For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you. (1 Corinthians 9:19-23 KJV)
James Hudson Taylor wore pigtails and Chinese clothes in order to win the Chinese to the Gospel. He said, "Let us in everything unsinful become like the Chinese; that by all means we might save some."
Are there any limits in the "all" part of the things?
You can be all things to all men but you must abstain from all appearance of evil.
Abstain from all appearance of evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:22 KJV)
You can be all things to all men but your things must not be worldly things, which you have to ask your convert to hate (or love not) or separate from when he or she becomes a Christian.
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (1 John 2:15 KJV)
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. (2 Corinthians 6:17-18 KJV)
We are free in Christ, but we must not use our freedom to sin.
For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. (Galatians 5:13 KJV)
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Monday, June 25, 2012
Revelation of John - God's Last Message
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. (Revelation 21:1 KJV)
Muslims who think that the Quran is the word of God should read the Revelation of Apostle John. In this book, God has revealed to the Apostle John the new heaven and the new earth and showed him the end of all things. There is no more message after this. In God warned that He will add the plagues described in Revelation to anyone who dare to add the His message.
And I solemnly declare to everyone who hears the words of prophecy written in this book: If anyone adds anything to what is written here, God will add to that person the plagues described in this book. (Revelation 22:18 NLT)
Long ago God spoke to the fathers by the prophets at different times and in different ways. In these last days, He has spoken to us by His Son. God has appointed Him heir of all things and made the universe through Him. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of His nature, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. So He became higher in rank than the angels, just as the name He inherited is superior to theirs. (Hebrews 1:1-4 HCSB)
God had given us the Gospel through Jesus Christ. This is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. There is no message after this. Everything is completed.
So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the desert,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. (Matthew 24:26 NIV)
Muslims who think that the Quran is the word of God should read the Revelation of Apostle John. In this book, God has revealed to the Apostle John the new heaven and the new earth and showed him the end of all things. There is no more message after this. In God warned that He will add the plagues described in Revelation to anyone who dare to add the His message.
And I solemnly declare to everyone who hears the words of prophecy written in this book: If anyone adds anything to what is written here, God will add to that person the plagues described in this book. (Revelation 22:18 NLT)
Long ago God spoke to the fathers by the prophets at different times and in different ways. In these last days, He has spoken to us by His Son. God has appointed Him heir of all things and made the universe through Him. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of His nature, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. So He became higher in rank than the angels, just as the name He inherited is superior to theirs. (Hebrews 1:1-4 HCSB)
God had given us the Gospel through Jesus Christ. This is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. There is no message after this. Everything is completed.
So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the desert,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. (Matthew 24:26 NIV)
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Flesh World Devil
Mortify the Flesh
For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. (Romans 8:13 KJV)
Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: (Colossians 3:5 KJV)
Separate from the World
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, (2 Corinthians 6:17 KJV)
Resist the Devil
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7 KJV)
For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. (Romans 8:13 KJV)
Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: (Colossians 3:5 KJV)
Separate from the World
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, (2 Corinthians 6:17 KJV)
Resist the Devil
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7 KJV)
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Delusion And Its Antidote
Disease: Delusion (痴)
There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. (Proverbs 14:12 ESV)
Antidote: Wisdom (慧)
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. (James 1:5 ESV)
The problem is, those who are deluded, refused to ask God. Instead, they asked, "If the universe is created by God, who created God?" What shall we say to these deluded people? We can tell them Buddha's parable of the poisoned arrow.
"If you were shot by a poison arrow, and a doctor was summoned to extract it, what would you do? Would you ask such questions as who shot the arrow, from which tribe did he come, who made the arrow, who made the poison, etc., or would you have the doctor immediately pull out the arrow?"
"Of course," replied the man, "I would have the arrow pulled out as quickly as possible." The Buddha concluded, "That is wise, for the task before us is the solving of life's problems; until the problems are solved, these questions are of secondary importance." (Majjhima-nikaya, Sutta 63)
就好比有人身中毒箭，很痛苦，他的親人憐憫他，想為他解除中毒箭之苦，為他請來專門治療箭傷的醫生。然而他卻想：箭不可拔，應先知道射箭的人，姓什麼？名什麼？是長得高、矮、胖、瘦？膚色如何？又是哪一族人？住在哪個方向？所用的弓、弓扎、弓弦、箭桿、箭纏、箭羽、箭頭的材質、顏色？製造箭頭的人，姓什麼？名什麼？他的長相與身份又是如何？結果，「彼人竟不得知，於其中間，而命終也。」中阿含經《箭喻經》
To these deluded on their way to death we say:
"Before you receive the answers to your questions about about God, you would be dead. Ask God for wisdom. Clear your delusion and you will know God."
