God's presence or God's present

A friend of mine told me that his former church ask the people to pray for "a peaceful and quiet day" at the start of each day. My friend followed this advice and each time when he pray for a peaceful and quiet day, that day would turn out to be extemely eventful. It happened so frequently that he became afraid to pray this prayer. He seeked the Lord and eventually found that he should pray for the Lord's presence to go with him. It does not matter what kind of day is waiting for him, but as long as the Lord is with him, he should face it without fear. He felt that God's people should not be asking for presents (such as a peaceful day) so that they can enjoy it. They should ask for God's presence, so that they can face all situation. They should ask for God's presence, not His presents.

First day of PSLE 2009

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths (Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV).
Today is the first day of my son's Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE) and yesterday night, a church friend of his sister messaged Proverbs 3:5-6 to her and asked her to encourage him with this verse.
Trusting the LORD with all your heart is one of the most difficult things to do. Some people played the whole day and did not to study, because they "trust in the LORD". Others studied very hard, even skipping church on Sundays, and add "trusting the LORD" as an of insurance of the last resort.
Trusting the LORD is actually an attitude. When we trust the LORD, we will automatically acknowledge Him in all our ways. I truly thank the Lord for this sister for her concern and for remembering her church mate who is studying for PSLE. Those who trust the Lord will always have time to be concern for the welfare of the others. they had left their care in our Lord's hand. Those who trust in themselves who feel that they have insufficient resources and would use up all their time to think and plan and ensure and worry, and would not have time for others.

Typhoon Morakot

Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not; for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. (Matthew 7:24-27 KJV)

When Typhoon Morakot sweeped across Taiwan, I saw on TV the image of a building falling into the river like a shoe box after flood waters eroded its foundation. This is a house that is built on sand and cannot withstand the floods.

Morality without the foundation of truth is also like a house upon the sand. There are people who like to avoid religion and just preach moral values by itself. Such moral values may be a beautiful house with marbles and chandeliers and lovely interior decoration, but its foundation is built on sand. When the floods come, it will fall into the river.

Truth Versus Religious Harmony

"Peace is such a precious jewel that I would give anything for it but truth" Matthew Henry (1662-1714). The Singapore government values religious harmony. But would the Singapore government sacrifice truth for peace?

Moving a bank

Today, my customer has successfully move his bank from the old location at UOB Plaza 2 to Suntec City successfully and is one day ahead of schedule. However, at the end of the move, the printer cannot start because one of the print servers was faulty. The boss made sure that the IT people stayed back until the faulty print server was replaced. There was no compliment to the IT staff for a job well done, just focusing on a delay that was one day ahead.

We Expect Harsh Judgement On Others When They Make Mistakes

Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: (Luke 6:37 KJV).

Many times we expect harsh judgement on others when they make mistakes but mercy on ourselves when we make mistakes. In the Bible, there are three such incidents.

Joshua wants Moses to forbid Eldad and Medad from prophesy.
Numbers 11:26-29 KJV
But there remained two of the men in the camp, the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad: and the spirit rested upon them; and they were of them that were written, but went not out unto the tabernacle: and they prophesied in the camp. And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp. And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them. And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD's people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!

John the Apostle want Jesus to forbid those who are not with them to cast devils in His name.
Luke 9:49-50 KJV
And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbade him, because he followeth not with us. And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.

John the Apostle want Jesus to bring fire from heaven on the Samaritan village who refused to provide them shelter.
Luke 9:51-56 KJV
And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elijah did? But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.

Gods Who Claimed To Be Somebody

There are many gods in the world who seek to be worshipped. However, the Bible has a test for these gods:
Thus you shall say to them, "The gods that did not make the heavens and the earth will perish from the earth and from under the heavens." (Jeremiah 10:11 NASB)

So if any god come to you asking for worship, ask that god if he/she/it had created the heavens and the earth. If the answer is "No", ask that fellow to go away. And you can read about the test for men who claim to be god here.

There is an unborn, unoriginated, uncreated, unformed

There is this interesting speech by Buddha found in a Buddhist scripture accepted by all schools of Buddhism:
“There is, O monks, an unborn, unoriginated, uncreated, unformed. Were there not, O monks, this unborn, unoriginated, uncreated, unformed, there would be no escape from the world of the born, originated, created, formed.
“Since, O monks, there is an unborn, unoriginated, uncreated, and unformed, therefore is there an escape from the born, originated, created, formed.”
"比丘們，不生、不有(非緣起)、非造作、無爲(之維度)實有。若無不生、不有、非造作、無爲(之維度)，則不能辨知從生、有、造作、有爲的解脫。
然而，正因爲不生、不有、非造作、無爲(之維度)實有，才得以辨知從生、有、造作、有爲的解脫。"
The Gospel of Buddha - Sermon at the bamboo grove at Rajagaha
Udana (自說經) 8:3

