30/7/11 Isaiah 60-62, John 1
S: John 1:1-8 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
O: Jesus said that we are the light and salt of the world. Using a slightly different metaphor, John was inspired by God to say that we are not the light but we bear witness of the Light -- Jesus.
A modern metaphorical way of putting it is that Jesus is the light, and we are the fibre optics that convey that light into places that need it.
A: Jesus called us to be His disciples, His witnesses, His ambassadors. Most Malaysians have not read the Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, so we are the only Gospel account they will see.
What do our friends see as the Gospel according to Andrew, Juliane, Ji Jian, Phui Yein, Teressa, Ricky, Yvonne, and Ian?
P: Father, help me reflect the light of Jesus accurately. In all that I do, help me to make my choices according to what Jesus would want me to do. In Jesus' name, amen.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
God's Chosen Fast
29/7/11 Isaiah 57-59; Psalm 103; 2 Peter 3
S: Isaiah 58:3-10
‘We have fasted before you!’ they say.
‘Why aren’t you impressed?
We have been very hard on ourselves,
and you don’t even notice it!’
“I will tell you why!” I respond.
“It’s because you are fasting to please yourselves.
Even while you fast,
you keep oppressing your workers.
What good is fasting
when you keep on fighting and quarrelling?
This kind of fasting
will never get you anywhere with me.
You humble yourselves
by going through the motions of penance,
bowing your heads
like reeds bending in the wind.
You dress in burlap
and cover yourselves with ashes.
Is this what you call fasting?
Do you really think this will please the Lord?
“No, this is the kind of fasting I want:
Free those who are wrongly imprisoned;
lighten the burden of those who work for you.
Let the oppressed go free,
and remove the chains that bind people.
Share your food with the hungry,
and give shelter to the homeless.
Give clothes to those who need them,
and do not hide from relatives who need your help.
“Then your salvation will come like the dawn,
and your wounds will quickly heal.
Your godliness will lead you forward,
and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind.
Then when you call, the Lord will answer.
‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply.
“Remove the heavy yoke of oppression.
Stop pointing your finger and spreading vicious rumours!
Feed the hungry,
and help those in trouble.
Then your light will shine out from the darkness,
and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.
O: Is this timely or what? The majority of Malaysians are preparing to start fasting (Ramadan for the Muslims, and the 40-day fast leading up to Malaysia day for the Christians) and the Life Journal guy had us read this passage revealed by God to the Prophet Isaiah so many centuries ago! The reading plan I am following was made up by an American, who doesn't know about our Malaysian fasting schedule!
A: It's been observed that fasting without prayer is just dieting. The Church of Jesus Christ has had a long history and tradition of social work. My church has a work among the urban poor in Kinrara, and many other churches also have various kinds of ways to share our food with the hungry, give shelter to the homeless, and give clothes to those who need them.
But what about freeing those who are wrongly imprisoned? I have a couple of friends who have been urging me and other people to attend the candlelight vigils for the EO6 -- the 6 people arrested using the Emergency Ordinance which allows for detention without trial before the BERSIH 2.0 rally, including the PSM member of parliament Dr. Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj. I've thus far not been able to go because of logistical problems -- and tonight I will probably not be able to go again because although we don't have CG tonight, Juliane, Joni and Hannah are sick.
The first 21 days of the peaceful candlelight vigils outside Bukit Aman police headquarters, the police allowed them to do it. But as of last Sunday, they have received orders from above to break it up. Since then, the vigil has been going from one location to another every night. They are frequently threatened by the police now, in spite of the Malaysian constitution guaranteeing the right of citizens to peacefully protest. That right has been ignored by the ruling party for a long time.
Just as I struggled with whether to go for the BERSIH 2.0 rally itself a few weeks ago, I'm now struggling whether to go for the candlelight vigils for the EO6 -- and my responsibilities to my family. I am one of the thousands who have signed the petition to ask for their release, but likely that petition will be ignored by the authorities.
