ISRAEL is the name given to JACOB after his great struggle with God at Peniel near the brook Jabbok. - Gen. 32:28; 35:10 - The name Israel has been interpreted by different scholars as "prince with God","he strives with God", "let God rule' or "God strives". The name was later applied to the descendants of Jacob or the HEBREW people. The twelve tribes were called "Israelites", "children of Israel" and "house of Israel" identifying them clearly as the descendants of Israel through his sons and grandsons.

Hebrew people refers to an ethnic term designating the lineage of the Jewish people, the nation of Israel. Abraham or Abram, was the first person in the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible to be called a Hebrew. - Gen. 14:13 - Thereafter, his descendants through Isaac and Jacob were known as Hebrews. - Gen. 40:15; 43:32 - The term is used five times in the story of Joseph. - Gen. 39:14 to 43:32 - including a reference to Joseph by Potiphar's wife as 'the Hebrew servant'. Joseph told Potiphar's chief butler 'For indeed I was stolen away from the land of the Hebrews'. - Gen. 39:17, 40:15 -

The origin of the term Hebrew is a mystery to scholars. Later use of the words Israelite and Jew add to the confusion. Some believe the word came from a prominent man of the ancient Middle East known as Eber. Eber was a descendant of Noah through Shem and an ancestor of Abraham.

There is considerable evidence in the Old Testament that the Hebrews regarded themselves as a composite race. - Deut. 26:5 - In their wandering tribal days and during their early years in Canaan, the Hebrews experienced a mixture of bloods through marriage with surrounding peoples. When Abraham sought a suitable wife for Isaac, he sent to Padan Aram near Haran, for Rebekah, a daughter of the Syrian Bethuel. Jacob (Israel) found Rachel in the same location. - Gen. 24:10, 25:20, chapter 28 to 29 - Strains of Egyptian blood also appeared in the family of Joseph through Asenath's two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. - Gen. 41:50-52 - Moses had a Midianite wife, Zipporah and an unnamed Ethiopian (Cushite) wife. - Ex. 18:1-7; Num. 12:1 -

Although several unanswered questions about the Hebrews remain, no culture has equaled their contribution to mankind. In a pagan world with many gods, the Hebrews worshiped One supreme, holy God who demanded righteousness in His people. From the Hebrews also sprang Jesus Christ, our Lord, who gave His life to set us free from the curse of sin.

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Faith . Hope . Love - Welcome donation. 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 -

The early Christians frequently suffered for their faith, love and the belief in God, the Lord Jesus Christ. The word martyr soon came to mean one who suffered or died because of his witness to Christ. Thus, the apostle calls Stephen a martyr. - Acts 22:20 - And the book of Revelation mentions "with the blood of the saints and the blood of the martyrs of Jesus - Rev. 17:6 -

Stephen was one of the first seven "good and worthy men" chosen to provide relief to these needy Christians from Greek backgrounds. Since Stephen is mentioned first in the list of the seven administrators he was probably most important leader in this group and assumed a place of prominence among the seven leaders. The words of the Lord continued to spread: the number of disciples in Jerusalem was greatly increased and a large group of priests made their submission to the faith. - Acts 6:7 -

Stephen was probably critical of the system of Old Testament laws, claiming they had already lost their effectiveness because they had reached fulfillment in Christ. This viewpoint which Stephen argued very skillfully, brought him into conflict with powerful leaders among the Jewish people. Stephen became well-known, Christ preacher and a miracle worker. His work was so effective that renewed persecution of the Christians broke out. Stephen was filled with grace and power and began to work miracles and great signs among the people. - Acts 6:8 -

Members of certain Jewish synagogues felt that Stephen had blasphemed Moses and God. They accused him of being disloyal to the Temple and rejecting Moses. He was also accused of hostility toward Judaism - a charge that had never been made before against other disciples. In debates the Jews were no match for Stephen; even Saul was outwitted by him. Thus, they resorted to force.

Stephen was arrested and brought before the SANHEDRIN, the Jewish council where charges were place against him. False witnesses testified against him. The high priest then asked Stephen if these things were true. Stephen was not dismayed. When he stood before them his face was as the face of an angel.

