2. - "LORD JESUS CHRIST RESURRECTION" - This "Resurrection" is explicit, and is clearly linked with the overcoming of the powers of Satan, Evil and Death. Therefore, Christ's resurrection is the basis for the doctrine of general resurrection.

       THE  FACT  &  MANNER  OF  THE  LORD  JESUS  CHRIST  RESURRECTION              
Brothers and Sisters, I want to remind you of the gospels I preached to you, the gospel that you received and in which you are firmly established; because the gospel will save you only if you keep believing exactly what I preached to you - believing anything else will not lead to anything.

Well then, in the first place, I taught you what I had been taught myself, namely that Christ died for our sins, in accordance with the sacred scriptures; that Jesus was buried; and that he was raised to life on the third day, in accordance with the sacred scriptures; that Jesus appeared first to Cephas (Peter) and secondly to the Twelve.

Next Jesus appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died; then he appeared to James, and then to all the apostles; and last of all Jesus appeared to me (Paul/Saul) too; it was as though I was born when no one expected it.

I am the least of the apostles; in fact, since I persecuted the Church of God, I hardly deserve the name apostle; but by God's grace that is what I am, and the grace that He gave me has not been fruitless. On the contrary, I, or rather the grace of God that is with me, have worked harder than any of the others; but what matters is that I preach what they preach, and this is what you all believed.

Now if Christ raised from the dead is what has been preached, how can some of you be saying that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, Christ himself cannot be raised, and if Christ has not been raised then our preaching is useless and you believing it is useless; indeed, we are shown up as witnesses who have committed perjury before God, because we swore in evidence before God that He had raised Christ to life.

For if the dead are not raised, Christ has not been raised, and if Christ has not been raised, you are still in your sins. And what is more serious, all who have died in Christ have perished. If our hope in Christ has been for this life only, we are the most unfortunate of all people.

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

For the Lord Jesus Christ must be King until He has put all His enemies under His feet and the last of the enemies to be destroyed is death, for everything is to be put under His feet. Though when it is said that everything is subjected, this clearly cannot include the One who subjected everything to him. And when everything is subjected to him, then the Son himself will be subject in his turn to the One who subjected all things to him, so that God may be all in all.

If this were not true, what do people hope to gain by being baptized for the dead? If the dead are not ever going to be raised, why be baptized on their behalf? What about ourselves? Why are we living under a constant threat? I face death everyday, brothers, and I can swear it by the pride that I take in you in Christ Jesus our Lord.

If my motives were only human ones, what good would it do me to fight the wild animals at Ephesus? You say: Let us eat and drink today; tomorrow we shall be dead. You must stop being led astray: 'Bad friends ruin the noblest people.' Come to your senses, behave properly, and leave sin alone; there are some of you who seem not to know God at all; you should be ashamed. - 1 Cor. 15:1-34 -

Someone may ask, 'How are dead people raised and what sort of body do they have when they come back?' They are stupid questions. Whatever you sow in the ground has to die before it is given new life and the thing that you sow is not what is going to come; you sow a bare grain, say of wheat or something like that, and then God gives it the sort of body that he has chosen: each sort of seed gets its own sort of body.

Everything that is flesh is not the same flesh: there is human flesh, animals flesh, the flesh of birds and the flesh of fish. Then there are heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the heavenly bodies have a beauty of their own and the earthly bodies a different one. The sun has its brightness, the moon a different brightness, and the stars a different brightness, and the stars differ from each other in brightness.

It is the same with the resurrection of the dead: the thing that is sown is perishable but what is raised is imperishable; the thing that is sown is contemptible but what is raised is glorious; the thing that is sown is weak but what is raised is powerful; when it is sown it embodies the soul, when it is raised it embodies the spirit.

The soul has its own embodiment, so does the spirit have its own embodiment. The first man, Adam, as scripture says, became a living soul; but the last Adam has become a life-giving spirit. That is, first the one with the soul, not the spirit, and after that, the one with the spirit. The first man, being from the earth, is earthly by nature; the second man (Jesus) is from heaven. As this earthly man was, so are we on earth; and as the heavenly man is, so are we in heaven. And we, who have been modelled on the earthly man (Adam), will be modelled on the heavenly man (Jesus).

