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Why So Many Gods?

 Mycenae was a location in Greece.  In fact, it was the location of the first Greeks. That was about 3000 BC.

The civilization in Mycenae was so religious.  They worshipped whom they thought were powerful, or fearful, or mysterious. They worshipped:-

ZEUS, the king of the gods.

POSEIDON, the god of the sea.

ATHENA, the goddess of wisdom.

APOLLO also known as PAIAN, the god of light, healing, music, and poetry.

HERMES, the messenger of gods.

ARTEMIS, the goddess of hunting.

HERA, Zeus' consort.

MAKA, the goddess associated with animals.

POTNIA, the goddess associated with agriculture.

DEMETER and PERSEPHONE, goddesses of food, grain and agriculture.

Wow, where did all these gods and goddesses come from!  The ancient Greeks had so many gods to serve! 

Abraham who served only ONE God, would have rolled his eyes in disbelief!

 

How Tall Is The Tower To Heaven?

Gen 11:4  "Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name;  lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth." 

That happened after the Noah's family flourished after the flood.  Probably around 2000 BC.

There were many other civilizations in that Middle Eastern region then.  There was Ur, between Babylon and the Persian Gulf.

The Ziggurat of Ur was built around 2000 BC by King Ur-Nammu.  This was not the only ziggurat in that region, there were other ziggurats besides this.  Seeing ziggurats around them, no wonder Noah's Israelite community wanted to build a 'Tower' too.  No need to consult God or to ask permission.  (By the way, 'tall tower to reach into heaven' does not literally mean so high as to reach heaven.  It simply means a very tall tower.)

This attitude is common in all humans - do what we think is right - just do it !

But God has His own plan.

(Note:  The best-preserved ziggurat is at Ur (Iraq). The largest ziggurat is at Choghā Zanbīl (Iran).  Another ziggurat, apparently of great antiquity, is located at Tepe Sialk (Iran). The legendary Tower of Babel has been popularly associated with the ziggurat of the great temple of Marduk (Babylon).

Giving Up What Is Most Precious

 Genesis 22:2:  And God said to Abraham, "Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah; and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you."

This happened around 1800 BC to 1500 BC.  Abraham worshipped his God.  There were other civilizations scattered all over the world.  The other communities worshipped their own gods.

To appease their gods, and goaded on by their priests, it was normal for the other communities to sacrifice their most precious possessions to their gods.  What were their most precious possessions?  - Their children's lives.  Child sacrifice was not uncommon.  

Abraham would not have been very surprised by God's request.  But it had a happy ending.

Read this excerpt, from the book "VANISHED CIVILIZATIONS", on the ancient ritual of child sacrifice carried out in the defunct civilization at Carthage.  This could be what happened in ancient civilizations:

"Sacrifices took place at night before a great bronze statue of the supreme god Baal Hammon.  The parents brought their sacrificial child to the site - an infant between two and three years old, sometimes older.  The ceremony  included loud music and a great deal of festivities, and at the appropriate moment the child was taken by a priest to have his or her throat slit in a secret ritual.  The body was then placed on the statue's outstretched arms, from which it rolled off into the flames of a fire.  During the crisis in the 4th century when Agathocles besieged Carthage, 200 children are said to have been sacrificed."

In Christ, it was the reverse -  God sent His Son as a sacrifice to die on the cross to save us. Hallelujah!

(Picture:  The Diocletian Palace at Split/Croatia, built for Roman Emperor Diocletian.)

Who Kept The Dead Sea Scrolls

It could be around AD 80 when the Jewish historian Josephus visited Qumran, beside the Dead Sea.

Just a few decades after Christ's ascension, many of his disciples and followers travelled near and far and everywhere to spread the Good News of salvation, first to the Jews and also to the non-Jews.  They were in a hurry because they were expecting Christ's return in a short while.

But the expectation of Christ's return also gave rise to another response - some believers turned to a quiet ascetic lifestyle.

Josephus described the Essene community at Qumran. "After prayers before dawn, each member would set to a task in which he was skilled.  Before noon, they would assemble, washed with cold water to purify themselves to eat a simple meal.  Then they resumed work until the evening meal.  The silence within seems like some dread mystery; it stems from their permanent sobriety and the restriction of their food and drink to the bare necessities."

The study of scriptural law and prayer were among the chief occupations at this Essene community at Qumran.  A common thread of their faith was a sense that the apocalypse was about to strike.  The sect believed that God's vengeance would soon be unleashed on the unfaithful, and that they alone would survive the Day of Judgement.

We need to thank this Essene community for hiding the scriptural scrolls for posterity. 

(Paraphrased and gleaned from the book "Vanished Civilizations")

Civilizations: Rise and Fall

So many civilizations have vanished.