Jacelyn Tay interview with Impact Magazine Dec 2008/Jan 2009 Edition

Interview with Jacelyn Tay (郑秀珍) as published on pages 24 to 27 of Impact Magazine, Dec 2008/Jan 2009 Edition:
QUOTE
You were rising in your career when you became a Christian. What led you to consider Jesus Christ?
Before I knew God, I only believed in myself. I believed that all gods were the same. Handling pressure was basically part and parcel of life.
I am a very strong person. I thought I didn’t need God and I could survive very well. A lot of people think that somebody becomes a Christian because he is weak or has problems. In my case I found God when everything was going well. My career was fine. My relationships were fine, but there was still an emptiness in my heart which I didn’t understand. I was actually pretty lost when I had everything.
At that time I was actually a staunch Buddhist. I had my Fai Ming (a Dharma name acquired during a Buddhist refuge ceremony, traditionally given by a high- ranking Buddhist monk.) and the black and yellow-coloured robes. I was ‘baptised’ into Buddhism. I even prayed in the Japanese temple. I also believed in Feng Shui.
You would think I had no need for all that since I was doing well. But as a celebrity, you depend on so-called luck. When you have fame, you have money, but you are also afraid of losing what fame you have. How do you get fame? Hard work alone is not enough. It’s by luck. You are dependent on luck, so you pray to all the gods, in the hope of becoming popular and famous. In January 2006, I was injured during a Renci Charity show. I took that opportunity to speak up for the performers. We should not have to do dangerous stunts to get the funds or donations. There are better ways to raise funds.
As I was recovering at home I received a letter from a lady, who wrote that she had a dream of me. She said she was not a fan, but on her 57th birthday, she dreamt of me. In her dream, her husband tapped her on the shoulder during the altar call in church and asked her to pray for the person in front of her. Since she didn’t know who that person was, she was a bit shy. After that she woke up. It was about 3 am. She felt very guilty that she hadn’t prayed, so she asked God to reveal who the person was and what to pray for. When she went back to sleep she saw my face! She began praying for me, and continued to do so until the day that she wrote the letter. But to me, she sounded like another preacher and I threw the letter away.
After that, I kept meeting people telling me about God. The first one was my friend Ricky. I asked him, “So, you are a Christian? But why? Why do you believe that there is only one Almighty God?” He explained to me and somehow I could understand it; I could accept it as logical. From then on, God brought many people to me. Everyday I would meet people telling me about God.
It also happened that the father of the chiropractor who treated me was a retired Bishop worshipping at Kampong Kapor Methodist Church, which is my church now. I wanted to go there to challenge him. I wrote a long list of questions and told my chiropractor, "I am going to ask your father questions and see whether he can answer me." I went to church not looking for God. I am quite stubborn. When everybody was standing up, I refused to stand up, and instead, remained seated and disrespectful. I took the Bible from the pew and it opened to Revelation chapter 12 about the woman and the dragon. I suddenly realized I had dreamt about that before, even though I had never read the Bible. How could it be?
In my dream, Revelation chapter 12 was actually in three parts. I dreamt of the first part on one night, and two weeks later the second part, then three weeks later the third part. That is not normal! In my dream I was chased by a dragon. As I read Revelation 12,1 realised the scenario was similar to my dream. It was impossible. There must be a God. How could I have dreamt of something in the Bible that I had never read before? That was 19 February 2006. That night the retired Bishop led a prayer, saying, "If you decide to receive the Holy Spirit and accept Jesus Christ, then you should say these words." In my heart I said, "Okay, I don’t want to decide now:" But after I went back home, I thought about it and was convinced there must be a God. So I said the sinner’s prayer.
What is the biggest change in your life since you became a Christian?
The biggest change is that God is above everything. So, in my life, God is the most important. God is more important than my mother, and even my future husband or anybody else, anything on earth. God is number one. This is my choice. I choose to commit and be faithful to God because He is really faithful to me. He has been really good to me. Good as in, I have gone through rough patches, but it always turns out to be good. Those rough patches are for me to learn. When something bad happens I know it is another test. It is to sharpen my character. So I don’t see bad things as bad things anymore. Before I knew God, I was actually very lost. You don’t know why you are here. You do everything and everything is meaningless. But since I came to know God, I know why I am here and I know everything is meaningful. Even when I just bump into somebody, I know it is not by coincidence. It must be God’s arrangement So, I am always looking forward to each new day.
How did you overcome the objections you have to face over your conversion?
My mum is now a Christian. But when I wanted to get baptised in April, which was two months after I received Christ, she objected. Everyday she would call me, cry and threaten me, saying that I was not filial, that I was deserting her, since I was not going to pray to her after she died. She didn’t want me to get baptised, and forced me to speak to a monk, saying,"You must speak to Shifu (Master). If you want to be a Christian, that’s fine, but you cannot be baptised.”
I replied, “If you want me to speak to Shifu, I shall. But if he cannot answer some of my questions, then I’ll go ahead and get baptised."
The monk called me and said, "Christianity is actually something lower than Buddhism." He believes in the wheel of reincarnation. The six levels of the wheel of reincarnation are: hell, all the lost souls, the animals, human, deity and the Buddha. You have to work hard for millions of years. For instance, if you are a pig, then in the next life you become a human, and then in the next life you become something else.
I replied, “Okay, as a Buddhist, I have to work very hard. I have to do good so that I can earn the points in my report card, hoping that my next life I may be able to become a Buddha. And then as a Buddha, I have to work some more because I want to go to the world of ‘nothingness’ - Nirvana. If that is the case, who decides what I have done so wrong to fall into this wheel of reincarnation. What have I done wrong? Who decides my first life? What did I do to come into this world? Where do I come from?”
He answered, “From the world of nothing¬ness.” But if I come from nothing, which is the ideal state, what wrong did I do to fall into this wheel of reincarnation? He could not answer me. So, everything is meaningless. I came from nothingness and I have to work so hard to go back to the world of nothingness. Because he couldn’t answer me, he told my mum to let me become a Christian.
The night before I got baptised, my mum was still crying and threatening me. Although the monk had said “Let her go”, I think she was controlled by some satanic force. She was like two totally different persons. My mum has never been an aggressive person but during that period she was so aggressive that it seemed she was not being herself. It’s a little strange. My sister who has been a Christian for the past 20 years advised, “Don’t listen to the devil, just go ahead. It will be fine.” So I went ahead. After I was baptised, she became normal again.
How did undergoing the early financial troubles strengthen you as a person? What helps you face the inevitable ups and downs of being an entrepreneur?
I have gone from ‘plus’ to ‘zero’ to ‘minus’. When I was a ‘plus’, I experienced the life of a ‘plus% I was 19 and had more than 100 thousand dollars. Suddenly I was popular. And then after that, I became a ‘minus’. I owed people money. And I realised I could still survive as a ‘minus’. So, what else was there that I couldn’t do? What actually strengthened me was that I didn’t think that there was anything that was impossible, as long as you are positive.
But that philosophy was before I became a Christian. That is why I told you I didn’t believe in anybody else but myself, my own strength. Now when I think about it, I thank God. By my own strength, I actually climbed from ‘minus’ to ‘plus’ but I was still lost. Everything was still meaningless without God. I used to say,"If you have money, if you don’t have money, it’s still the same. You don’t know why you are here and where you are going."
How do you face challenges in the marketplace, for example, deciding on what type of products to sell as well as the competition involved in it?
When I first thought of opening the health club, it was supposed to be just a slimming centre. My father died a sudden death in 2004. But two weeks before his death I had a dream that he was going to die. I told my mum and so she prayed and got him to drink burnt talismens, but he still died. The death certificate stated that he had died of heart disease. That prognosis is so general and I couldn’t understand it. I started to study more about heart disease, wanting to know why my father had died so suddenly.
I met a Chinese physician when I was in the process of opening a slimming centre. He was actually treating a lot of stroke patients and those with cholesterol problems. I found out that actually heart disease can be prevented and there are good Chinese herbs that can help. I wanted to help people to have healthier bodies and help those who are very depressed about their figures. They needed some counselling. So I decided to incorporate this into a health club.
When I started the health club I wasn’t a Christian yet. After I became a Christian I changed my plans because God gave me a new direction. In the marketplace, everybody just wants to make a sale. It is not easy to train the staff to sell something that people need and not sell things that people don’t need. It is still a challenge now. Whenever there are new staff members, we have to retrain them.
The way I do business, I am not answerable to people, but I am answerable to God. I always tell my staff that if they don’t care for their customers, if after selling them something they just say ‘bye’, then God will not bless them. That is something that they probably don’t understand right now. They don’t care if God will not bless them, but they care whether I will fire them!
What advice do you have for people considering becoming entrepreneurs?
From a business point of view, I could give you a lot of answers but because I presume I am talking to Christians, I would tell you to do whatever God plans for you to do. Some people do business and succeed, but some people fail because God never intended for them to be entrepreneurs. For some people it is clear that God planned for them to be entrepreneurs. I have no answer to that. Only God knows. He will provide all the resources for whatever He wants us to do.
Just to give an example of myself: I am not a doctor, I am not yet a nutritionist, I don’t even have a degree but I have opened a clinic with two dieticians, two Chinese medicine physicians, a microscopist and several therapists. God provided all these people. How do I get all the herbs? You know our herbs are not all Chinese herbs. We have other herbs from elsewhere. God enabled me to meet the right persons, so that I could find out which herb cures what. I have faith that it will just happen. If God asks me one day to close the Health Club down, I will close it. I have no secret for success, no formula. I just want to do what God wants me to do.
UNQUOTE

100% Correct and 100% Useless

If someone were to ask me, "Sir, what can I do to get 100 marks for maths?" and I replied, "Answer all questions correctly", I would be cursed for giving a useless answer. When Buddha spoke of the eight-fold path (Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, Right Concentration), everyone venerated him for his great wisdom. Why is this so? What is the difference between my answer and his? (Except that his answer is eight times more detail and equally useless?) Do the right things and it will be right, right?

It reminds me of a Microsoft joke. A man lost his way in a city and ask a bystander, "Where am I?" The bystander replied, "You are here." The lost man asked, "Do you work in Microsoft?" The bystander replied, "Yes, how do you know?" The lost man said, "Because your answer is 100% correct and 100% useless."

Gog and Magog

In the last days, there shall be Gog and Magog (Ezekiel 38, 39). Gog is one of the three rulers prophesized by name in the Bible. The other two are Josiah (1 Kings 13:2) and Cyrus (Isaiah 44:28-45:1). Gog and Magog (גוג ומגוג) is mentioned again in Revelation 20:8, at the end of the millenium. In the last days, Gog shall lead many nations to attack Israel. The purpose of Gog and Magog's invasion is to magnify the name of God in the eyes of the non-Christians. The fulfilment of this prophecy will convince them that the Bible is true. "and you will come up against My people Israel like a cloud to cover the land. It shall come about in the last days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me when I am sanctified through you before their eyes, O Gog (Ezekiel 38:16 NASB)." "I will magnify Myself, sanctify Myself, and make Myself known in the sight of many nations; and they will know that I am the LORD (Ezekiel 38:23 NASB)." "And I will set My glory among the nations; and all the nations will see My judgment which I have executed and My hand which I have laid on them (Ezekiel 39:21 NASB)." Gog and Magog will be defeated by God Himself by a great earthquake (Ezekiel 38:19), hailstones, fire and brimstone (Ezekiel 38:22). And Israel will also recognise that the Lord is their God. "And the house of Israel will know that I am the LORD their God from that day onward (Ezekiel 39:21 NASB)." Gog and Magog (Ya'juj and Ma'juj, يأجوج و مأجوج) is also found in the Koran (18:93-99, 21:95-97), but as usual, it is completely different from the Bible.

The Ten Kingdoms and the Beast at End Times

In the last days, there shall be ten kings, and there is one beast.

Here is the mind which has wisdom The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits, and they are seven kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while. The beast which was and is not, is himself also an eighth and is one of the seven, and he goes to destruction. The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour. These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast. (Revelation 17:9-13 NASB)

After this I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrifying and extremely strong; and it had large iron teeth It devoured and crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. While I was contemplating the horns, behold, another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were pulled out by the roots before it; and behold, this horn possessed eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth uttering great boasts. (Daniel 7:7-8 NASB)

As the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of pottery, so some of the kingdom will be strong and part of it will be brittle. And in that you saw the iron mixed with common clay, they will combine with one another in the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, even as iron does not combine with pottery. (Daniel 2:42-43 NASB)

Three Characteristics of Prophetic Language

Dr Michael P V Barrett in his book, "God's Unfailing Purpose", described three characteristics of prophetic language:
Prophecy tends to use symbolic languages;
Prophecy tends to use language of imminency;
Prophecy tends to link distinct epochal events into single predictive contexts.

