KJV's Gift to English

According to the National Geographic Magazine, the KJV translation introduced 18 classic phrases and made famous more than 240 more from earlier translations. Here are some of the phrases listed in the magazine in order of popularity:
From time to time (Ezekiel 4:10)
Stand in awe (Psalm 4:4)
The root of the matter (Job 19:28)
Suffer little children (Luke 18:16)
Get thee behind me (Luke 4:8)
A thorn in the flesh (2 Corinthians 12:7)
As a lamb to the slaughter (Isaiah 53:7)
How are the mighty fallen (2 Samuel 1:19)
A still small voice (1 Kings 19:12)
Unto the pure all things are pure (Titus 1:15)
Know for a certainty (Joshua 23:13)
A man after his own heart (1 Samuel 13:14)
East of Eden (Genesis 4:16)
No small stir (Acts 12:18)
Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:20)
Beat their swords into plowshares (Isaiah 2:4)
Fell flat on his face (Numbers 22:31)
Much study is a weariness of the flesh (Ecclesiastes 12:12)
Set thine house in order (Isaiah 38:1)
Pour out your heart (Psalms 62:8)
To everything there is a season (Ecclesiastes 3:1)
Be horribly afraid (Jeremiah 2:12)

Others include:
Fight the good fight (1 Timothy 6:12)
What comes out of the mouths of babes (Psalms 8:2)
A house divided
A law unto themselves
A stumbling block
A thief in the night
All these things must come to pass (Matthew 24:6)
All things to all men
And the word was made flesh
Apple of his eye
At their wit's end (Psalm 107:27)
Be fruitful and multiply
Born again
Bottomless pit
By their fruits ye shall know them
Charity shall cover the multitude of sins
City set on a hill
Crumbs which fall from ... table
Death, where is thy sting
Den of thieves
Dreamer of dreams
Eat, drink and be merry (Luke 12:19)
Eat the fat of the land (Genesis 45:18)
Eye for an eye
Fallen from grace
Fatted calf
Fell by the way side
Fell on stony ground
Fight the good fight
From strength to strength
Give up the ghost
God forbid
Heart’s desire (Psalms 21:2)
Holier than thou (Isaiah 65:5)
Honour thy father and mother
In the twinkling of an eye
Land of Nod
Left hand know what thy right hand doeth
Let my people go
Let there be light
Love thy neighbour as thyself
Milk and honey
Money is the root of all evil
My brother's keeper
New wine into old bottles
No room for them in the inn
Out of the mouths of babes (Matthew 21:16)
Physician, heal thyself
Propitiation
Put words in his mouth (Exodus 4:15)
Put the words in her mouth (2 Samuel 14:3)
Reap the whirlwind
Scapegoat
See eye to eye (Isaiah 52:8)
Seek and ye shall find
Set thine house in order
Sheep's clothing
Suffer fools gladly
Take root
The blind lead the blind
The last shall be first
The leopard [change] his spots (Jeremiah 13:23)
The lost sheep
The powers that be
The quick and the dead
The signs of the times (Matthew 16:3)
The skin of my teeth (Job 19:20)
The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41)
They know not what they do
Thou shalt not bear false witness
To give than to receive
To the ends of the earth (Zechariah 9:10)
Turn to him the other [cheek]
Turned the world upside down (Acts 17:6)
Two are better than one
Two-edged sword (Proverbs 5:4)
Vengeance is mine
Wandering stars
White as snow
Woe is me

Choosing a Religion

Many people said that there are so many religions in the world and it is difficult to know which is true. This is one way to sort out the mess. Ask yourself this question, "Do you believe that you can save yourself?" If your answer is "Yes", your problem remains because there are thousands and thousands of religion teaching us how to save ourselves.

If your answer is "No", there is only one way. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:31 KJV)"

Christmas Gospel

Here is the familiar nativity story in the Bible.

Luke 2:8-12
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” (ESV)

Why is the birth of Jesus good news of great joy? The Bible gives us the reason, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.” A Saviour! Wow, what does this Saviour save us from?

What does Jesus save us from?
Answer: Jesus saved us from our sins.
Matthew 1:21
She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." (ESV)

How does He save us?
Answer: He saves us by dying for our sins.
Romans 5:8
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (KJV)
1 John 2:2
And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. (KJV)
1 Peter 2:24
Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. (KJV)

How do we know that we are sinners?
Answer: Because all of us received the wages of sin, which is death.
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (KJV)

So what? When I die, and everything is over.
Answer: There will be judgement after death.
Hebrews 9:27
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (KJV)

I am not afraid of judgement. I am a good person.
Answer: No one is good because nobody is perfect.
Job 15:14
What is man, that he can be pure? Or he who is born of a woman, that he can be righteous? (ESV)
Psalm 14:1
The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. (KJV)
Psalm 53:1
The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good. (KJV)
Psalm 14:3
They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one. (KJV)
Psalm 53:3
Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. (KJV)
Psalm 143:2
And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified. (KJV)
Proverbs 20:9
Who can say, "I have cleansed my heart; I am pure and free from sin"?( NLT)
Ecclesiastes 7:20
For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not. (KJV)
Roman 3:10
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: (KJV)
Romans 3:23
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (KJV)
1 John 1:8
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (KJV)

Ok. I did made some mistakes. But I also do charity.
Answer: You righteousness does not count in the eyes of God.
Job 22:3
Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if you are in the right, or is it gain to him if you make your ways blameless? (ESV)
Isaiah 64:6
We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. (ESV)

If nothing I do pleases God, then I have no hope.
Answer: Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy. You can be saved by believing in Jesus.
Luke 2:10-11
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. (KJV)
John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (KJV)
1 Corinthians 15:3-8
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. (ESV)

Is there any other way?
Answer: No.
John 14:6
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (KJV)
Acts 4:12
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (KJV)
1 Timothy 2:5
For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (ESV)

Matthew 7:13-14
Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. (ESV)

Eve of Christmas Eve

There are some who believe that 25th December is not the birthday of Jesus. It does not really matter. What matters is the purpose of His birth, not the date of it. So why was Jesus born?

Recently, one bank found a bug in Alliance Access with patch 7.0.20 or higher with Message Syntax Table 1105. After removing the FIN-Copy code (e.g. MEP) in a message in the Text Modification application, the code is not removed in the block 3 of the message. But the message will not show the code in the header information, giving users a false impression that the removal is successful. The consequence is that the message is still treated as a FIN-Copy message. This bug was introduced by patch 7.0.20 because Alliance 7.0 was working fine.

Does anyone in their right mind expect the bug in Alliance Access 7.0.20 to go away by itself without a patch from SWIFT?

