The five books of the Pentateuch can be described as follows:

- 1 - Genesis - This 'book of beginnings' contains very ancient material, describing man's place in God's creation and the unfolding of human history. It begins with an account of how the universe came into existence - 1:1-2:4 - followed by narratives about Adam and Eve and their sin of disobedience - 2:5- 3:24 - The descendants of Adam are described and after this the reasons for a disastrous flood and its consequences. - 4:1-5:32, 6:1-9:29 - Nations spread across the Near East after the Flood - 10:1-11:32 - and Abraham became prominent after obeying God's call. - 12:1-25:11 - Thereafter the narratives continue with Ismael, Isaac, and Jacob - 25:12-36:43 - concluding with the story of Joseph's career. - 37:1-50:26 -

Genesis is important for its theology of creation, sin, and the divine plan of salvation because it provides answers about these matters. If Sacred Scripture did not begin in this way, New Testament theology would have little foundation in history. Genesis deals with real peoples. Near Eastern archaeological discoveries provide an important background to the narratives which describe their activities. The covenants between God and persons such as Noah and Abraham point forward to the covenant under Moses at Mount Sinai. They also point to the new covenant in Jesus Christ.

No author is named for the Book of Genesis, although it has always been regarded as a cornerstone of the Law, and therefore probably written by Moses. In contrast to the artificial sources proposed by liberal criticism, genuine blocks of source material can be recognized in the narratives. Eleven such units can be recovered by stopping at the phrase, 'These are the generations [that is, family histories] of' and regarding that as the conclusion of a section rather than as heading. These units are written according to the pattern of ancient Mesopotamian writings.

Genesis was apparently complied by placing these units end to end and adding the stories of Joseph. Most probably the latter were written by Moses, who attached them to the ancient narratives and transferred the completed Book of Genesis to a leather scroll. There is no actual proof that the book was assembled in this manner, but it seems most probable.

- 2 - Exodus - This book deals with the miracle of Israel's deliverance from Egypt and with God's covenant relationship with the Israelites at Mount Sinai. Preliminaries to the departure from Egypt - 1:1-4:28 - are followed by the circumstances leading up to the Exodus, including the ten 'Plagues Of Egypt' and the celebrating of the first PASSOVER - 4:29-12:36 - The deliverance from Egypt and the subsequent journey to Sinai - 12:37-19:2 - precede the giving of the Law of God through Moses - 19:3-31:8 - in spite of intervals of idolatry - 32:1-33:23 - A renewal of the covenant relationship is followed by narratives describing the construction of the Tabernacle.

The Book of Exodus continues Hebrew history from the death of Joseph, showing how the sons of Jacob became a distinctive nation. The Covenant was central to this event. It bound God and Israel in an agreement by which God undertook to provide for all His people's material needs, including a land in which to live, if they would worship Him alone as the one true God and live as a holy community. Central to the rules of the covenant were the 'Ten Commandments' which are still fundamental to any relationship with God . The tabernacle was a portable place of worship which was placed in the center of Israel's wilderness encampment, symbolizing God's presence in their midst.

- 3 - Leviticus - This is a book for both priest and peoples. The priests were responsible for teaching the Law to the people, conducting sacrificial worship in the tabernacle according to the directions given by God, and ordering the life of the community. Because Israel was meant to live as a holy people - Ex. 19:6 - Leviticus contained regulations for both the spiritual and material aspects of life. These rules can be divided into five sections: ( 1 ) - sacrificial laws - chapter 1 to 7 - ( 2 ) - laws governing ordination - chapter 8 to 10 - ( 3 ) - laws about impurities - chapter 11 to 16 - ( 4 ) - laws about holiness - chapter 17 to 26 - ( 5 ) - rules governing vows - chapter 27 -

All this material was divinely revealed to the nation of Israel directly from God. No part of it has been adopted from any other nation. The Year of Jubilee legislation is unique in the Near East. - 25:8-17 - Leviticus continues the narratives of Exodus, but it emphasizes the way in which His people are to live. Holiness must govern the community and this must be reflected by everyone, not just the priesthood. - 11:44 -

- 4 - Numbers - This book follows the lead given by Leviticus in emphasizing the holiness of Israel. All the various elements that make up the book bear upon this important concept. The book can be divided into three broad sections: ( 1 ) - the departure from Sinai - 1:1-11:11 - ( 2 ) - the journey to Kadesh - 10:11-20:21 - ( 3 ) - the journey from Kadesh to Moab. - 20:22-30:13 - The holiness of the tabernacle is central, as is the important place that the Levites occupied in relation to the Aaronic priesthood. - 8:5-26 - The description of the wilderness wanderings show how quickly divine blessing could turn to severe judgment whenever God's commandments were broken.

The disobedience and idolatry of the Israelites is a sad theme in Numbers. Even Moses was not totally obedient to God. Although he brought Israel to Moab and within sight of the Promised Land, he was not privileged to lead the nation across the Jordan River. The book ends with the nation looking forward to the settlement of Canaan.

- 5 - Deuteronomy - This book may be described as a covenant - renewal document that begins with a review of Israel's departure from Sinai - 1:1-4:40 - describes the religious foundation of the nation - 4:44-26:19 - re-establishes the covenant - 27:1-30:20 - and narrates the final days of Moses - 31:1-34:12 - In Deuteronomy Moses looks back upon God's blessing and provision while looking forward to the time when Israel will occupy the Promised Land.

The language of the book is noble oratory that glorifies the righteous and faithful God of Sinai and encourages the response of His people in obedience and faithfulness. The God reveals Moses' addresses is not only the Judge of all the earth, but also the loving Father of mankind. Moses predicts a dark future for the nation if it does not follow the covenant principles and remain faithful to God. Israel is reminded that the privileges of covenant relationship with God's also carry responsibilities.