The members of the Sanhedrin all looked intently at Stephen and his face appeared to them like the face of an angel. - Acts 6:15 -

The lengthy speech which Stephen made his own defense is reported in detail in Acts 7:2-53 - Among the people consenting to Stephen's death that day was Saul who later became the apostle Paul - great Christian missionary to the Gentiles. As he was being stoned, Stephen asked God not to charge his executioners with the sin of his death. - Acts 7:59-60 -

Stephen's martyrdom was followed by a general persecution which forced the disciples to flee from Jerusalem into the outlaying areas. This scattering led to the preaching of the gospel first to the Samaritans and then to the Gentiles in the nations surrounding Palestine.

                                                                       Page 1
Faith . Hope . Love - Welcome donation. 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 -

One of the games we humans play is called "If". A great song from the musical 'Fiddler on the Roof' was called 'If I Were a Rich Man'. We think of what we would do if we won the lottery or could be president or pope or queen for a day.

The ultimate version of "If" would be this: If I were God, what would I do? How would I display my awesome power, my infinite knowledge and dominion over the universe?

As we celebrate Christmas we see the reality of God playing "If" when we reverse the equation, imagining God asking himself: "If I were human, what would I do, how would I act, what would I say?"

Scripture says: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God....And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us" - John 1:1,14 -

The fact that God chose to become a human being holds many wonderful mysteries. These have fed theologians for 2,000 years, causing them to ponder just what it means that God was a human being - and a human being was God!.

Among these mysteries is the reality that Jesus was not a power player. He did not smite his enemies. He did not destroy cities. He did not rule.

But at the same time he showed his supremacy over evil, his dominion over sin, his triumph over Satan and his total power over death. And he did all of this without using the awesomeness of his divinity; he used the depth of his divinity.

Jesus showed us that evil, sin, Satan and death are not defeated by force, power or might but by concern, kindness and love.

If I were God, my temptation would be to confront the powers of evil on their own terms, following a motto of "Fight fire with fire".

And I would fail because the source of evil's strength rests precisely on the idea that might, force and strength are what really matter.

What Jesus did to show his mastery over evil, sin, Satan and death was never to even enter into the fight. He just went around them, isolated them, and showed them to be the hollow, worthless manikins that they are.

When confronted with "For I was hungry and you gave me food" - Matt. 25:35 - Satan has nothing to say. When met with "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do" - Luke 23:34 - sin has no room. When evil meets "Love your enemies" - Matt. 5:44 - evil evaporates. And when Jesus rose from the tomb "just as he said" he would - Matt. 28:6 - death is destroyed.

The most divine thing Jesus ever did was to kneel down in front of the apostles at the Last Supper and wash their feet. This was the ultimate act of God being God by loving and serving his fellow man. This humble act also teaches us that our role in life is not to try to placate God, to be ruled by God or to be afraid of God. Our role in life is to act like God. We are to go out and play "If" all of the time in imitation of God.

We are to see the hungry and feed them, see the imprisoned and visit them, see the person without a coat and give him one, and see the woman at the well in our day and time and give her living water. We are to find those who need help, confidence and love and tell them by our actions that they are our brothers and sisters and, as such, are loved.

As we celebrate Christmas it is the perfect time for us to act like God, showing the ultimate divinity of Jesus Christ being lived out in the world today.
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Faith . Hope . Love - Welcome donation. 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 -

Any created being, man included, brought into existence as a result of God's power and authority refers to Creature. The Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible declares that the Redeemer God is the sovereign Creator of all things. Through His might and power He brought the universe into existence - Gen. 1:3-24; Ps. 33:6 -

It is by faith that we understand that the world was created by one word from God, so that no apparent cause can account for the things we can see. - Heb. 11:3 -

Therefore, all beings, even angels are His creatures. The creatures status of all finite beings and things reveals the sovereign rule of God and the dependence of man and the world on Him.

In the beginning was the Word:
the Word was with God
and the Word was God.
He was with God in the beginning.
Through him all things came to be,
not one thing had its being but through him. - John 1:1-3 - 1Cor. 8:4-6 -

Man, the pinnacle of God's creation, was created to have dominion in the world. - Gen. 1:26-28; Ps. 8:3-8 - But man exchanged the truth of God for the lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator. - Rom. 1:25 - God's plan for man to rule His creation is now being fulfilled in Christ Jesus.

In your minds you must be the same as Christ Jesus.
His state was divine,
yet he did not cling
to his equality with God
but emptied himself
to assume the condition of a slave,
and became as men are;
and being as all men are,
he was humbler yet,
even to accepting death,
death on a cross.

