Dispensation of Law vs Grace

The Book of Jeremiah is a beautiful story.

During the Dispensation of Law, when Israelites sinned, God would punish them.  (See my previous blog entry.)

Because the Israelites sinned against God again and again, God punished them.  Jerusalem collapsed in BC 587 and the Israelites were exiled under the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar.  Jeremiah was the prophet who saw all these events.  He was an emotional man, and had the painful task of warning, instructing and consoling the Israelites during this historical lowest point.

Jer 21:5-7 - God's Punishment.  "I will fight against you with all my might, my anger, my wrath, and my fury...I will let all of you be captured by king Nebuchadnezzar and by your enemies, who want to kill you...will not spare any of you or show mercy or pity to any of you..."

Jer 29:10 - The Restoration.  "When 70 years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place..."

Jer 32:38-42 - The Consolation. "And they shall be My people, and I will be their God;  and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me always for their own good... Just as I brought all this calamity on this people, so I am going to bring them all the good that I am promising them..."

The Israelites returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple around 520 BC.

Fortunately we are now in the Dispensation of Grace.  We are lucky.  We do not need to go through this cycle of sin and punishment anymore.  Because, by grace, Christ has borne all our punishment by dying on the cross for us.  Give Thanks (Jer 33:11).

The 7 Dispensations and Rapture

Bible scholars tried to understand His story by dividing it into 7 or 8 Dispensations. We are now in the Dispensation of GRACE, which ends when Rapture takes place.

According to the bible, Rapture is when the people of God are taken away.  It's like, "I tell you, on that night two people on the same bed, one will be taken away, the other left behind." Luke 17:24.

It is important to understand that we are in the Dispensation of Grace and no longer the Dispensation of Law.  It affects how we read the Old Testament and the New Testament.

In this Dispensation, God no longer punish us for our sins  -  because Christ has already died on the cross as punishment for our sins.  Accept Christ.

Here is another Chart on the Seven Dispensations.

COVID19 for all. Take care.

"For he makes his sun to shine on bad and good people alike, and give rain to those who do good and to those who do evil." Matt 5:45.

Jesus' words are clear.  His followers and ardent believers are not exempted.  When there is Sars or COVID19 in the community, everyone is affected.  Everyone is at risk.  The churches and ardent Christians are not exempted.

So are other instances of disasters and mishaps.  All are affected - the good the bad the ugly, and all God's people.

But God's people do have one option which atheists do not have:  They can pray to God for divine help, and God will response as He sees fit.  God is all-loving.   AGAPE
(Photo: Church in Zagreb / Croatia)

 

Omnipresent but not there !!

God is omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient.  That's what we were taught. God is all-present, all-powerful and all-knowing.

But these 3 words are not found in the bible.

I believe God is such.  However, there is a slight twist to the interpretations of these 3 words. God is all-present, but sometimes He is not there.  God is all-powerful, but there are things that He could not do.  God is all-knowing, but there are things that He does not know beforehand.  I give you just a few examples:

God is all-present, but sometimes He is not there.  When hundreds of innocent people, praying people, were killed whether in a plane clash or in a tsunami or in an earthquake, most likely God was not there in that short moment.  Otherwise the all-loving God would have saved the innocent.  By the way, when Satan tempted Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit in the garden of Eden, God was not there too. (He later came and asked "Did you eat the fruit...?" Gen 3:8-11)

God is all-powerful, but there are things He could not do or do not want to do.  God cannot make Abraham Lincoln alive and be the President of America again.  God cannot change the past since past is passed.  God cannot, or do not want to, stop King Solomon from worshipping the idols worshipped by his wives and concubines (1 Kings 11:1-10).

God is all-knowing, but after giving men their free-will, He does not know when the hearts of men will change. God agreed to anoint Saul as King of Israel, considering that a good choice.  But Saul turned very bad and sinful.  God was sorry and regretted (1 Sam 15:35).  God did not know beforehand.

Yet, notwithstanding this new understanding of omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient,  our God is a real God.  He had sent His Son Jesus Christ to reconcile us with Him.  He is a loving God.  Thanks be to God.   (Zagreb / Croatia)

Treachery and Conspiracy (1Kings1)

The Bible is my favorite book. Some passages are more interesting than Hong Kong or Taiwan TV dramas.