Why was Christ born?
Answer: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners
Matthew 1:21
She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."
(ESV)
他将要生一个儿子，你要给他起名叫耶稣，因他要将自己的百姓从罪恶里救出来。」(和合本)
1 Timothy 1:15
The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. (ESV)
「基督耶稣降世，为要拯救罪人。」这话是可信的，是十分可佩服的。在罪人中我是个罪魁。(和合本)

Who are the sinners?
Answer: All of us.
Romans 3:23
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (KJV)
因为世人都犯了罪，亏缺了神的荣耀；(和合本)

Where does sin came from?
Answer: Sin entered the world when Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3:1-24).
Romans 5:12
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned (ESV)
这就如罪是从一人入了世界，死又是从罪来的；於是死就临到众人，因为众人都犯了罪。(和合本)

Many have protested against this injustice. Why should be bear the consequences of our ancestor’s actions? It is unfair.

When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, sin entered the world and the world became imperfect. Unfairness and injustice are all part of imperfection. And our ancestor’s actions continue to impact us. A father who get AIDS from a prostitute infects his baby with the virus. What sin has the baby committed? Nothing. It is the father’s sin. So when Adam disobeyed God, we become sinners.

But God had made provision for the salvation of the sinner.
Romans 5:8
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (KJV)
惟有基督在我们还作罪人的时候为我们死，神的爱就在此向我们显明了。(和合本)

Mechanics of salvation – propitiation (挽回祭).
1 John 2:2
And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. (KJV)
他为我们的罪作了挽回祭，不是单为我们的罪，也是为普天下人的罪。(和合本)
1 Peter 2:24
Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
他被挂在木头上，亲身担当了我们的罪，使我们既然在罪上死，就得以在义上活。因他受的鞭伤，你们便得了医治(和合本)

Christ rose again because He was sinless.
1 Corinthians 15:4
And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures: (KJV)
而且埋葬了；又照圣经所说，第三天复活了，(和合本)

All in Christ shall all arise with Him.
1 Corinthians 15:22
For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. (KJV)
在亚当里众人都死了；照样，在基督里众人也都要复活。(和合本)

What do we have to do?
Answer: Believe.
Acts 16:31
And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (KJV)
他们说：「当信主耶稣，你和你一家都必得救。」(和合本)

Jesus is the only way.
Acts 4:12
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (KJV)
除他以外，别无拯救；因为在天下人间，没有赐下别的名，我们可以靠著得救。」(和合本)

Does anyone in their right mind expect the bug in Alliance Access 7.0.20 to go away by itself without a patch from SWIFT?

No. The solution must come from the creator of Alliance Access. Likewise, the solution to sin must come from the creator of the heavens and the earth. Anyone who think that there is another solution is deeply mistaken.

2 Timothy 3:13
But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. (KJV)
只是作恶的和迷惑人的，必越久越恶，他欺哄人，也被人欺哄。(和合本)

The truth is simple. The truth is clear. The truth reflects reality.

Meanwhile, Alliance 7.0.20 all over the world are praying, fasting, chanting, doing charity, climbing mountains, going into pits, making pilgrimages, hoping that they can solve the bug without intervention from their creator, the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication.

John 3:16-18
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (KJV)
「神爱世人，甚至将他的独生子赐给他们，叫一切信他的，不至灭亡，反得永生。 因为神差他的儿子降世，不是要定世人的罪（或作：审判世人；下同），乃是要叫世人因他得救。信他的人，不被定罪；不信的人，罪已经定了，因为他不信神独生子的名。(和合本)

Why Obey God

At the opening sermon of our Family Camp yesterday, Rev Dr Tang Tuck Keong gave a sermon on obeying God, which can be summarized in the following outline:

Obeying God
Reason: He is God
Extent: All things (revealed in Scripture)
Motive: Fear, Blessings, Love
Promise: A new heart (Ezekiel 36:26, Hebrews 8:10)

Every Day a New Beginning

This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24 ESV)

Every day is a new beginning. If you are less optimistic, then every week is a new beginning, or every month is a new beginning. Well, for the pessimist, every new year is a new beginning. If the new year is not a new beginning for you, you must be truly depressed.

Bottomless Pit

He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft. (Revelation 9:2 ESV)

He opened the bottomless pit, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit. (Revelation 9:2 NASB)

Where is this bottomless pit? I don't know, but geologists may be in for surprises about the composition and construction of our planet Earth.

Keys, Hell, Bottomless Pit and Lake of Fire

And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. (Isaiah 22:22 KJV)

And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. (Matthew 16:18-19 KJV)

Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. (Revelation 1:18 KJV)

And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. (Revelation 3:7-8 KJV)

And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. (Revelation 9:1-3 KJV)

And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (Revelation 20:1-4 KJV)

And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. (Revelation 20:7-10 KJV)

And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. (Revelation 20:14 KJV)

Deny, Take Up and Follow

And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. (Luke 9:23 KJV)

Take Up:
And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:27 KJV)

Follow:
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (John 8:12 KJV)

He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. (1 John 2:6 KJV)

The Just Shall Live by Faith

The just shall live by faith. This is repeated four times in the Bible, once by Habakkuk in Old Testament, and quoted three times by Paul in the New Testament.

Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith. (Habakkuk 2:4 KJV)

For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. (Romans 1:17 KJV)

But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. (Galatians 3:11 KJV)

Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. (Hebrews 10:38 KJV)

Our Greatest Need

If God had perceived that our greatest need was economic, he would have sent an economist. If he had perceived that our greatest need was entertainment, he would have sent us a comedian or an artist. If God had perceived that our greatest need was political stability, he would have sent us a politician. If he had perceived that our greatest need was health, he would have sent us a doctor. But he perceived that our greatest need involved our sin, our alienation from him, our profound rebellion, our death; and he sent us a Savior.
D.A. Carson, A Call to Spiritual Reformation (Baker, 1992), page 109

All Are Guilty

Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. (Romans 3:19-20 NLT)

Queen marks 400th anniversary of KJV

And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. (1 Corinthians 2:4-5 KJV)

The Queen marks 400th anniversary of KJV on 16th November 2011. The following is taken from BBC:

QUOTE
A new translation of the Bible had been proposed in 1601 at the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland at Burntisland in Fife.

King James VI of Scotland, who went on to also become James I of England, attended the Assembly and three years later he commissioned what became known as the King James Bible at the Hampton Court Conference.

It was the work of 54 scholars working in six translation committees - or companies - based in Oxford, Cambridge, and Westminster.

The Abbey event highlighted the book's impact on English language and culture throughout the world.

Expressions from the King James Bible such as "the powers that be", "the apple of his eye", "signs of the times" and a "law unto themselves" are still part of the English Language."