But God raised him high
and gave him the name
which is above all other names
so that all beings
in heavens, on earth and in the underworld,
should bend the knee at the name of Jesus
and that every tongue should acclaim
Jesus Christ as Lord,
to the glory of God the Father. - Phil. 2:5-11 -

Redemption involves being made new creatures.
From now onward, therefore, we do not judge anyone by the standards of the flesh. Even if we did once know Christ in the flesh that is not how we know him now. And for anyone who is in Christ, there is a new creation; the old creation has gone and now the new one is here. It is all God's work. It was God who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the work of handling on this reconciliation. - 2Cor. 5:16-18 -

The universal kingdom of righteousness, peace and joy will be fully revealed when Christ returns in triumph over all rebellious creatures.

But Christ has in fact been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of all who have fallen asleep. Death came through one man and in the same way the resurrection of the dead has come through one man. Just as all men die in Adam, so all men will be brought to life in Christ; but all of them in their proper order: Christ as the first-fruits and then, after the coming of Christ, those who belong to him. After that will come the end when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, having done away with every sovereignty, authority and power.

For he must be king until he has put all his enemies under his feet and the last of the enemies to be destroyed is death, for everything is to be put under his feet. Though when it is said that everything is subjected, this clearly cannot include the One who subjected everything to him. And when everything is subjected to him then the Son himself will be subject in his turn to the One who subjected all things to him, so that God may be all in all. - 1Cor. 15:20-28 -

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Faith . Hope . Love - Welcome donation. 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 -

God is Spirit - not a material substance - it must mean more than physical resemblance. To be created in God's image means that men though a creature, is akin to God.

God is Creator - the only being capable of making something from nothing. Yet, on a lesser level, man also has capacity to be creative. This is one distinct meaning of the truth that we are created in God's image. God is speaker and a ruler. Man was also told to have dominion over the creation. God is holy, a moral and ethical God who is righteous. Man is also morally and ethically responsible and must make moral choices. God has revealed that he is a social being (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit).
Man also is a social being who needs relationship with others. Human experience and the biblical record suggest that these are some ways in which man reflects the image of God.

The Book of Genesis declared that God created humanity as "male and female" - Gen. 1:27 - This account of creation does not give priority to either male or female. Both are needed to reflect the image of God. The most fundamental difference in humanity is not race but sex. The Greeks said man once was androgynous - both male and female. Somehow he lost the female half and ever since has been looking for his other half. But the book of Genesis pointed out that sex is an order of creation which is good and proper in God's sight.

Skeptics have ridiculed the creation story in Genesis because it reports that the creation occurred in six days. But the indefinite meaning of day takes care of this objection. Besides, Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible says that with the Lord, "A day is a thousand years and a thousand years as a day" - 2Pet. 3:8 - The biblical writer was not writing a scientific journal. He was moved by God's Spirit to give a revelation of spiritual reality. His primary emphasis was not on the process by which the world was created but on the Creator and His purpose.

Many of the pagan nations of the ancient world had their own creation stories. But in these stories, their gods evolved out of natural processes connected with the world itself. They believed the material universe was eternal and it brought their gods into being. The Book of Genesis declares that God existed before creation and is in full control of the physical universe. He called the world into being by His word. His power is absolute. He does not have to conform to nature and cannot be threatened by it. God is sovereign and does not have to share His power with other supernatural beings.

Since God created the universe out of nothing, it is His and will always serve His purpose. As He shaped creation without any interference from anyone, He will bring creation to its desired end. No power can frustrate God in His purpose to complete the process started in creation and was revealed. Our hope rests in the sovereign power of Him who created the world and then re-created us through the saving power of His Son, Jesus Christ.

                                                                         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 -

Never has there been a greater untruth, and never will there be, than "life begins at forty". That phrase is merely the aged justification for growing old against their will, a soothing ointment for lost vigor and faded beauty which can never be strong and fresh again. I can understand why a hoary old world should put a premium on age, for the world wants the sympathy of those who grow old with her; but I cannot understand why anyone whose vision is broader than the years and whose hopes are higher than an ivy vine should value age above youth. Anyone with the vaguest understanding of either the world of nature or the world of grace knows that life does not begin at forty. Life begins at BIRTH.

