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*The enemies of truth deleted some 900 words from this article.
1. Behold, I have given you...food.
Gen 1:29,"Then God said: Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you."
Note: The word 'behold' first appears in this Scripture. Behold in Hebrew is hinneh, it is a demonstrative particle which means look, see, lo. It is equivalent to the English phrase: lo and behold. It is used for pointing out persons, things, and places, as well as actions; especially in descriptions and in lively narration; - it occurs about 17 times in the Old Testament. However, the word 'behold' occurs 1326 times in the King James Version (KJV). In this Scripture God called Adam and Eve to attention of His kind action: Behold, I have given you...food. Give in Hebrew is nathan which means to bestow, grant, deliver up, set before; - it occurs about 2008 times in the Old Testament. Food in Hebrew is 'oklah which means something to eat; - it occurs 18 times in the Old Testament. Food is of great importance to human beings so much so that the Chinese treat food like heaven. Fruit was the food for humans in the beginning, the fruit of life will be the food for saints in the Kingdom of heaven.
Rev 22:2,"In
the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of
life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding
its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of
the nations." The bodies we have at the present have many inconveniences, and
humans need toilets, clean toilets which are not easy to find when you travel
or go out. In the Holy
City, Christians have
glorious spiritual bodies which do not need elimination, and there is no need
of toilet in heaven. Saints enjoy the fruits of life and drink the water of
life without any inconvenience for eternity.
2. Behold, what God had made was very good.
Gen 1:31,"God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day."
All that God had made was very good, men pollute the earth environment. I believe in the beginning at the Paradise, there were no deadly insects and viruses, etc. There was no pollution or disease. What
God had done was very good, what men have done is very bad. Good in Hebrew is towb which means pleasant,
agreeable, excellent, appropriate, becoming, right; - it occurs about 559 times
in the Old Testament. God made male and female and put them in the Garden of
Eden. We do not know exactly how beautiful the paradise was. Men have damaged
and polluted the earth planet caused by private cars, dirty factories, smokers,
litter-bugs, people who burn incense, etc. Men have polluted the air, land and
water because of greed and uncivilized behavior. What God had done was very
good, what men have done is very bad indeed. The government made by men is the worst of all. The systems made by men have failed in Europe, America and everywhere.
Since the end of World War II, America, Japan, and Islamic terrorists have made the world very bad.
3. Behold, the earth was corrupt.
Gen 6:12,"God looked on the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth."
Note: To corrupt in Hebrew is shachath which means to destroy, go to ruin, decay, mar, spoil, ruin, putrefy; - it occurs about 147 times in the Old Testament. The environmental pollution involves air, water, land, food, sea, etc. In addition to physical or environmental pollution, the world is corrupted by moral pollution, mental pollution, political pollution, financial pollution, religious pollution, military pollution, media pollution, etc.
The world was corrupt then, it is even more corrupt now. American culture of the love of money, power, and sex has corrupted the whole world.
single out one form of environmental pollution, dust and sand storms are
man-made and nature-influenced disasters. Sand and dust storms capture and
carry pollutants including heavy minerals, dust particles and microbes that
present dangers to human health and disrupt transportation and industry. The
number of respiratory diseases or ailments increases annually worldwide.
Desertification is a transparent damage to the earth surface and creates a
complicated situation that threatens human existence. It was most horrified to
watch how dust and sand storms swept across Phoenix,
1Ti 6:3-5,"If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain."
Corrupt in Greek is diaphtheirō which means to
change for the worse, destroy, ruin; - it occurs only 6 times in the New
Testament. Men of corrupt mind will result in envy, strife, malicious talk,
evil suspicions and constant friction. Men of corrupt mind think that godliness
is a means to financial gain. This happens to false prophets and false
preachers of prosperity gospel. With corrupt mind Wall Street created most
sophisticated financial system that caused the financial crisis beginning in
2008 which looted the world more than $50 trillion dollars. People are corrupt
usually in money, power and sex.
The evil prime minister of Japan, Japanese officials and Japanese government are the most corrupt in the world. So corrupt they even distorted historical facts and revised history textbooks and denied their war crimes, genocide of killing 50 million peoples (35 million Chinese and 15 million Asians), sex slavery of hundreds of thousands of Chinese and Korean young women, unprecedented of inhuman atrocities, whitewashed the inglorious Japanese past, glorify and worship their convicted and executed war criminals enshrined as national heroes and true gods.
American leaders are corrupt in lying and killing since the end of World War II.
The evil intention of American imperialists and warmongers is made clear by the increasingly American military aggression and provocation towards China in daily and regularly spying intrusively into China's territories through its warplanes and nuclear submarines and radars in the East China Sea and the South China Sea. As American warplanes recently collided and exploded shows how even accidents could happen. American brinkmanship inevitably will cause military mishaps or miscalculations that may trigger a global nuclear war. China will be forced to implement the "mutual destruction" policy. The 1.45 billion strong Chinese world-wide and oppressed nations and peoples of the world will rise up as one in response to American naked aggression and violation of international law. American president Obama, American supremacists and militarists will be legally and morally responsible for the destruction and end of the world!
In spite of all the FALSE propaganda and pretexts of the evil empire of America, the American actions are clear: American 65 percent of its most advanced and deadly weaponry and more than 330,000 armed forces are stationed at China's doorsteps poised to launch surprised and preemptive strikes to destroy China's defensive nuclear capabilities. China does not have a single troop, warplane or warship near the United States of America. American leaders get lost in the world and seem not knowing their place in the world according to its Monroe Doctrine is in North America, not in Asia or Europe. American pursuit of absolute military supremacy and world domination is the root cause of the American and world problems today. American illegal actions in Asia and Europe targeting China and Russia are CLEAR AND IMMINENT DANGER for all the world to see!
China does not make enemies. China does not seek enemies. China does not want enemies. By their evil intention, aggression and territorial expansion, the United States, the evil empire of Japan, the rat and rogue nations of Philippines and Vietnam have demonstratively made themselves enemies of China. On October 1, 2014 let Chinese everywhere 1.45 billion strong to stand together and unite as one man to defend the motherland and resist the aggression and expansion and provocation of the evil empires of America and Japan, and the rat and rogue nations of Philippines and Vietnam.
The 1.45 billion strong Chinese worldwide and Chinese leaders must be alert and be ready because the evil empires of America and Japan have made it very clear and certain by their words and deeds that they want to have war with China and they are doing everything to prepare for the coming war of aggression!
The only effective deterrence is for China and Russia to stand together to stop naked Western and Japanese aggression. The only effective strategy against American and Japanese and other aggression is simply executing "mutual destruction" policy and destruction of the world.
American and Japanese leaders are liars and killers of the worst kind because they do them craftily in hypocrisy. America and Japan are threats to China, they would turn around and boldly lie by saying China is a threat to them. When they incite and conduct war of aggressions, they would lift up high the banner of peace and security and rule of law to justify their war crimes and iniquities. They are most skillful in distorting facts, calling black white and white black, exploiting, oppressing, suppressing, spying, subverting, etc. without shame and without qualm. Japanese aggressors killed 50 million peoples (35 million Chinese and 15 million Asians), the evil prime minister of the evil empire of Japan and his gang distort historical facts by telling lies that they are the victims of atomic bombs and the Japanese soldiers were fighting for peace. The U.S. in 1971 violated the international law and the sovereignty of China by illegally giving administrative control of China's Diaoyu Islands to the unconditionally surrendered war crime of Japan. At first Obama said the U.S. took no position on the sovereignty of Diaoyu Islands, now Obama said the U.S. will defend Japan against China because they have mutual defense treaty. American defense treaty is used for aggression and war. The U.S. manufactured lies about Iraq having weapons of mass destruction to justify launching attacks and occupation of Iraq. It turned out Iraq did not and does not have weapons of mass destruction; the U.S. has weapons of mass destruction and is bent on absolute military supremacy to dominate the world. Only God knows the total number of lies and murders committed by American and Japanese leaders.
The end of the world is near and Jesus Christ is coming again soon!
The United States is on the Wrong Side of History by supporting and standing with the evil empire of Japan in robbing China's Diaoyu Islands, making Taiwan its colony, and by expanding its aggression into Asia and Europe and many parts of the world, and having killed millions and millions of innocent peoples in hundreds of unjust wars and bloody military interventions conducted by America since the end of World War II.