P: Father, give me wisdom what You want me to do. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Well, what do you know? I wrote this in the morning of 29 July 2011 and at 5:30pm, the 6 people had been released! Praise God! It just became too politically costly to keep them locked up, as nobody believed that they were Communists as originally alleged.
S: Isaiah 58:3-10
‘We have fasted before you!’ they say.
‘Why aren’t you impressed?
We have been very hard on ourselves,
and you don’t even notice it!’
“I will tell you why!” I respond.
“It’s because you are fasting to please yourselves.
Even while you fast,
you keep oppressing your workers.
What good is fasting
when you keep on fighting and quarrelling?
This kind of fasting
will never get you anywhere with me.
You humble yourselves
by going through the motions of penance,
bowing your heads
like reeds bending in the wind.
You dress in burlap
and cover yourselves with ashes.
Is this what you call fasting?
Do you really think this will please the Lord?
“No, this is the kind of fasting I want:
Free those who are wrongly imprisoned;
lighten the burden of those who work for you.
Let the oppressed go free,
and remove the chains that bind people.
Share your food with the hungry,
and give shelter to the homeless.
Give clothes to those who need them,
and do not hide from relatives who need your help.
“Then your salvation will come like the dawn,
and your wounds will quickly heal.
Your godliness will lead you forward,
and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind.
Then when you call, the Lord will answer.
‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply.
“Remove the heavy yoke of oppression.
Stop pointing your finger and spreading vicious rumours!
Feed the hungry,
and help those in trouble.
Then your light will shine out from the darkness,
and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.
O: Is this timely or what? The majority of Malaysians are preparing to start fasting (Ramadan for the Muslims, and the 40-day fast leading up to Malaysia day for the Christians) and the Life Journal guy had us read this passage revealed by God to the Prophet Isaiah so many centuries ago! The reading plan I am following was made up by an American, who doesn't know about our Malaysian fasting schedule!
A: It's been observed that fasting without prayer is just dieting. The Church of Jesus Christ has had a long history and tradition of social work. My church has a work among the urban poor in Kinrara, and many other churches also have various kinds of ways to share our food with the hungry, give shelter to the homeless, and give clothes to those who need them.
But what about freeing those who are wrongly imprisoned? I have a couple of friends who have been urging me and other people to attend the candlelight vigils for the EO6 -- the 6 people arrested using the Emergency Ordinance which allows for detention without trial before the BERSIH 2.0 rally, including the PSM member of parliament Dr. Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj. I've thus far not been able to go because of logistical problems -- and tonight I will probably not be able to go again because although we don't have CG tonight, Juliane, Joni and Hannah are sick.
The first 21 days of the peaceful candlelight vigils outside Bukit Aman police headquarters, the police allowed them to do it. But as of last Sunday, they have received orders from above to break it up. Since then, the vigil has been going from one location to another every night. They are frequently threatened by the police now, in spite of the Malaysian constitution guaranteeing the right of citizens to peacefully protest. That right has been ignored by the ruling party for a long time.
Just as I struggled with whether to go for the BERSIH 2.0 rally itself a few weeks ago, I'm now struggling whether to go for the candlelight vigils for the EO6 -- and my responsibilities to my family. I am one of the thousands who have signed the petition to ask for their release, but likely that petition will be ignored by the authorities.
P: Father, give me wisdom what You want me to do. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Well, what do you know? I wrote this in the morning of 29 July 2011 and at 5:30pm, the 6 people had been released! Praise God! It just became too politically costly to keep them locked up, as nobody believed that they were Communists as originally alleged.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Children of the barren woman
28/7/11 Isaiah 53-56, 2 Peter 2
S: Isaiah 54:1,5 Sing, O barren woman, you who have never given birth! Break into loud and joyful song, O Jerusalem, you who have never been in labour. For the desolate woman now has more children than the woman who lives with her husband,” says the LORD. ... For your Creator will be your husband; the LORD of Heaven’s Armies is his name! He is your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the God of all the earth.