There are other introductions to life than the opening of the womb either the womb of the great portals of flesh or the womb of the baptismal font - the one begetting us as children of humans, the other as children of God. Religion by its very nature, has something to do with birth and therefore with youth. Doesn't all religious history reveal that the closer we get to God the younger we become and therefore the more like children? Thus it might well be that as we grow old in years we grow young in God. But how can we grow younger as we grow older?

Answer me this question: What is youthfulness? Youthfulness is proximity to the source of life. A child of four is younger than a child of six because he is two years closer to the source of life: his parents. A person of twenty is younger than a person of forty because he is twenty years closer to the source of life: his parents.

Now we have another source of life besides our parents, namely, God. Hence the closer we get to God the younger we become. And so true is this, that the day on which saints die the Church call natalitia. The world celebrates a birthday on the day we are born to temporal life; the Church celebrates a birthday on the day on which we are born to eternal life. But in either case: Life begins at birth.

The other side of the picture is this: Not only do we become younger and more like children the nearer we get to God but the closer God gets to us the more he becomes a child. God never came so close to us as in the Incarnation and then he appeared as a babe. The reason Christmas is the happiest day of the year is because it is a birthday - not the fortieth but the first! God might have revealed himself to us in all the full bloom and blossoms of a triumphant king of two score years; he might have canonized maturity by making his life begin at forty - but he actually began it as a child. And to the eternal confusion of those who value age above youth he completed his life work finished his Father's business while still in his early thirties. Who, then will say that life begins at forty?

There is no escape from the tremendous fact of Christmas day that when God revealed himself to this poor world of ours, men cried in astonishment: "Why, it is a child!" And so it is that the closer we get to God the more we become children and the closer God gets to us the more he becomes a child. No one in the world ever suspected that the Ancient of Days who presided at creation would take his throne in that creation as a babe in a crib, just as no one ever thought he would tell the old men of forty like Nicodemus that they must be born again.

According to all worldly standards, it is the aged who are learned. And yet when Wisdom came to earth he was a child and when Wise Men came to Wisdom they were told to be like children. Christmas then is the coronation of childhood, the glorification of the young whose hearts are simple, the proclamation to aging hearts that the world need not despair and die because the Fountain of Youth has come into it with his quickening drafts to unburden the years, turn time backward, make old things young again.

Christmas then is the solemn day when God becomes a child when we become children and where we all meet at a crib. The aging old world is already jaded with its memory, for it believes that life begins at forty. But we who will see Bethlehem again every Christmas morn and receive the babe not in our arms but in our hearts, know the world is wrong. LIFE BEGINS AT BIRTH!

BY ARCHBISHOP FULTON J. SHEEN ( 1895 - 1979 )

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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 was MARY who gave to Jesus his human life - gave him hands with which to bless children; feet with which to go in search of stray sheep, eyes with which to weep over dead friends and a corrupt civilization; and a body with which he might suffer. It was through this Mother that he became the bridge between the divine and the human. If we take her away then either God does not become man or he that is born of her is a man and not God. Without her we would no longer have our Lord.

If we have a box in which we keep our money, we know the one thing we must always give attention to is the key; we never think that the key is the money but we know that without the key we cannot get into our money. The Mother of the babe is like that key; without her we cannot get to our Lord because he came through her. She is not to be compared to our Lord, for she is a creature and he is the Creator. But without her we could not understand how the bridge was built between heaven and earth.

AS she formed Jesus in her body so she forms Jesus in our souls. In this one woman virginity and motherhood are united as if God willed to show that both are necessary for the world. Those things which are separated in other creatures are united in her. The Mother is the protector of the Virgin and the Virgin is the inspiration of Motherhood.

One cannot go to a statue of a mother holding a babe, hack the mother and expect to have a babe. Touch her and you spoil him. She is the widow through which our humanity first catches a glimpse of divinity on earth. Perhaps she is more like a magnifying glass that intensifies our love of her Son and makes our prayers more bright and burning. he is the sun, she is the moon. On the dark nights we are grateful for the moon; when we see it shining we know there must be a sun. So in this dark night of the world when people turn their backs on him who is the Light of the world, we look to Mary to guide our feet while we awaits the sunrise.

Mary set out at that time and went as quickly as she could to a town in the hill country of Judah. She went into Zechariah's house and greeted Elizabeth. Now as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She gave a loud cry and said, 'Of all women you are the most blessed and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord? For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled'.