Obama deceives Americans and the world by saying America in on the right side of history; above all he deceives himself; just as he deceives himself as a Christian and yet he supports legalization of same sex marriage and homosexuality, the resurgence of Japanese militarism and false claim to China's territories called Diaoyu Islands, and American aggression and expansion into Asia Pacific and Europe and in seeking absolute military supremacy and world domination. The U.S. has been on the wrong side of history since the end of World War II; only a brief time President Richard Nixon was leading America on the right side of history in seeking a just and lasting peace.
I do not have power or money. I do not have aircraft carrier or nuclear submarine. I do not have missile or rocket. I do not have warplane or radar ... But I have the Word of God. For Jesus Christ says,
Jhn 8:44, "You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies."
Jesus Christ clearly defines liars and killers as children of the devil.
This is the truth!!! God knows I am telling the truth.
I do not dare to lie because I do not want to go to Hell. Jesus Christ defines liars and killers as children of the devil.
When I was a graduate student I understood then the Soviet Union was an evil empire as demonstrated by its deeds of aggression in Eastern Europe. I wrote a letter to President Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev, appealing to him on the reason it was such as waste for the U.S. and the Soviet Union to compete in building up weapons of mass destruction which would lead to mutual destruction and destruction of the world; it would be far better and more productive for America and the Soviet Union to compete on building a Good Society of its own as stated in my Good Society Manifesto. Whichever nation has a better society wins the race. Although I did not get a reply from Mr. Brezhnev on my proposal, I did hear some echo about wasting senselessly of trillions in arms race and Cold War.
The Soviet Union was a threat to the world then. To say Russia today is a threat to the world under President Putin is a lie, not based on fact. Crimea was a part of the Soviet Union, by overwhelming general referendum the people of Crimea have chosen to return to Russia. It was a case of self-determination. It was proper and legal. It was not Russian expansion. The leaders of Ukraine lack wisdom trying to join NATO which would become a direct threat to Russia. The problem is not Russian expansion; it is American and NATO aggression and expansion targeting the destruction of Russia. Russia does not have overseas military bases encircling America or NATO.
Since the end of World War II, all American presidents have pursued absolute military supremacy and world domination. Except President Richard Nixon who sought a just and lasting peace. America leaders (civilians and militarists) and leaders of the evil empire of Japan, Philippines and Vietnam manufacture and propagate the biggest and blackest lie of China threat to justify their aggression and expansion. Obama "pivot to Asia" policy is the American code word for aggression and expansion into Asia Pacific. China has not occupied one inch of foreign soil. In 1971 the U.S. violated the international law and sovereignty of China by illegally giving the administrative control of China's Diaoyu Islands to the unconditionally surrendered war crime nation of Japan. At first Obama said the U.S. took no position on the sovereignty of Diaoyu Islands and now declared to defend Japan against China. The words of American leaders have again and again proved worthless by their flip-flop, distortion of historical facts, propagandistic lies and provocative deeds. American leaders have proven themselves to be untrustworthy and unreliable, walking and talking craftily in hypocrisy.
The territorial conflict between China and India was originated by the evil empire of Britain that carved out a large chunk of Chinese ancient territories and marked up on a British map as a part of the British colony of India. The British government should have moral character and courage to come out and speak up and clarify the issue. Britain should apologize and confess all of its war crimes and wrong doings committed against China since the infamous Opium Wars and return all the looted, robbed and stolen priceless items of Chinese national treasures without further delay. Western powers including America and Japan, etc. have now in possession of China's national priceless treasures in more than 17 million items that are worth more than US$100,000 trillion at market value, not counting the interest of so many years of illegal possession.
There are three greatest threats to the world today:
Number one: American imperialism.
Number two: Japanese resurgent militarism.
Number three: Islamic terrorism.
American leaders have incited and instigated hundreds of unjust wars and bloody military interventions that killed millions and millions of innocent peoples around the world since the end of World War II to this day. The Axis of Evil led by America is the no. 1 threat to China militarily, politically, economically, financially, diplomatically, technologically and in all areas of hostilities. America is committing aggression and expansion into Asia Pacific and Europe. The United States is found guilty by its own Monroe Doctrine. American leaders are so confused and get lost in the world that they do not know their place is in North America. America has more than 700 overseas military bases to encircle China with most advanced weaponry and more than 330,000 troops stationed at China's doorsteps poised to launch preemptive strikes against China's nuclear capabilities. American militarists continuously and daily conduct massive and intrusive and provocative spying and reconnaissance activities in or near China air and sea defense zones and frequently make false charges and distorted statements without shame.
The evil empire of Japan committed genocide of killing 50 million peoples (35 million Chinese and 15 million Asians), war crimes, sex slavery of hundreds of thousands of Chinese and Korean young women, and unprecedented atrocities. The evil prime minister of Japan, the beast of Japan and Hitler of Asia, and his gangs deny all Japanese war crimes, revised history textbooks to whitewash their inglorious past, glorify and worship their convicted and executed war criminals as national heroes and true gods.
In 1971 America violated the international law and China's sovereignty by illegally giving administrative control of China's Diaoyu Islands to the unconditionally surrendered war crime nation of Japan. Japanese government pretentiously bought and nationalized the islands.
The man of sin and beast of Japan who has sinned against humanity and history and his gang cannot answer the following two questions:
(1). If Diaoyu Islands really belong to Japan, why Japanese regime had to pretentiously buy them?
(2). If Diaoyu Islands really belong to Japan, why Japanese regime had to nationalized them?
No legitimate government would ever buy or nationalize its own territories.
The wise Chinese would say: The thief has a guilty conscience.
The prime minister of Japan is a leprous dog of America who has three wicked ambitions:
(1). He wants to meet with the Chinese leader in order to legitimize the Japanese denial of war crimes even though he is a persona non grata to 1.45 billion strong Chinese worldwide. This shameless obscurantist and ignoramus does not know what persona non grata means. He is like a cheap prostitute who forces men to buy her even decent men shun her. Worst of all, he does not know what honor, decency, justice and morality mean.
(2). He wants Japan to become a member of the UN Security Council.
Japan which breaks its unconditional surrender agreement not only unqualified to be a member of the UN Security Council, Japan is also unfit to be a member of UN and should be kicked out of UN until it fulfills and abides by its own unconditional surrender agreement.
(3). He flies the Japanese warmongering flag blatantly to revitalize Japanese militarism by changing Japanese peace constitution into war constitution, by arming Japan with most advanced and dead weaponry provided by America, by making and selling weapons of death to many nations, and poise to repeat the tragedy of World War II. Poor American leaders seem to forget Pearl Harbor!
Not only the evil empire of Japan is unqualified, unworthy, and unfit to be a member of the UN Security Council, the illegal regime and unlawful government of Japan is not qualified to be a member of UN because the war crime nation of Japan has violated its agreement of unconditional surrender as a war crime nation. Japan has sinned against humanity and history, violated international law and justice. UN should investigate and interrogate Japanese prime minister why and on what ground the evil empire of Japan could deny its genocide, war crimes, sex slavery and unprecedented atrocities committed by Japanese militarists and troops during World War II? Why the beast of Japan (Ape) and his gangs refuse to pay war reparation and compensation to families of victims? Why Japan makes false claim to China's Diaoyu Islands as its territory since in 1971 the United States violated international law and China's sovereignty in illegally giving administrative control of Diaoyu Islands to the unconditionally surrendered war crime nation of Japan. Japan deserves to be condemned, ostracized and kicked out of the UN. UN should investigate and interrogate American leaders why they support relimilitarization and arming and changing Japanese peace constitution to war constitution? The United States has violated international laws too many times and violated sovereignty of many nations too many times all because it is being an arrogant and aggressive sole superpower. Might does not make right. Any nation that supports Japan has violated the Charter of UN and should be censored and condemned. It is high time the UN and the decent nations of the world demand Japan to give an account of all its evil and illegal deeds committed in World War II and since World War II. It is high time to terminate American imperialism and Islamic terrorism.
The evil prime minister of Japan is senseless and ignorant like a beast; there is none like him in history. Even Judas recognized his sin of betrayal. The beast of Japan and Hitler of Asia does not recognize he has betrayed humanity and history, truth and justice by denying all Japanese war crimes, genocide, sex slavery and unprecedented atrocities.
The peace-loving nations and peoples and their leaders of the world should rise up to condemn and reject and ostracize the evil man of Japan and the evil nation of Japan!!! Those who associate with the evil officials of Japan share their sins and guilt and iniquities according to the Holy Bible.
Japanese leaders and Japanese people have done so much evil in this world unlike any nation in history because they have no moral sense, so sense of humanity, no sense of honor, no sense of history and no sense of justice; the judgment of God is near.
