In the beginning was the Word:
the Word was with God
and the Word was God.
He was with God in the beginning.
Through Him all things came to be,
not one thing had its being but through Him.
All that came to be had life in Him
and that life was the light of men,
a light that shines in the dark,
a light that darkness could not overpower.

A man came, sent by God.
His name was John.
He came as a witness,
as a witness to speak for the light,
so that everyone might believe through him.
He was not the light,
only a witness to speak for the light.

The Word was the true light
that enlightens all men;
and He was coming into the world.
He was in the world
that had its being through Him,
and the world did not know Him.
He came to His own domain
and His own people did not accept Him.

But to all who did accept Him
He gave power to become children of God,
to all who believe in the name of Him
Who was born not of human stock
or urge of the flesh
or will of man
but of God Himself.

The Word was made flesh,
He lived among us,
and we saw His glory,
the glory that is His as the only Son of the Father,
full of grace and truth.

John appears as His witness. He proclaims:
'This is the one whom I said:
He who comes after me
ranks before me
because He existed before me.'

Indeed, from His fulness we have, all of us, received-
yes, grace in return for grace,
since, though the Law was given through Moses,
grace and truth have come through Jesus Christ.
No one has ever seen God;
it is the only Son, who is nearest to the Father's heart,
Who has made Him known. - John 1:1-18 -

This is how John or John the Baptist appeared as a witness. So John said, "I am, as Isaiah prophesied: a voice that cries in the wilderness:
Make a straight way for the Lord."

Now these men had been sent by the Pharisees, and they put this further question to him, 'Why are you baptising if you are not the Christ, and not Elijah, and not the prophet?' John replied, 'I baptised with water; but there stands among you - unknown to you - the One who is coming after me; and I am not fit to undo His sandal-strap.' This happened at Bethany, on the far side of the Jordan, where John was baptising.

The next day, seeing Jesus coming towards him, John said, "Look, there is the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. This is the One I spoke of when I said: A man is coming after me who ranks before me because He existed before me. I did not know Him myself, and yet it was to reveal Him to Israel that I came baptising with water."

John also declared, "I saw the Spirit coming down on Him from heaven like a dove and resting on Him. I did not know Him myself, but He who sent me to baptise with water had said to me, "The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and rest is the one who is going to baptise with the Holy Spirit." Yes, I have seen and I am the witness that He is the Chosen One of God. - John 1:19-34 -

THE  ANNUNCIATION

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. He went in and said to her, 'Rejoice, so highly favoured! The Lord is with you.' She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel [Gabriel] said to her:

"Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God's favour. Listen! You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end."

Mary said to the angel, 'But how can this come about since I am a virgin?' "The Holy Spirit will come upon you" the angel answered and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God.

Know this too: your kinswoman Elizabeth has, in her old age, herself conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible to God. 'I am the handmaid of the Lord' said Mary 'let what you have said be done to me.' And the angel left her. - Luke 1:26-38 -

THE  VISITATION

Mary set out at that time and went as quickly as she could to a town in the hill country of Judah. She went into Zechariah's house and greeted Elizabeth. Now as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She gave a loud cry and said, "Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord? For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled." - Luke 1:39-45 -

THE  MAGNIFICAT

And Mary said:

"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord
and my spirit exult in God my saviour;
because He has looked upon His lowly handmaid.
Yes, from this day forward all generations will call me blessed,
for the Almighty has done great things for me.
Holy is His name,
and His mercy reaches from age to age for those who fear Him.

He has shown the power of His arm,
He has routed the proud of heart.
He has pulled down princes from their thrones and exalted the lowly,
The hungry He has filled with good things, the rich sent empty away.
He has come to the help of Israel His servant, mindful of His mercy
-according to the promise He made to our ancestors-
of His mercy to Abraham and to his descendants for ever."

Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back home. - Luke 1:46-56 -

THE  BIRTH  OF  JESUS  AND  VISIT  OF  THE  SHEPHERDS

Now at this time Caesar Augustus issued a decree for a census of the whole world to be taken. The census-the first- took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria, and everyone went to his own town to be registered. So Joseph set out from the town of Nazareth in Galilee and travelled up to Judaea, to the town of David called Bethlehem, since he was of David's House and line, in order to be registered together with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.

While they were there the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to a son, her first-born. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them at the inn. In the countryside close by there were shepherds who lived in the fields and took it turns to watch their flocks during the night.

