No title did Our Lord Jesus use more often to describe Himself than "the Son of Man." No one else ever called Him by that title, but He used it of Himself at least eighty times. Nor is it "a Son of Man" that He called Himself but "the Son of Man." His existence, both eternal and temporal, is in it. In His conversation with Nicodemus He indicated that He was God in the form of man.

No one ever went up into heaven except the one who came down from heaven, the Son of Man whose home is in heaven. Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost but may have eternal life. - John 3:13,16 -

That "the Son of Man" referred to His human nature which was in Personal union with His Divine nature, is evidenced from the fact that the first time Our Lord Jesus ever referred to Himself as the "the Son of Man" was when He was recognized by His disciples as the Son of God.

Jesus Christ entered into human existence under a form which was not natural to Him as the Son of God. This assuming of a human nature was a humiliation, an emptying, a strapping and a kenosis of His glory. The fundamental renouncement of His Divine glory created a physical condition of life which made Him appear like a man; His suffering and death were the logical consequences of this humiliation. As God He could not suffer; as a man He could.

This distinction between the Son of Man and the Son of God, He often made. On one occasion, when His enemies sought to kill Him, He said:

You belong to this world below, I to the world above. "You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world." - John 8:23 -

Sometimes the title "the Son of Man" is used with reference to His coming on the last day to judge all men; at other times, it referred to His Messianic mission to establish the Kingdom of God on earth and to bring forgiveness of sinners; but more often it refers to His Passion, Death and Resurrection. Hidden in it was His mission as Savior and His humiliation as God in the weakness of human flesh. As a king might take another name while traveling incognito, so the Son of God took another name, "the Son of Man" not to deny His Divinity but better to affirm the new condition He had taken. Since He was humbling Himself and making Himself obedient, even to the death on the Cross, the title "Son of Man" stood for the shame, abasement, and grief which is the human lot. It was descriptive of what He became rather than of what He is from all eternity. "The Son of Man" or the "Man of Sorrows" was, He said, also the object of prophecy:

How is it that the scriptures say of the Son of Man that he is to endure great sufferings and to be treated with contempt? - Mark 9:11 -

Because the name implied not only humiliation but identification with sinful mankind, He never used the term after He had redeemed humanity and risen from the dead. The glorified lips of the "Resurrection and the Life" never again pronounce "the Son of Man." He had left behind the oneness with unredeemed humanity. That the lowliness of His present condition was what He wished to emphasize became evident from His oneness with the woes and miseries of men. If men were homeless, He would be homeless:

Foxes have their holes, the birds their roosts; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head. - Matt. 8:20 -

Since the truth He came to bring to this earth was reserved for those who accepted His Divinity, and was not something to tickle ears, He never used "The Son of Man" as the source of that truth. The truth He brought was Divine truth, final and absolute. Hence, He avoided using the term "Son of Man" in relation to His Divine nature, which was one with the Father.

In truth I know him and obey his word. - John 8:55 -

I am the truth. - John 14:16 -

But when it came to judging the world, at the end of time, separating the sheep and the goats, holding the scales of virtue and vice in each soul, that privilege and authority was His because He suffered and redeemed mankind as "the Son of Man." Because He was obedient unto death, His Father exalted Him as Judge. Knowing what was in man, as "the Son of Man" He could best judge man.

As the Father has life giving power in himself, so has the Son, by the Father's gift. As Son of Man, he has also been given the right to pass judgment. "Because he is the Son of Man, has appointed him supreme judge." - John 5:27 -

Though "the Son of Man" expressed His federation with humanity, He was very careful to note that He was like man in all things save sin. Jesus challenged His hearers to convict Him of sin. But the consequences of sin were all His as "the Son of Man." Hence, the prayer to let the chalice pass; His endurance of hunger and thirst; His agony and bloody sweat; perhaps even His seeming older than He actually was; His condescension to wash the feet of His disciples; His absence of resentment as the swine-owning capitalists ordered Him from their shores; His endurance of false charges of being a wine-bibber, a glutton; His gentleness, which expressed itself in hiding when His enemies would have stoned Him; above all, His endurance of worry, anxiety, fear, pain, mental anguish, fever, hunger, thirst, and agony during the hours of His Passion - all these things were to inspire men to imitate "the Son of Man." Nothing that was human was foreign to Him.

The human family has its trials; so He sanctified them by living in a family. Labor and work done by the sweat of the brow were humanity's lot; therefore He, "the Son of Man" became a carpenter. No single human affliction which befalls man as the result of sin escaped His oneness with it.

He took away our illness and lifted our diseases from us. - Matt. 8:17 -

Isaiah had prophesied this incorporation with human frailty. Though there is no evidence in the Gospels that Our Lord Jesus was ever ill, there are many instances where He felt sickness as if it were His own, as He felt sin as if it were His own. Hence, in the performance of a cure, he sometimes "sighed" or "groaned" after looking up to heaven, the Source of His power. Human infirmity touched Him so deeply, because deafness, dumbness, leprosy, insanity were the effects of sin, not in the person afflicted but in humanity. Because His death would remove sin which was the cause (though the final release from sickness and error would not come until the resurrection of the just) He said that it was just as easy for Him to heal one as the other.

Is it easier to say, Your sins are forgiven, or to say, Stand up and walk? - Matt. 9:5 -

He sighed because He was a High Priest Who was touched by all the "ills that flesh is heir to." Tears! He wept three times, because humanity weeps. When He saw others weep, such as Mary in grief at her brother's death, He felt the sorrow as His own.

When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews her companions weeping, he sighed heavily and was deeply moved. - John 11:33 -

In the death and burial of Lazarus Jesus saw the long procession of mourners from the first to the last, and the reason of it all: how death came into the world with the sin of Adam. Within a few days, He knew that He as the second Adam or "the Son of Man" would take on "the sins of the world" and thereby give death its death. The restoring of physical health to humanity cost Him something, as the restoring of spiritual health cost His life. In the first instance, as the Son of Man, He felt as if an energy that was lost to Him went into humanity. When the woman touched the hem of His garment, the Gospel records that He was:

Jesus, aware that power had gone out of him... - Mark 5:30 -

Though, therefore, no disease or sin touched Him by a contagion, Jesus bore them as a loving mother bears the agony of her child and would, if possible, take it upon herself. But a mother does not have that representative character over her family that Christ had over the human race. Jesus was the new Adam and could bring forgiveness and life to all peoples, as the first Adam brought to all peoples sin and death.

Finally, the title "the Son of Man" meant that He was representative not of the Jews alone, nor of the Samaritans alone. but of all mankind. Jesus relation to mankind was similar to that of Adam, Christ. "The Son of Man" was not a particular man, a personal man, but rather a Pattern Man, a Universal Man. It was into the human family that God chose to enter, the perfect phrase to describe it being, Homofactus est. Jesus was made man and qualified Himself for co-partnership with human nature. He entered into the reality of common humanity. He assumed a human nature into Sacred person. Aristotle said that if the gods take interest in human affairs, they may be expected to look with most satisfaction on what is most akin to their own nature. This would imply a certain amount of disdain for the human; hence the Greeks said that manifestations of deity "were too fair to worship, too divine to love."

But in the person of Christ it is the reverse that was true: "He came unto His own." A sanctifier must be one with those whom He sanctifies. The very separateness in character between the two parties makes it necessary that in some way they should be one. There must be a point of contact, one with the other. He who like his brethren will have more power over them than one who is not like them. Hence, in order to be a sanctifier, Our Blessed Lord Jesus had to be a man like His unholy brethren. He would make them holy by reproducing in His life the lost ideal of human character and bring that ideal to bear on their minds and hearts.