Or else, brothers and sisters, put it this way: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; and the perishable cannot inherit what lasts for ever. I will tell you something that has been secret: that we are not all going to die, but we shall all be changed. This will be instantaneous, in the twinkling of an eye, when the last trumpet sounds. It is sound, and the dead will be raised, imperishable, and we shall be changed as well, because our present perishable nature must put on imperishability and this mortal nature must put on mortality.

When this perishable nature has put on imperishability, and when this mortal nature has put on immortality, then the words of sacred scripture will come true: Death is swallowed up in victory. Death, where is your victory? Death, where is your sting? Now the sting of death is sin, and sin gets its power from the Law. So let us thank God for giving us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. - 1 Cor. 15:1-58 -

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/she 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 in the 'Book of Life' was thrown down into the burning lake.

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/women. 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. - Rev. 21;11-15; 22:1-4 -

In my earlier work, Theophilus, I dealt with everything Jesus had done and taught from the beginning until the day he gave his instructions to the apostles he had chosen through the Holy Spirit, and was taken up to heaven. After the 'Passion, Death and the Resurrection of Jesus' He had shown himself alive by many demonstrations: for forty days Jesus had continued to appear to them and tell them about the kingdom of God, and appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died; then Jesus appeared to James, and then to all the apostles; and last of all Jesus appeared to Paul/Saul too.

Now having met together they asked Jesus, 'Lord, has the time come? Are you going to restore the kingdom to 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. They were still staring into the sky when suddenly two men in white standing near them and they said, 'Why are you men from Galilee standing here looking into the sky? Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven, this same Jesus will come back in the same way as you have seen him go there.' - Acts 1:1-2, 6-11 -

In this raising, the Lord Jesus Christ conquers everyone, every things. Thus, this resurrection is clearly linked with the overcoming of the powers of evil and death. Amen!

3. - The Hope Of A General Resurrection.......

                                                                    Page 21

Faith . Hope . Love - Welcome donation. Thank You. God bless. 

By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

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

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

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

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a central doctrine of Christianity that affirms that God raised Jesus from the dead on the third day. Without the resurrection, the Apostle Paul or Saint Paul declared, Christian preaching and belief are useless and meaningless. The resurrection is the point at which God's intention for Jesus become clear and the faithful, believers and followers are assured that Jesus is the "Christ." [Messiah]

However, "Resurrection" is to be distinguished from "Resuscitation" of the human physical body.

The fact is, brothers and sisters, and I want you to realise this, the Good News I preached is not a human message that I was given by men, it is something I learnt only through a revelation of Jesus Christ. - Gal. 1:11-12 -

Now if Christ raised from the dead is what has been preached, how can some of you be saying that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, Christ Jesus, Himself cannot have been raised, and if Christ has not been raised then our preaching is useless and your believing it is useless. - 1 Cor. 15:12-14 -

This news is about the Son of God who, according to the human nature he took, was a descendant of David: it is about Jesus Christ our Lord who, in the order of the spirit, the spirit of holiness that was with him, was proclaimed Son of God in all his power through his resurrection from the dead. Through Him we received grace and our apostolic mission to preach the obedience of faith to all pagan nations in honour of His name. - Rom. 1:3-5 -

In fact, "Resurrection" has three (3) primary meanings or definition in the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible.

1. - Miraculous Healing. In this usage, resurrection refers to individuals who have been brought back to life, that is, 'Resuscitated' in this present world. Such raising were: (a) - performed by prophet Elijah on Zarephath widow's son.

It happened after this that the son of the mistress of the house fell sick; his illness was so severe that in the end he had no breath left in him. And the woman said to Elijah, 'What quarrel have you with me, man of God? Have you come here to bring my sins home to me and to kill my son?' Give me your son' he said, and taking him from her lap, carried him to the upper room where he was staying and laid him on his own bed.

Elijah cried out to Yahweh, 'Yahweh my God, do you mean to bring grief to the widow who is looking after me by killing her son?' He 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. Elijah took the child, brought him down from the upper room into the house, and gave him to his mother. 'Look' Elijah said 'your son is alive.' And the woman replied. 'Now I know you are a man of God and the word of Yahweh in your mouth is truth itself.' - 1 Kin. 17:17-24 -

(b) - performed by prophet Elisha on the Shunammite woman's son.

Elisha said to Gehazi, 'Tuck up your cloak, take my staff in your hand and go. If you meet anyone, do not greet them; if anyone greets you, do not answer them.' You are to stretch out my staff over the child.' But the child's mother said, 'As Yahweh lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.' Then Elisha stood up and followed her. Gehazi had gone ahead of them and had stretched out the staff over the child, but there was no sound or response. He went back to meet Elisha and told him. 'The child has not woken up' he said.

Elisha then went to the house, and there on his bed lay the child, dead. He went in and shut the door on the two of them and prayed to Yahweh. Then he climbed on to the bed and stretched himself on top of the child, putting his mouth on his mouth, his eyes to his eyes, and his hands on his hands, and as he lowered himself on to him, the child's flesh grew warm. Then he got up and walked to and fro inside the house, and then climbed on to the bed again and lowered himself on to the child seven times in all; then the child sneezed and opened his eyes. He then summoned Gehazi. 'Call our Shunammitess' he said; and he called her. When she came to him, Elisha said, 'Take up your son.' She went in and, falling at his feet, bowed down to the ground; and taking up her son went out. - 2 Kin. 4:29-37 -

(c) - performed by Jesus on Jairus' daughter.

While Jesus was still speaking some people arrived from the house of the synagogue official to say, 'Your daughter is dead: why put the Master to any further trouble?' But Jesus had overheard this remark of theirs and he said to the official, 'Do not be afraid; only have faith.' And he allowed no one to go with him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. So they came to the official's house and Jesus noticed all the commotion, with people weeping and wailing unrestrainedly.

Jesus went in and said to them, 'Why all this commotion and crying? The child is not dead, but asleep.' But they laughed at him. So he turned them all out and, taking with him the child's father and mother and his own companions, Jesus went into the place where the child lay. And taking the child by the hand he said to her, 'Talitha, kum!' which means, 'Little girl, I tell you to get up.' The little girl got up at once and began to walk about, for she was twelve years old. At this they were overcome with astonishment, and Jesus ordered them strictly not to let anyone know about it, and told them to give her something to eat. - Mark. 5:35-43 -

(d) - performed by Jesus on Lazarus; Mary and Martha, the sister of the sick man, Lazarus.

There was a man named Lazarus who lived in the village of Bethany with the two sisters, Mary and Martha, and he was ill............ Jesus said that and added, 'Our friend Lazarus is resting, I am going to wake him.' The disciples said to Jesus, 'Lord, if he is able to rest he is sure to get better.' The phrase Jesus used referred to the death of Lazarus, but they thought that by 'rest' he meant 'sleep' so Jesus put it plainly, "Lazarus is dead; and ............ When Martha heard that Jesus had come she went to meet him. Mary remained sitting in the house.

Martha said to Jesus, 'If you had been here, my brother would not have died but I know that, even now, whatever you ask of God, he will grant you.' 'Your brother' said Jesus to her 'will rise again.' Martha said, 'I know he will rise again at the resurrection on the last day.' Jesus said:

'I am the resurrection.
If anyone believes in me, even though he/she dies he/she will live,
and whoever lives and believes in me
will never die.
Do you believe this?'

'Yes, Lord, she said 'I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who was to come into this world.'... When the Jews who were in the house sympathising with Mary saw her get up so quickly and go out, they followed her, thinking that she was going to the tomb to weep there.

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!' But there were some who remarked, 'He opened the eyes of the blind man, could he not have prevented this man's death?'

Still sighing, Jesus reached the tomb: it was a cave with a stone to close the opening. Jesus said, 'Take the stone away.' Martha said to him, 'Lord, by now he will smell; this is the fourth day.' Jesus replied, 'Have I not told you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?' So they took away the stone. Then Jesus lifted up his eyes and said:

'Father, I thank you for hearing my prayer,
I knew indeed that you always hear me,
but I speak
for the sake of all these who stand round me,
so that they may believe it was you who sent me.'

When Jesus had said this, he cried in a loud voice, 'Lazarus, here! Come out!' The dead man came out, his feet and hands bound with bands of stuff and a cloth round his face. Jesus said to them, 'Unbind him, let him go free.' - John 11:1-44 -

(e) - performed by Peter Simon on Tabitha or Dorcas in Greek.

At Jaffa there was a woman disciple called Tabitha or Dorcas in Greek, who never tired of doing good or giving in charity. But the time came when she got ill and died, and they washed her and laid her out in a room upstairs. Lydda is not far from Jaffa, so when the disciples heard that Peter Simon was there, they sent two men with an urgent message for him, 'Come and visit us as soon as possible.'

Peter went back with them straightaway and on his arrival they took him to the upstairs room, where all the widows stood round him in tears, showing him tunics and other clothes Dorcas had made when she was with them. Peter sent them all out of the room and knelt down and prayed. Then he turned to the dead woman and said, 'Tabitha, stand up.' She opened her eyes, looked at Peter and sat up. Peter helped her to her feet, then he called in the saints and widows and showed them she was alive. The whole of Jaffa heard about it and many believed in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Peter stayed on some time in Jaffa, lodging with a leather tanner called Simon. - Acts 9:36-43 -

(f) - performed by Paul (Saul) on Eutychus at Troas.

On the first day of the week we met to break bread. (Holy Eucharist/Holy Communion/Holy Mass celebration) Paul was due to leave the next day, and he preached a sermon that went on till the middle of the night. A number of lamps were lit in the upstairs room where we were assembled, and as Paul went on and on, a young man called Eutychus who was sitting on the window-sill grew drowsy and was overcome by sleep and fell to the ground three floors below.

He was picked up dead. Paul went down and stooped to clasp the boy to him. 'There is no need to worry' he said 'there is still life in him.' Then Paul went back upstairs where he broke bread and ate and carried on talking till he left at day break. They took the boy away alive, and were greatly encouraged. - Acts 20:7-12 -

"In these raisings, that is, 'Miracle Healing' or so called 'Resurrection' there is no suggestion and understanding that the person will not again experience death."

2. - "LORD JESUS CHRIST RESURRECTION" Our Lord's Resurrection. (Kindly refer to the coming page: 'A comprehensive sharing of the "Resurrection of Jesus Christ."')

This "Resurrection" is explicit, and is clearly linked with the overcoming of the powers of Satan, Evil and Death. Therefore, Christ's resurrection is the basis for the doctrine of general resurrection.

Brothers and Sisters, I want to remind you of the gospels I preached to you, the gospel that you received and in which you are firmly established; because the gospel will save you only if you keep believing exactly what I preached to you - believing anything else will not lead to anything.

Well then, in the first place, I taught you what I had been taught myself, namely that Christ died for our sins, in accordance with the sacred scriptures; that Jesus was buried; and that he was raised to life on the third day, in accordance with the sacred scriptures; that Jesus appeared first to Cephas (Peter) and secondly to the Twelve.

Next Jesus appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still alive..............

                                                                      Page 20
Faith . Hope . Love - Welcome donation. Thank You. God bless. 

By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

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

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

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

The 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 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 streesed 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 Jewish 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 in hope, looking for the long promised God's Messiah (Anointed One) who will deliver them from their enemies and bring God's kingdom upon earth.

However, more than 600 years after the true 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.

Yahweh is therefore going to abandon  them
till the time when she who is to give birth gives birth.
Then the remnants of his brothers will come back
to the sons of Israel.