And Mary said:

'My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord
and my spirit exults in God my saviour;
because he has looked upon his lowly handmaid.
Yes, from this day forward all generations will call me blessed,
for the Almighty has done great things for me.
Holy is his name,
and his mercy reaches from age to age for those who fear him.
He has shown the power of his arm,
he has routed the proud of heart.
He has pulled down princes from their thrones and exalted the lowly.
The hungry he has filled with good things, the rich sent away empty.
He has come to the help of Israel his servant, mindful of his mercy
- according to the promise he made to our ancestors -
of his mercy to Abraham and to his descendants forever'. - Luke 1:39-55 -

Thou art the Paradise of the Incarnation...
Thou art Our Queen -
Our Mother -
Our Immaculate Mother,
and we love Thee!
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Faith . Hope . Love - Welcome donation. 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 -

Bethlehem is the birthplace of Jesus Christ. Bethlehem was situated about eight kilometers (five miles) south of Jerusalem in the district known as Ephrathah - Micah 5:2 - a region known for its fertile hills and valleys.

Bethlehem was the burial place of Rachel, the wife of Jacob. - Gen. 35:19 - Bethlehem also was the ancestral home of David. - 1Sam. 7:12 - The most important Old Testament figure associated with Bethlehem was David, Israel great king. At Bethlehem prophet Samuel anointed David as Saul's successor. Although David made Jerusalem his capital city, he never lost his love for Bethlehem. 2Samuel 23:14-17 is a warm story about David's longing for a drink of water from the well of Bethlehem which was a Philistine garrison at the time. But when three of David's mighty men broke through the Philistine lines to draw a drink of water, David refused to drink it because of the blood that had been shed for it.

The prophet Micah predicted that Bethlehem would be the birthplace of the Messiah - Micah 5:2 - a prophecy quoted in Matthew 2:6. It is significant that the King of kings who was of the house of David, was born in David's ancestral home. According to Luke 2:11, Jesus was born in 'the city of David', Bethlehem, Christ, who is the Bread of Life, was cradled in a town whose name means "House of Bread".

Now at this time Caesar Augustus issued a decree for a census of the whole world to be taken. This census - the first - took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria and everyone went to his own town to be registered. So Joseph set out from the town of Nazareth in Galilee and traveled up to Judaea, to the town of David called Bethlehem since he was of David's House and line in order to be registered together with Mary, his betrothed who was with child.

While they were there the time came for her to have her child and she gave birth to a son, her first-born. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them at the inn. In the countryside close by there were shepherds who lived in the fields and took it in turns to watch their flocks during the night. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone round them. They were terrified but the angel said, 'Do not be afraid, Listen, I bring you news of great joy, a joy to be shared by the whole people. Today in the town of David a saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. And here is a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. And suddenly with the angel there was a great throng of the heavenly host, praising God and singing:

'Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and peace to men who enjoy his favour'.

Now when the angels had gone from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 'Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us'. So they hurried away and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. When they saw the child they repeated what they had been told about him and everyone who heard it was astonished at what the shepherds had to say. as for Mary, she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds went back glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen; it was exactly as they had been told. - Luke 2:1-20 -

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Faith . Hope . Love - Welcome donation. 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 -

AMEN ("so be it" or "I believe") a solemn word by which a person confirms a statement, an oath or a covenant. It is used in worship to affirm an address, psalm or prayer. In the book of Isaiah, the Lord is called "the God of truth" the original Hebrew means "the God of Amen". This is Isaiah's way of saying that the Lord is the One who remains eternally true, the One who can always be relied on.

May this water of cursing enter your bowels to swell your belly and shrivel your organs! The woman must answer; Amen! Amen! - Num. 5:22 -

Benaiah son of Jehoiada answered the king, 'Amen!' he said 'And may Yahweh too say Amen to the words of my lord the king'. - 1Kin. 1:36 -

May God do this and shake out of his house and property any man who does not keep this promise; may he be shaken out like this and left empty! And the whole assembly answered, 'Amen' and give praise to Yahweh. And the people kept this promise. - Neh. 5:13 -

Blessed forever be his glorious name,
may the whole world be filled with his glory!
Amen! Amen! - Ps. 72:19 -