A trustee of the King James Bible Trust, Professor Pauline Croft, said: "People are always surprised how much of the language they use without thinking."

It's just the genius of the language, they were contemporaries of Shakespeare, they could have walked over to the Globe and asked him what he thought."

Speaking before the service, the Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr John Hall, said the Bible's impact was not immediately recognised: "It took some time to establish itself. It wasn't really till the reign of Charles the First that it became universally used. "

But for the 350 years, certainly till about 50 years ago, it was the only translation of the Bible that everyone who spoke English knew. And it's been the biggest-selling book in history."
UNQUOTE

Jehovah Jireh - The LORD Will Provide

Today, Muslims worldwide celebrate Eid al-Adha or Hari Raya Haji in Malay. This day commemorates the obedience of Abraham, was willing to obey God and sacrifice his son. In both the Bible and Quran, God intervened and supplied a ram instead. The events are recorded in the Bible in Genesis 22:1-14 and the Quran in Surat Aş-Şāffāt (Those who set the Ranks) 37:99-109.

The message in the Bible was one of atonement, of substitution. God had provided a ram to replace Isaac.

Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means "the LORD will provide"). To
this day, people still use that name as a proverb: "On the mountain of the LORD
it will be provided." (Genesis 22:14 NLT)

This is the theme of God's salvation, a message that was to be repeated again and again in the Bible. We come across this theme again in Exodus, when God had decreed that all the first born of Egypt must die.

On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn son and firstborn male animal in the land of Egypt. I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt, for I am the LORD! (Exodus 12:12 NLT, see also Exodus 11:4-6)

How shall a firstborn son escape death on this terrible night? A lamb shall be killed and its blood be smeared on the door posts. When God saw the blood, He will pass over the house and the firstborn son of that house will be spared. Whether the household is Hebrew or Egyptian, it did not matter. What mattered is that the blood must be at the door posts.

Take special care of this chosen animal until the evening of the fourteenth day of this first month. Then the whole assembly of the community of Israel must slaughter their lamb or young goat at twilight. They are to take some of the blood and smear it on the sides and top of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the animal. (Exodus 12:6-7 NLT)

But the blood on your doorposts will serve as a sign, marking the houses where you are staying. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. This plague of death will not touch you when I strike the land of Egypt. (Exodus 12:13 NLT)

This is the message of salvation by substitution again. The firstborn son is suppose to die, but the lamb died on his behalf, and when God sees the blood of the lamb, he pass over the household. Thus it is the Passover Lamb.

This message is summarized by John the Baptizer when he saw Jesus.

The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. (John 1:29 KJV)

For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: (1 Corinthians 15:3-4 KJV)

Then I saw a Lamb that looked as if it had been slaughtered, but it was now standing between the throne and the four living beings and among the twenty-four elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which represent the sevenfold Spirit of God that is sent out into every part of the earth. (Revelation 5:6 NLT)

Then I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders. And they sang in a mighty chorus:
"Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered -
to receive power and riches
and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and blessing."
And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang:
"Blessing and honor and glory and power
belong to the one sitting on the throne
and to the Lamb forever and ever."
And the four living beings said, "Amen!" And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped the Lamb. (Revelation 5:11-14 NLT)

The Mystery of God

The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law. (Deuteronomy 29:29 KJV)

To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 3:8-10 NASB)

but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as He preached to His servants the prophets. (Revelation 10:7 NASB)

Lordship Salvation

My friend's elder frowned at him, because he said salvation is by grace alone. His elder believed that one should also accept Christ as Lord. Probably he is a proponent of Lordship Salvation.

Lordship Salvation is a reaction to those who believed that they are saved because they "accept Christ into their heart" on a certain day. They believed that when people become Christians, their lives must changed. They added sanctification to justification.

Salvation is always by grace. We cannot add anything to it. We understand the problem faced by the church filled with worldly Christians. But we cannot combat error with another error. We cannot fight Antinomianism with Legalism.

We can show people the way of salvation by grace. But we cannot declare them saved just because they "accept Christ into their heart" and assure them that they are going to heaven. Assurance comes from the Holy Spirit. We cannot do His job. If there is anyone who claimed to be a Christian and behaved as worldling, we can only ask him to examine himself to see if he is in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5). The Holy Spirit will convict a true Christian in due time.

God Speaks

Today's sermon by Gary Balius:

There is a God.
God has spoken to us.
God means exactly what He said.

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
Hebrews 1:1-4 (KJV)

And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
Luke 24:27 (ESV)

The Word of God points to Christ for these purposes:
1. Our salvation in eternity;
2. Our life on earth to glorify God.

Works Cannot Save

For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. (Isaiah 64:6 NASB)

Many people do good works to gain salvation. But God consider our good works as filthy garment. They are not acceptable. They have to be washed in the blood of the Lamb to be clean. God Himself will provide the garments of salvation.

These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (Revelation 7:14 NASB)

I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, My soul will exult in my God; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. (Isaiah 61:10 NASB)

Good works does not save. However, all Christians are saved to do good works for the glory of God.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10 NASB)

The Gospel Highway

A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." (Acts 16:9 NASB)

A friend once told me that the gospel travels westwards from Jerusalem and will complete the cycle by returning to Jerusalem from the east. This is my observation. The gospel goes west into the Roman Empire (Europe), crossed the Atlantic to America, then crossed the Pacific to China. I believe it will proceed westward to Jerusalem to complete the cycle. Then the Messiah will come.

For as the lightning flashes in the east and shines to the west, so it will be when the Son of Man comes. (Matthew 24:27 NLT)

Then he brought me back the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary which looketh toward the east; and it was shut. Then said the LORD unto me; This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it; because the LORD, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut. It is for the prince; the prince, he shall sit in it to eat bread before the LORD; he shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate, and shall go out by the way of the same. (Ezekiel 44:1-3 KJV)

And the glory of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate facing toward the east. (Ezekiel 43:4 NASB)

By the way, the Bible is silent about the gospel going one cycle westward. This is just my personal observation.

Angels, Archangels Seraphim and Cherubim

There are many fancy tales about angels and archangels.

Angels are mentions many times in the Bible and they always appeared as men. The Bible never mention that angels had wings. One angel that was named in the Bible was Gabriel (Daniel 8:16, Daniel 9:21, Luke 1:19, Luke 1:26). Actually only Luke 1:26 identified Gabriel as an angel. The other verses simply described him as a man.

The Bible mentioned the term "archangel" twice in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 and Jude 1:9. Michael was called an archangel in Jude 1:9.

Isaiah 6:2 and Isaiah 6:6 mentioned another class of heavenly creature, seraphim. Seraphim had six wings. They surround the throne of God.

