The Competent Wife From אֵ To תְּ

10 A competent wife, how does one find her? Her value is far above pearls.
11 Her husband entrusts his heart to her, and with her he will have all he needs.
12 She brings him good and not trouble all the days of her life.
13 She seeks out wool and flax; she works joyfully with her hands.
14 She is like a fleet of merchant ships, bringing food from a distance.
15 She gets up while it is still night, providing food for her household, even some for her female servants.
16 She surveys a field and acquires it; from her own resources, she plants a vineyard.
17 She works energetically; her arms are powerful.
18 She realizes that her trading is successful; she doesn’t put out her lamp at night.
19 She puts her hands to the spindle; her palms grasp the whorl.
20 She reaches out to the needy; she stretches out her hands to the poor.
21 She doesn’t fear for her household when it snows, because they are all dressed in warm clothes.
22 She makes bedspreads for herself; fine linen and purple are her clothing.
23 Her husband is known in the city gates when he sits with the elders of the land.
24 She makes garments and sells them; she supplies sashes to traders.
25 Strength and honor are her clothing; she is confident about the future.
26 Her mouth is full of wisdom; kindly teaching is on her tongue.
27 She is vigilant over the activities of her household; she doesn’t eat the food of laziness.
28 Her children bless her; her husband praises her:
29 "Many women act competently, but you surpass them all!"
30 Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Let her share in the results of her work; let her deeds praise her in the city gates.
(Proverbs 31:10-31 CEB)

אֵשֶׁת־חַיִל מִי יִמְצָא וְרָחֹק מִפְּנִינִים מִכְרָהּ׃ 10 A competent wife, how does one find her? Her value is far above pearls.
בָּטַח בָּהּ לֵב בַּעְלָהּ וְשָׁלָל לֹא יֶחְסָר׃ 11 Her husband entrusts his heart to her, and with her he will have all he needs.
גְּמָלַתְהוּ טֹוב וְלֹא־רָע כֹּל יְמֵי חַיֶּיה׃ 12 She brings him good and not trouble all the days of her life.
דָּרְשָׁה צֶמֶר וּפִשְׁתִּים וַתַּעַשׂ בְּחֵפֶץ כַּפֶּיהָ׃ 13 She seeks out wool and flax; she works joyfully with her hands.
הָיְתָה כָּאֳנִיֹּות סֹוחֵר מִמֶּרְחָק תָּבִיא לַחְמָהּ׃ 14 She is like a fleet of merchant ships, bringing food from a distance.
וַתָּקָם בְּעֹוד לַיְלָה וַתִּתֵּן טֶרֶף לְבֵיתָהּ וְחֹק לְנַעֲרֹתֶיהָ׃ 15 She gets up while it is still night, providing food for her household, even some for her female servants
זָמְמָה שָׂדֶה וַתִּקָּחֵהוּ מִפְּרִי כַפֶּיהָ נָטְעָ כָּרֶם׃ 16 She surveys a field and acquires it; from her own resources, she plants a vineyard.
חָגְרָה בְעֹוז מָתְנֶיהָ וַתְּאַמֵּץ זְרֹעֹותֶיהָ׃ 17 She works energetically; her arms are powerful.
טָעֲמָה כִּי־טֹוב סַחְרָהּ לֹא־יִכְבֶּה בַלַּיְלָ נֵרָהּ׃ 18 She realizes that her trading is successful; she doesn’t put out her lamp at night.
יָדֶיהָ שִׁלְּחָה בַכִּישֹׁור וְכַפֶּיהָ תָּמְכוּ פָלֶךְ׃ 19 She puts her hands to the spindle; her palms grasp the whorl.
כַּפָּהּ פָּרְשָׂה לֶעָנִי וְיָדֶיהָ שִׁלְּחָה לָאֶבְיֹון׃ 20 She reaches out to the needy; she stretches out her hands to the poor.
לֹא־תִירָא לְבֵיתָהּ מִשָּׁלֶג כִּי כָל־בֵּיתָהּ לָבֻשׁ שָׁנִים 21 She doesn’t fear for her household when it snows, because they are all dressed in warm clothes.
מַרְבַדִּים עָשְׂתָה־לָּהּ שֵׁשׁ וְאַרְגָּמָן לְבוּשָׁהּ׃ 22 She makes bedspreads for herself; fine linen and purple are her clothing.
נֹודָע בַּשְּׁעָרִים בַּעְלָהּ בְּשִׁבְתֹּו עִם־זִקְנֵי־אָרֶץ׃ 23 Her husband is known in the city gates when he sits with the elders of the land.
סָדִין עָשְׂתָה וַתִּמְכֹּר וַחֲגֹור נָתְנָה לַכְּנַעֲנִי׃ 24 She makes garments and sells them; she supplies sashes to traders.
עֹז־וְהָדָר לְבוּשָׁהּ וַתִּשְׂחַק לְיֹום אַחֲרֹון׃ 25 Strength and honor are her clothing; she is confident about the future.
פִּיהָ פָּתְחָה בְחָכְמָה וְתֹורַת־חֶסֶד עַל־לְשֹׁונָהּ׃ 26 Her mouth is full of wisdom; kindly teaching is on her tongue.
צֹופִיָּה הֲלִיכֹות בֵּיתָהּ וְלֶחֶם עַצְלוּת לֹא תֹאכֵל׃ 27 She is vigilant over the activities of her household; she doesn’t eat the food of laziness.
קָמוּ בָנֶיהָ וַיְאַשְּׁרוּהָ בַּעְלָהּ וַיְהַלְלָהּ׃ 28 Her children bless her; her husband praises her:
רַבֹּות בָּנֹות עָשׂוּ חָיִל וְאַתְּ עָלִית עַל־כֻּלָּנָה׃ 29 Many women act competently, but you surpass them all!
שֶׁקֶר הַחֵן וְהֶבֶל הַיֹּפִי אִשָּׁה יִרְאַת־יְהוָה הִיא תִתְהַלָּל׃ 30 Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
תְּנוּ־לָהּ מִפְּרִי יָדֶיהָ וִיהַלְלוּהָ בַשְּׁעָרִים מַעֲשֶׂיהָ׃   31 Let her share in the results of her work; let her deeds praise her in the city gates.