Whoever asks to be blessed on earth will ask to be blessed by the God of truth and whoever takes oath on earth will take oath by the God of truth, for past troubles will be forgotten and hidden from my eyes. - Is. 65:16 -

In the New Testament, the Lord Jesus Christ is given the same title: "the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness". - Rev. 3:14 -

All that exists comes from him; all is by him and for him. To him be glory forever! Amen. - Rom. 11:36 -

He alone is wisdom; give glory therefore to him through Jesus Christ forever and ever. Amen. - Rom. 16:27 - 1:25, 9:5, 15:33 -

Any uninitiated person will never be able to say Amen to your thanksgiving, if you only bless God with the spirit, for he will have no idea what you are saying. - 1Cor. 14:16 -

That is why it is 'through him' that we answer Amen to the praise of God. - 2Cor. 1:20 -

Glory be to him from generation to generation in the Church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever. Amen. - Eph. 3:21 -

The Lord will rescue me from all evil attempts on me and bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen. - 2Tim. 4:18 -

May make you ready to do his will in any kind of good action; and turn us all into whatever is acceptable to himself through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. - Heb. 13:21 -

If you are a speaker, speak in words which seem to come from God; if you are a helper, help as though every action was done at God's orders; so that in everything God may receive the glory through Jesus Christ since to him alone belong all glory and power forever and ever. Amen. - 1Pet. 4:11 -

Instead go on growing in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory, in time and in eternity. Amen. - 2Pet. 3:18 -

It is he who is coming on the clouds; everyone will see him even those who pierced him and all the races of the earth will mourn over him. This is the truth. Amen. 'I am the Alpha and the Omega' says the Lord God, who is, who was, and who is to come, the Almighty. - Rev. 1:7-8 -

And all the angels who were standing in a circle round the throne, surrounding the elders and the four animals, prostrated themselves before the throne and touched the ground with their foreheads, worshipping God with these words, 'Amen. Praise and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and strength to our God forever and ever. Amen. - Rev. 7:11-12 -

Then the twenty-four elders and the four animals prostrated themselves and worshipped God seated there on his throne and they cried, 'Amen, Alleluia'. - Rev. 19:4 -

The one who guarantees these revelations repeats his promise: I shall indeed be with you soon. Amen; come, Lord Jesus.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you all. Amen. - Rev. 22: 20-21; 5:14; Deut. 27:15-26; Judith 13:26; Rom. 1:25, 15:33; Gal. 1:5; Phil. 4:20; 1Tim. 1:17, 6:16; Jude 25 -

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Faith . Hope . Love - Welcome donation. 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 -

The Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible declares that God is working out His sovereign plan of redemption for the world and that the conclusion is certain. Immediately after the Fall He talked about the curse of human sin and specified the cure for man's sin. To the serpent He said, "I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed; He shall bruise your head and you shall bruise His heel". - Gen. 3:15 - The whole redemptive phenomenon of the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible is the fulfillment of his prophecy by the sovereign God, as Saint Paul clearly teaches. - Rom. chapter 8,9,10,11 -

The redemption from the Book of Genesis to Revelation is possible only because the sovereign God loves the created world, fallen though it is and is able to do something about it. Without the sovereign love of the Father ministered to us through the Son and the Holy Spirit, there would be no real human freedom and no hope of everlasting life.

Sovereignty of God is a theological term which refers to the unlimited power of God who has sovereign control over the affairs of nature and history.

Can it argue with the man who fashioned it,
one vessel among earthen vessels?
Does the clay say to its fashioner, 'What are you making?',
does the thing he shaped say, 'You have no skill'?
Woe to him who says to a father, 'What have you begotten?'
or a woman, 'To what have you given birth?'

Thus says Yahweh,
the Holy One, he fashions Israel:
Is it for you to question me about my children
and to dictate to me what mu hands should do?
I it was who made the earth,
and created man who is on it.
I it was who spread out the heavens with my hands
and now give orders to their whole array,
I it was who roused him to victory,
I leveled the way for him.
He will rebuild my city,
will bring my exiles back
without ransom or indemnity
so says Yahweh Sabaoth.

Thus says Yahweh:
The peasants of Egypt and the traders of Cush,
and the tall men in Seba,
will submit and be yours;
they will follow you in chains.
They will bow down before you,
they will pray to you:
'With you alone is God, and he has no rival;
there is no other god'.