Cherubim are heavenly creatures that surround the throne of God. They have strange appearance (Ezekiel 10:3-14). Ezekiel 1:4–25 described similar heavenly creatures, but did not identify them as cherubim. Cherubim have wings.

The Bible never said that Satan is an archangel. Satan is a cherub (Ezekiel 28:14).

Finally Revelation 4:6-8 described four living creatures that surround the throne of God. Are they Seraphim or Cherubim? They were not identified.

Are Seraphim or Cherubim angels? The Bible never said that directly, unless we infer from Job 1:6 and Job 2:1 that all heavenly beings are collectively classified as angels.

Shealtiel's Father

Who is the father of Shealtiel?

Jeconiah (Matthew 1:12)
After the deportation to Babylon: Jeconiah became the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel. (NASB)
And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel; (KJV)

Neri (Luke 3:27)
the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, (NASB)
Which was the son of Joanna, which was the son of Rhesa, which was the son of Zorobabel, which was the son of Salathiel, which was the son of Neri, (KJV)

God's unconditional promise to David that his seed will build an house for God and God will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever (2 Samuel 7:12-13, Psalm 132:11).

God's conditional promise to David's descendants that they will sit on David's throne only if they keep God's covenant and testimony (Psalm 132:12).

God's curse on Jeconiah:
Thus says the LORD: "Write this man down as childless, a man who shall not succeed in his days, for none of his offspring shall succeed in sitting on the throne of David and ruling again in Judah." (Jeremiah 22:30 ESV)

Jeconiah and his sons might had been made eunuchs (2 Kings 20:18, Isaiah 39:7) in Babylon.

Feast of Tabernacles

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us (John 1:14 NASB).

When was Jesus was born? Someone proposed that He was born in October, during the Feast of Tabernacles, rightly justifying John 1:14, that the Word tabernacled (dwelt) among us.

Cedar Girls Graduation

Cedar Girls Secondary School got Pines Food Catering to cater for their graduation ceremony. Is this a case of flora of the same kind grows together?

Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs died on 5th October 2011. Many people want to be like Steve Jobs. Now that he had died, we can learn a few things from his death.

First, he died.
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (Hebrews 9:27 KJV)
For the wages of sin is death; (Romans 6:23 KJV)

Next, he did not bring his wealth along.
And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: (Job 1:21 KJV)
As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand. (Ecclesiastes 5:15 KJV)
For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. (1 Timothy 6:7 KJV)

Finally, as far as I know, he did not make any attempt to find out who is his Maker, who created him for His own glory.
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. (Revelation 4:11 KJV)

What Should I Do After I Am Saved

What should I do after I am saved?

Sin no more (John 8:11).

This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:17-32 KJV)

Abide in me (John 15:4).

Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation - if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. (1 Peter 2:2-3 ESV)

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. (2 Peter 1:5-7 ESV)

Love one another (John 13:35)

We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother. (1 John 4:19-21 NIV).

Bear fruit (John 15:16)

Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. (Matthew 3:8 ESV)

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. (Colossians 1:9-10 ESV)

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23 ESV)

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20 NASB)

What Did Jesus Save Me From?

What did Jesus save me from?

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23 (NASB)

He saved me from the wrath of God, the consequence of sin.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:16 (KJV)
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
John 3:18 (KJV)
Much more then, since we have now been declared righteous by His blood, we will be saved through Him from wrath.
Romans 5:9 HCSB
And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.
Revelation 20:12 (NASB)
And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Revelation 20:15 (NASB)

He saved me from my sins by dying for me.
For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
Romans 8:3-4 (NASB)
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.
1 John 2:1-2 (NASB)

Who is Jesus?

A new Christian should be interested in these three things:

1. Who is this Jesus Christ that saved me?
2. What am I saved from?
3. How should I act thereafter?

We shall start with the first question: Who is Jesus?

Who did Jesus claimed to be?

In the Gospel of John, He made seven "I am" claims; Jesus claimed to be:

1. The Bread of Life (John 6:35)

2. The Light of the World (John 8:12)

3. The Door / Gate (John 10:9)

4. The Good Shepherd (John 10:11)

5. The Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25)

6. The Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6)

7. The True Vine (John 15:5)

While the Bible did not record Jesus saying, "I am the Son of God" in those exact words, He did affirm it whenever He was asked if He was the Son of God (Matthew 16:15-17, Matthew 26:63-64, Luke 22:70, John 10:36-38). He also claimed that He is the Messiah, i.e. Christ, or the Anointed One (John 4:25-26).

He claimed that He is not of this world (John 8:23), born to be a King but His kingdom is not of the world (John 18:36-37).

So the Jesus that saved you is the promised Messiah of Israel, the Son of God.

But many people also claimed to be gods, reincarnations of gods, of buddhas, some also claim to be prophets, all offering different ways of salvation. How do you know that Jesus is the true God, and not one of the many gods, buddhas or prophets?

This is the difference: all these gods, buddhas or prophets who had come, came alone. They just appeared and claimed that they were somebody. But Jesus's coming is predicted. His life is written before He was born. The Old Testament predicted His time of birth (Daniel 9:25) and His place of birth (Micah 5:2). The Jews of His time studied Daniel and were expecting the Messiah to appear soon. The wise men told King Herod of His place of birth by reading Micah (Matthew 2:3-5).

The Old Testament also predicted His death by crucifixion (Psalm 22:16, Isaiah 53:5, Isaiah 53:12), His burial in a rich man's tomb (Isaiah 53:8-9) and His resurrection (Psalm 16:10, Psalm 68:18, Isaiah 26:19, Psalm 30:3). The authors of the Gospels were very careful to show us that Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament predictions.

I have not known of a founder of any religion that had received such authentication. All founders of the other religions authenticate themselves. Nobody predict their birth or death. They came in their own name and, without objective proof, declared themselves to be somebody and you are expected to believe.

This Jesus, who saved you, the Son of God, the Messiah of Israel, came fully authenticated by the Old Testament prophecies. The Old Testament is Jesus's PKI certificates.

Death and the Five Year Old

Clara Chow, the Manic Mummy of "My Paper", could not answer a question her five year old son asked, "Mummy, where do people go when they die?"

We are glad that the Bible tell us the answer. I am able to tell my children the answer for sure.

And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. (Daniel 12:2 KJV)

Those who believe in Jesus will have eternal live.