The Ideal had to be an ideal man, "bone of our bone, flesh of our flesh" - "the Son of Man." He had to be in humanity, stripped of all social advantages, down to the level of the common mass, and presenting there the ideal of excellence among menial surroundings. Thus, would He be a compassionate High Priest Who could feel for man and be his true representative before God. The closer Jesus was to His constituents, the better fitted He was for His office. By having compassion on the ignorant and erring, He acquired through His own experience and consciousness of infirmity a likeness to men who suffer.

Jesus could not be a High Priest for man and intercede for man, and pay his debts to the Father, unless He was taken from among men. The title "Son of Man" proclaimed this brotherhood with men. But men cannot be brothers unless they have a common father, and God is not a Father unless He has a Son. To believe in the brotherhood of man without the Fatherhood of God would make men a race of bastards.

But sympathy alone is not the full explanation of this title "Son of Man." He was not only willing, but eager - even under a necessity - to come to their lot. Sympathetic love brought Him down from heaven to earth, and fellowship in suffering followed as a matter of course. Love is a vicarious principle. A mother suffers for and with her sick child, as a patriot suffers for his country. No wonder that the Son of Man visited this dark, sinful, wretched earth by becoming Man - Christ's unity with the sinful was due to His love! Love burdens itself with the wants and woes and losses and even the wrongs of others.

He suffered because He loved. But something more is to be added. It was not just enough for a man to love another man; if this suffering was ever to have any value, Jesus must have something to offer to God for us, and His offering must possess that quality needful to efficacy. It must be perfect and eternally valid; He, therefore, had to be God as well as man, otherwise the reparation and Redemption of sinful man would not have value in the sight of God. Sympathy alone would not suffice to form unity between God and the unholy.

There must be a divine appointment to the office. In virtue of the Divine "must" He was not only a Priest but a Victim. He put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. As a Priest, He was humanity's representative; as a Victim, He was humanity's substitute. He offered Himself as an acceptable sacrifice to God. It is perfect example of self-surrender and devotion to the Divine will, and God accepted the sacrifice not by a man, but by "the Son of Man" or the human race represented by this Archetypal or Pattern Man. Acting as sin-bearer did not in anyway alter His relationship to His Heavenly Father; though Christ was actually the sin-bearer only while on earth, He was the sin-bearer by destiny before He came into the world. Hence, Sacred Scripture calls Him the "Lamb slain before the foundation of the world."

No one - not the demons, not His enemies, not even the Apostles - ever called Jesus "the Son of Man." As "Son of God" applied to Himself had a unique meaning, namely, the only begotten Son of the Eternal Father, so had this title, coined by Himself and applied to Himself alone. No one else ever stood as a representative of the human race. "The Son of God" is a stranger to the human race, because He is its Creator; but the "Son of Man" was one with the human race except for its sin. As man Jesus could die. To die is a humiliation; but to die for others is glorification. His Father, therefore, manifested a singular love to His Divine Son by allowing Him as the Son of Man to taste death for others. The family tree of earthly ancestors was really not important; what was important was the family tree of the children of God He planted on Calvary.

BY  ARCHBISHOP  FULTON  J.  SHEEN  ( 1895 to 1979 )

                                                                     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 -

Peter, Simon is the most prominent of Jesus' twelve apostles. The New Testament gives a more complete picture of Peter than of any other disciple, with the exception of Paul, Saul. Peter is often considered to be a big, blundering fisherman. But this is a shallow portrayal. The picture of his personality portrayal in the New Testament is rich and many sided. A more fitting appraisal of Peter is that he was a pioneer among the twelve apostles and the early Universal Church, breaking ground that the Universal Church would later follow.

Disciple refers to a student, learner, or pupil. In the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible the word is used most often to refer to a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. The word is rarely used in the Old Testament. Prophet Isaiah used the term disciples to refer to those who are taught or instructed. Prophet Isaiah addresses his disciples: "I bind up this testimony, I seal this revelation, in the heart of my disciples." - Is. 8:16 - In general, disciples refers to a larger group of God's and Jesus' followers.

Apostle refers to a special messenger of the Lord Jesus Christ; a person to whom Jesus delegated authority for a certain tasks. The authority committed to the apostles by the Lord Jesus Christ was unique. It could not be transmitted to others. The apostles could install elders or other leaders and teachers in the Church, and they can authorize them to assume special responsibilities; but apostolic authority could not be transferred. In general, apostles refers to a inner group of the Lord Jesus Christ followers.

Peter's given name was Simon or Symeon. His father's name was Jonah. Simon's brother, Andrew, also joined Jesus as a disciple. The family probably lived at Capernaum on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee, although it is possible that they lived in Bethsaida. - Matt. 16:17; Mark 1:16, 21, 29; John 1:42-44 -

Peter and Andrew were fishermen on the Sea of Galilee, and perhaps in partnership with James and John, the sons of Zebedee. In the midst of his labour as a fisherman, Simon's received a personal call from Jesus that changed his life. - Luke 5:8, 10 - The Gospel of John reports that Andrew and Peter [Simon] were disciples of John the Baptist before they joined Jesus. John also reports that Peter was introduced to Jesus by his brother Andrew, who had recognized Jesus to be the Messiah.

On the following day as John....... One of these two who became followers of Jesus after hearing what John had said was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. Early next morning, Andrew met his brother and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" - which means "the Christ" - and he took Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked hard at him and said, "You are Simon son of John; you are to be called Cephas" - meaning Rock. - John 1:35-42 -

The Lord Jesus Christ apparently gathered His followers in two stages: first as disciples, and later as apostles. Peter was the first disciple to be called and the first to be named an apostle. Peter's name heads every list of the Twelve in the New Testament. He apparently the strongest individual in the group. He frequently served as a spokesman for the disciples, and he was their recognized leader. Typical of Peter's dominant personality was his readiness to walk to the Lord Jesus Christ on the water and to ask the Lord Jesus Christ the awkward question of how often he should forgive a sinning brother. - Mark 1:16-18, 36, 3:14-16; Luke 22:32; Matt. 14:28, 18:21 -

An inner circle of three apostles existed among the Twelve. Peter was also the leader of this inner small group. The trio - Peter, James, and John - was present with Jesus personally on a number of occasions. They witnessed the raising of a young girl from the dead; they were present at Jesus' transfiguration; and they were present during Jesus' agony in Gethsemane. During Jesus' final week in Jerusalem, two of the three, Peter and John, were sent to make preparations for their last meal together. - Matt. 17:1-2, 26:37; Mark 5:37, 14:33; Luke 8:51, 22:8 -

The purpose of Jesus' existence in the flesh [fully human] was that people would come to a true of who God is and what He had done for man's salvation. The first apostle to recognize that was Peter. He confessed Jesus as Lord in the region of Caesarea Philippi. Jesus began the process which would lead to Peter's awareness by asking a non-threatening question, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" After the disciples voiced various rumours, Jesus put a more personal question to them, "But you" he said "who do you say I am?" Then Simon Peter spoke up, "You are the Christ" he said "the Son of the living God." Jesus replied, "Simon son of Jonah, you are a happy man! Because it was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it. - Matt. 16:13-18 - Thus, by God's grace, Peter would become the first "Vicar of Christ" or the first "Pope" of the Universal Church.

