-   GOD EFFECTS EVERYTHING, AND THAT ALSO REQUIRES HUMAN ACTION   - 

Be ambitious for the higher gifts. And I am going to shows you a way that is better than any of them. - 1 Corinthians 12:31 - "In short, there are three (3) things that last: faith, hope and love; and the greatest of these is love." - 1 Corinthians 13:13 -

Faith is indeed the minimum requirement without which we cannot please God. Faith alone does not justify a person. The faith that we have must be a repentant faith, not just an intellectual faith that believes in God. Repentance is not just a thought process (faith) but an act (work) by which we ask God for His mercy and forgiveness, thus, the faith that justifies us is "faith working through love" Further, all faith (initial and perfection) are gratuitous gifts from God, and not earned or merited by any human action. Therefore, justification is only achieved by faith and works.

"Take the case, my brothers and sisters, of someone who has never done a single good act but claims that he/she has faith. Will that faith save him/her? If one of the brothers/sisters is in need of clothes and has not enough food to live on, and one of you says to them, 'I wish you well; keep yourself warm and eat plenty', without giving them bare necessities of life, then what good is that? Faith is like that: if good works do not go with it, it is quite dead.

This is the way to talk to people of that kind: You say you have faith and I have good deeds; I will prove to you that I have faith by showing you my good deeds - now you prove to me that you have faith without any good deeds to show. You believe in the one God - that is credible enough, but the demons have the same belief, and they tremble with fear. Do realise, you senseless people, that faith without good deeds is useless. You surely know that Abraham our father was justified by his deed, because he offered his son Isaac on the altar? There you see it: faith and deeds were working together; his faith became perfect by what he did. This is what Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible really means when it says: Abraham put his faith in God, and this was counted as making him justified; and that is why he was called friend of God'.

You see now that it is doing something good, and not by believing, that a person is justified. There is another example of the same kind: Rahab the prostitute, justified her deeds because she welcomed the messengers and showed them a different way to leave. A body dies when it is separated from the spirit, and in the same way faith is dead if it is separated from good deeds." - James 2:14-26 - 

If faith is necessary for all people at all times and in all places, and if a true saving faith demands a clear knowledge of what we have to believe, it is clear that a infallible teaching ??? is an absolute necessity. Such a ??? alone can speak to peoples of all classes and at all times; it alone can, by reason of its perpetuity and ageless character, meet every difficulty by a declaration on the sound form of doctrine which is to be held.

Reason therefore needs faith if it is to be completely itself; reason and faith need one another in order to fulfill the true nature and their mission. Let us put it very simply; people needs God, otherwise he and she remains without hope. Love grows through love. Love is "divine" because it comes from God and unites us to God; through this unifying process it makes us a "we" which transcends our divisions and makes us one, until in the end God is "all in all".

Science can contribute greatly to making the world and mankind more human. Yet it can also destroy mankind and the world unless it is steered by forces that lie outside it. Anyone who promises the better world that is guaranteed to last forever is making a false promise; he and she is overlooking human freedom. Those who followed in the intellectual current on modernity that he and she inspired were wrong to believe that people would be redeemed through science. Such an expectation asks too much of science; this kind of hope is deceptive. Sadly, this applies even in terms of this present world.

                       - GOD EFFECTS EVERYTHING, AND THAT ALSO REQUIRES HUMAN ACTION - 

            - HENCE IT IS NOT SCIENCE THAT REDEEMS PEOPLE; PEOPLE IS REDEEMED BY LOVE - 

When everything is subjected to the One - the Creator, the Almighty God - Omnipotence, Omniscience, Omnipresence - then (The Lord Jesus Christ) the Son of living God, himself will be subject in his turn to the One who subjected all things to him, so that God is "all in all."

"Love is always patient and kind; it is never jealous; love is never boastful or conceited; it is never rude or selfish; it does not take offence, and is not resentful. Love takes no pleasure in other people's sins but delights in the truth; it is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure whatever comes." - 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 -  

"Love takes no pleasure in other people's sins but delights in the truth; it is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure whatever comes. Love does not come to an end. But if there are gifts of prophecy, the time will come when they must fail; or the gift of languages, it will not continue forever; and knowledge - for this too, the time come when they must fail. For our knowledge is imperfect and our prophesying is imperfect; but once perfection comes, all imperfect things will disappear. When I was a child, I used to talk like a child, and think like a child, and argue like a child, but now I am a man/woman, all childish ways are put behind me. Now we are seeing a dim reflection in a mirror; but then we shall be seeing face to face. The knowledge that I have now is imperfect; but then I shall know as fully as I am known." - 1 Corinthians 13:8-12 - 

The Origin Of The World And Of Mankind - THE CREATION AND THE FALL - The first account of the creation

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was a formless void, there was darkness over the deep, and God's spirit hovered over the water. God said, 'Let there be light', and there was light. God saw that light was good, and God divided light from darkness. God called light 'day', and darkness He called 'night'. Evening came and morning came: the first day. God said.......

God saw that is was good. Evening came and morning came: the fourth day. God said, 'Let the waters teem with the living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth within the vault of heaven'. And so it was. God created great sea-serpents and every kind of living creature with which the waters teem, and every kind of winged creature. God saw that it was good. God blessed them, saying, 'Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the waters of the seas; and let the birds multiply upon the earth'. Evening came and morning came: the fifth day.

God said, 'Let the earth produce every kind of living creature: cattle, reptiles, and every kind of wild beasts, every kind of cattle, and every kind of land reptile. God saw that it was good.

God said, 'Let us make man in our own image, in the likeness of ourselves, and let them be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven, the cattle, all the wild beasts and all the reptiles that crawl upon the earth'. "God created man in the image of himself, in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them. God blessed them, saying to them. 'Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and conquer it. Be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven and all living animals on the earth, and all the trees with seed-bearing fruit; this shall be your food. To all wild beasts, all birds of heaven and all living reptiles on the earth I give all the foliage of plants for food. And so it was. God saw all he had made, and indeed it was very good. Evening came and morning came: the sixth day. 

