Christian maturity is the goal of all Christian formation. It is therefore important for us to discuss and know what is Christian maturity. A person who is mature is one whose potentialities - physical, psychological, spiritual - have reached their full development. These have no doubt a great influence on the development of the psychological powers. The psychological powers are the intellectual, volitional, and emotional (imaginative).
Intellectual Maturity is the ability to make judgments consistent with one's convictions. Christian Intellectual Maturity is the capacity to make judgments consistently with one's Christian convictions. This requires that a Christian deepen his personal understanding of and conviction about his Faith. Children live on borrowed convictions; they believe what their parents tell them and do what they are told is good for them. Adults go by their own convictions. They do those things which they personally believe to be good. A Christian is intellectually mature when he knows his and her faith, understands the reasons for it, is personally gripped by its value, and consequently lives it out of personal conviction. He and she does not go merely by what books say. His and her religious convictions are the fruit of his and her faith, his and her judgments are consistent with them. Consequently he and she will not be clannish and will be open to whatever is good and true in other peoples, in other communities, other faiths. He and she will respect the truth and the good that there is in others - in the other people, in other religions.
Volitional maturity is the ability to keep an elected goal steadily in view and make straight for it. A Christian who is volitionally mature will keep his and her Christian goal - the Law of Christ, the Love of Christ, the values of Christ, the Spirit of Christ - steadily in view and try consistently to be faithful to it without deviation or deflection, notwithstanding contrary attractions and pressures. With the ups and downs, of course.
Emotional maturity is the ability to make effective use of the feelings without being ruled by them. Christian emotional maturity can be said to consist in the ability to handle our emotions as Christ handle them, using them to express His love for His Father and His Father's love for His children. Hear Him speak to His Father."Abba". He addresses Him affectionately; He feels love for Mary and Martha to the point of weeping with them for their brother Lazarus. Christian emotional maturity will show itself in the ability to feel love and to show it, and in general, to respond as Christ responded to the whole scale of human emotions, being master of them, not their victim.
BY REV. FR. J. B. FERNANDES S.J.
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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
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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 -
Friday, October 9, 2009
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Acts of virtue are praiseworthy through being directed to joy and happiness. Accordingly, if our ultimate joy and happiness consists not in goods of the body; nor in goods of the soul, as regards the sensitive faculty; it remains for us to conclude that our ultimate joy and happiness consists in the contemplation of the truth. It follows then that man's ultimate joy and happiness consists in wisdom, based on the consideration of divine things.
This joy rises above circumstances and focuses on the very character of God. For example, rejoices over God's righteousness, salvation, mercy, creation, word and faithfulness. - Psalms 71:14-16, 23-24 - God's characteristics as well as His acts are the cause of rejoicing.
The joy of the righteous person is produced by the Spirit of God. - Gal. 5:22 - This kind of joy looks beyond the present to our future salvation and to our sovereign God, who works out all things for our ultimate good, which is Christ-likeness. This kind of joy is distinct from mere happiness. Joy like this is possible, even in the midst of sorrow. - Rom. 5:2, 8:18, 28-30, 1Pet. 1:4-6, 1Cor. 12:26, 2Cor. 7:4 -
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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 -
This joy rises above circumstances and focuses on the very character of God. For example, rejoices over God's righteousness, salvation, mercy, creation, word and faithfulness. - Psalms 71:14-16, 23-24 - God's characteristics as well as His acts are the cause of rejoicing.
The joy of the righteous person is produced by the Spirit of God. - Gal. 5:22 - This kind of joy looks beyond the present to our future salvation and to our sovereign God, who works out all things for our ultimate good, which is Christ-likeness. This kind of joy is distinct from mere happiness. Joy like this is possible, even in the midst of sorrow. - Rom. 5:2, 8:18, 28-30, 1Pet. 1:4-6, 1Cor. 12:26, 2Cor. 7:4 -
Page 1
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 -
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
The scriptural/biblical concept of wisdom is quite different from the classical view of wisdom, which sought through philosophy and man's rational thought to determine the mysteries of existence and the universe.