One Door Yet Its Side Are Two

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

And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. (Matthew 25:46 KJV)

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. (John 3:36 ESV)

One door, and only one
And yet its sides are two,
Inside and outside,
On which side are you?

If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. (Matthew 18:8 NIV)

If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. (Mark 9:43 NIV)

Human Value - Theist vs Atheist

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. (Genesis 1:26-30 KJV)

Theist:
When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? or thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. (Psalm 8:3-5 KJV)

Atheist:
"The human race is just a chemical scum on a moderate-sized planet, orbiting around a very average star in the outer suburb of one among a hundred billion galaxies. We are so insignificant that I can't believe the whole universe exists for our benefit. That would be like saying that you would disappear if I closed my eyes."
Stephen Hawking in 1995 from an interview with Ken Campbell on the show "Reality on the Rocks: Beyond Our Ken"

Priests and Ambassadors

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. (1 Peter 2:9 HCSB)

As Christians we are priests. But we are not the same as the Aaronic Priests. The Aaronic Priests approach God on behalf of men. We are priests that approach men of behalf of God. We are God's ambassadors.

Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:20 KJV)

What Is Good?

A customer of mine ask me to do him a favour. He wanted to add memory to his server and needed my help. Although this is not my job, but I helped him and put it into my service report to record the change in configuration. When my boss saw the service report, he rejected it. He said that although I meant well by helping the customer and keeping proper record in the service report, but in doing so, I may have invalidated the warranty of the server. By putting it into the service report, his company will hold our company liable for invalidating the warranty. He asked me to remove the memory and change the service report.

What I thought was good, a simple favour for a friend, turned out to be bad for two companies. My good nullified a greater good. So every good we do may be nullified by a greater good. What is good for an individual may be bad for the family. What is good for the family may be bad for the country. What is good for the country may be bad for the world. Does this go on ad infinitum? No. The buck stops at God, the creator of heavens and earth. He defines what is good and bad. Anything that is good for God is good the the creation because God created the whole creation for a purpose, for His own glory.

Now this is a test of whether you are a proud person or not. What is your response to the fact that God created everything for His own glory and not for the good of men? If you are angry that God is so selfish, you are a proud person.