Thus heaven and earth were completed with all their array. On the seventh day God completed the work he had been doing. He rested on the seventh day after all the work he had been doing. God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on that day He had rested after all his work of creating." - Genesis 1:1-31; 2:1-4 -

Such were the origin of heaven and earth when they were created - The second account of the creation -Paradise -

"At the time when Yahweh God made earth and heaven there was as yet no wild bush on the earth nor had any wild plants yet sprung up, for Yahweh God had not sent rain on the earth, nor was there any man to till the soil. However, a flood was rising from the earth and watering all the surface of the soil. Yahweh God fashioned man of dust from the soil. Then he breathed into his nostrils a breath of life, and thus the man became a living being. (God then called the man Adam, and later created Eve from Adam's rib)  

Yahweh God planted a garden in Eden which is in the east, and there He put the man he had fashioned. Yahweh God caused to spring up from the soil every kind of tree, enticing to look at and good to eat, with the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the middle of the garden. A river flowed from Eden to water the garden, and from there it divided to make four streams. 

The first is named the Pishon, and this encircles the whole land of Havilah where there is gold. The gold of this land is pure; bdellium and onyx stone are found there. The second river is named the Gihon, and this encircles the whole land of Cush. The third river is named the Tigris, and this flows to the east of Ashur. The fourth river is named Euphrates. Yahweh God took the man and settled him in the garden of Eden to cultivate and take care of it. Then Yahweh God gave the man this admonition. 'You may eat indeed of all the trees in the garden. Nevertheless of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you are not to eat, for on the day you eat of it you shall most surely die.' 

Yahweh God said, 'It is not good that the man should be alone. I will make him a helpmate.' So from the soil Yahweh God fashioned all the wild beasts and all the birds of heaven. These He brought to the man to see what he would call them; each one was to bear the name the man would give it. The man gave names to all the cattle, all the birds of heaven and all the wild beasts. But no helpmate suitable for man was found for him. So Yahweh God made the man fall into a deep sleep. And while he slept, He took one of his ribs and enclosed it in flesh. Yahweh God built the rib He had taken from the man into a woman, and brought her to the man. The man exclaimed: 

                                          'This at last is bone from my bones,                                                                                                                                                       and flesh from my flesh!                                                                                                                                                                       This is to be called woman,                                                                                                                                                                   for this was taken from man.' 

This is why a man leaves his father and mother and joins himself to his wife, and they became one body. Now both of them were naked, the man and his wife, but they felt no shame in front of each other." - Genesis 2:5-25 -

THE  FALL - "The serpent was the most subtle of all the wild beasts that Yahweh God had made - 

The serpent asked the woman, 'Did God really say you were not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?' The woman answered the serpent, 'We may eat the fruit of the trees in the garden. But of the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden God said, "You must not eat it, nor touch it, under pain of death". Then the serpent said to the woman, 'No! You will not die! God knows in fact that on the day you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods, knowing good and evil.' The woman saw that the tree was good to eat and pleasing to the eye, and it was desirable for the knowledge that it could give. So she took some of its fruit and ate it. She gave some also to her husband who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they realised that they were naked.... The Yahweh God said to the woman (Eve) 'I will multiply your pains in childbearing, you shall give birth to your children in pain. Your yearning shall be for your husband, yet he will lord it over you.' To the man (Adam) Yahweh God said: 'Because you listened to the voice of your wife and ate from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat, 'Accursed be the soil because of you. With suffering shall you get your food from it, everyday of your life. It shall yield you brambles and thistles and you shall eat wild plants. With sweat on your brow shall you eat your bread, until you return to the soil, as you were taken from it. For dust you are and to dust you shall return.'

The man named his wife 'Eve' because she was the mother of all those who live. Yahweh God made clothes out of skins for the man and his wife, and they put them on. Then Yahweh God said, 'See, the man has become like one of us, with his knowledge of good and evil. He must not be allowed to stretch his hand out next and pick from the tree of life also, and eat some and live for ever.' So Yahweh God expelled him from the garden of Eden, to till the soil from which he had been taken. He banished the man, and in front of the garden of Eden he posted the cherubs, and the flame of a fleshing sword, to guard the way to the tree of life. - Genesis 3:1-24 -

Eve, the wife of Adam was tempted by Satan and has given in, through the serpent to eat the forbidden food and then persuaded her husband (Adam) to do the same thing, instead of being told by Yahweh God: To lives on everything that comes from the mouth of Yahweh God. "Yahweh God gave them this admonition, 'You may eat indeed of all the trees in the garden. Nevertheless of the tree of knowledge of good and evil you are not to eat, for on the day you eat of it you shall most surely die.'

Adam and Eve were created by God in a state of sinless perfection so they could glorify God, reflecting God righteousness on the earth and enjoy fellowship and union with Him. Their calling was to exercise dominion or control over God's creation through their own labours and those of their offspring in faithful response to the Word of God.

As a specific test of this loyalty. God commanded Adam and Eve not to eat of "the tree of the knowledge of good and evil." Adam and Eve were to demonstrate their willingness to live 'by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.' God warned them clearly that their disobedience would result in death. They failed and this event plunged them and all mankind into a state of sin and corruption. The temptation was purposeful. Eve and Adam submission to it involved their willing consent. Adam and Eve did not sin simply as private persons but as representatives of all members of the human race. Their sin is the sin of all; and all human beings receive from them a corrupt nature. It is a nature that stands behind all personal violations of the Lord's commandments. For this reason, the fall of Adam is the fall of the human race. 

The Apostle/Saint Paul confirmed of Christ Jesus as the second Adam who would rebuild the old, sinful Adam through His redemption and salvation.

The Resurrection of the Dead - The fact of the resurrection -

"Brothers/Sisters, That fact is, I want you to realise this, the Good News I preached is not a human message that I was given by men, it is something I learnt only through a revelation of Jesus Christ." - Galatians 1:11-12 -  

"Brothers/Sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I (Apostle/Saint Paul) preached to you, the gospel that you received and in which you are firmly established; because the gospel will save you only if you keep believing exactly what I preached to you - believing anything will not lead to anything." - 1 Corinthians 15:1-2 -

"Well then, in the first place, I taught you what I had been taught myself namely that Christ Jesus died for our sins, in accordance with the scriptures; that Jesus was buried; and that Christ Jesus was raised on the third day, in accordance with the Sacred Scripture; that he appeared first to Cephas (Simon Peter) and secondly to the Twelve. Next the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers/sisters at the same time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died; then the Lord Jesus appeared to James, and then to all the apostles; and last of all he appeared to me too; it was as though I was born when no one expected it. 