1 Kings 1 started with a teaser and quickly followed with a treachery and a conspiracy.

Please read the teaser (1 Kings 1:1-4) on your own. It's funny.

The Treachery:
So just before King David passed away, son Adonijah acted quickly.  He conferred with Joab the general, Abiathar the priest and other close allies. Adonijah sacrificed to God, and organized a grand event to parade his own coronation to replace David.  He was going to win the throne,  never mind all the other brothers and step-brothers from King David's other marriages.

The Conspiracy:
Now Bathsheba is not going to take this hands down.  "What about my son Solomon?" she was worried.  So she consulted with Nathan the prophet.  They came up with a plan.  Bathsheba were to present her case before the dying King David, and while she was there, Nathan were to join in to add oil to fire.
Verse 15 onwards:
So Bathsheba bowed and prostrated herself before the king.  The king said, "What do you wish?"
And she said to him, "My lord, you swore to your maidservant by the LORD your God, saying "Surely your son Solomon shall be king after me and he shall sit on my throne." …..
And behold, while she was still speaking, Nathan the prophet came in.
Then Nathan said to David, "My lord the king, have you said 'Adonijah shall be king after me?... For ... today.. behold...they are eating and drinking before him, and they shouting, 'Long live King Adonijah''".

To cut the story short, King David crowned Solomon as king instead of Adonijah.  Thereafter, king Solomon executed Adonijah.

Nice story, right?
Go on, read the Bible, all of it !!  Enjoy !!

(Beautiful Jeju / Korea)

We Forgive

It surprised me that when Jesus taught us to pray, He taught us to ask God to do 6 things (in blue below), but asked us to do only 2 things (in red below).  Lets  look at the Lord's Prayer. Matt 6:9-14.

Our Father who is in Heaven
We (and the angels) praise your name
You bring your kingdom come
You cause your will be done on Earth as in Heaven
You give us our daily bread please
You forgive us our sins as
We forgive those who sin against us
You lead us not into temptations
You deliver us from evil
For yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory
For ever and ever. Amen

It goes to show how important it is for us to forgive those who have hurt us.  Here, Jesus did not ask us to give to charity or be grateful or be obedient.  Forgiving others is utmost important.

In our lives, someone may have bullied us, maligned us, raped us, unjustly and unfairly fired us, disfigured us, hurt our ego and dignity, cheated us.  Jesus said "Forgive."  Do not be trapped in bitterness.

Praising our God, and forgiving our fellow humans, make us whole.

2 Types of God's Plan

I am not a Bible scholar.  I am just a pragmatic Christian. From experience, I recognize 2 types of God's Plan.

Firstly is God's Intended Plan.  God intended Adam and Eve to live happily in the Garden of Eden.  But they disobeyed Him and sinned.  So God revised His plan.

So Secondly, is God's Revised Plan.  In response to what humans do, God constantly revised His plans.

Example: God did not intend the Israelites to have a king.  But the Israelites insisted on having one.  So God revised His plan and appointed King Saul, King David, and so on.

Example: God intended Jesus to return within one generation's time.  "Truly, I say to you, this generation/race will not pass away until all things take place...Be on guard..." Luke 21:27-36.  The people believed Jesus, and waited for His impending return, so much so that they slackened in their daily work.  Paul had to admonish them. 2 Thess 3:11-17. But God has revised His plan.  We do not know when Jesus will return physically.

So God is revising His plans all the time, depending on what humans do with their free-will.

So pray to God and ask Him to grant your dearest wishes.  He may just grant them, even though initially He did not intend to.

Below is another view on God's plan. http://www.crosswaychurchwa.com/images/PrayerHandout4.pdf

In his book, The Prayer of the Lord, RC Sproul lays out three different types of God’s will.  The first is what we call the sovereign, efficacious will of God. When the Bible speaks of the will of God in this sense, it is describing the will that causes whatever He decrees to come to pass. The sovereign, efficacious will of God is the will that brings to pass whatsoever He decrees.  Second, the Bible speaks of the will of God with respect to what we call His preceptive will. The preceptive will has to do with His law and commandments, the precepts He issues to regulate the behavior of His creation.  Please note that the preceptive will of God can be violated and is violated every day. Being sinners, we disobey the will of God.   Third, the Bible speaks of the will of God in terms of His basic disposition or inclination. In this sense, God’s will has to do with what is pleasing or displeasing to Him.