Japan is a most primitive civilization that practices primitive religion in glorifying and worshiping its convicted and executed war crime criminals as national heroes and true gods!
Japanese people are most stupid people because they cannot differentiate truth from lie, right from wrong, peace from aggression, historical facts from whitewashed fictions - they are willingly fooled by the most diabolical, dishonest and demonic Japanese prime minister and his gangs!
Japanese evil prime minister is the most senseless, shameless and shoddiest man of sin of all times who denies Japanese war crimes, genocide of killing 50 million peoples (35 million Chinese and 15 million Asians), making hundreds of thousands of Chinese and Korean young women sex slaves (viciously called them comfort women, would it not be better for his wife to be a comfort woman for American soldiers stationed in Japan? American soldiers in Japan really need that kind of comfort), and committed most inhuman atrocities unprecedented in the history of mankind!
Japan, Japanese leaders and people have no reason to exist because they exist only to do evil and then they deny the evil deeds they have done!
It is imperative now that the United Nations censors, condemns, expels, and kicks out the evil empire of Japan as a member as well as member of all U.N. and international institutions for the following reasons:
1. Japan does not abide by the unconditional surrender agreements it signed as a war crime and defeated nation of World War II started by its aggression.
2. Japan has violated the Charter of the United Nations in denying all its war crimes, genocide of 50 million peoples (35 million Chinese and 15 million Asians), making hundreds of thousands of Chinese and Korean young women sex slaves, and unprecedented atrocities and boldly and blatantly violated human rights unprecedented in the history of mankind.
3. In view of the facts that Japan not only denies its war crimes, it deliberately distorts historical facts by revising history textbooks, whitewashing Japanese inglorious past, worshiping and glorifying Japanese convicted and executed war criminals enshrined as Japanese national heroes and true gods, and calling Japanese soldiers of aggression as fighting for peace, and shamelessly many other lies; it is necessary for the Secretary of the United Nations to list the war crimes of Japan item by item with explanations and proofs and declare and publish them to the all the members of United Nations.
4. Japan has successfully re-militarized with the American military aid to be a big threat to Asian nations once more time, likely to repeat the tragic history of World War II. Japan also has military alliances with America, Philippines, Vietnam and Australia in order to rob China's territories and loot China's resources in the South China Sea and the East China Sea and the Axis of Evil led by America is making all preparations to launch a war of aggression against China to destroy China's defensive nuclear capabilities.
5. It is tragic for Brazil to join hands with the evil empire of Japan in seeking the permanent Security Council seat at the U.N., China and Russia must strongly give a veto to stop the repetition of historical tragedy of monstrous proportions. Japan is not even worthy to be a member of U.N. how much more to be a member of the Security Council?
6. The U.N. needs to condemn and sanction the United States for illegally violating international law and China's sovereignty in 1971 in illegally giving administrative control of China's Diaoyu Islands to the unconditionally surrendered war crime nation of Japan. The U.S. at first said it took no position on the sovereignty of Diaoyu Islands, now Obama outwitted by the evil beast of Japan says America will defend Japan against China. This is an outrageous contempt of the United Nations Charter which was formulated in principle by President Woodrow Wilson.
7. It is time for China and all peace-loving nations to condemn the evil empire of Japan and withdraw recognition and cut off diplomatic ties with the nation and people which have no reason to exist by to do evil on worldwide scale.
In modern history you cannot find any leader of any nation so abnormal, so based, so crooked, so diabolical, so evil, so facetious, so gangrenous, so hell-bent, so irresponsible, so jerky, so kinky, so lowbred, so shameless … as the prime minister of the evil empire of Japan. There is no language more precise and accurate than to use the Chinese language to describe this inhuman beast of Japan:
日本首相 – 无耻,无底洞,无法无天,无方,无济于事,无拘无束,无孔不入,
The Japanese prime minister has 3 NOs:
The wicked Japanese prime minister is an illustrious ignoramus. He does not know the meaning of persona non grata. He is a persona non grata in China, but he shamelessly begs to see the Chinese leader. The reason is because he has discredited himself and he is despised by many for his lies and deceits and aggressive militarism. If the Chinese leader sees him, that would be considered a recognition of his illegal policy and an honor to him. He is like a leprous dog, the more people avoids him the more he wants to get close to people. Secondly, he cannot answer why he said Diaoyu Islands belong to Japan, if so, why the Japanese government pretentiously bought and nationalized Diaoyu Islands? No nation has ever bought and nationalized its own territory. China has many big sticks to strike at the Japanese leprous dog. How about reject exchange of Japanese useless yen? Cut off trade? Cut off diplomacy? Or cut off flights… Or give them three a..
American aggression and arrogance and provocation and distortion of facts and false accusations and facetious lawsuits and litigation and threatening warnings and endless war games and spreading lie of China threat and negative attitudes towards China manifested in words and deeds are increasing exponentially with the passage of time and event. These hostilities include all sorts of sanctions, smears, spying and surveillance activities of massive and malicious nature.
4. Behold, God was about to destroy all flesh.
Gen 6:13,"Then God said to Noah: The end of all flesh has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of them; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth."
Note: It was a historical fact that God destroyed the ancient world with flood.
Hbr 11:7,"By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith."
Note: Noah was divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, he prepared an ark for the saving of his household.
1Pe 3:20,"Who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water."
Gen 7:13,"On the very same day Noah and Noah's sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and Noah's wife and the three wives of his sons with them, entered the ark."
Note: Chinese characters are uniquely square. This is the beautiful and historical etymology of the Chinese character 'ship' 船.
is written with 'boat' 舟 on the left, 'eight mouths'
on the right; eight 八 on
right top, mouth 口 on
right bottom. In the big ship there were 8 persons, one mouth stands for one person. In
counting population, you count how many mouths. It is historically significant
because Noah, his wife, their three sons and three daughters made up a family
of 8 persons who entered the
1Pe 3:20,"Who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water."
2Pe 2:5,"And did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly."
Note: Was the Flood only a story? Jesus Christ confirmed it as a historical event.
Luk 17:26-27,"And as it was in the days
of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son
of Man: They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage,
until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the
flood came and destroyed them all."
5. Behold, God established covenant with Abraham.
Gen 9:9,"Now behold, I Myself do establish My covenant with you, and with your descendants after you."
Note: Abraham was an unusual historical figure, the founding father of the Jewish nation; he was only one in history had the honor to be called 'the friend of God.'
Jam 2:23, "And the Scripture was fulfilled which says: Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. And he was called the friend of God."
God preached the Gospel to Abraham.
Gal 3:8, "And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the Gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying: In you all the nations shall be blessed." Gal 3:9,"So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham"
Gen 17:4,"As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you will be the father of a multitude of nations."
Gen 17:9-11,"And God said to Abraham: As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised; and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you."
Act 7:2,"And he said: Brethren and fathers, listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran."
Act 7:8,"Then He gave him the covenant of circumcision; and so Abraham begot Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot the twelve patriarchs."
Note: Circumcision is the sign of the covenant God made with Abraham, for that reason every Jewish male child on the 8th day must be circumcised. Christians do not keep the sign of circumcision.
Rom 2:28-29,"For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God."
Note: Christians have the circumcision of the heart, regenerated by the Holy Spirit to have a new life and a new heart.
Jesus Christ made the new covenant with His blood.
Rom 4:3,"For what does the Scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness."
Rom 4:16,"Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all
Gal 3:6,"Just as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness."
Gal 3:7,"Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham."
Jhn 4:22,"You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews."
Note: Genealogically speaking, salvation is of the Jews.
God had given the Promised Land to Abraham and his decendants. Those who want to rob the Jewish land violate the covenant God made with Abraham.
6. Behold, God rained bread from heaven.
Exd 16:4,"Then the LORD said to Moses: Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in My law or not."
Exd 16:15,"So when the children of Israel saw it, they said to one another: What is it? For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them: This is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat."
Exd 16:31,"And the house of Israel called its name Manna. And it was like white coriander seed, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey."
Note: Manna in Hebrew is man which means what is it? The bread from Heaven that fed the Israelites for 40 years of wilderness wanderings; - it occurs about 14 times in the Old Testament. The giving of the manna was something miraculously done to the Israelites, and that it differed in its nature from anything now known.
Jhn 6:58,"This is the bread which came down from heaven--not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever."
Jhn 6:32-35,"Jesus then said to them: Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world. Then they said to Him: Lord, always give us this bread. Jesus said to them: I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst."
Note: Manna was a symbolic type for Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the true bread out of heaven, the Bread of life. If you believe and come to Jesus, you will never hunger or thirst because you will receive the eternal life.