I am the least of the apostles; in fact, since I persecuted the Church of the God, I hardly deserve the name apostle; but by God's grace that is what I am, and the grace that he gave me has not been fruitless. On the contrary, I, or rather the grace of God that is with me, have worked harder than any of the others; but what matters is that I preach what they preached, and this is what you all believed.

Now if Christ raised from the dead is what has been preached, how can some of you be saying that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, Christ himself cannot have been raised, and if Christ has not been raised then our preaching is useless and your believing it is useless; indeed, we are shown up as witnesses who have committed perjury before God, because we swore in evidence before God that he had raised Christ to life. For if the dead are not raised, Christ has not been raised, and if Christ has not been raised, you are still in your sins. And what is more serious, all who have died in Christ have perished. If our hope in Christ has been for this life only, we are the most unfortunate of all people.

But Christ has in fact been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of all who have fallen asleep. Death came through one man and in the same way the resurrection of the dead has come through one man. Just as all men die in Adam, so all men will be brought to life in Christ; but all of them in their proper order: Christ as the first-fruits and then, after the coming of Christ, those who belong to him. After that will come the end, when he hand over the kingdom to God the Father, having done away with every sovereignty, authority and power. For he must be king until he has put all his enemies under his feet and the last of the enemies to be destroyed is death, for everything is to be put under his feet. -Though when it is said that everything is subjected, this clearly cannot include the One who subjected everything to him. And when everything is subjected to him, then the Son himself will be subject in his turn to the One who subjected all things to him, so that God may be all in all.

If this is not true, what do people hope to gain by being baptised for the dead? If the dead are not going to be raised, why be baptised on their behalf? What about ourselves? Why are we living under a constant threat? I face death everyday, brothers/sisters, and can I swear it by the pride that I take in you in Christ Jesus our Lord. If my motives were only human ones, what good would it do me to fight the wild animals at Ephesus? You say: Let us eat and drink today; tomorrow we shall be dead. You must stop being led astray; 'Bad friends ruin the noblest people'. Come to your senses, behave properly, and leave sin alone; there are some of you who seem not to know God at all; you should be ashamed." - 1 Corinthians 15:3-34 -

The manner of the resurrection - A hymn of triumph. Conclusion

Someone may ask, 'How are dead people raised, and what sort of body do they have when they come back?' They are stupid questions. Whatever you sow in the ground has to die before it is given new life and the thing that you sow is not what is going to come; you sow a bare grain, say of wheat or something like that, and then God gives it the sort of body that he has chosen: each sort of seed gets its own sort of body.

Everything that is flesh is not the same flesh: there is human flesh, animals' flesh, the flesh of birds and the flesh of fish. Then there are heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the heavenly bodies have a beauty of their own and the earthly bodies a different one. The sun has its brightness, the moon a different brightness, and the stars a different brightness, and the stars differ from each other in brightness. It is the same with the resurrection of the dead: the thing that is sown is perishable but what is imperishable; the thing that is sown is contemptible but what is raised is glorious; the thing that is sown is weak but what is raised is powerful; when it is sown it embodies the soul, when it is raised it embodies the spirit.

If the soul has its own embodiment, so does the spirit have its own embodiment. The first man, Adam, as scripture says, became a living soul; but the last Adam has become a life-giving spirit. That is, first the one with the soul, not the spirit, and after that, the one with the spirit. The first man, being from the earth, is earthly by nature; the second man is from heaven. As this earthly man was, so are we on earth; and as the heavenly man is, so are we in heaven. And we, who have been modelled on the earthly man, will be modelled on the heavenly man.

Or else, brothers, put it this way: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God: and the perishable cannot inherit what lasts for ever. I will tell you something that has been secret: that we are not all going to die, but we shall all be changed. This will be instantaneous, in the twinkling of an eye, when the last trumpet sounds. It will sound, and the dead will be raised, imperishable, and we shall be changed as well, because our present perishable nature must put on imperishable and this mortal nature must put on immortality.

When this perishable nature has put on imperishability, and when this mortal nature has put on immortality, then the words of scripture will come true: Death is swallowed up in victory. Death, where is your victory? Death where is your sting? Now the sting of death is sin, and sin gets its power from the Law. So let us thank God for giving us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Never give in then, my dear brothers and sisters, never admit defeat; keep on working at the Lord's work always, knowing that, in the Lord, you cannot be labouring in vain. - 1 Corinthians 15:35-58 -

  -     WELCOME TO SACRED SCRIPTURE / WORD OF GOD / HOLY BIBLE READER'S COMMUNITY     - 

Wishing you, 'Happy Reading', and may God, the Father, the Son of the living God, Jesus Christ, fills your heart, mind, thoughts, and grants you: The Holy Spirit, that is, Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, Counsel, Piety, Fortitude, Fear of the Lord, and also His fruits of the Holy Spirit, that is, Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Trustfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control. Amen! God blessing be upon you!

Why do you call Me, "Lord, Lord" and not do what I say?' "Everyone who comes to Me and listens to My words and acts on them - I will show you what he/she is like. He/She is like a man/woman who when he/she built his/her house dug, deep, and laid the foundations on rock; when the river was in flood it bore down on that house but could not shake it, it was so well built. But the one who listens and does nothing is like the man/woman who built his/her house on soil, with no foundations: as soon as the river bore down on it, it collapsed; and what a ruin that house became!" - Luke 6:46-49 - 

If we live by the truth and in love, we shall grow in all ways into Christ Jesus, who is the head by whom the whole body is fitted and joined together, every joint adding its own strength, for each separate part to work according to it function. So the body grows until it has built itself up, in love." - Ephesians 4:15-16 - 

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/She will glorify me, since all he/she tells you will be taken from what is mine. Everything the Father has is mine; that is why I said: all he/she tells you will be taken from what is mine." - John 16:12-15 -

Your generous contribution and support is profoundly cherish. I sincerely pray that: God blessing be upon you, always. Amen! Bank transfer: Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah - Public Bank Berhad account no. 4076577113 - Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  

"A man can lay claim only to what is given him from heaven." - John 3:27 -

Every man and woman has an intellect and a will. The intellect is oriented to knowing the cause of all things which we experiences as effects in this world. By an ascent of truth. It is possible (and some human beings have been able) to ascend to the knowledge and through reason that God exists. Yet, it is not enough for anyone. We want to grasp God, but our mind cannot fathom the depth of truth in God. 