He will stand and feed His flock
with the power of Yahweh,
with the majesty of the name of his God.
They will live secure, for then on he will extend his power
to the ends of the land.
He himself is peace. - Mic. 5:1-4 -

The Lord himself, therefore,
will give you a sign,
It is this: the maiden is with child
and will soon give birth to a son
whom she will call Immanuel. - Is. 7:14 -

For there is a child born for us,
a son given to us
and dominion is laid on his shoulders;
and this is the name they give him:
Wonder-Counsellor, Mighty-God,
Eternal-Father, Prince-of-Peace.
Wide is His dominion. - Is. 9:5-6 -

'At Bethlehem in Judaea' they told him 'for this is what the prophet wrote:
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.' - Matt. 2:5-6 -

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

From Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus who has been called to be an apostle, and specially chosen to preach the Good News that God promised long ago through His prophets in the scriptures. This news is about the Son of God who, according to the human nature he took, was a descendant of David: it is about Jesus Christ our Lord who, in the order of the spirit, the spirit of holiness that was in him, was proclaimed Son of God in all his power through his resurrection from the dead.

Through Him we received grace and our apostolic mission to preach the obedience of faith to all pagan nations in honour of His name. You are one of these nations, and by His call belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. - Rom. 1:1-6 -

When the Lord 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 Jesus activities. Matters came to a head when Christ Jesus was betrayed to the priests by one of His disciples. The Roman authorities took part in His trial and the Passion, Death, and Resurrection.

The Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered round Christ Jesus, 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 on returning from the market place they never eat without first sprinkling themselves.

There 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 Jesus, '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 honours 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 Jesus 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.'

Jesus called the people to him again and said, 'Listen to me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that goes into a man from outside can make him unclean; it is the things that come out of a man that make him unclean. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to this.

When Jesus had gone back into the house, away from the crowd, his disciples questioned him about the parable. Jesus said to them, 'Do you not understand either? Can you not see that whatever goes into a man from outside cannot make him unclean, because it does not go into his heart but through his stomach and passes out into the sewer?' (Thus, Jesus pronounced all foods clean.)

And Jesus went on, 'It is what comes out of a man that makes him unclean. For it is from within, from men hearts, that evil intentions emerge: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, malice, deceit, indecency, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within and make a man unclean.' - Mark 7:1-23 -

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a central doctrine of Christianity that affirms.......

                                                                     Page 19
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 -

Israel's troubles had also 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 murder of king Nadab (about 908 B.C.) two years after his father Jeroboam's death. His murderer, Baasha, fortified a site close to Jerusalem - 1 Kin. 15:17 - Asa, the king of Judah (about 911-870 B.C.) appeared 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 years 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 Phoencia, and arranged a marriage between his son Ahab and Jezebel, a princess of Tyre. (an evil and wicked princess) 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 true prophet Elijah. - 1 Kin. 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 - 1 Kin. 20:1 - but suffered heavy losses, as he also did the following year at Ahpek. Israel was saved by the appearance of the powerful Assyrian forces who was under Shalmaneser III command. About 859-824 B.C. he attacked allied Syrian and Israelite forces 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 - 2 Kin. chapter 3 - as the true prophet Elisha had predicted. About 843 B.C. Ben-Hadad was murdered by Hazel - 2 Kin. 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 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 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. True 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 forsaking the simple Hebrew/Israelite/Jewish way of life for the luxurious living of pagan nation.

The end of all this for Israel (Northern Kingdom) occurred shortly after Jeroboam's death. The kingship was left to political opportunists. 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. But when Menahem died, Israel joined an alliance against Assyria.

Ahaz of Judah (Southern Kingdom) alarmed by this move, appealed to Tiglath-Pileser for help. Tiglath-Pileser overthrow 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. - 2 Kin. 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 3 years later with the fall of Israel and the deportation of more northern tribesmen. Prophet Isaiah's told that God would use Assyria as the rod of His anger upon Israel had been fulfilled. - Is. 10:5-6 -

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, Senacherib 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. - 2 Kin. 19:35 - Hezekiah's successor, Manasseh, encouraged idolatry and depravity in Judah, but he reformed toward the end of his life. - 2 Chr. 33:10-20 -

Manasseh's grandson Josiah reigned until 609 B.C. He finally died at Megiddo while trying to prevent the Egyptians from helping the tottering Assyrian Empire. Assyrai collapsed with the fall of Nineveh, and Haran to Babylonian and Median forces. Later the Babylonians turned against Jerusalem. In the days of the true prophet Jeremiah, they devastated the city in three assaults between 597 B.C. and 581 B.C.