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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
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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 -

Pentateuch is a Greek term meaning 'five-volume' which refers to the first five books of the Old Testament. The Jews traditionally refer to this collection as 'the Book of the Law' or simply 'the Law'. Another word for this collection, 'Torah' apparently means 'instruction, teaching or doctrine.' It describes such basic sections of the Pentateuch as Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy.

This ancient division of the Law into five sections is supported by the 'Septuagint' a third century B.C. translation of the Hebrew Old Testament into Greek, and also by the Samaritan Pentateuch which is even earlier. The five books together present a history of humanity from creation to the death of Moses, with particular attention to the development of the Hebrew people. The activity of God receives special emphasis throughout, and the Pentateuch reveals a great deal about God's nature and His purposes for mankind..

The Pentateuch is generally divided into six major sections: (1) the creation of the world and its inhabitants - Genesis 1-11 - (2) the period from Abraham to Joseph - Genesis 12-50 - (3) Moses and the departure of the Israelites from Egypt - Exodus 1-18 - (4) God's revelation at Sinai - Exodus 19-Numbers 10 - (5) the wilderness wanderings - Numbers 11-36 - (6) the addresses of Moses - Deuteronomy 1-34 -

From the time it was written, the Pentateuch was consistently accepted as the work of Moses. His specific writing or compiling activity is mentioned in the Pentateuch - Ex. 17:14, 24:4, 34:27 - while in the post-exilic writings the Law or Torah, was often attributed directly to Moses. - Neh. 8:1; 2Chr. 25:4, 35:12 - This tradition was supported by Christ in the New Testament times.

Now about the dead rising again, have you never read in the Book of Moses, in the passage about the Bush, how God spoke to him and said: I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob? He is God, not of the dead, but of the living. You are very much mistaken. - Mark 12:26-27; Ex. 3:6 -

Jesus answered, 'One work I did, and you are all surprised by it. Moses ordered you to practice circumcision - not that it began with him, it goes back to the patriarchs - and you circumcise on the Sabbath. Now if a man can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the Law of Moses is not broken, why are you angry with me for making a man whole and complete on a Sabbath? Do not keep judging according to appearances; let your judgment be according to what is right.' - John 7: 21-24 -

The Pentateuch was also called the Law of the Lord - 2Chr. 31:3; Luke 2:22-24 - and the Book of the Law of God. - Neh. 8:18 - The word book should not be understand in its modern sense, for several different writing materials were used by Old Testament Scribes, including papyrus and leather scrolls or sheets, pieces of broken pottery, clay tablets and stone. The word book has two important usages in connection with the Law. First, it indicates that the material referred to was in written form at an early period. Second, it shows the combination of divine authorship and human transmission that gave the Law its supreme authority and made it The Book for the ancient Hebrews.

The Mosaic authorship of the Pentateuch was accepted without question for centuries by both Jews and Christians. Occasionally, the account of Moses' death was questioned - Deut. 34:5-8 - but in the Jewish Talmud, a collection of rabbinical laws and interpretations of the Torah, the section was said to have been written by Joshua. In the Middle Ages Jewish and Christian scholars began to point to supposed contradictions and insertions in the Law, some of the latter being credited to Ezra.

In spite of these objections, most people believed unquestioningly in Moses as the author. However, in the 19th century the Book of Deuteronomy began to be regarded as the Law Scroll found in the time of Joshua and written about that period. - 2Kin. 22:3-10 - The view of the compilation of the Pentateuch has had its critics at every stage. The Ebla Tablet discoveries show that a sophisticated language was in use in the ancient world about 2500 B.C. And it is now known that all priestly pronouncements dealing with social organization in the ancient world are always early rather than late, because priests were originally responsible for such matters. Furthermore, exhaustive comparative studies have shown that no other composition of the ancient Near East was assembled in the manner that liberal scholars claimed was the case with the Pentateuch. Archaeological and linguistic studies have confirmed many old customs recorded in the Pentateuch. These discoveries have provided an excellent background against which we can understand the Law of Moses.

To date, no articles that would prove the existence of such persons as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob have been recovered. But if the traditions about nature and location of the cave of Machpelah are correct, we know the actual burial place of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, and Jacob. Studies in Genesis have shown that the book was compiled from genuine literary sources. But these are vastly different from those imagined by liberal scholarship. Generally speaking, the liberal view has failed to take account of ancient methods of compiling and transmitting information. Liberal scholars have supposed that Western editorial methods can be applied equally well to Near Eastern compositions which is simply not true.

Whereas the 19th century critics relied heavily upon the handing down of material by word of mouth [oral and written tradition] subsequent studies have shown that anything of importance in the ancient world was written down when it happened or shortly afterward. Furthermore, this record was quite independent of any verbal accounts passed on to later generations. Not all written or spoken material survived, of course; but it is enough to provide us with the Pentateuch, as well as other Sacred Scriptures.

Finally, any suggestion that the five books of Moses are basically fraudulent in nature, not actually having been compiled or written by Moses, is contrary to Jewish tradition, as well as the nature of God as revealed in the Torah. The five books of the Pentateuch can be described as follow: Genesis -

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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 desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is created by God and for God; and God never ceases to draw man to himself. Only in God will he find the truth and happiness he never stops searching for:

The dignity of man rests above all on the fact that he is called to communion with God. This invitation to converse with God is addressed to man as soon as he comes into being. For if man exists it is because God has created him through love, and through love continues to hold him in existence. He cannot live fully according to truth unless he freely acknowledges that love and entrusts himself to his creator. - CCC 27, Vatican Council II, GS 19,1-

In many ways, throughout history down to the present day, men have given expression to their quest for God in their religious beliefs and behavior: in their prayers, sacrifices, rituals, meditations, and so forth. These form of religious expression, despite the ambiguities they often bring with them, are so universal that one may well call man a religious being:
From one ancestor [God] made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and find him though indeed he is not far from each one of us. For "in him we live and move and have our being." - CCC 28, Acts 17:26-28 -

But this "intimate and vital bond of man to God" (GS 19,1) can be forgotten, overlooked or even explicitly reject by man. Such attitudes can have different causes: revolt against evil in the world; religious ignorance or indifference; the cares and riches of this world; the scandals of bad example on the part of believers; currents of thought hostile to religion; finally, that attitude of sinful man which makes him hide from God out of fear and flee his call. - CCC 29, Matt. 13:22; Gen. 3:8-10; John 1:3 -

"Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice." Although man can forget God or reject him, He never ceases to call every man to seek him, so as to find life and happiness. But this search for God demands of man every effort of intellect, a sound will, "upright heart" as well as the witness of others who teach him to seek God. - CCC 30, Ps. 105:3 -

You are great, O Lord, and greatly to be praised: great is your power and your wisdom is without measure. And man, so small a part of your creation, wants to praise you: this man, though clothed with mortality and bearing the evidence of sin and the proof that you withstand the proud. Despite everything, man, though but a small part of your creation, wants to praise you. You yourself encourage him to delight in your praise, for you have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you. - St. Augustine, Confession -

Created in God's image and called to know and love him, the person who seeks God discovers certain ways of coming to know him. These are so called proofs for the existence of God, not in the sense of proofs in the natural sciences, but rather in the sense of "converging and convincing arguments" which allows us to attain certainty about the truth.

These "ways" of approaching God from creation have a twofold point of departure: the physical world, and the human person. - CCC 31 -

The world: starting from movement, becoming, contingency, and the world's order and beauty, one can come to a knowledge of God as the origin and the end of the universe.

As St. Paul says of the Gentiles: For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Ever since the creation of the world his invisible nature, namely, his eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made. - Rom. 1:19-20; Acts 14:15-17, 17:27-28; Wis. 13:1-9 - CCC 32 -

And St. Augustine issues this challenge: Question the beauty of the earth, question the beauty of the sea, question the beauty of the air distending and diffusing itself, question the beauty of the sky...question all these realities. All respond: "See, we are beautiful" Their beauty is a profession [confessio] These beauties are subject to change. Who made them if not the Beautiful One [Pulcher] who is not subject to change?

The human person: With his openness to truth and beauty, his sense of moral goodness, his freedom and the voice of his conscience, with his longings for the infinite and for happiness, man questions himself about God's existence. In all this he discerns signs of his spiritual soul. The soul, the "seed of eternity we bear in ourselves, irreducible to the merely material" can have its origin only in God. - CCC 33, GS 18,1; 14,2 -

The world, and man , attests that they contain within themselves neither their first principle nor their final end, but rather that they participate in Being itself, which alone is without origin or end. Thus, in different ways, man can come to know that there exists a reality which is the first cause and final end of all things, a reality "that everyone calls 'God'" - CCC 34, St. Thomas Aquinas STh 1,2,3 -

Man's faculties make him capable of coming to a knowledge of the existence of a personal God. But for man to be able to enter into real intimacy with him, God willed both to reveal himself to man, and to give him the grace of being able to welcome this revelation in faith. The proofs of God's existence, however, can predispose one to faith and help one to see that faith is not opposed to reason. - CCC 35 -
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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 -

Jacob was born in answer to his father's prayer, but he became the favorite son of his mother. He was nicknamed Jacob because at the birth of the twins, 'his hand took hold of Esau's heel.' He is one of the twin sons of Isaac and Rebekah. The brother of Esau, Jacob was known also as Israel. - Gen. 25:21-28 -

According to the accounts in Genesis, He continued to 'take hold of' the possessions of others - his brother's birthright - Gen. 25:29-34 - his father's blessing - Gen 27:1-29 - and his father-in-law's flocks and herds. - Gen. 30:25-43, 31:1 -

The pattern of Jacob's life is found in his journeys, much like the travels of his grand father, Abraham. Leaving his home in Beersheba, he traveled to Bethel; later he returned to Shechem, Bethel, and Hebron. - Gen. 28:10-22, 33:18-20, 35:6-7, 27 - At Shechem and Bethel he built altars, as Abraham had done. - Gen. 12:6-8 - Near the end of his life Jacob migrated to Egypt; he died there at an advanced age. - Gen. 46-49 - The most dramatic moments in Jacob's life occurred at Bethel, at the ford of the River Jabbok, and on his deathbed. - Gen 28:10-22, 32:22-32, 49:1-33 -

The experienced at Bethel occurred when he left the family home at Beersheba to travel to Haran (a city of Mesopotamia) the residence of his uncle Laban. On the way, as he stopped for the night at Bethel, he had a dream of a staircase reaching from earth to heaven with angels upon it and the Lord above, promising Jacob inheritance of the land, descendants 'as the dust of the earth' in number, and His divine presence. Jacob dedicated the site as a place of worship, calling it Bethel (literally, House of God). More than 20 years later, Jacob returned to this spot, built an altar, called the place El Bethel (literally, God of the house of God) and received the divine blessing. - Gen. 35:6-15 -

The experience at the ford of the River Jabbok occurred as Jacob returned from his long stay at Haran. While preparing for a reunion with his brother, Esau, of whom he was still afraid, he had a profound experience that left him changed in both body and spirit. At the ford of the Jabbok, 'Jacob was left alone' - Gen. 32:7, 24 - It was night. and he found himself suddenly engaged in a wrestling match in the darkness. This match lasted until the breaking of the dawn. The socket of Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he struggled with this mysterious stranger, but he refused to release his grip until he was given a blessing. For the first time in the narrative of Genesis, Jacob had been unable to defeat an opponent. When asked to identify himself in the darkness, he confessed he was Jacob - the heel - grabber.

