The Original Documents in Hebrew

 

The world's oldest copies of the biblical scrolls are found in the Shrine of Book in Israel. The Old Testament was written in Hebrew and therefore it would be useful for us to consider examining this actual original language, the Bible was written in. Unfortunately English is not rich enough to capture all of the essence of the original text. Some interpretations are word for word and others capture the "thought process" and transliterated by the interpreters as per its context.

This material, is taken mostly from the Precept upon Precept Leader's guide, shows the depth of the Hebrew language:

Let's look at some to get a feel of it:
1. In the beginning God.... God here is a plural noun and the transliteration from Hebrew to English letters is ELOHIM, the "IM" ending is plural.
God - more than one - created as One.

John 1:1-3,14 describes the Word was with God, that says that there are two distinct persons of the Godhead. But the Word also was God, and this shows that these two are indeed one in essence. The Word, the Son of God, created all things in the beginning.

Other Scriptural references are: Heb 1:2; Col 1:16; 1 Cor 8:6; Rev 4:11

2. created.... bara "emphasizes the initiation of the object... creation ex nihilo (out of nothing)." Before God created everything else, there was only God. There was nothing except Him, so creation is out of nothing.

3. ...the Spirit of God was moving, hovering or vibrating (rachaph), over the surface of the waters.

4. He "said" (amar) - to speak or say. This is mentioned 8 times. In Hebrew 11:3 ...the worlds were prepared by the Word of God".

5. He saw; raah means to look at or inspect.

6. He separated; badal means to divide or distinguish.

7. He called; qara means to call our, cry out - the light "day" the darkness "night"

Time reference is "evening and morning" - one day

The first day of creation God created the heaven and the earth; said that there should be light; saw that the light was good; separated the light from the darkness; called the light, day and the darkness, night.

8. He blessed; barak or barakh means praise, salute, kneel. It can also mean to curse.

God blessed them by telling them to be fruitful and multiply.

9. ...were "completed"; kalah can mean to accomplish, bring a process to completion, at an end, finished.

10. Rested, shabat or shabath or shavath can mean cease, desist or rest, leave off, to bring to an end.

11. He blessed it; He sanctified it; qadash or qadhash can mean holy, consecrate, to be set apart, to be clean or make clean.

The Bible is very interesting if you learnt it in its original language and context!

Astrology and marriage

 

Over the recent weekend I conducted 2 weddings and the topic of astrology was discussed over the meals I had at the wedding reception with the guest in attendance. Again Genesis became my point of contention for our Creator!

In my message to the couples I shared 7 tips to help them in their married life. The first one I have appended below:

Tip One:

As we enter marriage as two individuals we need to know that the God who created the heavens and earth is the one who binds us together. To understand the vastness of the heavens we need to consider the blessing God covenanted with Abraham. When Abraham was blessed by God to be a blessing to the nations, his descendants were numbered as the sand on the seashore (earthly blessing) as it is with the stars in the heavens (heavenly blessing). This comparison denotes to us how vast heaven is! In fact scientists are still discovering new stars, millions of light years away. The time span it takes for the information, on the position of each star or planet, to return back to us on earth from these locations maybe delayed by hours to even years later. Therefore those who believe in astrology, the creation instead of the Creator, is believing on events which is past because of the time delay!

Our individual vows are covenants made with God Almighty whom we have faith in and trust. Therefore as one person we need to have a personal relationship with this Awesome Almighty Lord and Savior - Jesus Christ, loving Him with everything that is within us. From this personal relationship we now are covenanted into a one flesh relationship with each other! This one flesh relationship can only be blessed within the context of marriage. Any sexual intercourse outside of the covenant of marriage causes one to have a soul tie. This soul tie has to be cut off before we enter into marriage otherwise we bring into our new relationship, part of the old sole tie!

Astrology and marriage is then our choice between the creation and its Creator!

Is my sacrifice acceptable?

 

Many times we are upset and angry with God for not accepting our sacrifice! Our thoughts are always self centered - self justification of the task we have "sacrificed" for God's sake. The tireless effort, the sleepless nights, the fleshly endeavor for perfection and the list go on and on....

It is interesting how God dealt with one such person. His name was Cain, if fact we all can easily relate to him and most of us will have pity for him too. Probably we would championed his cause against God's action. He worked hard on the land and toiled on that which God had cursed. As Abel did, he too desired to offer to God a sacrifice.

Most of the initial historical encounters with God would have been passed on by word of mouth by Adam and Eve. Both Cain and Abel would have been told the story of how God had clothed their parents with the sacrifice of His own creation. This offering denotes God's preference which Abel discerned. Abel's sacrifice included death of the firstlings of the flock and of their fat portion!

In the New Testament we see in Hebrew 11 that Abel acted in faith in obedient response to what he had discerned of God's Word or His nature. Cain on the other hand didn't discern and became angry with God for not accepting his offering. The warning by God that, "sin is crouching at the door and its desire is for you, but you must master it", was not heeded to by Cain.

This led to hate and eventually murder, the first man to be killed by another in God's creation. Our Lord Jesus Christ too was killed but He chose to lay down His life for mankind. We are called to discern and be like Christ, to love others and to lay down our lives for them.

The test of Godly sacrifice is when I can say to my brother I will lay my life down for you. This does not mean words only but action like what Jesus did!

Jesus is the reason for every season!

 

"A worldview is a way of viewing or interpreting all reality. It is an interpretative framework through which or by which one makes sense of the data of life and the world," (Norman Geisler and William Watkins). True science is not contradictory to what God has said in Scripture and therefore knowing the Truth will set those who believe it and live by it, free!

If we failed to believe Genesis Chapter 1 and 2, we would have to throw the whole Bible away as the rest of the Bible without it, will not make sense! If we believe that Holiness and Sin does not mix we can start to believe the deeper Truths of God's Word. In fact, even Jesus Christ cried out,"Why have You forsaken Me?", when Father God had to turn away from Him! This was done because all the sins of the world was placed on Jesus to redeem mankind and a holy Father God will not tolerate sin! This reminds me of the picture of the serpent on the cross which Moses lifted up in the wilderness!

We must believe nothing is too difficult for the Lord (Jer 32 - Lord God made heaven and earth by great power and outstretched arm) and we should see to it that no one takes us captive with worldviews (Col 2 - philosophy, empty deception, tradition of men and principles of the world).

Jesus is the reason for all of our existence so let us glorify His name!

The voice of your brother's blood is crying to Me.....