There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. (Proverbs 14:12 ESV)
Antidote: Wisdom (慧)
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. (James 1:5 ESV)
The problem is, those who are deluded, refused to ask God. Instead, they asked, "If the universe is created by God, who created God?" What shall we say to these deluded people? We can tell them Buddha's parable of the poisoned arrow.
"If you were shot by a poison arrow, and a doctor was summoned to extract it, what would you do? Would you ask such questions as who shot the arrow, from which tribe did he come, who made the arrow, who made the poison, etc., or would you have the doctor immediately pull out the arrow?"
"Of course," replied the man, "I would have the arrow pulled out as quickly as possible." The Buddha concluded, "That is wise, for the task before us is the solving of life's problems; until the problems are solved, these questions are of secondary importance." (Majjhima-nikaya, Sutta 63)
就好比有人身中毒箭，很痛苦，他的親人憐憫他，想為他解除中毒箭之苦，為他請來專門治療箭傷的醫生。然而他卻想：箭不可拔，應先知道射箭的人，姓什麼？名什麼？是長得高、矮、胖、瘦？膚色如何？又是哪一族人？住在哪個方向？所用的弓、弓扎、弓弦、箭桿、箭纏、箭羽、箭頭的材質、顏色？製造箭頭的人，姓什麼？名什麼？他的長相與身份又是如何？結果，「彼人竟不得知，於其中間，而命終也。」中阿含經《箭喻經》
To these deluded on their way to death we say:
"Before you receive the answers to your questions about about God, you would be dead. Ask God for wisdom. Clear your delusion and you will know God."
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Six Days of Creation - The Bible and Koran
For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. (1 Corinthians 14:33 ESV)
The God of the Bible is a God of order, not confusion. This can be seen in the Bible, a Book written in an orderly manner, despite being authored through many prophets and apostles over many centuries. In contrast, the god of the Koran had a wandering mind. Although his revelations came only to one prophet in one person's life time, it came in a random manner. The long surahs usually jumped from topic to topic, like someone who cannot focus. Thus the surahs of the Koran was arranged according to its length and not in chronological or subject order.
We can see this in the account of the six days of creation, which is found at the beginning of the Bible, but scattered all over in the Koran, usually as a reminder of the Koran god’s acts of creation. When the actual process of creation is described in Koran 41:9-12, it added to up eight days.
Let us look at the account of creation in the Bible:
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.
And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good. And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the third day.
And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.
And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.
And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
(Genesis 1:1-31 KJV)
The Koran mentions the six day creation in many places, but does not give a detail account.
Your Guardian-Lord is Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth in six days, and is firmly established on the throne (of authority): He draweth the night as a veil o'er the day, each seeking the other in rapid succession: He created the sun, the moon, and the stars, (all) governed by laws under His command. Is it not His to create and to govern? Blessed be Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds! (7:54 Yusuf Ali version)
Verily your Lord is Allah, who created the heavens and the earth in six days, and is firmly established on the throne (of authority), regulating and governing all things. No intercessor (can plead with Him) except after His leave (hath been obtained). This is Allah your Lord; Him therefore serve ye: will ye not receive admonition? (10:3 Yusuf Ali version)
He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in six Days - and His Throne was over the waters - that He might try you, which of you is best in conduct. But if thou wert to say to them, "Ye shall indeed be raised up after death", the Unbelievers would be sure to say, "This is nothing but obvious sorcery!" (11:7 Yusuf Ali version)
We created the heavens and the earth and all between them in Six Days, nor did any sense of weariness touch Us. (50:38 Yusuf Ali version)
In what could be the only detail account of creation in the Koran, the earth was created in two days, sustenance in four days and the seven heavens in two days, giving a total of eight days.
Say, "Do you indeed disbelieve in He who created the earth in two days and attribute to Him equals? That is the Lord of the worlds." And He placed on the earth firmly set mountains over its surface, and He blessed it and determined therein its [creatures'] sustenance in four days without distinction - for [the information] of those who ask. Then He directed Himself to the heaven while it was smoke and said to it and to the earth, "Come [into being], willingly or by compulsion." They said, "We have come willingly." And He completed them as seven heavens within two days and inspired in each heaven its command. And We adorned the nearest heaven with lamps and as protection. That is the determination of the Exalted in Might, the Knowing. (41:9-12 Sahih International version)
The God of the Bible is a God of order, not confusion. This can be seen in the Bible, a Book written in an orderly manner, despite being authored through many prophets and apostles over many centuries. In contrast, the god of the Koran had a wandering mind. Although his revelations came only to one prophet in one person's life time, it came in a random manner. The long surahs usually jumped from topic to topic, like someone who cannot focus. Thus the surahs of the Koran was arranged according to its length and not in chronological or subject order.
We can see this in the account of the six days of creation, which is found at the beginning of the Bible, but scattered all over in the Koran, usually as a reminder of the Koran god’s acts of creation. When the actual process of creation is described in Koran 41:9-12, it added to up eight days.
Let us look at the account of creation in the Bible:
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.
And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good. And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the third day.
And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.
And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.
And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
(Genesis 1:1-31 KJV)
The Koran mentions the six day creation in many places, but does not give a detail account.
Your Guardian-Lord is Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth in six days, and is firmly established on the throne (of authority): He draweth the night as a veil o'er the day, each seeking the other in rapid succession: He created the sun, the moon, and the stars, (all) governed by laws under His command. Is it not His to create and to govern? Blessed be Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds! (7:54 Yusuf Ali version)
Verily your Lord is Allah, who created the heavens and the earth in six days, and is firmly established on the throne (of authority), regulating and governing all things. No intercessor (can plead with Him) except after His leave (hath been obtained). This is Allah your Lord; Him therefore serve ye: will ye not receive admonition? (10:3 Yusuf Ali version)
He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in six Days - and His Throne was over the waters - that He might try you, which of you is best in conduct. But if thou wert to say to them, "Ye shall indeed be raised up after death", the Unbelievers would be sure to say, "This is nothing but obvious sorcery!" (11:7 Yusuf Ali version)
We created the heavens and the earth and all between them in Six Days, nor did any sense of weariness touch Us. (50:38 Yusuf Ali version)
In what could be the only detail account of creation in the Koran, the earth was created in two days, sustenance in four days and the seven heavens in two days, giving a total of eight days.
Say, "Do you indeed disbelieve in He who created the earth in two days and attribute to Him equals? That is the Lord of the worlds." And He placed on the earth firmly set mountains over its surface, and He blessed it and determined therein its [creatures'] sustenance in four days without distinction - for [the information] of those who ask. Then He directed Himself to the heaven while it was smoke and said to it and to the earth, "Come [into being], willingly or by compulsion." They said, "We have come willingly." And He completed them as seven heavens within two days and inspired in each heaven its command. And We adorned the nearest heaven with lamps and as protection. That is the determination of the Exalted in Might, the Knowing. (41:9-12 Sahih International version)
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Allah The Random Blogger
When I read the Quran, I can't help but feel that Allah is a random blogger, like me. Whenever I have some ideas, I would note it down and write it to my blog. When Allah had a message, he will ask Jibreel to send it to his illiterate blogger software creation, Mohammed, who will then transmit to his literate followers, who would then write it down.
Sometimes, I forgot what I have blogged and I blogged on the same subject again. Sometimes, I contradict my earlier blogs because I had forgot about them. When the same thing happened to Allah, he said that he caused it to be forgotten to bring a better blog (Quran 2:106).
Don't take my words for it. Read the Quran. Read it for yourself and you will feel its randomness. I once read a tract written by Muslim, who said, "The Quran is the most wonderful book. It has no beginning and no end. You can read it from anywhere." The wikipedia said this about the Quran, "The Quranic text seems to have no beginning, middle, or end, its nonlinear structure being akin to a web or net." That is randomness with a positive spin!
Whatever a Verse (revelation) do We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, We bring a better one or similar to it. Know you not that Allah is able to do all things? (2:106 Muhsin Khan version)
Sometimes, I forgot what I have blogged and I blogged on the same subject again. Sometimes, I contradict my earlier blogs because I had forgot about them. When the same thing happened to Allah, he said that he caused it to be forgotten to bring a better blog (Quran 2:106).
Don't take my words for it. Read the Quran. Read it for yourself and you will feel its randomness. I once read a tract written by Muslim, who said, "The Quran is the most wonderful book. It has no beginning and no end. You can read it from anywhere." The wikipedia said this about the Quran, "The Quranic text seems to have no beginning, middle, or end, its nonlinear structure being akin to a web or net." That is randomness with a positive spin!