Who decided the books in the Bible?

Believing that the Bible is 'God-inspired' is not enough.  Christians should ask who decided that the Bible books are 'God-inspired'.

How come some Bibles have more books than others?

Although I am not convinced that this article is entirely correct, it is a good reference.
https://st-takla.org/pub_Deuterocanon/Deuterocanon-Apocrypha_El-Asfar_El-Kanoneya_El-Tanya__0-index.html

To summarize:

1) Jesus, in His time, used the Septuagint Version (Greek) of the Old Testament Scripture.  The Septuagint includes the 7 additional Old Testament books now found in the Orthodox/Catholic Bible.
2) The Jews, during Jesus' time, did not accept Jesus' ministry.  Hence the Jews avoided the Septuagint, and hence the 7 additional books too.
3) After Jesus' death, the apostolic church continued to use the Septuagint Version of Old
Testament.
4) Even in the late 4th Century AD, in the Apostolic church, the Councils of Rome, Hippo, and Carthage, were using the 7 additional Old Testament books.
5) Right up to 1546, the church had been using these 7 additional books in the Old Testament.
6) Then came Martin Luther.  He rejected the 7 additional books, purportedly because these books contained scriptural proofs of the doctrines of the Orthodox/Catholic churches.
7) The New Testament books were agreed upon at the Council at Carthage in 395AD.

I often wonder whether or not it was a right thing for Martin Luther and the Protestant Movement to remove some books from the Orthodox/Catholic/Apostolic churches' Old Testament.  On balance, I think it was not a good thing.

By the way, the 7 additional books in the Old Testament are (total 46 books):
a) Tobit
b) Judith
c) 1 Maccabees

d) 2 Maccabees

e) Wisdom of Solomon
f) Sirach
g) Baruch
(reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Testament)

The Second Book of Esdras

How the Bible was canonized is not clear.  Apparently it was canonized in several phases over several years.  Why 39 plus 27 books?  Why not 70 books or 76 books? See https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/who-decided-what-went-into-the-bible.html

In particular, which apocalyptic books to include was even harder to imagine.  Why the Book of Revelation was included in the New Testament?  Why the Second Book of Esdras was included only in the Apocrypha?

2 Esdras tells us many interesting things about the End of the Age.  It answers many questions which we ourselves would ask:

Here are some excerpts:

"Please tell me," I asked "do you think I will live until that time (the end of Age)? If not, who will be alive when it happens?"
He answered "I can tell you some of the signs of the end, if that is what you are asking;  but I am not here to tell you how long you will live, and in any case, I don't know.
"But these are the signs:  The time will come when all people on earth will be in the grip of great confusion.  The way of truth will be hidden, and no faith will be left in the land.  Wickedness will increase until it has become worse than you have ever known it to be.  The country that you now see ruling the world will lie in ruins with no inhabitant or traveler there...
I replied.  "But couldn't you have created all human beings, those of the past, the present, and the future, so that they would all live at the same time?...
He answered, "The creation cannot move faster than the Creator.  And besides, the world wouldn't have been able to hold all the people if everyone had been created at the same time."...

For more interesting conversations, read all the 7 visions of Esdras.

No, Prayers are not answered all the time.

Priests and pastors have been telling people why prayers are not answered.  So far, I have not heard a truly good explanation.

"All prayers will be answered if they are prayed according to God's will".  Are they?

I note 2 obvious scenarios where, even if the prayers are 'according to God's will', they are not answered.

1) Even if it is according to God's will, if sinful humans mess up, the prayers will not be answered. For example, at every weekly mass, devout Catholics pray for their pope, bishops, priests and religious.  Yet in some countries, the church is filled with some priests who are also paedophiles.  Yes, prayers by devout Catholics for God's blessings on their church leaders are according to God's will.  But God would not answer these prayers to bless the sinful ones.

2) Even if it is according to God's will, if Nature mess up, the prayers will not be answered.  For example, Christians pray for peace all the time.  They prayed for safety when a disaster, could be a hurricane or a typhoon, was expected.  The disaster did come, and many people perished.  Surely it is according to God's will for His people to live safety.  But God also allowed Nature to exercise its freewill.  God would not go against the fury of Nature most of the time. Hence the prayers of the devout were again not answered.

I must add that, God being all-mighty, could of course override the sinfulness of men or the fury of Nature, and answer all prayers for peace and for well-being.  But usually He allows the free-will of men and Nature to prevail.  However, once in a while, He may do otherwise.  We do not know when.  It is a mystery.

1 Samuel Chapter 1: Godly Assurance. Hannah's joy.

"Go in peace." Eli said, "and may the God of Israel give you what you have asked him for." 1Sam 1:17.

If we believe in God, and we pray to God, then why we are still anxious after we pray?

It's because we do not know whether God agree with our prayer.  We are not sure.

Once we are assured that we are praying according to God's will, we will not be anxious anymore.

That was what happened to Hannah.  She was deeply distressed and prayed for a son.  The priest Eli assured her that "God give you what you have asked Him for".  Assured, she went away, no longer sad.

If we are not assured, we will remain miserable and anxious.  So how and where to find God's assurance?

Well.  Know God.  Read the Bible.  The answer is there.  The Holy Spirit speaks through the written words.

Everyone did whatever he pleased

The last sentence in the Book of Judges summarized half the book, or even the whole book.

Judges chapter 14 to 16.  The story of Samson killing more people at his death than he killed during his life, was quite unbelievable.  (Really? Just by cracking 2 columns of a big building?)  But let's not interpret it literary.  Just glean the message of how Samson had failed God.

Judges chapter 17 to 21.  The episode of how Israelites went to war to wipe out one of her own tribe, the Benjaminites.  And then worried about the prospect that Israel would end up with eleven tribes instead of twelve, since the remaining Benjaminites had no women to procreate.  And how they devised a terrible plan of procuring women by war.

It was a total mess.  The conclusion:  "There was no king in Israel at that time. Everyone did whatever he pleased." Judges 21:25  As if, if there is a king, things could be much better.  LOL.

Now, look at the world today.  The trade war between US and China, the fire that burnt off the Amazon forest and the Indonesia forest and all the wild animals there.  The mess created by the protesters in Hong Kong, the miseries of climate change, the Brexit fury and hurt.  Basically the world is getting messier each day, and heading towards self-destruction.

But we have Kings and Presidents and Prime Ministers in the world in the present era.  Plenty of them.  Some even elected by the people themselves.

So may I add Judges 22 verse1:  "By and by, there were many kings and rulers, and they did whatever they pleased.  LOL.

Lets go back to the Lord.

Don't Believe Everything (Sirach / Ecclesiasticus)

Years ago, while in church, some passages were read from Ecclesiasticus.  I could not find the Book of Ecclesiasticus.

The Book of Sirach has many other names.  It is also called the Wisdom of Sirach, the Book of  Ben Sira and the Book of Ecclesiasticus.  I used to confuse this book with the Book of Ecclesiastes, which is one of the 66 books of the main bible.  Ecclesiasticus is written between 200 to 175 BCE, and is found in the inter-testament or deuterocanonical books section.

It's amazing how so many words of wisdom, written 2,200 years ago, are still applicable today.

Sir 18:17:  Kinds words are more effective than the best gifts.

Sir 19:6:    Avoid idle talk, and you will avoid a lot of trouble.

Sir 19:15:  DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU HEAR.

Sir 20:18:  A slip of the tongue is worse than a slip on the pavement.

Sir 21:25:  Presumptuous people talk about things that are none of their business.

Lessons from the California Fire 2018

The California Fire (now, November 2018) is a big thing.  Whole town is on fire.  31 fatalities and the count is rising.

Of course God knows about the raging fire. But since God is merciful, and Christians are praying, so why God is not acting?

The simple answer, gleaned from all the Israelite-events (except one**) recorded in the Old Testament, is that the omni-present God has turned His face away, waiting for the people to come back to Him.  I do hope the Californian people will respond positively and seek God again.

The only exception** in the Old Testament where the godly suffered immensely, is JOB.  JOB suffered beyond what he could bear, all because God trusted his godliness, and permitted satan to test him.

God has kind words for all who turn to Him.

"Behold the Lord's hand is not so short that it cannot save;
Neither is His ear so dull that it cannot hear."
"...If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."
Isaiah 59:1, 2 Chronicles 7:14.

There is Hope.

GRACE - A new era

Dake's Annotated Bible mentions that after the birth of Christ, this era is the 'Dispensation of Grace'.

Now, as I read the Old Testament this week, I encountered my favorite verse 2 Chron 7:14 again:
If my people who are called by My name
- humble themselves
- and pray,
- and seek My face
- and turn from their wicked ways,
then I will 
- hear from heaven,
- will forgive their sin,
- and heal their land.
So in the Old Testament era, we need to do 4 things, then God will do 3 things.

Now, in the New Testament, my favorite verse is John 3:16:

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.
So in the New Testament era, we do not have to do anything.  We just believe in Him.

This is Grace.  We are saved NOT because we deserve it, NOT because we work for it.  

It sounds funny and too simple.  But the LORD is near to all who call upon Him. (Ps 145:16).  Dispensation of Grace.

Judaism and Reincarnation

The attached article is from THE CATHOLIC NEWS dated 28 October 2018, Singapore.

I find it very interesting that Judaism believes in reincarnation, just like other eastern religions.  When I read the Bible, there were some references where the Jewish people asked whether Elijah had come again,  or whether Moses had come again.

However, eastern religions go one step further and included the principle of Karma. And base on the  combined concepts of reincarnation and karma, the eastern religions could answer any question relating to death, life and suffering.

The power of self-suggestion

Let's say you dislike eating papaya. Then try this: Repeat "I like eating papaya" 30 times a day. Do that for 5 years.  Would you manage to convince yourself to like eating papaya?  Most likely you can, less likely you can't.

Some people call this psycho-yourself, or auto-suggestion, or simply manipulating the mind. It is powerful.  WhatsApp viral messages can use this technique to change the way a person thinks. Advertisers use this technique to sell their products.

Awareness is our best defence.

Why did God want to kill Moses ?

I have been puzzled by this for a long time:

Exodus 4:21-26 reads (NIV version):

²¹ The LORD said to Moses, "When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. ²² Then say to Pharaoh, 'This is what the LORD says: Israel is my firstborn son, ²³ and I told you, "Let my son go, so he may worship me." But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son.'"
²⁴ At a lodging place on the way, the LORD met Moses and was about to kill him. ²⁵ But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son's foreskin and touched Moses' feet with it. "Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me," she said. ²⁶ So the LORD let him alone. (At that time she said "bridegroom of blood," referring to circumcision.) (Exodus 4:21-26)

In Exodus 3, God asked Moses to take on the task of confronting Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses retorted that he was neither suitable and nor up to the task. God provided Moses with power, and the assurance that Moses could accomplish this.  And so finally, Moses packed his bags and brought his family to travel to Egypt to carry out his assignment.

Then out of nowhere, Exodus 4:24 says God met Moses along the way and was about to kill him.  I was puzzled why God suddenly wanted Moses dead.

I searched the internet and read a few commentaries.  Experts tried to speculate that Moses had sinned and now God had to remove him.  But it doesn't make sense because God had just patiently convinced him to take on the most mammoth job.

I find the following explanation logical:  The verses in the NIV, NASB, TEV bibles have been inaccurately translated. God did not meet Moses and 'was about to kill him'. The King James Bible was easier to understand.  Please click on the link

http://www.kjvtoday.com/home/is-the-kjv-confusing-in-exodus-424-26
and find out for yourself.

Sometimes words and translations cannot convey the truth accurately.

Happy searching to know God better.

They didn't recognise Jesus

John the Baptist asked Jesus why He came to him to be baptized. Jesus answered him "Permit it at this time, for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness" John the Baptist recognized Jesus.   Matt 3:14-15.
But when John the Baptist was in prison, he entertained some doubts. So he sent someone to ask Jesus "Are you the Coming One, or shall we look for someone else?"  He doubted.  Matt 11:2-3.

The apostles (excluding Thomas) gathered in the Upper Room. Jesus appeared but they did not recognize Him. Jesus had to deliberately show them His hands and His sides. John 20:19.

After 8 days, the apostles (including Thomas) were in the Upper Room again.  Jesus showed Himself to all and to Thomas in particular. "...See My hands...My side, and be NOT unbelieving, but believe."  John 20:26.

Christ's disciples did not recognize Him after He was raised from the dead. The reason is due to 'unbelieve'.  A Rev Dr Hand also suggested that it was not because the resurrected Jesus did something to veil their eyes from recognizing Him.  Instead it was the rational minds of the disciples that kept them from believing what their own eyes beheld.

Is your rational mind also hindering you from believing in the resurrection, and from recognizing Jesus?

Sinners and Habitual Sinners

We all know the story of David and Bathsheba.  David sinned.  In fact he committed the vilest sin.

But read more about David.  He was not a regular sinner.  He was not a habitual sinner.  He did many things right with God, and did not fail God on many occasions.

Life is like that.  At times, we all fail to be good.  We have good husbands who went astray and attempted to be unfaithful.  We have good teachers who, in moments of weakness, committed sin on their students.  We have godly priests who sinned against God.  We have honorable leaders and politicians who failed to uphold our trust.

The story of David is the reality of life.  We all fall short, and succumb to temptations sometimes.  But we must bounce back.  We must not be habitual in our failures and sins.

And for those of us who have been hurt and let down by our loved ones, we must also forgive their wrongdoings no matter how hurting.  Are they habitual sinners or are they like King David?

Soon it will be Easter.  Lets remember God more this Holy Week.

Wish you peace.

The heart must be right

How did the 3 wise men from the East follow the stars to reach Infant Jesus ??

When I was a young Platoon Commander in the military school, I would choose a starry night to teach new recruits how to 'see stars'.  So on a hilltop, I would point out to them the Big Dipper and North Star, and the Southern Cross.  (On most night, could only see 1 out of 2.)  The North Star shows the direction of the North, and the Southern Cross, the South.

The stars can show the general direction only. Stars do not pin-point a location. On a starry night, while standing at Toa Payoh, a star could be directly over my head.  If I move 10 kilometres away and stand at Yishun, that same star is still directly over my head.

And so, the 'star' could only guide the 3 wise men to the broad vicinity where Infant Jesus was. How did the wise men pin-point that particular stable where the Jesus lied in the manger.

That was where the heart took over.  When their hearts were right, when they seek God sincerely and truthfully, God would lead them to the exact place.

When the heart is right, seek and you will find.

Japanese Shrines and Shinto

I took a holiday in Japan.  Tourists in Japan will surely visit some of their Shrines and Temples.

I was confused.  Fortunately I met a lady who spoke to me in English, and I took the opportunity to ask her what is the difference between a Shrine and a Temple.  She told me that Shrines are Shinto, Temples are Buddhist.  Ohhh!

While visiting the Shrine of Emperor Meiji, I picked up a pamphlet and learnt a lot from it.  The pamphlet says:

Meiji Jingu is a Shinto Shrine. Shinto is called Japan's ancient religion, and it is deeply rooted in the way of Japanese life.  Shinto has NO FOUNDER, NO HOLY BOOK, AND NOT EVEN THE CONCEPT OF RELIGIOUS CONVERSION, but Shinto values for example harmony with nature and virtues such as "Magokoro (sincere heart)"  In Shinto, some divinity is found as Kami (divine spirit), or it may be said that there is an  unlimited number of Kami, You can see Kami in mythology, in nature, and in human beings.  From ancient times, Japanese people have felt awe and gratitude towards such Kami and dedicated shrines to many of them.

Now I understand Japanese culture a little bit more. No wonder they built a Shrine of Emperor Meiji (1852-1912), the great grandfather of the current Emperor.

Really, there are a lot of Shrines in Japan.  When you see a Torii Gate, there is a Shrine.  What religious people !!

The virgin birth, The resurrection, The future coming.

Week after week, we recite the 'Mystery of Faith' during church mass:  Christ has died, Christ is Risen, Christ will come again.

The introduction to the Book of Romans was exceptionally well written.  In Chapter 1:4, Apostle Paul did not dwell on the virgin birth of Christ (which is impossible to prove and has to be accepted by faith).  He did not dwell on the future coming of Christ (which has yet to happen and we do not know when).  He simple grabbed the irrefutable miracle, the Resurrection of Christ, as the key proof that Jesus is the Son of God.

Try to proof that Christ did NOT rise from the dead, and He did not appear to his disciples and hundreds of people after His resurrection?  You just can't.

No doubt.  He is the Son of God.

Romans 1:4 "...was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord."

Jeremiah's Curse

The extreme expression of sadness and hopelessness is suicide.  And just before reaching this extreme, the expression of deep anguish and sorrow is by cursing the day when one is born.  Jeremiah the prophet was so hurt that he did this.

Jeremiah 20:14 onwards: Cursed be the day when I was born...Cursed be the man who brought the news to my father, saying 'A baby boy has been born to you!'...Because he did not kill me before birth, so that my mother would have been my grave, and her womb ever pregnant.  Why did I ever come forth from the womb to look on trouble and sorrow, so that my days have been spent in shame?'

The language used by Jeremiah is extreme.  I could feel his pain, his sorrow, his bitterness, his despondency.  By cursing his own birth, he cursed himself.

Fortunately Jeremiah did not go on to commit suicide.  God had asked Jeremiah to be His prophet and assured him.  "But I will deliver you on the day," declares the Lord, "and you shall not be given into the hand of the men whom you dread.  For I will certainly rescue you, and you will not fall by the sword; but you will have your own life as booty, because you have trusted in Me." declared the LORD. Jer 39:17,18.

When God calls us, life could be painful some times, or even most of the time.  But God has promised that we will not be tested beyond what we could bear.  In Jeremiah's case, he was indeed tested to the very limit he could bear.

God will always provide for us, so that we will not be stretched beyond the point we can endure. 1 Cor 10:13.

Blessed Assurance.

Hell, not at all.

Deep in our hearts, many of us Christians do not believe the damnation of Hell.

I remember watching a film on the holocaust of the Second World War.  To exterminate the Jews quickly, they were herd into the gas chamber a few hundred at a time. The door was closed, and the Jews died inside.  Death was relatively quick, perhaps in minutes or hours. Their cries of pain and anguish could not even be heard, because all the German guards left the place after the gas was turned on.

That scene could not be erased from my mind.

Jesus Christ is not like that. On the Judgement Day, He will not condemn millions and billions of people to the eternal fire of Hell.  He will not close the door of Hell and let anyone suffer eternally inside.  Our God is a God of Love, Lovingkindness and Mercy.  He may chastise and punish us for our sins, but the punishment will not be eternal Hell.

So if you were told Christians go to Heaven, and non-Christians go to Hell, think again.  It is impossible for God to use Hell to inflict eternal punishment on any of His own creation.  Jesus will forgive 70 x 7 times, or even 700 x 7 times.

That is the confidence of  knowing the character of God. The wonderous love of Jesus Christ.

Idols and Mammon

"Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves molten gods; I am the Lord your God." Lev 19:4.

"...Ye cannot serve God and mammon."  Matt 6:24.

In their preaching, many pastors asked their congregations to examine themselves. "You may not be worshipping idols, but is mammon your idol? Are you worshipping wealth and materials?  Do you care more about pursuing money, fame and power?"

"Idols" are spiritual in nature.  Most idols are benevolent and generous, otherwise few would be interested in them.  People worship idols for health and wealth, for power, for good luck, for all kinds of blessings.  Often, these idols would oblige them generously in return for their worship.

"Mammon" is not idol.  Mammon are things of the world.  They are non spiritual, hence they do not require anyone to worship them.  Mammon could be anything of worldly value - such as the pursuit of money, wealth, power, fame, beauty, wisdom, worldly success and longevity.  Mammon distract us from God. Mammon are also used by idols to separate us from God.

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind...You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Matt 22:37-39.

Avoid both idols and mammon.

Lord, Have Mercy

This post is the result of personal experience and deep reflection.

When our friends and loved ones are sick, we pray for healing. That is the normal thing to do.

But while praying for healing, the condition got worse, from stage 3 to stage 4 to end stage cancer, from stage 3 to stage 7 to end stage Alzheimer's, from grade 2 pain to grade 10 over 10 on the pain scale, we know the end is near.  We became convinced, became 200% sure, that praying for healing is not according to God's will anymore.  When a case has deteriorated till the pain is beyond bearable, as advised by a priest, beseech God for His mercy.

The daughter of this internet friend had cancer, and despite everything they do, had reached the stage of grade 10 over 10 on the pain scale. The doctor finally advised her to let go since even experimental drugs had no effect, let alone morphine and other painkillers. Finally after 4 years, she rest in peace.