But Jacob's struggling earned him a new name. For his struggle 'with God and with men' in which he had prevailed, his name was changed to 'Israel' (literally, Prince with God). In return, he gave a name to the spot that marked the change; it would be called Peniel - "For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved." - Gen. 32:30 -

In these first two instances, a deep spiritual sensitivity is evident in Jacob. He appears outwardly brash and grasping, always enriching himself and securing his future. Yet, he responded readily to these night experiences - the dream and the wrestling contest - because he apparently sensed 'the presence of the Holy' in each of them. He also proved to be a man of his word in his dealings with Laban and in the fulfillment of his vow to return to Bethel. - Gen. 31:6, 35:1-3 -

At the end of his life, Jacob - now an aged man - gathered his 12 sons about his bed to tell them what should befall them 'in the last days.' Jacob addressed his sons in the order of their birth. The harshest language came against Reuben, the firstborn, who was rejected by his father for his sin - Gen. 49:3-4 - and Simeon and Levi, who were cursed for their anger and cruelty. - Gen. 49:5-7 - The loftiest language was applied to Judah, who would be praised by his brothers and whose tribe would be the source of royalty, even the ruler of the people. - Gen 49:8-12 -

Words of warning were addressed to Dan, called 'a serpent' and 'a viper' a life which would be marked by violence. - Gen. 49:16-17 - The longest speech was addressed to Joseph, Jacob's favorite son. - Gen. 49:22-26 - Following this scene, Jacob died and was embalmed by the physicians. By his own request Jacob was carried back to the land of Canaan and was buried in the family burial ground in the cave of the field of Machpelah. - Gen. 49:29-33. 50:2, 13 -

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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 -

A believer of God's is to place one's trust in God's truth; one who takes God at His word and trusts in Him for salvation. Mere assent to God's truth is not saving faith, according to the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible. Neither is total commitment of oneself to Jesus as Lord a form of saving faith. Such a view places too much emphasis on the acts of belief, as opposed to the object of belief - Jesus Christ. This view also goes beyond the scriptural/biblical evidence of a gift.

To Jews who believed in him, Jesus said:
'If you make my word your home
you will indeed be my disciples,
you will learn the truth
and the truth will make you free'. - John 8:31-32 -

Take the case, my brothers, of someone who has never done a single good act but claims that he has faith. Will that faith save him?............ 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 -

But when they believed Philip's preaching of the Good News about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, there were baptised, both men and women, and even Simon himself became a believer............ 'Pray to the Lord for me yourselves' Simon replied so that none of the things you have spoken about may happen to me.' - Acts 8:12-24 -

When Jesus heard that the Pharisees had found out that he was making and baptising more disciples than John - though in fact it was his disciples who baptised, not Jesus himself ................... But Jesus said:

My food
is to do the will of the one who sent me,
and to complete his work.
Have you not got a saying: .......
Many Samaritans of that town had believed in him on the strength of the woman's testimony...they begged him to stay with them...and they said to the woman, 'Now we no longer believe because of what you told us; we have heard him ourselves and we know that he really is the saviour of the world.' - John 4:1-42 -

Because it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith; not by anything of your own, but by a gift from God; not by anything that you have done, so that nobody can claim the credit. 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. 2:8-10 -

A belief that saves is one that trust God alone for salvation. Believers are those who have trusted God with their will as well as their heart, and mind. "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." - 2Cor. 5:17 -

While unbelief does not hinder God's faithfulness, it does affect the individual's capacity to receive the benefits of that faithfulness. Unbelief may be due to lack of faith and love in God, and His provision. "What if some of them were unfaithful? Will their lack of fidelity cancel God's fidelity?" - Rom. 3:3 - In the Old Testament, the unbelief of many Israelites, for example, kept them from seeing and entering the Promised Land. - Heb. 3:19 - The unbelief of the Nazarenes prevented them from witnessing Christ's miracles. - Matt. 13:58 - The skeptic is limited in what he/she might see or know, while 'all things are possible to him/her who believes.' - Mark 9:23 -

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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 -

For those forty days after the Lord Jesus Christ Resurrection, Our Divine Savior was preparing His Apostles to bear the loss of His Presence through the gain of the Comforter who was to come.

Jesus showed himself to these men after his death, and gave ample proof that he was alive: over a period of forty days he appeared to them and taught them about the kingdom of God. - Acts 1:3 -

It was not a period when Jesus dispensed gifts, but rather one in which He gave out laws and prepared the structure for His Mystical Body, the Universal Church. Moses had fasted days before the giving of the Law; Elijah fasted forty days before the restoration of the Law; and now for forty days the Risen Savior laid the pillars of His Universal Church, and the new Law of the Gospel. But the forties were about to end, and the Apostles were bidden to wait upon the fiftieth day - the day of jubilee.

Christ led them out as far as Bethany, which was to be the scene of the last adieu; not in Galilee but in Jerusalem, where He had suffered, would take place His return to His heavenly Father. Jesus sacrifice being completed, as He was about to ascend to His Heavenly throne, He raised His hands bearing the imprint of nails. That gesture would be one of the last recollections the Apostles would have, save one. The hands were raised first to heaven and then pulled downward to earth as if to draw its blessings on men. Pierced hands best distribute benediction. In the Book of Leviticus, after the reading of the prophetical promise of the Messiah, there came the high priestly benediction; so too, after showing that all prophecies were fulfilled in Jesus Christ, He prepared to enter the heavenly sanctuary. Hands that held the sceptre of authority in heaven and on earth now gave the final blessing:

Blessed them with uplifted hands; and in the act of blessing he parted from them... - Luke 24:51 -

He took his seat at the right hand of God. - Mark 16:19 -

And they returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and spent all their time in the temple praising God. - Luke 24:52-53 -

Had Christ remained on earth, sight would have taken the place of faith. In heaven, there will be no faith because His followers will see; they will be no hope, because they will possess; but there will be love for love endured forever! His leave-taking of the earth combined the Cross and the Crown that governed the smallest detail of His life. The Ascension took place on Mount Olive at the base of which is Bethany. He led His Apostles out through Bethany, which meant passing through Gethsemane and the very spot where He wept over Jerusalem! Not as from a throne, but from a mountain elevated above the garden with the twisted olive trees crimsoned with His Blood, did He give the final manifestation of His Divine power! His heart was embittered by His Cross, for the Ascension was the fruit of His Crucifixion. As Jesus said, it was fitting that He suffer in order to enter into His glory.