The first principle of scriptural/biblical wisdom is that man should humble himself before God in reverence and worship, obedient to His commands. This idea is found in the books of Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Wisdom.
In the Old Testament, the best example of a "wise man" is King Solomon. And yet the same book that heaps such lavish, warm, and glowing praise upon Solomon for his reputed wisdom, also points out how Solomon's heart turned away from the Lord. - 1Kin. 10:4, 6-8; 2Chr. 1:7-12; 1Kin. 4:29-34, 1Kin. 11:1-13 -
Saint Paul declared that the language of the cross may be illogical to those who are not on the way to salvation, but those of us who are on the way see it as God's power to save. As scripture says: I shall destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing all the learning of the learned. Where are the philosophers now? Where are the scribes? Where are any of our thinkers today? Do you see now how God has shown up the foolishness of human wisdom? If it was God's wisdom that human wisdom should not know God, it was because God wanted to save those who have faith through the foolishness of the message that we preach. And so, while the Jews demand miracles and the Greeks look for wisdom, here are we preaching a crucified Christ; to the Jews an obstacle that they cannot get over, to the pagans madness, but to those who have been called, whether they are Jew or Greeks, a Christ who is the power and the wisdom of God. For God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength. - 1Cor. 1:18-25 -
Against the wisdom of God Saint Paul contrasted "the wisdom of this world", "human wisdom", "the wisdom of men", "the wisdom of this age" and "man's wisdom". Far from relying on any power of my own, I came among you in great 'fear and trembling' and in my speeches and the sermons that I gave,there were none of my arguments that belong to philosophy; only a demonstration of the power of the Spirit. And I did this so that your faith should not depend on human philosophy but on the power of God.
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. - 1Cor. 2:4-6 - Therefore we teach, not in the way in which philosophy is taught, but in the way that the Spirit teaches us: we teach spiritual things spiritually. - 1Cor. 2:13 -
As scripture says: The Lord knows wise men's thoughts: he knows how useless they are; or again: God is not convinced by the arguments of the wise. - 1Cor. 3:19 -
Page 1
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 first principle of scriptural/biblical wisdom is that man should humble himself before God in reverence and worship, obedient to His commands. This idea is found in the books of Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Wisdom.
In the Old Testament, the best example of a "wise man" is King Solomon. And yet the same book that heaps such lavish, warm, and glowing praise upon Solomon for his reputed wisdom, also points out how Solomon's heart turned away from the Lord. - 1Kin. 10:4, 6-8; 2Chr. 1:7-12; 1Kin. 4:29-34, 1Kin. 11:1-13 -
Saint Paul declared that the language of the cross may be illogical to those who are not on the way to salvation, but those of us who are on the way see it as God's power to save. As scripture says: I shall destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing all the learning of the learned. Where are the philosophers now? Where are the scribes? Where are any of our thinkers today? Do you see now how God has shown up the foolishness of human wisdom? If it was God's wisdom that human wisdom should not know God, it was because God wanted to save those who have faith through the foolishness of the message that we preach. And so, while the Jews demand miracles and the Greeks look for wisdom, here are we preaching a crucified Christ; to the Jews an obstacle that they cannot get over, to the pagans madness, but to those who have been called, whether they are Jew or Greeks, a Christ who is the power and the wisdom of God. For God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength. - 1Cor. 1:18-25 -
Against the wisdom of God Saint Paul contrasted "the wisdom of this world", "human wisdom", "the wisdom of men", "the wisdom of this age" and "man's wisdom". Far from relying on any power of my own, I came among you in great 'fear and trembling' and in my speeches and the sermons that I gave,there were none of my arguments that belong to philosophy; only a demonstration of the power of the Spirit. And I did this so that your faith should not depend on human philosophy but on the power of God.