My own father, also with cancer, left 3 years ago. I asked God for his healing. But it got worse and after 6 months, he told the palliative doctor that it was 9, sometimes 10 over of 10 on the pain scale. On the final days, he sat at the sink and cough out blood every few minutes.  We all let go - we do not pray for healing anymore, but for mercy and a peaceful journey.

I have some other personal experiences, but it is unnecessary to cite them.

On the way to the cross, Jesus did not ask God to spare Him.  He fully understood His purpose and acted according to God's will.

Yes.  We pray for healing when we are sick.  But if circumstances relentlessly point in the opposite direction despite fervent prayers for healing, then, "Lord have mercy, Thy will be done".

Nothing is yours...

And so he asked:
-- "Surely the house and the car that I bought are mine?" No.  They are not yours. When you leave, they are someone else's.
-- "Surely my children are mine?" No. They own their own lives.
-- "Hah, the savings I deposited in the bank, for my own use, they are mine!" No. They are yours only if you use them.
-- "How about all my achievements, my professional degrees, the energy and money I spent in feeding the poor?"  No. When you pass on, you could not bring those along.
-- "Now, surely my time is mine. Yesterday I had 24 hours.  Today I have another 24 hours!" No. Time is not yours.  Time simply pass us by.

-- "Then what is mine???"
    The moments are yours.  Only the moments, no the time.  Those intangible feelings of joy, peace, love, gratitude, dignity, are yours to enjoy and treasure.  Those negative feelings of disappointment, regrets, guilt, anguish are your too. Only you can overcome them and discard them; or continue to keep them in your memory to torment yourself.

Live and enjoy each precious moment of your life. Store up the positive moments and keep them in this life and beyond.  Discard the negative ones, do not dwell on them.

Thank God for every moment.  That is the only thing that you own and could bring beyond the grave, besides your personal relationship with the Divine.

What is Ninth Hour?

Today is Good Friday.  Every year during Good Friday, we read and re-read the account of Christ's passion, trials and crucifixion.

The pendulum clock was only invented 1656. During Christ's time, a 'day' began from sundown and end on the next sundown. A 'day' was divided into 4 watches and 12 hours.

First watch  --  Sundown to 9 pm
Second watch  --  9 pm to midnight
Third watch  --  midnight to 3 am
Fourth watch  --  3 am to sunrise
1st hour   --  sunrise to 8 am
2nd hour  --  8 am to 9 am
3rd hour  --  9 am to 10 am
4th hour  --  10 am to 11 am
5th hour --  11 am to 12 noon
6th hour --  12 noon to 1 pm
7th hour --  1 pm to 2 pm
8th hour --  2 pm to 3 pm
9th hour --  3 pm to 4 pm
10th hour  -- 4 pm to 5 pm
11th hour  --  5 pm to 6 pm
12th hour --  6 pm to Sundown

According to the Gospels, Jesus was crucified and finally died  at the 9th hour, which is between 3 to 4 pm, present clocktime.

But then, He rose again on the third day, and never die again.

Alleluia. Let us welcome Easter joyously.

Those very enigmatic bible verses...

"DO NOT RESIST HIM WHO IS EVIL; BUT WHOEVER SLAPS YOU ON THE RIGHT CHEEK, TURN TO HIM THE OTHER ALSO.  AND IF ANY ONE WANTS TO SUE YOU, AND TAKE YOUR SHIRT, LET HIM HAVE YOUR COAT ALSO..."  MATT 5:38 to 44

This is an example of Bible verses that is hard to understand and practice. We don't do this when someone does bad to us.  When a robber robs you of your wallet, you don't voluntarily ask him to take your watches as well.  When a bully punches you on the left side, you don't volunteer the right side to be punched too. When Israel lost a city to an invading enemy, Israel did not say "Take my other cities as well." When Jesus was slapped by the soldiers who came to detain Him, the Bible did not mention that He turned the other cheek too.

Sometimes the Bible verses surprise us, some go against common sense and are unnatural for us to follow.

In such incidences, we should not follow the Bible verses literary.  We should mull over the exhortations and the intentions behind those words, and apply those underlying lessons which are consistent with other verses in other parts of the Bible.

So now, if a Christian accidentally took some poison, please seek medical assistance.  Do not just pray and do nothing.  Mark 16:18 does not apply.