Rev 2:17,"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it."
The Holy Spirit testifies that to those who overcome the Lord will them some of
the hidden manna to eat, in addition to the fruit of life.
7. Behold, water came out of the Rock.
Exd 17:6,"Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel."
Note: Rock in Hebrew is tsuwr which means rock of God, metaphorically used of God, the refuge and protection of Israel; the Mighty One, strength; - it occurs about 78 times in the Old Testament. Horeb in Hebrew is Choreb which means desert, another name for Mount Sinai from which God gave the law to Moses and the Israelites; - it occurs about 17 times in the Old Testament. The rock at Horeb was the symbolic type of Jesus Christ.
Mat 16:18,"And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it."
The Roman Catholic Church commits a great blunder by misinterpreting Peter to
be the rock, who denied Christ three times. The church of God
is built upon Christ; the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. The Rock
is Jesus Christ Himself. 1Cr 10:4,"And
all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock
was Christ." All Israelites who drank the water came out of the rock at Horeb
died in the desert, but believers who drink spiritual drink from that spiritual
Rock, Jesus Christ, will live forever. Jesus Christ is the water of life,
whoever has Jesus Christ has eternal life. Rock in Greek is petra
which means the massive living rock; - it occurs about 16 times in the
New Testament. Peter was only a stone but Jesus Christ is the Rock of ages, who
is able to save us to the end.
8. Behold, your sin will find you out.
Num 32:23,"But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the LORD; and be sure your sin will find you out."
Note: There are two things are sure: Be sure your sin will find you out. Be sure you will die. This is the universal truth. Find out in Hebrew is matsa' which means to meet, encounter, detect, come upon, reach, befall; - it occurs about 456 times in the Old Testament. A sinner will hide his sins, but his sins will find him out. Recent world events expose the truth your sins will find you out. Some corrupt rulers or dictators of the world have found out their crimes of corruption, abuse of power, immorality, etc. The scandals of some American leaders and governors also prove the point.
The massive spying illegal activities conducted by the U.S. government against many leaders of nations and billions of innocent peoples around the world has been disclosed by the courageous Edward Snowden. Now people even know Apple is an agent of U.S. government collecting information through Apple iPhones, etc. In fact all American mass media are agents of America to distort facts and misinform and disinform people.
Your sins will find you out. What you have done in secret will be known.
God knows our secrets anyway. No one can hide himself/herself from God.
The sins of American leaders are many and only God knows all of them, some have been disclosed; be sure the sins of American leaders will find them out.
After man's fall, the first question God asked Adam: Gen 3:9-10,"Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him: Where are you? So he said: I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself." Sin exposes you and makes you afraid. There is a Chinese saying: If you do not want people to know, you had better not to do it.
Mat 10:26,"Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known."
Mar 4:22,"For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light."
Luk 8:17,"For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light."
Luk 12:2,"For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known."
Note: Many state secrets have become known. Western imperialists have done so much evil in the world. Worst of all, Japanese officials revised history to whitewash and cover up their genocide and atrocities against the Chinese people. Many official corrupt acts have become public knowledge.
worst of all corruptions are those who claim to be democratic, who pretend to
serve the people.
9. Behold, the Lord has kept me alive.
Jos 14:10,"And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive, as he said, these forty-five years since the time that the LORD spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness; and now, lo, I am this day eighty-five years old."
Human lives are in God's hand. I am alive because the Lord has kept me alive.
If it were not so, I would have perished as a young boy drowned in a lake full
of crocodiles, or killed in a car accident on
Jhn 14:19,"A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also."
Note: Because my Redeemer lives, I will live also.
Rom 1:17,"For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written: The just shall live by faith."
Note: The just (those who put their trust in Christ) shall live by faith, not by feeling or sight.
Rom 14:8,"For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's."
Note: This is the fundamental difference between the life of an unbeliever and a believer. Christians live to the Lord and die to the Lord. Whether we live or die, we are the Lord's.
2Cr 5:15,"And He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again."
Note: Those who have been saved by Christ no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.
Gal 2:20,"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
Note: The Scripture cited above defines the purpose of the Christian life. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God.
Question: How should a Christian live?
Tts 2:12,"Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present world."
Note: Those who live lavishly, unrighteously and ungodly live in vain.
Hbr 13:18,"Pray for us; for we are confident that we have a good conscience, in all things desiring to live honorably."
Note: Corrupt officials, bankers, executives, doctors, hospital owners, lawyers, etc. do not live honorably. The supremacists, hegemonists, imperialists, capitalists, monopolists, terrorists, and the greedy, etc. do not have a good conscience.
10. Behold, the virgin would bear a Son.
Mat 1:23,"BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL, which translated means, GOD WITH US."
Luk 1:31,"And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus."
Note: The virgin birth means the birth of Jesus Christ conceived by the Holy Spirit was given birth by virgin Mary. None happened before, none will happen again. For Jesus Christ is the Son of God, God who became Man in order to save mankind.
Mat 1:18,"Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit."
Note: Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit before Mary and Joseph had sexual intercourse.
Mat 1:20,"But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying: Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit."
Note: The conception of Jesus was immaculate because He was conceived in Mary by the Holy Spirit.
Luk 1:34-35,"Then Mary said to the angel: How can this be, since I do not have sex with a man? And the angel answered and said to her: The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God."
Note: Jesus Christ is the Holy One, the Son of God.
Luk 1:38,"Then Mary said: Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word. And the angel departed from her."
The virgin birth does not mean Mary was sinless, it means the birth of Jesus
was sinless, conceived by the Holy Spirit.
11. Behold, I bring you good news of great joy.
Luk 2:10,"Then the angel said to them: Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people."
Note: Bring good news in Greek is euaggelizō which means to announce glad tidings, proclaim or declare good news, preach the Gospel; - it occurs about 55 times in the New Testament. Good news in the New Testament is used especially of the glad tidings of the coming Kingdom of God, and of the salvation to be obtained in it through Christ by grace freely, and of what relates to this salvation. Joy in Greek is chara which means gladness, it occurs about 59 times in the New Testament. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the good news of great joy. There is no Gospel outside of Jesus. No other religion offers the good news of salvation.
Mar 1:15,"And saying: The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel."
Note: Gospel in Greek is euaggelion which means good tidings, glad news; - it occurs about 77 times in the New Testament. Gospel comprises also the preaching of Jesus Christ as having suffered death on the cross to procure eternal salvation for mankind in the Kingdom of God, and as Christ rose from the dead and exalted to the right hand of God in heaven, thence to return in majesty to consummate the Kingdom of God.
Mar 16:15,"And He said to them: Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature."
Note: The job of Jesus' followers is to preach the Gospel to every creature, not to convert everyone. Only the Holy Spirit can convert anyone. The sheep of Jesus will follow the Good Shepherd.
Rom 1:16,"For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek."
Note: The Gospel of Christ is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes. It is not our problem if people do not believe.
Rom 10:15,"And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the Gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!"
Note: What good things? Salvation, forgiveness of sins, eternal life, blessed hope, glory, paradise, the Kingdom of God.
2Cr 4:3-4,"But even if our Gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this world has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them."
Note: It is sad but true, there will be people who reject the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Even when Jesus Christ preached the Gospel and confirmed with miracles, there were unbelievers. Jhn 8:24,"Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."
No matter who you are, Gandhi or Lincoln, if you do not believe that Jesus is
the Christ, the Savior of the world, you will die in your sins. All have
sinned, no one is exception.
12. Behold, the heavens were opened.
Mat 3:16,"After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him."
Mat 3:17,"And behold, a voice out of the heavens said: This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased."
Note: Since the fall of man, heavens were closed. Jesus Christ came down to earth to open up the heavens so that men may have access to God. Jesus did not have to be baptized because He did not sin and did not have to repent. Jesus was baptized so that God may testify for the Son. John the Baptist saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Jesus. Dove is a symbol of the Holy Spirit but not the Holy Spirit; just as God is consuming fire, but fire is not God. The heavens were opened because Jesus Christ is the way to God, the way to heavens. Why heavens in plural? There are three heavens: the first heaven is where birds and airplanes fly. The second heaven is where planets and stars and galaxies are, the expanding universe. The third heaven is the highest heaven where God and holy angels are.
Gen 2:4,"This is the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens."
Deu 10:14,"Indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the LORD your God, also the earth with all that is in it."
Note: The Lord is the Creator of heavens (universe) and the earth.
1Ki 8:27,"But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built!"
Note: The God of the Bible is so great that the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him. And yet through the Holy Spirit God lives in the hearts of believers.
Psa 19:1,"To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork."
Pro 3:19,"The LORD by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding He established the heavens."
Note: Unbelieving scientists cannot even see the intelligent design of the universe, the beautiful handiwork of God, much less the glory of God because they are blinded by the god of this world.
Psa 104:2,"Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment, Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain."
Isa 40:22,"It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in."
Isa 42:5,"Thus says God the LORD, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it, Who gives breath to the people on it, and spirit to those who walk on it:"
Isa 44:24,"Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, and He who formed you from the womb: I AM the LORD, who makes all things, Who stretches out the heavens all alone, Who spreads abroad the earth by Myself."
Isa 45:12,"I have made the earth, and created man on it. I--My hands--stretched out the heavens, and all their host I have commanded."
Isa 48:13,"Indeed My hand has laid the foundation of the earth, and My right hand has stretched out the heavens; when I call to them, they stand up together."
Note: No scientists have ever watched the heavens standing up together.
Isa 51:13,"And you forget the LORD your Maker, Who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth; you have feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, when he has prepared to destroy. And where is the fury of the oppressor?"
Jer 10:12,"He has made the earth by His power, He has established the world by His wisdom, and has stretched out the heavens at His discretion."
Zec 12:1,"The burden of the Word of the LORD against Israel. Thus says the LORD, who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him:"
Note: The Scriptures cited above prove that the ancient prophets by revelation knew about the expanding universe which scientists only recently discovered. The universe did not expand by itself, God stretched out the heavens (universe).
Act 7:56,"And he said: Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."
The Bible mentions that heavens were opened when Jesus was baptized. The Bible
also mentions when Stephen was stoned to death he saw the Son of God standing
at the right hand of God. I believe Jesus Christ was standing to welcome
Stephen home.
13. Behold, there arose a great storm on the sea.
Mat 8:24,"And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being covered with the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep."
Note: It is nothing unusual that there arose a great storm on the sea. What was unusual was that Jesus Himself was asleep in the boat covered with the waves. This demonstrates the divinity of Jesus Christ. To sleep is a characteristic of humanity. To sleep in a great storm on the sea is an attribute of divinity.
Psa 121:4,"Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep."
Note: The Almighty God neither slumbers nor sleeps. God became Man in Jesus Christ in order to redeem mankind, so Jesus Christ had dual nature. Jesus Christ was fully God and fully Man, perfect God and perfect Man. Jesus Christ was completely divine and completely human.
Col 2:9-10,"For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power."
Note: God is Spirit, so God does not have a body. But when God became Man in Jesus Christ, in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.
Godhead in Greek is theotēs which means deity, divinity, the state of being God, divine nature; - it occurs only once in the New Testament. God cannot be known to man by any aid or means. God can be known only by the revelation of Himself in His Son; who was, and is, absolute and perfect God. Jesus Christ was, and is, in the absolute sense God. Believers become complete in Christ.
Phl 2:5-11,"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bondservant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death on the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
Note: Empty in Greek is kenoō which means to make void, make empty, deprive of force, render of no effect; - it occurs only 5 times in the New Testament. Christ emptied Himself means Christ laid aside equality with or the form of God. Because Christ was fully God and fully Man, His divine attributes were not completely emptied. The Savior who had dual nature acted and felt like a Man. Hbr 4:15,"For we have not a High Priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin." Jesus Christ was sinless although human. There was, there is, and there will be no one like Jesus our Savior.
Hbr 7:25,"Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them."
Jesus Christ is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God
through Him. Our Redeemer always lives and lives forever.
14. Behold, something greater than Jonah is here.
Mat 12:41,"The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment, and will condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here."
Luk 11:32,"The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here."
Nineveh in Hebrew is Niynĕveh which means abode of Ninus, capital of the ancient kingdom
of Assyria; located on the east bank
of the Tigris river, 550 miles (
Jon 1:2,"Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me."
God told Jonah to cry out against Nineveh,
for their wickedness has come up before God. Cry out against in Hebrew is qara' which
means to call, call out, proclaim, utter a loud sound against; - it
occurs about 735 times in the Old Testament. Wickedness in Hebrew is ra` which
means evil, distress, misery, injury, calamity, mischief, wrong,
harm, trouble; - it occurs about 663 times in the Old Testament. Where is the
prophet who cries out against
Jon 3:4-7,"And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day's walk. Then he cried out and said: Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown! So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; do not let them eat, or drink water."
Rom 1:4,"Who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord."
Jonah was a great prophet, but Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
15. Behold, something greater than Solomon is here.
Mat 12:42,"The Queen of the South will rise up with this generation at the judgment and will condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here."
Luk 11:31,"The Queen of the South will rise up with the men of this generation at the judgment and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here."
Note: Solomon in Hebrew is Solomōn which means peaceful, it occurs about 12 times in the New Testament. Solomon occurs 107 times in New American Standard Bible (NASB). Solomon was the son of David and was the wisest and richest king that ever lived. He succeeded his father, became the third king of Israel, B.C. 1015-975. Solomon built the first temple at Jerusalem, who was distinguished for his magnificence, splendor and wisdom. As a little boy I was attracted to the Proverbs of Solomon. The wisdom of Solomon was the finest representation even though with human flaws.
The story that immortalized King Solomon was recorded as follows:
1Ki 3:16-38,"Then two women who were harlots came to the king and stood before him. The one woman said: Oh, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house; and I gave birth to a child while she was in the house. It happened on the third day after I gave birth, that this woman also gave birth to a child, and we were together. There was no stranger with us in the house, only the two of us in the house. This woman's son died in the night, because she lay on it. So she arose in the middle of the night and took my son from beside me while your maidservant slept, and laid him in her bosom, and laid her dead son in my bosom. When I rose in the morning to nurse my son, behold, he was dead; but when I looked at him carefully in the morning, behold, he was not my son, whom I had borne. Then the other woman said: No! For the living one is my son, and the dead one is your son. But the first woman said: No! For the dead one is your son, and the living one is my son. Thus they spoke before the king. Then the king said: The one says, This is my son who is living, and your son is the dead one'; and the other says: No! For your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one. The king said: Get me a sword. So they brought a sword before the king. The king said: Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other. Then the woman whose child was the living one spoke to the king, for she was deeply stirred over her son and said: Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and by no means kill him. But the other said: He shall be neither mine nor yours; divide him! Then the king said: Give the first woman the living child, and by no means kill him. She is his mother. When all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had handed down, they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice."
Note: Judgment in Hebrew is mishpat which means act of deciding a case, decision of judgment, discretion; - it occurs about 421 times in the Old Testament. Wisdom in Hebrew is chokmah which means shrewdness, prudence, wit; - it occurs about 149 times in the Old Testament. Wisdom is the ability of judging between true and false, right and wrong, good and evil.
1Ki 11:3-10,"He had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines, and his wives turned his heart away. For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians and after Milcom the detestable idol of the Ammonites. Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and did not follow the LORD fully, as David his father had done. Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable idol of Moab, on the mountain which is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the detestable idol of the sons of Ammon. Thus also he did for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods. Now the LORD was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not observe what the LORD had commanded."
Note: I believe the quantity of wives, princesses and concubines did Solomon in for they turned his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the Lord. His foreign wives lured him to burn incense and sacrificed to their gods.
When Solomon was old, he made a striking statement:
Ecc 7:26-28,"And I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, whose hands are fetters. He who pleases God shall escape from her, but the sinner shall be trapped by her. Here is what I have found, says the Preacher: Adding one thing to the other to find out the reason, which my soul still seeks but I cannot find: One man among a thousand I have found, but a woman among all these I have not found."
Note: Solomon had a thousand women and he had not found one good.
Question: Why Jesus Christ was greater than Solomon?
There are many reasons, one of them is"
1Cr 1:24,"But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God."
Note: Jesus Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.
16. Behold, wise men from the East came.
Mat 2:1,"Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem."
Note: After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, the first group of people who came to worship Him was the wise men from the East. Mind you, not from the West. Christianity is not a Western religion as many misunderstand. 1Cr 1:26,"For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called."
Not many wise according to the flesh are called. But there are some:
Abraham Lincoln:
I am profitably engaged in reading the Bible. Take
all of this Book that you can by reason and the balance by faith, and you will
live and die a better man. It is the best Book which God has given to man.
John Ruskin:
Whatever merit there is in anything that I have
written is simply due to the fact that when I was a child my mother daily read me
a part of the Bible and daily made me learn a part of it by heart.
Charles Dickens:
The New Testament is the very best book that ever
was or ever will be known in the world. -- The existence of the Bible, as a
book for the people, is the greatest benefit which the human race has ever
experienced. Every attempt to belittle it is a crime against humanity.