In the Ascension the Savior did not lay aside the garment of flesh with which He had been clothed; for His human nature would be the pattern of the future glory of other human natures, which would become incorporated to Him through a sharing of His life. Intrinsic and deep was the relation between His Incarnation and His Ascension. The Incarnation or the assuming of a human nature made it possible for Him to suffer and redeem. The Ascension exalted into glory that same human nature that was humbled to the death.

A Coronation upon the earth, instead of an Ascension into heaven, would have confined men thoughts of Him to the earth. But the Ascension would cause men minds and hearts to ascend above the earth. In relation to Himself, it was fitting that the human nature which He took as the instrument for teaching, and governing, and sanctifying, should partake of glory as it shared in shame. It was very hard to believe that He, Who was the Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief, was the beloved Son in Whom the Father was well pleased. It was difficult to believe that He, Who did not come down from a Cross, could ascend into heaven, or that the momentary glory that shone about Him on the Mount of the Transfiguration was a permanent possession. The Ascension put all such doubts away by introducing His human nature into intimate and eternal communion with God.

The human nature which He took was mocked as a Prophet when they blindfolded Him and asked Him to tell who struck Him; He was mocked as a King when they put upon Him a mock-robe of royalty and gave Him a reed of straw for a sceptre; finally He was mocked as a Priest when they challenged Him, Who was offering Himself as a Victim, to come down from the Cross. By the Ascension His triple office of Teacher/Prophet, King, and Priest was vindicated. but the vindication would be complete when He would come in justice as the Judge of men in the human nature which He took from men. No one to be judged could complain that God knows not the trails to which humans are subject. His very appearance as the Son of Man would prove that He had fought the same battles as men and endured the same temptations as those standing at His bar of justice. His judgment would immediately find an echo in hearts.

Another reason for the Ascension was that He might plead in heaven to His father with a human nature common to the rest of men. He could now, as it were, show the scars of His glory not only as trophies of victory but also as emblems of intercession. The night He went into the garden He prayed, as if He were already at the right hand of the Father in Heavenly abode; He uttered a prayer that was less that of a dying than that of an exalted Redeemer.

That the love thou hadst for me may be in them, and I may be in them. - John 17:26 -

While in heaven, He would be not only an Advocate of men with the Father but He would also send the Holy Spirit as man's Advocate with Him. The Christ at the right of the Father would represent humanity before the Father's throne; the Holy Spirit abiding with the faithful would represent in them the Christ Who went to the Father. In the Ascension, Christ took our necessities to the Father; thanks to the Spirit, Christ the Redeemer would be brought into the hearts of all who would believe in Him.

The Ascension would give Christ the right to intercede powerfully for mortals:

Since therefore we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast to the religion we profess. For ours is not a high priest unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who, because of his likeness to us, has been tested every way, only without sin. - Heb. 4:14-15 -

BY ARCHBISHOP FULTON J. SHEEN  ( 1895 to 1979 )

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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 second group of attributes is called moral attributes. These refer to God's character, His essential.

God is Holy. The word holy comes from a root word that means "to separate". Thus, it refers to God as separated from or exalted above other things. Holiness refers to God's moral excellence. Being holy, God demands holiness in His own children. And what He demands, He supplies. Holiness is God's gift that we receive by faith and love through His Son, Jesus Christ. - Ps. 22:3 -

And they cried out one to another in this way,
'Holy, holy, holy is Yahweh Sabaoth.
His glory fills the whole earth.' - Is. 6:3 -

Your mind must be renewed by a spiritual revolution so that you can put on the new self that has been created in God's way, in the goodness and holiness of the truth. - Eph. 4:24 -

Each of the four animals had six wings and had eyes all the way round as well as inside; and day and night they never stopped singing:
                                         'Holy, Holy, Holy
                                         is the Lord God, the Almighty;
                                         he was, he is and he is to come.' - Rev. 4:8 -

God is Righteous. Righteousness as applied to God refers to His affirmation of what is right as opposed to what is wrong. The righteousness of God refers to His moral laws laid down to guide the conduct of humankind, as in the Ten Commandments. Righteousness also refers to God's administration of justice.   He brings punishment upon the disobedient. Finally, God's righteousness is redemptive. In the Book of Romans the righteousness of God refers to God declaring the believer to be in a state of righteousness as though he had never been unrighteous. This is possible because of the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on our behalf. - Gen. 18:25; Deut. 32:4 -

Your stubborn refusal to repent is only adding to the anger God will have towards you on that day of anger when his just judgments will be known. He will repay each one as his works deserve. For those ............ on the day when, according to the Good News I preach, God, through Jesus Christ, judges the secrets of mankind. - Rom. 2:5-16 -

Both Jew and pagan sinned and forfeited God's glory, and both are justified through the free gift of his grace by being redeemed in Christ Jesus who was appointed by God to sacrifice his life so as to win reconciliation through faith. In this way God makes his justice known; first, for the past, when sins went unpunished because he held his hand, then, for the present age, by showing positively that he is just, and that he justifies everyone who believes in Jesus. - Rom. 3:24-26 -

