Saint Paul's testimony - Acts 9:1-9 - and Saint Augustine of Hippo 'Confessions' boasting of God's glory are some of the example of God's greater glory. Their testimony, and being the Lord Jesus Christ special witnesses, and their conversion to Christianity are indeed awesome and extraordinary. Thus, in all honesty, I can never be able to systematically or orderly shared and boast about God. Thoughts, Words, and Deeds are indeed, the creative force. In fact, our every thinking, saying, doing, and action are the result of our encountered and experienced with God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, the three things that last: Faith. Hope. Love. are our spirited virtues.
In other words, 'Conversion' involves the surrender of emptying oneself, in spirit, body, mind, intellect, faith and love to God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Before anyone can fully comprehend or understand why he and she became a Christian convert, he and she is required to testify because the practice of boasting and sharing the joy of one's conversion to Christians has been regarded the tradition. An encounter and experience with God is always a personal event, an answer that is by its nature, a person's free act in response to the gift of Faith, Hope, Love.
Historic events or natural phenomenon which appear to violate natural laws and accomplishment that brings welcome consequences are refers to 'Miracle.' Miracles in the Old Testament are connected especially with the great events in Israel's [Jacob's] history. That is, the call of Abraham, the birth of Moses, the Exodus from Egypt, the giving of the Law, and entry into the promised Land. These miracles are for salvation but God also acts in history for judgement.
The plagues of the Exodus showed God's sovereign power in judgment and salvation. In parting the water, God showed His love and protection for Israel as well as His judgment on Egypt for its failure to recognize God. During the wilderness journey, God demonstrated His love and protection in supplying the daily food, 'Manna.' Another critical period in Israel's history was the time of prophet Elijah, the champion of Israel. Elijah controlled the rain and successfully challenged the pagan priests of Baal.
In the Old Testament, God revealed Himself as Lord over nature, as Saviour of Israel, and as Judge of the nation's enemies. Miracle, like these were not as frequent during the days of the writing prophets. But one unusual miracle was the recovery of prophet Hezekiah as well as the miracles in Jonah and Daniel. In fact, prophecy itself can even be interpreted as a miracle, and God revealed Himself during this time through the spoken Word.
As with the Old Testament, the New Testament miracles are essentially expressions of God's salvation and glory. Why did Jesus perform miracle? Jesus answered this question Himself. When in prison, John the Baptist sent some of his disciples to Jesus to see and check if Jesus was "the one who is to come" - Matt. 11:3 - Jesus told them to inform John the Baptist of what He had done: "Go back and tell John what you hear and see; the blind see again, and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised to life and the Good News is proclaimed to the poor; and happy is the man who does not lose faith in me." - Matt. 11:4-5 -
With these words, Jesus declared that His miracle were the fulfillment of the promises of the Messiah's kingdom as foretold by prophet Isaiah - 24:18-19; 35:6; 61:1 - Jesus' miracles were signs of the presence of the kingdom of God. - Matt. 12:39 - This theme of the miracles pointing to the kingdom of God was developed and deepened especially in the Gospel of John. Apostle John presented the miracles of Jesus as 'signs' and 'spiritual truth.' - John 2:1-11; 4:46-54; 5:1-18; 6:1-21; 9:1-41; 11:1-57 -
Every miracle phenomenon or story was a sign that God's salvation was present. But not only did the kingdom come; it came in great power, because the dead were raised and Satan was bound.
Your dead will come to life,
their corpses will rise;
awake, exult,
all you who lie in the dust,
for your dew is a radiant dew
and the land of ghosts will give birth. - Is. 26:19 - Luke 7:11-17; 17:11-19 -
Jesus was casting out a devil and it was dumb; but when the devil had gone out of the dumb man spoke, and the people were amazed. But some of them said, 'It is through Beelzebul, the prince of devils that he casts out devils.' Others asked him, as a test, for a sign from heaven; but knowing what they were thinking, he said to them, 'Every kingdom divided against itself is heading for ruin, and a household divided against itself collapses. So too with Satan: if he is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? Since you assert that it is through Beelzebul that I cast out devils.
Now if it is through Beelzebul that I cast out devils, through whom do your own experts cast them out? Let them be your judges. But if it is through the finger of God that I cast out devils, then know that the kingdom of God has overtaken you. So long as a strong man fully armed guards his own palace, his goods are undisturbed; but when someone stronger than he is attacks and defeats him, the stronger man takes away all the weapons he relied on and shares out his spoil.
He who is not with me is against me; and he who does not gather with me scatters.
'When an unclean spirit goes out of a man it wanders through waterless country looking for a place to rest, and not finding one it says, "I will go back to the home I came from." But on arrival, finding it swept and tidied, it then goes off and brings seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they go in and set up house there, so that the man ends up by being worse than he was before.'
Now as Jesus was speaking, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said, 'Happy the womb that bore you and the breasts you sucked!' But he replied, 'Still happier those who hear the word of God and keep it!' - Luke 11:14-28 - Mark 3:22-30 - Matt. 12:22-32 -
'Make a tree sound and its fruit will be sound; make a tree rotten and its fruit will be rotten. For the tree can be told by its fruit. Brood of vipers, how can your speech be good when you are evil? For a man's words flow out of what fills his heart. A good man draws good things from his store of goodness; a bad man draws bad things from his store of badness. So I tell you this, that for every unfounded word men utter they will answer on Judgement day, since it is by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words condemned.' - Matt. 12:33-37 -
Witness is used in connection with the distinctively religious message of the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible. God witnesses to the believer about His assurance of salvation: The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. - Rom. 8:16 - In other words, a person who loves God and who believes that God has guided his and her life's most important decisions are considered model of God's witnesses. Apostles, prophets, and all those whom God loves are the Lord Jesus Christ special witnesses. However, the command to witness in Acts 1:8 has great implications for all believers.
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.' - Acts 1:7-8 -
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Faith . Hope . Love - Welcome donation. Thank You. God bless.
By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!
I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.
HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -
