Right Interpretation or Misinterpretation depends on a comma

In Luke 23:43,  Jesus said to the Second-Thief as they were crucified at the same time:  "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise."

Is the comma at the right place ??  Shouldn't it be "Truly I say to you today, you shall be with Me in Paradise."

So it depends on where the comma is.  Catholics interpret that after death, a person goes to purgatory, not to Paradise yet.   Mormons interpret that after death, you have to wait to be called out of the grave by a new name before reaching Paradise, not reaching Paradise immediately today. 

Others interpret that after death, you have to be go through a period of soul sleep, or some future resurrection, or some other forms of baptism, before reaching Paradise.

So it's up to you to place the comma.  Is it "comma today" or "today comma "

But why confuse yourself?

Whether Paradise or Heaven, It's fine with me.

While being crucified on the cross, Jesus told the Second-Thief that "Truly I say to you today you shall be with Me in Paradise." Luke 23:43.

Now, this is the only time the word  'Paradise' was used in the New Testament. I thought we go to Heaven upon death?  How come Jesus said Paradise instead of Heaven?  What is Paradise?  How is it different from Heaven?

Actually I am relieved that I will be going to Paradise.  And honestly, it doesn't matter whether it is Paradise or Heaven.   Both are OK.

Thanks be to God.  Thank you for Your grace.

Jesus' Last Lesson - And Also The Best

There were 2 thieves crucified next to Jesus.  The crosses they were nailed on must be very close to one another - because they still could hear and talk to each other.

The First-Thief mocked Jesus and said "Aren't you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!" The Second-Thief retorted "Don't you fear God?  You received the same sentence ...We are getting what we deserve for what we did;  but he (Jesus) has done no wrong.  And he said to Jesus, 'Jesus, remember me when you come in Your kingdom!'"

Jesus said to the Second-Thief  "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise."

Now, let us examine this Lesson.  Jesus' closest disciples/apostles fled or stayed away when He was nailed to the cross.  (The disciples became fearless witnesses only after the power of the Holy Spirit came upon them on Pentecost.)  The Second-Thief must had his doubts about Jesus too.  But unlike the First-Thief, he used kind words even though he had his doubts. His kind words came from his sincere heart.

The Second-Thief did not know Jesus as well as the 11 closest disciples/apostles.  Most likely, he did not know the Scriptures. He did not follow Jesus for 3 years and was not baptized.  But he had a sincere heart!

So you see, like the Second-Thief, a non-christian may be saved through Jesus.  In his dying moment, a non-christian may encounter Jesus and recognise Him.  When he ask "Remember me, Jesus, in Your kingdom." Jesus would admit him to Paradise.  OR, after his last breath, a non-christian soul may recognize Jesus. If he says "Remember me, Jesus, in Your kingdom!", Jesus may admit him to Paradise too.

Jesus' Last Lesson while He was on the cross was the best, the most magnanimous, the most comforting.  Who says non-christians cannot go to Heaven? God can admit non-christians, anytime, through Jesus Christ.  My interpretation.

We have Hope. 1 Cor 13:13.    Merry Christmas.

God Shows How To Avoid Natural Disasters (Rare)

The story of Jonah is short, simple and easy to read.  But it has many lessons. This is one...

Nineveh was a city of wicked people, and Jonah disliked the whole city.  God asked Jonah to be His messenger to tell the people of Nineveh to repent, otherwise God will destroy the city as punishment.  Jonah wanted the city to be punished, so he refused to go and to warn the people of Nineveh.

By and by, Jonah had no choice but to bring God's warning to the people of Nineveh.  A surprising thing happened.  It was rare, but it happened...  THE PEOPLE OF NINEVEH, THE WHOLE CITY, REPENTED!

The story goes:
"When the word reached the king of Nineveh, he arose from his throne, laid aside his robe from him, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat on the ashes.  And he issued a proclamation and it said, In Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let man, beast, herd, or flock taste a thing.  Do not let them eat or drink water.  But both man and beast must be covered with sackcloth;  and let men call on God earnestly that each may turn from his wicked way and from the violence which is in his hands. Who knows, God may turn and relent, and withdraw His burning anger so that we shall not perish?"

When God saw their deeds that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them.  And He did not do it."  Jonah 3: 5-10.

See ! God can turn back natural calamities if the WHOLE CITY heed His warning and repent !

But if only a handful repent, do you think God will stop a deadly Typhoon? (Hint: Read Gen 18 & 19)

God and Typhoon Haiyan - in Nov 2013

Last week Typhoon Haiyan devastated the city of Tacloban and other cities in Philippines.  Probably 4,000 people were dead, 10 million displaced.  Churches were destroyed and the poor, mainly Catholics, local communities suffered untold miseries.

But God is still there.  He just allowed nature to exercise its fury and destruction.  God did not stop His believers from natures harm.

Yes, God ALWAYS allow natural disasters to lash His people nowadays.