God is Love. Love is essential, self-giving nature of God. God's love for human beings seeks to awaken a responsive love of mankind for God. Nature is eloquent with the skill, wisdom and the power of God. However, do we discover God giving Himself and all He possesses to His creatures, in order to win their response and to possess them for Himself. Divine love runs like a golden thread through the entire Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible. God loved and gave; He loved and sought - just as a shepherd seeks his sheep. God loved and suffered, providing His love by giving His all on the cross for the redemption of humanity. God, in His love, wills good for all His creatures. - Gen. 1:31; Ps. 145:9; Wisdom 1:13-14 -

He was setting out on a journey when a man ran up, knelt before him and put this question to him, 'Good master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?' Jesus said to him, 'Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. - Mark 10:17-18 -

My dear people,
let us love one another
since love comes from God
and everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.
Anyone who fails to love can never have known God,
because God is love.

God's love for us was revealed
when God sent into the world his only Son
so that we could have life through him;
this is the love I mean:
not our love for God,
but God's love for us when he sent his Son
to be the sacrifice that takes our sins away. - 1John 4:7-10 -

We ourselves have known and put our faith in
God's love towards ourselves.
God is love
and anyone who lives in love lives in God,
and God lives in him. - 1John 4:16 -

God is Truth. All truth, whether natural, physical or religious, is grounded in God. Thus, any seemingly inconsistent teaching between natural and physical sciences and God's revelation of Himself is more apparent than real. Truth is magnified in an absolute way through God's revelation.

Jesus said: I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.
No one can come to the Father except through me. - John 14:6 -

Jesus said: 'I am the resurrection.
If anyone believes in me, even though he dies he will live,
and whoever lives and believes in me
will never die.
Do you believe this?' - John 11:25-26 -

God is Wisdom. God's wisdom is revealed in His doing the best thing, in the best way, at the best time for the best purpose. Some people may have knowledge and human wisdom, but no divine wisdom, while the most wise at times have little knowledge and little wisdom. But God is 'the only wise God. In creation. history, human lives, redemption, and Christ, His divine wisdom is revealed. Human being, lacking divine wisdom, can claim God's wisdom simply by asking. - 1Kin. 3:9; 1Tim. 1:17 -

Glory to him who is able to give you strength to live according to the Good News I preach, and in which I proclaim Jesus Christ, the revelation of a mystery kept secret for endless age, but now so clear that it must be broadcast to pagans everywhere to bring them to the obedience of faith. This is only what scripture has predicted, and it is all part of the way the eternal God wants things to be. He alone is wisdom, give glory therefore to him through Jesus Christ forever and ever. Amen. - Rom. 16:25-27 -

If there is anyone of you who needs wisdom, he must ask God, who gives to all freely and ungrudgingly; it will be given to him. But he 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 anything. - James 1:5-8 -

The believer's understanding of God continues to increase throughout his/her earthly pilgrimage. It will finally be complete in eternity when he/she stands in the presence of God.

                                                                    Page 2
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 -

Although the full revelation of God was in Jesus Christ, the human mind cannot fully understand God. The reason is the limitation of the human mind. How can man's finite mind understand the infinity of God? It is not possible. Another reason for this is that Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible does not record all the actions and the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. "There were many other things that Jesus did; if all were written down, the world itself, I suppose, would not hold all the books that would have to be written." - John 21:25 - Since we cannot fully understand God, we still can know Him. We know God through a personal relationship of faith, hope, and love.

God may be described in terms of attributes. An attribute is an inherent characteristic of a person or being. While we cannot describe God in a comprehensive way, we can learn about Him and know Him by examining His attributes. The first group is known as the natural attributes of God.

God is Spirit. Jesus taught that "God is Spirit". God has no body, no physical or measurable form. Thus, God is invisible. He became visible in human form in the person of Jesus Christ, but God essence is invisible.

God is Spirit,
and those who worship
must worship in spirit and truth. - John 4:24 -

God is Changeless. Progress and change may characterize some of His works, but God Himself remains unchanged. He does not change, otherwise, He would not be perfect. Thus, what we know of God can be known with certainty. He is not different from one time to another.

It is you, Lord, who laid earth's foundations in the beginning, the heavens are the work of your hands; all will vanish, though you remain, all wear out like a garment. But yourself, you never change and your years are unending. - Heb. 1:10-12 -

God is All Powerful. God's power is infinite and unlimited. God can do anything that is not inconsistent with His nature, character, and purpose. The only limitations on God's power are imposed by Himself. 'Impossible' is not in God's vocabulary. God creates and sustains all things; yet He never grows weary. - Gen. 17:1, 18:14, 25 -      
                        
                         How can you say, Jacob,
                         how can you insist, Israel,
                         'My destiny is hidden from Yahweh,
                         my rights are ignored by my God'?
                         Did you not know?
                         Had you not heard?

                         Yahweh is and everlasting God,
                          he created the boundaries of the earth.
                          He does not grow tired or weary,
                          his understand is beyond fathoming.
                          He gives strength to the wearied,
                          he strengthens the powerless.

                          Young men may grow tired and weary,
                           youths may stumble,
                           but those who hope in Yahweh renew their strength,
                           they put out wings like eagles.
                           They run and do not grow weary,
                           walk and never tire. - Isaiah 40:27-31 -

God is All Knowing. God possess all knowledge. Because God is everywhere at one and the same time, He knows everything simultaneously. That God has the power to know the thoughts and motives of every heart is evident from many scripture passages. - Job 37:16, 38:39; Psalm 147:5; Heb. 3:13 -

How rich are the depths of God - how deep his wisdom and knowledge - and how impossible to penetrate his motives or understand his methods! Who could ever know the mind of the Lord? Who could ever be his counsellor? Who could ever give him anything or lend him anything? All that exists comes from him; all is by him and for him. To him be glory forever! Amen. - Rom. 11:33-36 -

God is Everywhere. God is not confined to any part of the universe but is present in all His power at every point in space and every moment in time. Thus, God does not belong to any one nation or generation. He is the God of all the earth. - Gen. 18:25; Sirach 16:17-18; Jer. 23:23-24 -

Where could I go to escape your spirit?
Where could I flee from your presence?
If I climb the heavens, you are there,
there too, if I lie in Sheol.