How ironic that the one [Peter Simon] who denied Jesus most vehemently in His hour of suffering should be the first person to witness to His resurrection from the dead. Yet according to Saint Luke - 24:24 - and Saint Paul - 1 Cor. 15:5 - Peter was the first apostle to see the risen Lord Jesus Christ. We can only marvel at the grace of God in granting such a blessing to one who did not seem to deserve it. Peter's witnessing of the resurrection was a sign of his personal restoration to fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ. It also confirmed His appointment by God to serve as the "Vicar of Christ" in the emerging Universal Church.

The earliest information about the early Church comes from the Book of Acts. This shows clearly that Peter continued to exercise a key leadership role in the Universal Church. Indeed, the first 12 Chapters of the Book of Acts are built around the activity of the apostle Peter.

When the Holy Spirit visited the Church in Samaria, the apostles sent Peter and John to verify its authenticity. - Acts 8:14-25 - But this event was only a prelude to the one event which concluded Peter's testimony in the New Testament: the preaching and the proclamation of the Gospel to the Gentile. The chains of events that happened before the bestowal of the Holy Spirit on Gentile believers - beginning with Peter's staying in the house of a man of "unclean" profession, continuing with his vision of "unclean" foods, and climaxing in his realization that no human being, Gentile included, ought to be considered "unclean". It demonstrates the triumph of God's grace to bring about conversion in stubborn hearts and the hardened social customs of Jewish believers. - Acts 8:14-25, 10-12 -

One of the centurions.......Next day, while they were still on their journey and had only a short distance to go before reaching Jaffa, Peter went to the housetop at about the sixth hour to pray. He felt hungry and was looking forward to his meal, but before it was ready he fell into a trance and saw heaven thrown open and something like a big sheet being let down to earth by its four corners; it contained every possible sort of animal and bird, walking, crawling or flying ones. A voice then said to him, "Now, Peter; kill and eat!" But Peter answered, "Certainly not, Lord; I have never eaten anything profane or unclean." Again, a second time, the voice spoke to him, "What God has made clean, you have no right to call profane. This was repeated three times, and then suddenly the container was drawn up to heaven again.

Peter was still worrying over the meaning of the vision he had seen, when the men sent by Cornelius arrived. They asked where Simon's house was and they were now standing at the door, calling out to know if the Simon known as Peter was lodging there. Peter's mind was still on the vision and the Spirit had to tell him, "Some men have come to see you. Hurry down, and do not hesitate about going back with them; it was I who told them to come." Peter went down and said to them, "I am the man you are looking for; why have you come?" They said, "The centurion Cornelius, who is an upright and God-fearing man, highly regarded by the entire Jewish people, was directed by a holy angel to send for you and bring you to his house and to listen to what you have to say." So Peter asked them in and gave them lodging.

Next day, he was ready to go off with them, accompanied by some of the brothers from Jaffa. They reached Caesarea the following day, and Cornelius was waiting for them. He has asked his relations and close friends to be there, and as Peter reached the house Cornelius went out to meet him, knelt at his feet and prostrated himself. But Peter helped him up. "Stand up." he said, "I am only a man after all!" Talking together they went in to meet all the people assembled there, and Peter said to them, "You know it is forbidden for Jews to mix with people of another race and visit them, but God has made it clear to me that I must not call anyone profane or unclean. That is why I made no objection to coming when I was sent for; but I should like to know exactly why you sent for me." Cornelius replied, "Three days ago I was praying in my house at the ninth hour, when I suddenly saw a man in front of me in shinning robes." He said, "Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been accepted as a sacrifice in the sight of God; so now you must send to Jaffa and fetch Simon known as Peter who is lodging in the house of Simon the tanner, by the sea." So I sent for you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Here we all are, assembled in front of you to hear what message God has given you for us.

Then Peter addressed them: "The truth I have now come to realise" he said "is that God does not have favourites, but that anybody of any nationality who fears God and does what is right is acceptable to him."

...........As things turned out they were to live together in that Church a whole year, instructing a large number of people. It was at Antioch that the disciples were first called "Christians."... - Acts 10-12 -

Following the death of apostle James, the brother of apostle John, and Peter's miraculous release from prison, Saint Luke reports that Peter left and went to another place. - Acts 12:17 - Apostle Peter probably broadened the evangelizing in other areas, once the mantle of leadership of the Jerusalem Church is well preserved and look after by the other apostles. Apostle Peter played a key role at the Council of Jerusalem which decided in favour of granting Church faithful to Gentiles without first requiring them to become Jews. Saint Paul mentioned a visit of apostle Peter to Antioch of Syria and he may even refer to a mission of apostle Peter to Corinth. Apostle Peter dropped into the background in the Book of Acts is not because his ministry ended. Saint Luke, the writer of the Book of Acts, simply began to trace the course of the Gospel's spread to Gentile Rome through the ministry of the apostle Paul. - Acts 15; 1 Cor. 1:12; Gal. 2 -

According to early Christian tradition, apostle Peter went to Rome, where he died.

The two New Testament epistles/letters bearing the name of "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ" - 1 Peter 1:1 - and Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ - 2 Peter 1:1 - though otherwise having little in common.

1 Peter, the longer of the two epistles, is written in fine Greek and refers frequently to the Old Testament. It is an epistle for the downhearted, written to give encouragement in times of trail and disappointment. 1 Peter anchors the Christian's hope not so much on logic or persuasion, but on the matchless sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, who "suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps." This, in fact, is what you were called to do, because Christ suffered for you and left an example for you to follow the way he took." - 1 Peter 2:21 -

In contrast to 1 Peter, 2 Peter is briefer and written in a forced style. It rails against false teachers and prophets, while reminding believers of their election by God and assuring them of the Lord Jesus Christ return.

I Peter begins on a positive note, praising God for the blessings of a "living hope" which He has reserved for believers. This Doxology of praise sets a triumphant tone for the remainder of the epistle/letter. 1 Peter identifies its author as "Peter, an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ" because of his frequent references to Christ's suffering, show that the profile of the Suffering Servant was etched deeply upon his memory. He calls Mark his 'son' - 1 Peter 5:13 - recalling his affection for the young man and family mentioned in Acts 12:12. These facts lead naturally to the clarification that the apostle Peter wrote this epistle/letter. By recognizing, apostle Silvanus role and, he being a former associate of the apostle Paul, and as one who doubtlessly came to the Greek language as a native, apostle Silvanus may have played a role in bringing this epistle/letter to completion. In conclusion, we might say that the writing and ideas came from apostle Peter, but the design and fine tuning came from apostle Silvanus. The reference to "Babylon" a common image for civil power opposed to God, indicates that the epistle/letter was written from Rome.

I write these few words to you through Silvanus, who is a brother I know I can trust, to encourage you never to let go this true grace of God to which I bear witness. Your sister in Babylon, who is with you among the chosen, sends you greetings; so does my son, Mark. - 1 Peter 5:12-13 -

1 Peter is addressed to Christians living in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia - places in the northern and western parts of Asia Minor [modern Turkey] The peoples there appear to have been Gentiles, although they probably had not been evangelized by apostle Peter himself. The epistle/letter was obviously written to believers undergoing trials and persecutions, to give them courage in the face of their adversities. And 1 Peter was written by one who sensed the triumphant outcome of God's purpose for the world. The triumph of the future depends in no way on what we have done but on the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and because God has raised Jesus from the dead, God is deserving of praise; for His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope.