O: In the ancient world, a barren woman was considered a disgrace, cursed by God. This passage was specifically referring to Israel, I think, but also can apply in the modern context to a person like my dear friend Annette Arulrajah. She is a truly inspirational person.
She's probably in her late 40s or early 50s by now, and she had never married, but she has served the Lord faithfully many years. She was on staff with the Fellowship of Evangelical Students in Malaysia, ending as the general secretary. She's recently moved on to the international parent body IFES. She's influenced countless thousands of students to follow Jesus, and is today in Poland with the IFES World Assembly. Recently, she braved the tear gas and acid water canons to fight for democracy in Malaysia. Dr. Loh Kim Cheng is another similar lady and there are many others.
They have no physical children... but their spiritual children are myriad.
A: I am married to a lovely wife and have 2 beautiful children. But God calls all of us -- married or single -- who follow Him to make disciples of all nations.
I'm not a very good evangelist, but one of my greatest pleasures is to have an old friend find me on the net after many years and say, "Hey, remember when you used to share the Gospel with me years ago? Guess what? I'm a believer now."
Let us keep on being fishers of men! Let us keep on encouraging one another to love and good deeds!
P: Father, thank You for Your great salvation. I pray that I will be like the barren woman with many children, in addition to my physical children. In Jesus' name, amen.
S: Isaiah 54:1,5 Sing, O barren woman, you who have never given birth! Break into loud and joyful song, O Jerusalem, you who have never been in labour. For the desolate woman now has more children than the woman who lives with her husband,” says the LORD. ... For your Creator will be your husband; the LORD of Heaven’s Armies is his name! He is your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the God of all the earth.
O: In the ancient world, a barren woman was considered a disgrace, cursed by God. This passage was specifically referring to Israel, I think, but also can apply in the modern context to a person like my dear friend Annette Arulrajah. She is a truly inspirational person.
She's probably in her late 40s or early 50s by now, and she had never married, but she has served the Lord faithfully many years. She was on staff with the Fellowship of Evangelical Students in Malaysia, ending as the general secretary. She's recently moved on to the international parent body IFES. She's influenced countless thousands of students to follow Jesus, and is today in Poland with the IFES World Assembly. Recently, she braved the tear gas and acid water canons to fight for democracy in Malaysia. Dr. Loh Kim Cheng is another similar lady and there are many others.
They have no physical children... but their spiritual children are myriad.
A: I am married to a lovely wife and have 2 beautiful children. But God calls all of us -- married or single -- who follow Him to make disciples of all nations.
I'm not a very good evangelist, but one of my greatest pleasures is to have an old friend find me on the net after many years and say, "Hey, remember when you used to share the Gospel with me years ago? Guess what? I'm a believer now."
Let us keep on being fishers of men! Let us keep on encouraging one another to love and good deeds!
P: Father, thank You for Your great salvation. I pray that I will be like the barren woman with many children, in addition to my physical children. In Jesus' name, amen.
The Promised Suffering Servant
27/7/11 Isaiah 50-52; Psalm 92; 2 Peter 1
S: Isaiah 53:3-12 He was despised and rejected—
a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.
We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.
He was despised, and we did not care.
Yet it was our weaknesses he carried;
it was our sorrows that weighed him down.
And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God,
a punishment for his own sins!
But he was pierced for our rebellion,
crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
He was whipped so we could be healed.
All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the Lord laid on him
the sins of us all.
He was oppressed and treated harshly,
yet he never said a word.
He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.
And as a sheep is silent before the shearers,
he did not open his mouth.
Unjustly condemned,
he was led away.
No one cared that he died without descendants,
that his life was cut short in midstream.
But he was struck down
for the rebellion of my people.
He had done no wrong
and had never deceived anyone.
But he was buried like a criminal;
he was put in a rich man’s grave.
But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him
and cause him grief.
Yet when his life is made an offering for sin,
he will have many descendants.