Immanuel Kant:
existence of the Bible, as a book for the people, is the greatest benefit which
the human race has ever experienced. Every attempt to belittle it is a crime
against humanity.
John Locke:
Bible is one of the greatest blessings bestowed by God on the children of men.
It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth without any mixture
for its matter. It is all pure, all sincere; nothing too much; nothing wanting.
Alexander Cruden:
All other Books are of little importance in comparison with the Holy Scriptures.
Helen Keller:
The BIBLE gives me a deep, comforting sense that things seen are temporal, and
things unseen are eternal.
Isaac Newton:
account the Scriptures of God to be the most sublime philosophy. I find more
sure marks of authenticity in the Bible than in any profane history whatsoever.
Sir Francis Bacon:
are two books laid before us to study, to prevent our falling into error;
first, the volume of Scriptures, which reveal the will of God, then the volume
of the Creatures [Creation], which express His power.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe:
The BIBLE grows more beautiful, as we grow in our understanding of it.
Lord Tennyson:
Bible reading is an education in itself.
Martin Luther:
The Bible is the proper book for men. There the truth is distinguished
from error far more clearly than anywhere else, and one finds something
new in it every day. For twenty-eight years, since I became a doctor, I
have now constantly read and preached the Bible; and yet I have not
exhausted it but find something new in it every day.
Dan 12:3,"Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever."
Note: The wise and the righteous are the stars in the Kingdom of God who will shine forever. The movie stars and the glamorous and the rich and powerful of this world will have gloom and doom in hell forever.
Mat 7:24,"Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock."
Note: Those nations who call themselves Christian nations, and those people who call themselves Christians, who piously and profusely say 'Lord, Lord' but do not do the things the Lord says are building on the sand. Those who listen and do the sayings of the Lord are like a wise man who builds his house on the rock.
1Cr 1:27,"But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty."
Note: The Twelve Apostles, except Paul, were fishermen and ordinary men who turned the world upside down because they had been with Jesus.
1Cr 3:18,"Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this world, let him become a fool that he may become wise."
Note: Those who incur the largest debts and deficits for the United States
deceive themselves by thinking they are wise in increasing debt limit without
reducing deficit, continuing borrowing and printing large sums of money called
quantitative easing so that they can reduce debts and deficits. Self-deception
is like a terminal patient thinking he is quite strong. Those so-called
Christians deceive themselves thinking they can love God and the world at the
same time.
17. Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves.
Mat 10:16,"Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves."
Note: The Christian mission is difficult in all aspects because Christians, the children of God are like sheep in the midst of wolves. It is not easy to live a Christian life in this evil world. There are two important things for the children of light to be: Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.
Wise in Greek is phronimos which means intelligent, shrewd, skilled, sensible, prudent, mindful of one's interest, having expertise; - it occurs about 14 times in the New Testament. How to be wise and how to be mindful of your interest? Jesus Christ provides a good illustration on the wise and foolish virgins. The foolish and wise virgins are defined by
Mat 25:3-4,"Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps." Whether you have oil or not in your lamps defines whether you are foolish or wise. Oil symbolizes the Holy Spirit, there are those seek the perishable such as money, power and pleasure without the Spirit of Christ in them. There are true believers who have the Spirit of Christ in them who seek for the imperishable such as "glory and honor and immortality, eternal life."(Rom 2:7).
25:8-9,"And the foolish said to the wise: Give us some of
your oil, for our lamps are going out. But the wise answered, saying: No, lest
there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and
buy for yourselves." The wise are not afraid to say:NO. The wise must not
be too generous in giving away what they need for themselves. The wise prepares
what is enough for themselves. The stupidity of subprime mortgage crisis was
created by the fact people bought houses they could not afford. The stupidity
of American huge debts and deficits were the irresponsible fiscal practice of
spending what they do not have by huge and endless borrowings. Whether as an
individual or as a nation, to live beyond your means is sheer stupidity and
suicidal insanity. There is stupidity upon stupidity and folly upon folly when
American leaders think because America
is exceptional; America will
not face the distress and dire hardship that some European nations such as Greece, Ireland, etc. are facing. They have
no ability to solve American problems they have created, and their thoughts and
acts are futile. Do you have enough to face the contingencies of life? Are you
prepared for the rainy day? Are you ready for the coming of Jesus Christ?
18. Behold, a voice out of the cloud said.
Mat 3:17,"And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying: This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
Mar 1:11,"Then a voice came from heaven: You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
Luk 3:22,"And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said: You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased."
Note: When Jesus was baptized, the voice of God testified: This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Mat 17:5,"While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said: This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!"
Mar 9:7,"And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying: This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!"
Luk 9:35,"And a voice came out of the cloud, saying: This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!"
Note: During the transfiguration, the voice of God declared: This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him.
2Pe 1:17-18,"For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain."
God is the Excellent Glory.
19. Behold, I have come to do your will.
Hbr 10:9,"Then He said: BEHOLD, I HAVE COME TO DO YOUR WILL. He takes away the first in order to establish the second."
Mat 26:42,"Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying: O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done."
Luk 22:42,"Saying: Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done."
Note: Jesus Christ did not come to heal the sick, to perform miracles, to do good, etc., although He did all those things. Above all, Jesus Christ came to do the will of God.
1Ti 1:15,"This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief."
Note: How did Christ Jesus come into the world to save sinners? Not by healing the sick, not by performing miracles, not by feeding the hungry, etc., although He did all this; it was by dying on the cross for sinners.
Phl 2:8,"And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross."
1Pe 3:18,"For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit."
Note: That Jesus Christ, the righteous died for the unrighteous, is the fundamental doctrine of Christianity. The substitutionary or vicarious death of Jesus as the Lamb of God, is the redemptive work of Christ to atone for the sins of the world. Without shedding of the blood, there is no forgiveness of sins.
Hbr 10:7,"Then I said: Behold, I have come--In the volume of the book it is written of Me--To do Your will, O God."
Note: Every man is born to live; Jesus Christ was born to die. It was the will of God for Jesus Christ to die on the cross for sinners.
Question: How can Christians follow Christ in His steps?
1Pe 2:21-24,"For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps. Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed."
Note: The answer is not glamorous; not to follow Jesus in speaking in tongues (not that Jesus Christ was not able to speak in tongues, but He did not speak in tongues),not performing miracles, not walking on water, etc. but in suffering. To share the sufferings of Christ is to follow in His steps.
Rom 12:2,"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
George W. Truett had well said,"To know the will of God is the greatest knowledge! To do the will of God is the greatest achievement." In my opinion, he is one of God's chosen servants.
Psa 40:8,"I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart."
Psa 143:10,"Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness."
Note: Learning to do the will of God is the greatest lesson.
1Th 4:3,"For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality."
It is not enough to know the will of God, above all, do the will of God.
20. Behold, your King is coming to you.
Mat 21:5,"Tell the daughter of Zion: Behold, your King is coming to you, lowly, and sitting on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey."
Note: The triumphant entry into Jerusalem as the King of the Jews is written in Matthew Chapter 21, March Chapter 11 and John Chapter 12.
Zec 9:9,"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, humble, and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey."
Mat 21:5,"SAY TO THE DAUGHTER OF ZION, BEHOLD YOUR KING IS COMING TO YOU, GENTLE, AND MOUNTED ON A DONKEY, EVEN ON A COLT, THE FOAL OF A BEAST OF BURDEN."
Note: Behold in Greek is idou , a demonstrative particle which means see, lo, look; - it occurs about 213 times in the New Testament. It gives a peculiar vivacity to the style by bidding the reader, hearer, onlooker to attend to what to hear or see.
Jhn 12:15,"FEAR NOT, DAUGHTER OF ZION; BEHOLD, YOUR KING IS COMING, SEATED ON A DONKEY'S COLT."
Note: The King of the Jews did come in the person of Jesus Christ, and yet the Jews still do not know that their Messiah had come. As the Jews rejected Jesus Christ, so the Gospel was preached to the Gentiles.
Psa 5:2,"Give heed to the voice of my cry, my King and my God, for to You I will pray."
Psa 10:16,"The LORD is King forever and ever; the nations have perished out of His land."
Psa 24:7,"Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in."
Psa 24:8-10,"Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah"
Note: God is the King of glory.
Psa 29:10,"The LORD sat enthroned at the Flood, and the LORD sits as King forever."
Psa 47:2,"For the LORD Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth."
Psa 47:7,"For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with understanding."