 

God's command for mankind is founded on these 2 questions, "Where are you? and Where is Abel your brother?" The answers, whether a "blame shifting" response or an "blatant outright lie", are very common today! But God's Truth continue to echo back to us throughout the ages and that Truth is in His Greatest Commandment.

In Mark 12:28-31 we note, "One of the religion scholars came up. Hearing the lively exchanges of question and answer and seeing how sharp Jesus was in his answers, he put in his question: "Which is most important of all the commandments?" Jesus said, "The first in importance is, 'Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.' And here is the second: 'Love others as well as you love yourself.' There is no other commandment that ranks with these."

Abel discerned God's desire for an acceptable sacrifice but Cain didn't and that led to anger, jealousy and eventually murder. Today our total being is to be presented to God as a reasonable act of service on our part! It doesn't stop there but it extends to our love for "others". This all inclusive "others" range from our spouse to our enemies!

Our failure to be our brother's keeper has caused many to stray and some to even fall away! Is there a voice crying out to God's for our failure to speak up???

Who told you that you were naked?

 

...the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. There is a pathway to choose in life and God provides the way of escape when we are tempted more than we can bear!

The importance of our dependence on God for our marriage is clearly alluded in verse 24 and 25 of Chapter 2, "For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed."

In Chapter 3 we see the bait that was thrown at mankind by the serpent - satan himself. The Message Bible quoted Luke 6:43-45 thus, ""You don't get wormy apples off a healthy tree, nor good apples off a diseased tree. The health of the apple tells the health of the tree. You must begin with your own life-giving lives. It's who you are, not what you say and do, that counts. Your true being brims over into true words and deeds."

All of our lust is within us and we should resist it and flee from temptation. In this account we see Eve beguiled and Adam willfully disobedient to the command God gave him. God commanded the man, saying, "From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die."

Isn't it the same with us, having known God's specific command we still go ahead and willfully commit the wrong! Sin "removed" God's covering and brought about shame and spiritual death. The next thing that mankind chose to do was to repair the damage and fix it in his own strength. How? Using fig leaves without any atoning virtue to cover their shame and guilt. Then the most devastating unimaginable act took place - man hid from a loving God!

As always, the Grace of God calls out to us, "Where are you?" Those who go back to Him have a chance of repenting of our sin and then God atoning it. God had to kill for the first time, one of His creation and cloth Adam and Eve. This is another act pointing to our Lord Jesus Christ who will be sacrificed on the tree for us!

Thank you Lord Jesus Christ for covering my sins, shame and nakedness with Your atoning blood which washes away all my sins and brings me back into a right standing with You, again and again!

The history of.....

The history of.....
Originally uploaded by chandrangopalan

The verse, in Gen 2:4 is the "history of .... or generation of .... or account of heaven and the earth", when cross referenced with Gen 5:1, Gen 6:9 and Gen 10:1 helps clarify this sentence, as it appears here in the Bible. God is in a sense reviewing the account as was stated in Chapter 1. When we superimpose this understanding from the cross reference, to this verse, it becomes clearer.

If these are the generations which were recorded, we could come to a conclusion then that all of us can trace our ancestry back to the beginning or close to the beginning! Some of the oldest well documented historical account of civilization, had their symbols representing the written "character or alphabet", found in their language, showing the account of Genesis from the very beginning. In fact the Chinese civilization is one that I am aware of that clearly shows this evidence. I shared this in a Chinese New Year message two years ago!

God having made, formed and created mankind in His Own Image and Likeness and then provided his a helper suitable for him. All of our marriages are designed that way by God, our helpmate is one that is complimentary to ourselves, usually making us whole and complete.

Man was formed from the dust of the ground and it is not surprising that we will return to dust when we die. God Spirit was breathed into man's nostrils so he became a living being or soul. The woman was created from part of man's side or his rib and built up by God to be woman. And it is no wonder that Adam when awoke was awed and thrilled that he called her "wo!..man"!

"The history of ...." sentence cannot have happened, if they then didn't become one flesh in their need to reproduce and multiply, as commanded by God. This is a command which God gave to be executed within the context of marriage and not outside this Covenant divine relationship of God. In fact, God wants marriage to last till death do man and woman apart!

Did Adam and Eve have the attitude of the Bereans?

Did Adam and Eve have the attitude of the Bereans?
Originally uploaded by chandrangopalan

The Bereans according to Acts 17:11 received the message with great eagerness and examined Scriptures everyday to see if what Paul said was true!

A Great God is not afraid to provide us the option of freewill choice. Instead of making us like robots, He made and created mankind to reason and come to a conclusion as to the Way to go. God provided Adam and Eve the ability to discern, which requires more than the 5 natural senses in which we operate in usually. The Truth of God's Word is to be examined to know His Complete Loving nature.

The devil's ploys has not changed from that day in the Garden when he started by throwing doubts into the minds of mankind, such that it draws out our lust and questions the character of our Loving God. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life categorizes mankind's weakness. When we don't discern this thought we will fall!

After making all kinds of trees grow out of the ground - trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food, in the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The Lord God than commanded man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."

The tree of life leading to life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil leading to death was there for Adam and Eve to choose from. God brought all the beasts of the field and the birds of the air to Adam for him to name them. Whatever man called each living creature, that was its name! Adam had such an important role in God's scheme of things in His Kingdom.

Having this vital role and a helpmate, all Adam had to do was to enjoy God's full blessings of being fruitful and to increase in number, to fill the earth and to subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground. Both animals and man were herbivorous in God's creation as He had provided for them. He is our Provider!

But our lust will lead us to doubt God and have a desire to be like "god" knowing good and evil instead of depending on His complete guidance, which we can discern in the Spirit. This dependence on intellect alone, to be a "god", is what causes destruction to follow!

The Bereans discerned otherwise and they examined Scripture daily to stay from being derailed of their faith in the True Living God!

Creation ordered from chaos

Creation ordered from chaos
Originally uploaded by chandrangopalan

In verse 2 of Genesis the Spirit was hovering and brooding like a mother hen over her chicks. From that point on all disorder was ordered into order, in its rightful place and sequence!

There was the process of separation of the various elements - earthly and heavenly. So vast is God's creation that He equated the stars in the sky to the sand on the seashore to the patriarch Abraham. Can we image that? That is why He is God and we are not!

God spoke His Word and everything fell into place, in its proper order. God in whom there is no shadow of turning, in His glory spoke forth light into being. Therein we see, evening and morning and day one.