I have been reading this Reader's Digest book that documented 40 civilizations that had vanished.  The earliest civilizations, like the one in Catal Huyuk, existed around 7,100 BC, over 9,000 years ago.

The Bible is not a book on world history.  The Old Testament tells us the origin of the Jewish people.  They originated from the 12 sons of Jacob also known as Israel, and by extension, originated from Adam and Eve, some 21 generations earlier, or around 4,000 BC. (Gen 1 to Gen 24)

But there were many civilizations and communities in the world before Adam and Eve.

This book on vanished civilizations is amazing.

How can I be a Prophet?

"Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy."  1Cor 14:1 NASB version.

I was confused by this verse for a very long time.  Me?  Prophesize?  Like Elijah or Elisha or Jeremiah or Jonah?  Going around telling people when war will come, when the world will end, when this and that will happen?  No way!

Later, I learnt that there are 2 meanings to 'prophesy' (or prophecy).  2 types of prophets:

Prophet Type A:  Predicts the future based on divine revelation or inspiration.  That was what Elijah and Elisha and Isaiah and Jeremiah did.  They told the Israelites "If you continue with your wicked ways, you will be destroyed.  The Assyrians or Babylonians would attack you.  You would become slaves, etc.

Prophet Type B:  1 Cor 14:1 Today's English Version is clearer:  "It is love, then, that you should strive for.  Set your hearts on spiritual gifts, especially the gift of proclaiming God's message."

Now I understand.  I was told to desire the spiritual gift of prophesy Type B, which is gift of proclaiming God's message.  Not predicting future events.  Not going around telling people when Rapture or the Third World War will take place, or when Christ will return.

Simply proclaim God's message.  That was what Abraham did, what Moses did, what Aaron and his sister Mariam did.  No wonder they were also called 'prophets'. (Genesis 20:7, Exodus 7:1, Exodus 15:20)

We all can do a bit of Prophet Type B.  Simple proclaim God's message of Jesus Christ.

(Photo:  My favorite mountain, Mt Fuji.  Majestic and standalone)

EASTER without COVID - Because He lives.

Today is Good Friday.  The mood is sombre not just because Christ was crucified on the cross this day years ago, but also because we are in the midst of a 'Lockdown' due to the COVID19 pandemic.

Today I read 1 Chronicles 21 verse 7 onwards.  Let me paraphrase below:

   God was displeased with what King David had done.  So He punished Israel.  
   David said to God, "I have committed a terrible sin in doing this! Please forgive me..."
   But God asked Gad the prophet.  "Go and tell David that I am giving him 3 choices of punishment.  I will do whichever he chooses."
   The 3 choices were a) 3 years of famine, b) 3 months of running away from the armies of your enemies, c) 3 days during which the Lord attacks you with His sword and sends an epidemic on your land.
   David replied to Gad the prophet.  "I am in a desperate situation! But I don't want to be punished by men.  Let the Lord Himself be the one to punish me BECAUSE HE IS MERCIFUL."
   So the Lord sent an epidemic on the people of Israel, and 70,000 of them died.  Then He sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem, but He CHANGED HIS MIND and said to the angel, "Stop! That's enough!"
   David saw the angel standing in midair, holding his sword in his hand, ready to destroy Jerusalem.
   David prayed, "Oh God, I am the one who did wrong, I am the one who ordered the census.  What have these poor people done?  Lord, my God, punish me and my family, and spare your people."

This is truly a sad story about God's righteousness.  God WAS a tough discipline master.  When the Israelites sinned, He punished them.

But all these had changed.  With Good Friday and Easter, when God's people sin, Jesus was the one who got punished.  He was hung on the cross.  God's people would not suffer an epidemic from God anymore.

So, dear friends, DO NOT SAY that this COVID19 PANDEMIC is an act of God.  It is not an act of God -- because Christ died on Good Friday and was raised on Easter.

This is the Dispensation of God's Grace.

(Photo: Mostar Stari Bridge, Bosnia. 2019)

Virus and Sovereign Lord

In the Bible (New International Version), the words 'Sovereign Lord' appeared 289 times.  God is sovereign.  He is in control.

So why did He allow COVID19 virus to wreck havoc on our beautiful blue planet?  Thousands have died.  And thousands more will die.

Although God is sovereign, in this Dispensation of Grace, His answer and His solution is always in Jesus Christ, whom He sent to die for human's sins.

So if humans wrecked havoc and released viruses, God would not stop humans from doing that. The viruses were not released by God who is all-loving.  God simply allows humans to have their way.

Humans must pray to God for help during this topsy turvy period.   "The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much." James 5.16. (Photo: Blue Planet)

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.