Note: Let warmongers and dictators and terrorists know this: God is the King of all the earth.
Psa 74:12,"For God is my King from of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth."
Dan 2:47,"The king answered Daniel, and said: Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you could reveal this secret."
Mat 2:2,"Saying: Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him."
Note; Jesus Christ was born King of the Jews.
Mat 25:34,"Then the King will say to those on His right hand: Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."
Mat 27:11,"Now Jesus stood before the governor. And the governor asked Him, saying: Are You the King of the Jews? Jesus said to him: It is as you say."
Mat 27:29,"When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying: Hail, King of the Jews!"
Mar 15:2,"Then Pilate asked Him: Are You the King of the Jews? He answered and said to him: It is as you say."
Luk 19:38,"Saying: Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the LORD! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"
Luk 23:3,"Then Pilate asked Him, saying: Are You the King of the Jews? He answered him and said: It is as you say."
Jhn 1:49,"Nathanael answered and said to Him: Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!"
Note: Jesus Christ is the King of Israel.
Jhn 12:15,"Fear not, daughter of Zion; Behold, your King is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt."
Jhn 18:37,"Pilate therefore said to Him: Are You a king then? Jesus answered: You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."
Note: Jesus Christ is the King who bears witness to the truth.
1Ti 1:17,"Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen."
1Ti 6:15,"Which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords."
Note: Jesus Christ will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Rev 15:3,"They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints!"
Note: Jesus Christ is the King of the saints.
Rev 17:14,"These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful."
Note: The Lamb will overcome because He is Lord of lords and King of kings.
Rev 19:16,"And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS."
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS is the title of Jesus Christ.
21. Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
Jhn 1:29,"The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said: Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"
Jhn 1:36,"And he looked at Jesus as He walked, and said: Behold, the Lamb of God!"
Note: Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
Gen 22:7-8,"But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said: My father! And he said: Here I am, my son. Then he said: Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said: My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering. So the two of them went together."
Note: All the lambs killed for the sin offering and the burnt offering in the Old Testament could not atone for the sin of man. Jesus Christ is the Lamb provided by God who takes away the sin of the world.
Lev 14:13,"Then he shall kill the lamb in the place where he kills the sin offering and the burnt offering, in a holy place; for as the sin offering is the priest's, so is the trespass offering. It is most holy."
Rev 5:8,"Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints."
Note: The saints shall fall down and worship the Lamb forever.
Rev 5:12,"Saying with a loud voice: Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!"
Note: Jesus Christ is the Lamb who is worthy to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing.
Rev 5:13,"And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!"
Rev 6:16,"And said to the mountains and rocks: Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb."
Note: The wrath of the Lamb is the wrath of God.
Rev 7:9,"After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands."
Rev 7:10,"And crying out with a loud voice, saying: Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"
Note: Salvation belongs to God and the Lamb because only God and the Lamb can save sinners.
Rev 7:14,"And I said to him: Sir, you know. So he said to me: These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."
Note: There is power in the blood of the Lamb which can wash the sins of people white as snow.
Rev 7:17,"For the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
Rev 12:11,"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death."
Jhn 10:10-11,"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd; the Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep."
Note: The word come in Greek is erchomai which means to come from one place to another, to appear, make one's appearance, come before the public: - it occurs 635 times in the New Testament. The word is used to denote the Lord Jesus who came into the world as the Divine Logos among men, God became Man and manifested in human form.
Come in Chinese is 來 which has an etymological meaning as follows:
十字架 十(cross),人 (man)。
Jesus was crucified on the cross, there was a little man (thief) on the left and a little man on the right (robber). In the center there was a big Man (Jesus).
Jesus Christ was crucified and died on the cross for sinners, this was an invitation of God to man:
Isa 1:18,"Come now, and let us reason together,"
Says the LORD,"Though your sins are as scarlet,
They will be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They will be like wool."
Mat 18:11,"For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost."
Mat 11:28, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest."
Jhn 6:37-38, "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me."
22. Behold, He has risen.
Luk 24:4-8,"And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them: Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying: The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. And they remembered His words."
Note: Only Christianity has the empty tomb. All religious founders were dead in their tombs. Why do you seek the living Savior among the dead? Why do you seek salvation from the dead?
Mar 16:6,"And he said to them: Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him."
Mat 28:2,"And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it."
Mat 28:9,"And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him."
Note: Jesus is not only a great teacher for people to revere; Jesus is the risen Lord and Savior for believers to worship.
Jhn 11:25,"Jesus said to her: I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live."
Note: If you believe in Christ, though you may die, you shall live. Those who believe in Christ will be borne twice, and die once. The first birth is the physical birth; the second birth is the spiritual birth. The death is the physical death. Yet there will be resurrection, those who die in Christ will rise first to meet the Lord in the space. And those who remain when Christ returns shall be changed into glorious spiritual bodies to be taken up (rapture) to meet together with the Lord in the space. Those who do not believe in Christ will be borne once and die twice. The first birth is the physical birth. The first death is the physical death, after the resurrection, will be sent to hell which is the second death, eternal death.
Act 1:22,"Beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection."
Note: The apostles and early disciples were the first-hand witnesses of Christ's resurrection because He appeared to them many times.
Act 2:31,"He, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption."
Note: The resurrection of Jesus Christ was foretold by the prophets.
Act 4:2,"Being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead."
Note: The two cardinal doctrines of Christianity are: Jesus Christ came down from heaven to die for sinners. Jesus Christ rose from the dead for our justification so that believers may receive eternal life.
Act 4:33,"And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all."
Note: Saul was changed into Paul by the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. All timid and weak apostles received power from on high to testify of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus with power.
Luk 20:36,"Nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection."
Note: Those who have the first resurrection are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection, they can die no more. The saints will reign with the Lord forever and ever.
Jhn 5:29,"And come forth--those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation."
Note: There are two resurrections. The first is the resurrection of life for those who died in Christ when Christ returns. The second is the resurrection of condemnation for the wicked and unbelievers who will suffer in hell body and soul forever.
Act 24:15,"I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust."
Rom 1:4,"And declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead."
Note: Declare in Greek is horizō which means to determine, appoint, ordain; - it occurs only 8 times in the New Testament. Although Jesus Christ was the Son of God before His resurrection, and yet He was openly ordained or appointed to be the Son of God by the transcendent and crowning event of His resurrection.
Phl 3:10-11,"That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead."
Note: Apparently no believer has fully known the power of Christ's resurrection. No Christian can reach perfection on earth.
1Pe 1:3,"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."
Note: Unlike the American dream, Christians have a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
1Pe 3:21,"There is also an antitype which now saves us--baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ."
Rev 20:5,"But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection."
Note: Only the righteous and those who died in Christ will take part in the first resurrection. Those who were perished will not take part in the second resurrection until believers have reigned with the Lord on earth for a thousand years.
Rev 20:6,"Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years."
After the millennium, the wicked will rise again to be judged and sent to hell
for eternal punishment. The saints will reign with the Lord forever and ever in
the Kingdom of heaven.
23. Behold, two men in white clothing.
Act 1:10-11,"And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. They also said: Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven."
Note: After the resurrection, Jesus appeared to the disciples over a period of 40 days and presented Himself with many convincing proofs. Then in daylight Jesus ascended to heaven before their eyes. To ascend to heaven means to go into heaven or to be taken up into heaven. There was nothing more spectacular like watching Jesus go into heaven. The two men in white clothing were the angels, although angels are neither male nor female, they are heavenly beings, servants of God. The angels brought the message of the bodily return of Jesus Christ in the same way.
Act 1:6-9,"So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying: Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel? He said to them: It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth. And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight."
Note: Fix in Greek is tithēmi which means to set, put, place, establish, ordain; - it occurs about 96 times in the New Testament. Unbelieving scientists and scholars do not know that God fixes the chronology of time and eternity. The estimates of scientists about the earth, sun, moon, etc. or the past are usually with a large gap of billions of years apart. Even a gap of 100 years is too much for human beings, because in 100 years from now everybody alive today will be gone.
Jhn 20:17,"Jesus said to her: Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them: I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God."
Act 1:22,"Beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection."
Note: The twelve apostles had been with Jesus beginning from the baptism of John to that day when Jesus was taken up from them.
Eph 4:8,"Therefore He says: When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men."
Eph 4:10,"He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things."
Jhn 14:2-3,"In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also."
Note: Heaven is a place, not just a state of mind.
Revelation Chapter 21 about a new heaven and a new earth, the Holy City,
the New Jerusalem.
24. Behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father.
Luk 24:49,"And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high."