Prophetic Ambiguity - 1

In his book "God's Unfailing Purpose", Dr Michael P V Barrett wrote that "An intentional ambiguity inheres in prophecy. God reveals enough clarity to testify to His control of time and faithfulness to His word, but He does not make us privy to every single detail of His plan."
He gives 2 Kings 7 as an illustration. The prophet Elisha gave two specific prophecies - cheap food (2 Kings 7:1) and the fate of the doubter (2 Kings 7:2). The prophecies were specific, but strategic details were left out.

Then Elisha said, "Listen to the word of the LORD; thus says the LORD, 'Tomorrow about this time a measure of fine flour will be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.'"
The royal officer on whose hand the king was leaning answered the man of God and said, "Behold, if the LORD should make windows in heaven, could this thing be?" Then he said, "Behold, you will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat of it."
Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, “Why do we sit here until we die?
“If we say, ‘We will enter the city,’ then the famine is in the city and we will die there; and if we sit here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us go over to the camp of the Arameans. If they spare us, we will live; and if they kill us, we will but die.”
They arose at twilight to go to the camp of the Arameans; when they came to the outskirts of the camp of the Arameans, behold, there was no one there.
For the Lord had caused the army of the Arameans to hear a sound of chariots and a sound of horses, even the sound of a great army, so that they said to one another, “Behold, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.”
Therefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents and their horses and their donkeys, even the camp just as it was, and fled for their life.
When these lepers came to the outskirts of the camp, they entered one tent and ate and drank, and carried from there silver and gold and clothes, and went and hid them; and they returned and entered another tent and carried from there also, and went and hid them.
Then they said to one another, “We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news, but we are keeping silent; if we wait until morning light, punishment will overtake us. Now therefore come, let us go and tell the king’s household.”
So they came and called to the gatekeepers of the city, and they told them, saying, “We came to the camp of the Arameans, and behold, there was no one there, nor the voice of man, only the horses tied and the donkeys tied, and the tents just as they were.”
The gatekeepers called and told it within the king’s household.
Then the king arose in the night and said to his servants, “I will now tell you what the Arameans have done to us. They know that we are hungry; therefore they have gone from the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, ‘When they come out of the city, we will capture them alive and get into the city.’”
One of his servants said, “Please, let some men take five of the horses which remain, which are left in the city. Behold, they will be in any case like all the multitude of Israel who are left in it; behold, they will be in any case like all the multitude of Israel who have already perished, so let us send and see.”
They took therefore two chariots with horses, and the king sent after the army of the Arameans, saying, “Go and see.”
They went after them to the Jordan, and behold, all the way was full of clothes and equipment which the Arameans had thrown away in their haste. Then the messengers returned and told the king.
So the people went out and plundered the camp of the Arameans. Then a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD.
Now the king appointed the royal officer on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate; but the people trampled on him at the gate, and he died just as the man of God had said, who spoke when the king came down to him.
It happened just as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, “Two measures of barley for a shekel and a measure of fine flour for a shekel, will be sold tomorrow about this time at the gate of Samaria.”
Then the royal officer answered the man of God and said, “Now behold, if the LORD should make windows in heaven, could such a thing be?” And he said, “Behold, you will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat of it.”
And so it happened to him, for the people trampled on him at the gate and he died (2 Kings 7 NASB).

Eat, sleep and cuddle

What does a baby need? Baby only need to eat, sleep and be cuddled. When the baby grows up, he still have the same three needs, except it appears in many forms.

Eat: But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4 KJV). See also Luke 4:4, Deuteronomy 8:3.

Sleep: God gives his beloved sleep (Psalm 127:2).

Cuddle: Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him (John 14:23 KJV).

Seventy Years of Mercy

And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years (Jeremiah 25:11 KJV).
God was very merciful to Israel. For the first exile, God gave Israel a specific timing so that Israel did not have to live with uncertainty about the length of the punishment. When the prophecy came true, it also glorified God, revealing Him as the true and living God.

Manna (Exodus 16)

The food which God gave to the Israelites in the Wilderness. It resembled coriander seed, was white, and tasted like wafers made with honey. (16:31)

The rules:

1. They are to gather it in the morning. (16:21)


2. They are to gather according to their need. On the sixth day they have to gather twice as much food. None will be given on Sabbath. (16:16, 22)


3. They may gather it for six days, but rest on the seventh day, the Sabbath. (16:26)


4. No one is to let any of it remain until the next morning, except on the sixth day. (16:9, 23-24)

Their action:

1. They gathered it every morning. When the sun grew hot, it melted. (16:17)


2. Some gathered a lot, some a little. But when they measured it with an omer, the person who gathered a lot had no surplus, and the person who gathered a little had no shortage. God supplied exactly what each person needed, which is an omer per head. (16:17-18)


3. On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers each. (16:22)

Their disobedience:

1. On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they did not find any. (16:27)


2. Some people left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and smelled. (16:20)

Our lesson:

1. God will supply all your needs daily.


2. You may put in a lot of effort and save much surplus, but in the end, you will only spend what you need. The rest will breed worms and smell.


3. There were many Richest Men in World and Great Rulers in the past, but they left us no legacy and we do not know who they were. We know our Richest Man now, but a thousand years later, who would know him? The worms will take their toll.

That in all things he might have the preeminence

Three questions:
1. Why is Christ preeminent?
2. What is Christ's preeminence?
3. Is Christ's preeminence reflecting in your life?

Why is Christ preeminent?
1. He is the Creator - For by him were all things created (1:16-17).
2. Firstborn from the dead (1:18)
3. For it pleased the Father (1:19)

What is Christ's preeminence?
1. In all things - that in all things he might have the preeminence (1:18).

Is Christ's preeminence reflecting in your life?
1. Word - And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus (Col 3:17
2. Walk - that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called (Eph 4:1)
3. Motive - That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God (Col 1:10)
4. Testimony - He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked (1 John 2:6).

From sermon by Rev Koh Hock Heng.

Is it scriptural for a lady to shave bald?

I read in the papers of some women shaving bald for charity. It looked so odd to me to see a lady bald and I wondered what the Bible says about it. Of course it said about long hair being the glory of a woman. But what about some African women who could not have long hair by nature? It seem that the scriptures also said that there need to be a separation between male and female.

Value of faith

The value of faith lies in the object of faith, not the amount of faith. Faith by itself has no value.

Number of apples in the seed of an apple

Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit (John 12:24 KJV).
Heard this in a sermon by Rev. Yeow Koon Tin, about an analogy given by his wife. His wife asked him, "How many seeds are there in an apple?" Rev. Yeow replied, "That is easy, cut the apple and you can count the seeds, probably eight or nine seeds." Then she asked, "How many apples are there in the seed of an apple?"

True Salvation

True salvation comes from God. It is His gift.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV)

Those who want to be saved have to cast themselves at the mercy of God.
And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. (Luke 18:13 KJV)

Those who wanted to work their way out will not be recognised.
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (Matthew 7:22-23 KJV)

Do what the hypocrites say

Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. (Matthew 23:1-3 KJV)

Comment by Matthew Henry:
Note, We must not think the worse of good truths for their being preached by bad ministers; nor of good laws for their being executed by bad magistrates. Though it is most desirable to have our food brought by angels, yet, if God send it to us by ravens, if it be good and wholesome, we must take it, and thank God for it.

Dispute between Jews and Christians according to Quran

What was the dispute between Jews and Christians? This is what the Quran says in Surat Al-Baqarah (The Cow) verse 113 (2:113):
The Jews said that the Christians follow nothing (i.e. are not on the right religion); and the Christians said that the Jews follow nothing (i.e. are not on the right religion); though they both recite the Scripture. Like unto their word, said (the pagans) who know not. Allah will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection about that wherein they have been differing (Muhsin Khan translation).
The Jews say: "The Christians have naught (to stand) upon; and the Christians say: "The Jews have naught (To stand) upon." Yet they (Profess to) study the (same) Book. Like unto their word is what those say who know not; but Allah will judge between them in their quarrel on the Day of Judgment (Yusuf Ali translation).

This is the precise truth about the dispute between Jews and Christians:
The Christians said to the Jews, "Jesus is the Messiah (Christ) according to the Scriptures." The Jews said to the Christians, "Jesus is not the Messiah (Christ) according to the Scriptures."

Why can't the Quran be more specific or is Allah, the all-knowing, not aware of the details? Anyway, we do not have to wait till Judgment Day before we know who is right. The Jewish Scripture, which is the Old Testament of the Bible is available on the internet. Anyone who cares can always search the scriptures and determine whether the Christians or the Jews is right. We assure you that the Jews did not corrupt their Scripture just to win. And the same uncorrupted Scripture does not make any reference to Mohammed, despite what the Quran claims (7:157).