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. - 1Cor. 2:4-6 - Therefore we teach, not in the way in which philosophy is taught, but in the way that the Spirit teaches us: we teach spiritual things spiritually. - 1Cor. 2:13 -
As scripture says: The Lord knows wise men's thoughts: he knows how useless they are; or again: God is not convinced by the arguments of the wise. - 1Cor. 3:19 -
Page 1
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 -
Monday, October 5, 2009
Let us keep firm in the hope we profess, because the one who made the promise is faithful. Let us be concerned for each other, to stir a response in love and good works. - Hebrews 10:23-24 - Only faith can guarantee the blessings that we hope for, or prove the existence of the realities that at present remain unseen. - Hebrews 11:1 -
Does it follow that we should remain in sin so as to let grace have greater scope? Of course not. We are dead to sin, so how can we continue to live in it? You have been taught that when we were baptised in Christ Jesus we were baptised in his death; in other words, when we were baptised we went into the tomb with him and joined him in death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the Father's glory, we too might live a new life.
If in union with Christ we have imitated his death, we shall also imitate him in his resurrection. We must realise that our former selves have been crucified with him to destroy this sinful body and to free us from slavery of sin. When a man dies, of course, he has finished with sin.
But we believe that having died with Christ we shall return to life with him:
Christ, as we know, having been raised from the dead will never die again. Death has no power over him anymore. When he died, he died, once for all, to sin, so his life now is with God; and in that way, you too must consider yourselves to be dead to sin but alive for God in Christ Jesus.
That is why you must not let sin reign in your mortal bodies or command your obedience to bodily passions, why you must not let any part of your body turn into an unholy weapon fighting on the side of sin; you should, instead, offer yourselves to God, and consider yourselves dead men brought back to life; you should make every part of your body into a weapon fighting on the side of God; and sin will no longer dominate your life, since you are living by grace and not by law. - Rom. 6:1-14 -
Meanwhile the eleven disciples set out for Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had arranged to meet them. When they saw him they fell down before him, though some hesitated. Jesus came up and spoke to them. He said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore make disciples of all nations; baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you. And know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time." - Mat. 28:16-20 -
Page 1
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 -
Does it follow that we should remain in sin so as to let grace have greater scope? Of course not. We are dead to sin, so how can we continue to live in it? You have been taught that when we were baptised in Christ Jesus we were baptised in his death; in other words, when we were baptised we went into the tomb with him and joined him in death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the Father's glory, we too might live a new life.
If in union with Christ we have imitated his death, we shall also imitate him in his resurrection. We must realise that our former selves have been crucified with him to destroy this sinful body and to free us from slavery of sin. When a man dies, of course, he has finished with sin.
But we believe that having died with Christ we shall return to life with him:
Christ, as we know, having been raised from the dead will never die again. Death has no power over him anymore. When he died, he died, once for all, to sin, so his life now is with God; and in that way, you too must consider yourselves to be dead to sin but alive for God in Christ Jesus.
That is why you must not let sin reign in your mortal bodies or command your obedience to bodily passions, why you must not let any part of your body turn into an unholy weapon fighting on the side of sin; you should, instead, offer yourselves to God, and consider yourselves dead men brought back to life; you should make every part of your body into a weapon fighting on the side of God; and sin will no longer dominate your life, since you are living by grace and not by law. - Rom. 6:1-14 -
Meanwhile the eleven disciples set out for Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had arranged to meet them. When they saw him they fell down before him, though some hesitated. Jesus came up and spoke to them. He said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore make disciples of all nations; baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you. And know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time." - Mat. 28:16-20 -
Page 1
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 -
Sunday, October 4, 2009
God's anger against the pagans. - The anger of God is being revealed from heaven against all the impiety and depravity of men who keep truth imprisoned in their wickedness. 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. That is why such people are without excuse; they knew God and yet refused to honour him as God or to thank him; instead, they made nonsense out of logic and their empty minds were darkened.
The more they called themselves philosophers, the more stupid they grew, until they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for a worthless imitation, for the image of mortal man, of birds, of quadrupeds and reptiles. That is why God left them to their filthy enjoyments and the practices with which they dishonour their own bodies, since they have given up divine truth for a lie and have worshiped and served creatures instead of the creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen!
That is why God has abandoned them to degrading passions; why their women have turned from natural intercourse to unnatural practices and why their menfolk have given up natural intercourse to be consumed with passion for each other, men doing shameless things with men and getting an appropriate reward for their perversion.