He will enjoy a long life,
and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands.
When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish,
he will be satisfied.
And because of his experience,
my righteous servant will make it possible
for many to be counted righteous,
for he will bear all their sins.
I will give him the honours of a victorious soldier,
because he exposed himself to death.
He was counted among the rebels.
He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.
O: Isaiah had so many prophecies of Jesus, no wonder then Handel wrote his opera The Messiah he could take so much of it from Isaiah. As I have been reading these chapters in recent days, the music from that musical keeps ringing through my mind because I recognise the passages from it.
This passage shows clearly the prophecy of the Suffering Servant, a prophecy which Jesus fulfilled in detail, even to the point of being pierced and whipped and buried like a criminal, yet in a rich man's tomb.
Jesus died without fathering a single child (v. 8) but He has so many descendants (v. 10) because we are all His spiritual children.
A: Jesus died for our sins! He took our punishment! He was whipped so that we could be healed! Let us honour Him! Let us follow Him! Let us love and obey Him!
P: Father, I repent of my sins. Thank You for Your love for us, for Your great sacrifice which You predicted hundreds of years before Jesus came! Truly, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us! I love You, and I want to follow You! Amen!
S: Isaiah 53:3-12 He was despised and rejected—
a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.
We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.
He was despised, and we did not care.
Yet it was our weaknesses he carried;
it was our sorrows that weighed him down.
And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God,
a punishment for his own sins!
But he was pierced for our rebellion,
crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
He was whipped so we could be healed.
All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the Lord laid on him
the sins of us all.
He was oppressed and treated harshly,
yet he never said a word.
He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.
And as a sheep is silent before the shearers,
he did not open his mouth.
Unjustly condemned,
he was led away.
No one cared that he died without descendants,
that his life was cut short in midstream.
But he was struck down
for the rebellion of my people.
He had done no wrong
and had never deceived anyone.
But he was buried like a criminal;
he was put in a rich man’s grave.
But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him
and cause him grief.
Yet when his life is made an offering for sin,
he will have many descendants.
He will enjoy a long life,
and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands.
When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish,
he will be satisfied.
And because of his experience,
my righteous servant will make it possible
for many to be counted righteous,
for he will bear all their sins.
I will give him the honours of a victorious soldier,
because he exposed himself to death.
He was counted among the rebels.
He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.
O: Isaiah had so many prophecies of Jesus, no wonder then Handel wrote his opera The Messiah he could take so much of it from Isaiah. As I have been reading these chapters in recent days, the music from that musical keeps ringing through my mind because I recognise the passages from it.
This passage shows clearly the prophecy of the Suffering Servant, a prophecy which Jesus fulfilled in detail, even to the point of being pierced and whipped and buried like a criminal, yet in a rich man's tomb.
Jesus died without fathering a single child (v. 8) but He has so many descendants (v. 10) because we are all His spiritual children.
A: Jesus died for our sins! He took our punishment! He was whipped so that we could be healed! Let us honour Him! Let us follow Him! Let us love and obey Him!
P: Father, I repent of my sins. Thank You for Your love for us, for Your great sacrifice which You predicted hundreds of years before Jesus came! Truly, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us! I love You, and I want to follow You! Amen!
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
The word needs more lerts!
26/7/11 Isaiah 46-49, 1 Peter 5
S: 1 Peter 5:8-14 Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are. In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. All power to him forever! Amen. I have written and sent this short letter to you with the help of Silas, whom I commend to you as a faithful brother. My purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you that what you are experiencing is truly part of God’s grace for you. Stand firm in this grace. Your sister church here in Babylon sends you greetings, and so does my son Mark. Greet each other with a kiss of love. Peace be with all of you who are in Christ.