Both the Sunnis and Shiites study the same Quran, but they also have disputes, right?

Who should you follow, God or Mohammad?

Bible says those who follow God will prosper:
Deuteronomy 28:1-2 KJV
And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.

Quran says those who follow Mohammad will prosper:
7:157 Yusuf Ali
"Those who follow the messenger, the unlettered Prophet, whom they find mentioned in their own (scriptures),- in the law and the Gospel;- for he commands them what is just and forbids them what is evil; he allows them as lawful what is good (and pure) and prohibits them from what is bad (and impure); He releases them from their heavy burdens and from the yokes that are upon them. So it is those who believe in him, honour him, help him, and follow the light which is sent down with him,- it is they who will prosper."

A Very Wealthy Man

I read this somewhere:
A tax assessor came one day to a poor pastor to determine the amount of taxes the pastor would have to pay. The following conversation took place:

"What property do you possess?" asked the assessor.
"I am a very wealthy man," replied the minister.
"List your possessions, please," the assessor instructed.

The pastor said:
"First, I have everlasting life, John 3:16.
Second, I have a mansion in heaven, John 14:2.
Third, I have peace that passes all understanding, Philippians 4:7.
Fourth, I have joy unspeakable, 1 Peter 1:8.
Fifth, I have divine love which never fails, 1 Corinthians 13:8.
Sixth, I have a faithful pious wife, Proverbs, 31:10.
Seventh, I have healthy, happy obedient children, Exodus 20:12.
Eighth, I have true, loyal friends, Proverbs 18:24.
Ninth, I have songs in the night, Psalms 42:8.
Tenth, I have a crown of life, James 1:12."

The tax assessor closed his book, and said, "Truly you are a very rich man, but your property is not subject to taxation."

The Golden Pot of Manna

Quoted from "Made According to Pattern" Chapter 18 The Golden Pot of Manna by C W Slemming:
QUOTE
Jesus said that He was the "Bread of Life." He also said: "I am the true bread which came down from heaven" The world still looks on, and of Christ and the Word of God they are saying, "What is it?"
The true believer is he that can use the word in the Chaldean sense and say, concerning the Word of God: "It is a portion," and concerning Christ Himself, "He is a portion."
What kind of portion was the manna to this army of pilgrims?
It was a:
Sufficient Portion. There was enough for all and no lack.
Suitable Portion. It suited every palate, young and old alike, also the weak and the strong. The Jews say, "It tasted to every man as he pleased."
Satisfying Portion. No man ever went hungry. "The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger; but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing."
Strengthening Portion. It made strong men of them. They were able to journey in a desert, to work, and to fight.
Sustaining Portion. On it they lived for forty years. It must have been very nutritious.
Sure Portion. It never failed.
Cannot all this be said of Christ Jesus our Lord? He suits all classes, all nationalities, all ages, yea, all men everywhere. He certainly satisfies those who trust Him. "All that I want is in Jesus, he satisfies, joy He supplies. Life would be worthless without Him. All things in Jesus I find." He also strengthens His followers for life and service. He will sustain us all through life's journey and will never fail. Joshua tells us that there was an overlap in the supply of manna." And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land" (Joshua 5:12). Christ is not only our supply in life but He will take us through until we get right into the heavenly land to feast upon "hidden manna" (Revelation 2:17a).
UNQUOTE

My sins are more than the hairs of my head, but where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more

For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me (Psalm 40:12 KJV). Moreover the law entered, that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: (Romans 5:20 KJV) And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows (Luke 12:7). The wonderful grace of Jesus is sufficient for me, even though my sins are more than the hairs of my head. He has ordered my path. Even the very hairs of my head are all numbered.

Famine in the Promised Land

When famine hits the Promised Land, we start to wonder if we had followed the will of God wrongly and our faith is sorely tested. And the many ways that God may ask us to response makes discerning God's will even more difficult.
By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed and went out to a place he was going to receive as an inheritance; he went out, not knowing where he was going (Hebrews 11:8) and when he arrived at Shechem, at the oak of Moreh, when the Canaanites were still in the land, the LORD appeared to Abram and told him that this was the land He promised (Genesis 12:6-7).
Then famine came upon the land, "That fruitful land was turned into barrenness, not only to punish the iniquity of the Canaanites who dwelt therein, but to exercise the faith of Abram who sojourned therein; and a very sore trial it was (Matthew Henry)."
The famine was grievous and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there (Genesis 12:10). The Bible did not record of any instructions from God. Probably, Abraham used his discretion.
Famine hits the Promised Land again in the time of Isaac, but this time, the LORD appeared to him and said, "Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I shall tell you" (Genesis 26:2).
Famine hits the Promised Land again in the time of Jacob and this time the Lord said to Jacob, "Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation." (Genesis 46:3).

Men Who Claimed To Be Somebody

Many men claim to be somebody. Some claimed to be gods, like Alexander, some claim to be buddha, like Siddhārtha Gautama and of course we have Jesus, who claimed to be God (Son of God).
Whoever who claim to be somebody other than mere human, we can ask them two questions and we can prove if they are men or not.
1. Are you born of a father and a mother?
2. Did you die?
If the answer is "Yes" to both questions, then he is a man, like you and me.

In the case of Jesus, the answer to question 1 is "No", because He was born of a virgin. The answer to question 2 is "Yes", but He was resurrected again.

To quote Peter Larson: "Despite our efforts to keep Him out, God intrudes. The life of Jesus is bracketed by two impossibilities: a virgin’s womb and an empty tomb. Jesus entered our world through a door marked ‘No Entrance’ and left through a door marked ‘No Exit.’"

And you can read about the test for gods in the world who seek to be worshiped here.

How Do I Know The Bible Is True?

How Do I Know The Bible Is True?

Approach 1: (The intrinsic properties of the Bible)
1. The verifiability of the Bible, e.g. The resurrection of Christ is verifiable;
2. The unity of the Bible (The Bible is a collection of 66 books which were written over 1500 years);
3. The consistency of the Bible (Many books and authors, one message);
4. The integrity of the Bible (Historical, Scientific, Prophetic Accuracy);
5. The antiquity of the Bible (Textual Preservation).

Approach 2: (External and internal proof)
Internal proof
1. Contains verifiable historical and geographical facts;
2. Contains prophecies of future events - Messianic Prophecies, Fulfilled Prophecies dealing with nations;
3. Consistent message and unity.
External proof
1. Scientific evidence;
2. Textual evidence;
3. Historical and archaelogical evidence.

Approach 3 (Compare to other religions):
1. Buddhism - cannot be audited, not verifiable
2. Islam - failed audit; not logical, therefore not true

Approach 4 (Impact on the world)
1. The world - politics, economics
2. The 7-day week, the calendar
3. Social Impact
4. Personal Impact

Approach 5: (The 2 witnesses - The Bible, Israel)
1. Cannot be duplicated / falsified;
2. Cannot be humanly produced.

Approach 6: (Message of salvation)
1. Unique;
2. Verifiable;
3. Legal;
4. Guaranteed.

Quoted from Got Our Tract - Good Messengers Ministries
QUOTE
Salvation
The salvation of man as presented in the Bible differs vastly from the cruel and inhumane views of the world’s religions. Hindus, for example, often involve themselves in agonizing acts to merit God’s favor. Buddhists follow an eightfold discipline of self denial. Muslims engage in a strict regimen of fasting and prayer to earn God’s approval. The Bible, however, offers man salvation in the God-man, Jesus Christ. It is not a salvation by works, but by grace through faith.
Truth
While other religious books are filled with unconfirmed claims and philosophies, the Bible supports its claims with historical and geographical facts. This is why the first-century Christians gave so much emphasis to the good news of the resurrected Christ. Their message was to be accepted not merely on the authority of their words but on verifiable evidence.
UNQUOTE

Musical Instruments are Invented by Descendants of Cain

Musical instrument and music are used in the worship of God. But the Bible tells us that musical instruments are invented by Jubal, a descendant of Cain (Genesis 4:21).

House on the Rock

Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not; for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. (Matthew 7:24-27 KJV)

For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. (1 Corinthians 3:11-15 KJV)

Those who heed Christ’s message built their houses on the rock. But what do they build their houses with? Some build with gold, silver and precious stones. Others build with wood, hay and stubble. When the floods come, their house stayed. But when fire comes, those houses built with wood, hay and stubble are burnt.

Conservative religious values versus secular values

In an article by Kishore Mahbubani, "The virtues of secularism" which appeared in The Straits Times Page A22, 20 May 2009, he argues that "Logic travels well across culture and languages."