Whatever a Verse (revelation) do We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, We bring a better one or similar to it. Know you not that Allah is able to do all things? (2:106 Muhsin Khan version)
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
The Nature of God
God is spirit
God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. (John 4:24 ESV)
God is light
This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5 ESV)
God is love
Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. (1 John 4:8 ESV)
So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. (1 John 4:16 ESV)
God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. (John 4:24 ESV)
God is light
This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5 ESV)
God is love
Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. (1 John 4:8 ESV)
So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. (1 John 4:16 ESV)
Monday, June 4, 2012
The Prophets
"The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him. This is what you requested from the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, 'Let us not continue to hear the voice of the Lord our God or see this great fire any longer, so that we will not die!' Then the Lord said to me, 'They have spoken well. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. I will put My words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. I will hold accountable whoever does not listen to My words that he speaks in My name. But the prophet who dares to speak a message in My name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods—that prophet must die.' You may say to yourself, 'How can we recognize a message the Lord has not spoken?' When a prophet speaks in the Lord's name, and the message does not come true or is not fulfilled, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him. (Deuteronomy 18:15-22 HCSB)
In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, by descent a Mede, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans - in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years. (Daniel 9:1-2 ESV)
How the rest of the Old Testament, the Prophets and the Writings were canonized were obscure. Daniel the Prophet referred to a collection of books (Daniel 9:1-2). According to Jewish tradition, the entire Old Testament was canonized by the Great Synagogue, led by Ezra the Scribe.
In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, by descent a Mede, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans - in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years. (Daniel 9:1-2 ESV)
How the rest of the Old Testament, the Prophets and the Writings were canonized were obscure. Daniel the Prophet referred to a collection of books (Daniel 9:1-2). According to Jewish tradition, the entire Old Testament was canonized by the Great Synagogue, led by Ezra the Scribe.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Truth Versus Peace
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6 KJV)
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14:27 KJV)
Matthew Henry
Many people talked about world peace. Many religions talked about world peace. Many condemned the wars that happened because some religions insisted that theirs is the only true way. Such religions are condemned for their bigotry. But which is more important, truth or peace?
Galileo fought with the Roman Catholic Church on whether the earth revolves around the sun or the sun revolves around the earth. Galileo mathematically proved Copernicus's idea that the earth revolves around the sun. But the Roman Catholic Church had endorsed Aristotle's belief that everything revolved around earth. The church threatened him with torture and force him to recant. If for the sake of peace, everyone decide to agree with the Roman Catholic Church and Aristotle, what will happen to science? Thank God that the Roman Catholic Church is not all powerful as it was in the Middle Ages. Another earlier war had cut down its influence.
The Thirty Years' War (1618 - 1648) began as a religious conflict between Protestants and Catholics in the Holy Roman Empire, but it developed into a more general conflict involving most of the European powers. It was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history. The war ended with the Peace of Westphalia, which forced the Holy Roman Empire to recognize its German princes as absolute sovereigns in their own dominions, guaranteed the freedom of worship for the Protestants, and thus weakened the Roman Catholic Church.
We cannot have peace without truth. Peace without truth will lead to stagnation.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Reasons Why God is Rejected
There are many reasons why people refuse to believe in God. Here are some of the reasons and the refutation.
1. Too many claimants
They said that there are many religions claiming that their god is true and his words preserved in their holy book.
Refutation:
The truth is there are only two major monotheistic religions with holy books. It is not too difficult to check which is true. So which of the two gods is true? The one who created a nation (Deuteronomy 4:34) and can declare the future (Isaiah 44:7, Isaiah 46:10).
2. Too much suffering
There are too much suffering from diseases, natural disasters and human cruelty. How could an all-loving God allow such suffering in the world? If an almighty God wants to awe us with his power, surely there must be less sadistic ways to do so.
Refutation:
Suffering is caused by sin. For a more detail explanation, see Romans 1:18-32.
3. God is created by ignorance
Before the advent of modern science, people have a limited understanding of the world around us and they created stories of gods and goddesses to explain these natural phenomena.
Refutation:
Gods and goddesses are created by men when they reject the true God. They had to worship something, so they created these gods and goddesses. Modern men, with the knowledge of science, worship money and idols (film stars, sports stars and successful men). For a more detail explanation, see Romans 1:18-32.
4. I don't need God
Nature provides for everything. Nature provides even justice. When men get too greedy, nature fights back with typhoon and tsunami. There is no need for gods of any kind to intervene.
日出而作，日入而息；凿井而饮，耕田而食。帝力于我何有哉！
I go to work at sunrise, I rest at sunset; I drank from the well I dug, I eat from the fields I tend; Why do I need God (上帝) for?
Refutation:
None.
Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself. (Proverbs 26:4 ESV)
What are the consequences of rejecting God?
