Marcus Aurelius, Good Roman Emperor, Persecutor of Christians

In Philip Schaff's History of the Christian Church, the persecution under the great philosopher-king Marcus Aurelius is described this way:

Marcus Aurelius, the philosopher on the throne, was a well-educated, just, kind, and amiable emperor, and reached the old Roman ideal of self-reliant Stoic virtue, but for this very reason he had no sympathy with Christianity, and probably regarded it as an absurd and fanatical superstition. He had no room in his cosmopolitan philanthropy for the purest and most innocent of his subjects, many of whom served in his own army. He was flooded with apologies of Melito, Miltiades, Athenagoras in behalf of the persecuted Christians, but turned a deaf ear to them. Only once, in his Meditations, does he allude to them, and then with scorn, tracing their noble enthusiasm for martyrdom to "sheer obstinacy" and love for theatrical display. His excuse is ignorance. He probably never read a line of the New Testament, nor of the apologies addressed to him. Belonging to the later Stoical school, which believed in an immediate absorption after death into the Divine essence, he considered the Christian doctrine of the immortality of the soul, with its moral consequences, as vicious and dangerous to the welfare of the state. A law was passed under his reign, punishing every one with exile who should endeavor to influence people's mind by fear of the Divinity, and this law was, no doubt, aimed at the Christians. At all events his reign was a stormy time for the church, although the persecutions cannot be directly traced to him. The law of Trajan was sufficient to justify the severest measures against the followers of the "forbidden" religion. It was during the reign of Marcus Aurelius that Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, was martyred. Later, there is record of "new decrees" making it easier for Christians to be accused and have their property confiscated. In 177, 48 Christians were martyred in the amphitheater in Lyons (modern France).

Ready in the Lord

The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the LORD. (Proverbs 21:31 ESV)

We were getting ready for production cut over of the system the next day, planning to put in the routing rules into the Production Server in the evening.

Then in the morning, a branch reported a bug, where they had created a message with a unit which was not supposed to create messages. There is supposed to be a routing rule that checked for the unit to prevent it. These were done in an earlier project.

I checked the rules and realized that for units that cannot create messages, we had prefixed them with a "z" to fix a complaint, but the routing rules continue to use the old unit name without the "z" prefix.

And for tomorrow's cut over, actually we also have two new units prefixed with "z", but I was not aware of this rule and did not add the two new units.

This bug report allows me to fixed the routing rules and also add my two new units, which would otherwise be omitted from the rules.

This is how God uses circumstances to alert me to things which I have not planned for.

Some people take pride in being well-prepared, planning for everything. I rather trust that my God is with me and guide me in all things.

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. (Psalm 20:7 ESV)

Quick And Alive

I always believe that the Bible should be translated into a language we use daily. But there are always those who believe in King James Version.

Let us look at this verse in KJV:
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12 KJV)

For those who do not know, the word "quick" in the passage in the times of King James means "alive".

Let say a user of KJV Bible whose knowledge of Jacobean English is not good enough, when doing Bible study would have use the modern meaning of "quick", which is "fast". Then he would think that the speed of the Bible is very fast. Then he may link up with another word regarding speed, such as Isaiah 64:24, and come up with some wrong interpretation.

And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. (Isaiah 65:24 KJV)

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12 NASB)

Bible's Profit To Us

The scripture is used teach us about God, guide us in His path, correct us when we deviate, encourage us when we are down.

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV)

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. (Romans 15:4 ESV)

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. (Psalm 119:105 ESV)

Hermeneutics, Exegesis, Eisegesis and Exercise

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who doesn't need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15 HCSB)

Hermeneutics
Interpretation of text. There are two ways, exegesis and eisegesis.

Exegesis
To draw the meaning out of the text.

Eisegesis
To lead into the text, that is, to read your own meaning into the text.

For example, you believe that the earth is very old. So you try to read that meaning into the first chapter of Genesis, claiming that the word "day" is not literal day, but periods of time.

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12 ESV)

Exercise
But there is a third way, the best way, that it exercise it. Obey the word and do it. Here is an interesting article taken from the following website, "hermeneutical approaches - How to separate exegesis from eisegesis in this example - Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange" which highlight the importance of obeying and doing rather than exegesing and eisegesing.

QUOTE
There is a paper put on a table in a room with five doors, each taller than the one next to it. On the paper the text reads in an ancient Egyptian language:

"Behind the tallest door you will find the most precious stone."

A class of three literary students are asked to uses exegesis to determine what the stone is.

The first student argues that the word 'precious' used in the text (kariptka) is very similar in origin to the word 'kariptko' which means bright orange, derived from the use of a rare orange herb that was used to paint royal stripes on the faces of wealthy children. He says the intended meaning must therefore be gold.

The second student says one can't determine what stone is being referred to and is most likely merely representative of all valuable stones. The tallest door is an allegory for an opening extending to heaven. The statement simply means if you live a life that leads upwards it will bring you true riches.