If I flew to the point of sunrise,
or westward across the sea,
your hand would still be guiding me,
your right hand holding me.

If I asked darkness to cover me,
and light to become night around me,
that darkness would not be dark to you,
night would be as light as day. - Ps. 139:7-12 -

God is Eternal. Eternity refers to God's relation to time. Past, Present, and Future are known equally to Him. Time is like a parade that man sees only a segment at a time. But God sees time in its entirety.

You can turn man back into dust
by saying, 'Back to where you were, you sons of men!'
To you, a thousand years are a single day,
a yesterday now over, an hour of the night. - Ps. 90:3-4 -

But there is one thing, my friends, that you must not forget: that with the Lord, 'a day' can mean a thousand years, and a thousand years is like a day. - 2Peters 3:8 -

The second group of attributes is called moral attributes. These refer to God's character, His essential nature.

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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 -

When Jesus clashed with the Sadducees is recorded in all the three synoptic Gospels.

That day some Sadducees - who deny that there is resurrection - approached him and they put this question

Apparently, one of the favourite sports of the Sadducees was to make fun of their opponents by showing how their beliefs led to ridiculous conclusions. They approached Jesus Christ with a "what if" question, designed to show the absurd consequences that can arise from believing in the resurrection of the dead. "Suppose" they asked, a woman had seven husbands in this life, and each of them died without leaving children? Whose wife would she be in the world to come?

Jesus replied with a two-part answer. First, He said that they were wrong to suggest that earthly relationship, such as marriage, will continue after the resurrection. Second, Jesus pointed out that they were wrong in not believing in the resurrection at all: 'Have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?" God is not the God of the dead, but of the living" - Ex. 3:6,15-16; Matt. 22:31-32 -

Jesus' explicitly explained was that God told Moses that He was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Of course, these three men had died long before the time of Moses. Yet, if they were not 'alive' at the time of Moses (that is, if they did not live on after their deaths) then God would not have called Himself their God, for "God is not the God of the dead, but of the living". Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob must live on if God is still their God; therefore, it is wrong to deny life after death and the resurrection of the dead.

After posing His reasons, Jesus stated clearly that the Sadducees were greatly mistaken in their beliefs. - Mark 12:27 - And Jesus' teaching made a deep impression on the people who heard it and the Sadducees were silenced.

But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees they got together and, to disconcert him, one of them put a question. 'Master, which is the greatest commandment of the Law?' Jesus said, 'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second resembles it: You must love your neighbour as your yourself. On these two commandments hang the whole law, and the Prophets also.'

While the Pharisees were gathered round, Jesus put to them this question, 'What is your opinion about the Christ? Whose son is he?' 'David's ' they told him. 'Then how is it' he said 'that David, moved by the Spirit, calls him Lord, where he says:

                                               The Lord said to my Lord:
                                               Sit at my right hand
                                               and I will put your enemies
                                              under your feet?


'If David can call him Lord, then how can he be his son?' Not one could think of anything to say in reply, and from that day no one dared to ask him any further questions. - Matt. 22:34-46 -

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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 -

Sadducees are members of a Jewish faction that opposed Jesus during His ministry. Known for their denial of the bodily resurrection, the Sadducees came from the leading families of the nation - the priests, merchants, and aristocrats. The high priest and the most powerful members of the priesthood were mainly Sadducees. - Acts 5:17 -

Many of the wealthy lay people were also Sadducees. This may be the reason why the Sadducees gave the impression of wanting to preserve things as they were. They enjoyed privileged positions in society and managed to get along well under Roman rule. Any movement that might upset order and authority was bound to appear dangerous in their eyes.

The Sadducees rejected the 'tradition of the elders' that body of oral and written commentary which interpreted the law of Moses This automatically placed them in direct conflict with another Jewish group, the Pharisees, who had made the traditions surrounding the Law almost as important as the Law itself. The Sadducees insisted that only the laws that were written in the law of Moses (the PENTATEUCH, the first five books of the Old Testament) were really binding. They thought this way because of religious practices that had taken place for several centuries.

For many years the priests were in charge of teaching the law of God to the Israelites; they were the authorities to go to for interpretation or application of the law. - Deut 17:8-13 - Unfortunately, the leading priests lost the respect of the peoples by becoming corrupt and arrogant. When this happened, many Jews began to respond to the Scribes, peoples who had become experts in God's law and who usually lived pious, disciplined lives, although many of them are not priests.

People began to follow the teaching of the scribes and to let the scribes interpret the law of God for them. The 'tradition of the elders' which followed was made up of customs, ruling, and interpretations that the scribes passed on as the authoritative way in which God's law should be applied. The Sadducees rejected this approach to authority in favour of the written law of Moses. They felt the original law alone could be trusted. Naturally, they felt Sadducean priests should be the ones to serve as the law's interpreters.

The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the dead or the immortality of the soul, since these doctrine are not mentioned in the law of Moses. Neither did they believe in rewards or punishments handed out after dead, as in the doctrines of heaven and hell. They also did not believe in angels and spirits, either, but they believed in free will - that man is responsible for his/her own prosperity and misfortune. They interpreted the law literally and tended to support strict justice as opposed to mercy toward the offender.