The unshakableness of our hope in the Lord Jesus Christ which awaits us in heaven, resounds like a clap of thunder throughout the epistle/letter. Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead, His suffering and death have vital meaning. The believer can gain courage in present adversity by looking and empathizing the example of Jesus Christ in His suffering. We have a sure hope for the present and future because of Christ's resurrection. This truly is a "living hope" for it is one we can live by, even in the midst of "various trials."

1 Peter is an epistle/letter of hope, the accent falls not on wishful thinking, but on present help. No scriptural/biblical writer shows the connection between faith and conduct in a clearer manner than does Peter. Putting into practice is not simply the most important thing; it is the only thing.

Peter's stress on attitude and behavior, however, is not an appeal to some vague sense of "moral goodness" in people. The conduct Peter describes is the result of a life reclaimed by the perfect power of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ has redeemed believers; Christ upholds and guides them and Christ will reward them. The Lord Jesus Christ is both the model and goal of the redeemed life. Consequently, believers may move forward on the pilgrim way, with love, peace, joy and salvation.

I urge you, my dear people, while you are visitors and pilgrim to keep yourselves free from the selfish passions that attack the soul. Always behave honorably among pagans so that they can see your good works for themselves and, when the day of reckoning comes, give thanks to God for the things which now make them denounce you as criminal. - 1 Peter 2:11-12 -

No one can hurt you if you are determined to do only what is right: if you do have to suffer for being good, you will count it a blessing. There is no need to be afraid or to worry about them. Simply reverence the Lord Jesus Christ in your hearts, and always have your answer ready for people who ask you the reason for the hope that you all have, But give it with courtesy and respect and with a clear conscience, so that those who slander you when you are living a good life in Christ may be proved wrong in the accusations that they bring. And if it is the will of God that you should suffer, it is better to suffer for doing right than for doing wrong. 1 Peter 3:13-17 -

2 Peter begins with a greeting, enjoining believers, because they have been chosen by God, to develop noble characters, and noble attitude. Recognizing that his own death is near, the author sees in the transfiguration of Jesus a forecast of the brilliant day when the Lord Jesus Christ come again. Incidentally, the following chapter is a condensation of material from the letter of Jude, condemning false teachers and false prophets. The final chapter deals with the future coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. We proclaim your death, O Lord Jesus and profess your Resurrection until You come again.

It shifts the emphasis from a hope by which one live to a hope on which one can count, and living in it. The epistle/letter speaks to the assurance of salvation by ensuring that Christians are "partakers of the divine nature."

Since everything is coming to an end like this, you should be living holy and saintly lives while you wait and long for the Day of God to come, when the sky will dissolve in flames and the elements melt in the heat. What we are waiting for is what he promised: the new heavens and earth, the place where righteousness will be at home. So then, my friends, while you are waiting, do your best to lives without spot or stain so that he will find you at peace. Think of our Lord's patience as your opportunity to be saved: our brother Paul, who is so dear to us, told you this when he wrote to you with the wisdom that is his special gift. He always writes like this when he deals with this sort of subject, and this makes some points in his letter hard to understand; these are the points that uneducated and unbalanced people distort, in the same way as they distort the rest of scripture - a fatal thing for them to do. You have been warned about this, my friends; be careful not to get carried away by the errors of unprincipled people, from the firm ground that you are standing on. Instead, go on growing in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory, in time and in eternity. Amen. - 2 Peter 3:11-18 -

                                                                        Page 1

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 -

1 Timothy and 2 Timothy are the two letters/epistles of the apostle Paul which along with the Epistle/Letter to Titus, form a trilogy called the Pastoral Epistles/Letters or Clergy Epistles/Letters. These letters/epistles are called Pastoral Epistles or Clergy Epistles because they deal with matters affecting pastors, clergy, and congregations. In these letters to Timothy and Titus, apostle Paul's primary concern is to instruct his young associate or disciple to guard the spiritual heritage that he has received by establishing truth and sound doctrine in the Universal Church.

1 Timothy begins with a warning against half-truth doctrine and false doctrine, and a reminder of God's mercy, illustrated by apostle Paul's experience of salvation. This is followed by instructions on Universal Church practices: on prayer, on public worship, and on the qualifications of clergy and deacons. A salute to the Lord Jesus Christ concludes the section. Continuing with Timothy's responsibilities, apostle Paul warns that false teachers will infiltrate the Universal Church. He instructs Timothy on the behavior, attitude, and the characteristics of a fit minister of the Gospel, as well as his duties toward others. Following another warning against false teaching, apostle Paul exhorts Timothy to fight the good fight of the faith and win for yourself the eternal life to which you were called when you made your profession and spoke up for the truth in front of many witnesses. And you must aim to be saintly and religious, filled with faith and love, patient and gentle.

As usual, after a brief greeting, 2 Timothy begins by recalling Timothy's spiritual heritage, exhorting him to be strong under adversity and to keep the faith. Apostle Paul also uses the metaphors of soldier, farmer, experienced worker, and household utensils as model for Timothy to imitate as a strong and worthy servant of the Gospel. Thereafter, apostle Paul declares what people will be like in the last days, although Timothy can take encouragement in the face of adversity from apostle Paul's example. The final chapter of 2 Timothy take on a solemn tone as apostle Paul appeals to Timothy to press forward in fulfilling his clergy calling or pastoral calling.

From Paul, apostle of Christ Jesus appointed by the command of God our saviour and of Christ Jesus our hope, to Timothy, true child of mine in the faith; wishing you grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Christ Jesus our Lord.

As I asked you when I was leaving for Macedonia, please stay at Ephesus, to insist that certain people stop teaching strange doctrines and taking notice of myths and endless genealogies; these things are only likely to raise irrelevant doubts instead of furthering the designs of God which are revealed in faith. The only purpose of this instruction is that there should be love, coming out of a pure heart, a clear conscience and a sincere faith. There are some people who have gone off the straight course and taken a road that leads to empty speculation; they claim to be doctors of the Law but they understand neither the arguments they are using nor the opinions they are upholding.

We know, of course............ and for everything else that is contrary to the sound teaching that goes with the Good News of the glory of the blessed God, the gospel that was entrusted to me. I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, and who judged me faithful enough to call me into his service even though I used to be a blasphemer and did all I could to injure and discredit the faith. Mercy, however, was shown to me, because until I became a believer I had been acting in ignorance; and the grace of our Lord filled me with faith and with the love that is in Christ Jesus. Here is a saying that you can rely on and nobody should doubt: that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. I myself am the greatest of them; and if mercy has been shown to me, it is because Jesus Christ meant to make me the greatest evidence of his inexhaustible patience for all the other people who would later have to trust in him to come to eternal life.

Timothy, my son, these are the instructions that I am giving you: I ask you to remember the words once spoken over to you by the prophets, and taking them to heart to fight like a good soldier with faith and a good conscience for your weapons............ Similarly, I direct that woman are to wear suitable clothes and to be dressed quietly and modestly....... Here is a saying that you can rely on: To want to be a presiding elder is to want to do a noble work. That is why the president must have an impeccable character....... In the same way, deacons must be respectable men whose word can be trusted, moderate in the amount of wine they drink and with no squalid greed for money.......

At the moment of writing to you, I am hoping that I may be with you soon; but in case I should be delayed, I wanted you to know how people ought to behave in God's family - that is, in the Church of the living God, which upholds the truth and keeps it safe. Without any doubt, the mystery of our religion is very deep indeed:

He was made visible in the flesh,
attested by the Spirit,
seen by angels, proclaimed to the pagans,
believed in by the world,
taken up in glory.