O: The reference to the current suffering might mean that 1 Peter was written after the commencement of Nero's Great Tribulation. The Great Fire of Rome, which Nero is suspected to have started in order to give him an excuse to rebuild Rome in his own image, was in AD 64. It was after that that Nero blamed the Christians for the fire and started the Great Tribulation. According to Wikipedia, Margherita Guarducci, who led the research leading to the rediscovery of Peter’s tomb in its last stages, concludes Peter died on 13 October AD 64 during the festivities on the occasion of the “dies imperii” of Emperor Nero. Which leaves very little time for 1 Peter and 2 Peter to be written, if 1 Peter was written after the great tribulation started. However, Guarducci could be wrong. But also, there were more minor persecutions before Nero's Great Tribulation, so perhaps Peter was referring to those.
1 Peter was written in good Greek, while 2 Peter was written in unpolished Greek. This has led to most liberal scholars concluding that 2 Peter was not written by Peter.
However, right here in verse 12 we see that Silas helped Peter with the letter. Peter was an uneducated Galilean fisherman, so it is quite natural for his Greek to be not very good. The fact that Silas helped him with the letter is probably why 1 Peter is written in good Greek -- Silas probably corrected Peter's unpolished Greek. 2 Peter, on the other hand, was written without the help of such editing -- 2 Peter concludes without any such note, unlike 1 Peter.
A: When I was a university student, my best friend had this joke statement, "Be alert! The world needs more lerts!" シ But joking aside, this is an important principle.
Whether or not we face active persecution for our faith from humans, the devil is still prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.
That's why "the price of freedom is eternal vigilance". Thomas Jefferson wrote that regarding American political freedom, but it's very applicable to us as believers living in a fallen world. I find that my flesh still desires many of the old sinful things.
For the last couple of weeks, I had been enjoying a time of less temptation, and I think I got lax. Recently, I gave in to temptation again and have had to confess and repent and get back up and follow Christ. I cannot let down my guard.
Thanks be to God His grace! "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)
P: Father, thank You for sending Your Son to pay the price we could not pay. Help me to stay alert and watch out. In Jesus' name, amen.
S: 1 Peter 5:8-14 Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are. In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. All power to him forever! Amen. I have written and sent this short letter to you with the help of Silas, whom I commend to you as a faithful brother. My purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you that what you are experiencing is truly part of God’s grace for you. Stand firm in this grace. Your sister church here in Babylon sends you greetings, and so does my son Mark. Greet each other with a kiss of love. Peace be with all of you who are in Christ.
O: The reference to the current suffering might mean that 1 Peter was written after the commencement of Nero's Great Tribulation. The Great Fire of Rome, which Nero is suspected to have started in order to give him an excuse to rebuild Rome in his own image, was in AD 64. It was after that that Nero blamed the Christians for the fire and started the Great Tribulation. According to Wikipedia, Margherita Guarducci, who led the research leading to the rediscovery of Peter’s tomb in its last stages, concludes Peter died on 13 October AD 64 during the festivities on the occasion of the “dies imperii” of Emperor Nero. Which leaves very little time for 1 Peter and 2 Peter to be written, if 1 Peter was written after the great tribulation started. However, Guarducci could be wrong. But also, there were more minor persecutions before Nero's Great Tribulation, so perhaps Peter was referring to those.
1 Peter was written in good Greek, while 2 Peter was written in unpolished Greek. This has led to most liberal scholars concluding that 2 Peter was not written by Peter.
However, right here in verse 12 we see that Silas helped Peter with the letter. Peter was an uneducated Galilean fisherman, so it is quite natural for his Greek to be not very good. The fact that Silas helped him with the letter is probably why 1 Peter is written in good Greek -- Silas probably corrected Peter's unpolished Greek. 2 Peter, on the other hand, was written without the help of such editing -- 2 Peter concludes without any such note, unlike 1 Peter.
A: When I was a university student, my best friend had this joke statement, "Be alert! The world needs more lerts!" シ But joking aside, this is an important principle.
Whether or not we face active persecution for our faith from humans, the devil is still prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.
That's why "the price of freedom is eternal vigilance". Thomas Jefferson wrote that regarding American political freedom, but it's very applicable to us as believers living in a fallen world. I find that my flesh still desires many of the old sinful things.
For the last couple of weeks, I had been enjoying a time of less temptation, and I think I got lax. Recently, I gave in to temptation again and have had to confess and repent and get back up and follow Christ. I cannot let down my guard.
Thanks be to God His grace! "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)
P: Father, thank You for sending Your Son to pay the price we could not pay. Help me to stay alert and watch out. In Jesus' name, amen.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Fear not idols
25/7/11 Isaiah 43-45; 1 Peter 4
Incidentally, Isaiah 45, right after this, has Cyrus being predicted as a messiah of God to save the Jews from their exile and return to the land of Israel and rebuild the temple of Jerusalem. This prophecy was made over a century before Cyrus was even born! This is a rare case where scriptural prophecy actually names a person in the future by name.
S: Isaiah 44:13-20 Then the wood-carver measures a block of wood and draws a pattern on it. He works with chisel and plane and carves it into a human figure. He gives it human beauty and puts it in a little shrine. He cuts down cedars; he selects the cypress and the oak; he plants the pine in the forest to be nourished by the rain. Then he uses part of the wood to make a fire. With it he warms himself and bakes his bread. Then—yes, it’s true—he takes the rest of it and makes himself a god to worship! He makes an idol and bows down in front of it! He burns part of the tree to roast his meat and to keep himself warm. He says, “Ah, that fire feels good.” Then he takes what’s left and makes his god: a carved idol! He falls down in front of it, worshiping and praying to it. “Rescue me!” he says. “You are my god!” Such stupidity and ignorance! Their eyes are closed, and they cannot see. Their minds are shut, and they cannot think. The person who made the idol never stops to reflect, “Why, it’s just a block of wood! I burned half of it for heat and used it to bake my bread and roast my meat. How can the rest of it be a god? Should I bow down to worship a piece of wood?” The poor, deluded fool feeds on ashes. He trusts something that can’t help him at all. Yet he cannot bring himself to ask, “Is this idol that I’m holding in my hand a lie?”
O: The Bible speaks against idols many times, but never ascribes any power to them. This is a typical attitude of our scriptures towards idols -- derision at the foolishness of it.
A: As Chinese Malaysian Christians, we are often too Chinese Malaysian and import our cultural Chinese Malaysian beliefs into our Christianity. One of these beliefs is the idea that idols have powerful spirits in them. In our pre-Christian days, we think of those spirits as gods that we can propitiate to get them to help us. Now as Christians, we think of those spirits as bad and can harm us, so many Christians exhibit a near-superstitious fear of idols. But the Bible doesn't teach that at all.
The Bible does teach that there are evil spirits and that it is possible to allow them to influence us. The Bible also does teach that it is wrong to worship anything other than God. We must not worship idols, which is a violation of the first commandment and also the reason why God allowed Israel to be destroyed and taken into captivity.
For a more complete discussion of this topic, see this article from the Community Baptist Church News.
P:
I will have no other gods before You
Only You will reign as my heart’s King
I will have no other gods before You
I will put You first in everything
With all my heart
With all my soul
With all my might
I want to love You, Lord
Amen
(Sorry, I couldn't find a better rendition of this song on YouTube.)Incidentally, Isaiah 45, right after this, has Cyrus being predicted as a messiah of God to save the Jews from their exile and return to the land of Israel and rebuild the temple of Jerusalem. This prophecy was made over a century before Cyrus was even born! This is a rare case where scriptural prophecy actually names a person in the future by name.
This is such an obvious prediction and fulfilment that non-Christian scholars these days, as well as many Christians who don't really believe in miracles, try to explain it away by saying there were 2 other people who added to the book of Isaiah. Here are some articles that discuss this matter:
- What is the Deutero-Isaiah theory? Was the Book of Isaiah was written by multiple Isaiahs?
- Cyrus the Great in Biblical Prophecy .