In other words, since they refused to see it was rational to acknowledge God. God has left them to their own irrational ideas and to their monstrous behaviour. And so they are steeped in all sorts of depravity, rottenness, greed and malice, and addicted to envy, murder, wrangling, treachery and spite. Libellers, slanderers, enemies of God, rude, arrogant and boastful, enterprising in sin, rebellious to parents, without brains, without honour, without love or pity. They know what God's verdict is; that those who behave like this deserve to die - and yet they do it; and what is worse, encourage others to do the same. - Romans 1:18-32 -
Page 1
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 more they called themselves philosophers, the more stupid they grew, until they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for a worthless imitation, for the image of mortal man, of birds, of quadrupeds and reptiles. That is why God left them to their filthy enjoyments and the practices with which they dishonour their own bodies, since they have given up divine truth for a lie and have worshiped and served creatures instead of the creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen!
That is why God has abandoned them to degrading passions; why their women have turned from natural intercourse to unnatural practices and why their menfolk have given up natural intercourse to be consumed with passion for each other, men doing shameless things with men and getting an appropriate reward for their perversion.
In other words, since they refused to see it was rational to acknowledge God. God has left them to their own irrational ideas and to their monstrous behaviour. And so they are steeped in all sorts of depravity, rottenness, greed and malice, and addicted to envy, murder, wrangling, treachery and spite. Libellers, slanderers, enemies of God, rude, arrogant and boastful, enterprising in sin, rebellious to parents, without brains, without honour, without love or pity. They know what God's verdict is; that those who behave like this deserve to die - and yet they do it; and what is worse, encourage others to do the same. - Romans 1:18-32 -
Page 1
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 -
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Molech was the national deity of the Ammonites, whose worship was accompanied by the burning of children offered as a sacrifice by their own parents. - Lev. 18:21; Jer. 32:35 - The god Molech also appears in the Old Testament as Milcom and in the New Testament as Moloch. - 2Kin. 23:13; Zeph. 1:5; Acts 7:43 -
Chemosh was the national god of the Moabites and Ammonites. - Judg. 11:24; 2Kin. 23:13 - This deity was apparently compounded with Athtar, the Venus star, and so is thought to be a pagan god associated with the heavenly bodies. Like Molech, Chemosh was worshiped by the sacrifice of children as burnt offerings. King Solomon sanctified Chemosh as a part of his tolerance of pagan gods but Josiah abolished its worship. - 1Kin. 11:7; 2Kin.23:13 - Human sacrifice was made to Chemosh, according to 2King 3:27, which reports that Mesha, king Moab, offered his eldest son as a burnt offering on the wall of Kir Hareseth, the ancient capital of Moab.
The Pagan gods of Greece and Rome. Only a few of the ancient Greek and Roman gods are mentioned in the New Testament. Zeus was the supreme god of the ancient Greeks. According to Greek mythology, Zeus was the ruler of heaven and father of other gods and mortal heroes. - Acts 14:12-13 - Hermes was the Greek god of commerce, science, invention and cunning. He also served as messenger and herald for the other gods. - Acts 14:12 -
When the apostle Paul and Barnabas were in Lystra, the people of the city declared, "The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!" They called Barnabas (Zeus) and Paul (Hermes), because he was the chief speaker. - Acts 14:11-12 -
Diana, in Roman mythology was the goddess of the moon, hunting, wild animals and virginity. When Paul preached in Ephesus, the Ephesians were in an uproar because the gospel threatened to destroy the profit of the artisans who crafted silver shrines of Diana. - Acts 19:24,27-28,34-35 - The Twins were regarded as the special protectors of distressed sailors. The Alexandrian ship in which Paul sailed from Malta to Puteoli had a carving of the Twins as its figurehead. - Acts 28:11 -
In both the Old and New Testament the people of God were surrounded by pagan gods. The apostle Paul declared to the philosophers of Athens, Men of Athens, I have seen for myself how extremely scrupulous you are in all religious matters, - Acts 17:22 -
In the city of Athens, idols of pagan gods stood on every street corner. The Athenians, perhaps fearing that they had slighted some deity, had even erected an altar inscribed: To An Unknown God. - Acts 17:23 -
Well, the God whom I proclaim is in fact the one whom you already worship without knowing it. Since the God who made the world and everything in it is himself Lord of heaven and earth, he does not make his home in shrines made by human hands. - Acts 17:23-24 -
Only the sovereign Lord God has the power to rule the world; only the Lord Jesus Christ has the power to rise from the dead as conqueror, establishing once and for all our everlasting life with Him.