In the different translations of the Bible we see all of the English language trying to capture the full meaning of the Hebrew text as it was originally written in. We observe how the expanse or firmament, the sky which is heaven separating both waters. Which was day 2 and then the separation of the land which is earth from the waters which is seas. These seas didnt have the names like we have today and there is still no borders in the water other than those made by men.

As God continues this order of creation He saw that it was good. Therefore if we read the first letter from Paul to Timothy in Chapter 4 verse 4 and it state thus, "For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the Word of God and prayer.

Praise God for His Creation in whatever state it is in now. He will make it good in the end!

The reason for the season

The reason for the season
Originally uploaded by chandrangopalan

The study of Genesis in our Precept upon precept classes will be in 5 parts. It will be facilitated for 40 weeks in 3 semesters and will take the whole of 2009 to complete, with the appropriate semester breaks. Being the key foundation of the Bible it is imperative that we take the time to really dig into it.

This foundation is built upon the trinity - starting in verse 1 with God, in verse 2 His Spirit and verse 3 His Word (Son). They are all equal and everything started with God so we cannot not mention the trinitrian personality of God in whose image we are made - body, soul and spirit! It is now clear why in verse 26 "Us" is used.

In the Gospel of John Chapter 1 and verse 1 we then see the confirmation of God's Word which starts with "In the beginning was the Word (Son)...." The Word of God always confirms what is stated, at many other portions of the Bible.

Adam is the first man formed and made by God. Jesus is the last Adam conceived by Mary when the Holy Spirit came upon her and the power of the Most High overshadowed her. There was no Adamic nature (DNA)in Jesus because Mary borne the Incorruptible Seed in her womb and was of the righteous line which started with Seth (Genesis 5). This was prophesied by God when He shared His redemptive plan with Adam and Eve and the serpent in Genesis Chapter 3!

In John Chapter 1 we see, in verse 14 of the NASB edition, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.", Jesus coming to earth - His creation and living as one of us. He knows and has suffered all of our trails, temptation and testings and He overcame it all. He purchased back mankind with His ultimate sacrifice by dying for us as the ransom payment, so that none of us should perish!

Emmanuel - God with us! He is the reason for the season. Hallelujah

After their kind

After their kind
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We all have our parent's DNA and that kind of explains this "after their kind" citation in Genesis Chapter 1. An analogy by Dr. Kurt Wise states it thus, "The same God who created human language is the same God who created organisms of all types on the earth. It might be expected that God, who spoke things into existence, would use similar languages in both the creation of man and in the creation of organisms.

My own understanding of discerning the things of God is based on the measure of faith I have in what I read whether it be books or the "infallible" Word of God. When as an "infant" in the rudimentary things of God my understanding is at a low level but when I "mature" then it increases to another higher level.

In our lifetime the only option available for us Christians is to continue studying His Seed Word so that the many times over we read the Bible we may eventually become "somewhat mature"! The Seed Word planted on the "fallowed soil" of our hearts will reap a 30, 60 and 100 folds, the progressive revelation which brings us to a deeper understand of God's character.

Again in another summary by Dr Kurt Wise, he references a new field of science. It is the study of baramins - created kind. He concludes by stating, "At Creation, the baramins were preprogrammed with sufficient genetic information to produce a variety of species within each baramin.

We should have observed the following in Genesis Chapter 1:
Day 3 organisms - land plants
Day 5 organisms - sea creature and birds
Day 6 organisms - land animals and man

Further divisions: (KJV translation)
1. a. tree bearing fruit; b. herbs bearing fruit; c. grass
2. a. great whales; b. every living creature in the sea; c. fowl
3. a. cattle; b. creeping things on the land; c. beast of the earth; d. man

The order of creation is logical and organized and we observe that God only created them after creating what is required for them.

My own observation is this, the seed concept is tied into "after their kind" and our ultimate Seed - our Lord Jesus Christ is prophesied by God Himself in Genesis 3!

The Generations of Adam - 5Ws and an H

Yesterday, I wanted to focus on the general idea of the content in the 5 Chapters of Genesis. Much of my learning came as taught by the Holy Spirit the Tutor as I prayed for wisdom and understanding before each lesson. "Thy Word is Truth" John 17:17. I also gained some insight from other reputed sources and scholars of the Logos!

In the first 5 Chapters of Genesis I observed:
1. Who are the personage: God and man - refer to chart above
2. What are the main events: God's schedule; Adam's bride; Adam's fall; Abel's testimony; Enoch's walk with God
3. Where did these events occur: Eden before the fall and outside Eden after the fall
4. When did these events happen: before the flood

An important point I noted when coming up with chapter themes was to know that verse and chapter divisions were added to the Bible well after it was written and therefore may not been well chosen in respect to where a complete thought or subject came to a transition.

The most common words and/or phrases I noted was:
1. God

Dr Kurt P Wise a well known researcher, teacher, and model builder who focus was geology and biology wrote an article of which I am including excerpts of, for us to ponder on.

HOW DO WE RELATE OUR "THREE-IN-ONE UNIVERSE" TO OUR "THREE-IN-ONE GOD"?
According to Roman 1:20 the "invisible things" of God are evidenced by those things that are seen......this universe is made up of three things; space, time and matter/energy. The three things are equal and yet different, distinct and yet coexistent. In like manner God, who created the universe, is also made up of three beings: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They are equal and yet different, distinct and yet coexistent......

Not only do the created things "evidence" God, but they can also help us understand Him.

As a further note, it is curious that of the three parts of the universe, only one of them (matter) is wholly physical. The other two (space and time) are real, but only measurable - not directly sensed. Analogously, of the three persons of the Godhead, only one (Jesus) was incarnate (being both directly sensed and real) while the other two are not directly sensed (i.e. Spirit), but nevertheless real.

A brilliant Ph.D from Harvard University wrote this article. It is amazing what God can do when He wants His Truth expounded by a geologist who has researched both the wisdom of the world and the wisdom from the Word of God. Dr Wise's paper warrants a through review.

Genesis is getting to be a very interesting study of God's Truth!

Adam a living being formed from dust in whom is the Breath of Life

Adam a living being from dust in whom is the Breath of Life
Originally uploaded by chandrangopalan

In Chapters 1 to 5 of Genesis we have Adam mentioned a number of times. It is a quick read and you can observe the following thoughts:
1. God desired for Adam to have a suitable helper. In this picture we see Jesus as a Bridegroom being put to death (sleep) and His blood redemption purchased forth His Bride - His church! The intimate relationship between Jesus and His church.
2. No one or nothing should take the first place and priority God should have in our lives.
3. The garments of skin was the blood sacrifice needed to atone for man's sin. Our own futile effort by covering our shame with fig leaves will not return us to right standing with God.
4. God will not let the enemy stop a righteous generation from emerging - Seth
5. God created Adam in His likeness and Seth was made in Adam's own likeness and image.
6. Adam lived for 930 years and saw 8 generations: Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah and Lamech. He died before Noah was born. They were following the command of God who blessed them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves of the earth". Could this over the 930 years of Adam's existence produce a population numbering billions?