Truly, God is hidden with you,
the God of Israel, the saviour,
Those who opposed you will be disgraced and humiliated;
the makers of idols will go away confounded.
Israel will be saved by Yahweh,
saved everlastingly.
You will never be disgraced or humiliated
forever and ever.

Yes, thus says Yahweh,
creator of the heavens,
who is God,
who formed the earth and made it,
who set it firm,
created it no chaos,
but a place to be lived in:
'I am Yahweh, unrivaled,
I have not spoken in secret
in some corner of a darkened land.
I have not said to Jacob's descendants'
'Seek me in chaos'.
I, Yahweh, speak with directness
I express myself with clarity'. - Is. 45: 9-19 -

I think that what we suffer in this life can never be compared to the glory, as yet unrevealed which is waiting for us. The whole creation is eagerly waiting for God to reveal his sons. It was not for any fault on the part of creation that it was made unable to attain its purpose, it was made so by God; but creation still remains the hope of being freed, like us, from its slavery to decadence to enjoy the same freedom and glory as the children of God. From the beginning till now the entire creation, as we know, has been groaning in one great act of giving birth; and not only creation but all of us who possess the first-fruits of the Spirit, we too groan inwardly as we wait for our bodies to be set free. For we must be content to hope that we shall be saved - our salvation is not in sight, we should not have to be hoping for it if it were - but, as a I say, we must hope to be saved since we are not saved yet - it is something we must wait for with patience.

The Spirit too comes to help us in our weakness. For when we cannot choose words in order to pray properly, the Spirit himself expresses our plea in a way that could never be put into words and God who knows everything in our hearts knows perfectly well what he means and that the pleas of the saints expressed by the Spirit are according to the mind of God.

We know that by turning everything to their good, God cooperates with all those who love him,.............; those he called he justified and with those he justified he shared his glory.

After saying this what can we add? With God on our side who can be against us? Since God did not spare his own Son but gave him up to benefit us all, we may be certain after such a gift that he will not refuse anything he can give. Could anyone accuse those that God has chosen? When God acquits, could anyone condemn? Could Christ Jesus? No! He not only died for us - he rose from the dead and there at God's right hand he stands and pleads for us.

Nothing therefore can come between us and the love of Christ even if we are troubled or worried or being persecuted or lacking food or clothes or being threatened or even attacked. As scripture promised: For your sake we are being massacred daily and reckoned as sheep for the slaughter. These are the trails through which we triumph by the power of him who loved us.

For I am certain of this; neither death nor life, no angel, no prince, nothing that exists, nothing still to come, not any power, or height or depth, nor any created thing can ever come between us and the love of God made visible in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Rom. 8:18-39 -

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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 -

The Parables of Jesus. Parable is a short, simple story designed to communicate a spiritual truth, religious principle or moral lesson; a figure of speech in which truth is illustrated by a comparison or example drawn from everyday experiences.

A parable is often no more than an extended metaphor or smile using figurative language in the form of a story to illustrate a particular truth. The Greek word for parable literally means 'a laying by the side of' or 'a casting alongside' thus 'a comparison or likeness'. In a parable something is placed alongside something else in order that one may throw light on the other. A familiar custom or incidents is used to illustrate some truth less familiar.

Although Jesus was the master of the parabolic form, He was not the first to use parables. Examples of the effective use of parables are found in the Old Testament. Perhaps, the best known of these is prophet Nathan parable of the rich man who took the one little ewe lamb that belonged to a poor man. - 2Sam. 12:1-4 - By means of this parable, prophet Nathan reproved King David and convinced him of his sin of committing adultery with Bathsheba. - 2Sam. 12:5-15 - A wise woman of Tekoa also used a parable to convince King David to let his son return to Jerusalem. - 2Sam. 14:5-7 -

Jesus' characteristic method of teaching was through parables. Some entire chapters in the Gospels are devoted to Jesus' parables. Although parables are often memorable stories impressing the listener with a clear picture of the truth even the disciples were sometimes confused as to the meaning of parables. For instance, after Jesus told the parable of the darnel, the disciples needed interpretation in order to understand its meaning. - Matt. 13:24-30, 36-43 - Jesus sometimes used the parabolic form of teaching to reveal the truth to those who followed Him and to conceal the truth from those who did not. His parables thus fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah 6:9-10. Like a double edged sword, they cut two ways - enlightening those who sought the truth and blinding those were disobedient.