But in the past, God did intervene to help His people.  He even split the 'Red Sea' to allow His people to cross when they were pursued by the Egyptians.  Didn't God told Abraham that He would spare the city of Sodom from natural disaster if He could find 10 men who were righteous? Gen 18:16-33.  Could there be less than 10 godly men in the city of Tacloban last week?  And hence God allowed the Typhoon to whip the land?

In reality, in this Dispensation of Grace, Jesus already taught that our "Heavenly Father causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous."    Matt 5:45. 

We don't know why.  We don't need to know how  -- how all the pain inflicted, 'work together for good'.  We may ask Apostle Paul, who wrote this in Romans 8:28, when we meet him.  But in the meantime, we simply need faith - that God is God. 

Praise the Lord.

Vanities - When the objective is to satisfy one's own desire...

There are people whose ambitions are to climb the highest mountains, or to walk to the north and south poles, or to swim across the Pacific ocean, or just to run the Marathon.

There are people who want to the wisest human being, or to be a champion philantropist, or to be the best politician, or to be the greatest explorer, or to be god himself.

The Preacher in the Book of Ecclesiastes says "Vanities of vanities!  All is vanity."  What does he mean? Is vanities good or bad, noble or ignoble?

Unless we have a deranged mind, we all have objectives in the things we do.  We want to achieve some meaningful things. We do not just hang around on the beach all day, catch some fish and birds for food and let the days and years go by.

Many of us will want to do something which we believe to be meaningful.  Many of these things are just be fulfill our self-esteem/ego needs, our personal or self-actualization needs, boost our dignity in our own eyes and in the eyes of others.  Like the desire to climb the highest mountain, it may or may not benefit others.

But all is vanity.

My own conclusion is that 'vanities' to satisfy one's own ego or to satisfy one's own purpose, even if a billion people's lives have been improved as a result, is still 'futile'.  Only 'vanities' that are not to fulfill the personal ego needs and self-actualization needs, are noble.

The Preacher of the Book of Ecclesiastes has this conclusion: "The conclusion when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.  Because God will bring every act to judgement, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil."  Eccl 12:14.

We better be close to God, then.   

 

Why the prophesies of prophets were mostly ignored.

These few weeks I have been reading the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel again. These prophets were all commissioned by God to warn the Israelites to turn away from their sinful ways.

At that time, around 700 BC to 500 BC, Israel was split into 2.  The northern state was called Israel, and the southern state called Judah.  Some prophets were working in the northern and some in the southern state.

As I look back, I understand why the Israelites did not listen to the prophets.  A lot is due to timing issue.  Let's say, someone comes and warns us "Patchoe, the sea level will rise due to global warming and melting ice.  Your country will be submerged in 10 feet of water in 1000 years time.

Now, will I bother with this bad news. No! Who cares what happens in 1000 years' time?  Most of us care about what happen in our generation, or the next 2 generations only !!!  Who cares what would happen to our nation 50 generations down the road??

Now, the prophets, like Isaiah, generally could not provide specific timing on when their prophesies would take place.  Like people of today, their Israelite audiences were optimistic people (today, we call optimism "positive thinking" or "avoid negative thoughts"). 

Today, when we read about the prophesies of the major prophets, we know that they had mostly been fulfilled.  Christ had come, born of a virgin birth, died and was buried, rose again and left earth to be seated at the right hand of God the Father.

But one prophesy had not been fulfilled - Christ will come again to bring His believers to dwell with Him.  But when?  We are not bothered - because it did not happen in the last 2000 years will not happen tomorrow or during our lifetime.  Or would it??

Isaiah's Vision - Is 6:1-13

I love to read the book of Isaiah.  His vision was so dramatic, his commissioning to be a prophet so direct, and his prophecy on the virgin birth of Immanuel was so specific and real.

To understand Isaiah's vision, I googled "Isaiah Vision" and read a few bible study notes on-line.  Now I understand the difference between seraphim and cherubim.  Why the seraphim have 3 pairs of wings when they only need 1 pair to fly.

Why I praise God, I normally do it in a whisper which only I can hear.  But not the seraphim. When they praised God "Holy, Holy, Holy... the whole earth is full of His glory.", it was so loud that the foundations of the temple trembled and shook. The loudness signifies their conviction.

When Isaiah was cleansed, he understood God's intent and without hesitation volunteered "Here I am send me!"  Isaiah had accepted a futile job because God already told him that He was sending him to speak to people whose "ears dull, eyes dim, listening but do not perceive, looking but do not understand..."

Isaiah prophesied that "a virgin will ...bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel." But this prophesy did not take place during his generation.  It happened 700 years after that.  No wonder the people of Isaiah's generation did not bother listening to him.

But Christ had come.  The prophesy was fulfilled.  We know better than the people of Isaiah's time.  So why do some of us still hardened our hearts and ignored the work of God?

Please read the Book of Isaiah chapter 6 again.