The third student opens the tallest door and finds a large diamond inside. He takes the text to literally mean that there was a diamond placed in the room whose entrance had a tall door. The text called for external investigation and it was pretty obvious upon inspection.
UNQUOTE

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. (James 1:22 ESV)

The Word of God Proves True

Proverbs 30:5
King James Bible
Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
English Standard Version
Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
New American Standard Bible
Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.
New International Version
"Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
New Living Translation
Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection.
NET Bible
Every word of God is purified; he is like a shield for those who take refuge in him.
Young's Literal Translation
Every saying of God is tried, A shield He is to those trusting in Him.

Men's words are a mixture of truth and error. But God's word always proves to be true.

The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times. (Psalm 12:6 ESV)

Prayer and Strength of Desire

Now when Elisha had fallen sick with the illness of which he was to die, Joash king of Israel went down to him and wept before him, crying, "My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!" And Elisha said to him, "Take a bow and arrows." So he took a bow and arrows. Then he said to the king of Israel, "Draw the bow," and he drew it. And Elisha laid his hands on the king's hands. And he said, "Open the window eastward," and he opened it. Then Elisha said, "Shoot," and he shot. And he said, "The Lord's arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Syria! For you shall fight the Syrians in Aphek until you have made an end of them." And he said, "Take the arrows," and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, "Strike the ground with them." And he struck three times and stopped. Then the man of God was angry with him and said, "You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck down Syria until you had made an end of it, but now you will strike down Syria only three times." (2 Kings 13:14-19 ESV)

King Joash wanted victory of Aram. But he was not so determined. It was reflected in his striking of the arrows. Elisha did not tell him how many times he should strike the arrows. If he had hated the Arameans at lot, he would had strike the arrows many times.

Prayer is like that. If we wanted something very much, we would pray intensely. Sometimes prayers are not answered, because we did not really wanted what we pray for.

Daniel Prayed Toward Jerusalem

When they sin against you (for there is no one who doesn’t sin) and you become angry with them and hand them over to an enemy who takes them away as prisoners to enemy territory, whether distant or nearby, if they change their heart in whatever land they are held captive, changing their lives and begging for your mercy, saying, "We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly!" and if they return to you with all their heart and all their being in the enemy territory where they've been taken captive, and pray to you, toward their land, which you gave their ancestors, toward the city you have chosen, and toward the temple I have built for your name, then listen to their prayer and request from your heavenly dwelling place. Do what is right for them, and forgive your people who have sinned against you. Forgive all their wrong that they have done against you. See to it that those who captured them show them mercy. (1 Kings 8:46-50 CEB)

When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. (Daniel 6:10 ESV)

During the dedication of the temple, Solomon prayed that when the Israelites sinned and were taken captive, and when they prayed to God toward their land, the city Jerusalem and the house that Solomon had built for His name, God would listened to their prayers and forgive them. Thus when Daniel prayed toward Jerusalem, he was doing what King Solomon had written.

Truth Is One, What About Path?

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)

Mahatma Gandhi said, "Truth is one; paths are many." Jesus said, "Truth is one; path is also one". Who should we believe?

The answer is very clear. He who came from above is greater than he who came from below. He who came from above came from eternity, from beyond time, knows all that is above and below. He who came from below only knew the things of the earth. He is limited in time, knowledge and wisdom. How can he know whether the path is one or many?

He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. (John 3:31-33 ESV)

No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. (John 3:13 ESV)

And the Word became flesh, and did tabernacle among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of an only begotten of a father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14 YLT)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (John 1:1-3 KJV)

Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are small among the clans of Judah; One will come from you to be ruler over Israel for Me. His origin is from antiquity, from eternity. (Micah 5:2 HCSB)

The Testimony of Jesus

"How can these things be?" asked Nicodemus.
"Are you a teacher of Israel and don’t know these things?" Jesus replied. "I assure you: We speak what We know and We testify to what We have seen, but you do not accept Our testimony. If I have told you about things that happen on earth and you don't believe, how will you believe if I tell you about things of heaven? No one has ascended into heaven except the One who descended from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life. (John 3:9-15 HCSB)

The One who comes from above is above all. The one who is from the earth is earthly and speaks in earthly terms. The One who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what He has seen and heard, yet no one accepts His testimony. The one who has accepted His testimony has affirmed that God is true. For God sent Him, and He speaks God’s words, since He gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hands. The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who refuses to believe in the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him. (John 3:31-36 HCSB)

Nobody has been to heaven. But the one from heaven had come down to earth, yet we do not believe Him. We rather believe in those who were from earth, who speak of things of heaven as if they had been there.

God Is Truth

God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? (Numbers 23:19 ESV)

"Also the Glory of Israel will not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man that He should change His mind." (1 Samuel 15:29 NASB)

If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself. (2 Timothy 2:13 NASB)

in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago, (Titus 1:2 NASB)

So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. (Hebrews 6:18 NLT)

God is Truth. There is no falsehood in Him and He cannot lie.

Jesus is Truth. Jesus is God. The Holy Spirit is Truth. The Holy Spirit is God.