The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone round them. They were terrified, but the angel said, "Do not be afraid. Listen, I bring you news of great joy, a joy to be shared by the whole people. Today in the town of David a saviour has be born to you; he is Christ the Lord. And here is a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger." And suddenly with the angel there was a great throng of the heavenly host, praising God and singing:

                                                "Glory to God in the highest heaven,
                                                and peace to men who enjoy His favour."

Now when the angels had gone from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 'Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.'  So they hurried away and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. When they saw the child they repeated what they had been told about him, and everyone who heard it was astonished at what the shepherds had to say.

As for Mary, she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds went back glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen; it was exactly as they had been told. - Luke 2:1-20 -

THE  CIRCUMCISION  OF  JESUS

When the eighth day came and the child was to be circumcised, they gave him the name Jesus, the name the angel had given him before his conception.

JESUS  IS  PRESENTED  IN  THE  TEMPLE

And when the day came for them to be purified as laid down by the Law of Moses, they took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord - observing what stands written in the Law of the Lord: Every first-born male must be consecrated to the Lord - and also to offer sacrifice, in accordance with what is said in the Law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons. 

Now in Jerusalem there was a man named Simeon. He was an upright and devout man; he looked forward to Israel's comforting and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he had set eyes on the Christ of the Lord. Prompted by the Spirit he came to the Temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the Law required, he took Jesus into his arms and blessed God; and he said:

THE  NUNC  DIMITTIS

"Now, Master, you can let your servant go in peace,
just as you promised;
because my eyes have seen the salvation
which you have prepared for all the nations to see,
a light to enlighten the pagans
and the glory of your people Israel." - Luke 2:21-32 -

THE  PROPHECY  OF  SIMEON

As the child's father and mother stood there wondering at the things that were being said about Jesus, Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, 'You see this child: he is destined for the fall and for the rising of many in Israel, destined to be a sign that is rejected - and a sword will pierce your own soul too - so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare."

THE  PROPHECY  OF  ANNA

There was a prophetess also, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was well on in years. Her days of girlhood over, she had been married for seven years before becoming widow. She was now eighty-four years old and never left the Temple, serving God night and day with fasting and prayer. She came by just at that moment and began to praise God; and she spoke of the child, Jesus, to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem.

THE  HIDDEN  LIFE  OF  JESUS  AT  NAZARETH

When they had done everything the Law of the Lord required, they went back to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. Meanwhile the child grew to maturity, and he was filled with wisdom; and God's favour was with him.

JESUS  AMONG  THE  DOCTORS  OF  THE  LAW

Every year his parents used to go up to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover. When Jesus was twelve years old, they went up for the feast as usual. When they were on their way home after the feast, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem without his parents knowing it. They assumed he was with the caravan, and it was only after a day's journey that they went to look for him among their relations and acquaintances. When they failed to find him they went back to Jerusalem looking for him everywhere.

Three days later, they found Jesus in the Temple, sitting among the doctors, listening to them, and asking them questions; and all those who heard him were astounded at his intelligence and his replies.
They were overcome when they saw him, and his mother said to him, "My child, why have you done this to us? See how worried your father and I have been looking for you."

"Why were you looking for me?" Jesus replied "Did you not know that I must be busy with my Father's affairs?" But they did not understand what he meant.

THE  HIDDEN  LIFE  AT  NAZARETH

Jesus then went down with them and came to Nazareth and lived under their authority. His mother stored up all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom, in stature, and in favour with God and men. - Luke 2:33-52 -

Indeed, Jesus is fully human and fully divine, and true man and true God. The only Begotten Son of God. Son of the living God, born of the Virgin Mary. Jesus began His ministry when He sought baptism at the hands of John the Baptist..........

                                                                     Page 7
If you wish to donate. 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 Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible accepted by the Christian Church as uniquely inspired by God, and thus authoritative, providing guidelines for belief, good behavior, good attitude, and good character. The Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible contains two major sections known as the Old Testament and the New Testament.

The books of the Old Testament were written over a period of 1,000 years in the Hebrew language, except for a few selected passages which were written in Aramaic. The Old Testament tells of the preparation that was made for the Lord Jesus Christ's coming.

The New Testament was written over a period of 100 years. The original language in which it was written was Greek. The books of the New Testament tells of the Lord Jesus Christ's coming, His life, His teachings, His person, His work and ministry, and the growth of the early Universal Church.

Alexander III or Alexander the Great, son of Philip II (king of Macedon) and founder of the Hellenistic Empire or Greek Empire. He was born in 356 B.C. and ascended the Macedonian throne in 336 B.C. Advised by his teacher Aristotle that he could rule the world if he could make people adopt the Greek culture.

Therefore, Alexander the Great adopted the Greek culture and extended his empire from Greece, around the Mediterranean Sea of Egypt, and then to the borders of India. He died in Babylon in 323 B.C. and because Alexander the Great did not leave an heir who could continue his reign, Alexander's three generals divided his kingdom, with Ptolemy taking Egypt, Seleucus the East, and Cassander taking Macedonia.

Alexander the Great encouraged the Jews to settle in Alexandria, the city he founded after conquering Egypt in 331 B.C. Alexandria was the capital of Egypt during the Greek and Roman periods. It was at Alexandria that a Greek translation of the Old Testament known as 'Septuagint' was developed.

After Alexander the Great death, the capital of Egypt was moved from Memphis to Alexandria; and it became one of the most significant cities of the Greek Empire. The population of Alexandria included native Egyptians, and many Jews, learned Greeks. The commercial strength of the city was aided by the famous towering lighthouse that guided ships into port. Apostle/Saint Paul himself sailed in an Alexandrian ship on his way to Rome.

From there we put to sea again, but as the winds were against us we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, then across the open sea off Cilicia and Pamphylia, taking a fortnight to reach Myra in Lycia. There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship leaving for Italy and put us abroad. - Acts 27:4-6 -

At the end of three months we set sail in a ship that had wintered in the island' she came from Alexandria and her figurehead was the Twins. - Acts 28:11 -

Although Alexander the Great is not mentioned directly in the Old or New Testament, many scholars affirmed that 'the large honk that is between [the] eyes...of the male goat' and the "mighty king" in the vision of prophet Daniel refer to him.

The hairy he-goat is the king of Javan, the large horns between its eyes is the first king. The horn that snapped and the four horns that sprouted in its place are four kingdoms rising from his nation but not having his power. - Dan. 8:21-22 -

A mighty king will rise and reign over a vast empire and do whatever he pleases. But once he has come to power his empire will be broken up and parcelled out to the four winds of heavens, though not to his descendants; it will not be ruled as he ruled it, for his sovereignty is going to be uprooted and pass to others than his own. - Dan. 11:3-4 -

As a cultural center, Alexandria had a large museum and a library that attracted many scholars and writers. These learned people carried out research to establish accurate versions of the important Greek myths and epics as well as scientific investigations in astronomy, botany, and mathematics. One of the results of these interests was the commissioning of 70 Jewish scholars to translate the Old Testament from Hebrew to Greek. The translation which they produced is known as the "SEPTUAGINT."

Philo and other learned Jews in Alexandria wrote many books in defense of the Jewish faith to show that their beliefs were consistent with Greek philosophical thinking. This sometimes resulted in unusual methods of interpretation because the literal understanding of Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible often was mixed with fanciful explanations - a type of interpretation known as 'Allegory.' A Christian school of thought that used the allegorical method grew up in Alexandria, led by such great Church fathers as Clement and Origen.

Apostle/Saint Apollos, a believer from Alexandria, who worked with the Church at Corinth after it was founded by the Apostle/Saint Paul, may have attended one of these schools. The Book of the Acts of the Apostles describes Apostle/Saints Apollos as one who was well versed in the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible.

An Alexandrian Jew named Apollos now arrived in Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, with a sound knowledge of the Sacred Scriptures, and yet, though he had been given instruction in the Way of the Lord and preached with great spiritual earnestness and was accurate in all details he taught about Jesus Christ, he had only experienced the baptism of John the Baptist. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him speak boldly in the synagogue, they took an interest in him and gave him further instruction about the Way.

When Apostle/Saint Apollos thought of crossing over to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote asking the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived there he was able by God's grace to help the believers considerably by the energetic way, Saint/Apostle Apollos refuted the Jews in public and demonstrated from the Sacred Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ. - Acts 18:24-28 -

And because the Book of Hebrews reflects thinking that is similar to writings from Alexandria, some scholars believe Saint/Apostle Apollos may have written the book.

The arrangement of the Old Testament are most familiar has been inherited from the pre-Christian Greek translation of the Old Testament (the Septuagint) - an arrangement which was also followed by the later Latin Bible (The Vulgate or Latin Vulgate).  The Latin Bible or Latin Vulgate were recognized by the Roman Catholic Church.

However, in this day and age, there are Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible in English and many other languages, for example: The Jerusalem Bible, The King James Versions, The New American Bible, and many others.

To understand God, the Creator and who Jesus was. The Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible or 'The Word of God' - the means by which God makes Himself known, declares His will, and brings about His purposes, is the primary means by which God's is present and working in the world. God is not Himself part of this world, but He acts in it by means of His word.

In the beginning was the Word:
the Word was with God
and the Word was God.
He was with God in the beginning.
Through Him all things came to be,
not one thing had its being but through Him.
All that came to be had life in Him
and that life was the.......
                                                              Page 6
If you wish to donate. 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 -                                                      

However, God's permits sinful acts to occur, but God does not cause man/woman to sin. God often overrules evil for good. On the other hand, the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible makes it plain that Satan (creature) exists and that his main work is to oppose the rule of God in the affairs of human being.

Indeed, there are evil forces [ Satan, Devil, Demon, all are creatures ] in the world that manifest themselves in various ways, is still valid today, tomorrow, and as long as God, the Creator permit and allow it. Therefore, evil occurs where and when God's will is hindered by human sins.

In the Old Testament, the Book of 1 Chronicles 21:1, the Book of Isaiah 14:12-15 and the Book of Ezekiel 28:11-19 furnish a picture or history of Satan's original condition and the reasons for his loss of that position. These passages were addressed originally to the kings of Babylon and Tyre. They tell of an exalted angelic being, one of God's creatures, who became proud and ambitious. He determined to take over the throne of God for himself. But God removed him from his position of great dignity and honor.

Satan (creature) leads people into sin by various means. Of the various methods used by Satan in carrying out his evil work, none is more characteristic than 'Temptation'. Along with his work of tempting mankind, Satan delights in deception. Satan lying nature stands in bold contrast to the truth for which the Lord Jesus Christ stands. The great falsehood which Satan uses so frequently is that "good can be attained by doing wrong."

As the great 'Deceiver', Satan is an expert at 'Falsifying Truth.' At times Satan opposes the work of God by violent means and brings disorder into the physical world by afflicting human beings. Thus, sometimes God (creator) allows Satan (creature) to afflict His people for the purposes of correction, and perhaps, God allows it to show that evil and wrongdoing do not provide the key to the ultimate meaning of life which human beings so desperately desires.

Nevertheless, Satan is destined to fail in his continuing rebellion against God. Satan final defeat is being told in the New Testament. The death of the Lord Jesus Christ on the 'Cross' is the basis for Satan's final defeat.

This event was the grand climax to a sinless life during which the Lord Jesus Christ triumphed over the enemy, Satan repeatedly. The final victory will come when the Lord Jesus Christ returns [Second Coming] and Satan is cast into the lake of fire.

When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive all the nations in the four quarters of the earth........ Then the devil, who misled them, will be thrown into the lake of fire and sulphur, where the beast and the false prophet are, and their torture will not stop, day or night, for ever and ever.

Then I saw a great white throne and the One who was sitting on it........... 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 written in the book of life was thrown into the burning lake. - Rev. 20:1-15 -

The serpent was the most subtle of all the wild beasts that Yahweh God had made. It asked the woman, 'Did God really say you were not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?'....... God said, "You must not eat it, nor touch it, under pain of death." Then the serpent said to the woman, 'No! You will not die!' God knows in fact that on the day you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods, knowing good and evil.'

The woman saw that the tree was good to eat and pleasing to the eye, and that it was desirable for the knowledge that it could give. So she took some of its fruit and ate it. She gave some also to her husband who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they realised that they were naked. So they sewed fig-leaves together to make themselves loin-cloths.

The man and his wife heard the sound of Yahweh God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from Yahweh God among the trees of the garden.

But Yahweh God called to the man. 'Where are you?' God asked. 'I heard the sound of you in the garden;' he replied 'I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.' 'Who told you that you were naked?' God asked 'Have you been eating of the tree I forbade you to eat?' The man replied, 'It was the woman you put with me; she gave me the fruit, and I ate it.' Then Yahweh God asked the woman, 'What is this you have done?' The woman replied, 'The serpent tempted me and I ate it.' - Gen. 3:1-24 -

The Book of Job opens with a brief description of the man, his possessions, and his family. "Blameless and upright" and he owned thousands of sheep, camels, oxen, and donkeys. Job also had seven sons and three daughters. In simple terms, Job considered a wealthy man in the tribal culture of the ancient world.

But Satan insists that the integrity of this upright man has never been tested. Satan accuses Job of serving God only because God has protected him and made him wealthy. Satan said 'but Job is not God-fearing for nothing, is he? Have you not put a wall round him and his house and all his domain? You have blessed all he undertakes, and his flocks throng the countryside. But stretch out your hand and lay a finger on his possessions: Satan said: I warrant you, he will curse you to your face.'

'Very well,' Yahweh God said to Satan 'all Job has is in your power. But keep your hands off his person.' Satan left the presence of Yahweh God. - Job 1:1-12 -

In other words, God granted permission for the testing to begin or permit and allow it.

The Lord Jesus Christ answered:
If God were your Father, you would love Me,
since I have come here from God; yes, I have come from Him;
not that I came because I chose,
no, I was sent, and by Him.

Do you know why you cannot take in what I say?
It is because you are unable to understand My language.
The devil is your father,
and you prefer to do
what your father wants. - John 8:42-44 -

Never try to suppress the Holy Spirit or treat the gift of prophecy with contempt; think before you do anything - hold on what is good and avoid any form of evil. - 1 Thess. 5:19-22 -

You see, the jealousy that I feel for you is God's own jealousy: I arranged for you to marry Christ Jesus so that I might give you away as a chaste virgin to this one husband. But the serpent, with his cunning, seduced Eve, and I am afraid that in the same way your ideas may get corrupted and turned away from simple devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ. - 1 Cor. 11:2-3 -

To the Godless, Gravely Mistaken:

This is the way they reason, but they are misled,
their malice makes them blind.
They do not know the hidden things of God,
they have no hope that holiness will be rewarded,
they can see no reward for blameless souls.

Yet God did make man imperishable,
God made him/her in the image of His own nature;
it was the devil's envy that brought death into the world,
as those who are his partners will discover. - Wisdom 2:21-24 -

The Destinies of Good and Bad people compared:

But the souls of the virtuous are in the hands of God,

no torment shall ever touch them.

In the eyes of the unwise, they did appear to die,

their going look like a disaster,

their leaving us, like annihilation;

but they are in peace. 

If they experienced punishment as people see it,

their hope was rich with immortality;

slight was their affliction, great will their blessings be.

God has put them to the test

and proved them worthy to be with Him;

He has tested them like gold in a furnace,

and accepted them as a holocaust.

When the time comes for his/her visitation they will shine out;

as sparks run through the stubble, so will they.

They shall judge nations, rule over peoples,

and the Lord will be their King for ever.

They who trust in Him will understand the truth,

those who are faithful will live with Him in love;

for grace and mercy await those He has chosen. - Wisdom 3:1-9 -

But the godless will be duly punished for their reasoning,

for neglecting the virtuous person and deserting the Lord.

Yes, wretched are they who scorn wisdom and discipline:

their hope is void,

their toil unavailing,

their achievements unprofitable;

their wives are reckless,

their children depraved,

their descendants accursed. - Wisdom 3:10-12 -

                                                                  Page 5

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 -

God preserves His people and all things through His providence. The continuous activity of God in His creation by which He preserves, govern, controls: the universe; the physical world; the affairs of nations; human being's and animal's birth and their destiny. As a result, without God's continual care and activity the world and all things in it, would not exist.

God is the source of salvation, Who rescues others from evil, danger, and destruction. Thus, God is the 'Savior', or as the 'Savior.'

There is no other god beside Me,
a God of integrity and a Savior;
there is none apart from Me.
Turn to Me and be saved,
all the ends of the earth,
for I am God unrivalled. - Is. 45:22-23 -

In the Old Testament, and because God is the source of salvation and the Saviour. God sent human deliverers to rescue His people, Israel/Jacob. This word was also used to describe the judges of Israel, those 'savior' or 'deliverers' who rescued God's people from oppression by their enemies.

The Israelites cried to Yahweh, and Yahweh raised up for the Israelites a deliverer who rescued them, Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother. - Judg. 3:9 -

Then the Israelites cried to Yahweh, and Yahweh raised up a deliverer for them, Ehud the son of Gera the Benjaminite; he was left-handed. - Judg. 3:15 -

They forgot the God who had saved them
by performing such feats in Egypt. - Ps. 106:21 -

How often they defied Him in the wilderness,
how often they outraged Him in the desert,
repeatedly challenging God,
provoking the Holy One of Israel -
entirely oblivious of His hand
and of the time He saved them from the oppressor. - Ps. 78:40-42 -

For I am Yahweh, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. - Is. 43:3 -

I, I am Yahweh,
there is no other savior but Me.
It is I, Who have spoken, have saved, have made the proclamation,
not any strangers among you.

You are my witnesses - it is Yahweh who speaks -
and I, I am your God, I am He from eternity.
No one can deliver from My hand,
I act and no one can reverse it. - Is. 43:11-13 -

In the New Testament the word for "Saviour" describes both God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son. The Lord Jesus Christ was the "Savior" of Gentiles as well as Jews. The apostles rejoiced that in Christ Jesus, God had become the "Savior of all men/women."

In the Old Testament, the 'Temple' consisted of a series of courts. As one entered the Temple, (which are only for the Jews/Israelites) precincts and proceeded toward the interior, each court was higher than the previous one. Thus, 'Non-Jews/Israelites' or 'Gentiles' were prohibited from going farther, but Non-Jews/Israelites/Gentiles could enter the 'Court of the Gentiles' that is, the outermost court of (Herod's)Temple in Jerusalem.

Apparently, the New Testament uses two words for Temple. One of these words refers to the collection of buildings that made up the Temple in Jerusalem, while the other usually refers to the Sanctuary of the Temple.

The Lord Jesus Christ related to the Temple in four distinct ways.

1 - As a pious Jew/Israelite who was zealous for the Lord, Jesus showed respect for the Temple. The Lord Jesus Christ referred to it as "the house of God" and 'My Father's house." Jesus taught that everything in it was holy because of the sanctifying presence of God.

2 - Jesus' zeal led Him to purge the Temple of the money-changers and to weep over it as He reflected on its coming destruction. In fact, Prophet Malachi, - Malachi chapter 3:1 - prophesied the cleansing of the Temple as something the Lord and His Messenger would do, Jesus' act implied His deity and messiah-ship. Consequently, the hard hearted Pharisees, scribes and chief priests 'sought how to destroy Jesus.'

3 - Christ Jesus was the Son of the living God, Jesus taught that He was greater than the Temple. Jesus' teaching that if the temple of His body was destroyed in three days He would raise it up, likewise affirms His superiority to the Temple building. That saying of Christ Jesus may have provided the basis for the claim of the two false witnesses at His trail who stated that the Lord Jesus Christ said: I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.

4 - The Lord Jesus Christ taught that "The Church" is the new eschatological temple.

At Jesus' death, the veil that separated the inner court from the outer court was split, and was torn from the top to bottom, showing or indicating that all people had equal access to God, the Father, through the Lord Jesus Christ, the great Mediator and Redeemer.

By His death, the Lord Jesus Christ opened a new way into the presence of God, A new order replaced the old. No longer was the Temple in Jerusalem to be the place where peoples worshipped God. From now on they worship Him "in Spirit and Truth."

From the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?' that is, 'My God, my God, why have You deserted me?' When some of those who stood there heard this, they said, 'The man is calling Elijah,' and one of them quickly ran to get a sponge which he dipped in vinegar and, putting it on a reed, gave it to Him to drink. 'Wait!' said the rest of them 'and see if Elijah will come to save Him.' But, Jesus, again crying out in a loud voice, yielded up His spirit.

At that, the veil of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom; the earth quaked; the rocks were split; the tombs opened and the bodies of many holy men/women rose from the dead, and these, after His resurrection, came out of the tombs, entered the Holy City and appeared to a number of people.

Meanwhile the centurion, together with the others guarding Jesus, had seen the earthquake and all that was taking place, and they were terrified and said, "In truth this was a Son of God."

And many women were there, watching from a distance, the same women who had followed Jesus from Galilee and looked after Him. Among them were Mary of Magdala, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee's sons. - Matt. 27:45-56 -

Do not forget, then, that there was a time when you who were pagans physically, termed the Uncircumcised by those who speak of themselves as the Circumcision by reason of a physical operation, do not forget, I say, that you had no Christ Jesus and were excluded from membership of Israel, aliens with no part in the covenants with their Promise; you were immersed in this world, without hope and without God.

But now in Christ Jesus, you that used to be so far apart from us have been brought very close, by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. For He is the peace between us, and has made the two into one and broken down the barrier which used to keep them apart, actually destroying in His, own person the hostility caused by the rulers and decrees of the Law.

This was to create one single "New Man" in Himself out of the two of them and by restoring peace through the cross, to unite them both in a single "Body" and reconcile them with God. In His own person He killed the hostility. Later He came to bring the Good News of peace, peace, peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near at hand. Through Him, both of us have in the one Spirit our way to come to the Father.

So you are no longer aliens or foreign visitors: you are citizen like all the saints, and part of God's household. You are part of a building that has the apostles and prophets for its foundations, and the Lord Jesus Christ Himself for its main cornerstone. As every structure is aligned on Him, all grow into One Holy Temple into the Lord Jesus Christ; and you too, in Him, are being built into a house where God lives, in the Spirit. - Eph. 2:11-22 - Matt. 12:4-6, 16:18, 18:19-20, 23:17,21, 26:60-61,  27:40; Mark 11:15-18, 13:1, 14:57-58, 15:29,38; Luke 19:41-44, 47, 23:45; John 2:16-19, 14:23, 4:21-24 -
                                                     Page 4
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 -

7 - God Is Eternal. Eternity refers to God's relation to time. Past. Present, and Future are known equally to Him. Time is like a parade that human being sees only a segment at a time. But God sees time in its eternity.

Before the mountains were born,
before the earth or the world came to birth,
You were God from all eternity and for ever.
To God, a thousand years are a single day, - Psalms 90:2,4 -

But there is one thing, my friends, that you must never forget: that with the Lord, 'a day' can mean a thousand years, and a thousand years is like a day. - 2 Peters 3:8 -

'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 -

8 - God Is Holy. The word 'Holy' comes from a root word that means 'to separate.' Thus, it refers to God as separated from or exalted above other things. Holiness refers to God's moral excellence. Being holy, God demands holiness in His own children. And what God demands, He supplies. Holiness is God's gift that we receive by faith and love through His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.

I call all day, my God, but you never answer,
all night long I call and cannot rest.
Yet, Holy One, You
Who make your home in the praises of Israel/Jacob. - Psalms 22:2-3 -

And they cried out one to another in this way,
'Holy, Holy, Holy is Yahweh Sabaoth [God].
His glory fills the whole earth.' - Is. 6:3 -

Each of the four animals had six wings and had eyes all the way round as well as inside; and day and night they never stopped singing: 'Holy, Holy, Holy
                                                       is the Lord, the Almighty;
                                                       He was, He is and He is to come.' - Rev. 4:8 -

Your mind must be renewed by a spiritual revolution so that you can put on the new self that has been created in God's way, in the goodness and holiness of the truth. - Eph. 4:23-24 -

We have been called by God to be holy, not to be immoral; in other words, anyone who objects is not objecting to a human authority, but to God, Who gives you His Holy Spirit. - 1 Thess. 4:7-8 -

Everything God has created is good, and no food is to be rejected, provided grace is said for it: the word of God and the prayer make it holy. - 1 Tim. 4:4 -

9 - God Is Righteous. Righteousness as applied to God refers to His affirmation of what is right as opposed to what is wrong. The righteousness of God refers to His moral laws laid down to guide the conduct of humankind, as in the Ten Commandments.

Righteousness also refers to God's administration of justice. God brings punishment upon the disobedient. Finally, God's righteousness is redemptive. In the Book of Romans, the righteousness of God refers to God declaring the faithful and believer to be in a state of righteousness as though he had never been unrighteousness. This is possible because of the 'Sacrificial Death of Jesus on the Cross' on our behalf.

Do not think of doing such a thing: to kill the just man with the sinner, treating just and sinner alike! Do not think of it! Will the judge of the whole earth not administer justice? God replied. - Gen. 18:25 -

God is the Rock, His work is perfect,
for all His ways are Equity.
A God faithful, without unfairness,
Uprightness itself and Justice. - Deut. 32:4 -

God's justice that was made known through Law and the Prophets has now been revealed outside the Law, since it is the same justice of God that comes through faith to everyone, Jews and pagan alike, who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Both Jew and pagan sinned and forfeited God's glory, and both are justified through the free gift of His grace by being redeemed in Christ Jesus who was appointed by God to sacrifice His life so far as to win reconciliation through faith.