Page 3
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 -
Chemosh was the national god of the Moabites and Ammonites. - Judg. 11:24; 2Kin. 23:13 - This deity was apparently compounded with Athtar, the Venus star, and so is thought to be a pagan god associated with the heavenly bodies. Like Molech, Chemosh was worshiped by the sacrifice of children as burnt offerings. King Solomon sanctified Chemosh as a part of his tolerance of pagan gods but Josiah abolished its worship. - 1Kin. 11:7; 2Kin.23:13 - Human sacrifice was made to Chemosh, according to 2King 3:27, which reports that Mesha, king Moab, offered his eldest son as a burnt offering on the wall of Kir Hareseth, the ancient capital of Moab.
The Pagan gods of Greece and Rome. Only a few of the ancient Greek and Roman gods are mentioned in the New Testament. Zeus was the supreme god of the ancient Greeks. According to Greek mythology, Zeus was the ruler of heaven and father of other gods and mortal heroes. - Acts 14:12-13 - Hermes was the Greek god of commerce, science, invention and cunning. He also served as messenger and herald for the other gods. - Acts 14:12 -
When the apostle Paul and Barnabas were in Lystra, the people of the city declared, "The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!" They called Barnabas (Zeus) and Paul (Hermes), because he was the chief speaker. - Acts 14:11-12 -
Diana, in Roman mythology was the goddess of the moon, hunting, wild animals and virginity. When Paul preached in Ephesus, the Ephesians were in an uproar because the gospel threatened to destroy the profit of the artisans who crafted silver shrines of Diana. - Acts 19:24,27-28,34-35 - The Twins were regarded as the special protectors of distressed sailors. The Alexandrian ship in which Paul sailed from Malta to Puteoli had a carving of the Twins as its figurehead. - Acts 28:11 -
In both the Old and New Testament the people of God were surrounded by pagan gods. The apostle Paul declared to the philosophers of Athens, Men of Athens, I have seen for myself how extremely scrupulous you are in all religious matters, - Acts 17:22 -
In the city of Athens, idols of pagan gods stood on every street corner. The Athenians, perhaps fearing that they had slighted some deity, had even erected an altar inscribed: To An Unknown God. - Acts 17:23 -
Well, the God whom I proclaim is in fact the one whom you already worship without knowing it. Since the God who made the world and everything in it is himself Lord of heaven and earth, he does not make his home in shrines made by human hands. - Acts 17:23-24 -
Only the sovereign Lord God has the power to rule the world; only the Lord Jesus Christ has the power to rise from the dead as conqueror, establishing once and for all our everlasting life with Him.
Page 3
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 -
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
During the history of the Israelites, a rivalry developed between Baalism and the true worship of the Lord. - Jer. 23:27 - Perhaps the best example of this rivalry was the conflict between Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel - 1Kings 18 -
Elijah's challenge to them to bring down fire from heaven was appropriate, because the Canaanites believed that Baal could shoot lightning flashes from the sky. Elijah's mocking of Baal struck at the heart of the claims; he knew that Baal was powerless, that the prophets of Baal had misled the people, and that only the Lord God of Israel was alive and able to answer. In the struggle to the death between true religion and false religion, Elijah knew that Baalism and its prophets had to be destroyed.