Most of Jesus' parables have one central point thus, we should not resort to fanciful interpretations that find "spiritual truth" in every minute detail of the parable. The central point of the parable of the Good Samaritan is that a 'hated' Samaritan proved to be a neighbour to the wounded man. He showed the traveler the mercy and compassion denied to him by the priest and the Levite, representative of the established religion. The one central point of this parable is that we should extend compassion to others. - Luke 10:25-37 -

In finding the central meaning of a parable, we needs to discover the meaning the parable had in the time of Jesus. We need to relate the parable to Jesus' proclamation of the kingdom of God and to His miracles. This means that parables are more than simple folk stories; they are expressions of Jesus' view of God, man, salvation and the new age which dawned in His ministry. A good example of this approach are the parables dealing with the four 'lost' things in Luke 15:3-32; the lost sheep, the lost coin and the two lost sons.

A major theme in Jesus' parables is the demand of following Him in authentic discipleship. In the parable of the great supper, Jesus showed clearly that the time for decision is now. - Luke 14:28-32 -

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Faith . Hope . Love - Welcome donation. 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 -

The Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible depicts man as sinner abiding in death and destined for death. He abides in death because he is separated from fellowship with God and unable to resolve that life-giving fellowship. The sentence of death hangs over man because of his identity with Adam's fall, his enmity toward God and his constant sinning. Ultimately, this will result in physical death and eternal suffering in Hell.

Well then, sin entered the world through one man, and through sin death, and thus death has spread through the whole human race because everyone has sinned. Sin existed in the world long before the Law was given. There was no law and so no one could be accused of the sin of "law-breaking" yet death reigned over all from Adam to Moses, even though their sin unlike that of Adam,was not a matter of breaking a law. - Rom. 5:12-24 -

But what proves that God loves us is that Christ died for us while we were still sinners. - Rom. 5:8 -

In the Old Testament times by which man hoped to atone for his sins and restore fellowship with God refers to Sacrificial Offerings. God, however, provided a method by which man's penalty can be paid and fellowship with God can be restored. This method is the sacrificial offering of Jesus Christ. - Heb. 9 & 10 -

The first sacrifice was made by God; it consisted of animals slain to cover man's sin. This was followed by the offerings of Cain and Abel. Only Abel's offering was a true sacrifice made in faith because Abel recognised his unworthiness and the divine promise of a true and perfect redeemer. - Gen. 4:3-5; Heb. 1:4 - After this sacrifice provided by God, godly people (pagans) offered similar blood sacrifices and imitates likeness.

The Old Testament, Mosaic system of sacrificial offerings and the following specific sacrificial offerings were provided for in the Mosaic Law: Burnt offering, Cereal, Meat and Meal Offering, Guilt and Sin Offering, Heave, Wave and Peace Offering, Thanks Offering, Trespass Offering. The general word for sacrifices in the Mosaic Law was 'qorban' literally 'that which is brought near'. The word 'qorban' was used of anything given or devoted to God, so it included more than sacrifices presented at the altar. Sacrifice, however, referred to items placed on the altar to be consumed by God. The Old Testament also referred to sacrifices as food for Jehovah and an offering made by the fire for the satisfaction of Jehovah. - Lev. 2:2,9, 3:11,16, 22:7 -

As a spiritual being, God did not need physical food. Nevertheless, He did insist that these sacrifices be given to Him. Sacrifice as worship is man giving back to God what God has previously given him as a means of grace. Ultimately, these sacrifices speak of the one final and perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

The efficacy of Christ's sacrifice - All the priests stand at their duties everyday, offering over and over again the same sacrifices which are quite incapable of taking sins away. He, on the other hand, has offered one single sacrifice for sins and then taken his place forever, at the right hand of God where he is now waiting until his enemies are made into a footstool for him. By virtue of that one single offering, he has achieved the eternal perfection of all whom he is sanctifying. The Holy Spirit assures us of this; for he says, first:

This is the covenant I will make with them
when those days arrive;
and the Lord then goes on to say:
I will put my laws into their hearts
and write them on their minds,
I will never call their sins to mind,
or their offenses.
When all sins have been be forgiven there can be no more sin offerings. - Heb. 10:11-18 -

                                                                      Page 1

Faith . Hope . Love - Welcome donation. 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 -