.69.2;II/II.8.1-3)

3--COUNSEL allows a man to be directed by God in matters necessary for his salvation. (II/II.52.1)

4--FORTITUDE denotes a firmness of mind in doing good and in avoiding evil, particularly when it is difficult or dangerous to do so, and the confidence to overcome all obstacles, even deadly ones, by virtue of the assurance of everlasting life. (I/II.61.3;II/II.123.2;II/II.139.1)

5--KNOWLEDGE is the ability to judge correctly about matters of faith and right action, so as to never wander from the straight path of justice. (II/II.9.3)

6--PIETY is, principally, revering God with filial affection, paying worship and duty to God, paying due duty to all men on account of their relationship to God, and honoring the saints and not contradicting Scripture. The Latin word pietas denotes the reverence that we give to our father and to our country; since God is the Father of all, the worships of God is also called piety. (I/II.68.4;II/II.121.1)

7--FEAR OF GOD is, in this context "filial" or chaste fear whereby we revere God and avoid separating ourselves from him - as opposed to "servile" fear, whereby we fear punishment. (I/II.67.4;II/II.19.9)

These gifts, according to Aquinas, are "habits","instincts",or "dispositions" provided by God as supernatural helps to man in the process of his "perfection". They enable man to transcend the limitations of human reason and human nature and participate in the very life of God, as Christ promised - John 14:23 - Aquinas insisted that they are necessary for man's salvation, which he cannot achieve on his own. They serve to "perfect" the four cardinal or moral virtues (prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance) and the three theological virtues (faith, hope, and love). The virtue of love/charity is the key that unlocks the potential power of the seven gifts, which can (and will) lie dormant in the soul after baptism unless so acted upon.

Because "grace builds upon nature" (ST I/I.2.3), the seven gifts work synergistically with the seven virtues and also with the twelve fruits of the Spirit and the eight beatitudes. The emergence of the gifts is fostered by the practice of the virtues which in turn are perfected by the exercise of the gifts. The proper exercise of the gifts, in turn produce the fruits of the Spirit in the life of the Christian: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, modesty, self-control, and chastity. - Gal. 5:22-23 - The goal of this cooperation among virtues gifts, and fruits is the attainment of the eight-fold state of beatitude described by Christ in the Sermon on the Mount. - Matt. 5:3-10 -

BY FRANK X. BLISARD
                                                                        Page 1
If you wish to donate. Thank You. God bless.

By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -