God is the source of life. God first filled Adam with the source of life and He continues to be the source of all life. "Yahweh God fashioned man of dust from the soil. Then he breathed into his nostrils a breath of life, and thus man became a living being." - Gen. 2:7 -

The New Testament expanded on the Old Testament idea of life. The word life began to refer to more than physical existence. It took on a strong spiritual meaning, often referring to the spiritual life that results from man's relationship with God. Eternal life means more than eternal existence. And eternal life is this: to know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent, and let the Lord Jesus Christ give eternal life to all those You have entrusted to Him. Thus, eternal life is the highest quality of life. It is freedom from sin, a compassionate, and holiness relationship with God. This is in contrast to spiritual death, which results from a life of sin.

When you were slaves of sin, you felt no obligation to righteousness, and what did you get from this? Nothing but experiences that now make you blush, since that sort of behavior ends in death. Now, however, you have been set free from sin, you have been made slaves of God, and you get a reward leading to your sanctification and ending in eternal life. For the wage paid by sin is death; the present given by God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Rom. 6:20-23 -

In the Old Testament, the word 'soul' refers to the 'inner life' of man. The soul is described as the seat of many emotions and desires: the desire for food - Deut. 12:20-21 - the desire for love - Song 1:7 - the desire of longing for God - Ps. 63:1 - the desire for rejoicing - Ps. 86:4 - the desire for knowing - Ps. 139:14 - the desire for memory - Lam. 3:20 - The use of the word soul/life in the Old Testament expresses the meaning, for example, the soul [life] of a dying person departed at death - Gen. 35:18 - The prophet Elijah brought a widow's son back to life. "Elijah stretched himself on the child three times and cried out to Yahweh, 'Yahweh my God, may the soul of this child, I beg you, come into him again!' Yahweh heard the prayer of Elijah and the soul of the child returned to him again and he revived. - 1 Kings 17:21-22 -

In the New Testament, in which the Greek word for 'soul' is translated as 'life.' This symbolic meaning of life appears frequently in the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible. The example of this usage:

Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light. - Matt. 11:28-30 -

If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me. For anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. What gain, then, is it for a man to win the whole world and ruin his life?....... 'I tell you solemnly, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power.'  - Mark 8:34-38, 9:1 -

Anyone who loves his life loses it;
anyone who hates his life in this world
will keep it for eternal life.
If a man serves me, he must follow me,
wherever I am, my servant will be there too.
If anyone serves me, my Father will honour him. - John 12:25-26 - Matt. 16:24-28; Luke 9:23-26 -

The word spirit is used as a general reference in the New Testament to the spirit of human beings. In fact, Jesus made several specific references to His spirit in a human sense. As did apostle Paul. He sometimes referred to the spirits of those to whom he wrote. The word spirit also refers to the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit. This Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus, and a person can relate to Jesus by means of the Holy Spirit. The word spiritual refers to non-material things, including a spiritual body and spiritual things as distinct from earthly goods. But the most important use of the word 'Spirit/Spiritual' is in reference to the Holy Spirit.

Mary went to Jesus, and as soon as she saw him she threw herself at his feet, saying, 'Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.' At the sight of her tears, and those of the Jews who followed her, Jesus said in great distress, with a sigh that came straight from the heart. 'Where have you put him?' They said, 'Lord, come and see' Jesus wept; and the Jews said, 'See how much he loved him! - John 11:32-36 -

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, my brothers. Amen. - Gal. 6:18 -

The proof that you are sons is that God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts: the Spirit that cries, 'Abba, Father' - Gal. 4:6 -

People who are interested only in unspiritual things can never be pleasing to God. Your interests, however, are not in the unspiritual, but in the spiritual, since the Spirit of God has made his home in you. In fact, unless you possessed the Spirit of Christ you would not belong to him. - Rom. 8:8-9 -

I tell you most solemnly,
unless a man is born through water and the Spirit,
he cannot enter the kingdom of God:
what is born of the flesh is flesh;
what is born of the Spirit is spirit. - John 3:5-6 -

Peter's mind was still on the vision and the Spirit had to tell him, 'Some men have come to see you. Hurry down, and do not hesitate about going back with them; it was I who told them to come.' - Acts 10:19-20 -

They travelled through Phrygia and the Galatian country, having been told by the Holy Spirit not to preach the word in Asia. When they reached the frontier of Mysia they thought to cross it into Bithynia, but as the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them, they went through Mysia and came down to Troas. - Acts 16:6-7 -

Thus, eternal life is the highest quality of life. It is freedom from sin, a compassionate, and holiness relationship with God. This is in contrast to spiritual death, which results from a life of sin. Originating in God's nature, holiness is a unique quality of His character. The Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible emphasizes this divine attribute.

You must make yourselves holy, for I am Yahweh your God. - Lev. 20:7 -

There is none as holy as Yahweh,
(indeed, there is no one but you)
no rock like our God. - 1 Sam. 2:2 -

Free your minds, then, of encumbrances; control them, and put your trust in nothing but the grace that will be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. Do not behave in the way that you liked to before you learnt the truth; make a habit of obedience: be holy in all you do, since it is the Holy One who has called you, and scripture says: "Be holy, for I am holy."- 1 Peter 1:13-16 -

Who would not revere and praise your name, O Lord?
You alone are holy,
and all the pagans will come and adore you
for the many acts of justice you have shown. - Rev. 15:4 -

The Holy Spirit function is to illumine Jesus' doctrine, to glorify His person, and to work in the life of the individual believer and the Universal Church. Saint Paul's teaching about the Holy Spirit harmonizes with the accounts of the Spirit's activity in the gospels. According to Saint Paul, it is by the Holy Spirit that one confesses that Jesus is Lord.

Now my dear brothers, I want to clear up a wrong impression about spiritual gifts. You remember that, when you were pagans, whenever you felt irresistibly drawn, it was towards dumb idols? It is for that reason that I want you to understand that on the one hand no one can be speaking under the influence of the Holy Spirit and say, 'Curse Jesus' and on the other hand, no one can say, 'Jesus is Lord' unless he is under the influence of the Holy Spirit. - 1 Cor. 12:1-3 -

At the end of time, those whose names are not written in the Book of Life will be cast into the lake of fire. But those whose names appear and written in the Book of Life will be allowed to enter and inherited the 'City of God', the 'New Jerusalem.' 'You see this city? Here God lives among men. He will make his home 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.

The Book of Life is a heavenly book in which the names of "all those whom God loves" are written. The concept of God's having a "BOOK OF LIFE" was probably first enunciated by Moses, who prayed that God would blot him out of God's book rather than dooming his fellow Israelites.

On the following day Moses said to the people, 'You have committed a grave sin. But now I shall go up to Yahweh: perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.' And Moses returned to Yahweh. 'I am grieved' he cried 'this people has committed a grave sin, making themselves a god of gold. And yet, if it pleased you to forgive this sin of theirs...! But if not, then blot me out from the book that you have written.' Yahweh answered Moses, It is the man who has sinned against me that I shall blot out from my book. - Ex. 32:30-33 -

This concept likely arose from the practice of registering people by genealogy and keeping a record of priests and Levites.

The city was large and spacious but the population was small, and no new families were growing up. My God therefore inspired me to assembly the authorities, the officials and the people for the purpose of taking a census by families. I discovered the genealogical register of those who had returned in the first group, and there I found entered: - Neh. 7:4-5 -

Charge them with crime after crime,
deny them further access to your righteousness,
blot them out of the book of life,
strike them off the roll of the virtuous! - Ps. 69:27-28 -

You had scrutinised my every action,
all were recorded in your book,
my days listed and determined,
even before the first of them occurred. - Ps. 139:16 -

At that time Michael will stand up, the great prince who mounts guard over your people. There is going to be a time of great distress, unparalleled since nations first came into existence. When that time comes, your own people will be spared, all those whose names are found written in the Book. [the Book of Life or the Book of the Predestinate] Of those who lie sleeping in the dust of the earth many will awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting disgrace. The learned will shine as brightly as the vault of heaven, and those who have instructed many in virtue, as bright as stars for all eternity.

But you, Daniel, must keep these words secret and the book sealed until the time of the End. Many will wander this way and that, and wickedness will go on increasing. - Dan. 12:1-4 -

A stream of fire poured out,
issuing from his presence.
A thousand thousand waited on him,
ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.
A court was held
and the books were opened. - Dan. 7:10 -

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. - Rev. 3:5-6 -

Then I saw a great white throne and the One who was sitting on it. In his presence, earth and sky vanished, leaving no trace. I saw the dead, both great and small, standing in front of his throne, while the book of life was opened, and other books opened which were the record of what they had done in their lives, by which the dead were judged.

The sea gave up all the dead who were in it; Death and Hades were emptied of the dead that were in them; and everyone was judged according to the way in which he had lived. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the burning lake. This burning lake is the second death; and anybody whose name could not be found written in the book of life was thrown into the burning lake. - Rev. 20:11-15 -

Nothing unclean may come into it: no one who does what is loathsome or false, but only those who are listed in the Lamb's book of life. - Rev. 21:27 -

Then the angel showed me the river of life, rising from the throne of God and of the Lamb and flowing crystal-clear down the middle of the city street. On either side of the river were the trees of life, which bear twelve crops of fruit in a year, one in each month, and the leaves of which are the cure for the pagans.

The ban will be lifted. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in its place in the city; his servants will worship him, they will see him face to face, and his name will be written on their foreheads. It will never be night again and they will not need lamplight or sunlight, because the Lord God will be shining on them. They will reign for ever and ever. - Rev. 22:1-5 -

Very soon now, I shall be with you again, bringing the reward to be given to every man according to what he deserves. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. - Rev. 22:12-13 -

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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 16:12-25 -