- The Deutero-Isaiah Hypothesis
For example, in Isaiah itself are many prophecies about Jesus. They are demonstrably written before Christ -- anti-Christian Jewish tradition, the Dead Sea Scrolls, etc. support this. They obviously refer to Christ upon hindsight -- even the crucifixion is predicted. But if you were reading Isaiah before circa AD 25, you probably wouldn't have thought that this young carpenter Jesus from Nazareth would be the predicted Messiah who would be martyred in this manner.
The Jewish leaders, the Romans, and even Satan didn't realise it or they wouldn't have gone ahead and crucified Him, hence fulfilling the prophecy.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Be good, do good
24/7/11 Isaiah 40-42; 1 Peter 3
S: 1 Peter 3:9 Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will bless you for it.
1 Peter 3:13-17 Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!
O: Peter had had already a small taste of this with the Sanhedrin, and he will have an even greater taste of it in the upcoming Great Tribulation under Nero. But by and large, he lived what he preached, and made disciples of Christ in many places, and eventually, church history tells us, in Rome.
According to church history, Peter managed to leave Rome when Nero started his persecution of Christians, but on his way out, he had a vision where he met Jesus heading into Rome. Peter asked Jesus, "Where are you going, Lord?" Jesus said, "I am going back to be crucified again", which makes Peter go back to Rome and accept martyrdom. He was crucified upside-down because he did not consider himself worthy to die in the same manner as our Lord.
Many people came to Christ because Peter and the other Christians lived out these verses. Romans seeing Christians die for their faith bravely with words that echo Jesus, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do" came to Christ in large numbers in spite of the persecution.
Eventually, Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire 3 centuries later. (This was very good for the well-being of the citizens and subjects of Rome; however, it unfortunately opened the door for corruption into the church. Based on the historical experience, I would oppose making Christianity the official religion of Malaysia because it would be bad for the church.)
By the way, there is an excellent novel that includes that scene, set just before and during the time of Nero the antichrist's Great Tribulation, called Quo Vadis. The copyright has expired, so you can download it for free -- see the links at the bottom of the Wikipeda page on this novel.
A: It's not easy to return good for evil, but Christ calls us to do so. If we do what is right and are persecuted for it, so be it.
P: Father, help me to live up to this. It's so much in my natural reactions to return evil for evil, but that's not what You called us to. In Jesus' name, amen.
S: 1 Peter 3:9 Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will bless you for it.
1 Peter 3:13-17 Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!
O: Peter had had already a small taste of this with the Sanhedrin, and he will have an even greater taste of it in the upcoming Great Tribulation under Nero. But by and large, he lived what he preached, and made disciples of Christ in many places, and eventually, church history tells us, in Rome.
According to church history, Peter managed to leave Rome when Nero started his persecution of Christians, but on his way out, he had a vision where he met Jesus heading into Rome. Peter asked Jesus, "Where are you going, Lord?" Jesus said, "I am going back to be crucified again", which makes Peter go back to Rome and accept martyrdom. He was crucified upside-down because he did not consider himself worthy to die in the same manner as our Lord.
Many people came to Christ because Peter and the other Christians lived out these verses. Romans seeing Christians die for their faith bravely with words that echo Jesus, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do" came to Christ in large numbers in spite of the persecution.
Eventually, Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire 3 centuries later. (This was very good for the well-being of the citizens and subjects of Rome; however, it unfortunately opened the door for corruption into the church. Based on the historical experience, I would oppose making Christianity the official religion of Malaysia because it would be bad for the church.)
By the way, there is an excellent novel that includes that scene, set just before and during the time of Nero the antichrist's Great Tribulation, called Quo Vadis. The copyright has expired, so you can download it for free -- see the links at the bottom of the Wikipeda page on this novel.
A: It's not easy to return good for evil, but Christ calls us to do so. If we do what is right and are persecuted for it, so be it.
P: Father, help me to live up to this. It's so much in my natural reactions to return evil for evil, but that's not what You called us to. In Jesus' name, amen.
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