The Spirit has explicitly said that during the last times there will be some who will desert the faith and choose to listen to deceitful spirits and doctrines that come from the devils; and the cause for this is the lies told by hypocrites whose consciences are branded as though with a red-hot iron....... Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales. Train yourself spiritually. Physical exercises are useful enough, but the usefulness of spirituality is unlimited, since it holds out the reward of life here and now and of the future life as well; that is a saying that you can rely on and nobody should doubt it. I mean that the point of all our toiling and battling is that we have put our trust in the living God and he is the saviour of the whole human race but particularly of all believers. This is what you are to enforce in your teaching.

Do not let people disregard you because you are young....... Think hard about all this, and put it into practice, and everyone will be able to see how you are advancing. Take great care about what you do and what you teach; always do this, and in this way you will save both yourself and those who listen to you.

Do not speak harshly to....... Be considerate to widows.......,and not give the enemy any chance to raise a scandal about them; there are already some who have left us to follow Satan....... Do not be too quick to lay hands on any man, and never make yourself an accomplice in anybody else's sin; keep yourself pure....... This is what you are to teach them to believe and persuade them to do.

Anyone who teaches anything different, and does not keep to the sound teaching which is that of our Lord Jesus Christ, the doctrine which is in accordance with true religion, is simply ignorant and must be full of self-conceit - with a craze for questioning everything and arguing about words. All that can come of this is jealousy, contention, abuse and wicked mistrust of one another; and unending disputes by people who are neither rational nor informed and imagine that religion is a way of making a profit. Religion, of course, does bring large profits, but only those who are content with what they have. We brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it; but as long as we have food and clothing, let us be content with that. People who long to be rich are a prey to temptation; they get trapped into all sorts of foolish and dangerous ambitions which eventually plunge them into ruin and destruction. The love of money is the root of all evils and there are some who, pursuing it, have wandered away from the faith, and so given their souls any number of fatal wounds.

But as man dedicated to God, you must avoid all that. You must aim to be saintly and religious, filled with faith and love, patient and gentle....... Warn those who are rich in this world's, it is good that they are not to look down on other people; and not to set their hopes on money which is untrustworthy, but on God who, out of his riches, gives us all that we need for our happiness. Tell them that they are to do good, and be rich in good works, to be generous and willing to share - this is the way they can save up a good capital sum for the future if they want to make sure of the only life that is real.

My dear Timothy, take great care of all has been entrusted to you. Have nothing to do with pointless philosophical discussions and antagonistic beliefs of the 'knowledge' which is not knowledge at all; by adopting this, some have gone right away from the faith. Grace be with you. - 1 Timothy chapter 1 to 6 -

From Paul, appointed by God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus...... That is why I am reminding you now to fan into a flame the gift that God gave you when I laid my hands on you. God's gift was not a spirit of timidity, but the Spirit of power, and love, and self-control. So you are never to be ashamed of witnessing to the Lord Jesus Christ or ashamed of me for being his prisoner; but with me, bear the hardships for the sake of the Good News, relying on the power of God who has saved us and called us to be holy - not because of anything we ourselves have done but for his own purpose and by his own grace. This grace had already been granted to us, in Christ Jesus, before the beginning of time, but it has only been revealed by the Appearing of our saviour Christ Jesus. He abolished death, and he has proclaimed life and immortality through the Good News; and I have been named its herald, its apostle and its teacher.......

Keep as your pattern the sound teaching you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. You have been trusted to look after something precious; guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us....... Think over what I have said, and the Lord Jesus Christ will show you how to understand it all.

Remember the Good News that I carry, "Jesus Christ risen from the dead, sprung from the race of David"....
If we have died with him, then we shall live with him.
If we hold firm, then we shall reign with him.
If we disown him, then he will disown us.
We may be unfaithful, but he is always faithful,
for he cannot disown his own self.

Remind them of this;... Have nothing to do with pointless philosophical discussions - they only lead further and further away from true religion... Some people's faith cannot stand up to them. However, God's solid foundation stone is still in position, and this is the inscription on it: 'The Lord knows those who are his own' and 'All who call on the name of the Lord must avoid sin.'....

Instead of giving in to your impulses like a young man, fasten your attention on holiness, faith, love and peace, in union with all those who call on the Lord with pure minds. Avoid these futile and silly speculations, understanding that they only give rise to quarrels; and a servant of the Lord is not to engage in quarrels, but has to be kind to everyone, a good teacher, and patient. he has to be gentle when he corrects people who dispute what he says, never forgetting that God may give them a change of mind so that they recognize the truth and come to their senses, once out of the trap where the devil caught them and kept them enslaved.

You may be quite sure that in the last days there are going to be some difficult times. People will be self-centred and grasping; boastful, arrogant and rude; disobedient to their parents, profligates, savages and enemies of everything that is good; they will be treacherous and reckless and demented by pride, preferring their own pleasure to God. They will keep up the outward appearance of religion but will have rejected the inner power of it. Have nothing to do with people like that.

Of the same kind, too, are those men who insinuate themselves into families in order to get influence over silly women who are obsessed with their sins and follow one craze after another in the attempt to educate themselves, but can never come to knowledge of the truth. Men like this defy the truth just as Jannes and Jambres defied Moses: their minds are corrupt and their faith spurious. But they will not be able to go on any longer: foolishness, like that of the other two, must become obvious to everybody.

You know, though, what I have taught, how I have lived, what I have aimed at; you know my faith, my patience and my love; my constancy and the persecutions and hardships that came to me in places, Antioch, Iconium and Lystra - all the persecutions I have endured; and the Lord Jesus Christ has rescued me from everyone of them. You are well aware, then, that anybody who tries to live in devotion to Christ is certain to be attacked; while these wicked impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and deceived themselves.

You must keep to what you have been taught and know to be true; remember who your teacher were, and how, ever since you were a child, you have known the holy scriptures - from these you can learn the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and can profitably be used for teaching, for refuting error, for guiding people's lives and teaching them to be holy. This is how a man who is dedicated to God becomes fully equipped and ready for any good work.

Before God and before Christ Jesus who is to be judge of the living and the dead, I put this duty to you, in the name of his Appearing and of his kingdom: proclaim the message and, welcome or unwelcome, insist on it. Refute falsehood, correct error, call to obedience - but do all with patience and with the intention of teaching. The time is sure to come when, far from being content with sound teaching, people will be avid for the latest novelty and collect themselves a whole series of teachers according to their own tastes; and then, instead of listening to the truth, they will turn to myths. Be careful always to choose the right course; be brave under trails; make the preaching of the Good News your life's work, in thoroughgoing service.

As for me, ... I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith; all there is to come now is the crown of righteousness reserved for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that Day: and not only to me but to all those who have longed for his Appearing...

