Ending The Age of Gentiles

They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. (Luke 21:24 NIV)

But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase." (Daniel 12:4 ESV)

As the year end, let us look at our present age and time.

This day is the age of science. The earth is filled with the knowledge of the material world brought by science. Religions are considered as superstition which bogged down progress. With science, the living standards has improved. We have access to things which even emperors in the past cannot even only dream of. People start to place their hope in science. They declare that artificial intelligence will control the world. The virtual world will supersede the real world. People begin to invest in bitcoin and metaverse. The future will be better and better if we heed the warnings of climate changers and environmentalists. The future is in our hands!

But the Bible tells of a different future is waiting for us. Not a future of human glory and progress with godless science, but a future when the earth will be filled with the knowledge of God and His glory. It is a future unwanted by the people today, but it will be good and it will come.

But how do we know that the Bible is true? Because Israel is back in the land and is beginning to take over the whole Jerusalem.

Nothing will hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain, for as the waters fill the sea, so the earth will be filled with people who know the LORD. (Isaiah 11:9 NLT)

For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD’s glory, as the water covers the sea. (Habakkuk 2:14 CSB)

Look and Be Saved - 2

Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. (Isaiah 45:22 KJV)

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2 KJV)

Look to Jesus and be saved. If you turn your eyes away, you will sink.

"Come," he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" (Matthew 14:29-30 NIV)

Dissolution of the USSR

Thirty years ago on Christmas Day 1991, Mikhail Gorbachev resigned as president of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and the Soviet Union ceased to exist. I think we will soon witness the cessation of another communist state. I do not know if it will be peaceful like the dissolution of the USSR, but it will certainly happen. Karl Marx has to go. The last major Marxist colony, China, has to gain independence.

Behaviour For Special Occasions

Job interviews, VIP visits, weddings and worship. What does all these things have in common? These will cause a person to do the following:

1. Present the best;
2. Show respect;
3. Avoid appearance of evil.

We do these because we want to gain some benefit or praise, confirm to social expectation or religious fear.

Two Types of Work

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord's work, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:58 CSB)

Behold, is it not from the LORD of hosts that peoples labor merely for fire, and nations weary themselves for nothing? (Habakkuk 2:13 ESV)

The are two types of work. One has eternal value beyond daeth and the other will be burnt.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. (Galatians 6:9 NIV)

Works Of Lasting Value

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:58 NIV)

If anyone gives you even a cup of water because you belong to the Messiah, I tell you the truth, that person will surely be rewarded. (Mark 9:41 NLT)

For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do. (Hebrews 6:10 ESV)

When the Chinese general Yue Fei (岳飛) had defended the Song (宋) against the Jurchens (女真), his works was well recognized by the Chinese and he was considered a national hero (民族英雄). Temples were built in his honour and he was worshipped. But today, the Manchus, who are descendants of Jurchens (女真), are part of China. In order to maintain national harmony, Yue Fei (岳飛) is no longer a national hero (民族英雄) by the Chinese government. When China cease to exist, nobody will remember Yue Fei (岳飛).

When an unknown nobody gave a cup of cold water to one of the least of the Messiah's followers, his work will be remembered by the eternal God.

Remember, it is not what you do that matter. It is who you work for that matter. If the one you work for is eternal, the value of your work will be eternal.

So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith. (Galatians 6:10 NASB)

Serve

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:58 NIV)

If you are given an opportunity to serve the Lord, seize it. It has eternal value.

Godly Sorrow vs Worldly Sorrow

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. (2 Corinthians 7:10 NIV)

Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. (Matthew 27:3-5 KJV)

Why is the sorrow of Judas a worldly sorrow? Because he focused on himself. "I have sinned ... I have betrayed ..." There is no God in his sorrow.

Why have you despised the word of the LORD, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. (2 Samuel 12:9 ESV)
David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." And Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die. (2 Samuel 12:13 ESV)

Why is the sorrow of David a godly sorrow? Because he focused on God. "I have sinned against the LORD."

Why Was Jesus Resurrected

Jesus was the only religious leader to be resurrected. All the other religious leaders died, even those who claimed to be more than human, a god or a buddha. Jesus also claim divinity and He proved it by His birth and resurrection.

The Good News is about his Son. In his earthly life he was born into King David's family line, and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 1:3-4 NLT)

The resurrection proved that Christ was divine.

Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. (Isaiah 53:10 NIV)

The resurrection fulfilled Old Testament prophecies and proved that the Bible is the true word of God.

From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. (Matthew 16:21 ESV)

And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. (Mark 8:31 ESV)

And he said, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life." (Luke 9:22 NIV)

I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am he. (John 13:19 CSB)

And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. (John 14:29 ESV)

They told him, "Sir, we remember what that deceiver once said while he was still alive: 'After three days I will rise from the dead.' So we request that you seal the tomb until the third day. This will prevent his disciples from coming and stealing his body and then telling everyone he was raised from the dead! If that happens, we'll be worse off than we were at first." (Matthew 27:63-64 NLT)

The resurrection fulfilled Jesus own claims about His resurrection and proved that He was a true prophet.

We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. (Romans 6:9 ESV)

The resurrection proved that Jesus had triumphed over death.