Reading Genesis again is very exciting! We need God's revelation to illuminate our understanding. Let God be Creator and man his creation and all of His Word our truth!

In the Beginning, God.....

In the Beginning, God.....
Originally uploaded by chandrangopalan

In 2009 we will be conducting the Precept upon Precept - inductive bible studies on the Book of Genesis.

The manual starts with this paragraph, "With all the speculation as to how the world was created and how man came into being, does it really matter what the Bible has to say on the subject? After all, science is science and who can argue with it! Right?

The first verse in the Bible is the one which determines our faith, trust and revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ. The very first few Words of the Bible are what build our foundation and wisdom.

Psa 53:1 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.

When we decide that God can be recreated in our imagination we have become His creator! God is too big for our puny imagination and He is all powerful, all knowing and always present. Can I then say God cannot do something which is reasoned in my mind? Job knew this fact when God started speaking and he kept silent in response!

We live in a reasoning age which is not wrong in itself but revelation is what cause us to know God and that through His Holy Spirit. The Spirit of Truth will lead us into all truth. When we cannot understand we need to keep at it and one day it will suddenly become clear as we know His nature.

1Co 2:14 stated, "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned". Being born again, is but the first step of a long journey from infancy to adulthood.

Rev Kevin Conner is a teacher who clearly highlighted this truth to me when I had attended his seminars. He had written more than 50 books (many reference books amongst them) and is about 80 years old. He still says he is learning more and more about God daily having received Him in his teens!

So my conclusion is the Lord Jesus Christ is the God of the impossible and I need Him to be my Savior and Lord! Every Word in the Bible to me is Yes and Amen!

thorn in the side

thorn in the side
Originally uploaded by chandrangopalan

Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn't get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan's angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me, My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. This passage was taken from the Message Bible in the second epistle to the Corinthian in chapter 12 verses 7 to 9.

How can I think of a handicap as a gift? It almost seems impossible to think of a handicap as a gift but that is what the passage says Paul did. He recognized that it was then that Christ's strength is manifest. How is that so? In this world that we live in many of us are effective and efficient in our abilities to get things done, as we exercise the task over and over again until we become very good at it.

In Christendom this is evident when we participate in serving God. We can become so good at doing something that the Presence of God is not there at all in our serving. The "corporatization" of serving has crept in into many of our roles such that it is becoming easier to do any task without God being in it.

But what is impressing me today is that there is a "gift of handicap" which is placed in our circumstance so that God's grace become our dependency. Wow! This is a sobering thought because God wants us to depend on His grace to take us through life in its entirety. Being one with Him is a must in doing His bidding and a soldier needs the Commander in Chief for wisdom, guidance and direction.

Lord I pray Your grace will be sufficient for me, in Jesus name!

Is Sex an important topic to discuss?

 

This is an exciting article which was delivered to my Inbox. I read it and it really made sense. I am glad for universities who do such research for the benefit of mankind. http://www.cuw.edu/tools/current_students/student_services/counseling_services/sex_before_marriage.html

Sex Before Marriage - Top 10 Risks
CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY WISCONSIN COUNSELING SERVICES
_______________________________________________________
No one doubts that sexual activity in the new millennium is physically, emotionally, and socially dangerous. So it's important to think about all of the ramifications.
10. The risk of death.
No one can deny that having sex before marriage can have grave consequences. More than 600,000 cases of AIDS have been reported in the United States since 1981, and as many as 900,000 Americans may be infected with HIV.
"HIV Infection and AIDS," www.onhealth.com, (21 November 2000).
1 Corinthians 6:18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.
1 Corinthians 10:8 We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did-and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died.
9. The risk of lost relationships.
When you choose to develop a sexual relationship with someone, you have immediately changed the entire definition of the relationship. God's intent was for a man and woman to enjoy sex throughout the course of a lifetime. There is no such thing as casual sex. Once you have developed a sexual relationship, that relationship turns a critical corner. After the relationship ends, you and your partner will experience that guilt and pain of promises broken.
1 Corinthians 5:9 I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people-
Hebrews 12:16 See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.
8. Risks of incurable disease.
Imagine that you have found that one special person with whom you want to share your life. And now you are forced to break the news that you have an incurable disease. Even though such diseases like herpes are generally not considered life threatening, there are no cures. Not only is it incurable, it fills a life with worries, awkward revelations, and continuous need for medication. Herpes and other STD's are everywhere. (Over 50 million cases of Herpes in the U.S. alone.) Why risk contracting an STD.
Romans 1:24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.
1 Corinthians 6:13 "Food for the stomach and the stomach for food"-but God will destroy them both. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.
1 Corinthians 6:18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.
7. The risk of damaging the destiny of your future marriage.
There is no way that premarital sex of any kind could be a plus for your future marriage. It only causes suspicion, mistrust, and regret.
Galatians 5:19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;
Hebrews 13:4 Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.
6. The risk of permanently damaging your testimony as a Christian.
You'll never be able to honestly say, "I was a virgin before I was married." You'll never be able to live as an example of committed purity.
Romans 13:13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.
1 Corinthians 5:9 I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people-
Ephesians 5:3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people.
5. The risk of depression.
Those who participate in premarital sex experience emotional damage that may lead to an increased chance of mental depression and emotional despair.
2 Corinthians 12:21 I am afraid that when I come again my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved over many who have sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual sin and debauchery in which they have indulged.
Jude 1:7 In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.
4. The risk of placing your future children in spiritual harm's way.
The Bible clearly speaks of the concept of generational sin. What you sow (plant) spiritually may be reaped in the life of your children. Break the power of Satan's curse. Remain pure before God and you'll be tenaciously guarding the future of the next generation.
Proverbs 22:8 "He who sows wickedness reaps trouble..."
Proverbs 20:7 "The righteous man leads a blameless life; blessed are his children after him."
Proverbs 14:6 "He who fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge."
Proverbs 31:28 "Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her..."
3. The risk of sexual dysfunction.
People spend millions of dollars to correct sexual dysfunction through drugs and psychotherapy. Why? Because they entered marriage with unresolved sexual issues. For example, a man may think that he will be free from the curse of pornography once he gets married, only to find that the problems are even more noticeable and controlling. Sexual purity before marriage is the first step to incredible sexual fulfillment after marriage.
Mark 7:21 "For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,"
Hebrews 13:4 Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.
2. The risk of shame.
Premarital sex imputes a spiritual state of shame that becomes a major weapon of Satan. God forgives you, but you will still face the fruit of the sin and you'll still be vulnerable to Satan's whispering accusations on your worth as a person and your value as an active Christian.
1 Corinthians 5:1-2 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father's wife. And you are proud! Shouldn't you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this?
Jude 1:7 In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.
1. The risk of disobeying God and letting Satan get a foothold.
The Bible, time after time tells us to flee sexual sins. Why? Because it is a major strategy of the devil to sabotage God's work on Earth.
Matthew 15:19 "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander."
Corinthians 6:9 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders...
Colossians 3:5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.
1 Thessalonians 4:3 It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality;
Revelation 2:14 "Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality."
Revelation 2:20 "Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols."
Revelation 9:21 Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.
Revelation 21:8 "But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars-their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."