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. (Psalm 53:1, Psalm 14:1 KJV)
Those who reject God become foolish and they commit sin and suffer. but they are under the delusion that they are wise ("Professing to be wise, they became fools" Romans 1:22). This bring greater evil and more suffering and they reject God even more. They cannot see themselves as the cause of the suffering and blamed God for it or they find that there is no reason for God to exist, since He does not bring an end to suffering. Since God is not acknowledged, He brings more suffering and more foolishness and it becomes a vicious cycle.
Romans 1:18-32 NASB
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.
Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.
And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.
Deuteronomy 4:34 NLT
Has any other god dared to take a nation for himself out of another nation by means of trials, miraculous signs, wonders, war, a strong hand, a powerful arm, and terrifying acts? Yet that is what the LORD your God did for you in Egypt, right before your eyes.
Isaiah 44:6-8 HCSB
This is what the Lord, the King of Israel and its Redeemer, the Lord of Hosts, says:
I am the first and I am the last. There is no God but Me. Who, like Me, can announce the future? Let him say so and make a case before Me, since I have established an ancient people. Let these gods declare the coming things, and what will take place. Do not be startled or afraid. Have I not told you and declared it long ago? You are my witnesses! Is there any God but Me? There is no other Rock; I do not know any.
Isaiah 46:5-11 KJV
To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like? They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship. They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in his place, and he standeth; from his place shall he not remove: yea, one shall cry unto him, yet can he not answer, nor save him out of his trouble.
Remember this, and shew yourselves men: bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors. Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.
1. Too many claimants
They said that there are many religions claiming that their god is true and his words preserved in their holy book.
Refutation:
The truth is there are only two major monotheistic religions with holy books. It is not too difficult to check which is true. So which of the two gods is true? The one who created a nation (Deuteronomy 4:34) and can declare the future (Isaiah 44:7, Isaiah 46:10).
2. Too much suffering
There are too much suffering from diseases, natural disasters and human cruelty. How could an all-loving God allow such suffering in the world? If an almighty God wants to awe us with his power, surely there must be less sadistic ways to do so.
Refutation:
Suffering is caused by sin. For a more detail explanation, see Romans 1:18-32.
3. God is created by ignorance
Before the advent of modern science, people have a limited understanding of the world around us and they created stories of gods and goddesses to explain these natural phenomena.
Refutation:
Gods and goddesses are created by men when they reject the true God. They had to worship something, so they created these gods and goddesses. Modern men, with the knowledge of science, worship money and idols (film stars, sports stars and successful men). For a more detail explanation, see Romans 1:18-32.
4. I don't need God
Nature provides for everything. Nature provides even justice. When men get too greedy, nature fights back with typhoon and tsunami. There is no need for gods of any kind to intervene.
日出而作，日入而息；凿井而饮，耕田而食。帝力于我何有哉！
I go to work at sunrise, I rest at sunset; I drank from the well I dug, I eat from the fields I tend; Why do I need God (上帝) for?
Refutation:
None.
Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself. (Proverbs 26:4 ESV)
What are the consequences of rejecting God?
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. (Psalm 53:1, Psalm 14:1 KJV)
Those who reject God become foolish and they commit sin and suffer. but they are under the delusion that they are wise ("Professing to be wise, they became fools" Romans 1:22). This bring greater evil and more suffering and they reject God even more. They cannot see themselves as the cause of the suffering and blamed God for it or they find that there is no reason for God to exist, since He does not bring an end to suffering. Since God is not acknowledged, He brings more suffering and more foolishness and it becomes a vicious cycle.
Romans 1:18-32 NASB
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.
Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.
Deuteronomy 4:34 NLT
Has any other god dared to take a nation for himself out of another nation by means of trials, miraculous signs, wonders, war, a strong hand, a powerful arm, and terrifying acts? Yet that is what the LORD your God did for you in Egypt, right before your eyes.
Isaiah 44:6-8 HCSB
This is what the Lord, the King of Israel and its Redeemer, the Lord of Hosts, says:
I am the first and I am the last. There is no God but Me. Who, like Me, can announce the future? Let him say so and make a case before Me, since I have established an ancient people. Let these gods declare the coming things, and what will take place. Do not be startled or afraid. Have I not told you and declared it long ago? You are my witnesses! Is there any God but Me? There is no other Rock; I do not know any.
Isaiah 46:5-11 KJV
To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like? They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship. They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in his place, and he standeth; from his place shall he not remove: yea, one shall cry unto him, yet can he not answer, nor save him out of his trouble.
Remember this, and shew yourselves men: bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors. Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.
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