Thursday, August 29, 2013

God Always Has Our Good In His Mind - 2

He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:32 ESV)

For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth. (Proverbs 3:12 KJV)

God does all things for our good even though sometimes things seem to go tough. Many times, we made prayers, but actually did not expect them to be answered because we do not believe God has our good in His heart.

James the Apostle was just executed by Herod and now Peter was arrested and put in prison. The whole church prayed for Peter.

So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church. (Acts 12:5 ESV)

Peter was released by an angel and he went back to the church (Mary, John Mark's mother's house). So the prayers of the church were answered, but they could not believe it. They did not expect a speedy answer to their prayer. Probably they thought they must pray very hard and very long before God will answer. Probably, they even thought their prayer might not even be answered and Peter will be executed like James. They were not sure. They were not expecting any good news. At least, not so fast.

And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. Recognizing Peter’s voice, in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate.
They said to her, "You are out of your mind." But she kept insisting that it was so, and they kept saying, "It is his angel!" But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed. (Acts 12:13-16 ESV)

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Freedom Without Truth

The Book of Judges is a story of a cycle of idolatry, defeat, crying out to God and deliverance. It catalogs some of the worst sins that men committed - fratricide (Judges 9:5), gang rape (Judges 19:25), civil war (Judges 20:1-48) and human sacrifice (Judges 11:39). The key verse of the book in in its last verse:
In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes. (Judges 21:25 KJV)

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (John 8:32 KJV)

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6 KJV)

And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. (John 17:3 ESV)

Know the Truth, and you will know God, have freedom and eternal life.
If you just have freedom without truth, then your life will be more and more miserable.

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Living in Times of Prophetic Fulfilment

It is a privilege to be living in times when the prophecies of the Bible is being fulfilled. There are very few such times. In the past we have the following times when prophecies of God in the Bible were fulfilled:
  1. The first exile of Israel, the Babylonian exile of 70 years (Isaiah 39:5-7, 2 Kings 25:1-21, 2 Chronicles 36:15-21, Jeremiah 52:4-28);
  2. The first restoration of Israel (Jeremiah 29:10, Ezra 1:1-4);
  3. The first coming of the Messiah (Micah 5:2, Daniel 9:25-26);
  4. The second exile of Israel, the world wide exile (Deuteronomy 28:64-68).
Today, we are witnessing the second restoration of Israel (Deuteronomy 30:1-10, Ezekiel 37:4-28), with Judah being restored first. Yet to come will be the restoration of the other tribes. Once the twelve tribes are restored, Israel will enter into the Great Tribulation and the Messiah will come again.

Friday, August 16, 2013

Praying In Christ's Name

But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. (Isaiah 59:2 KJV)

But the Messiah has appeared, high priest of the good things that have come. In the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands (that is, not of this creation), He entered the most holy place once for all, not by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. (Hebrews 9:11-12 HCSB)

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16 KJV)

Sin separates us from God. Therefore, we need to pray in the name of Christ.

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Channels, Not Reservoirs

I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice. (Genesis 22:17-18 ESV)

God answers our prayer so that we can be channels of blessings to others. God does not bless us to be a reservoir of His blessings. His name cannot be glorified by our hoarding of His blessings.

Freely you have received; freely give. (Matthew 10:8 NIV)

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

God Answers Prayer to Glorify Himself

God knows your need before you ask.
Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. (Matthew 6:8 ESV)

God answers prayers that are asked according to His will.
And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. (1 John 5:14 ESV)

God answers our prayers to glorify Himself.
And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. (John 14:13 KJV)

Therefore, God answers prayer that are prayed according to His will which is to glorify His Name. When God is glorified, we benefited.

Saturday, August 10, 2013

God Always Has Our Good In His Mind - 1

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? (Matthew 7:7-11 KJV)

And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? (Luke 11:9-13 KJV)

We just cannot believe God has good intentions for us. We always think that God is reluctant to give us our desire because we know very well that we usually disobey His words. When my daughter lost her keys in the market, I prayed that she could find them, but with a secret reservation that if she cannot find it, probably God had other plans. But my prayer was answered and she found the keys. God always has our good in His mind. Somehow, our mindset is such that we refuse to believe it.