This action of both the intellect and will is called faith. Faith is unlike all other human knowledge. It is unlike science, opinion and doubt because faith is not knowledge of the mind, convinced by the inner character of the evidence, but the mind convinced by the strength of the will adhering in personal reverence for the one revealing. Faith involves then the simultaneous movement of the intellect and will. Faith is a participation in a divine way of knowing in which we look at the world from God's point of view. It can never suffer a merely human explanation.

Left to this sort of knowledge of God, we, is like the fox before the grapes. The fox goes away sad because it wants to taste of the delicious grapes, but cannot. We want to grasp God, but our mind cannot fathom the depth of truth in God.

Because God is infinite, there is no distinction between His attributes and Himself. This is difficult to put briefly, but we must try. Take knowledge, and begin with our own. My knowing is something that I do, but it is not myself. This may not strike us a limitation, but it is a considerable one. If only my knowledge were myself, I should be knowing all the time, simply by being. I should not have to make a distinct effort to know; I should never forget. But, as it is, my knowledge is less than myself; I am finite enough, heaven knows, but my knowledge is more finite still.   

Now, God's knowing is not subject to this limitation. It is not distinct from Himself. If it were not, if there were really a distinction between His knowledge and Himself, then He would have something that His knowledge lacked. In that event His knowledge would not be infinite, and we should have to face the monstrosity of an infinite God with limited knowledge.   

This applies to all His attributes. Just as God is knowledge, so He is love, He is justice, He is mercy, we have to think of them as distinct in order to think of them at all; but in Him they are not distinct from His very self, and therefore not from one another, whatever God has He is. And these attributes are not less themselves for being infinite. God's love would not be greater by being distinct from His very self as our is.   

It is difficult ideas for our minds. But then God must be mysterious to the being He made of nothing. Live with it, keep it in mind. Our feeling that the attributes must be distinct will grow less, and we shall begin to "see" their oneness in God. Each thing God has made manifests His truth. He communicates His nature in a special way to us, who is invited to participate in His nature.

 

"Stay away and avoid the - Seven things hateful to God - There are six things that Yahweh God hates, seven that his soul abhors: a haughty look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that weaves wicked plots, feet that hurry to do evil, a false witness who lies with every breath, a man/woman who sows dissension among brothers and sisters" - Proverbs 6:16-19 -

"A man can lay claim only to what is given him from heaven." - John 3:27 -

Heaven is the dwelling place of God. The word heaven is also used as a substitute for the name of God, especially to the pagans. God is the possessor of heaven. The kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven are often spoken of interchangeably and it is because of the work of Christ Jesus on the Cross, heaven is, in part, present with believers on earth.

I will leave this place and go to my father and say: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you - Luke 15:18, 21 -

"And now war broke out in heaven, when Michael with his angels attacked the dragon. The dragon fought back with his angels, but they were defeated and driven out of heaven. The great dragon, the primeval serpent, known as the devil or Satan, who had deceived all the world, was hurled down to the earth and his angels were hurled down with him. Then I heard a voice shout from heaven, 'Victory and power and empire for ever have been won by our God, and all authority for his Christ, now that the persecutor, who accused our brothers day and night before our God, has been brought down. They have triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the witness of their martyrdom, because even in the face of death they would not cling to life. Let the heavens rejoice and all who live there; but for you, earth and sea, trouble is coming - because the devil has gone down to you in a rage, knowing that his days are numbered." - Revelation 12:7-12 -

At the end of time, a new heaven will be created to surround the new earth. This new heaven will be the place of God's perfect presence. Then, there will be a literal fulfillment of heaven on earth. Heavenly City/City of God - the city prepared and built by God, for those whom God's loves and who are faithful to Him. It is also known as the heavenly Jerusalem, this is the city that is to come. The New Jerusalem is illuminated by the glory of God. It serves as the dwelling place of God among His redeemed for ever and ever. 

New Heaven is a term which, when used with new earth refers to the perfected state of the created universe and the final dwelling place, for those whom God's loves, chosen and of the righteous one. The God chosen one and righteous one will be resurrected at the Judgement Day. (The Four Last Things: Death, Judgement, Heaven and Hell) 

"To Yahweh your God belong indeed heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth and all it contains." Deuteronomy 10:14 -

"For now I create new heavens and new earth, and the past will not be remembered, and will come no more to men's minds. Be glad and rejoice for ever and ever for what I am creating." - Isaiah 65:17  -

"They lived there in tents while he looked forward to a city founded, designed and built by God; but in fact, they were looking for a better homeland, their heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God since he has founded the city for them." - Hebrews 11:10,16 -

"But what you have come to is Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem where the millions of angels have gathered for the festival, with the whole Church in which everyone is a 'first-born' and a citizen of heaven. You have come to God himself, the supreme Judge, and been placed with the spirits of the saints who have been made perfect." - Hebrews 12:22-23 - 

"Next in my vision I saw Mount Zion, and standing on it a Lamb who had with him a hundred and forty-four thousand people, all with his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads." "In the spirit, he took me to the top of an enormous high mountain, and showed me Jerusalem, the holy city, coming down from God out of heaven." - Revelation 14:1; 21:10 -   

Rooted deep in Jewish thought was the dream of a new heaven and a new earth, a recreation of the universe that would occur following the Day of the Lord. - Isaiah 13:10-13; Joel 2:1-2, 30-31 - The concept of a recreated universe is closely related to the scriptural/biblical account of the Creation and the Fall. - Genesis 1:1 - and the sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. - Genesis 3 - It is because of their sin, "the creation was subjected to futility and the bondage of corruption." The need for a new heaven and a new earth arises from man's sin and God judgement, not from some deficiency or evil in the universe.