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (1 Corinthians 15:20 NIV)

The resurrection was the firstfruits of resurrection.

And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 NLT)

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. (Romans 6:5 ESV)

The resurrection give hope to believers who died in Christ.

"Therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, God now commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has set a day when he is going to judge the world in righteousness by the man he has appointed. He has provided proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead." (Acts 17:30-31 CSB)

The resurrection proved that Jesus is appointed as judge.

Who is Jesus - Bible vs Koran

The Bible and the Quran has different perspectives on Jesus. It leads to different conclusions about Jesus. Only one book can be right. It is not possible for both the Bible and Quran to be true.

Authority
"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"
Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." (Matthew 16:15-16 NIV)

People of the Book, do not go to excess in your religion, and do not say anything about God except the truth: the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, was nothing more than a messenger of God, His word, directed to Mary, a spirit from Him. So believe in God and His messengers and do not speak of a 'Trinity' - stop [this], that is better for you - God is only one God, He is far above having a son, everything in the heavens and earth belongs to Him and He is the best one to trust. (Surah 4:171 Abdul Haleem translation)

Salvation
Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners - of whom I am the worst. (1 Timothy 1:15 NIV)

"He himself bore our sins" in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; "by his wounds you have been healed." (1 Peter 2:24 NIV)

Indeed, We gave Moses the Book and sent after him successive messengers. And We gave Jesus, son of Mary, clear proofs and supported him with the holy spirit (see footnote). Why is it that every time a messenger comes to you ˹Israelites˺ with something you do not like, you become arrogant, rejecting some and killing others? - Footnote The holy spirit is Gabriel, a mighty angel created from light, whose main duty is to communicate Allah's messages to prophets. (Surah 2:87 Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran)

Judgement
For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. (John 5:22-23 ESV)

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. (2 Corinthians 5:10 ESV)

"Therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, God now commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has set a day when he is going to judge the world in righteousness by the man he has appointed. He has provided proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead." (Acts 17:30-31 CSB)

And ˹on Judgment Day˺ Allah will say, "O Jesus, son of Mary! Did you ever ask the people to worship you and your mother as gods besides Allah?" He will answer, "Glory be to You! How could I ever say what I had no right to say? If I had said such a thing, you would have certainly known it. You know what is ˹hidden˺ within me, but I do not know what is within You. Indeed, You ˹alone˺ are the Knower of all unseen. (Surah 5:116 Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran)

The Gospel of Jesus - Bible vs Koran

Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord. (Luke 2:11 CSB)

How do Muslims see Jesus? They see him as son of Mary (Quran 3:45, 3:46, 4:171, 5:17, 5:78, 5:112, 5:114, 19:34, 23:50, 33:7, 43:57).

This is the good news from the Quran:
Remember when the angels proclaimed, "O Mary! Allah gives you good news of a Word from Him, his name will be the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary; honoured in this world and the Hereafter, and he will be one of those nearest to Allah. And he will speak to people in his infancy and adulthood and will be one of the righteous." (Quran 3:45-46 Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran)

Where is the good news? I do not see any good news for me from Jesus in the Quran. It was good news for Mary because she would give birth to a son.

Here is the good news for the people of the world from Jesus in the true word of God:
She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." (Matthew 1:21 NIV)

The good news for us is that Jesus will save us from our sins. But how does Jesus save his people from their sins?
"He himself bore our sins" in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; "by his wounds you have been healed." (1 Peter 2:24 NIV)

Why is Jesus qualified to save us from our sins? It is because of who He is. When Jesus was regarded as the son of Mary, he brought joy to Mary. When Jesus is the Son of God, He brings joy to the world.

"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"
Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." (Matthew 16:15-16 NIV)

Good Old Man and Bad Young Girl

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. He received the promises and yet he was offering his one and only son, the one to whom it had been said, Your offspring will be traced through Isaac. He considered God to be able even to raise someone from the dead; therefore, he received him back, figuratively speaking. (Hebrews 11:17-19 CSB)

By faith Rahab the prostitute welcomed the spies in peace and didn't perish with those who disobeyed. (Hebrews 11:31 CSB)

It does not matter whether you are a good old man or a bad young girl. You will have eternal life if you believe in Jesus.

Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, and brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:29-31 KJV)

Fundamentals of Faith

These are the core beliefs of Christianity which anyone who truly interpret the Bible correctly will agree upon:

1. The Inerrancy of Scripture (Psalms 12:6-7; Romans 15:4; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20)
2. The Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ (John 1:1; John 20:28; Hebrews 1:8-9)
3. The Virgin Birth of Christ (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23; Luke 1:27)
4. The Substitutionary Atonement of Christ (Acts 20:28; Romans 3:25; Romans 5:9; Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 9:12-14)
5. The Bodily Resurrection of Christ (Luke 24:36-46; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; 1 Corinthians 15:14-15)

The core of the core is statement 4, that Jesus had died for our sins and anyone who believe that He had died for our sins will be saved (John 3:36; 1 Peter 2:24). One of the themes of the Bible is God saves and He is choosing a people for Himself (Romans 8:29-30; Ephesians 1:4; 1 Peter 2:9).