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 10:13 KJV)

But those who do not believe will go to everlasting condemnation.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:16-18 KJV)

Biblical Regulations for Israel Concerning War

As you approach a town to attack it, you must first offer its people terms for peace. If they accept your terms and open the gates to you, then all the people inside will serve you in forced labor. But if they refuse to make peace and prepare to fight, you must attack the town. When the Lord your God hands the town over to you, use your swords to kill every man in the town. But you may keep for yourselves all the women, children, livestock, and other plunder. You may enjoy the plunder from your enemies that the Lord your God has given you. (Deuteronomy 20:10-14 NLT)

But these instructions apply only to distant towns, not to the towns of the nations in the land you will enter. In those towns that the Lord your God is giving you as a special possession, destroy every living thing. You must completely destroya the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, just as the Lord your God has commanded you. This will prevent the people of the land from teaching you to imitate their detestable customs in the worship of their gods, which would cause you to sin deeply against the Lord your God. (Deuteronomy 20:15-18 NLT)

Religions and Societies

All religions have at least two components: personal and religious. Some religions include political and cultural components.

The Kalama Sutta - The four Solaces

The disciple of the Noble Ones, Kalamas, who has such a hate-free mind, such a malice-free mind, such an undefiled mind, and such a purified mind, is one by whom four solaces are found here and now.
'Suppose there is a hereafter and there is a fruit, result, of deeds done well or ill. Then it is possible that at the dissolution of the body after death, I shall arise in the heavenly world, which is possessed of the state of bliss.' This is the first solace found by him.
'Suppose there is no hereafter and there is no fruit, no result, of deeds done well or ill. Yet in this world, here and now, free from hatred, free from malice, safe and sound, and happy, I keep myself.' This is the second solace found by him.
'Suppose evil (results) befall an evil-doer. I, however, think of doing evil to no one. Then, how can ill (results) affect me who do no evil deed?' This is the third solace found by him.
'Suppose evil (results) do not befall an evil-doer. Then I see myself purified in any case.' This is the fourth solace found by him.

The first two solace reminds me of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus the Roman Emperor who said, "Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones. I am not afraid."

The third solace is not true. just because you did not commit evil does not mean that evil will not come to you. This is an imperfect and sinful world. Bad things happens to good people in this type of world.

The Kalama Sutta

The Kalama Sutta is from the Theravada Tradition. It sets forth the principles that should be followed by a seeker of truth. The following is taken from this website:

QUOTE

THE PEOPLE of the small town Kalama complained that they were confused by contradictions they discovered in what they heard from various teachers who praised their own doctrines. They asked Buddha, who was staying in the town then, who to believe out of all who, like himself, passed through their town:

"Venerable Sir, some recluses and brahmins visited this town and praised only their own doctrines, but condemned and despised those of others. And it is common that they do so. Sir, who among them told the truth and who told falsehood?"

Buddha advised them, saying, "Kalama people, it is proper for you to doubt and to have perplexity [under such circumstances,] when [great] doubt has arisen in a doubtful matter."

He went on to instruct that it is wise to make a proper examination before committing. He said this was to be applied to his own teachings as well. The benefit is: not being too bound by unverifiable propositions, hopefully.

In Pali, Buddha's reply is recorded thus:

Ma anussavena.

Do not believe something just because it has been passed along and retold for many generations. [Simpler: Do not be led by what you are told.]

Ma paramparaya.

Do not believe something merely because it has become a traditional practice. [Do not be led by whatever has been handed down from past generations.]

Ma itikiraya.

Do not believe something simply because it is well-known everywhere. [Do not be led by hearsay or common opinion.]

Ma Pitakasampadanena.

Do not believe something just because it is cited in a text. [Do not be led by what the scriptures say]

Ma takkahetu.

Do not believe something solely on the grounds of logical reasoning. [Do not be led by mere logic.]

Ma nayahetu.

Do not believe something merely because it accords with your philosophy. [Do not be led by mere deduction or inference.]

Ma akaraparivitakkena.

Do not believe something because it appeals to "common sense". [Do not be led by considering only outward appearance.]

Ma ditthinijjhanakkhantiya.

Do not believe something just because you like the idea. [Do not be led by preconceived notions (and the theory reflected as an approval)]

Ma bhabbarupataya.

Do not believe something because the speaker seems trustworthy. [Do not be led by what seems acceptable; do not be led by what some seeming believable one says.]

Ma samano no garu ti.

Do not believe something thinking, "This is what our teacher says". [Do not be led by what your teacher tells you is so.]

Kalamas, when you yourselves directly know, "This is [these things are] unwholesome, this is blameworthy, this is condemned or censured by the wise, these things when accepted and practised lead to poverty and harm and suffering," then you should give them up.

Kalamas, when you yourselves directly know, "These things are wholesome, blameless, praised by the wise; when adopted and carried out they lead to well-being, prosperity and happiness," then you should accept and practise them."

UNQUOTE

In Wikipedia, the rules are summarized as follow:

QUOTE

Thus, the Buddha named ten specific sources which knowledge should not be immediately viewed as truthful without further investigation to avoid fallacies:

1. Oral history

2. Traditional

3. News sources

4. Scriptures or other official texts

5. Suppositional reasoning

6. Philosophical dogmatism

7. Common sense

8. One's own opinions

9. Experts

10. Authorities or one's own teacher

Instead, the Buddha says, only when one personally knows that a certain teaching is skillful, blameless, praiseworthy, and conducive to happiness, and that it is praised by the wise, should one then accept it as true and practice it.

UNQUOTE

If I accept the Kalama Sutta because it appeals to my common sense, I break rule 7. Any Buddhist who accepts it breaks rules 4, 9 and 10. But if you are going to test everything, life is going to be very difficult.

In the blog, A Handful of Leaves, the bloggers explains that the teaching arises out of a certain context.

QUOTE

The first point to note for all students of Buddhism is that asking questions and not accepting a teaching merely on faith is a core Buddhist principles. The Kalama Sutta is but one of the many suttas where the Buddha talked about the important of asking questions.

Yet the 10 grounds for not accepting a teaching appeared only in the Kalama sutta. Why is this so? A possible explanation could be that the Kalamas were already very confused when they approached the Buddha for advice. Thus under these circumstances, the Buddha laid down these 10 “rules” to ask the Kalamas to cast away what other teachers have taught and instead focus on what they can independently verify. – In short the 10 guidelines should not be read as the Buddha telling us not to use logic, inference or teachers under any circumstances.

Next, it was not clear from the sutta who these religious teachers were and what were they teaching. However, the Nikayas make frequent mentions of the existence of other religious teachers who lived and taught during the Buddha’s time. Six of these teachers were particularly famous.

Some of these teachers taught that good and bad actions has no moral consequences (in another word, no law of Kamma), others taught that every act produces kamma and one needs to “burn off” all bad kamma through self mortification, others taught that all things are predestined, yet others taught that death is the end of a person (materialists who believed that there is no rebirth or Kamma).

So it is reasonable to assume that the Kalamas were confused by these various beliefs, in particular on rebirth and the law of Kamma. Going by traditions, scripture, logic, inference, teachers etc would indeed not be able to help the Kalamas decide which teaching was right.

UNQUOTE

Nice mitigation, but I still think that the Kalama Sutta is wrong. You have to start at one point of belief before you can proceed. If you doubt everything, it is impossible to know the truth. That is why mathematics have axioms. Now that definitely break one of the 10 rules.

The Lost, the Least and the Last

Today is JSM's 47th Anniversary, 47 years of reaching out to the poor. But now there are much less poor in Singapore.

Good and Bad Seeds

For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened—those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come— and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame. When the ground soaks up the falling rain and bears a good crop for the farmer, it has God’s blessing. But if a field bears thorns and thistles, it is useless. The farmer will soon condemn that field and burn it. Hebrews 6:4 to 6:8 NLT

... for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. Matthew 5:45 NASB

Matthew 13:1-23 Parable of the Sower
Matthew 13:24-30 Tares among Wheat

If you taste God’s word and receive salvation, you are like the ground that receive rain and produce good plants; you are blessed. If you taste God’s word and fall away, it is impossible to come back as you would be crucifying Christ again. You are like the ground that receive rain and brings forth bad plants and will be burnt.

Human Laws and Natural Laws

You cannot sell cigarettes to persons under 18.
You must come to work at 9:00 a.m. and leave office at 6:00 p.m.
The above are laws of men. The lawgivers are men.

1 + 1 = 2.
Newton's Third Law of Motion: For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
The above are laws of nature. There seems to be no lawgiver for these natural laws.

The sun is round. The moon is round. But many people in the ancient times thought that the earth is flat. Accepting a round earth is difficult for many people in those days.

All human laws have lawgivers. But accepting that natural law also has a lawgiver is also very difficult for many people these days.

Lawgiver implies Purpose and Responsibility to the Lawgiver.

No Lawgiver implies No Purpose and No Responsibility.

If natural laws has a lawgiver, then we have to ask, "Is there a higher purpose for our existence and our environment's existence? What does the lawgiver wants? What is our relationship and responsibility to this lawgiver?"

Life is easier if we have one relationship less. When nature has no purpose, we have one less relationship and one less responsibility. We love that.

Jesus the Equal Opportunity Saviour

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence (2 Peter 1:3 ESV)
Our God has granted every one of us all things necessary for our salvation and growth in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is available to all of us, not just the apostles and prophets.

Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. (James 5:17 NASB)
The apostles and prophets were just like us. We have everything to be like them.

Sword from the Spirit

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17  KJV)

Learning how to use the sword:
Reading and Memorisation, one verse at a time.

Entry Level - getting acquainted
Getting familiar - able to find verses
Factual mastering of the Bible - able to apply verses
Bible become part of us - able to have the mind of Christ

John the Baptizer's Name - Bible vs Koran

Both the Bible and Quran recorded the naming of John the Baptizer.

Luke 1:13 ESV
But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.

Luke 1:59-61 ESV
And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, but his mother answered, "No; he shall be called John." And they said to her, "None of your relatives is called by this name."

Surah 19:7
Sahih International
[He was told], "O Zechariah, indeed We give you good tidings of a boy whose name will be John. We have not assigned to any before [this] name."
Muhsin Khan
(Allah said) "O Zakariya (Zachariah)! Verily, We give you the glad tidings of a son, His name will be Yahya (John). We have given that name to none before (him)."
Pickthall
(It was said unto him): O Zachariah! Lo! We bring thee tidings of a son whose name is John; we have given the same name to none before (him).
Yusuf Ali
(His prayer was answered): "O Zakariya! We give thee good news of a son: His name shall be Yahya: on none by that name have We conferred distinction before."
Shakir
O Zakariya! surely We give you good news of a boy whose name shall be Yahya: We have not made before anyone his equal.
Dr. Ghali
"O Zakariyya, surely We give you good tidings of a youth whose name is Yahya (John). No namesake have We given him earlier."

In the Bible, the neighbors and relatives objected to the name John because none of their relatives is called by the name. In the Quran, Allah told Zakariya (i.e. Zechariah) that the name Yahya (i.e. John) was never given to anyone before.

The name John is derived from the Greek name Ιωαννης (Ioannes), which was in turned derived from the Hebrew name יוֹחָנָן (Yochanan), which means "YHWH is Gracious". In Arab, it is يحيى (Yahya).

Yochanan (spelled as Johanan in ESV) was found in the Bible in Old Testament before John the Baptizer was named.

The Least Christian is greater than the Last and Greatest Prophet

Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. (Matthew 11:11 KJV)

For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. (Luke 7:28 KJV)

All Christians must be like John the Baptizer. John the Baptizer pointed us to Christ. He said, "He must increase, but I must decrease. (John 3:30 NASB)" All Christians likewise must point to Christ. He must increase. I must decrease. Christ must be magnified and glorified. Our ego, i.e. our old man, must be dead.

John the Baptizer is the greatest of all prophets. Jesus said so. Yet the least Christians are greater than John the Baptizer.

John the Baptizer came to announce the coming of the Messiah. But the work of redemption was not completed yet.

All Christians announced the Good News of the completed work of redemption by Christ. This is the greater news, which makes us greater than John the Baptizer.

Weight and Besetting Sin

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, (Hebrews 12:1 KJV)

We all know what the sin which so easily beset us is. But what is the weight?

At a Special Meeting at the Pasir Panjang Christ Church, Jim Berg quoted Bob Jones Sr on the difference between the weight and the sin. Bob Jones Sr gave an anology of a marathon runner carry water and whiskey while he is running. The whiskey, being an intoxication drink, is, of course, sin. The water is a legitimate concern for the runner. He may be thirsty after running and may need a drink.

The weight are our legitimate concerns. But the Lord had promised to take care of these and we do not need to bring our water along when we run.

Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. (Matthew 6:25-34 KJV)

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. (1 Peter 5:7 KJV)

Feeding the New Man

Our spiritual man needs feeding, just like like our physical man. The food that the spiritual man needs the the Word of God. God want us to "know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live. (Deuteronomy 8:3 KJV)" "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12 KJV)"

Many saints of the past had been told to eat the Word of God.

Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts. (Jeremiah 15:16 KJV)

But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee. (Ezekiel 2:8 KJV)

And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.
And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter. (Revelations 10:9-10 KJV)

How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! (Psalm 119:103 KJV)

But the Word of God is not only the Bible. "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us... (John 1:14 KJV)" Jesus is the Word of God made flesh. So does our spiritual man feed on Jesus? Yes. He asked us to do so.