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; the first heaven and the first earth had disappeared now, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the holy city, and the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, as beautiful as a bridge all dressed for her husband. Then I heard a loud voice call from the throne, 'You see this city? Here God lives among men. He will make his home among them; they shall be his people, and he will be their God; his name is God-with-them. He will wipe away  all tears from their eyes; there will be no more death, and no more mourning or sadness. The world of the past has gone." - Revelation 21:1-4 - 

"I think that what we suffer in this life can never be compared to the glory, as yet unrevealed, which is waiting for us. The whole creation is eagerly waiting for God to reveal his sons/daughters. It was not for any faults on the parts of creation that it was made unable to attain its purpose, it was made so by God: but creation still retains the hope of being freed, like us, from its slavery to decadence, to enjoy the same freedom and glory as the children of God. From the beginning till now the entire creation, as we know, has been groaning in one great act of giving birth; and not only creation, but all of us who possess the first-fruits of the Spirit, we too groan inwardly as we wait for our bodies to be set free. For we must be content to hope that we shall be saved - our salvation is not in sight, we should not have to be hoping for it if it were - but, as I say, we must hope to be saved since we are not saved yet - it is something we must wait for with patience." - Romans 8:18-25 -    

Saint/Apostle Paul referred to the Old Testament doctrine of the Day of the Lord and applied it to the events that will occur at the Second Coming of The Lord Jesus Christ. When the Lord Jesus Christ returns, this present wicked, and evil age will give way to the age to come. The universe will be purifies and cleansed by the power of God. This will be reminiscent of the purging of the earth in the days of Noah, but on a universal scale. 

"The Day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then with a roar the sky will varnish, the elements will catch fire and fall apart, the earth and all it contains will be burnt up. 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 promise: the new heaven and new earth, the place where righteousness will be at home." - 2 Peter 3:10-13 -     

Second Coming refers to Christ's future return to the earth of the present age. The Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible is filled with expectancy of the Lord Jesus Christ second coming, even as Christians should be today. A thorough study and examination of the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible, however, makes it clear that the Second Coming will be a climatic historical event. The Lord Jesus Christ would return in the same manner as they seen Him ascended into heaven. The date and time of the Second Coming is unknown, but the Lord Jesus Christ second coming will be personal, bodily, and visible.   

"I am going now to prepare a place for you, and after I have gone and prepared you a place, I shall return to take you with me; so that where I am you may be too." - John 14:3 -   

"Why are you men from Galilee standing here looking into the sky? Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven, this same Jesus will come back in the same way as you seen him go there." - Acts 1:11 -    

Jesus replied, It is not for you to know times or dates that the Father has decided by his own authority - Acts 1:7; Matthew 24:35-36; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3; 2 Peter 3:10 -   

Hence, most of the believers may ask, what about 'Eschatology'? Eschatology is a theological term that designates the study of what will happen at the end of history/end time, particularly the event known as the "Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ." The word comes from two Greek words, eschatos (last) and logos (study) - thus its definition as 'The study of last things.' It is define as the part of theology concerned with 'Death, Last Judgement, Heaven and Hell' (The Four Last Things) and the ultimate destiny of the soul and of humankind. Eschatology reveals that Abraham's land, ultimately, is the new heaven and new earth and that Abraham's lineage is the redeemed community in Christ Jesus.    

The Lord Jesus Christ first coming was to save. His 'Second Coming' will be primarily to judge. The Lord Jesus Christ return will also spell relief to His faithful remnant. Eschatology shows that God is presence for the redeemed will be fully realised at Jesus' second coming, when He will dwell among all the redeemed in the new heavens and earth.   

"For the Son of Man himself did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." - Mark 10:45; Matthew 20:28; Luke 22:27 -  

Eschatology shows how God's Redeemer will establish His kingdom upon a rebellious earth. The long process through which God selected a righteous group (Apostle, Saints, Righteous One, Disciples, and those whom God loves and chosen) to serve Him on earth came to a climax in the person of Christ Jesus.    

You see this city? Here God lives among men. He will make his home among them; they shall be his people, and he will be their God; his name is God-with-them. - Revelation 21:3 -

In the end times, a basic order of judgement will prevail as the conflict between God and Satan comes to an end. There will be a time of great 'Tribulation,' followed by the 'Second Coming' and the 'Judgement of all peoples.' Another judgement is portrayed in the 'Book of Revelation' is called the 'Second Death.' Those who are judged will be thrown into the lake of fire if their names are not found in the BOOK OF LIFE. 

Above all, the Cross is the decisive eschatology event. In it the curse that brought God wrath was reversed. Ever since, God has been progressively accomplishing His judgement against the forces of wickedness in heaven and earth.    

"Tell us, when is this going to happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered them, Take care that no one deceives you: because many will come using my name and saying, "I am Christ" and they will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumours of wars; do not be alarmed, for this is something that must happen, but the end will not be yet. For nation will fight against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes here and there. All this is only the beginning of the birth-pangs.

Then they will hand you over to be tortured and put to death; and you will be hated by all nations on account of my name. And then many will fall away; men will betray one another and hate one another. Many false prophets will arise; they will deceive many, and with the increase of lawlessness, love in most men will grow cold; but the man who stands firm to the end will be saved. This Good News of the kingdom will be proclaimed to the whole world as a witness to all the nations. And then the end will come.  

So when you see the disastrous abomination, of which prophet Daniel spoke, set up in the Holy Place (let the reader understand) then those in Judaea must escape to the mountains; if a man is on the housetop, he must not come down to collect his belongings; if a man is in the fields, he must not turn back to fetch his cloak. Alas for those with child, or with babies at the breast, when those days come! Pray that you will not have to escape in winter or on a Sabbath. For then there will be great distress such as, until now, since the world began, there never has been, nor ever will be again. And if that time had not been shortened, no one would have survived; but shortened that time shall be, for the sake of those who are chosen. 

If anyone says to you then, "Look, here is the Christ" or "He is there" do not believe it; for false Christ and prophets will arise and produce great signs and portents, enough to deceive even the chosen, if that were possible. There; I have forewarned you.

If then they say to you, "Look, he is in the desert" do not go there; "Look, he is in some hiding place" do not believe it; because the coming of the Son of Man will be like lightning striking in the east and flashing far into the west. Wherever the corpse is, there will the vultures gather.   