Spiritual brokeness needs spiritual dealing and healing

 

2Co 7:8 – 12 I know I distressed you greatly with my letter. Although I felt awful at the time, I don't feel at all bad now that I see how it turned out. The letter upset you, but only for a while. Now I'm glad--not that you were upset, but that you were jarred into turning things around. You let the distress bring you to God, not drive you from him. The result was all gain, no loss. Distress that drives us to God does that. It turns us around. It gets us back in the way of salvation. We never regret that kind of pain. But those who let distress drive them away from God are full of regrets, end up on a deathbed of regrets. And now, isn't it wonderful all the ways in which this distress has goaded you closer to God? You're more alive, more concerned, more sensitive, more reverent, more human, more passionate, more responsible. Looked at from any angle, you've come out of this with purity of heart. And that is what I was hoping for in the first place when I wrote the letter. My primary concern was not for the one who did the wrong or even the one wronged, but for you--that you would realize and act upon the deep, deep ties between us before God.

When anyone in the Body of Christ is hurting all members suffer. The example of cutting of a thumb from the human body given by Ps Daniel explains this very brilliantly. The thumb will die if it is not connected back to the body and that is the distress the passage speaks of. As Paul explains to the Corinthians it was for the benefit of all that his first letter was written. The thumb by itself will start to decay and rot and that is the dealing we face spiritually if we are put away from the body. But if healing were to take place we need to desire to come back through God's grace with sincere repentance and then restoration becomes available to all who have gone astray.

At different seasons of our life we maybe tempted to break away and Ps Daniel related to us in his sermon over the weekend the time he did that and how God challenged him to come back to Him. Today I am proud to say we see a Pastor who is strong, restored and doing great exploits by His grace for Him whilst remaining in the Body. The bandwidth that he has has always amazed me and he is growing from one level of glory to another. Praise God for His restoring nature!

I pray in my season of distress I will turn back to God quickly in sincere repentance so that I can be restored again to His body.

Pastor Daniel is a great inspiration to me!

 

......continuation from last post

Henry commentary states, "Here we have, I. Orders given to send spies to search out the land of Canaan. It is here said, God directed Moses to send them (Num_13:1, Num_13:2), but it appears by the repetition of the story afterwards (Deu_1:22) that the motion came originally from the people; they came to Moses, and said, We will send men before us; and it was the fruit of their unbelief. They would not take God's word that it was a good land, and that he would, without fail, put them in possession of it. They could not trust the pillar of cloud and fire to show them the way to it, but had a better opinion of their own politics than of God's wisdom. How absurd was it for them to send to spy out a land which God himself had spied out for them, to enquire the way into it when God himself had undertaken to show them the way! But thus we ruin ourselves by giving more credit to the reports and representations of sense than to divine revelation; we walk by sight, not by faith; whereas, if we will receive the witness of men, without doubt the witness of God is greater.

In my estimation a bad report is when we walk by sight and this was amplified very recently when I displayed a lack of self control in the midst of loved ones and staff in an argument of my rights with my wife. Although my wife and I had resolved this later the visual experience would have left a bad taste in their mouths.

The very thing which we sometimes boast of to others that we would not do, is the very thing I fell to as I was tempted. May Our Good Lord Jesus Christ cause healing to come to those affected and may I continue to trust His Good Report for our lives.

Our children learn from our modeling

 

Ps Daniel gave a very heart provoking sermon this evening. It was one which I could easily relate to as I had at many times not been a good role model to both my natural child and spiritual children who the Lord has placed in my care.

Many times my behavior has not been reflective of God's character. Simple things like speeding up when the amber light is turning to red at a traffic junction comes to mind as an example. Our thoughts even excuse us by justifying and affirming us because we were rushing to do a "God deed". This simple act of justification talks about our right to do what we did. In the process our responsibility to do the right thing and being a role model is neglected.

The next generation which comes out of this behavioral training will have an uncanny resemblance to the generation which taught them. Sometimes we only become aware of this when another person relates to us this phrase "like father like son or like mother like daughter" concerning their behavior. Then when we recollect our behavior, usually talking to our parents, we will find they too were echoing then what we are saying to our children now.

The passage that was expounded on was Numbers Chapters 13 & 14. The verse which ....to be continued

Will I become a prodigal son?

Will I become a prodigal son?
Originally uploaded by chandrangopalan

Starting in Luke 15 verse 12 we see the story of a father which describes the Father heart of God. In the next ten verses I have chosen these following verses to highlight his heart for his prodigal son.

The younger said to his father, 'Father, I want right now what's coming to me.' "So the father divided the property between them. ……. "That brought him to his senses. ……I'm going back to my father. I'll say to him, Father, I've sinned against God, I've sinned before you; ………."When he was still a long way off, his father saw him. His heart pounding, he ran out, embraced him, and kissed him. ………"But the father wasn't listening. He was calling to the servants, 'Quick. Bring a clean set of clothes and dress him. Put the family ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.

The character of this father is so clearly reflected in way he dealt with his prodigal son. In asking for his inheritance the son was saying, “You are dead”. In giving him his inheritance before his death the father was saying, “You need to know for yourself”. In coming to his senses the son was saying, “Now I know my sin and as an outcast to my villager I am willing to die by being stoned”. The father watching for him through the seasons from a distance ran to meet him, which was saying, “I must reach him first before anyone recognize him as my son and stone him”. And finally when the father did see him, this old feeble man must have run to the gates of his community and without pay any attention to what the prodigal son said embraced him and protected him from the reaction of the villagers. Immediately to confirm this action he reestablishes him as a son so that the villagers could not stone him. Although the father restores his sonship, the son will never again be rewarded with inheritance.