In Canaanite mythological texts Baal is sometimes called the son of Dagon. Dagon was the chief god of the ancient Philistines, a grain and fertility god whose most famous temples were at Gaza and Ashdod. - Judg. 16:23; 1Sam. 5:2-7; 1Chr. 10:10 -
With the recent discovery of documents at ancient ELBA in Syria, it is clear that Dagon was a much more ancient and prominent god. These texts show that Dagon was being worshiped before Abraham entered Canaan about 2000 B.C. Dagon continued to be worshiped by the Canaanites up to the time of Christ. In the APOCRYPHA mention is made of a temple of Dagon at Azotus in 147 B.C. - 1Macc. 10:83-84 - Azotus was a later name for Ashdod, one of the five chief Philistine cities.
Like the myths of so many pagan religions, Canaanite stories claim that Baal came to prominence by defeating other gods. One of the Baal's enemies was sea monster known as Leviathan. - Job. 3:8, 41:1; Ps. 104:26; Is. 27:1 - But in the Bible Leviathan is simply a powerful creature in the sea that man cannot control.
Baal's mistress or lover was Anat or Anath, the goddess of war, love and fertility. - Jer. 7:18, 44:17-19,25 - Anat was the patroness of sex and passion; lewd figurines of this nude goddess have been discovered at various archaeological sites in Palestine.
The goddess Asherah was portrayed as the wife of EI in Canaanite mythology. - 1Kin. 15:13; 2Chr. 15:16; Judg. 3:7 - Asherah was a favourite deity of women. Some of the wives of David and Solomon worshiped her, as Ahab's wife, Jezebel, also probably did. King Asa suppressed the worshiped of Asherah, and King Josiah destroyed "the articles that were made for Baal, for Asherah, and for all the host of heaven". - 1Kin. 15:13; 16:31-33; 2Kin. 23:4 -
Other pagan gods in addition to Baal and his companions were worshiped by the Canaanites.
Page 2
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 -
Elijah's challenge to them to bring down fire from heaven was appropriate, because the Canaanites believed that Baal could shoot lightning flashes from the sky. Elijah's mocking of Baal struck at the heart of the claims; he knew that Baal was powerless, that the prophets of Baal had misled the people, and that only the Lord God of Israel was alive and able to answer. In the struggle to the death between true religion and false religion, Elijah knew that Baalism and its prophets had to be destroyed.
In Canaanite mythological texts Baal is sometimes called the son of Dagon. Dagon was the chief god of the ancient Philistines, a grain and fertility god whose most famous temples were at Gaza and Ashdod. - Judg. 16:23; 1Sam. 5:2-7; 1Chr. 10:10 -
With the recent discovery of documents at ancient ELBA in Syria, it is clear that Dagon was a much more ancient and prominent god. These texts show that Dagon was being worshiped before Abraham entered Canaan about 2000 B.C. Dagon continued to be worshiped by the Canaanites up to the time of Christ. In the APOCRYPHA mention is made of a temple of Dagon at Azotus in 147 B.C. - 1Macc. 10:83-84 - Azotus was a later name for Ashdod, one of the five chief Philistine cities.
Like the myths of so many pagan religions, Canaanite stories claim that Baal came to prominence by defeating other gods. One of the Baal's enemies was sea monster known as Leviathan. - Job. 3:8, 41:1; Ps. 104:26; Is. 27:1 - But in the Bible Leviathan is simply a powerful creature in the sea that man cannot control.
Baal's mistress or lover was Anat or Anath, the goddess of war, love and fertility. - Jer. 7:18, 44:17-19,25 - Anat was the patroness of sex and passion; lewd figurines of this nude goddess have been discovered at various archaeological sites in Palestine.
The goddess Asherah was portrayed as the wife of EI in Canaanite mythology. - 1Kin. 15:13; 2Chr. 15:16; Judg. 3:7 - Asherah was a favourite deity of women. Some of the wives of David and Solomon worshiped her, as Ahab's wife, Jezebel, also probably did. King Asa suppressed the worshiped of Asherah, and King Josiah destroyed "the articles that were made for Baal, for Asherah, and for all the host of heaven". - 1Kin. 15:13; 16:31-33; 2Kin. 23:4 -
Other pagan gods in addition to Baal and his companions were worshiped by the Canaanites.
Page 2
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 -
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