To enable us to comprehend better and deeper of the way in which God is portrayed in the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible. Seriously, we need to understand the Israel's/Jacob's history. Through the help of archaeologists and by providing us the explicit historical facts and evidences. Thus, archaeological findings help us greatly in understanding the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible better, and in an extensive manner.

The word archaeology comes from two Greek words meaning "a study of ancient things." the term usually applies today to a study of excavated materials belonging to a former era. Scriptural/Biblical archaeology is the scientific study, by excavation, examination, and publication of the evidences of cultures and civilizations from the scriptural/biblical period.

They reveal what life in scriptural/biblical times, throw light on obscure passages of Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible, and help us appreciate the historical context of the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible.

Archaeology is a complex science, calling on the assistance of other sciences, such as chemistry, anthropology, and zoology. Many talented professionals, including engineers, historians, chemists, paleontologists, photographers, artists, and surveyors, are involved in the discovery, interpretation, and publication of archaeological knowledge.

Every object an archaeologist discovers, whether a piece of bone, pottery, metal, stone, or wood, is studied in detail. The archaeologist's work often requires translating ancient writings and studying an ancient city's art and architecture. These details studies are carried out in museums and laboratories, but the archaeologist must first recovery the material by carefully excavating an ancient city.

The greatest manuscript discovery of modern times began with the uncovering of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947. A young shepherd boy stumbled upon a cave south of Jericho containing numerous leather scrolls of Hebrew and Aramaic writing and some 600 fragmentary inscriptions. Great excitement quickly spread throughout the archaeological world. In 1952, new caves containing fragments of later scrolls in Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic were found enclosed in jars.

These starling discoveries have been followed by the uncovering of other manuscripts around the Dead Sea area, particularly at QUMRAN.

A full text of the Book of Isaiah (Old Testament) is the best known of the discoveries at Qumran, although other texts discovered are also significant. As a group, the documents make up the oldest existing manuscripts of the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible in any language. One of the cave yielded 18 scraps of papyri written entirely in Greek. Some have identified them as fragments of the earliest New Testament version yet discovered, claiming that one of them, a fragment of Mark's Gospel, dates from about 15 years after the events recorded

Thus, the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible helps us appreciated the archaeologist's discoveries, while scriptural/biblical archaeology helps us understand and interpret the message of God's inspired Word.

The truth of the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible is not only a matter of facts, but of their interpretation too. Even if we could prove the accuracy of the entire Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible, its redemptive significance would not be proven because the Christian faith and believe is based on historical events. Christians should welcome any supportive evidence that archaeology can provide - but they do not necessary anchor their faith and believe to it in totality.

During the early years of exploring Scripture/Bible lands, etc. Archaeologists hope to make discoveries that would confirm the main events. As a result, or in other words, God may be described in terms of attributes. An attributes is an inherent characteristic of a person or being, while we cannot describe God in a comprehensive way, however, we can learn about God by examining and studying His attributes: for example, 'The natural attributes of God.' 'The moral attributes of God.'

1 - God is the creator and sustainer of the universe Who has provided humankind with the revelation of Himself through the natural world and through His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. - Gen. 1:1 -

The heavens declare the glory of God,
the vault of heaven proclaims His handiwork;
day discourses of it to day,
night and night hands on the knowledge.

No utterance at all, no speech,
no sound that anyone can hear;
yet their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their message to the ends of the world. - Ps. 19:1-4 -

For what can be known about God is perfectly plain to them since God Himself has made it plain. Ever since God created the world His everlasting power and deity - however invisible - have been there for the mind to see in the things He has made. - Rom. 1:19-20 -

2 - God Is Spirit. The Lord Jesus Christ taught that "God is Spirit." Thus, God is invisible. He became visible in human form in the person of Jesus Christ, but His essence is invisible.

God is Spirit,
and those who worship
must worship in Spirit and Truth. - John 4:24 -

"It is the Spirit that gives life,
the flesh has nothing to offer.
The words I have spoken to you are Spirit
and they are life." - John 6:63 -

Since the Spirit of God is our life, let us be directed by the Spirit. - Gal. 5:25 -

Let us put it like this: if you are guided by God's Spirit you will be in no danger of yielding to self-indulgence, since self-indulgence is the opposite of the Spirit, so opposed that you do not always carry out your good intentions. If you are led by God's Spirit, no law can touch you.

When self-indulgence is at work the results are obvious: fornication, gross indecency and sexual irresponsibility; idolatry, and sorcery' feuds and wrangling, jealousy, bad temper and quarrels: disagreements, factions, envy; drunkenness, orgies and similar things. I warn you now, as I warned you before: those who behave like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

What the Spirit brings is very different: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, gentleness and self-control. There can be no law against things like that, of course. You cannot belong to Christ Jesus unless you crucify all self-indulgent passions and desires. - Gal. 5:16-24 -

These are the very things that God has revealed to us through the Spirit, for the Spirit reaches the depths of everything, even the depths of God. After all, the depths of a person can only be known by his/her own spirit, not by any other man/woman, and in the same way the depths of God can only be known by the Spirit of God. - 1 Cor. 2:10-11 -

3 - God Is Changeless. Progress and change may characterize some of His works, but God Himself remains unchanged. God does not change; otherwise He would not be perfect. Thus, what we know of God can be known with certainty. God is not different from one time to another.

It is You, Lord, who laid earth's foundations in the beginning, the heavens are the work of Your hands; all will vanish, though You remain, all wear out like garment; You will roll them up like a cloak, and like a garment they will be changed. But Yourself, You never change and Your years are unending. - Heb. 1:10-12 -

4 - God Is All Powerful. God power is infinite or unlimited. God can do anything that is not inconsistent with His nature, character, and purpose. The only limitations on God's power are imposed by Himself. "Impossible" is not in God's vocabulary. God creates and sustains all things; yet He never grows weary.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. - Gen. 1:1 -

At various times in the past and in various different ways, God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets; but in our own time, the last days, He has spoken to us through His Son (Jesus Christ), the Son that He has appointed to inherit everything and through whom He made everything there is. He is the radiant light of God's glory and the perfect copy of His nature, sustaining the universe by His powerful command. - Heb. 1:1-3 -

And so we have no eyes for things that are visible, but only for things that are invisible; for visible things last only for a time, and the invisible are eternal. - 2 Cor. 4:18 - Col. 1:15-20 - Is. 40:27-31 -

'I am the Alpha and the Omega' says the Lord God, Who is, Who was, and Who is to come, the Almighty. - Rev. 1:8 -

5 - God Is All Knowing. God possesses all knowledge because God is everywhere at one and the same time, God knows everything simultaneously. That God has the power to know the thoughts and motives of every heart is evident from many Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible passages, notably - Job 37:16, 38:39; Psalm 147:5; Hebrews 3:13 -

How rich are the depths of God - how deep His wisdom and knowledge - and how impossible to penetrate His motives or understand His methods! Who could ever know the mind of the Lord? Who could ever be His counsellor? Who could ever give Him anything or lend Him anything? All that exists comes from Him; all is by Him and for Him. To Him be glory for ever! Amen. - Rom. 11:33-36 -

6 - God Is Everywhere. God is not confined to any part of the universe but is present in all His power at every point in space and every moment in time. Thus, God does not belong to any one nation or generation. He is the God of all the earth.

But when you give alms, when you pray, if you forgive others their failings, and when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that no one will know you are fasting except your Father/God who sees all that is done in secret will reward you. - Matt. 6:1-18 - Ps. 139:7-17 - Gen. 18:25 -

7 - God Is Eternal. Eternity.........
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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 -