Will I be a prodigal son?

What kind of fruit is showing in my life?

What kind of fruit is showing in my life?
Originally uploaded by chandrangopalan

What kind of fruit is showing in my life?

Many times in my life the truth of my inner being was revealed when I was put through a trial. The sermons in our church during the past weekend were simple and yet "brutal". It spoke about the fruit which I displayed in times of adversity.

Galatians 5:22-23 talks about all the good flavors in the fruit found in our lives. I pondered on the vices and virtues which are found in the Bible and in my life. My prayer is to have more of the virtues and less of the vices.

VICES: neglecting God and others - sexual immorality (Gal 5:19); impurity (Gal 5:19); Lust (Col 3:5); Hatred (Gal 5:20); Discord (Gal 5:20); Jealousy (Gal 5:20); Anger (Gal 5:20); Selfish ambition (Gal 5:20); Arrogance (2 Cor 12:20, Gal 5:20); Envy (Gal 5:21); Murder (Rev 22:12-16); Idolatry (Gal 5:20, Eph 5:5) Witchcraft (Gal 5:20); Drunkenness (Gal 5:21); Wild living (Luke 15:13, Gal 5:21) Cheating (1 Cor 6:8); Adultery (1 Cor 6:9, 10); Homosexuality (1 Cor 6:9, 10); Greed (1Cor 6:9, 10, Eph 5:5); Stealing (1 Cor 6:9, 10); Lying (Rev 22:12-16)
VIRTUES: the by-product of living for God - Love, Joy, Peace, Patience (long suffering), kindness, goodness, faithfulness (Gal 5:22) and gentleness, self-control (Gal 5:23)

The most frightening things about all this is when our hearts become hardened or like Pharaoh's heart when God hardens it we may not consider exhibiting virtues. The verse in Galatians 5:21 states for the "least" obvious sin to the "most" obvious sin the one who practices such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

When Daniel was serving 4 pagan kings he served faithfully until the last king released them at the appointed time (70 years later)and recognized Daniel's God as the Most High God!

Lord Jesus Christ, I pray I will have more of your fruit and less of my vices displayed in my life so that Your name will be glorified always. Amen

Will I choose to be a wicked servant?

wicked servant
Originally uploaded by chandrangopalan

Preparing for a Bible session I had to cover a few of the letters Paul wrote to Timothy, Titus and the Thessalonian church. It talked lots about keeping on the straight and narrow!

These verses in 1 Timothy 6: 3-5 spoke volumes to me about what not to do. "If you have leaders there who teach otherwise, who refuse the solid words of our Master Jesus and this godly instruction, tag them for what they are: ignorant windbags who infect the air with germs of envy, controversy, bad-mouthing, suspicious rumors. Eventually there's an epidemic of backstabbing, and truth is but a distant memory. They think religion is a way to make a fast buck".

I must constantly ask myself if I have denied the faith, am conceited and argumentative, cause confusion, envy and factions and looking to use spiritual things for financial gains!

At that judgment day what will Jesus say to me, "You ...............servant

Rising from the dead

Rising from the dead
Originally uploaded by chandrangopalan

Today's verse was recited to me by an old friend who discuss a personal issue with his child. His conversation exposed me to the need for clear Biblical teaching and strong discipleship. Any person who strayed had to come under the correction of the Word and the subsequent healing process which leads to reconciliation. The lack of such action will lead to confusion and disorder to the whole Body.

The verse in Luke 16:30-31 states, "'I know, Father Abraham,' he said, 'but they're not listening. If someone came back to them from the dead, they would change their ways.' "Abraham replied, 'If they won't listen to Moses and the Prophets, they're not going to be convinced by someone who rises from the dead.'"

This is a powerful section of scripture that spoke to me of the conviction of sin by the Holy Spirit in my life. If I decide not to heed the prompting of the Holy Spirit and change my ways I will not be convicted by anyone, not even someone who rises from the dead.

Do I know of such a one.....Jesus Christ rose from the dead!

Mensa IQ

Mensa IQ
Originally uploaded by chandrangopalan

What is Mensa? Mensa was founded in England in 1946 by Roland Berrill, a barrister, and Dr. Lance Ware, a scientist and lawyer. They had the idea of forming a society for bright people, the only qualification for membership of which was a high IQ. The original aims were, as they are today, to create a society that is non-political and free from all racial or religious distinctions. The society welcomes people from every walk of life whose IQ is in the top 2% of the population, with the objective of enjoying each other's company and participating in a wide range of social and cultural activities.

During my early teen I had desired to be a part of this group of individuals but obviously I wasn't because I didn't quite make the cut! I was quite determined to work at it but you still have to have "the brain matter" to make it.

In fact one of the early "information technology" college was recruiting students to go to UK and had us do an IQ test here in Malaysia. Although I made the top few to qualify via this test, I could not raise the funds to go as my dad had already retired by then.

Today I look back at this situation and my devotion verse and sense how the world looks at each other. Paul says in 1 Cor 10:12-15, "Don't be so naive and self-confident. You're not exempt. You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence; it's useless. Cultivate God-confidence. No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it. So, my very dear friends, when you see people reducing God to something they can use or control, get out of their company as fast as you can.
I assume I'm addressing believers now who are mature. Draw your own conclusions:"

I am praying I will grow to be the matured Christian Paul is referring to being God-confidence and not rely on IQ.

Awaiting His City

dsc01508
Originally uploaded by chandrangopalan

The Word of God says in 2 Corinthians Chapter 9 verse 8 and 9, "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all time, having all they you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: "He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever."

It is important to know that our God is able to make all grace abound to us....hallelujah! He is able, in our lack or abundance, for His grace is sufficient! Many times I have had been in situations when I should have given and didn't.

I would reason with myself by comparing myself with those who have a lot. Maybe with someone who has revenue from other sources like a full pension or property worth millions.

But this is a wrong attitude and so I have repented because the earlier verse talk about the measure we dish out will be the measure that will be returned to us. It also talk about being cheerful in our giving otherwise it will mean nothing even if we gave a large amount.

Therefore, if I had grudged in giving I would receive nothing in my account in His City. If I had given for others to notice, my reward will be on earth, a pat on the back or worst still the person I give returning the same back to me. This was and sometime is, of course the case for much of my giving!

But to abound in every good work is to give to the poor who cannot repay you and also whom you cannot bring under "submission" to you. If only I gave when I had, so that it would not have been lost in the meltdown, it would have been credited in His City.

A reward maybe awaiting me on that Judgment day in His City!

Peter Principle

 

The Peter Principle is the principle that "In a Hierarchy Every Employee Tends to Rise to His Level of Incompetence. I had this symptom of “incompetence” my entire career since I stated as a teller/clerk in a local bank and moved up to be a Business Development Director for Asia Pacific in a MNC.

In more than half of the 30 years that I had worked for corporations I had to sign a yearly contract with my employer with clear KPIs. Failure to fulfill my KPI meant possible dismissal. Today’s devotional verse help me see another Peter Principle which is the reason I am “confident” of what I have achieved in my entire life since receiving Jesus at age 16. The miracles He performed were amazing even helping me win a world trip as an award for outstanding consistent achievement.

The Message quote how the other Peter principle works as follows: Act 4:13 They couldn't take their eyes off them--Peter and John standing there so confident, so sure of themselves! Their fascination deepened when they realized these two were laymen with no training in Scripture or formal education. They recognized them as companions of Jesus,

The world will be astounded by those who have been with Jesus and know His will for their lives. There will be many hindrances like what the priests of Peter’s day were trying to do - intimidating them to submit to their restrictions. They told them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. The more, we should want to do it as both Peter and John concluded, “For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen or heard”.

In these trying times the world need to know that we are companions of Jesus which completes the Peter Principle.

What happens to a BIG FISH?

 

This was a huge fish which I saw at FIRM early this year when our Sub-District Group went for a morning outing there. It must have been 9 feet long and for me it was BIG and sure enough there weren't any small fry.

Again and again these past few weeks we have been seeing the effects of "false measures".

The Bible KJV version says in Deu 25:13-16, "Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights, a great and a small. Thou shalt not have in thine house divers measures, a great and a small. But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have: that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. For all that do such things, and all that do unrighteously, are an abomination unto the LORD thy God".

An astounding email appeared in my inbox (from a prayer partner) a few weeks ago from a source which I feel comfortable with. Read it for yourself....

http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/aug2007/deborah818.htm
"David Wilkerson's Prophecy of Run on ........."

The content in this prophecy is something very probable. The moral of the story for me is, have a shelter over your head and get out of that debt, otherwise you will be affected!

Let my eyes "see" You, Lord Jesus Christ

dsc01346
Originally uploaded by chandrangopalan

The recent happenings of the past weeks had me desiring to resume blogging again. It had been some time that I exposed my personal devotional thoughts and so I pray the Holy Spirit will help me recollect my thoughts and pen it down with His empowerment.

This morning meditation was on 1 Cor 2:9-10
But as it is written, Eyes hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

This reflection took me to Job's response to the Lord's second speech in Chapter 42. Job states that God can do all things and His plans will not be thwarted. Job grew in a new understanding of God as reflected in his response when he answered God as to his current spiritual state. "My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you" was what he said as Job despised himself and repented in dust and ashes. He had always known God through the Word (refereed to as blameless and upright by God) , now he had seen Him in all His splendor and glory! (Chapter 38-41).

In a recent seminar I attended the blessings of Job is paralleled to the second coming of Jesus Christ. Job's prayer for his comforters was accepted by God who desires that none (ignorant) should perish. The passage in James 5:7-11 quotes Job for his perseverance - an example of patience in the face of suffering and what the Lord finally brought about.

The Lord is full of compassion and mercy and nothing in all the world should trouble us.

Personal Testimony

Let me share with you the greatest thing that happened in my life.

I was born a Hindu into a below average income household. My parent and my five siblings lived in a one bedroom government quarters. I grew up as a very shy and introverted person with an inferior complex.

During my final year in school, a Christian classmate of mine invited me to attend a Christian meeting. In this meeting the speaker spoke about his life which sounded similar to mine. Throughout the meeting I felt enveloped by a love which I had never felt before. I stood up before the crowd, when invited by the speaker and prayed a prayer to accept Jesus Christ as my Savor and Lord.

As my dad retired that same year I finished school, I had to start working to support the family. I prayed for God’s divine intervention in my working career. My daily prayer time with Jesus caused me to be bold, hardworking and succeed. I rose up from the position of a clerk and teller in a local bank to being a Business Development Director for Asia Pacific in a multinational corporation and most recently I serve Jesus before tens, hundreds and even thousands. Jesus has exposed me to many situations and trials in the past 30 years and He continues to help me to grow in confidence and boldness.

As I conclude I would like to ask you if you felt you have a need for Jesus Christ to do similar things in your life. Would you too like to receive Him as your Savior and Lord? Please reply by sending a comment to this blog.

Try this - write something good about another person

One day a teacher asked her students to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name. Then she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down.
It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, and as the students left the room, each one handed in the papers.

That Saturday, the teacher wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of paper, and listed what everyone else had said about that individual..
On Monday she gave each student his or her list. Before long, the entire class was smiling. 'Really?' she heard whispered. 'I never knew that I meant anything to anyone!' and, 'I didn't know others liked me so much,' were most of the comments.

No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. She never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn't matter. The exercise had accomplished its purpose. The students were happy with themselves and one another. That group of students moved on.

Several years later, one of the students was killed in

VietNam and his teacher attended the funeral of that special student. She had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before. He looked so handsome, so mature.

The church was packed with his friends. One by one those who loved him took a last walk by the coffin. The teacher was the last one to bless the coffin..

As she stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as pallbearer came up to her. 'Were you Mark's math teacher?' he asked. ! She nodded: 'yes.' Then he said: 'Mark talked about you a lot.'

After the funeral, most of Mark's former classmate! s went together to a luncheon. Mark's mother and father were there, obviously waiting to speak with his teacher.

'We want to show you something,' his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket 'They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it.'

Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times. The teacher knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which she had listed all the good things each of Mark's classmates had said about him.

'Thank you so much for doing that,' Mark's mother said. 'As you can see, Mark treasured it.'

All of Mark's former classmates started to gather around. Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and said, 'I still have my list. It's in the top drawer of my desk at home.'

Chuck's wife said, 'Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album.'

'I have mine too,' Marilyn said. 'It's in my diary'

Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. 'I carry this with me at all times,' Vicki said and without batting an eyelash, she continued: 'I think we all saved our lists'

That's when the teacher finally sat down and cried. She cried for Mark and for all his friends who would never see him again.

The density of people in society is so thick that we forget that life will end one day. And we don't know when that one day will be.

So please, tell the people you love and care for, that they are special and important. Tell them, before it is too late.