As soon as Paul's said this a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was split between the two parties. For the Sadducees say there is nether resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, while the Pharisees accept all three. - Acts 23:7-8 -

A few references are made to the Sadducees in the New Testament. They opposed the early Church, much more so than even the Pharisees. Since the chief priests usually came from among the Sadducees, it is clear that they played a major role in the arrest of Jesus and the preliminary hearing against Jesus Christ, and they urged Pilate to crucify Him. Jesus warned His disciples about the "leaven"-the "doctrine" or teaching - of the Sadducees. And John the Baptist was suspicious of their supposed "repentance".

But even on this point their evidence was conflicting. The high priest then stood up before the whole assembly and put this question to Jesus, 'Have you no answer to that? What is this evidence these men are bringing against you?' But Jesus was silent and made no answer at all. The high priest put a second question to him, 'Are you the Christ' he said 'the Son of the Blessed One?' 'I am' said Jesus 'and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.' The high priest tore his robes, 'What need of witnesses have we now?' he said, 'You heard the blasphemy. What is your finding?' And they all gave their verdict: he deserved to die. - Mark 14:59-64 -

First thing in the morning, the chief priest together with the elders and scribes, in short the whole Sanhedrin, had their plan ready. They had Jesus bound and took him away and handed him over to Pilate. For Pilate realized it was out of jealousy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over. The chief priests, however, had incited the crowd to demand that he should release Barabbas for them instead. Then Pilate spoke again, 'But in that case' he said to them 'what am I to do with the man you call king of the Jews?' They shouted back, 'Crucify him!' 'Why!' Pilate asked them 'What harm has he done?' But they shouted all the louder, 'Crucify him!' - Mark 15:1, 10-14 -

The Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked if he would show them a sign from heaven.  He replied............ How could you fail to understand that I was not talking about bread? What I said was: Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Then they understood that he was telling them to be on their guard, not against the yeast for making bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. - Matt. 16:1-12 -

But when John the Baptist saw a number of Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism he said to them, 'Brood of vipers, who warned you to fly from the retribution that is coming? But if you are repentant, produce the appropriate fruit, and do not presume to tell yourselves, "We have Abraham for our father" because I tell you, God can raise children for Abraham from these stones. Even now the axe is laid to the roots of the trees, so that any tree which fails to produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown on the fire. I baptise you in water for repentance, but the one who follows me is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to carry his sandals; he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in his hand; he will clear his threshing-floor and gather his wheat into the barn; but the chaff he will burn in afire that will never go out. - Matt. 3:7-12 -

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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 -

In the New Testament, Sadducees are members of a Jewish faction that opposed Jesus during His ministry. Unlike the Sadducees, the Pharisees did believe in the resurrection of the dead. The Sadducees came from the leading families of the nation-the priests, merchants, and aristocrats. On this point, the Pharisees were on common ground with the early Christians.

Now Paul was well aware that one section was made up of Sadducees and the other of Pharisees, so he called out in the Sanhedrin, 'Brothers, I am a Pharisee and the son of Pharisees. It is for our hope in the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.'.......Next night, the Lord appeared to him and said, 'Courage! You have borne witness for me in Jerusalem, now you must do the same in Rome'. - Acts 23:6-11 -

The Pharisees and their scribes enjoyed a good deal of popular support. In one way this is surprising, since the Pharisees kept apart from other Jews. They always seemed to be ready to criticize others for not keeping the laws, and they often looked down on 'sinners' who showed no interest in God's law. - Mark 2:16; Luke 7:39, 15:2, 18:11 -

Still, unlike the Sadducees, who were mostly rich landowners and powerful priests, many Pharisees were ordinary people. And even though other Jews could not be bothered with observing all the details of the law, they respected the Pharisees for making the effort. Even Saint Paul credited unbelieving Jews with having a 'zeal for God' - Rom 10:2 - even though it was misguided. He probably was thinking primarily of the Pharisees when he wrote these words.

In the New Testament, the Pharisees appear frequently in the accounts of Jesus' ministry and the history of the early Church. In these passages a number of the typical failings of the Pharisees are evident. Of course, not all Pharisees failed in all these points - and the same failings can be found among religious people of any age. Pharisees observed the Law carefully as far as appearances went, but their hearts were far from God. Their motives were wrong because they wanted the praise of men. They also had evil desires that were hidden by their pious show. That is why Pharisees are often called hypocrites: their hearts did not match their outward appearance.

Be careful not to parade your good deeds before men to attract their notice; by doing this you will lose all reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give alms, do not have it trumpeted before you; this is what the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win men admiration. I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. And when you pray, do not imitate the hypocrites: they love to say their prayers standing up in the synagogues and at the street corners for people to see them. I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. When you fast do not put on a gloomy look as the hypocrites do: they pull long faces to let men know they are fasting. I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. - Matt. 6:1-2, 5, 16 -

Then addressing the people and his disciples Jesus said: The scribes and the Pharisees occupy the chair of Moses. You must therefore do what they tell you and listen to what they say; but do not be guided by what they do: since they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on peoples shoulder, but will they lift a finger to move them? Not they! Everything they do is done to attract attention. - Matt. 23:1-5, 25-28 -

The Pharisees thought they could match God's standards by keeping all the outward rules. Saint Luke 18:9 says they trusted in themselves that they were righteous [self-righteous] This can easily happen when people think God's will is the same things as their list of what they can and cannot do. God is infinite, but human being is finite. This is explicit, that is.

The scribes and the Pharisees desire to keep all of God's laws was commendable, but sometimes they put the emphasis on the wrong places. Minor details became a major preoccupation, and they forgot the more important things. Finally, because of the scribes and the Pharisees self-righteousness, self-glorification, and thought that they were doing their best to keep God's laws while others were not, they often looked down on such 'sinners' - people like tax collectors and prostitutes. Religious peoples need to remember that they too, are sinners in God's eyes, and that Jesus Christ died for everyone.

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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 -