The Captivity Years started with the removal of prisoners to Babylonia - Jer. 52:28-30 - the Southern Kingdom collapsed and the shock of captivity began for the Hebrew/Jew/Israelite people. God's sent prophets Ezekiel and Daniel ministered in various ways to the distraught captives. For almost 7 decades the Jewish people were occupied in building 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 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, but in actual fact, 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 II 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 God's sent prophets, Haggai and Zechariah to reconstruct the ruined Temple before they could expect divine blessing. Even after this had been done, life was still insecure because Jerusalem lacked a defensive wall. - Hag. 1:9-11 -

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, and it is 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 -

The 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 general laid the foundations of later Judaism.

During the period of Greek Dominance, the restoration of the national life of the Jewish people was achieved quickly because of the peaceful conditions in the Persian Empire. But this phrase ended with revolts under Artaxerxes II ( 404-359 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 the Great in 323 B.C.

The small Judean.........

                                                                Page 18
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 -

After Joshua died, individual charismatic leaders known as judges provided leadership for the Hebrew/Jew/Israelite 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.

Then Israelites cried to Yahweh, and Yahweh raised up a deliverer for them, Ehud the son of Gera the Benjaminite; he was left-handed. The men of Israel appointed him to take their tribute to Eglon the king of Moab. Ehud made a dagger - it was double-edged and a cubit long - and strapped it on under his clothes, over his right thigh. He presented the tribute to Eglon the king of Moab. This Eglon was a very fat man.

Having presented the tribute, Ehud went off again with the men who had carried it; but he himself, on reaching the Idols of Gilgal, turned and went back and said, 'I have a secret message for you, O king.' The king replied, 'Silenced!' and all who were with him went out. Then Ehud went in. The king sat in the cool retreat of his upper room; he was alone. Ehud said to him, 'I have a message from God for you, O king.' The king immediately stood up from his seat. Then Ehud, using his left hand, drew the dagger he was carrying on his right and thrust it into the king's belly. The hilt too went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for Ehud left the dagger in his belly; then he went out through the window. Ehud went out by the porch; he had shut and locked the doors of the upper room behind him.

When Ehud had gone, the servants came back and looked; the doors of the upper room were locked. They thought, 'He is probably covering his feet in the inner part of the cool room.' They waited until they no longer knew what to think, for he still did not open the doors of the upper room. At length they took the key and unlocked the room; their master lay on the ground, dead.

While they were waiting, Ehud had fled. He passed the Idols and escaped to safety in Seriah. When he reached the territory of Israel, he sounded the horn in the highlands of Ephraim, and the Israelites came down with him from the hills, with him at their head. And he said to them, 'Follow me, because Yahweh has delivered your enemy Moab into your hands.' So they followed him, cut Moab off from crossing the fords of the Jordan and let no one across. On that occasion they beat the Moabites, some ten thousand men, all tough and seasoned fighters, and not one escaped. That day, Moab was humbled under the hand of Israel, and the land enjoyed rest for eighty (80) years. - Judg. 3:15-30 -

By this time Hazor had been reoccupied by Canaanites under Jabin, their king, who made several northern tribes his subjects for twenty (20) years. When Ehud died, once again the Israelites began to do what displeases Yahweh, and Yahweh handed them over to Jabin the king of Canaan who reigned at Hazor, and Jabin the king had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty (20) years. - Judg. 4:1-3 -

Jabin's 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. Then, again, the Israelites cried out to Yahweh for help. Again, with God's help, Jabin's general Sisera was defeated by the Hebrew commander Barak and slain by Jael, the wife of an ally named Heber. - Judg. 4:1-24 -

The Book of Judges shows clearly that Israel's troubles were the result of disobedience and 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 Moral Purity demanded of the Israelites by the 'Sinai Covenant.'