And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. (Matthew 21:22 KJV)

He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:32 KJV)

Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. (James 1:17 NASB)

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! (Psalm 34:8 ESV)

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Sin

The Bible's Definition of Sin
1. Transgression - to go beyond a set boundary or limit (G458 ἀνομία anomia)
Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. (1 John 3:4 KJV)
2. To miss the mark (G266 ἁμαρτία hamartia)
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23 KJV)

Scope of Sin
1. All have sinned
If they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near; (1 Kings 8:46 KJV)
How can a person be justified before God? How can one born of woman be pure? (Job 25:4 HCSB)
The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. (Psalm 14:1 KJV)
The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good. (Psalm 53:1 KJV)
They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one. (Psalm 14:3 KJV)
Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. (Psalm 53:3 KJV)
And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified. (Psalm 143:2 KJV)
Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin? (Proverbs 20:9 KJV)
For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not. (Ecclesiastes 7:20 KJV)
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: (Roman 3:10)
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23 KJV)
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (1 John 1:8 KJV)
2. All unrighteousness is sin
All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death. (1 John 5:17 KJV)
3. Whatsoever is not of faith is sin
The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. (Romans 14:22-23 ESV)
4. Sins of Omission
Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. (James 4:17 KJV)

The origin of sin - How did sin begin?
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (Romans 5:12 KJV)

Ultimate cause of sin - Unbelief
Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?" The woman said to the serpent, "From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'" The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." (Genesis 3:1-5 NASB)

Antidote to sin - Belief
Then they said to him, "What must we do, to be doing the works of God?" Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." (John 6:28-29 ESV)

Effects of sin
1. Separation from God - sin always destroys communion with God
But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. (Isaiah 59:2 KJV)
2. Death
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23 KJV)
For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:22 KJV)
Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. (James 1:13-15 NASB)

The Progression of Sin (James 1:14-15)
1. Enticed by temptation
But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. (James 1:14 NASB)
2. Conceived in the mind
Then when lust has conceived, (James 1:15 NASB)
3. Resulted in action
it gives birth to sin; (James 1:15 NASB)
4. Reaped the final fruit
and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. (James 1:15 NASB)

Sources of Temptation
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. (1 John 2:16 KJV)
1. The lust of the flesh which is the craving for physical pleasure and our selfish desires;
2. The lust of the eyes is our craving for things that we see, those that please our eyes;
3. The pride of life is pride in our achievements, possessions, lifestyle, things that puffs us up.

The Progression of Sin in Society or History
1. Rejection of God (Truth)
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. (Romans 1:18-20 NASB)
2. Futility of Thoughts - trying to understand a world without God, recreating God in man's image
For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. (Romans 1:21-23 NASB)
3.Exchanged God (Truth) for Idols (Lies)
Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. (Romans 1:24-25 NASB)
4. Perversion of Moral Standards
For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. (Romans 1:26-27 NASB)
5. Approval of Sin as the New Moral Standard
And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them. (Romans 1:28-32 NASB)

Classification of Sin
Who perceives his unintentional sins? Cleanse me from my hidden faults. Moreover, keep Your servant from willful sins; do not let them rule over me. Then I will be innocent and cleansed from blatant rebellion. (Psalm 19:12-13 HCSB)
1. Unintentional Sins (Numbers 15:22-29, Leviticus 5:17-19, 1 Timothy 1:13)
2. Willful Sins
2.1 Sins of commission
2.2 Sins of omission (James 4:17)
3. Blatant Rebellion (Numbers 15:30-31, Matthew 12:31, Revelation 14:9-11)

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Atheists Create God For Prayer

The following is quoted from an article found in The New York Times Sunday Review The Opinion Pages published on 3rd August 2013 written by Op-Ed Guest Columnist T. M. Luhrmann.