And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. (Mark 10:18 KJV)
And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. (Luke 18:19 ESV)
And he said to him, "Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments." (Matthew 19:17 ESV)
You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the LORD. (Leviticus 18:5 ESV)

The Illusion of Free Will

We thought that we have free will. But our will is just one of the many factors affecting our decisions. Our will is not completely free and have limitations. There are many other factors that limit and affect us.

Body
Our body is the biggest limiting factor. We may want to fly, but we cannot. We may want to work, but we tires. Our body requires maintenance. We hunger, thirst and need sleep.

Knowledge
Our will is also limited by knowledge. Our knowledge of self, of other people, the world, the future and above all, the knowledge of God.

Time
We may will to do something, but we may not have to time to do it.

Sin
Our will is limited by our sinful nature, our bodily lust, our wrong desires.

Circumstances
We are also influenced and manipulated by our situation and experience. In times of extreme need, in presence of persuasive people, in situation of temptations.

Forgive And You Shall Be Forgiven

Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy. (Matthew 5:7 KJV)
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. (Matthew 6:12 KJV)
For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: (Matthew 6:14 KJV)
And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses. (Mark 11:25-26 KJV)

Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; (Luke 6:37 ESV)
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32 ESV)

God Uses Sinners

Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will; the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel; the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives, thinking to cause me distress in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice. (Philippians 1:15-18 NASB)

God always use sinners to preach His gospel of salvation. He did not call the angels to preach (except in Revelation 14:6), but sinners saved by grace. He did not miraculously change the heart of men, but work through each man one by one.

Sanctification

Positional - called to be saints
To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: (1 Corinthians 1:2 ESV)

Progressive - conformed to the image of his Son
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. (Romans 8:29 ESV)

Participative - work out your own salvation

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12-13 ESV)

True Islam Is Christianity

In an article in Straits Times on Saturday 11th May 2013 'Islamic' does not mean Muslim-majority by Mohd Alami Musa, he wrote:

QUOTE

This also reminded me of a profound remark by the renowned Egyptian reformer Muhammad Abduh (1849-1905) who spent six years in exile in the West (Paris and Britain). Upon returning to the East (his homeland), he remarked that "I went to the West and saw Islam, but no Muslims; I got back to the East and saw Muslims, but not Islam".
UNQUOTE

The truth is true Islam is Christianity. Just read the Bible and you will know the truth and the truth shall set you free.

Moses the First Prophet

Then Moses answered, "What if they won't believe me and will not obey me but say, 'The Lord did not appear to you'?"
The Lord asked him, "What is that in your hand?"
"A staff," he replied.
Then He said, "Throw it on the ground." He threw it on the ground, and it became a snake. Moses ran from it, but the Lord told him, "Stretch out your hand and grab it by the tail." So he stretched out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand. "This will take place," He continued, "so they will believe that Yahweh, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you."
In addition the Lord said to him, "Put your hand inside your cloak." So he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, his hand was diseased, white as snow. Then He said, "Put your hand back inside your cloak." He put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, it had again become like the rest of his skin. "If they will not believe you and will not respond to the evidence of the first sign, they may believe the evidence of the second sign. And if they don't believe even these two signs or listen to what you say, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the Nile will become blood on the ground." (Exodus 4:1-9 HCSB)

Moses told Aaron everything the Lord had sent him to say, and about all the signs He had commanded him to do. Then Moses and Aaron went and assembled all the elders of the Israelites. Aaron repeated everything the Lord had said to Moses and performed the signs before the people. The people believed, and when they heard that the Lord had paid attention to them and that He had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped. (Exodus 4:28-31 HCSB)

Moses was established as prophet publicly by miracles. Moses asked God to prove to the Israelites that He had sent him. Go gave Moses three signs which Moses performed publicly before the Israelites to establish his credentials. After all, he is the first prophet and thus he laid the foundation for the rest of the prophets to follow.

God further confirmed Moses as His prophet with more public miracles:
1. The ten plagues of Egypt (Exodus 8,9,10,11)
2. The pillar of cloud and fire (Exodus 13:21)
3. The parting of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21-22)
4. The giving of the Law at Mount Sinai (Exodus 24)
5. The daily manna (Exodus 16:35)
6. Water from rock (Exodus 17:5-7, Numbers 20:10-11)

All these were done publicly, in the presence of Israelites and Egyptians.

