The promise of the Holy Spirit can be traced back to John the Baptist, who prophesied that the One who was to come after him, mightier than himself, would "Baptize you with the Holy Spirit." Jesus' presence with God, the Father, as His people's representative provides the assurance that their prayers and requests for spiritual help are heard and granted.

Christ Jesus was in a unique sense, the Son of God. In fact, everyone moved by the Holy Spirit is a son/daughter of God because the Holy Spirit Himself and our spirit bear united witness that we are children of God. And if we are children we are heirs as well: heirs of God and coheirs with the Lord Jesus Christ, sharing His sufferings so as to share His glory.

Another token of the indwelling Spirit was giving Jesus the designation "LORD." This designation is given by Apostle Paul or Saint Paul to Jesus Christ in the highest sense possible. It was bestowed on Jesus by God Himself when He rose to supremacy over the universe after His humiliation and death on the Cross.

Now my brothers and sisters, 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 say, 'Curse Jesus' and on the other hand, no one can say, 'Jesus is Lord' unless he/she is under the influence of the Holy Spirit. - 1 Cor. 12;1-3 -

Meanwhile, Saul/Paul was still breathing threats to slaughter the Lord Jesus Christ disciples..... Suddenly, while he was travelling to Damascus and just before he reached the city, there came a light from heaven all round him. He fell to the ground, and then he heard a voice saying, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'

'Who are you, Lord?' he asked, and the voice answered, 'I am Jesus, and you are persecuting me. Get up now and go into the city, and you will be told what you have to do.'

The .................. 'Brother Saul/Paul, I have been sent by the Lord Jesus Christ who appeared to you on your way here so that you may recover your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.' Immediately it was as though scales fell away from Saul's eyes and he could see again. So he was baptized there and then, and after taking some food he regained his strength. - Acts 9:1-19 -

There is a variety of gifts but always the same Spirit; there are all sorts of service to be done, but always to the same Lord; working in all sorts of different ways in different people, it is the same God who is working in all of them. The particular way in which the Spirit is given to each person is for a good purpose. - 1 Cor. 12:4-7 -

The Lord Jesus Christ is presented by Apostle Paul or Saint Paul as the One "through Whom are all things, and through Whom we live" and in Whom, through Whom, and for Whom "all things were created." - 1 Cor. 8:6; Col. 1:15-18 -

Jesus Christ is the image of the unseen God
and the first-born of all creation,
for in Him were created
all things in heaven and on earth:
everything visible and everything invisible,
Thrones, Dominations, Sovereignties, Powers-
all things were created through Him and for Him.

Before anything was created, Jesus Christ existed,
and He holds all things in unity.
Now the Church is His body,
The Lord Jesus Christ is its head. - Col. 1:15-18 -

After Paul/Saul became the apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, that is, "Chosen by Christ Jesus" Paul declared: "To me, to live is Christ." - Phil. 1:20-23 - Before Paul/Saul become the apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, he might well have said: "To me, to live is 'Law' because in his mind he had judged Christ Jesus according to the Jewish Law, and finding Jesus condemned by it. Since the Law pronounced a curse on one who was hanged on a tree. (The Cross) Paul took the side of the Law and agreed that both Christ and His people were accursed. - Duet. 21:22-23 -

On the other hand, those who rely on the keeping of the Law are under a curse, since Sacred Scripture says: Cursed be everyone who does not persevere in observing everything prescribed in the book of the Law. The Law will not justify anyone in the sight of God, because we are told: the righteous person finds life through faith. The Law is not even based on faith, since we are told:

The person who practices this precepts finds life through practising them. The Lord Jesus Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law by being cursed for our sake, since Sacred Scripture says: Cursed be everyone who is hanged on a tree. This was done so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might include the pagans, and so that through faith we might receive the promised Spirit. - Gal. 3:10-14 -

The Lord Jesus Christ, then, is the end of the Law for righteousness to everyone but those who believes and love God with all his/her soul, heart, mind and strength, fulfill: 'God's greatest Commandment.' The word 'end' is ambiguous: it may mean "goal" or "completion." As the Law revealed the character and will of God, it pointed to the Lord Jesus Christ as the goal. The Lord Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of all the divine revelation that had preceded Him.

All the promises of God in Christ Jesus are "Yes." But when the Law came to be regarded as the way of salvation or the rule of life, the Lord Jesus Christ put an end to it. The Law pronounced a curse on those who failed to keep it; The Lord Jesus Christ redeemed His people from that curse by undergoing it Himself. Jesus Christ exhausted the curse in His own person through His 'Passion, Death, Resurrection and Ascension.'

Brothers and sisters, I have the very warmest love for the Jews, and I pray to God for them to be saved. I can swear to their fervour for God, but their zest is misguided. Failing to recognise the righteousness that comes from God, they try to promote their own idea of it, instead of submitting to the righteousness of God. But now the Law has come to an end with the Lord Jesus Christ, and everyone who has faith may be justified. - Rom. 10:1-4 -

Do you really think that when I am making my plans, my motives are ordinary human ones, and that I say Yes, yes, and No, no, at the same time? I swear by God's truth, there is no Yes and No about what we say to you. The Son of God, the Christ Jesus that we proclaimed among you - I mean Silvanus and Timothy and I (Apostles) - was never Yes and No: with Him it was always Yes, and however many the promises God made, the Yes to them all is in Him.

That is why it is 'through Him' that we answer "Amen" to the praise of God. Remember it is God Himself Who assures us all, and you, of our standing in the Lord Jesus Christ, and has anointed us, marking us with His seal and giving us the pledge, the Holy Spirit, that we carry in our hearts. - 2 Cor. 1:17-22 -

The relevance.......

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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 -