Immediately after the distress of those days the sun will be darkened, the moon will lose its brightness, the stars will fall from the sky and the powers of heaven will be shaken. And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven; then too all the peoples of the earth will beat their breasts; and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet to gather his chosen from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." - Matthew 24:3-31; Mark 13:4-37; Luke 21:7-28 -  

"Then I saw a great white throne and the One who was sitting on it. In his presence, earth and sky vanished, leaving no trace. I saw the dead, both great and small, standing in front of his throne, while the Book of Life was opened, and other books opened which were the record of what they had done in their lives, by which the dead were judged.      

The sea gave up all the dead who were in it; Death and Hades were emptied of the dead that were in them; and every one was judged according to the way in which he/she had lived. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the burning lake. This burning lake is the second dead; and anybody whose name could not be found written in the Book of Life was thrown into the burning lake." - Revelation 20:11-15 -

The full and final revelation of God has occurred in Jesus Christ. "This is the revelation given by God to Jesus Christ." - Revelation 1:1 - The Book of Revelation depicts the end of the present age and the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. God is a personal Spirit distinct from the world; He is absolutely holy and is invisible to the view of physical, finite, sinful minds. Although people, on their own, can never create truth about God, God has graciously unveiled and manifested Himself to mankind. God has made Himself known to all peoples everywhere in the marvels of nature and in the human conscience.

The central figure in the army of God the King is Jesus Christ. John's first vision is of the Lord Jesus Christ standing in the midst of His Church with eyes like fire (all-seeing) feet like fine brass (all-powerful) hair like wool, white as snow (eternal and all-knowing) and with a sharp two edged sword coming out of His mouth (the word of truth). Indeed, Christ Jesus is "the First and the Last", "the Alpha and the Omega", "the Beginning and the End." - Revelation 22:13 - 

-     WELCOME TO SACRED SCRIPTURE / WORD OF GOD / HOLY BIBLE READER'S COMMUNITY     - 

Wishing you, 'Happy Reading', and may God, the Father, the Son of the living God, Jesus Christ, fills your heart, mind, thoughts, and grants you: The Holy Spirit, that is, Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, Counsel, Piety, Fortitude, Fear of the Lord, and also His fruits of the Holy Spirit, that is, Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Trustfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control. Amen! God blessing be upon you!

Why do you call Me, "Lord, Lord" and not do what I say?' "Everyone who comes to Me and listens to My words and acts on them - I will show you what he/she is like. He/She is like a man/woman who when he/she built his/her house dug, deep, and laid the foundations on rock; when the river was in flood it bore down on that house but could not shake it, it was so well built. But the one who listens and does nothing is like the man/woman who built his/her house on soil, with no foundations: as soon as the river bore down on it, it collapsed; and what a ruin that house became!" - Luke 6:46-49 - 

If we live by the truth and in love, we shall grow in all ways into Christ Jesus, who is the head by whom the whole body is fitted and joined together, every joint adding its own strength, for each separate part to work according to it function. So the body grows until it has built itself up, in love." - Ephesians 4:15-16 - 

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/She will glorify me, since all he/she tells you will be taken from what is mine. Everything the Father has is mine; that is why I said: all he/she tells you will be taken from what is mine." - John 16:12-15 -

Your generous contribution and support is profoundly cherish. I sincerely pray that: God blessing be upon you, always. Amen! Bank transfer: Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah - Public Bank Berhad account no. 4076577113 - Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.   

Eternal life is the highest quality of life. According to the Apostle/Saint Augustine of Hippo and Apostle/Saint Paul, it is freedom from sin, holiness and a positive relationship with God. This is in contrast to spiritual death, which results from a life of sin. In St. Augustine's classical expression: "These two cities were made by two loves: the earthly city by the love of self unto the contempt of God, and the heavenly city by the love of God unto the contempt of self." (Book 14, c. 28) The earthly city glories in its own power, the heavenly in the power of God.

"When you were slaves of sin, you felt no obligation to righteousness and what did you get from this? Nothing but experiences that now make you blush, since that sort of behaviour ends in death. Now, however, you have been set free from sin, you have been made slaves of God, and you get a reward leading to your sanctification and ending in eternal life. For the wage paid by sin is death; the present given by God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 6:20-23 - The meaning of life appears frequently in the Gospel of John.

Christianity is unique among all the religions of the world. Most of them or if not all non-Christian emphasize the life of the founder, but Christianity is based on or about the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Not only is the death of Christ absolutely essential to Christianity. So is Jesus Christ Resurrection and Ascension.

It was at Antioch that the disciples were first called 'Christians'. - Acts 11:26 - In each instance, the word Christian assumes that the person called by the name was an adherent or a follower of Christ. The designation of the early followers of Christ as Christians was initiated by the non-Christian population of Antioch. 

OMNISCIENCE - a theological term that refers to God's superior knowledge and wisdom, His power to know all things. God is the Lord who knows our thoughts from afar. He is acquainted with all our ways, knowing our words even before they are on our tongues.

"Yahweh, you examine me and know me,
you know if I am standing or sitting,
you read my thoughts from far away,
whether I walk or lie down, you are watching,
you know every detail of my conduct.

The word is not even on my tongue,
Yahweh, before you know all about it;
close behind and close in front you fence me around,
shielding me with your hand.
Such knowledge is beyond my understanding,
a height to which my mind cannot attain." - Psalms 139:1-6 -

"The word of God is something alive and active: it cut like any double-edged sword but more finely: it can slip through the place where the soul is divided from the spirit, or joints from the marrow; it can judge the secret emotions and thoughts. No created thing can hide from him; everything is uncovered and open to the eyes of the one to whom we must give account of ourselves." - Hebrews 4:12-13 -

"God/He needs to consult no one for knowledge or understanding.
Who could have advised the spirit of Yahweh,
what counsellor could have instructed him?
Whom has he consulted to enlighten him,
and to learn the path of justice
and discover the most skillful ways?" - Isaiah 40:13-14 -

"He is all knowing Lord who prophesies the events of the future, including the death of His Son and the return of Christ at the end of this age when death will be finally overcome." - Isaiah 53 -

Only the all-knowing and all-powerful God can guarantee real freedom from sin, decay and death.