And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom. (Matthew 26:26-29 KJV)

And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body. And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it. And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many. (Mark 14:22-24 KJV)

And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you. (Luke 22:19-20 KJV)

I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. (John 6:48-58 KJV)

For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.
Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. (1 Corinthians 11:23-32 KJV)

The Bible is food for all types of Christians, from babies to mature adults. Every new Christian should have a hunger for God's Word, like a new born baby crying for its mother's milk. "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: (1 Peter 2:2 KJV)"

So the Bible has milk for new borns and meat for adults.
I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. (1 Corinthians 3:2 KJV)

For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskillfull in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. (Hebrews 5:12-14 KJV)

Unity - Many saints, but one body, feeding on one loaf.
Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. (1 Corinthians 10:17 ESV)

Ephraim will become a Multitude of Nations

The prophecy about Ephraim:
But his father refused and said, "I know, my son, I know; he also will become a people and he also will be great. However, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations." (Genesis 48:19 NASB)

The promise to Abraham:
As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, And you will be the father of a multitude of nations. (Genesis 17:4 NASB)

The future blessings of Israel as prophesised by Paul:
For I would not, brothers, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant to them, when I shall take away their sins. As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father's sakes. (Romans 11:25-28 NASB)

Ephraim will become a multitude (fullness) of nations (gentiles).

Bad Choice

Read this in Daily Bread 31 May 2011.

An elderly TV star was asked by talk-show host Larry King about heaven. King prefaced his question by referring to Billy Graham, who had told King he “knew what would be ahead. It would be paradise. He was going to heaven.”

King then asked his guest, “What do you believe?” He replied, “I’d like a lot of activity. Heaven sounds too placid for me. There’s a lot to do in hell.”

Sadly, this man is not alone in thinking that an existence in Satan’s realm is a preferred destination. I’ve heard people say that they’d rather be in hell because all their friends will be there. One person wrote, “If hell was real, I don’t think it would be bad. There would be a lot of interesting people.”

How can we convince folks who are deceived in this way that hell and its horrors are to be avoided? Perhaps by telling them of the realities of hell that are presented in the Scripture. In Daniel 12:2, it is described as a place of “shame and everlasting contempt.” Luke 16:23 talks about “torments.” Matthew 8:12 describes “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” And Revelation 14:11 says there will be “no rest.”

Biblical truth doesn’t allow anyone to think that hell might be a good place to be. Clearly, rejecting Jesus and facing an eternity in Satan’s kingdom is a bad choice.

Don’t choose to spend eternity
Where pain will never dim;
Instead decide to trust in Christ
And choose to follow Him. —Sper

The same Christ who talks about the glories of heaven also describes the horrors of hell.

Sarawak

Today I have the opportunity to land at all major airports in Sarawak - Miri, Sibu and Kuching. All because MASwings delayed the Labuan - Miri flight by 100 minutes.

MASwings uses the ATR 72-500 to fly from Labuan to Miri.

East Gate

After landing on Mount of Olives, Jesus will enter Jerusalem by the East Gate.

After this, the man brought me back around to the east gateway. Suddenly, the glory of the God of Israel appeared from the east. The sound of his coming was like the roar of rushing waters, and the whole landscape shone with His glory. This vision was just like the others I had seen, first by the Kebar River and then when he came to destroy Jerusalem. I fell face down on the ground. And the glory of the Lord came into the Temple through the east gateway. (Ezekiel 43:1-4 NLT)

Then the man brought me back to the east gateway in the outer wall of the Temple area, but it was closed. And the Lord said to me, “This gate must remain closed; it will never again be opened. No one will ever open it and pass through, for the Lord, the God of Israel, has entered here. Therefore, it must always remain shut. Only the prince himself may sit inside this gateway to feast in the Lord’s presence. But he may come and go only through the entry room of the gateway. (Ezekiel 44:1-3 NLT)

Lift up your heads, O gates,
And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in!

Who is the King of glory?
The LORD strong and mighty,
The LORD mighty in battle.

Lift up your heads, O gates,
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in!

Who is this King of glory?
The LORD of hosts,
He is the King of glory.
(Psalm 24:7-10 NASB)

God's common grace

"for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust (Matthew 5:45 KJV)."

In past generations He allowed all the nations to go their own way, although He did not leave Himself without a witness, since He did what is good by giving you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons and satisfying your hearts with food and happiness." (Acts 14:16-17 HCSB)

It is God's common grace that enables the world to flourish and prosper. However, the world thought that it is all the work of nature.

Second Coming - Predicted

"Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven." (Acts 1:11 NIV)

All these happened at a place called the Mount of Olives. But the same Jesus, who was taken away, will come back to Mount of Olives. This was predicted by the prophet Zechariah long before the birth, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension of Christ.

On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward. (Zechariah 14:4 ESV)

Jesus is the special Man, who is the Son of Man and the Son of God, who had His life predicted in the scriptures, the only Man who claimed to be God, but did not, like others, just born and die. He had prediction, birth, death, resurrection and ascension.

Then I said, "Look, I have come. As is written about me in the Scriptures: I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your instructions are written on my heart." (Psalm 40:7-8 NLT)

Follow the Lord

Who among you fears the Lord
and obeys the voice of his servant?
Let him who walks in darkness
and has no light
trust in the name of the Lord
and rely on his God.
Behold, all you who kindle a fire,
who equip yourselves with burning torches!
Walk by the light of your fire,
and by the torches that you have kindled!
This you have from my hand:
you shall lie down in torment.
Isaiah 50:10-11 ESV

Follow the Lord even when there is no light. Do not create your own light.

FEBC wins suit on Appeal

FEBC wins suit on appeal, point out that its doctrine is basically Presbyterian.

The Lord Cometh as a Thief in the Night

But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. (Matthew 24:36 KJV)

Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. (Matthew 24:42-44 KJV)

But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. (Mark 13:32 KJV)

And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not. (Luke 12:39-40 KJV)

And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. (Acts 1:7 KJV)

For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. (1 Thessalonians 5:2 KJV)

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. (2 Peter 3:10 KJV)

Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. (Revelation 3:3 KJV)

Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. (Revelation 16:15 KJV)

More Last Prophets

After John the Baptizer, more Last Prophets appeared. I know of three: Mohammed, Baha'u'llah and Mirza Ghulam Ahmad.

Mohammed (570-632)
The first Last Prophet is Mohammed of Islam. The Koran in Surah 33:40 declare Mohammed as the "Seal of the Prophets".
"Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but (he is) the Messenger of Allah, and the Seal of the Prophets: and Allah has full knowledge of all things." (Surah 33:40 Yusuf Ali Version). Muslims traditionally interpret this verse as meaning that Muhammad was the last prophet.

