A Faith That Grows

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)

We are saved by the grace of God (Ephesians 2:8-9).

We are saved through faith in the finished works of our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, at the cross (John 3:36, John 19:30).

Because we are saved by His works, not ours, our salvation is assured (1 Thessalonians 5:24, 2 Timothy 2:13).

But the faith that saves does take time to grow. To have a faith that grows, you need to know God. To know God, you need to know His Word the Bible.

All Religions Are True?

And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12 ESV)

All religions are true. God can be reached by different religions. Many rivers flow by many ways but they fall into the sea. They all are one. - Sri Ramakrishna (1836-02-18 to 1886-08-16)

Let say there is a big problem that will cause the end of the world. Let say there are found 10 ways that will effectively solve this problem and the world will not end. Nine of these ways do not require the death of any living thing. The tenth way requires the death of your only son. What will you do? Will you offer up your son and say, "Better let him die and save the world, just in case the other nine ways fail" or would you say, "Why don't we try the nine other ways first?"

If God knew of nine effective ways to save the world without the death of any living thing, why would He send His only begotten Son to die on the cross? God would have committed a blunder that even a normal, rational human does not do.

Many people like to say that all religions are true, but may I submit to you that this statement is a lie. If the Bible is true, then all the non-Bible based religions are false. If one or some or all non-Bible based religions are true, then Christianity is false. So it will never be "all religions are true".

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)

"Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. (Isaiah 45:22 ESV)

Origin Of Philistines Solved By DNA

Mizraim fathered the people of Lud, Anam, Lehab, Naphtuh, Pathrus, Casluh (the Philistines came from them), and Caphtor. (Genesis 10:13-14 CSB)

A quote from this article, "DNA shows Philistines, and modern-day Palestinians, were really European - Metro Voice News 2019-07-05":

QUOTE
A dramatic and explosive DNA discovery in Israel has implications for the political struggle between Israelis and Palestinians. Three years ago, archaeologists digging in Israel revealed they had excavated a Philistine cemetery for the first time ever.  Now, an extensive report on the DNA taken from the bones they uncovered has confirmed the origins of the Philistines - one of the arch-enemies of the biblical Israelites.

"We've been able to demonstrate for the first time that the Philistines were immigrants to the region of Philistia," said Daniel Master, director of the Leon Levy Expedition to Ashkelon.

Scientists have long suspected that modern day Palestinians are not Arab, but actually descendants of European (and mainly pre-Greek) settlers in the region.

State-of-the-art DNA testing on the ancient Philistine bones showed they had European ancestry and migrated across the Mediterranean more than 3,000 years ago and just before the Israelites were given the land by God.
.. .. ..
The DNA revelations have become a problem for many Arab leaders, but especially the terrorist groups of Hamas which controls modern-day Gaza. If Palestinians have no historical claim of always have lived in the land, why is the conflict between Jews and Palestinians allowed to continue at great cost?
UNQUOTE

For the day has come to destroy all the Philistines and to remove all survivors who could help Tyre and Sidon. The LORD is about to destroy the Philistines, the remnant from the coasts of Caphtor. (Jeremiah 47:4 NIV)

The Philistines were destroyed by the Babylonians and the current Palestinians are not related to them. Zephaniah 2:7 was fulfilled when Israel was restored in 1948 and rebuild the city of Ashkelon.

Jesus Will Land On Mount Olive

On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward. And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. (Zechariah 14:4-5 ESV)

The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath. (Revelation 16:19 ESV)

"So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. (Matthew 24:15-16 ESV)

Jesus Is Coming Again From The Cloud

"Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven." (Acts 1:11 NIV)

Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. (Revelation 1:7 ESV)

Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (Matthew 24:30 ESV)

And Jesus said, "I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven." (Mark 14:62 ESV)

For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. (Matthew 16:27 ESV)

And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. (Mark 13:26 ESV)

And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. (Luke 21:27 ESV)

"I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. (Daniel 7:13 ESV)

"And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn. (Zechariah 12:10 ESV)

It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, "Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones,  to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him." (Jude 1:14-15 ESV)

More On Joseph's Bones

Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I am Pharaoh, but no one will be able to raise his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt without your permission." (Genesis 41:44 HCSB)

Joseph achieved great things in life. But in Hebrews 11:22, Joseph commendation was not about what a great job he did in Egypt in managing the famine, but about his faith in God's Word regarding his bones.

Have we also have done a great job in our life? But whether we did a good or bad job, our commendation will be like Joseph's, based on our faith in God and His Word.

God's KPI is clearly stated in the Bible. Let us not missed it.

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (Hebrews 11:6 ESV)

Joseph's Bones

Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, "God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here." (Genesis 50:25 ESV)

If we read about Joseph in the Bible, especially in Sunday School context, our focus will probably be his father's favouritism, his God-given wisdom in interpretation of dreams, how his brothers sold him to Egypt as a slave, how he became the vizier of Egypt and how Jacob and his sons went to Egypt.

There is an aspect of Joseph which is likely to be missed when we study about Joseph. He was a great manager. When he became a slave of Potiphar, Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph's care and he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate (Genesis 39:6). Likewise for the prison warden who left everything under Joseph's care because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did (Genesis 39:23). It was the same with Pharaoh, who put the whole Egypt under Joseph (Genesis 41:40).

We noted the Bible's emphasis on God being the source of Joseph's wisdom. Like Daniel (Daniel 2:28) later, Joseph told the Pharaoh that his ability to interpret dreams came from God (Genesis 41:16). The same he told the cupbearer and the baker of Pharaoh (Genesis 40:8). He did not take credit for his wisdom and ability.

So if you are a great manager and a good man who never harmed a fly, do not think that you will be going to heaven because of that. The Bible, which looks at things from God's perspective, emphasized on Joseph's faith in God, his belief and execution of God's will and not his managerial abilities.

For all of Joseph's great capabilities and how well he could run a country, God's commendation of Joseph was that he believed that God would bring the Israelites out of Egypt. This is God's KPI.

So likewise, God's commendation of you, if any, may be not what you expect it to be.

By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones. (Hebrews 11:22 NIV)