"Imagine that there is a religious organisation in Singapore which believes that it is immoral for teenage girls to be forced to expose their arms, legs and faces when they go to school. They say: 'There's a line that God has drawn for us, and we don't want our nation crossing that line.' Hence, since the teachers of Singapore are enforcing the rule, this religious organisation marshals its members, takes over the Singapore Teachers' Union and uses it to advocate the argument that female teenagers should be 'free' to choose whatever dress they want to wear to school. They argue that it is wrong to impose the corrupt Western school uniforms on young women of their religion.

Please note that the above is not a hypothetical example. This argument over school uniforms has been played out in France. Should we allow this to happen in Singapore too?"

Everyone loves to be righteousness

For, being ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. (Romans 10:3 ESV)

Everyone loves to be righteousness. Even wicked men love to be righteousness. But all seek to define their own righteousness. They do not want to recognise God or acknowledge His standards. Because everyone loves to be righteousness, some people thought that men are born good.

Pet topics of human rights activist

The pet topics of human rights activist in Europe and America are these:

1. Gay rights
2. Euthanasia
3. Legalisation of abortion
4. Abolishment of capital punishment
5. Abolishment of corporal punishment for kids
6. Animals rights

Gay today, euthanasia tomorrow

Of all the Ten Commandments, six of them (the fifth to tenth) regulate human behaviour. The seventh commandment "Thou shalt not commit adultery (Exodus 20:14, Deuteronomy 5:18)." covers all sexual sin (Matthew 5:27-28). It is also the only sin that can be victimless, unlike murder or theft. Plain adultery has a victim, the spouse of the adulterer. But fornication between consensual adults has no victim. It is just pleasure for two persons. Likewise for other consensual sexual activities, gay or straight. This is the reason why people who do not consider the Ten Commandments may support these activities; after all, it harms nobody. It is only sin in God's eyes, and they do not bother about Him anyway. They are talking about freedom, inclusiveness and tolerance, not holy living. Of course they support holy living (being inclusive), as long as you do not impose it on them.

What is the next item on their agenda? The sixth commandment, "Thou shalt not kill (Exodus 20:13, Deuteronomy 5:17)." There is a campaign to get euthanasia legalised. After all, if there is someone who wants to die, and another wants to provide a painless death service, there is no victim, it is just a business transaction.

Gays, Paedophiles and others

Do you consider gays as:

1. People who engaged in sinful practices and perversions and they must repent of their sin;
2. People who are sick, like AIDS or leprosy, who needs treatment, but we should not discriminate against them;
3. Normal people, but are discriminated against because of some differences, much like the Rohingyas or Dalits (or even left-handed).

Then what do you think of the paedophiles. Are they 1, 2 or 3?
What about adulterers and fornicators?
What about those who engaged in other sexual perversions, such as fetish sadism and masochism?
What about beasitility?

I consider those who opt for option 3 as pro-gays. A pro-gay person need not be a homosexual. He or she just have to consider homosexual acts as a normal activity.

So for those who think that gay is option 3, do you think that paedophiles is also option 3? Paedophiles are the bad guys in the world of sexual perversion. Those who engaged in it are named and shamed. Even sinners and perverts want to feel righteous. They must have a bad guy to reflect their righteousness. And paedophiles have victims. These victims are usually young children. But what if it is consensual? Would you think that consensual paedophiles are also normal (option 3), just like the gays? Or is your inclusion not inclusive enough to accept those who prefer sex partners of certain age, but can accept sex partner that prefer the same sex? Can you accept people who prefer non-human sex partners? Are they also normal, if the animal is a mammal?

Cain and Abel - 1

By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. (Hebrews 11:4 KJV)

Abel had offered a blood sacrifice and gave of his best (Genesis 4:4). But many have offered blood sacrifice, but are not accepted. Many have offered their best, but for the wrong causes.

Abel was accepted, not because he offered a blood sacrifice, nor because he offered his best, but because it was offered by faith to God, for without faith no one can please God, for he that comes to God must believe that He is, and He rewards those who seek Him diligently (Hebrews 11:6).

Inclusion and separation

My church is a fundamentalist church, and emphasize on Biblical Separation based on 2 Corinthians 6:17. But there is also Biblical Inclusion (Acts 10) where we should bring the Gospel to all. However, we have to obey God's timing and direction. The Holy Spirit directed Paul to turn from Asia to Macedonia (Acts 16:6-9). Thus the Gospel went to the Roman Empire and later to Europe.

Values, Sex and Death

Chua Mui Hoong, senior writer of Straits Times wrote in today's (1st May 2009) edition of the paper that "There is no such thing as a value-free sex education." The same Straits Times also reports that the Singapore Police ban talks by Dr Philip Nitschke of Exit International, an Australian-based pro-euthanasia group.
Indeed everything has value. When I decide the colour of my shirt, I have personal values. When an architect designs a building, he may have cultural values, ecological values and engineering values.
Sex and death definitely have moral values. It is not possible to have sex education and not talk of morality. It is not possible to teach children the technical details on sex, without touching on the morality of sex. Apparently, inclusive groups like AWARE Singapore thinks that sex can be educated technically so that morality needs not to be pushed down the throat of people.
Death also have moral values, which is why the police banned Exit International from speaking. What Exit International wanted to do is to give you some technical tips on how to die. On learning that suicide is illegal in Singapore, Dr Nitschke decide to change his talk to discuss about changing euthanasia laws world-wide.
Singapore has come to cross roads for sex and death. Our decoupling of sex from moral values is more advanced that death, with many advocates for gay rights openly campaigning for the decriminalization of homosexual sex. However, if the current trend persists, it would be a matter of time that Exit International can speak in Singapore. Let us all be aware.

Knowing God's will

Today, a friend shared with me his view of God's will. He said (not his exact words, but my interpretation), "I used to think that to know God's will means to find out what God what you to do and do it. But actually, knowing God's will means that you study His Word and keep close to Him. Then when the time comes, He will tell you what to do. When Joseph was in prison, he had no idea that he was going to be the Prime Minister of Egypt. He just walk with the Lord, even in adverse circumstances, and eventually, God called him for his life task."
At the same time, my pastor preached on Psalm 142, which was a psalm of David at his low point. Then I realize that unlike Joseph, David knew that he was going to be king at this point. And like any true child of God, he cried to the Lord in his distress.
So we may (like David) or may not (like Joseph) know the exact path that God want us to go, but we can always live day by day in close communion with God and we will not be lost.

Jackie Chan thinks that Chinese need to be controlled

Action star Jackie Chan (成龍) said on Saturday at the annual Boao Forum (海南博鰲論壇) that he is not sure if a free society is a good thing for China. He starts to think that "we Chinese need to be controlled."

That is why in colonial times, Shanghai has a park which said "Dogs and Chinese are not allowed". They both need to be put on a lease. Thank you, Jackie. Now the angmohs will feel justified.

Things that can be monetarise are supported by things that cannot be monetarised

By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen has been made from things that are not visible (Hebrews 11:3 HCSB).
With our eyes we can see in the world of mammon, things that can be monetarise are supported by things that cannot be monetarised.
We can pay the salesmen easily. Give him a commission based on his sales. It is a bit more difficult to determine the value of the back-end supporting staff. But we can also pay them bonuses based on company's profit. But how do we measure the monetary values of loyalty, integrity and honesty which the staff has?
Commercial organisations exist to make money. Monetarising their effort is quite easy. However, if the other supporting organisations are not there, commerce may not be viable. You would need the police to maintain law and order. You need the civil service to maintain public services. You need religions and charities to keep people happy in bad times.
How do we measure the contributions of non-commercial entities? What would happen if we monetarised their effort? Would things be the same?
Behind every successful person is a woman, usually the super mum. But motherhood is free. Whenever a woman gets paid, it is usually for her job, not as a mother. Yet a good mother may bring up a valuable person who may contribute millions to the economy. But what would happen if motherhood is monetarised? Would motherhood be the same?
If the business of an organisation is charity and the income is from donations, how then do we pay the employees? Do we pay the CEO by the amount of donation which he can garner (which can be monetarised), or the effectiveness of the organisation's charity focus (which cannot be monetarise)?
Prince is a commercial pop singer that makes lots for money for his record company. So his company also pays him well.
Joseph Prince is a pastor that makes lots of money for his church, so his church also pays him well. But is the money that the church gets an "income" in the commercial sense? When a pastor's effort is monetarised, are things still the same?
Without Jesus, there would be no Apostles. Without the apostles, there would be no Christianity. Without Christianity, there would be no Joseph Prince. How much then should we pay Jesus? Satan once offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world (Matthew 4:8, Luke 4:6), if only He would worship him. Jesus rejected the offer. Can we offer Jesus more than what Satan, the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2), had offered?
All the Apostles, save John, were martyred. This is God's earthly reward for those who laid the foundations of Christianity. If the efforts of the Apostles were monaterised, how much should be they be paid? If they accept the pay, where would Christianity be today?
He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose. Jim Elliot.
Don’t sacrifice the permanent on the altar of the immediate. Bob Jones Senior.