The first time I had to present my defence, there was not a single witness to support me. Everyone of them deserted me - may they not be held accountable for it. But the Lord stood by me and gave me power, so that through me the whole message might be proclaimed for all the pagans to hear; and so I was rescued from the lion's mouth. The Lord Jesus Christ will rescue me from all evil attempts on me, and bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen. - 2 Timothy chapter 1 to 4 -

Timothy (honored of God) is apostle Paul's friend and chief associate, who is mentioned as joint sender in six of Saint Paul's letters/epistles. - 2 Cor. 1:1; Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:1; 1 Thes. 1:1; 2 Thes. 1:1; Philem. 1 - Apostle Timothy first appears in the second missionary journey when Saint Paul revisited Lystra. - Acts 16:1-3 - Apostle Timothy was the son of a Gentile father and a Jewish-Christian mother named Eunice, and the grandson of Lois. - Acts 16:1; 2 Tim. 1:5 - Timothy may have been converted under Saint Paul's ministry, because the apostle refers to him as his 'my dear and faithful son in the Lord' - 1 Cor. 4:17 - and as his 'true child of mine in the faith.' Timothy was held in high regard in Lystra and Iconium, and apostle Paul desired to take him along as a traveling companion. - Acts 16:3 -

Apostle Timothy played a prominent role in the remainder of the second missionary journey. When Saint Paul was forced to leave Berea because of an uproar started by Jews from Thessalonica, apostle Silas and Timothy were left behind to strengthen the work in Macedonia. - Acts 17:14 - After they rejoined Saint Paul in Athens - Acts 18:5 - Saint Paul sent Timothy back to the believers in Thessalonica to establish them and to encourage them to maintain the faith. Apostle Timothy's report of the faith and love of the Thessalonians greatly encouraged Saint Paul. - 1 Thess. 3:1-9 -

During Saint Paul's third missionary journey, apostle Timothy was active in the evangelizing of Corinth, although he had little success. When news of disturbances at Corinth reached apostle Paul at Ephesus, he sent apostle Timothy, along with apostle Erastus - Acts 19:22 - to resolve the difficulties. The mission failed, perhaps because of fear on apostle Timothy's part. - 1 Cor. 16:10-11 - Saint Paul then sent the more forceful apostle Titus, who was able to calm the situation at Corinth. - 2 Cor. 7 - Later in the third journey, apostle Timothy is listed as one of the group that accompanied apostle Paul along the coast of Asia Minor on the way to Jerusalem. - Acts 20:4-5 -

Apostle Timothy also appears as a companion of Saint Paul during his imprisonment in Rome - Col. 1:1; Phil. 1:1; Philem. 1 - From Rome, Saint Paul sent apostle Timothy to Philippi to bring back word of the congregation that had supported the apostle so faithfully over the years. Apostle Timothy's strongest traits were his sensitivity, affection, and loyalty. Saint Paul commends him to the Philippians, for instance, as one of proven character, faithful to Saint Paul like a son to a father, and without rival in his concern for the Philippians. Saint Paul's warnings, however, to "be strong" suggests that apostle Timothy suffered from fearfulness and perhaps youthful lusts. But in spite of his weaknesses, Saint Paul was closer to apostle Timothy than any other associates. - Phil. 2:19-23; 2 Tim. 1:4, 1:7, 2:1; 2:22, 3:10; 1 Cor. 16:10-11 -

Writing about A.D. 325, Eusebius reported that apostle Timothy was the first Bishop of Ephesus. In 356 Constantius transferred what was thought to be apostle Timothy's remains from Ephesus to Constantinople (modern Istanbul) and buried them in the Church of the Apostles, which had been built by his father Constantine.

The Letter from Saint Paul to Titus, is one of the three Clergy Epistles/Letters or Pastoral Epistles/Letters among Saint Paul's writings, the others being 1 and 2 Timothy. The Clergy/Pastoral Epistles/Letters are so named because they deal with matters concerning clergy, pastors, and congregations. They are the only letters/epistles of Saint Paul addressed to individuals [Philemon is addressed 'to the church that meets in your house' - 1:2 -] The main purpose of the epistle to Titus was to warn against half truth teaching and false teaching, and to provide guidance for one of Saint Paul's younger associates on sound doctrine and good works.

From Paul,servant of God, an apostle of Jesus Christ to bring those whom God has chosen to faith and to the knowledge of the truth that leads to true religion; and to give them the hope of the eternal life that was promised so long ago by God... The reason I left you behind in Crete was for you to get everything organized there and appoint elders in every town, in the way that I told you: ... Since, as president, he will be God's representative, he must be irreproachable: never an arrogant or hot-tempered man, nor a heavy drinker or violent, nor out to make money; but a man who is hospitable and a friend of all that is good; sensible, moral, devout and self-controlled; and he must have a firm grasp of the unchanging message of the tradition, so that he can be counted on for both expounding the sound doctrine and refuting those who argue against it.

And in fact you have there a great many people who need to be disciplined, who talk nonsense and try to make others to believe it, particularly among those of Circumcision. They have got to be silenced: men of this kind ruin whole families, by teaching things that they ought not to, and doing it with the vile motive of making money.......

To all who are pure themselves, everything is pure; but to those who have been corrupted and lack faith, nothing can be pure - the corruption is both in their minds and in their consciences. They claim to have knowledge of God but the things they do are nothing but a denial of him; they are outrageously rebellious and quite incapable of doing good.

It is for you, then, to preach the behavior which goes with healthy doctrine............ Remember, there was a time when we too were ignorant, disobedient and misled and enslaved by different passions and luxuries; we lived then in wickedness and ill-will, hating each other and hateful ourselves. But when the kindness and love of God our saviour for mankind were revealed, it was because he was concerned with any righteous actions we might have done ourselves; it was for no reason except his own compassion that he saved us, by means of the cleansing water of rebirth and by renewing us with the Holy Spirit which he has so generously poured over us through Jesus Christ our savior. He did this so that we should be justified by his grace, to become heirs looking forward to inheriting eternal life. This is doctrine that you can rely on.

I want you to be quite uncompromising in teaching all this, so that those who now believe in God may keep their minds constantly occupied in doing good works. All this is good, and will do nothing but good to everybody. But avoid pointless speculations, and those genealogies, and the quibbles and disputes about the Law - these are useless and can do no good to anyone. If a man disputes what you teach, then after a first and a second warning, have no more to do with him: you will know that any man of that sort has already lapsed and condemned himself as a sinner.

... All our people are to learn to occupy themselves in doing good works for their practical needs as well, and not to be entirely unproductive. All those who are with me send their greetings. Greetings to those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. - Titus chapter 1 to 3 -

Apostle Titus is a "partner and fellow worker" of the apostle Paul. - 2 Cor. 8:23 - Although apostle Titus is not mentioned in the Book of Acts, Saint Paul's letters/epistles reveal that he was the man of the hour at a number of key points in his [ Paul's] life.

Saint Paul first mentions apostle Titus in Galatians 2:1-3. As an uncircumcised Gentile, apostle Titus accompanied apostle Barnabas to Jerusalem, as a living example of a great theological truth: Gentile need not be circumcised in order to be saved. Apostle Titus next appears in connection with Saint Paul's mission to Corinth. While Saint Paul was in Ephesus during his third missionary journey, he received disturbing news from the Church at Corinth. After writing two letters/epistles and paying one visit to Corinth, he sent apostle Titus to Corinth with a third letter/epistle. - 2 Cor. 7:6-9 - When apostle Titus failed to return with news of the situation, Saint Paul left Ephesus and, with a troubled spirit, traveled north to Troas. - 2 Cor. 7:5, 2:12-13 -

Finally, in Macedonia, apostle Titus met the anxious apostle with the good news that the Church at Corinth had repented. In relief and joy, Saint Paul wrote yet another letter to Corinth [2 Corinthians] perhaps from Philippi, sending it again through apostle Titus - 2 Cor. 7:5-16 - In addition, apostle Titus was given responsibility for completing the collection for the poor of Jerusalem. - 2 Cor. 8:6, 16-24, 12:18 -

Apostle Titus appears in another important role on the island of Crete. Beset by a rise in half-truth and false teaching, and declining morality, apostle Titus was told by Saint Paul to strengthen the Church by teaching sound doctrine and good works, and by appointing elders in every city. Saint Paul then urged apostle Titus to join him in Nicopolis (on the west coast of Greece) for winter. Not surprisingly, apostle Titus was remembered in Church tradition as the first Bishop of Crete. - Titus 1:4-5, 3:12 -

A final reference to apostle Titus comes from 2 Timothy 4:10, where Saint Paul remarks in passing that apostle Titus has departed for mission work in Dalmatia (modern Yugoslavia). Apostle Titus was a man for tough tasks. According to Saint Paul, apostle Titus was dependable, reliable, and diligent, and he had a great capacity for human affection. Possessing both strength and tact, apostle Titus calmed a desperate situation on more than one occasion. Apostle Titus is a good model for Christians who are called to live out their witness in difficult and trying circumstances. - 2 Cor. 7:6, 13-15, 8;17 -
                                                                       Page 1

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 -

Holiness is one of the essential elements of God's nature required of His people. Holiness may also be rendered "sanctification." The word holy denotes that which is "sanctified" or "set apart" for divine service. God's high expectations of His people flow out of His own holy nature.