In this way God make His justice known: first, for the past, when sins went unpunished because He held His hand, then, for the present age, by showing positively that He is just, and that He justified everyone who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ. - Rom. 3:21-26 -

10 - God Is Love. Love is essential, self-giving nature of God. God's love for man/woman seeks to awaken a responsive love of man/woman for God. Divine love runs like a golden thread through the entire Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible. Nature is eloquent with the skill, wisdom, power, and God giving Himself and all He possesses to His creatures, in order to win their response and to possess them for Himself.

God loved and gave unconditionally. God loved and sought, just as a shepherd seeks his/her sheep. God loved and suffered, providing His love by giving His all on the 'Cross' for the redemption of humanity. God, in His love and will good for all His creatures.

God saw all He had made, and indeed it was very good. Evening came and morning came: the sixth day. Thus, heaven and earth were completed with all their array. - Gen. 1:31-2:1 -

When the Pharisee heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees they got together and to disconcert Him, one of them put a question, 'Master, which is the greatest commandment of the Law'? Jesus said, 'You must love the Lord your God with all your soul, with all your heart, and with all your mind and strength. This is the greatest and first commandment. The second resembles it: You must love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments hang the whole Law, and the Prophets also.' - Matt. 22:34-40 -

What the Spirit of God 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. - Gal. 5:22 -

My dear people,
let us love one another
since love comes from God
and everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.

Anyone who fails to love can never have known God,
because God is love.
God's love for us was revealed
when God sent into the world his only Son (Jesus Christ)
so that we could have life through Him;
this is the love I mean:
not our love for God,
but God's love for us when He sent His Son
to be the sacrifice that takes our sins away. - 1 John 4:7-21 -

11 - God Is Truth. All truth, whether natural, physical, and religious, is grounded in God. Therefore, any seemingly inconsistent doctrine or teaching between natural and physical sciences and God's revelation of Himself is more apparent than real. Indeed, truth is magnified in an absolute way through God's revelation.

To the Jews who believed in Him, Jesus said:
'If you make My word your home
you will indeed be My disciples,
you will learn the truth
and the truth will make you free.' - John 8:31-32 -

Thomas said, "Lord, we do not know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus said:
'I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.
No one can come to the Father except through Me.
If you know Me, you know my Father too.
From this moment you know Him and have seen Him.' - John 14:5-7 -

When Jesus spoke to the people again, He said:
'I am the light of the world;
anyone who follows Me will not be walking in the dark;
He/She will have the light of life.' - John 8:12 -

12 - God Is Wisdom. God's wisdom is revealed in His doing the best thing, in the best way, at the best time for the best purpose. Nonetheless, some people have knowledge, but little wisdom, while the most wise at times have little knowledge. But, God is "the only wise God." In creation, history, human lives, redemption, and Christ, His divine wisdom is revealed. However, man/woman, lacking wisdom, can claim God's wisdom simply by asking.

As Sacred Scripture says: I shall destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing all the learning of the learned. - 1 Cor. 1:19 -

But still we have a wisdom to offer those who have reached maturity; not a philosophy of our age, it is true, still less of the masters of our age, which are coming to their end. The hidden wisdom of God which we teach in our mysteries is the wisdom that God predestined to be our glory before the ages began.

It is a wisdom that none of the masters of this age have ever known, or they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory; we teach what Sacred Scripture calls: the things that no eye has seen and no ear has heard, things beyond the mind of man/woman, all that God has prepared for those who love Him. - 1 Cor. 2:6-9 -

If there is anyone of you who needs wisdom, he/she must ask God, Who gives to all freely and ungrudgingly, it will be given to him/her. But he/she must ask with faith, and no trace of doubt, because a person who has doubts is like the waves thrown up in the sea when the wind drives. That sort of person, in two minds, wavering between going different ways, must not expect that the Lord will give him/her anything. - James 1:5-8 - 1 Kings 3:9 -

The believer's and faithful's understanding of God continues to increase throughout his/her early pilgrimage. It will finally be complete in eternity when he/she stands in the presence of God. Amen!

                                                                        Page 3
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 -