"Yes, even today, whenever Moses is read, the veil is over their minds. It will not be removed until they turn to the Lord. Now this Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." - 2 Corinthians 3:16-17 -

"Make no mistake about it; if anyone of you thinks of himself as wise, in the ordinary sense of the word, then he must learn to be a fool before he really can be wise. Why? Because the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As scripture says: The Lord knows wise men thoughts; he knows how useless they are; or again; God is not convinced by the arguments of the wise. So there is nothing to boast about in anything human; Paul, Apollos, Cephas, the world, life and death, the present and the future, are all your servants; but you belong to Christ and Christ belongs to God." - 1 Corinthians 3:18-23 -

OMNIPRESENCE - a theological term that refers to the unlimited nature of God or His ability to be everywhere at all times. God is not the manufactured idols which are lifeless and non existence or any hand made objects. God reveals Himself in the origin of the world and of mankind through creation and in the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible as the Lord who is everywhere. God was present as Lord in all creation and there is no escaping Him. He is present in our innermost thoughts, even as we are formed in the womb, God knows all the days of our future.

"Where could I go to escape your spirit?
Where could I flee from your presence?
If I climb the heavens, you are there,
there too, if I lie in Sheol.

If I flew to the point of sunrise,
or westward across the sea,
your hand would still be guiding me,
your right hand holding me.

If I asked darkness to cover me,
and light to become night around me,
that darkness would not be dark to you,
night would be as light as day.

It was you who created my inner most self,
and put me together in my mother's womb;
for all these mysteries I thank you:
for the wonder of myself, for the wonder of your works.

You know me through and through,
from having watched my bones take shape
when I was being formed in secret,
knitted together in the limbo of the womb.

You had scrutinised my every action,
all were recorded in your book,
my days listed and determined,
even before the first of them occurred." - Psalms 139:7-17 -

God sees in secret and rewards in secret, as Jesus taught His disciples; He looks not only on outward actions but especially on the inner attitudes of a person's heart.

"Be careful not to parade your good deeds before men to attract their notice; by doing this you will lose all reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give alms, do not have it trumpeted before you; this is what the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win men admiration. I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you give alms, your left hand must not know what your right hand is doing; your alms giving must be secret, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.

And when you pray, do not imitate the hypocrites: they love to say their prayers standing up in synagogues and at the street corners for people to see them. I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you pray, go to your private room and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in that secret place, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.

In your prayers do not babble as the pagans do, for they think that by using many words they will make themselves heard. Do not be like them; your Father knows what you need before you ask him. So you should pray like this:

Our Father in heaven,
may your name be held holy,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we have forgiven those who are in debt to us.
And do not put us to the test, but save us from the evil one." - Matthew 6:1-13 -

"When you fast do not put on a gloomy look as the hypocrites do: they pull long faces to let men know they are fasting. I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that no one will know you are fasting except your Father who sees all that is done in secret; and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you." - Matthew 6:16-18 - 

"Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moths and woodworms destroy them and thieves can break in and steal. But store up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where neither moths nor woodworms destroy them and thieves cannot break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." - Matthew 6:19-21 - 

Because God is the Creator and Sustainer of time and space, He is everywhere. Being everywhere, He is our great Comforter, Friend and Redeemer.

OMNIPOTENCE - a theological term that refers to the all-encompassing power of God. The almighty God expects human beings to obey Him, and He holds them responsible for their thoughts and actions. Nevertheless, He is the all-powerful Lord who has created all things and sustains them by the Word of His power.

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was a formless void, there were darkness over the deep and God spirit hovered the water. God said, 'Let there be light', and there was light. God saw that light was good, and God divided light from darkness. God called light 'day', and darkness he called 'night'. Evening came and morning came: the first day. God said 'Let there be a vault in the waters to divide the waters in two'. And so it was. God made the vault, and it divided the waters above the vault from the waters under the vault. God called the vault 'heaven'. Evening came and morning came: the second day. God said.......... - Genesis 1, 2-..

"In the beginning was the Word:
the Word was with God
and the Word was God.
He was with God in the beginning.
Through him all things came to be,
not one thing had its being but through him.
All that came to be had life in him
and that life was the light of men,
a light that shines in the dark,
a light that darkness could not overpower." - John 1:1-5 -

"At various times in the past and in various different ways, God spoke to our ancestors through prophets; but in our own time, the last days, he has spoken to us through his Son, the Son that he has appointed to inherit everything and through whom he made everything there is. He is the radiant light of God's and glory and the perfect copy of his nature, sustaining the universe by his powerful command; and now that he has destroyed the defilement of sin, he has gone to take his place in heaven at the right hand of divine Majesty. So he is now as far above the angels as the title which he has inherited is higher than their own name." - Hebrews 1:1-4 -

God reveals that He is all-powerful and in the final sense is the ruler of nature and history. 

"See, the nations are like a drop on the pail's rim, they count as a grain of dust on the scales. See, the islands weigh no more than fine powder." - Isaiah 40:15 - 

Yet, He has so fashioned humankind that He graciously appeals to every person to return to Him.

The narrative of the Tower of Babel appears in - Genesis 11:1-9 - as the climax to the account of early mankind found in Genesis chapter 1 to 11. It is an ancient tower symbolizing man's pride and rebellion that was built during the period after the FLOOD. The geographical setting is a plain in the land of Shinar. - Genesis 11:2 - Shinar probably refers to Babylonia. The tower was constructed of brick, because there was no stone in southern Mesopotamia.

In Genesis 11 is told with irony and with a negative attitude toward the people involved. Men delight in bricks and it is known that these are an inferior substitute for stone. - Isaiah 9:10 - To men the tower is a skyscraper, - Deuteronomy 1:28 - but to God it is so small that He must come down from heaven to catch a glimpse of this tiny effort. The construction of the tower and city is described as an act of self-glorification by the builders. Men seek for their own security in community life and culture, independent of God. This is human initiative apart from God. - Psalms 127:1 - As such, the activity is evil and sinful.