Elisha was called a 'holy man of God.' - 2 Kin. 4:9 -

Herod feared John the Baptist, 'knowing that he was a just and holy man.' - Mark 6:20 -

The throne of mercy you must place on top of the ark inside the Holy of Holies. - Ex. 26:34 -

Who would not revere and praise your name, O Lord?
You alone are holy,
and all the pagans will come and adore you
for the many acts of justice you have shown. - Rev. 15:4 -


The first covenant also had its law governing worship, and its sanctuary, a sanctuary on this earth....... was called the Holy Place; then beyond the second veil, an innermost part which was called the Holy of Holies....... By this, the Holy Spirit is showing that no one has the right to go into the sanctuary as long as the outer tent remains standing; it is a symbol for this present time............ But now Christ has come, as the high priest of all the blessings which were to come. He has passed through the greater, the more perfect tent, which is better than the one made by men hands because it is not of this created order; and he has entered the sanctuary once and for all, taking with him not the blood of goats and bull calves, but his own blood, having won an eternal redemption for us. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of the heifer are sprinkled on those who have incurred defilement and they restore the holiness of their outward lives; how much more effectively the blood of Christ, who offered himself as the perfect sacrifice to God through the eternal Spirit, can purify our inner self from dead actions so that we do our service to the living God. - Heb. 9:1-14 -

The Lord Jesus Christ was the very personification of holiness, He reinforced God's demands for holiness by insisting that His disciples must have a higher quality of righteousness than that of the scribes and Pharisees. "For I tell you, if your virtue goes no deeper than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven." - Matt. 5:20 -

The theme of "Holiness and Sanctification" or growing into God's likeness and being consecrated for His use, is prominent throughout the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible.

Do not behave in the way that you liked to before you learnt the truth; make a habit of obedience: be holy in all you do, since it is the Holy One who has called you, and scripture says: Be holy, for I am holy. - 1 Peter. 1:14-16 -

Saint Paul prayer for the saints at Thessalonica is timeless in its application to the universal Church and individual believers. "May God our Father himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, make it easy for us to come to you. May the Lord be generous in increasing your love and make you love one another and the whole human race as much as we love you. And may he so confirm your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless in the sight of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus Christ comes with all his saints. - 1 Thess. 3:11-13 -

The One, Holy, Universal, and Apostolic Church is held, as a matter of faith and love, to be unfailingly holy. This is because Christ, the Son of God, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit is hailed as "alone holy" loved the One, Holy, Universal, and Apostolic Church as His Bride, giving Himself up for her so as to sanctify her: He joined her to Himself as His body and endowed her with the gift of the Holy Spirit for the glory of God. The One, Holy, Universal, and Apostolic Church, then is, "the holy People of God" and her faithful are called "saints." United with the Lord Jesus Christ, the One, Holy, Universal, and Apostolic Church is sanctified by Him; through Him and with Him she or her [The One, Holy, Universal, Apostolic Church] becomes sanctifying. "All the activities of the One, Holy, Universal, and Apostolic Church are directed, as toward their end, to the sanctification of men in the Lord Jesus Christ and the glorification of God. It is in the One, Holy, Universal, and Apostolic Church that "by the grace of God we acquire holiness." - CCC 823,824 -

Give way to one another in obedience to Christ. Wives should regard their husbands as they regard the Lord, since as Christ is head of the Church and saves the whole body, so is a husband the head of his wife; and as the Church submits to Christ, so should wives to their husbands, in everything. Husbands should love their wives just as Christ loved the Church and sacrificed himself for her to make her holy. He made her clean by washing her in water with a form of words, so that when he took her to himself she would be glorious, with no speck or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and faultless. In the same way, husbands must love their wives as they love their own bodies; for a man to love his wife is for him to love himself. A man never hates his own body, but he feeds it and looks after it; and that is the way Christ treats the Church because it is his body - and we are its living parts. - Eph. 5:21-30 -

Love is the soul of the holiness to which all are called: it "governs, shapes, and perfects all the means of sanctification." "Christ, 'holy, innocent and undefiled' knew nothing of sin but came only to expiate the sins of the people. The One, Holy, Universal, and Apostolic Church, however, clasping sinners to her bosom, at once holy and always in need of purification, follows constantly the path of penance and renewal. All faithfuls of the One, Holy, Universal, and Apostolic Church, including her ministers, must acknowledge that they are sinners. In everyone, the weeds of the sin will still be mixed with the good wheat of the Gospel until the end of time. Hence the One, Holy, Universal, and Apostolic Church gathers sinners already caught up in Christ's salvation but still on the way to holiness. - CCC 826,827 -

In other words, God in Christ was reconciling the world to himself, not holding men's faults against them, and he has entrusted to us the news that they are reconciled. So we are ambassadors for Christ; it is as though God were appealing through us, and the appeal that we make in Christ's name is: be reconciled to God. For our sake God made the sinless one into sin, so that in him we might become the goodness of God. - 2 Cor. 19-21 -

Since all the children share the same blood and flesh, he too shared equally in it, so that by his death he could take away all the power of the devil, who had power over death, and set free all those who had been held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death. For it was not the angels that he took to himself; he took to himself descent from Abraham. It was essential that he should in this way become completely like his brothers so that he could be a compassionate and trustworthy high priest of God's religion, able to atone for human sins. That is, because he has himself been through temptation he is able to help others who are tempted. - Heb. 2:14-18 -

To suit us, the ideal high priest would have to be holy, innocent and uncontaminated, beyond the influence of sinners, and raised up above the heavens; one who would not need to offer sacrifices everyday, as the other high priests do for their own sins and then for those of the people because he has done this once and for all by offering himself. The Law appoints high priests who are men subject to weakness; but the promise on oath, which came after the Law, appointed the Son who is made perfect for ever. - Heb. 7:26-28 -

If we say we have no sin in us,
we are deceiving ourselves
and refusing to admit the truth;
but if we acknowledge our sins,
then God who is faithful and just
will forgive our sins and purify us
from everything that is wrong.
To say that we have never sinned
is to call God a liar
and to show that his word is not in us. - 1 John 1:8-10 -

Jesus put another parable before them, The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in the field. While everybody............ I shall say to the reapers: First collect the darnel and tie it in bundles to be burnt, then gather the wheat into my barn. - Matt. 13:24-30 -

Then, leaving the crowds, he went to the house; and his disciples came to him and said, "Explain the parable about the darnel in the field to us." Jesus said in reply, "The sower of the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world; the good seed is the subjects of the kingdom; the darnel, the subjects of the devil one; the enemy who sowed them, the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; the reapers are the angels. Well then, just as the darnel is gathered up and burnt in the fire, so it will be at the end time. The Son of man will send his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom all things that provokes offences and all who do evil, and throw them into blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth. Then the virtuous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Listen, anyone who has ears! - Matt. 13:36-43 -

Apostolic or pertaining to the twelve apostles, or the faith and love in the Lord Jesus Christ, teaching and practice of these apostles. While the word "Apostolic" does not appear in the New Testament, the period in early Church history when the Apostles were alive is commonly called the "Apostolic Age." Apostolic Age - that period of Church history when the apostles were alive, beginning with the Day of Pentecost [about A.D. 30] and ending near the conclusion of the first century [about A.D. 100] with the death of the apostle John. During the apostolic age, all the books [Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible] of the New Testament were written, including the four Gospels, the Book of Acts, the letters of apostle Paul, the general letters, and the Book of Revelation.