Crown of Righteousness

The Olympic games will be upon us this Friday and the best athletics in the world would be competing with each other for honors. A marathon run which awards everyone who completes the race is not often heard of. In this race, everyone who crosses the finish line is awarded a prize. This was the thought that ran through my mind as I conducted the wake service for my good friend's late father.

His dad had lived for 92 years and stayed faithfully married until his wife departed a year ago. The deceased leaves behind a son, 3 daughters and 6 grand children. He is now reunited with his wife and a daughter; who went home to be with the Lord a few years earlier. He was known to be a gentle and peace loving husband, father and son.

The scripture reading and the message shared, accurately reflected his life. It was taken from the second letter to Timothy in Chapter 4 verses 6 to 8. The Word reads:

For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

He must have been keenly aware of his departure as he spent the day with his beloved children enjoying the last few moments with them. For 92 years he had run the marathon with perseverance and stamina. He had modeled the hope everyone is looking for, that is, you can live an exemplary life in this world. He was at peace with all; his God, his family, his relatives and his friends.

Like an athlete who competed in the marathon, he has crossed the finish line and I am sure he has received his crown of righteousness from the righteous Judge, Jesus. But praise God it is not only for him but for all of us too!

Wow! What a glorious thought....for all of us who are longing for His appearance!

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus

The sculpture captured in this photograph bring alive what happened during Jesus' life on earth. This is common in the Holy land and you will find buried civilization depicting the rich history of nations as you tour the length and breath of this country.

Today's 40 day fast & pray booklet requires us to pray for the church leadership throughout the land of Malaysia. Yesterday's prayer meeting brought to bear the need to pray for a Christian witness in the small towns and villages of our country. Many of them has less than 20 believers!

A large majority of believers live in the interior parts of Sabah and Sarawak, which makes up (by some estimates) more than three quarters of the total population of Christians in this country. The sad fact of the matter is, these are the poorest of the poor communities of the nation. They don't have a voice so we in West Malaysia also don't have a voice because we are much smaller in size!

During this season, many teams are driving to these smaller towns to pray for God's presence to penetrate the atmosphere over these communities. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus spoken over any atmosphere, in faith by a believer, bring God's presence to bear and for His will to be done. We will not know all of the needs of each church leader in each locality but God does and in His time He will answer the prayer of a righteous man which is powerful and effective.

John 14:13-14 And whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in My name, I will do it. Freeda Bowers, the author of Give Me 40 days, penned this explanation as follows, "In Jesus' name, prayers are answered; people saved, healed and delivered. Ultimately, every knee will bow to the One who bears that glorious name. All power in Heaven and Earth is embodied in the holy and precious name of Jesus".

So if you say with me aloud.....Jesus, Jesus, Jesus you can be sure He will immediately respond. Do you feel His presence?

Satan's web

This picture of the spider's web always got me thinking of the draw of satan to his "intriguing" scheme. As my wife and I spent the whole afternoon paying our bills, we also reflected on God's faithfulness towards us. The reason was because the first activity we did before paying our bills was to collect our claim for the petrol subside from the Post Office. RM625.00 was another of God's blessing and faithfulness as we continued to be faithful to His prompting to bless His servants and His Kingdom. He is no one's debtor!

Tonight again I was reminded through Matthew Chapter 6 of this principle: V1-4 against hypocrisy in almsgiving; v5-8 against hypocrisy in prayer; v9-15 how to pray; v16-18 respecting fasting; v19-24 evil of being worldy-minded and v25-34 trust in God commended. The bottom line is seeking His Kingdom and righteousness first!

Another version of verse 24 caught my attention today and it is this:

"You can't worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you'll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. You can't worship God and Money both.

My discussion with my wife was our faith level on this topic of tithes and offerings. It is easy to give tithes deligently but offering was another thing all together. As I pondered this thought to blog...my understanding is that everything is from God and so if I had to give Him everything as an "Isaac" sacrifice, will I? Like the widow with the 2 mites!

How many times have we passed the offering bag onto the next person and not put in an offering because we had "religiously" given our tithes on the first week of the month. Will we go broke if we placed RM10 every time the offering bag was passed to us. Should we not give Him an offering of everything everyday and every week when He give us the opportunity.... by handing us His "offering" bag???

Satan's web.....something to ponder about but for the Truth meditate on Matthew 6!

Listening to hear the Truth

The wonders of technology! Skype has been a tool we have been using to coach premarital couples to prepare them for marriage. After using it with different couples in 5 different countries we have noticed that the quality has evolved and improved, (include video and audio conferencing) to make the experience very satisfying.

This was not the case, in the early days when I was involved with this technology. I had to use it to communicate with my head office in KL from my base in Jakarta, running the Indonesian operations for the Christian company, I worked at. The quality was so poor and there used to be too much "static" on the line that our messages were never understood completely.

Family unity and strong marriages are at the heart of God's victorious plan for mankind. Since the very beginning God's aim is to birth a "bride" from His very flesh and bones to be pure and blameless. His redemptive blood restores the broken relationship and brings us into right standing with Him. This is accomplished as we confess and repent of our sinful nature, when we are convicted by the Holy Spirit, by having faith in Him. Then, believing in our hearts and confessing with our mouths that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Lord, propels us into a born again experience and into His Kingdom.

This spiritual birthing is what Nicodemus was all confused about, which prompted him to ask Jesus the obvious question, "How can anyone," said Nicodemus, "be born who has already been born and grown up? You can't re-enter your mother's womb and be born again. What are you saying with this 'born-from-above' talk?"

Jesus is the Master communicator and He replied, "You're not listening. Let me say it again. Unless a person submits to this original creation—the 'wind-hovering-over-the-water' creation, the invisible moving the visible, a baptism into a new life—it's not possible to enter God's kingdom. When you look at a baby, it's just that: a body you can look at and touch. But the person who takes shape within is formed by something you can't see and touch—the Spirit—and becomes a living spirit."So don't be so surprised when I tell you that you have to be 'born from above'—out of this world, so to speak. You know well enough how the wind blows this way and that. You hear it rustling through the trees, but you have no idea where it comes from or where it's headed next. That's the way it is with everyone 'born from above' by the wind of God, the Spirit of God."

The Message version opens up John chapter 3 verses 4 to 8 for us to understand the truth of the new birth more accurately. It is liken to our ability to hear without the "static" in our communication line between our Lord Jesus Christ and us.

I pray during this 40 days prayer and fasting for our nation our spiritual ears will become alert to God's agenda for the nation, who's foundation is the families. Those who have ears let him hear!