The account moves from a description of a sin to a narration of the punishment. God has to step in to prevent men from seizing yet more power for themselves and going beyond the limits of their creature hood. - Genesis 3:22 - Their communication with each other to advance their efforts is frustrated because they begin to speak different languages. Finally, they abandon the building of the city and go their own way, becoming scattered over the earth. The climax of the story occurs when the city is identified with Babel, the Hebrew name for Babylon. This nation's sophisticated culture and power deliberately excluded God. Just as the Old Testament prophets foresaw the future downfall of Babylon in spite of its glory, - Isaiah 13:19; Revelations 18 - this downfall is anticipated in Genesis 11: the end corresponds to the beginning.

God rejection of the nations symbolized by the Tower of Babel is reversed in - Genesis 12:1-3 - by the call of Abraham, through whom all nations would be blessed. Ultimately the sinful and rejected condition of mankind, which is clearly shown by the diversity of human language and territory described in this account, needed PENTECOST as its answer. On this day the Holy Spirit was poured out on all people so they understood one another, although they spoke different languages. - Acts 2:1-11 - Therefore reconciliation of the Jews and the pagans with each other and with God are possible. The barriers that divide men and nations were thus removed.

Do not forget, then, that there was a time when you who were pagans physically, termed the Uncircumcised by those who speak of themselves as the Circumcision by reasons of a physical operation, do not forget, I say, that you had no Christ and were excluded from membership of Israel, aliens with no part in the covenants with their Promise, you were immersed in this world, without hope and without God. But now in Christ Jesus, you that used to be so far apart from us have been brought very close, by the blood of Christ. For he is the peace between us, and has made the two into one and broken down the barrier which used to keep them apart, actually destroying in his, own person the hostility caused by the rules and decrees of the Law.

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

"So you are no longer aliens or foreign visitors; you are citizens like all the saints, and part of God's household. You are part of a building that has the apostles and prophets for its foundations, and Christ Jesus himself for its main cornerstone. As every structure is aligned on him, all grow into one holy temple in the Lord, and you too, in him, are being built into a house where God lives, in the Spirit." - Ephesians 2:11-22 - Amen! Amen!

THE CITY OF GOD - By Saint Augustine of Hippo -The real value of this book, then, is not to be found in the help it may offer in solving immediate problems of policy in the world. What it offers us is something far more important. It opens our eyes to the deep and vital view of history which is the Christian and mystical view, the vision of Apostle/Saint Paul and of the Evangelists who knew that Christ had come into the world to "draw all things to Himself" - John 12:32 - and who saw that "all things worked together for the good of them that love God" - Romans 8:28 - because all the good and evil of history, all the prosperity and adversity which come upon the saints in this life serve only to forward the growth of the Mystical Christ "unto a perfect man and unto the measure of the age of the fulness of Christ." - Ephesians 4:13 -

This eschatological view of history contemplates with joy and running out of the sands of time and looks forward with gladness to the Last Day that will make manifest the full and final glory of the "Whole Christ." The City of God, for those who can understand it, contains the secret of death and life, war and peace, hell and heaven. Amen! Amen!

Saint Augustine traces the history of this divided city of conflict and hate through all history from the fall of Adam to the end of time and even into eternity. But at the same time he contemplates and exposes to our gaze the history of that other City, planned by God to repair the work that Adam's sin could not be allowed to ruin. It was in the "new Adam," Christ, that man was to be raised again to the friendship and vision of God - not indeed the contemplation Adam had enjoyed in Eden, still less the clear vision of beatitude: but heaven was to begin on earth in faith and love/charity. God would be "seen" but only in darkness and man would be united in "one Body" but only at the cost of struggle and self-sacrifice.

The whole of history since the ascension of Jesus into heaven is concerned with one work only: the building and perfecting of this "City of God". Even the wars, persecutions, and all the other evils which have made the history of empires terrible to read and more terrible to live through, have had only this one purpose: they have been the flails with which God has separated the wheat from the chaff, the elect from the damned. They have been the tools that have fashioned the living stones which God would set in the walls of His city of vision.

The difference between the two cities is the difference between two loves. Those who are united in the City of God are united by the love of God and of one another in God. Those who belong to the other city are indeed not united in any real sense: but it can be said that they have one thing in common besides their opposition to God: each one of them is intent on the love of himself above all else.

In St. Augustine's classical expression: "These two cities were made by two loves: the earthly city by the love of self unto the contempt of God, and the heavenly city by the love of God unto the contempt of self." (Book 14, c. 28) The earthly city glories in its own power, the heavenly in the power of God.

If we live by the truth and in love, we shall grow in all ways into Christ Jesus, who is the head by whom the whole body is fitted and joined together, every joint adding its own strength, for each separate part to work according to it function, so the body grows until it has built itself up, in love. - Ephesians 4:15-16 - 

-     WELCOME TO SACRED SCRIPTURE / WORD OF GOD / HOLY BIBLE READER'S COMMUNITY     - 

Wishing you, 'Happy Reading', and may God, the Father, the Son of the living God, Jesus Christ, fills your heart, mind, thoughts, and grants you: The Holy Spirit, that is, Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, Counsel, Piety, Fortitude, Fear of the Lord, and also His fruits of the Holy Spirit, that is, Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Trustfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control. Amen! God blessing be upon you!

Why do you call Me, "Lord, Lord" and not do what I say?' "Everyone who comes to Me and listens to My words and acts on them - I will show you what he/she is like. He/She is like a man/woman who when he/she built his/her house dug, deep, and laid the foundations on rock; when the river was in flood it bore down on that house but could not shake it, it was so well built. But the one who listens and does nothing is like the man/woman who built his/her house on soil, with no foundations: as soon as the river bore down on it, it collapsed; and what a ruin that house became!" - Luke 6:46-49 - 

If we live by the truth and in love, we shall grow in all ways into Christ Jesus, who is the head by whom the whole body is fitted and joined together, every joint adding its own strength, for each separate part to work according to it function. So the body grows until it has built itself up, in love." - Ephesians 4:15-16 - 

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/She will glorify me, since all he/she tells you will be taken from what is mine. Everything the Father has is mine; that is why I said: all he/she tells you will be taken from what is mine." - John 16:12-15 -

Your generous contribution and support is profoundly cherish. I sincerely pray that: God blessing be upon you, always. Amen! Bank transfer: Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah - Public Bank Berhad account no. 4076577113 - Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.