Jesus Christ, fully human and fully divine is among us. He is risen from the dead. We meet Jesus Christ face to face in love each time we gather to celebrate the "Holy Eucharist or Holy Communion or Holy Mass." In the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible, Jesus speaks of His Church, the community that lives and grows by remembering Him in the Holy Eucharist or Holy Mass. Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God did not deny it. Instead, He turned to Simon Peter and said:

Who do you say I am? Then Simon Peter spoke up, "You are the Christ" he said "the Son of the living God." Jesus replied, 'Simon son of Jonah, you are a happy man! Because it was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold against it. - Matt. 16:15-18 -

After having said that, Jesus instituted the Eucharistic celebration in Matthew 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22:19-20; John 6:51-58 -

Now as they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and when he had said the blessing he broke it and gave it to the disciples. "Take it and eat;" he said "this is my body." Then he took a cup, and when he had returned thanks he gave it to them. "Drink all of you from this" he said "for this is my blood, the blood of the covenant which is to be poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." - Matt. 26:26-28 -

Then he took some bread, and when he had given thanks, broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body which will be given for you; do this as memorial of me." He did the same with the cup after supper, and said, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood which will be poured out for you." - Luke 22:19-20 -

Jesus said: I am the living bread which has come down from heaven.
Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever;
and the bread that I shall give
is my flesh, for the life of the world.

I tell you most solemnly,
if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man
and drink his blood,
you will not have life in you.

Anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood
has eternal life,
and I shall raise him up on the last day.
For my flesh is real food
and my blood is real drink.
He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood
lives in me
and I lives in him.

As I, who am sent by the living Father,
myself draw life from the Father,
so whoever eats me will draw life from me.
This is the bread come down from heaven;
not like the bread our ancestors ate:
they are dead.
but anyone who eats this bread will live for ever. - John 6: 51-58 -

Saint Paul, further confirmed the institution of the Holy Eucharist by the Lord Jesus Christ:

This is the reason, my dear brothers and sisters, why you must keep clear of idolatry. I say to you as sensible people: judge for yourselves what I am saying. The blessing cup that we bless is a communion with the blood of Christ and the bread that we break is a communion with the body of Christ. The fact that there is only one loaf means that, though there are many of us, we form a single body because we all have a share in this one loaf. - 1Cor. 10:14-17 -

For this is what I received from the Lord, and in turn passed on to you: that on the same night that he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread, and thanked God for it and broke it, and he said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this as a memorial of me." In the same way he took the cup after supper and said, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Whenever you drink it, do this as a memorial of me." Until the Lord comes, therefore, every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are proclaiming his death, and so anyone who eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will be behaving unworthily towards the body and blood of the Lord.

Everyone is to recollect himself before eating this bread and drinking this cup; because a person who eats and drinks without recognizing the Body is eating and drinking his own condemnation. In fact, that is why many of you are weak and ill and some of you have died. If only we recollected ourselves, we should not be punished like that. But when the Lord does punish us like that, it is to correct us and stop us from being condemned with the world. - 1Cor. 11:23-32 -

After Jesus died, and even after He ascended into heaven, the Apostles were afraid. They feared that they, too, might be killed. But after the Holy Spirit came upon them at Pentecost, filling them with courage and understanding, they remembered of the Holy Eucharist or Holy Mass that instituted by the Lord Jesus Christ. Now they asked themselves; How shall we do this remembering? One of the questions that needed answering was: Is the Holy Eucharist or Holy Mass part of the regular Jewish prayer in the Temple?

At first it seemed that it was. After they finished their prayers in the Temple, the Apostles would return home and celebrate Holy Eucharist or Holy Mass. The Temple services seemed to be a natural, prayerful beginning for the Mass/Eucharist.

But one day as they were entering the Temple, apostle Peter and apostle John cured a lame man in the name of Jesus. - Acts 3:1-26 - The leaders of the Jews were angry and furious; they had forbidden anyone ever to mention the name of Jesus in the Temple. Soon these leaders forbade the Apostles ever to enter the Temple again. These same peoples put apostle Peter in prison, and they stoned to death a deacon named Stephen [first Christian martyr]. Eventually, Jesus' believers, followers stopped praying in the Temple, and decided: Christian Holy Eucharist or Holy Mass is not part of Jewish prayer.

Another question the Apostles had to deal with was: How do people qualify to take part in the Holy Eucharist or Holy Mass? 

A great many of Jesus' early believers and followers after the Pentecost were Jews from Jerusalem. They were pious people who loved their Jewish prayers and customs. But many of Saint Paul's newly converted Christians were Gentiles - non Jews. Soon some of the Christian Jews began to insist that any Gentile who wanted to become a disciple or follower of Christ should become a Jew.

Saint Paul was a Jew himself, disagreed. He said that in order to be a Christian and to take part in Christian Holy Eucharist/Holy Mass just one thing was necessary: Baptism.

To settle the argument, apostle Peter, Paul, James, and the other Apostles and elders held a meeting in Jerusalem. Finally, they decided: Any baptized Christian in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and observed all the commands Jesus's gave - man, woman, pagan, slave,  anyone - could take part in the Holy Eucharist/Holy Mass. Apostle Paul had won the argument.

There were other problems to settle, such as: When should the Holy Eucharist/Holy Mass be celebrated? And where?

The early Church decided to have the Holy Eucharist/Holy Mass on Sunday because that was the day Jesus rose from the dead. And even before they stopped attending Jewish services, the early Christians shared Eucharist in each other's homes. There were various other decisions that the early Church had to make. In each case the Holy Spirit guided the Apostles in carrying out Jesus' words.

The early Christians lived in a world ruled by pagan Rome. The Romans had their own gods. When the Christians refused to worship these gods, the Romans persecuted the Christians. These persecutions began about A.D. 64 and continued, off and on, until A.D. 313, many apostles, disciples, followers, and children were cruelly martyred for the Lord Jesus Christ.

During this time of persecution, a great number of Christians went into hiding. This explains why not much information about the Holy Eucharist/Holy Mass comes to us from this period. However, we do know that the early Christians kept true to the teaching they had received from the Apostles. They passed on this teaching to their children, and those children told their children. ( Teaching passed on in this way is called oral tradition )

After a while some of the Christians feared that not enough of them would be left alive to pass on the tradition. To make sure that others coming after them would act as the Apostles did and as the Lord Jesus Christ wanted them to do, these Christians began to write down what they were doing. ( Teaching passed on in this way is called written tradition ) One of these writings was discovered in the city of Constantinople [Istanbul] in 1875. The document was titled The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, and seems to have been written about the year 100. In the early third century, Saint Hippolytus, a priest who lived in Rome, also wrote a book that he called The Tradition of the Apostles.

One of the things we learn from these writings is that the ordained priest who led at the celebration of the Holy Eucharist/Holy Mass could make up most of his own prayers. Since this was so, probably no two ordained priests prayed the same prayers. In other words, there was great diversity - a great deal of difference - in the way the Eucharist/Mass was prayed. However, when it came to the consecration of the bread and wine, each ordained priest repeated Christ's words just as our ordained priests do today. On this one point there was unity.

Unity and diversity are not words that have to do only with the Holy Eucharist/Holy Mass. Think of the human body. The eye is different from the ear, and the ear differs from the toe. That is diversity. But all these parts form one body. That is unity. Or take the family. Each members differs from the other. That is diversity. But they all form one family. That is unity.

This unity and diversity both in the celebration of Holy Eucharist/Holy Mass and in Christian practices was common in the early Church. In the third century a man named Firmilian, who was bishop of Caesarea in Palestine, made a journey from country to country. Along the way, Firmilian noticed many differences in Christian practice. Stopping in Rome, he wrote the following lines:

"Not only in the celebration of Easter, but in many other points, the Romans have their own customs, different from those of Jerusalem. In most of the countries, according to the diversity of places and people, many things are different. But in spite of this, nothing draws the people away from the peace and unity of the Catholic Church."

By the middle of the third century most of the Christians were unable to understand Greek, the language in which the Holy Eucharist/Holy Mass was celebrated. They spoke and understood Latin. Saint Callistus, who was bishop of Rome at that time, told his priests to begin celebrating Holy Eucharist/Holy Mass in Latin so that people could follow what was going on.

At first not everyone wanted to make this change. In Church where many of the Christians were Greek, the priests were slow to adapt to the new regulation. In the end, the Church of Rome made the change. Except for a few Greek words, the Holy Eucharist/Holy Mass in Rome was celebrated in Latin.

When Saint Callistus, the bishop of Rome, told priests to begin celebrating the liturgy in Latin, all the priests obeyed him. An earlier bishop of Rome, Saint Clement, had criticized the Christians of Corinth, a city in Greece, about the way they behaved during the Eucharist/Mass. In that case, too, the people obeyed the bishop of Rome and changed their ways. The people listened to these two bishops because they had special authority. Through the ages, the bishop of Rome has been recognized as the chief bishop, "the Pope." This is why, when Saint Callistus and Saint Clement made regulations for celebrating the liturgy, the Christians obeyed.

The early Christians suffered much for their belief in the Lord Jesus Christ. That is one reason the Holy Eucharist/Holy Mass meant so much to them. It brought them Christ. The worst punishment they could suffer was to be judged unworthy of holy communion, for the Holy Eucharist/Holy Mass gave them joy, peace, love and courage.

The Holy Eucharist/Holy Mass also created a bond of unity among believers. No matter how far away from one another the Christian communities were, they were one in the love and worship of the Lord Jesus Christ.

It was dangerous to celebrate the Holy Eucharist/Holy Mass during the times of persecution and because of the danger, Christians who came to the Sunday Eucharist would be permitted to take home some of the consecrated bread - the Body of Christ. They could then receive the Lord Jesus Christ in their homes during the week. They also carried holy communion to the sick. Some even risked sneaking holy communion into prisons to Christians who were to be executed as martyrs for the faith.

Even children did daring things for the Lord Jesus Christ. One boy named Tarcisius begged a priest to let him take holy communion to some Christians who were condemned to die. On his way to the prison, a group of pagan boys met Tarcisius and tried to snatch what he was carrying. The boys never got hold of the sacred Host because someone came along and broke up the fight. But it was too late for Tarcisius. The boys had beaten him to death. The heroism of this young martyr is an example of how the life of the early Christians was centered on the Holy Eucharist/Holy Communion/Holy Mass.

Up until the year A.D. 313, Christians in many parts of the Roman Empire had to live in hiding much of the time. Suddenly, in the year 313, everything changed for them. Not only were they allowed to practice their faith freely but the emperor himself became a Christian. Everything was so wonderful for the Christians that historians have called this period the Golden Age. It began with the reign of Emperor Constantine in A.D. 313, and ended with the death of Pope Gregory the Great in A.D. 604.

In the year A.D. 303, the Emperor Diocletian began the last and most brutal of the persecutions. His goal was complete extermination of all Christians. Priests and deacons, Christian soldiers and court officials, anyone who professed Christianity, were arrested, tortured, and executed. In the West the persecution stopped in A.D. 305. But in the East it raged on, reaching its peak between the years A.D. 305 and A.D. 311. The number of martyrs was very high.

In April of A.D. 311 the new ruler, Galerius, realized that the persecution was a failure; he brought it to a halt with his famous 'Edict of Toleration' which declared: "... may they from now on be Christians." And from then on, Christianity was no longer against the law.

A young general named Constantine came south across the Alps and overcame the latest Roman emperor, Maxentius in A.D. 312. On the night before battle, Constantine saw a large cross in the sky. Circling the cross were these words: "In this sign you shall conquer." Since the cross was the symbol or sign of Christianity, Constantine gave credit for his victory to the prayers of his Christian mother and Christian soldiers.

After his victory at the Milvian Bridge, Constantine became emperor. He declared himself a Christian and supported Christianity in every way. The next year, A.D. 313, he published a famous document which is called the Edict of Milan. Galerius had made Christianity legal. Constantine now gave it full equality with all the other religions. But Constantine did even more. He donated great buildings to be used as Christian Church. Some were so magnificent that they were called basilicas - royal buildings.

For about 250 years, it had been common for small groups of Christians to meet in underground cemeteries called catacombs or in secret hiding places. Now they had legally approved Church in which several thousands could gather at once. Instead of the dark, damp underground caves, they had beautiful buildings filled with priceless works of art. In fact, all this had its effect on Christians worship. The Holy Eucharist/Holy Mass/Holy Communion became surrounded with pomp and splendor.

After Constantine became emperor, he left Italy and moved his court to Turkey, where he built a new city, Constantinople, in honor of himself. This new city became the political center of the East.

Rome, the city of the former emperors, was left in the hands of the pope. Christians and pagans alike turned to the pope. He was not only head of Christianity and guardian of the faith but also the guide and defender of the city. One of the popes laughingly said, 'I no longer know whether I am a pope or emperor.' The other bishops, too, served as political leaders as well as spiritual guides. It was about this time that the Church in Rome and the surrounding countries came to be known as the Western Church. In Constantinople and its neighboring territory, the Christians were known as the Eastern Church or Greek Church.

For several centuries after the 'Age of Persecution' God gave the Church some of its greatest saints. In the Eastern Church were Saint Athanasius, Saint John Chrysostom, and Saint Basil. In the West, there were Saint Ambrose, Saint Augustine, Saint Jerome, and later, Gregory the Great.

The outstanding Christian leaders saved the Church from new paganism that hordes of barbarians were spreading over Europe. They also defended the Church against heresy - false teaching or false doctrine. They defended particularly against the heresy of Arius, a priest who denied that the Lord Jesus Christ is Son of the living God. This false doctrine/teaching struck at the very heart of Christian life, that is, the Holy Eucharist/Holy Mass.

In A.D. 590, Gregory was elected pope. By that time many developments had taken place in the Holy Eucharist/Holy Mass. Gregory tried to put these developments into organized form for his Roman Church. He was so successful that when he died in A.D. 604 the Roman liturgy - public worship - was established. He set up one form of prayers to be used before, during, and after the consecration of the bread and wine. He organized all the other prayers of the Holy Eucharist/Holy Mass around the Canon, which means Rule. He established Latin as the language of the Holy Eucharist/Holy Mass. He developed a special type of singing for the Holy Eucharist/Holy Mass. This music is still used and is called Gregorian chant, after Saint Gregory.

Gregory wanted to make sure that plain chant would be done well. He organized a boys' choir. Even when he was in bed with rheumatism, he would gather the group for practice. He directed the singers with a stick that was long enough to discourage any fooling around.

From the time of Saint Gregory, the Holy Eucharist/Holy Mass was in many ways as it is today: a completely organized set of prayers and actions.

In Rome nothing equaled the splendor with which the pope surrounded the sacred liturgy. On a Sunday morning it was a common sight to see the pope mounted on horseback, accompanied by the entire Roman court, riding from his palace to the basilica where Holy Eucharist/Holy Mass was to be celebrated. With him rode the city officials since the pope was not only bishop of Rome but also the Roman governor.

A group of bishops and priests met the pope at the basilica. They welcomed him and led him to the sacristy, the room where he prepared for Holy Mass. His rich vestments were a far cry from the poor garments of priests during the days of the persecution! Choir boys were there, too, robed in colorful gowns.

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Sunday, May 24, 2009

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

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

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

The question is not why do we sin, because there is a distinction between temptation and sin. Temptation is merely a solicitation, and invitation, a suggestion to do wrong. Sin is the voluntary doing of that wrong thing. Sacred Scripture says, "Blessed is the man who suffers temptation." In this context means trial. The sixth petition of the Lord's Prayer, "And lead us not into temptation," is a petition to escape trials which we cannot master.

When Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible states that God tempted Abraham, it merely means God tried Abraham's faith as a goldsmith tries gold in the fire; there is a world of difference between God trying His people and inciting their corruption.

Coming more precisely to the subject of temptation, here are a few basic principles:

1. - Temptation comes from the duality or complexity of our nature. We are not simple creatures like crystals, but rather a compound of body and soul, matter and spirit. The human personality is like a driver in a chariot, as Plato suggested. Before him are two headstrong steeds: one is the animal urge with us, and the other the spirit. The charioteer, or the driver, has great difficulty to get both steeds headed in the same direction.

Though modern psychology has done much to develop the nature of this tension, it must not be thought that the tension inside man was not known in the past. The greatest of Greek dramatists, Sophocles, wrote of the great primeval disharmony that it was "grave with age and infected all men." Ovid, the Latin poet, wrote: "I see and approve the better things of life, but the worse things in life I follow."

Every human beings in the world can bear witness to the civil war which goes on inside his being. Good people sometimes act like bad people; very bad people, in certain circumstances, will act like good people. Goethe regretted that God had made him only one man. There was enough material in him for both a saint and a villain.

2. - It must not be thought that origin of temptation is solely to be sought in the individual human personality. If the origin were wholly within the person, it is conceivable that some would be without temptation; but there is no one in the world who is not tempted - absolutely no one. The nature of the temptation may vary one from another, and they may even vary with age. Confucius divided temptations into three different stages of human life: in youth man is tempted to lust, in middle age to pride and power, and in old age to avarice or greed. No one tells the full story of temptation by seeking its origin in a grandfather or a grandmother, or too much love for a father or too little love for a mother, crowded tenements, low calorie diet or insufficient education.

3. - The true origin of the conflict is not to be found in the individual exclusively but in human nature. This assumes there is a difference between "nature" and "person". Nature answers to the question, "What is it?" A person answers to the question, "Who is it?" A pencil is not a person. An atom is not a person. John Jones is a person. Something has happened to disturb the original human nature so that it is now neither an angel nor a devil. Human nature is not intrinsically corrupt (as some theologians claimed, more than 400 years ago) nor is it intrinsically divine (as philosophers began saying, more than 50 years ago) Rather, human nature has aspirations for good which it sometimes finds impossible to realize completely by itself; at the same time, human nature has inclinations to evil which solicit it away from these ideas.

It is like a man who is down a well of his own stupidity. He or She knows that he ought not to be there, but he cannot get out by himself. Or to change the picture, he is like a clock whose mainspring is broken. He needs to be fixed on the inside, but repairs must be supplied from without. He is a creature who can run well again, but only if Someone outside has the kindness to repair him. This Someone is Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Redeemer of human nature. He came not to teach only but also to heal the breach caused by false freedom.

Many evil things are done quickly. Hence the Divine Savior/the Lord Jesus Christ, the night of the Last Supper, said to Judas Iscariot who was about to betray Him: "What you are going to do, do quickly." Satan on the mount of temptation tried to induce the Lord Jesus Christ to a short cut of saving people, and not by the Cross of Redemption. Satan promised all the kingdoms of the world "now." The reward for leaving evil in the hearts of people was the immediate delivery of political powers of earth.

Impatience or precipitous hurry is related to pride and to egotism. The annoyance felt at the cold coffee, the late morning newspaper, the delay in the appointment, all betray that the ego is considered that which must be served immediately.

The business person is always in a hurry; even his or her pleasures are fast. He does not taste food; he gulps it. He waits not for fruit; he plucks blossoms. About the only patience he has, and it is not true patience, is waiting for the stock market to go higher. This is really not patience, but a haunting quest for "more."

Youth too, has something of this impatience in its precociousness as regards pleasure. At an early age youth can feel already jaded, among some of life's sensible experiences. There is a lust of finishing life, even before it has begun. That is why there is such a love of speed, for the speed of youth is not to get to a certain point, but to show impatience with life.

Despite the American love of hurry, in the New Testament alone there is a recommendation to patience more than thirty times. Patience is not a passivity, but a strong endurance in the face of seeming defeat and disappointment; it is a refusal to be crushed by the blows of circumstances.

Two of the famous expressions are: "He who believes, does not hasten," and "In your patience, possess your souls." The possession of the soul describes the state in which a person has full command and undisturbed enjoyment of himself in opposition to outside influences, which disturb and decompose his peace of mind. Vain is wealth and prosperity and even health when unrestrained violence of temper becomes a source of disturbance and vexation. The loud complaint, the querulous temper and the fretful spirit disgrace character and show that the mind is unmanned by misfortunes.

There are many who excuse themselves, saying that if they were in other circumstances they would be much more patient. This is a grave mistake, for its assumes that virtue is a matter of geography and not of moral effort. It makes little differences where we are; it all depends on what we are thinking. What happens to us is not so important as how we react to what happens. Patience is not absence of action. It waits for the right time to act, for the right principles and in the right way.

Patience is not insensibility. It is a result of thought. It is a very active bearing up of oneself under the pressure of calamity. Every person has a soul to save, but this cannot be done except by steadfast loyalty to the highest and the best. Patience then is a submissive waiting, a frame of mind which is willing to wait because it knows Whom it serves, because it is willing to endure in gratitude to God Who endured all, and also because the soul is worth more than the universe.

What often passes as religion is nothing but ethics and natural morality. Religion as a Divine force implies something that is non-human; namely, a gift from above [God] which can be accepted or rejected. God in some way enlightens the mind to see a truth that was never seen before; He strengthens the will to do things about it that were never done before, thus setting before us motives which will persuade the will to accept what is freely given. This gift is called 'grace' because gratis.

The grace of God is like the light of the sun which is outside the window. If the blinds of our will are down, or if the windows are dirty because of our behavior, the light will not come in. Human cooperation is, therefore, essential for the entering into a higher and Diviner life than the merely human. All this is a very mysteriously and slow process. In the springtime the fields are arrayed in their beautiful vesture, but one cannot see the power of God raising the sap through root and fibre, along stem and branch, and unfolding each bud and blossom.

So it is with the work of salvation. No angels announced that God has commenced His earthly life. He who, however, begins to be responsive to the gift, immediately sees that there are tremendous obstacles to be surmounted, mountains of pride and self-righteousness to be laid low, prejudices to be swept away. The consideration that God works in the soul leaves it without either excuse for negligence or ground for despondency.

Anyone with psychological insight can see a kind of interaction going on inside of himself. On the one hand there is the overcoming and the casting out of evil, and on the other, there is the assimilation and unfolding of good. It is like passing from disease to health. There is a joint working of God and man, man being able to do his part because God works, and God's working requires man's cooperation. The food in our stomach will not avail us for health, unless the organism cooperates. We must at least be able to digest it. God can no more become the spiritual life, light and strength of the soul any more than undigested bread can become the staff of life.

Most human beings refuse to allow Divine workings in their souls because it requires a change of behavior. The result is continued mediocrity and ordinariness. Man without the grace of God is like a body without food. What a starving man is, such is man without God. It would be foolish for a starving man to say: "I cannot take any food until I am stronger." How could he expect to be strong without food: One cannot feed on oneself. That is why humanism is insufficient. God is waiting to do His Part; we in secret either cooperate or lose the benefit.


BY ARCHBISHOP FULTON J. SHEEN  ( 1895 to 1979 )


                                                                            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 -

More than 600 years after the prophet Micah had foretold the birthplace of the Messiah, the birth of a baby was announced by an angel to astonished shepherds in Bethlehem. The child was Jesus, God's Messiah [Anointed One] who would ultimately die for the sin of the world.

But you, (Bethlehem) Ephrathah,
the least of the clans of Judah,
out of you will be born for me
the one who is to rule over Israel;
his origin goes back to the distant past,
to the days of old. - Micah 5:1-2 - Genesis 49:10 - Isaiah 9:5 -

And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
you are by no means least among the leaders of Judah,
for out of you will come a leader
who will shepherd my people Israel. - Matthew 2:6 -

Does not scripture say that the Christ must be descended from David and come from the town of Bethlehem? - John 7:42 -

Jesus Christ work won for Him widespread acceptance, but He refused to allow His mission of salvation to be set aside in favor of following popular messianic expectations. Due to Jesus preaching and proclamation of the "Kingdom Of God" He came increasingly under suspicion by the Jewish authorities in Jerusalem. When Jesus Christ condemned Jewish legalism, the Sadducees and Pharisees rose up in anger. The local Roman ruler Herod Antipas was also becoming concerned about Christ's activities and wanted to kill Jesus.

The Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered round him, and they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with unclean hands, that is, without washing them. For the Pharisees, and the Jews in general, follow the tradition of the elders and never eat without washing their arms as far as the elbow; and returning from the market place they never eat without first sprinkling themselves. They are also many other observances which have been handed down to them concerning the washing of cups and pots and bronze dishes. So these Pharisees and scribes asked him, 'Why do your disciples not respect the tradition of the elders but eat their food with unclean hands?' Jesus answered, 'It was of you hypocrites that Isaiah so rightly prophesied in this passage of scripture:

This people honors me only with lip-service,
while their hearts are far from me.
The worship they offer me is worthless,
the doctrines they teach are only human regulations.

You put aside the commandment of God to cling to human traditions.' And he said to them, 'How ingeniously you get round the commandment of God in order to preserve your own tradition! For Moses said: Do your duty to your father and your mother, and, Anyone who curses father or mother must be put to death. But you say, "If a man says to his father or mother: Anything I have that I might have used to help you is Corban (that is, dedicated to God) then he is forbidden from that moment to do anything for his father or mother." In this way you make God's word null and void for the sake of your tradition which you have handed down. And you do many other things like this.' - Mark 7:1-13 -

Just as this time some Pharisees came up. 'Go away' they said. 'Leave this place because Herod means to kill you.' Jesus replied, 'You may go and give that fox this message: Learn that today and tomorrow I cast out devils and on the third day attain my end. - Luke 13:31-32 -

The Lord Jesus Christ was referring to the One, Holy, Universal, Apostolic Church which He is going to build through His Passion, Death, Resurrection, Ascension and the baptizing of the Holy Spirit. [Pentecost] Matters came to a head when Jesus was betrayed to the Jewish authorities by one of His disciples. The Roman authorities took part in His trail, crucifixion, and death on the cross, but His disciples were unprepared for Jesus Christ resurrection on the first Easter morning.

The Lord Jesus Christ had shown Himself alive to them after His Passion by many demonstrations: for forty days He had continued to appear to them and tell them about the Kingdom of God. When he had been at the table with them, he had told them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for what the Father had promised. 'It is' he had said 'what you have heard me speak about: John baptized with water but you, not many days from now, will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' - Acts 1:3-5 -

Now having met together, they asked him, 'Lord, has the time come? Are you going to restore the kingdom of Israel?' Jesus replied, 'It is not for you to know times or dates that the Father has decided by his own authority, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and then you will be my witnesses not only in Jerusalem but throughout Judaea and Samaria, and indeed to the ends of the earth.' As Jesus said this he was lifted up while they looked on, and a cloud took him from their sight. - Acts 1:6-9 -

Jesus said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, make disciples of all the nations; baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you. And know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time." - Matthew 28:18-21 -

With these authority from the Lord Jesus Christ: The One, Holy, Universal, Apostolic Church which came into being on this day spread across Palestine into Europe and ultimately throughout the world. At the forefront of evangelistic activity was a converted Jew, (Saul) Paul of Tarsus, whom had received an extraordinary nature of the Lord Jesus Christ revelation; in visions and words. His writings form a large part of the New Testament, Sacred Scripture.

In Palestine, Pontius Pilate was removed from office just before Tiberius died in A.D. 37. Seven years later Herod Agrippa died. In the Roman Empire, Caligula followed Tiberius. Four years later he was succeeded by Claudius. During apostle Paul's missionary journeys, Jews were expelled from Rome in A.D. 49. About A.D. 52 Felix was made procurator of Judea. Seven years later he was succeeded by Porcius Festus, before whom Paul appeared. - Acts 25:1-12 -

There were threats of persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire, and these became a reality under Nero. He blamed a disastrous fire in Rome [A.D. 64] upon them to divert suspicion from himself. In A.D. 66 the first revolt against Roman power occurred in Judea. Four years later the Roman emperor Titus marched into Jerusalem, destroyed it, and brought the Jewish state to an end. Thereafter the Jews became a religious group that was scattered across Europe, Asia, and all over the world, while God's message of redemption and salvation was committed to the One, Holy, Universal, Apostolic Church, whom the Lord Jesus Christ built.

My name is John and through our union in Jesus I am your brother and share your sufferings, your kingdom, and all you endure. I was on the island of Patmos for having preached God's words and witnessed for Jesus; it was the Lord's day and the Spirit possessed me, and I heard a voice behind me, shouting like a trumpet. 'Write down all that you see in a book, and sent it to the seven churches of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.' I turned round to see who had spoken to me, and when I turned I saw seven golden lamp-stands and, surrounded by them, a figure like a Son of man, dressed in a long robe tied at the waist with a golden girdle. His head and his hair were white as white wool or as snow, his eyes like a burning flame, his feet like burnished bronze when it has been refined in a furnace, and his voice like the sound of the ocean. In his right hand he was holding seven stars, out of his mouth came a sharp sword, double-edges, and his face was like the sun shining with all its force.

When I saw him, I fell in a dead faint at his feet, but he touched me with his right hand and said, 'Do not be afraid; it is I, the First and the Last; I am the Living One, I was dead and now I am to live for ever and ever, and I hold the keys of dead and of the underworld. Now write down all that you see of present happenings and things that are still to come. The secret of the seven stars you have seen in my right hand, and of the seven golden lamp-stands is this: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lamp-stands are the seven churches themselves.

1. EPHESUS

Write to the angel of the church in Ephesus and say, "Here is the message of the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand and who lives surrounded by the seven golden lamp-stands; I know all about you: how hard you work and how much you put up with. I know you cannot stand wicked men, and how you tested the impostors who called themselves apostles and proved they were liars. I know too, that you have patience, and have suffered for my name without growing tired. Nevertheless, I have this complaint to make; you have less love now than you used to. Think where you were before you fell;  repent, and do as you used to at first, or else, if you will not repent, I shall come to you and take the lamp-stand from its place. It is in your favour, nevertheless, that you loathe as I do what the Nicolaitans are doing. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches: those who prove victorious I will feed from the tree of life set in God's paradise."

2. SMYRNA

Write to the angel of the church in Smyrna and say, "Here is the message of the First and the Last, who was dead and has come to life again: I know the trails you have had, and how poor you are - though you are rich - and the slanderous accusations that have been made by the people who profess to be Jews but are really members of the synagogue of Satan. Do not be afraid of the sufferings that are coming to you: I tell you, the devil is going to send some of you to prison to test you, you must face an ordeal for ten days. Even if you have to die, keep faithful, and I will give you the crown of life for your prize. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches: for those who prove victorious there is nothing to be afraid of in the second death."

3. PERGAMUM

Write to the angel of the church in Pergamum and say, "Here is the message of the one who has the sharp sword, double-edged: I know where you live, in the place where Satan is enthroned, and that you still hold firm to my name, and did not disown your faith in me even when my faithful witness, Antipas, was killed in your own town, where Satan lives.

Nevertheless, I have one or two complaints to make: some of you are followers of Balaam, who taught Balak to set a trap for the Israelites so that they committed adultery by eating food that had been sacrificed to idols; and among you, too, there are some as bad who accept what the Nicolaitans teach. You must repent, or I shall soon come to you and attack these people with the sword out of my mouth. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches: to those who prove victorious I will give the hidden manna and a white stone - a stone with a new name written on it, known only to the man who receives it."

4. THYATIRA

Write to the angel of the church in Thyatira and say, "Here is the message of the Son of God who has eyes like a burning flame and feet like burnished bronze: I know all about you and how charitable you are; I know your faith and devotion and how much you put up with, and I know how you are still making   progress. Nevertheless, I have a complaint to make: you are encouraging the woman Jezebel who claims to be a prophetess, and by her teaching she is luring my servants away to commit the adultery of eating food which has been sacrificed to idols. I have given her time to reform but she is not willing to change her adulterous life. Now I am consigning her to bed, and all her partners in adultery to troubles that will test them severely, unless they repent of their practices; and I will see that her children die, so that all the churches realize that it is I who search heart and loins and give each one of you what your behaviour deserves. But on the rest of you in Thyatira, all of you who have not accepted this teaching or learnt the secrets of Satan, as they are called, I am not laying any special duty; but hold firmly on to what you already have until I come. To those who prove victorious, and keep working for me until the end, I will give the authority over the pagans which I myself have been given by my Father, to rule them with an iron sceptre and shatter them like earthenware. And I will give him the Morning Star. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches."

5. SARDIS

Write to the angel of the church in Sardis and say, "Here is the message of the one who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: I know all about you: how you are reputed to be alive and yet are dead. Wake up; revive what little you have left: it is dying fast. So far I have failed to notice anything in the way you live that my God could possibly call perfect, and yet do you remember how eager you were when you first heard the message? Hold on to that. Repent. If you do not wake up, I shall come to you like a thief, without telling you at what hour to expect me. There are a few in Sardis, it is true, who have kept their robes from being dirtied, and they are fit to come with me, dressed in white. Those who prove victorious will be dressed, like these, in white robes; I shall not blot their names out of the book of life, but acknowledge their names in the presence of my Father and his angels. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches."

6. PHILADELPHIA

Write to the angel of the church in Philadelphia and say, "Here is the message of the holy and faithful one who has the key of David, so that when he opens, nobody can close, and when he closes, nobody can open: I know all about you; and now I have opened in front of you a door that nobody will be able to close - and I know that though you are not very strong, you have kept my commandments and not disowned my name. Now I am going to make the synagogue of Satan - those who profess to be Jews, but are liars, because they are no such thing - I will make them come and fall at your feet and admit that you are the people that I love. Because you have kept my commandment to endure trials, I will keep you safe in the time of trial which is going to come for the whole world, to test the people of the world. Soon I shall be with you: hold firmly to what you already have, and let nobody take your prize away from you. Those who prove victorious I will make into pillars in the sanctuary of my God, and they will stay there for ever; I will inscribe on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem which comes down from my God in heaven, and my own new name as well. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches."

7. LAODICEA

Write to the angel of the church in Laodicea and say, "Here is the message of the Amen, the faithful, the true witness, the ultimate source of God's creation: I know all about you: how you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were one or the other, but since you are neither, but only lukewarm, I will split you out of my mouth. You say to yourself, 'I am rich, I have made a fortune, and have everything I want', never realizing that you are wretchedly and pitiably poor, and blind and naked too. I warn you, buy from me the gold that has been tested in the fire to make you really rich, and white robes to clothe you and cover your shameful nakedness, and eye ointment to put your eyes so that you are able to see. I am the one who reproves and disciplines all those he loves: so repent in real earnest. Look, I am standing at the door, knocking. If one of you hears me calling and opens the door, I will come in to share his meal, side by side with him. Those who prove victorious I will allow to share my throne, just as I was victorious myself and took my place with my Father on this throne. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches." - Revelation 1:9-20, chapter 2 & 3 -

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; the first heaven and the first earth had disappeared now, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the holy city, and the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, as beautiful as a bride all dressed for her husband. Then I heard a loud voice call from the throne, You see this city? Here God lives among men. He will make his throne among them; they shall be his people, and he will be their God; his name is God-with-them. He will wipe away all tears from their eyes; there will be no more death, and no more mourning or sadness. The world of the past has gone.

Then the One sitting on the throne spoke: 'Now I am making the whole of creation new' he said, 'Write this: that what I am saying is sure and will come true.' And then he said, 'It is already done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give water from the well of life to anybody who is thirsty; it is the rightful inheritance of the one who proves victorious; and I will be his God and he a son to me. But the legacy for cowards, for those who break their word, or worship obscenities, for murderers and fornicators, and for fortune-tellers, idolaters or any other sort of liars, is the second death in the burning lake of sulphur.' - Revelation 21:1-8 -

In the Old Testament, this is how God's revealed His divine name: And God said to Moses, "I AM who I AM, This" he added, is what you must say to the sons of [Jacob] Israel: "I AM has sent me to you." And God also said to Moses, 'You are to say to the sons of Israel: "Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you." This is my name for all time; by this name I shall be invoked for all generations to come. - Exodus 3:14-15 -

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Sunday, May 24, 2009

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

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

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

The Book of Judges shows clearly that Israel's troubles were the result of rejecting covenant law and adopting various forms of Canaanite idolatry. Canaanite religion was one of the most sensuous and morally depraved that the world has ever known; it contrasted dramatically with the holiness and morally purity demanded of the Israelites by the Sinai covenant.

It is because of their persistent idolatry, the Hebrews were punished further by Midanite and Ammonite attacks. The most serious threat, however, came from the Philistines. These war-like people had migrated to Canaan in small numbers in the time of Abraham. They came and settled on the southwestern Palestinian coast around 1175 B.C. the Philistines established a group of five cities; Gaza, Gath, Ashkelon, Ashdod, and Ekron and began to push the Israelites into the hill country.

The Philistines were superior in military power because they monopolized the manufacture and the sale of iron implements and weapons. Samson had delivered the Israelites periodically from Philistine oppression, but after his death - Judg. 16:27-30 - they were at the mercy of the enemy once more.

The social chaos described in the closing chapters of the Book of Judges came to a head in the religious corruption in Israel at the time of Samuel's childhood. - 1Sam. 2:12-22 - Although Samuel himself exercised a wholesome ministry, the Israelites were more intent on being ruled by a king than in living as a holy nation in covenant with their God. - 1Sam. 8:19-20 - Thus, Saul, son of Kish, was duly anointed by Samuel as a charismatic leader over the nation. - 1Sam. 10:1 - But Saul had an unbalanced personality which soon showed signs of paranoia. Saul's disobeyed God's commands - 1Sam. 13:13 - and a successor was chosen and anointed in the person of David, son of Jesse. David gained popular favor by his defeat of the Philistine champion Goliath. Thereafter David was seen as Israel's savior, much to the dislike of Saul, who felt his own position threatened. Saul fought at intervals against both David and the Philistines, but was ultimately killed along with his five sons at mount Gilboa. The northern tribes then looked to Ishbosheth, the surviving son of Saul, who was made king at Mahanaim by Abner, his father's commander. - 2Sam. 2:8-10 -

David settled in Hebron - 2Sam. 2:11 - and Abner tried to gain favor with him. But Abner was murdered by Joab, David's commander at Hebron. - 2Sam. 3:27 - When Ishbosheth was also murdered - 2Sam. 4:5-6 - the way was clear for David to assume sole rule of Israel and unify the kingdom. He established his capital his capital at Jerusalem, which he captured from the Jebusites. He also brought the "Ark of the Covenant" to the city, making it a religious as well as a political center.

For the remainder of king David reign. He fought against the Ammonites and Syrians as well as the Philistines. David later years were clouded by family dissension and by a revolt among some of his subjects, because he sin against God. In spite of his troubles, he behaved with great courage and managed to overcome all his enemies. Before he death, he proclaimed his son Solomon as his successor. Solomon was duly anointed at Gihon by Zadok the priest. - 1Kin. 1:39 -

Solomon took his seat on the throne of God, to reign in succession to David his father. He prospered, and all Israel obeyed him. All the officials, all the champions, and even all the sons of king David, pledged allegiance to king Solomon. God brought Solomon's greatness to its height in the sight of all Israel, and give him a reign of such splendor as none that had reigned over Israel before him had ever known.

As he grew older, he entered into political marriages with non-Israelites. These women brought with them the gods of their native lands - 1Kin. 11:7-8 - adding to the problem of idolatry in Israel. When Solomon died, he was succeeded by his son Rehoboam, the ten northern tribes led by Jeroboam, a former head of the forced labor units, met with him and sought relief from the burdens of work and taxation. Rehoboam followed bad advised, rejecting the advice of the elders, spoke to them harshly, as the young men had recommended. 'My father made you bear a heavy burden' he said, 'but I will make it heavier still. My father beat you with whips; I am going to beat you with loaded scourges!' But the northern tribes declared independence and formed a separate kingdom "Israel". The southern section of the divided kingdom was known as Judah. It soon attracted the attention of Shishak, pharaoh of Egypt [about 945-924 B.C.] who moved into Judah, robbed the Temple of its golden objects, and destroyed a number of Judah's fortresses.

Israel's troubles had begun. The Arameans of Damascus were becoming powerful in Syria and were beginning to put pressure on Israel's northern borders. There was internal instability in the kingdom as well, indicated by the murdered of king Nadab [about 908 B.C.] two years after his father Jeroboam's death. His murderer, Baasha, fortified a site close to Jerusalem - 1Kin. 15:17 - Asa, king of Judah [about 911-870 B.C.] appealed to the Syrians for help against Baasha. Baasha's son Elah reigned for two years; Elah was murdered by Zimri, who committed suicide after seven days and plunged the nation into civil war.

Four years later the army general Omri gained control of Israel and began his own dynasty. Omri moved Israel's capital from Tirzah to Samaria, which he fortified strongly. He allied with Phoenicia, and arranged a marriage between his son Ahab and Jezebel, a princess of Tyre. When Ahab [about 874-853 B.C.] became king, he continued Omri's policy of resistance to Syria. But his support of pagan  Tyrian religion in Israel drew strong criticism from the prophet Elijah. - 1Kin. 18:18 - The nation was punished by famine, but this did little to halt the widespread spiritual and social corruption.

About 855 B.C. the Syrian Ben-Hadad attacked Samaria - 1Kin. 20:1 - but suffered heavy losses, as he also did the following year at Aphek. Israel was saved by the appearance of the powerful Assyrian forces who, under Shalmaneser III [about 859-824 B.C.] attacked allied Syrian and Israelite forces in 835 B.C. at Qarqar on the Orontes River. The Assyrians were defeated decisively, but the victorious allies soon quarreled, and Ahab died while trying to recover Ramoth Gilead from Syrian control. Meanwhile Mesha, king of moab, had refused to pay further tribute to Israel; consequently, he was attacked by Ahaziah, Ahab's successor.

Jehoram [about 852-841 B.C.] of Israel enlisted Jehoshaphat of Judah [about 873-848 B.C.] in the struggle against Moab, which proved successful - 2Kin. 3 - as prophet Elisha had predicted. Ben-Hadad was murdered by Hazel - 2Kin. 8:7-13 - and two years later Jehu seized the throne of Israel, carrying out a vicious purge of Ahab's house and suppressing pagan religions.

At the same time, Athaliah, queen of judah, exterminated the royal house except for jehoash who was proclaimed king six years later. jehoash first banned idolatry, but then became attracted to it and subsequently killed the son of the high priest who had protected him  earlier. In 841 B.C. Shalmaneser III again attacked a Syrian coalition. But Jehu wished to avoid fighting the Assyrians, so he paid heavy tribute to this powerful nation instead.

For both Israel and Judah the eighth century B.C. was marked by a period of prosperity. Jeroboam II [about 782-752 B.C.] was able to develop agriculture, trade, and commerce because the westward advance of Assyria compelled the Syrian armies to defend their eastern territories. In Judah, Uzziah [790-740 B.C.] raised the prosperity of the country to levels unknown since the time of king David. In both nations there was a sense that the true "golden age" had arrived.

Unfortunately, however, idolatry and the rejection of covenant spirituality were prominent especially in Israel. Prophets such as Amos, Hosea, Micah, and Isaiah spoke out against these abuses. They condemned the exploitation of the poor. They also rebuked the rich for accumulating land and wealth illegally and for for forsaking the simple Hebrew way of life for the luxurious living of pagan nations.

The end of all this for Israel occurred shortly after Jeroboam's death. The kingship was left to political opportunists. But they were dwarfed by the powerful Assyrian monarch Tiglath-Pileser III. About 745 B.C. he placed Menahem of Israel [752-741 B.C.] under tribute. When Menahem died, Israel joined an alliance against Assyria.

Ahaz of Judah, alarmed by this move, appealed to Tiglath-Pileser for help. He overthrew Damascus in 732 B.C. - Is. 8:4, 17:1; Amos 1:4 - He then carried people from the territory of Naphtali captive to Assyria. - 2Kin. 15:29 - But he still had to reckon with the resistance from Samaria under Pekah, whose murderer, Hoshea, was later made an Assyrian vassal.

On Tiglath-Pileser's death [727 B.C.] Hoshea of Israel rebelled. This brought the Assyrians to Samaria in a siege that ended three years later with the fall of Israel and the deportation of more northern tribesmen in 722 B.C. Prophet Isaiah messaged is that, God would use Assyria as the rod of His anger upon Israel. - Is. 10:5-6 - and had been fulfilled.

The southern kingdom under the godly Hezekiah [716-686 B.C.] son and successor of Jehoahaz I, prospered for a time. This was possible because Hezekiah took advantage of a developing power struggle between Assyria and Egypt to fortify Judah and build up its resources. Some 20 years after Samaria fell, Sennacherib, who succeeded Sargon, invaded Palestine and reduced the cities of Joppa, Ashkelon, Timnath, and Ekron in quick succession. An Egyptian army sent to relieve Ekron was defeated about 701 B.C. and the frontier fortress of Lachish came under heavy assault.

The Assyrians also threatened Jerusalem. To gain relief, Hezekiah offered to pay tribute to Sennacherib. In the end the Assyrians withdrew from Palestine, perhaps as the result of being devastated by a plague. - 2Kin. 19:35 - Hezekiah's successor, Manasseh [687-641 B.C.] encouraged idolatry and depravity in Judah, but he reformed toward the end of his life. - 2Chr. 33:10-17 - Manasseh's grandson reigned until 609 B.C. He finally died at Megiddo while trying to prevent the Egyptians from helping the tottering Assyrian Empire. Assyria collapsed with the fall of Nineveh [612 B.C.] and Haran [610 B.C.] to Babylonian and Median forces. Later the Babylonians turned against Jerusalem. In the days of prophet Jeremiah, they devastated the city in three assaults between 597 and 581 B.C.

During the 'Captivity Years' and with the removal of prisoners to Babylonia - Jer. 52:28-30 - the southern kingdom collapsed and the shock of captivity began for the Hebrew people. The prophet Ezekiel and Daniel ministered in various ways to the distraught captives. For almost seven decades the Jewish people were occupied in building of the Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar II [605-562 B. C.] and Nabonidus [556-539 B.C.] In this alien environment some Hebrew captives lost all hope for the future. But through a ministry of prayer, study of the law, memorial observances, worship, and personal testimony to God's power, prophet Ezekiel was able to promote trust in divine mercy. He kept alive the hope that some day a faithful remnant would return to the ancestral homeland.

Magnificent as the Babylonian Empire appeared, it was fundamentally weak. It collapsed under the attack of the Persian ruler Cyrus II. Babylon fell in 538 B.C. and the same year Cyrus proclaimed liberty to all captives in Babylonia. The Hebrew remnant that longed to return home was able to do so between 536 and 525 B.C. The returnees, however, found a desolate land claimed by Arab tribes and the Samaritans. They had to be urged by prophets Haggai and Zechariah to reconstruct the ruined Temple before they could expect divine blessing. - Hag. 1:9-11 - Even after this had been done, life was still insecure because Jerusalem lacked a defensive wall.

In 458 B.C. Ezra came from Persia as a royal commissioner to survey the situation and report to king Artaxerxes I [464-423 B.C.] Twelve years passed before action was taken, due to the initiative of Nehemiah, a high court official, who in 446 B.C. was appointed governor of Judea. As a preliminary step toward restoring regional security and prosperity, he supervised the reconstruction of Jerusalem's wall in the short period of 52 days, after which it was dedicated. - Neh. 12:27 - Then Ezra led a ceremony of national confession and commitment to covenant ideals. He also instituted religious reforms which made the law central in community life, as well as reviving tithe-offerings and stressing Sabbath worship. He expelled non-Israelites from the community, regulated the priesthood carefully, and in general laid the foundations of later Judaism.

The restoration of the national life of the Jewish people was achieved quickly because of the peaceful conditions in the Persian Empire. But this phase ended with revolts under Artaxerxes II [404-358 B.C.] and the defeat of Darius III in 331 B.C. by Alexander the Great of Greece. Thereafter Greek culture became firmly established in the ancient world, in spite of the premature death of Alexander in 323 B.C.

The small Judean community which had faced extinction before because of Canaanite paganism, now reacted with fear lest it should become engulfed by the idolatry of Greek religion. The adoption of Greek traditions transformed the old Persian Empire. When Egypt became 'Hellenized', the culture of Greece was represented strongly in cities such as Alexandria.

The chief threat to the Jewish community was not so much military or political as religious. Greek religion was coarse and superstitious, and its sensuous nature encouraged a wide following. The philosophy of Stoicism attracted some adherents because of its fatalism and the view that God was in everything, while a less rigorous view of life was taught by Epicurus [341-270 B.C.] He stressed the values of friendship, advising his followers to avoid sensual excesses if they wished to enjoy true pleasure. By contrast, emphasis upon the teachings of the Jewish law became the hallmark of the Scribes, who had replaced the wise men as guardians of Jewish religious tradition. About the second century B.C. they were aided by the rise of a separation or Pharisee group, which taught scrupulous observance of the Mosaic Law, advocated synagogue worship, and professed belief in angels, demons, and the resurrection of the dead. Another influential religious group during this period of Jewish history was the Sadducees, an aristocratic priestly minority that exercised close control over Temple ritual. The Sadducees accepted only the Law as Scripture. They would not allow any doctrine that could not be proved directly from the Law. This brought them into conflict with the Pharisees.

The political conflict in Palestine became critical under the Syrian ruler Antiochus IV Epiphanes [175-163 B.C.] who was determined to force Greek culture upon the Jewish community. Greek fashions were imposed upon Jerusalem. This provoked such unrest that Antiochus deliberately polluted the Temple in 168 B.C. and forbade traditional Jewish worship. A Greek family near Jerusalem rebelled against Greek authority. Its leader, Mattathias, began what is known as the Maccabean revolt. This continued under his son, Judas Maccabeus, who finally won concessions from the Syrian regent Lysias.

Even after the Maccabean war ended, Greek culture exerted a considerable influence in Judea. The province came under Roman rule after 64 B.C. with the rise of the Roman Empire, but this did little to stop the threat presented by Greek religion. In spite of all adversity, the faithful remnant of God's people, Israel, struggled on and in hope, looking for the long promised Messiah who would deliver them from their enemies and bring God's kingdom upon earth.

More than 600 years after the prophet Micah had foretold the birthplace of the Messiah...

                                                                        Page 2

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 history of Israel [prince with God] the name given to Jacob after his great struggle with God at Bethel. - Gen. 32:28, 35:10 - (After Jacob's had a dream. Jacob named the place Bethel; but before that the town was called Luz. - Gen. 28:10-19 -) The name of 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.

The ancient Israels/Hebrews were just one of a number of nations living in the ancient Near East. This region of the world included Persia, Mesopotamia, Syria, Anatolia, Palestine, and Egypt. Each of the nations in the area experienced at least one period in its history when it was more powerful or influential than its neighbors. But the nature of empires is such that all of them were destined to fall and to be replaced by a society that was more aggressive than those it overthrow.

The first of these great empires was that of the Sumerians. It consisted of about a dozen small city-states located in southern Mesopotamia, northwest of the Persian Gulf. The Sumerians established the first high culture in human society about 4000 B.C. They made fundamental discoveries in many important areas of life. They were at their height when a person named Sargon founded an aggressive culture at Agade, northwest in central Mesopotamia, adopting much of the Sumerian culture.

Sargon's dynasty was overthrown ultimately by a nation that was itself conquered after a century of rule by a powerful Babylonian king named Hammurabi ( about 1790-1750 B.C. ) During Hammurabi reign, the Sumerian cities were conquered and a large Semitic empire was established in Mesopotamia.

It is difficult to assign an exact beginning to Hebrew history. But if we regard Abraham as the forefather of the Israelites, it is clear that they had their roots in ancient Sumer. Abraham came from Ur, a Sumerian city. - Gen. 11:31 - Abraham became prosperous in Haran in northwestern Mesopotamia, then later moved to the land of Canaan - Gen. 12:5 - where he received God's assurance that he would be the ancestor of a mighty people.

Abraham's promised son Isaac had two sons of his own, Esau and Jacob. God chose Jacob for the renewal of His promise to Abraham. - Gen. 28:13-15 - Jacob later moved from Haran, where he had married Leah and Rachel, daughters of Laban, and settled in Canaan. Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel after an encounter and experience with God. - Gen. 32:24-30 - had twelve sons. Eleven of these sons plotted to sell their youngest brother Joseph into slavery in Egypt.

When God prospered Joseph and made him a high official in Egypt, the brothers was forgiven, after being humiliated. They were instructed to bring their father and other family members to Egypt, where they settled in the fertile Goshen area for over two centuries. Then a Pharaoh who did not acknowledge Joseph's achievements came to power. The descendants of Israel, now known as Hebrews or Israelites, were uprooted from their land and forced to work on the rebuilding of great Egyptian cities.

After the Israelites experienced considerable suffering, God appointed Moses to liberate His people from bondage. Moses had been born to Hebrew slaves. He was set adrift in a basket on the Nile River in an attempt to prevent him from being killed by Pharaoh's troops. An Egyptian princess rescued him and brought him up as her own son.

Fleeing later from Egypt because of a crime that he had committed - Ex. 2:12 - Moses experienced a divine revelation in the wilderness. He was ordered by God to return to Egypt where, with Aaron his brother, he would confront Pharaoh, and demand the release of the captive Israelites. Pharaoh's stubborn refusal finally resulted in the death of the Egyptian firstborn, after which Moses led the Israelites across the Red Sea to safety in the Sinai region.

God appeared to Moses on Mount Sinai [Horeb] and entered into a relationship with the twelve tribes, which bound them to Himself and made them, in effect, the nation of Israel. The relationship was in the form of a Covenant. This Covenant is fundamentally important for Israelite history. Through it a number of independent tribes were bonded together into one Hebrew nation and given a specific destiny as the people chosen by God as a channel for divine revelation. The Israelites, however, were not to behave just like any nation of the ancient world. All of these were pagan, following depraved and corrupt moral practices as part of their worship.

The Israelites were to live as a religious community in which each member cared for the others. The exploitation of such helpless persons as strangers, widows, and orphans was strictly forbidden under the Mosaic Law - Deut. 24:17 - since God Himself was their champion. - Deut. 10:18 - God promised to provide a land for the Hebrews in which they could settle in obedience to covenant law as a holy nation - Ex. 19:6 - and be witnesses of His existence and power to all the neighboring nations.

Throughout Israel's history, God's covenant people were meant to be an example of spirituality to the world. This, rather than political activity or territorial conquest, was to be their true destiny. Unfortunately, much of Israelite history was marked by periodic disobedience of the covenant laws.

Israelite history began badly with an idolatrous act. The people made and worshiped a golden calf while Moses was still on Mount Sinai. - Ex. 32:1-6 - After their punishment, the covenant was renewed and work began on the building of the "Tabernacle." The structure was portable, and it moved with the Israelites whenever they wandered in the wilderness. Subsequent Hebrew temple were to reflect something of its structure.

During the wilderness years and because the Israelites disobeyed God by refusing to enter Canaan. - Num. 14:30-34 - they were compelled to wander for a generation in the wilderness. These aimless wanderings are summarized in the book of Numbers, chapter 33. The people apparently moved between various oases in the Sinai wilderness. After Aaron's death - Num. 20:22-29 - the Israelites moved steadily toward Moab and prepared to conquer Canaan. The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh, who owned large herds, were allowed to settle in the conquered lands and to raise their cattle. The remainder of the Israelites prepared to cross the Jordan River at Jericho and occupy the Promised Land. Moses was not permitted to lead the Israelites to victory because he had not carried out God's will properly. - Deut. 32:51 - Instead, he was allowed to view Canaan from the summit of Mount Nebo. After this, he died and was buried in Moab. - Deut. 34:6 -

Jericho was like a town under siege when Joshua, who had been commissioned as leader shortly before Moses died - Deut. 34:9 - advanced to overthrow it. He obeyed God's instructions regarding the attack upon the fortress like city that guarded the entrance to Canaan. The Hebrews march around it daily for six days, and it collapsed dramatically on the seventh day. - Josh. 6:12-20 -

The next assault was on nearby Ai. This offensive, however, met with disaster because an Israelite named Achan had defied God's instructions about not taking plunder from Jericho. When his sin was discovered, he and his family were stoned to death - Josh. 7:25 - after which Ai was was overthrown. Shortly afterwards, Joshua was tricked into sealing a covenant with the neighboring Gibeonites. This was followed by a defense of the royal city of Gibeon against the attack of five Canaanite kings who resented the pact made with Joshua. The kings were captured and executed. - Josh. 10:16-27 - Then Joshua proceeded to conquer the southern area, where Lachish and Hebron were important cities. Jerusalem, however, was not captured at this time, nor was Megiddo in central Palestine.

The final phase of occupation involved northern Palestine, where Joshua was confronted by a military group led by Jabin, king of Hazor. Perhaps, because the Israelites was anxious to keep the cities intact, none were destroyed except Hazor, the chief city of the north. This policy proved costly in later years. Although the Israelites had occupied the Promised Land, they had not conquered the people completely. Once the Canaanites were able to restablish themselves, they presented serious problems for the Israelites.

After Joshua died, individual charismatic leaders known as judges provided leadership for the Hebrew nation. This event coincided with increasingly independent activity by the Israelite tribes, caused partly because of Canaanite resistance to the conquerors. The lack of centralized leadership meant that covenant law was not being observed, and it was being replaced by idolatry.

Although the judges tried hard to correct local problems, they were no match for the increasingly militant Canaanites, or for Eglon, a Moabite ruler who oppressed some of the Hebrew people for 18 years before being killed by a left-handed judge named Ehud. - Judg. 3:15-30 - By this time Hazor had been occupied by Canaanites under Jabin, their king, who made several northern tribes his subjects for 20 years. - Judg. 4:2-3 - Jabin forces were superior because they had iron-fitted, horse-drawn chariots. These chariots were effective on level ground, but they proved less threatening in the hill country. Jabin's general Sisera was defeated by the Hebrew cammander Barak and slain by Jael, the wife of an ally named Heber. - Judg. 4:21 -

The Book of Judges shows clearly that Israel's troubles were the result of rejecting covenant law and adopting various forms of Canaanite idolatry....

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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 -