A friend's illogical gospel

Once an elder brother of a friend told me this, "For those who died without knowing Christ, God would judge them according to their works. If they are good, they will go heaven. However, if anyone who have heard the Gospel and rejected its message, that person will go to hell." Now this person was trying to console himself that his father, who died without Christ, is now in heaven because he was good, and also trying to defend God for sending people who had no chance of hearing to Gospel to hell (e.g. the millions of Chinese in China before missionaries from the West came).
"Then we should not preach the Gospel, because we are sending people to hell if they reject it," I replied.
"Preaching the Gospel is about heavenly warfare, and so we must preach," was his reply.
But this gospel made me a judge of men. If I judged that he is so evil and definitely hell-bound, I would preach the Gospel to him, perchance he may accept and be saved. If I judged that he is good and may go to heaven on his own, then preaching the Gospel gives him a chance to reject it and send him to hell. If this gospel is true, God has delegated part of his job at the Great White Throne to me.

The purpose of preservation of saints

My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. (John 10:29 KJV)

The doctrine of the preservation of saints is given to us so that weak and sinful Christians like me can have something to cling to. If God had not promised that He would persevere in our salvation, we would have given up hope.

There are those who believe that because we are saved once and for all and we can sin, such people do not have any notion of the sinfulness of sin and they should examine their faith.

There is no chicken-and-egg problem in the Bible

There is no chicken-and-egg problem in the Bible. The chicken came first and that can be deduced by logic. Since you need a male and female chicken to start producing the egg, the chicken have to come first.

There are many issues if the egg come first.

1. Where does the egg get the sperm to fertilise it? If it is already fertilised, then it is a special pre-fertilised egg. That means it is not the normal egg that is being produced today.
2. Who will take care of the chick when it is hatched?
3. There have to be a minimum of two eggs, one male and one female.

So which is easier, to have two special pre-fertilised male and female egg to hatch into full grown male and female chicken, or just have the full grown male and female chicken straight away? Use Occam's razor and you will get the answer.

The only reason why the chicken-and-egg problem exist is that people is trying very hard to deny God.

Virgin Birth and Surrogate Mum

And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:35 KJV)

overshadow (ἐπισκιάζω)
to cast a shade upon, that is, (by analogy) to envelop in a haze of brilliancy; figuratively to invest with preternatural influence: - overshadow.

Jesus was the "Seed of a Woman" (Genesis 3:15).

I'm sorry, I can't be perfect, but I expect you to be

The problem of being good is that it lifts you up and put others down. Every Christian should be careful when they are good. It is their weakest moment when pride puffs up and judges their weaker brother.

Assurance

Our assurance - God is faithful

God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. (1 Corinthians 1:9 KJV)

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. (1 Corinthians 10:13 KJV)

Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:24 KJV)

Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. (Romans 8:30 KJV)

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: (Philippians 1:6 KJV)

The Message of the Quran

The message of the Quran is this: "God is great. Submit to Him". The Taurat (Torah), Zabur (Psalms) and Injil (Gospel) also contain this message, but their main message is that of redemption of God's people. It is this message of redemption that makes Taurat (Torah), Zabur (Psalms) and Injil (Gospel) special and consistent in their outlook.

The Quran has no message of redemption. Its message is general, telling us the obvious.

The consistent message of the God of Abraham in the Bible

The consistent message of the God of Abraham in the Bible is deliverance. God promised the the Israelites in Egypt that He will deliver them from bondage in Egypt. He will bring them to the Promised Land. Likewise, God promised the Christians deliverance from the bondage of sin. He will bring us to the Heaven of Eternal Rest.

The means of deliverance is also consistently the same - Redemption. God redeemed the people of Israel during the Passover night by the blood of the Passover lamb. God redeemed Isaac also by a ram caught in a thicket by his horns (Genesis 22:13). God redeemed us by our Lord Jesus, who is our Passover Lamb (John 1:29).

It is for this reason the Old Testament and the New Testament can co-exist in one volume, called the Bible - the consistency of the same message.

Moses Established Criteria For Future Prophets

Moses as the first prophet to write a book set the standard for all future prophets. He also made a prediction for the special prophet - "I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him (Deuteronomy 18:18)." Some claimed that "among the brothers" means that the Prophet will not be an Israelite, but from his brother. Well, Esau is the brother of Israel and I have not seen any significant Edomite prophet. But I have seen a descendant of Israel's uncle, Ishmael, claiming to be a prophet, but Deuteronomy 18:18 rule him out.

How does the Israelites know that Moses is a prophet of God?

There are three points:

1. The message of the promised land of Canaan;
   The message of Moses is consistent with that of the promises of God to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Moses confirmed (Exodus 6:8) God's promise to Abraham (Genesis 17:8), Isaac (Genesis 26:3) and Israel (Genesis 35:12) to give them the land of Canaan by leading them out of Egypt to Canaan.
   And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. (Genesis 17:8 KJV)
   Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I swore unto Abraham thy father; (Genesis 26:3 KJV)
   And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel. And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins; And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land. (Genesis 35:10-12 KJV)
   And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for a heritage: I am the LORD. (Exodus 6:8 KJV)


2. The visible Shekinah Glory of God;
   The visible Shekinah Glory of God lead the Israelites by day in a pillar of a cloud and by night in a pillar of fire. The Glory of the LORD came down and covered the Mount Sinai for six days and on the seventh day called Moses to receive the Ten Commandments.
   And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people. (Exodus 13:21-22 KJV)
   And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud. (Exodus 24:16 KJV)


3. The miracles performed in the sight of all Israel.
   The miracles performed in the sight of all Israel in the deliverance from Egypt and in the Wilderness.
   And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, in all the signs and the wonders, which the LORD sent him to do in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh, and to all his servants, and to all his land, and in all that mighty hand, and in all the great terror which Moses showed in the sight of all Israel. (Deuteronomy 34:10-12 KJV)

The test of a true prophet is in his message

The test of a true prophet of God lies in his message. The messages of all true prophets of God will agree with one another and can be compiled into one book, e.g. the Bible.

"If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, 'Let us go after other gods,' which you have not known, 'and let us serve them,' you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the LORD your God is testing you, to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. (Deuteronomy 13:1-3 ESV)

But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1:8-9 ESV)

Miracles do not make one a true prophet. If an angel speaks to you, it does not necessarily means that the angel is from God.

By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. (1 John 4:2-3 ESV)

For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. (2 John 1:7 ESV)

The Bible's vs the Quran's challenge

Allah, in the Quran, challenges anyone to produce a book like it (17:88), nor ten chapters like it (11:13), nor even one chapter like it (2:23, 10:38).

God, in the Bible, also posed challenges. He challenge anyone to foretell the future.
Set forth your case, says the LORD; bring your proofs, says the King of Jacob. Let them bring them, and tell us what is to happen. Tell us the former things, what they are, that we may consider them, that we may know their outcome; or declare to us the things to come. (Isaiah 41:21-22 ESV)
Who is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and set it before me, since I appointed an ancient people. Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen. (Isaiah 44:7 ESV)
I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he. (John 13:19 ESV)

Muslims reasons for a miraculous Quran

These are some of the reasons Muslims offered to prove that the Quran is miraculous:

• Its content is beyond Muhammad and his contemporaries;
• It was revealed in Arabic, the most precise and logical language in the world;
• It has unique linguistic and literary features;
• It was revealed in 23 years and yet has no contradiction;
• Muhammad’s illiteracy prevent him from producing such a book;
• No one is able to produce a book like it, nor ten chapters like it, nor even one chapter like it;
• Its exact preservation till today.

Allah sent messengers to every nation

Allah sent messengers to every nation:
And for every Ummah (a community or a nation), there is a Messenger; when their Messenger comes, the matter will be judged between them with justice, and they will not be wronged (10:47 Muhsin Khan version).
Verily! We have sent you with the truth, a bearer of glad tidings, and a warner. And there never was a nation but a warner had passed among them (35:24 Muhsin Khan version).

It was not stated whether these messengers wrote books, but anyway, the messages were lost.

Allah claimed to have given us the Bible

Allah claimed to have given us the Bible.
Say, [O believers], "We have believed in Allah and what has been revealed to us and what has been revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the Descendants and what was given to Moses and Jesus and what was given to the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and we are Muslims [in submission] to Him." (2:136 Sahih International version).
Say, "We have believed in Allah and in what was revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Descendants, and in what was given to Moses and Jesus and to the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and we are Muslims [submitting] to Him." (3:84 Sahih International version).
Indeed, We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], as We revealed to Noah and the prophets after him. And we revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, the Descendants, Jesus, Job, Jonah, Aaron, and Solomon, and to David We gave the book [of Psalms]. (4:163 Sahih International version).