It is because of their persistent idolatry, the Hebrews/Jews/Israelites were punished further by Midianite and Ammonite attacks. The most serious threats, however,, came from the 'Philistines.' These war-like people had migrated to Canaan in small numbers in the time of Abraham. But they came in a body about 1175 B.C. and settled on the southwestern Palestinian coast. 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 monopolised the manufacture and sale of iron implements and weapons. In fact, 'Samson' had delivered the Israelites periodically from Philistine oppression, but after Samson death they were at the mercy of the enemy once more. - Judg. 13 to 16 -

The social chaos described in the closing chapters of the Book of Judges came to a head in the religious corruption in Israel at a time of 'Samuel's' childhood. 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.' - 1 Sam. 2:12-22; 8:19-20 - Saul, son of Kish, was duly anointed by Samuel as a charismatic leader over the nation. The first king of Israel. - 1 Sam. 10:1 -

But  king Saul had an unbalanced personality which soon showed signs of paranoia. He disobeyed God's commands and a successor was chosen and anointed in the person of 'David', son of Jesse. David gained popular favour by his defeat of the Philistine champion Goliath. Thereafter, David was seen as Israel's saviour, much to the dislike of king Saul, who felt his own position threatened. Saul fought at intervals against both David and the Philistines but was ultimately killed along with five sons at Mount Gilboa.

The northern tribes then looked to Ishbosheth, the surviving son of Saul who was made king at Mahanaim in Transjordan by Abner, his father's commander. - 2 Sam. 2:8-10 - While David settled in Hebron - 2 Sam. 2:11 - and Abner tried to gain favour with him. But Abner was murdered by Joab, David's commander, at Hebron. - 2 Sam. 3:27 - When Ishbosheth was also murdered - 2 Sam. 4:5-6 - the way was clear for David to assume sole rule of Israel and unify the kingdom. King David established his capital at Jerusalem which he captured from the Jebusites. King David also brought the "Ark Of The Covenant" to the city, making it a religious as well as a political centre.

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

King Solomon renowned by God's given wisdom. He brought the kingdom of Israel to great prominence at a time when other Near Eastern nations were weak politically. He renewed the alliance that king David had made with Hiram, king of Tyre, engaging Hiram's workmen to construct a "Temple" complex in Jerusalem.

Although the finished building had some of the characteristics of the wilderness 'Tabernacle' it also included some pagan features. These included the free standing columns found in Syrians shrines, while certain aspects of the internal decoration reflected Canaanite religious symbolism.

The cost of king Solomon's ambitious building projects in and around Jerusalem was high. Much of the agricultural productivity of the land was sent to Phoenicia to pay for materials and workmen's wages. Although king Solomon levied tolls on the caravan trade that passed through his kingdom, king Solomon could not meet the rising costs that an increasingly lavish way of live involved. He attempted to replenish his depleted resources by increasing productivity in the mining industry of the Arabah and by building a fleet of ships near Elath for trading purposes.

In desperation, king Solomon finally began a program of forced labour which involved 30,000 men working by rotation and 10,000 working every third month, labouring in the forests, mines, and cities under harsh conditions.

As he grew older, Solomon entered into political marriages with non-Israelites. These women brought with them the gods of their native lands, adding to the problem of idolatry in Israel. Before Solomon died, he managed to antagonise almost all his subjects. - 1 Kin. chapter 3 to 11 - When he was succeeded by his son Rehoboam, the ten northern tribes led by Jeroboam, a former head of the forced labour units, met with him and sought relief from the burdens of work and taxation. Rehoboam followed bad advice and refused.

With Rehoboam refusal, the northern tribes declared independence and formed a separate kingdom with Jeroboam as head. They named their kingdom "Israel" (this sometimes causes confusion because the name is also used for the remnant of the "Covenant People" at a later time) 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. This event weakened still further an already vulnerable people.

Israel's troubles had also begun...

                                                                Page 17
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 -