QUOTE
Addicted to Prayer
As evidence accumulates about the many health benefits of religious practice, prayer is looking better and better. Some atheists have even gone public with their own prayer-for-health’s-sake practice.
Take Sigfried Gold, the subject of a recent article in The Washington Post. He’s a thoughtful, articulate man who lives in Takoma Park, Md., and turned 50 yesterday. He is passionate about philosophy and long ago decided that there was no stuff in the universe that was not physical — no supernatural, no divine.
But he also smoked too much, and more than anything else he ate too much. He was worried that his weight — a good 100 pounds of excess fat — would kill him. So he joined a 12-step program to control his food addiction. One of the steps is to turn your problem over to a higher power. So Mr. Gold created a god he doesn’t believe exists: a large African-American lesbian with an Afro that reached the edges of the universe. (Those who find this ridiculous, if not offensive, should read "The Shack," by William P. Young, in which the Holy Trinity is a black housekeeper, a Hebrew handyman and a mystical Asian gardener with windblown hair. "The Shack" was a runaway New York Times best seller.)
Every day Mr. Gold dropped to his knees to pray, and every day he spent 30 minutes in meditative quiet time. These days Mr. Gold, who calls himself a "born-again atheist," doesn’t smoke. He doesn’t drink. And, at 5 feet 7 inches, he weighs 150 pounds.
So is there a downside? Should we all drop to our knees and pray? In general, I have to admit I’m impressed with the evidence. But it’s also true that while I was doing research on evangelical spirituality, there were times when people got so engrossed with prayer that they seemed almost addicted — so compelled to pray that they could not stop. Some called this "puking" prayer.
I was most struck by the dangers of prayer when people got deeply involved with spiritual warfare. Any Christian who treats the Bible as true in all it affirms needs to take demons seriously. In the Gospels, Jesus spends a lot of time confronting them. Many evangelicals conclude that humans live in a supernatural battlefield in which prayer attacks demons like a stun gun.
There are, indeed, evangelical organizations that teach people (often young people) how to identify and destroy demons. I met one young woman after she came back from one of those summer camps. She returned to college with a sense of purpose, and would pray intensely for hours. She would walk into a restaurant and sense an immaterial, sulfurous evil and feel that she had to pray powerfully against it. It was as though the world were drenched in darkness that no one else could see.
Soon, she found herself crying while praying; she felt God’s love so deeply that she wept with the grief of being human. But this intense need to pray also began to frighten her. "It is so crazy," she told me. "It’s like we’re addicted."
Eventually, she stopped. It was just too exhausting. Some weeks later, she remarked: "It’s so strange. You get into that zone, and you know that the students around you think about things completely differently, and you really do wonder whether you are crazy."
Whom does this intense imaginative immersion put at risk, and when? A study of the popular Internet game World of Warcraft suggests an intriguing answer.
World of Warcraft creates a landscape of craggy mountains, wastelands and castles, villages full of orcs and elves. Players create avatars who enter this world and interact with other avatars and fight monsters. It’s like finding yourself in "Lord of the Rings" and discovering that it’s your job to kill the huge venom-dripping spider that stands between you and your quest. At its peak, in 2010, there were more than 12 million players. (About half of all American adults play video games, and about one in five play almost every day or more.)
The anthropologist Jeffrey G. Snodgrass and his colleagues set out to study this complex social world. They found people who were relaxed and soothed by their play: "Sometimes I just log on late at night and go out by myself and listen to the soothing music." Others felt addicted: "Once I start playing it’s hard to tell whether or not I’ll have the willpower to stop."
What made the difference was whether people found their primary sense of self inside the game or in the world. When play seemed more important than the real world did, they felt addicted; when it enhanced their experience of reality outside the game, they felt soothed.
Prayer works in similar ways. When people use prayer to enhance their real-word selves, they feel good. When it disconnects them from the everyday, as it did for the student, they feel bad.
The imagination is a double-edged sword. It is, from a secular perspective, at the heart of what makes Mr. Gold’s god sufficiently real that he treats it as more than himself. But the capacity to make something real is not the same as the capacity to make it good or useful. That’s a caveat to bear in mind for any kind of prayerful life.
T. M. Luhrmann, a professor of anthropology at Stanford and the author of "When God Talks Back: Understanding the American Evangelical Relationship With God," is a guest columnist.
UNQUOTE

Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. (Romans 1:22-23 KJV)

For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. (Romans 1:25 NASB)