Bahá'u'lláh (1817-1892)
Bahá'u'lláh was born Shiite, adopting Bábism later in life. While he did not claim to be a last prophet, but he claimed to be the promised one of all religions (Maitreya, Messiah and Mahdi), and founded the Bahá'í Faith.

Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1839-1908)
Some said that he never claimed to be last prophet, just a reformer. Others said that he claimed to be the Messiah and the Mahdi. I am confused.

"For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. (Matthew 24:24 NASB)"

"For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush. (Luke 6:44 NASB)"

The Last and Greatest Prophet

John the Baptizer was the Last Prophet. "The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John; (Luke 16:16 NASB)"
His appearance was prophesised by another prophet, Malachi. "Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming," says the LORD of hosts (Malachi 3:1 NASB)"
Jesus declared that John the Baptizer was the greatest among the Old Testament prophets. "I say to you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; (Luke 7:28 NASB)"
Unlike the boxer Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr), John did not proclaim himself to be the greatest. Instead, he declared, "He must increase, but I must decrease. (John 3:30 NASB)"

Vesak Day

Today is Vesak Day. It celebrates the birth (誕生), enlightenment (成道) and death (涅槃) of the Buddha. Like all famous men, he had birth, something significant, then death.

Vesak Day is the right time to talk about men, especially men who claimed to be more than human, but yet is born of a father and a mother, like every one of us, and die, like every one of us.

Many people like us to believe that they are more than human. The latest such person is Sai Baba. He was born of a father and a mother, like you and me, and he died on Easter Sunday 24th April 2011. His disciples buried him three days later, hoping that he would emulate Jesus Christ, who rose from the dead after three days. He did not and was buried. Someone in future can claim to be his reincarnation, but it cannot be proven objectively or legally.

Death is the leveller. You can be a great conqueror, a very wise man, a fool, a rich man or a beggar. One thing will happen to you. You will die. You can claim to be a god or a buddha, but if you die, to me, you are the same as me, same as all human beings who was born of a father and a mother and died. You failed to conquer the greatest enemy of all – death. I cannot believe you.

Jesus is another man who claimed to be God. What is the difference between Him and all the others?

First, He is not born of a father and a mother. He was born of a virgin.
Next, He died, but after three days He rose from the dead.
Finally, His birth, death, resurrection and second coming was prophesised.

Christianity is not a one man religion, unlike many religions, which have only one founder.

So the life of Jesus can be summed up as following:
Pre-birth prophecies, born of a virgin, death, resurrection, and future coming.

Same Strategy, Different Results

Both Low Thia Khiang and Chiam See Tong decide to walk out to their SMC to contest in a GRC. Low Thia Khaing managed to win big by retaining both the SMC and GRC. But Chiam See Tong lost both the SMC and the GRC.

Men are Born Slaves

Life is like a computer program. It is a series of if-then-else. Do you think you have freedom? Let us conduct an experiment. Stand up and jump. Which of you can jump and not fall back? None. All of you have to obey the Law of Gravity. Likewise is the Law of God in the moral realm. You think you have the freedom. But like the Law of Gravity, you really have no choice but to obey God's Law. God gave you a choice between two forms of slavery. Either you be the slave of God and live, or be the slave of sin and die (Romans 6:16). You cannot be free from God or sin. You can try to jump, but you will fall back into the arms of God or sin.

While the moral law of God is not like the scientific law of God, which is experimentally verifiable, but nevertheless, it is real.

When KJV Becomes an Idol

He also broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the sons of Israel burned incense to it; and it was called Nehushtan. (2 Kings 18:4 NASB)

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he will live." And Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on the standard; and it came about, that if a serpent bit any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived. (Numbers 21:8 NASB)

As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life. (John 3:14-15 NASB)

The bronze serpent was made by Moses at the command of God. but when it became an idol, King Hezekiah broke it to pieces.

When a translation becomes an idol, it is declared to be perfect. Then it becomes God. Then it has to be destroyed.

The Son of Man is the real Word, not the KJV.

Legal Foundation

Jesus replied, "‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:37-40 NLT)

And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" He said to him, "What is written in the Law? How do you read it?" And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself." And he said to him, "You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live." (Luke 10:25-28 ESV)

The Heart is Desperately Wicked

If there is righteousness in the heart, there will be beauty in the character.
If there is beauty in the character, there will be harmony in the home.
When there is harmony in the home, there will be order in the nation.
When there is order in the nation, there will be peace in the world.
Sri Sathya Sai Baba, 13 January 1970

The big question is "IF". If there is righteousness in the heart, then truth would be recognized and all the good things will follow. But the Creator of heavens and earth (Psalm 146:6), the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, who is, and who was, and who is to come (Revelation 1:8) had declared this:
"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9 KJV)"

O people, do not believe those who were born of a father and a mother, who died and were buried, who were, but are not and will never come, yet claimed to be more than human. No truth will come from them.

Sai Baba is buried

Sai Baba is buried. I don't think he will coming back in any objectively provable way. Of course someone may claim to be his reincarnation in future but nobody can prove it.

Let us believe the only verifiable resurrection in history, the only person who claims to be God, born of a virgin (a natural impossibility) and resurrected after death (another natural impossibility). After resurrection, He walked around and showed Himself to those who know Him in private and in public.

"Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you--unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed" (1 Corinthians 15:1-11 KJV).

Let us not believe those who are born of a father and a mother, died and was buried, but claimed to be more than human.

Male Hen or Hunchback

I have to decide between a male hen, the only such in the world, and a hunchback. Should I vote the hunchback and send the male hen into extinction, or should I vote for the male hen, and the hunchback may come back as a No-Cloths MP?

Decisions, decisions...

Sai Baba died on Easter

Today is Easter. We celebrate the resurrection of the only one who claimed to be God and proved it by rising from the dead.

Satya Sai Baba, who are among the many who claimed to be a god, had also died, like any sinner. His followers believe that he would rise again three days later, like Jesus Christ. We shall wait and see.

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23 KJV)
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23 KJV)

Democracy

Many people in America believe that democracy will solve the world's problem. When George Bush II attacked Iraq, he hoped to inject democracy into Iraq and the Middle East and usher in a new period of peace and justice. Now Obama believes that the Jasmine Revolution will bring democracy in the Arab world and will resolve all the economic problems and injustice.

The Bible says nothing about democracy. The Bible does not favour any form of human government. The Bible requires us to obey the government (Romans 13:1-7), but only when it does not contradict God's commandment (Acts 5:29).

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33 KJV)

Jesus and Technology

My anti-technology friend was glad that Jesus came during the time of the Romans. He said, "If Jesus were to be born today, can you imagine Him using handphone and holding a video conference to preach the Gospel?"

Quite true. And He could not be crucified. Torture and capital punishment are no longer fashionable.