Moses also established the criteria for true prophets.

"If a prophet or someone who has dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you, and that sign or wonder he has promised you comes about, but he says, 'Let us follow other gods,' which you have not known, 'and let us worship them,' do not listen to that prophet's words or to that dreamer. For the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul. You must follow the Lord your God and fear Him. You must keep His commands and listen to His voice; you must worship Him and remain faithful to Him. That prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he has urged rebellion against the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the place of slavery, to turn you from the way the Lord your God has commanded you to walk. You must purge the evil from you. (Deuteronomy 13:1-3 HCSB)

"The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him. This is what you requested from the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, 'Let us not continue to hear the voice of the Lord our God or see this great fire any longer, so that we will not die!' Then the Lord said to me, 'They have spoken well. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. I will put My words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. I will hold accountable whoever does not listen to My words that he speaks in My name. But the prophet who dares to speak a message in My name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods—that prophet must die.' You may say to yourself, 'How can we recognize a message the Lord has not spoken?' When a prophet speaks in the Lord’s name, and the message does not come true or is not fulfilled, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him. (Deuteronomy 18:15-22 HCSB)

He said,
"Hear now My words:
If there is a prophet among you,
I, the Lord, shall make Myself known to him in a vision.
I shall speak with him in a dream.
"Not so, with My servant Moses,
He is faithful in all My household;
With him I speak mouth to mouth,
Even openly, and not in dark sayings,
And he beholds bthe form of the Lord.
Why then were you not afraid
To speak against My servant, against Moses?" (Numbers 12:6–8 NASB)

Since that time no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, for all the signs and wonders which the Lord sent him to perform in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh, all his servants, and all his land, and for all the mighty power and for all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel. (Deuteronomy 34:10-12 NASB)

Jesus Predicts His Death And Resurrection

From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. (Matthew 16:21 KJV)

And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men: And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry. (Matthew 17:22-23 KJV)

And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again. (Matthew 20:17-19 KJV)

But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. (Matthew 12:39-40 KJV)

A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed. (Matthew 16:4 KJV)

Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body. (John 2:19-21 KJV)

Jesus predicts His death and resurrection three times (Mark 8:31, Mark 9:30-32, Mark 30:32-34) but His disciples are so dense that when it really happened, they could not remember His teachings.

For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. (John 20:9 NASB)

Love Your Enemies

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. (Matthew 5:44-45 KJV)

Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." To the contrary, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head." (Romans 12:19-20 ESV)

If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you. (Proverbs 25:21-22 ESV)

Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD. (Leviticus 19:18 NIV)

Loving your enemies is an impossible task for most. Only the Holy Spirit can enable us to do so. And there is also an infrastructure of the Word of God to support Him. We are constantly reminded that we are recipients of grace and love ourselves.

We love, because He first love us.
We love because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19 ESV)

We forgive, because we were forgiven.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. (Matthew 6:12 KJV)
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32 ESV)
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. (Colossians 3:12-13 ESV)

We give, because we were given.
Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. (Matthew 10:8 KJV)

Satan Does God's Will

Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. (James 1:13 ESV)

Everyone works for God, willingly or unwillingly; knowingly or unknowingly. Satan works for God as His agent of temptation. He loves the job, knows the consequences, but still does it. At the Garden of Eden, he tempted Adam and Eve. At the wilderness, he tempted Jesus. Every moment, he tempts us.

And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while. (Revelation 20:2-3 ESV)

During the millennium, Satan will not be available to tempt the people. Sinners will be born, but there will be no sin.

When the 1,000 years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle. Their number is like the sand of the sea. (Revelation 20:7-8 HCSB)

At the end of the millennium, Satan will be released, so that all who were born during the millennium will have their heart revealed. There will be so many of them that hate God that the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. Imagine the great number of people that hate truth and perfection.

They came up over the surface of the earth and surrounded the encampment of the saints, the beloved city. Then fire came down from heaven and consumed them. The Devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet are, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. (Revelation 20:9-10 HCSB)