They are the Taurat (Torah), Zabur (Psalms) and Injil (Gospel). If we read the Bible, we find that the Taurat (Torah), Zabur (Psalms) and Injil (Gospel) are very different from the Quran.

For example, in the Quran, Jesus did not die:
And because of their saying (in boast), "We killed Messiah 'Iesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), the Messenger of Allah," - but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but the resemblance of 'Iesa (Jesus) was put over another man (and they killed that man), and those who differ therein are full of doubts. They have no (certain) knowledge, they follow nothing but conjecture. For surely; they killed him not [i.e. 'Iesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary) ]: (4:157 Muhsin Khan version)

In all the four Gospels of the Bible, Jesus died and rose again on the third day. So the Injil (Gospel) that the Quran talked about is a different gospel from the Gospel in the Bible. Did the Injil (Gospel) of the Quran exist? It is the job of the Muslims to produce this Injil (Gospel). I definitely think it does not exist. Show me and I will believe.

The Quran is preserved but not the Taurat, Zabur and Injil

Allah had promised in the Quran to protect and preserve the Quran.
Indeed, it is We who sent down the Qur'an and indeed, We will be its guardian (15:9 Sahih International version).

Allah promised that his words cannot be changed.
For them are glad tidings, in the life of the present world (i.e. righteous dream seen by the person himself or shown to others), and in the Hereafter. No change can there be in the Words of Allah, this is indeed the supreme success (10:64 Muhsin Khan version).

However, Allah failed to preserve the Taurat (Torah), Zabur (Psalms) and Injil (Gospel). We cannot find the version of Taurat, Zabur and Injil that is in agreement with the Quran today. The three books were so thoroughly destroyed that we cannot even find the evidence that it ever exist. All we have is the Bible, which the Muslims claimed (without proof) that it is not the real Taurat, Zabur and Injil.

Given the track record of three failures, how can I trust Allah to preserve the fourth?

To prove the Quran

There are 4 verses in the Quran that give a method of proving that the Quran is true. There are quoted below in Sahih International version:

And if you are in doubt about what We have sent down upon Our Servant [Muhammad], then produce a surah the like thereof and call upon your witnesses other than Allah , if you should be truthful. (2:23)

Or do they say [about the Prophet], "He invented it?" Say, "Then bring forth a surah like it and call upon [for assistance] whomever you can besides Allah , if you should be truthful." (10:38)

Or do they say, "He invented it"? Say, "Then bring ten surahs like it that have been invented and call upon [for assistance] whomever you can besides Allah , if you should be truthful." (11:13)

Say, "If mankind and the jinn gathered in order to produce the like of this Qur'an, they could not produce the like of it, even if they were to each other assistants." (17:88)

Basically the Quran challenge us to bring a book or a chapter like it. To accept this challenge, we can conduct a test. Create Arabic verses like the Quran and mix the real Quran surahs in it. Get those who know Arabic to identify the real Koran surahs. If everyone who reads this mixture is able to correctly identify the real Quran surahs, then the Quran must be special. If not, we can prove that the Quran can be duplicated and the above quoted surahs are false.

Can principals and teachers be evaluated fairly with yearly KPI?

Let say a new principal of a prestigeous top secondary school or junior college decide to try some new methods to train the students. As a result, the school's results drop a little, maybe no longer top, but still within top ten. After five years, the school's board call up the principal and said, "Ever since you took over, our school is no longer the best. Although we know that you emphasise on training the whole person, not just for academic results, but our school ranking has dropped and so you have to go. Maybe you should go to those school where the students are not so gifted and try your methods." Let say twenty years later, it turned out that most of the leaders of the country turned out to be from that school during the principal's term of office and they credit their success to him (or her). How shall we reward this principal, since the proof of his success takes twenty years to mature?

God's love is not optional

We have this famous verse from 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."

Many preachers stopped here and start talking about the wonderful love of God, which is of course very true. However, some preachers went further. I remembered a female preacher from Colchester, Essex, England gave the analogy that God is like a young man chasing after young girls. He is full of love. Young girls do not just accept love from young men, if there is more than one suitor. She has a choice.

However, we do not have an option. If we were to go down further to John 3:18, we will read this: "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." But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). Rejection means condemnation. Unlike the young girls, we do not have an option. There is only one God.

Everyone loves a "good" man

Everyone loves a "good" man. Even the most evil tyrant loves to have a loyal and honest follower. Loyal and honest to him only, but cruel and cunning to others. Company likes loyal and honest employees, as long as they do not tell everyone the bad things that happen in their companies too honestly to outsiders. Countries love to have honest and loyal citizens. Nobody likes traitors.
Christians are loyal and honest to God, who is the highest authority. This is not popular. Many leaders or organisation want the loyalty to be directed at themselves, not someone else. Thus some countries find Christians unwelcome, even when they are loyal and honest, because they are loyal to another Authority which may be a competitor to the state, especially when the state is not good.

What if Christianity is a scam?

For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? (Luke 14:28)
Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? (Luke 14:31)

What if Christianity is a scam? What would be the cost to you?

If I die and atheism turned out to be true, and there is no God, well, I just won't wake up. I think it is okay. I have wasted my time, but so have everyone else.

If Islam turned out to be true, we are more or less on equal grounds with everyone else. After all, Allah will weigh everyone's deeds on a balance to decide who will go to heaven or hell.

If Buddhism is true, then I will get a second chance with my reincarnation.

But what if Christianity is NOT a scam? Then you have to take note of this verse:
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)

Predestination vs Free will

When Romeo and Juliet committed suicide, were they doing it out of their own free will, or were they murdered by William Shakespeare?

Separatism and Pride

Sometimes, when we fight for the truth and separation from evil against heresies, we become proud. We prayed together with the Pharisee, "I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican (Luke 18:11 KJV)."

Spiritual Dwarfs

Many of us have normal bodies. We all can thank God that we all tall and beautiful people. Even when we are not so tall, our height is still within normal range. However, if our physical body were to reflect our spiritual life, we may not look so normal.
If we harbour sin in our life, our spiritual growth will be stunted. If our physical body reflect our spiritual growth, we would look like short little dwarfs, small body with an adult head.
We do not like to look like that physically, but we do not mind looking like that spiritually, because our spiritual life cannot be seen.

Early Christian Heresies

Early Christian heresies centered around the twin issues of the nature of God (Trinity) and the nature of Jesus Christ (Christological Controversies).

The official stand on these issues (according to all the Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant churches) are as follows:
1. God is a trinity, three persons but one essence;
2. Jesus Christ was one person, simultaneously human and divine.

Modalism / Sabellianism
God is one person in three modes. This, of course, implies that Jesus Christ was purely divine, without humanness, and therefore could not truly have suffered or died.

Docetism
Jesus was divine, but only seemed to be human.

Adoptionism
Jesus was a human being who was "adopted" by God and granted a divine nature.

Monophysitism
Jesus Christ has two separate natures joined in one body.

Nestorianism
Jesus Christ had two natures - man and God which remained separate throughout his period on earth.

Apollinarianism
Jesus fully God, partially or incompletely human, Jesus divine will overshadowed and replaced the human. Apollinarians suggested that he had a human body and a human soul, but his mind was taken over by the eternal Logos.

Arianism
Jesus was a lesser, created being, a special creation by God for man's salvation.

Socinianism - (A version of Arianism)
Denial of the Trinity. Jesus is a deified man. This heresy still lives on in two very different forms, the Unitarians and the Jehova's Witnesses.

Bible Fights

All Bible fights in Christianity can boil down to these four items:

Components, Reliability, Interpretation, Translation.

Components
What books to be included in the Bible.

Reliability
Extraordinary: Miracles (e.g. Virgin Birth, Bodily Resurrection) or fairy tales;
Past: History (Did Abraham, Moses etc exists? Was Israel really a kingdom in Middle East? Who wrote the Gospels? etc);
Current: Science vs Bible;
Future: Prophecies (Fulfilled prophecies or people writing history but pretending to be prophecies).

Interpretation
Salvation (Faith, Works);
God, Jesus Rituals (Sacraments, Baptism Mode, Child Baptism, Lord's Supper);
Church Government (Pope, Episcopal, Presbyterian, Brethen).