During A.D. 50 an "Apostolic Council" was established, that is, the assembly of apostles and elders of the New Testament Church in Jerusalem. This Apostolic Council considered the question of whether Gentiles had to be circumcised and keep certain other laws of the Jewish faith in order to be a faithful of the Church. - Acts 15 - this assembly decided that a Gentile does not first have to become a Jew in order to be a Christian.

Apostle is a special messenger of the Lord Jesus Christ; a person whom the Lord Jesus Christ delegated authority for certain tasks. The word apostle is used of those twelve disciples whom the Lord Jesus Christ sent out to preach, with power to cast out devils, and it was on that occasion, evidently, that they were first called "Apostles." - Mark 3:13-19 - "The apostles rejoined Jesus and told him all they had done and taught. Then he said to them, 'You must come away to some lonely place all by yourselves and rest for a while' for there were so many coming and going that the apostles had no time even to eat." - Mark 6:30-31 -

The word apostle has a wider meaning in the letter of the apostle Paul. It includes people who, like himself, were not included in the Twelve, but who saw risen Christ and were specially commissioned by the Lord Jesus Christ. - Rom. 1:1-2; 1 Cor. 1:1-2; 2 Cor. 1:1-2; Gal. 1;1-2; 1 Cor. 15:9-11 - Apparently, apostle Paul also counted James, the Lord's brother, as an apostle. - Gal. 1:19 - In fact, James was not a believer in Jesus Christ before the Crucifixion. - John 7:5 - It was the resurrected Lord Jesus who appeared to James and presumably commissioned him to preached the Good News. - 1 Cor. 15:6-8 - The authority committed to the apostles by the Lord Jesus Christ was unique. It could not be transmitted to others. The apostles could install elders or other leaders to the Church.

Now you together are Christ's body; but each of you is a different part of it. In the Church, God has given the first place to apostles, the second to prophets, the third to teachers; after them, miracles, and after them gift of healing; helpers, good leaders, those with many languages. - 1 Cor. 12:27-28 -

When it says, "Jesus ascended" what can it mean if not that he descended right down to the lower regions of the earth? The one who rose higher than all the heavens to fill all things is none other than the one who descended. And to some, his gift was that they should be apostles; to some, prophets; to some, evangelists; to some, pastors and teachers; so that the saints together make a unity in the work of service, building up the body of Christ.

In this way we are to come to unity in our faith and in our knowledge of the Son of God, until we become the perfect Man, fully mature with the fullness of Christ himself. Then we shall not be children any longer, or tossed one way and another and carried along by every wind of doctrine, at the mercy of all the tricks men play and their cleverness in practicing deceit. If we live by the truth and in love, we shall grow in all ways into Christ, who is the head by whom the whole body is filled and joined together, every joint adding its own strength, for each separate part to work according to its function. So the body grows until it has built itself up, in love. - Eph. 4:9-16 -

The One, Holy, Universal Church is Apostolic too, because she is founded on the apostles, and because we are part of a building that has the apostle and prophets for its foundation, and Christ Jesus himself for its main cornerstone. As every structure is aligned on him, all grow into one holy temple in the Lord Jesus Christ; and we too, in him, are being built into a house where God lives, in the Spirit. That is, the One, Holy, Universal, and Apostolic Church. 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 -

The universal Church is One. Although the full revelation of God was in Jesus Christ, the human mind cannot fully comprehend God. How can human finite mind fully understand the infinity of God? It is not possible. "God is spirit, and those who worship must worship in spirit and truth." - John 4:24 - It is the Lord Jesus Christ who, through the Holy Spirit makes His universal Church One, an emphasis on that which makes the "truine God" essentially One.

Bear with one another charitably, in complete selflessness, gentleness and patience. Do all you can to preserve the unity of the Spirit by the peace that binds you together. There is One Body, One Spirit, just as you were all called into One and the same hope when you were called. The one Lord, One faith, One baptism, and one God who is Father of all, over all, through all and within all. - Eph. 4:2-6 -

In his body lives the fullness of divinity, and in him you too find your own fulfillment, in the One who is the head of every Sovereignty and Power. - Col. 2:9 -

In the light of the grace I have received I want to urge each one among you not to exaggerate his real importance. Each of you must judge himself soberly by the standard of the faith God has given him. Just as each of our bodies has several parts and each part has a separate function, so all of us, in union with Christ, form One body, and as parts of it we belong to each other. - Rom. 12:3-5 -

A man may imagine he understands something, but still not understand anything in the way that he ought to. But any man who loves God is known by him. Well, then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: we know that idols do not really exist in the world and that there is no god but the One. And even if there were things called gods, either in the sky or on earth - where there certainly seem to be 'gods' and 'lords' in plenty - still for us there is one God, the Father, from whom all things come and for whom we exist; and there is one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom all things come and through whom we exist. - 1 Cor. 8:2-6 -

There is a variety of gifts but always the same Spirit; there are all sorts of service to be done, but always to the same Lord; working in all sorts of different ways in different people. it is the same God who is working in all of them. The particular way in which the Spirit is given to each person........ All these are the work of the One and the same Spirit, who distributes different gifts to different people just as he chooses. - 1 Cor. 12:4-11 -

May they all be One.
Father, may they be One in us,
as you are in me and I am in you,
so that the world may believe it was you who sent me.
I have given them the glory you gave to me,
that they may be One as we are One.
With me in them and you in me,
may they be so completely One. - John 17:21-23 -

The universal Church is One because of her source: "the highest exemplar and source of this mystery is the unity, in the Trinity of Persons, of one God, the Father and the Son in the Holy Spirit. The universal Church is One because of her founder: for "the Word made flesh, the prince of peace, reconciled all men to God by the cross,... restoring the unity of all in One people and One body. The universal Church is One because of her "soul." "It is the Holy Spirit, dwelling in those who believe and pervading and ruling over the entire universal Church, who brings about that wonderful communion of the faithful and joins them together so intimately in Christ that He is the principle of the universal Church's unity. Unity is of the essence of the universal Church. - CCC 813 -

It is the Lord Jesus Christ who, through the Holy Spirit, makes the universal Church One.

The Lord Jesus Christ bestowed unity on His one universal Church from the beginning. This unity, we believe, subsists in the One universal Church as something the Church can never lose, and the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it, and it will continue to increase until the end of time, as promised by the Lord Jesus Christ. "And know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time." - Matt. 28:20 - The Lord Jesus Christ always gives His universal Church the gift of unity, and the reconciliation of all Christians in the unity of the One universal Church that transcends human powers and gifts that we place our faith, hope, love of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

                                                                       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 -