Translation
Mainly English - KJV controversy

The Secret of Elijah's power

If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. (John 15:7)
Note well that we must hear Jesus speak if we expect Him to hear us speak. If we have no ear for Christ, He will have no ear for us. In proportion as we hear we shall be heard.
Moreover, what is heard must remain, must live in us, and must abide in our character as a force and a power. We must receive the truths which Jesus taught, the precepts which He issued, and the movements of His Spirit within us; or we shall have no power at the Mercy Seat. ... Thus are Elijahs trained to handle the keys of heaven and lock or loose the clouds. ... He has need to "hearken diligently" who would pray effectually. (C. H. Spurgeon, Faith's Check Book, February 24)

Jews during the days of Christ (A. W. Pink)

The following quote is extracted from the book "Profiting From The Word", Chapter 2 "The Scriptures and God" by A. W. Pink. It describe the Jews during the days of Christ. could it also describe the Christian Fundamentalist today?

QUOTE
It was so when Christ was here upon earth. The Jews were very orthodox. At that time they were free from idolatry. The temple stood at Jerusalem, the Law was expounded, Jehovah was worshipped. And yet Christ said to them, "He that sent me is true, whom ye know not." (John 7:28). "Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also" (John 8:19). "It is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God. Yet ye have not known him" (John 8:54,55). And mark it well, this is said to a people who had the Scriptures, searched them diligently, and venerated them as God’s Word! They were well acquainted with God theoretically, but a spiritual knowledge of Him they had not.
UNQUOTE

Two sins

There were 2 sins which God condemn severely, but look so minor to us.
When Adam and Eve eat the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden of Eden (Genesis 3:6), the whole world fell into sin. What a punishment for eating the wrong fruit.
When Esau came home hungry, he sold his birthright for one morsel of meat (Genesis 25:29-34). For that, God declares that "Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated" (Romans 9:13, Malachi 1:2-3). What a bargain Jacob got, and what a curse Esau got himself into.
The course of history changed, all because of food.

Unwilling to part with $1000 but happy to part with $10000

Is it possible that a person is happy to part with $10000 but unwilling to part with $1000? Let say someone approach Mr. X to donate $1000 for some charity. Mr. X felt that this is too much money to waste and he said no. Mr. X also invest $100000 in some financial instrument, something like Lehman Mini-bonds. Then he was told that he would lose all his money. After many years, he was finally told that he can get back 90% of his investment, losing only $10000. He was overjoyed that he only lose $10000. So it is always possible for a person to be happy when losing a big sum of money in hope of making more money, but unwilling to give small sum of money for charity.

1 John 1:8,9,10

I was puzzled by 1 John 1:8 and 1 John 1:10. Verse 8 says "we have no sin" and verse 10 says "we have not sinned". I was wondering why we need two different verses, and why is verse 9 in the middle. Then I come across this imaginary conversation in article after a google search:

QUOTE
To get at the true meaning of the verse in question, let us suppose a conversation between a Christian depending, as all must, on the blood of Christ for salvation, and a self-righteous sinner, who thinks he is good enough and has no sin, consequently no need of the cleansing blood.

Christian: My friend, did you know that “if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin?” I have proved this to be true, and if you will come to Him as I did you may prove it for yourself, and be cleansed from all sin.

Self-Righteous: But I have no sin to be cleansed away; I have no need of the blood of Jesus.

Christian: What? You say you have no sin? “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” Surely you are wrong and self-deceived. You should repent, confess your sins, and be saved, for we read in I John 1 :9. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Self-Righteous: But I have never sinned, and do not feel that I have anything to confess or repent of. I pay my honest debts, and treat my neighbors well, and support my family, and I believe I am just as good as anyone. I am not a sinner, and have never done anything wrong.

Christian: Surely, in saving that, you are making God a liar, for in I John 1:10 it says: “If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him. liar, and His word is not in us.”

Thus we get at the meaning of the last four verses of I John 1. The text in question, then, does not have any reference whatever to one who has been cleansed from all sin, but to one who says he has no sin to be cleansed from, when he really has sin in his heart. It is also just as applicable to the unsanctified Christian who denies the further need of cleansing.
UNQUOTE

Disclaimer:
The fact that I quote the website does mean that I endorse its stand. In the first place, I have not idea about its stand on Christianity because I have not really checked it.

World and Bible

The world teaches us to be self-sufficient and be interdependent. The Bible teaches us to be God-dependent.

Religion and Way of Life

Many people tell me, "XXX is not a religion; it is a way of life." My pastor just mentioned this again in his Wednesday prayer sharing. "Christianity is not a religion, it is a way of life."

I believe that any system of beliefs is a religion if it seeks to explain beyond death. To me, atheism is a religion because it seeks to tell you that there is nothing beyond death. If you are an atheist and God exists, you are in trouble. Of course Christianity is a religion. The Bible tells you that God exists and is ever ready to punish you in hell because you are a sinner. But there is always redemption in Christ, the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world. Christianity, atheism and other religions all seek to tell you something beyond death.

When you practised your religion, it becomes your way of life. So a religion is the set of beliefs and a way of life is the practice of the beliefs. Let us not confuse people by saying "XXX is not a religion; it is a way of life."

Christian Activism

If the job of full time Christian preachers is to preach the Word of God, then it is the job of the lay Christians to apply the Word to the world. Look at Christian activist such as William Wilberforce in Great Britain. If not for them, we will still have slavery today. Christians are the light of the world and salt of the earth. If we do not act, then the world will be in darkness.

Jacob and Esau

Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated (Malachi 1:2-3, Romans 9:13), so proclaims God in the Bible. But who was Esau? Esau was not a wicked man. He was a good hunter and liked the outdoors, the eldest son of the Patriarch Isaac. His father loved him because he could cook tasty dishes from the wild animals he hunted. From the worldly point of view, he was a successful man. He had hoped to inherit his father's wealth, but was cheated of his birthright (Genesis 25:29-34) and blessings (Genesis 27:1-41) by his brother Jacob. But he went to and became a successful man himself. When he was to meet his brother Jacob again, he had 400 men with him (Genesis 33:1). He magnanimously forgave his brother (Genesis 33:1-16) and built his own inheritance at Edom (Genesis 36:6) and never fought with Jacob for Isaac's inheritance after the latter died.

As a country, Edom progress faster than Israel. While Israel were still slaves in Egypt, kings ruled in Edom (Genesis 36:31). If you were an observer at this time, you would think that Esau the ancestor and Edom the country is doing very well indeed.

But God hated Esau. He considered Esau as a fornicator, or profane person, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright (Hebrews 12:6). Like the world, Esau despise God, and use his own strength to build his legacy. God is ignored. Edom may build, but God will tear down (Malachi 1:4). All that the world built without God will be torn down.

Who was Jacob? His name meant "heel catcher, that is, supplanter". He was the Plain Man (Genesis 25:27), unlike his brother Esau, who was an outdoor man and a hunter. He took advantage of his brother's hunger and bought his birthright. He stole his brother's blessings from their father by pretending to be him. Yet this is the man that God chose to be the ancestor of the Chosen People, the ancestor of Jesus Christ. Jacob's only saving grace is that he desired the things of God, and he tried to get them by all means. In the end, it was God's perseverance with Jacob that finally change him from one who trust his own scheming to one who trust God.

God chose Jacob, the horribly imperfect man and changed him. This gives us hope, for we are also sinners like Jacob and we need God to transform us.

We can all say with Jacob, "I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast showed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands (Genesis 32:10)."

Propitiation, ransom, redemption, reconciliation and justification

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God... (1 Peter 3:18 ESV)

For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. (Rom 3:22-25 ESV)

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. (Galatians 4:4-5 ESV)

For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. (1 Timothy 2:5-6 ESV)

All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:18-19 ESV)

Quotes About the Bible - 2

"It may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a Biblical reference. Scores of archaeological findings have been made which confirm in clear outline or exact detail historical statements in the Bible. And, by the same token, proper evaluation of Biblical description has often led to amazing discoveries." - Dr. Nelson Glueck, Rivers in the Desert, (New York: Farrar, Strous and Cudahy, 1959), 136.

Can GOD create a stone so heavy so that He cannot lift it up Himself?

Can GOD create a stone so heavy so that He cannot lift it up Himself? The Bible does not have an answer to this question. But if you change to question to "Can the immortal God die?", the Bible has the answer.

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)

So if there is a stone that Jesus cannot carry, then GOD had created a stone so heavy so that He cannot lift it up Himself.

It is wonderful to be Trinity, three and yet one.

A non-Christian's response to the Bible

On Thursday 12th February 2009's letter to Straits Times, a certain Dr. Panagiotis Karras felt that Professor Ngiam Tong Dow's article "Fostering the freedom to think" on 10th February 2009 in Straits Times, offering the Bible as a model of free thinking is incorrect. He felt that "The model of behaviour in the Bible is one of fear and uncritical submission to 'the will of God'. A prime example is the story of Abraham who followed 'the will of God' and tried to sacrifice his own son. This is not an example of 'fostering the freedom to think'".