Act 1:8,"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
Jhn 14:17,"The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you."
Note: If you are saved, you have the Spirit of Christ in you.
Rom 8:14-17,"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out: Abba, Father. The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together."
Jhn 15:26,"But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me."
Jhn 16:13,"However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come."
Eph 1:13,"In Him you also trusted, after you heard the Word of truth, the Gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise."
2:1-43,"When the Day of Pentecost had fully
come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a
sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house
where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of
fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy
Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them
utterance. And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every
nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together,
and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. Then
they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another: Look, are not all
these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our own language
in which we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in
Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia,
Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews
and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs--we hear them speaking in our own tongues the
wonderful works of God. So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one
another: Whatever could this mean? Others mocking said: They are full of new
wine. But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them:
Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem,
let this be known to you, and heed my words. For these are not drunk, as you
suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was
spoken by the prophet Joel: And it shall come to pass in the last days, says
God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your
daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall
dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My
Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy. I will show wonders in heaven
above and signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The
sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, before the coming
of the great and awesome day of the LORD. And it shall come to pass that
whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved. Men of Israel, hear these
words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders,
and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also
know--Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God,
you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God
raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that
He should be held by it. For David says concerning Him: I foresaw the LORD
always before my face, for He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken.
Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; moreover my flesh also
will rest in hope. For You will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will You allow
Your Holy One to see corruption. You have made known to me the ways of life;
You will make me full of joy in Your presence. Men [and] brethren, let me speak
freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his
tomb is with us to this day. Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God
had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the
flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, he, foreseeing this,
spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in
Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. This Jesus God has raised up, of which
we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and
having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out
this which you now see and hear. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but
he says himself: The LORD said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand, till I make
Your enemies Your footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know
assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and
Christ. Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter
and the rest of the apostles: Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter
said to them: Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus
Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy
Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar
off, as many as the Lord our God will call. And with many other words he
testified and exhorted them, saying: Be saved from this perverse generation.
Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three
thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the
apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through
the apostles."
25. Behold, the Judge is standing right at the door.
Jam 5:9,"Do not grumble, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door."
Note: Jesus Christ is the Judge. The Judge is standing right at the door means the Judgment Day is at hand and the Lord is to execute judgment.
Psa 9:8,"And He will judge the world in righteousness; He will execute judgment for the peoples with equity."
Note: Righteousness in Hebrew is tsedeq which means justice, rightness, what is right or just or normal, integrity; - it occurs about 116 times in the Old Testament. Equity in Hebrew is meyshar which means evenness, uprightness, straightness, smoothness, that which is just; - it occurs about 19 times in the Old Testament. God will judge the world in righteousness and execute judgment with equity.
Psa 75:7,"But God is the Judge: He puts down one, and exalts another."
Note: May God put down all corrupt and wicked rulers and officials.
Hbr 12:23,"To the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect."
Note: God is the Judge of all, including corrupt judges on earth.
Jer 11:20,"But, O LORD of hosts, You who judge righteously, testing the mind and the heart, let me see Your vengeance on them, for to You I have revealed my cause."
Note: The Lord judges righteously, testing the mind and the heart. The judges of human courts based on flawed legal system often give unfair and unjust judgment. Corrupt judges are a travesty to justice. The jury system is corrupted by money and race.
Eze 18:30,"Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, says the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin."
Note: To judge means to condemn, to punish the guilty. The Lord is compassionate. To repent is to turn away from sin and turn back to God. Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. Transgression in Hebrew is pesha` which means rebellion, fault, sin, trespass; - it occurs 93 times in the Old Testament. There are three types of transgression: transgression against individuals, transgression against nation, and transgression against God. Iniquity in Hebrew is `avon which means a depraved action, sin, perversity, depravity, mischief, guilt or punishment of iniquity, consequence of or punishment for iniquity; - it occurs about 230 times in the Old Testament.
Psa 96:13,"Before the LORD. For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with His truth."
Note: It is shocking when you discover a criminal justice system is devoid of truth and justice;the rule of law becomes a travesty of justice.
Jhn 12:47,"And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world."
Note: In His first advent, Jesus Christ came to save the world. In His second advent, Jesus Christ is coming to judge the world.
1Cr 6:2,"Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters?"
Note: Saints are those who have been saved by grace through faith. Saints are not dead believers canonized by the Catholic Church. The saints will judge the world with the Judge of the living and the dead.
2Ti 4:1,"I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His Kingdom."
Note: Jesus Christ is the Judge of the living and the dead.
2Ti 4:8,"In the future there is laid up 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 loved His appearing."
Note: Jesus Christ is the Righteous Judge. The Righteous Judge will judge all evildoers and unbelievers for their sins. The Righteous Judge will judge the works of believers and award them for their deeds.
Hbr 4:12,"For the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart."
Note: The Word of God is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. In the court of man, only your deeds will be judged. The Lord will judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart as well as words and deeds of the people.
Jam 4:12,"There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor?"
Note: Jesus Christ is the Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save those who believe in Him and destroy those who reject Him.
1Pe 4:5,"They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead."
Note: Jesus Christ is to judge the living and the dead. Those who think that death will end all is sorely mistaken. The dead and lost will rise in the second resurrection to face judgment and to be sent to hell for eternal punishment.
Rev 3:20, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me."
You can have the Judge standing right at the door, or the Savior standing at
your door. The Judge will condemn you, the Savior can save you. The choice is
26. Behold, He is coming with the clouds.
Rev 1:7,"BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen."
Mar 13:26,"Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory."
Note: The second coming of Jesus Christ is not a spiritual coming as some cults have suggested. The second coming of Jesus Christ will be bodily, visible and with great power and glory.
Act 1:11,"Who also said: Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven."
Warnings are given to the followers of Jesus Christ:
Mat 24:23,"Then if anyone says to you: Behold, here is the Christ, or There He is, do not believe him."
Mat 24:25-26,"Behold, I have told you in advance. So if they say to you: Behold, He is in the wilderness, do not go out, or, Behold, He is in the inner rooms, do not believe them."
Note: Believe the Word of God, do not believer false prophets, false teachers and false brothers.
Mat 25:13,"Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming."
Note: Any person who claims that he knows the day and the hour in which Jesus Christ is coming is a false prophet; do not believe or follow him.
Mar 13:32,"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."
Note: Recently a false prophet in
Rev 22:7,"And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book."
Rev 22:12,"Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done."
Note: Jesus Christ says He is coming quickly, therefore He must know the day and the hour.
Jud 1:14,"It was also about these men that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying: Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones."
Enoch prophesied the second coming of Jesus Christ even before the first coming
of the Messiah when God became
Mat 24:30,"Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."
Mat 24:44,"Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."
Mat 25:13,"Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming."
Note: Christians are told to be ready and watch for the second coming of Jesus Christ. Watch and wait.
1Th 3:13,"So that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints."
1Th 5:23,"Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Note: The Scripture clearly defines a man as a tripartite of body, soul and spirit. Body is physical-consciousness, soul is self-consciousness, and spirit is God-consciousness.
2Th 2:8,"And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming."
Hbr 10:37,"For yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry."
Note: Tarry in Greek is chronizō which means to linger, delay; - it occurs only 5 times in the New Testament.
Jam 5:8,"You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand."
Note: The second coming of Jesus Christ is imminent, it means Jesus Christ may come at any time now. All signs have been fulfilled; we are not waiting for any sign to happen. We are waiting for the Lord to come any time now.
2Pe 3:12,"Looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?"
Note: In ancient time God destroyed the world by water, God will destroy the world by fire. The fire will be so intense that the elements will melt.
1Jo 2:18,"Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour."
Note: The last days have been reduced to the last hour. In divine calendar, we are now in the last hour before Jesus Christ returns.
1Th 3:13,"So that He may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints."
Note: The saints who slept in Christ will rise first, and the saints who are still alive will be transformed together to meet the Lord in the space. Then the Lord Jesus will come down to the earth with all His saints and holy angels with great power and glory – the most spectacular scene in the universe.
Rev 5:11,"Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders."
Heaven is not a lonely place where countless saints and angels will serve and
praise the Lord forever and ever.
27. Behold, now is the acceptable time.
2Cr 6:2,"For He says: AT THE ACCEPTABLE TIME I LISTENED TO YOU, AND ON THE DAY OF SALVATION I HELPED YOU. Behold, now is THE ACCEPTABLE TIME, behold, now is THE DAY OF SALVATION—."
Now is the acceptable time for you to get saved.
Note: Now in Greek is nyn which means at this time, the present; - it occurs about 138 times in the New Testament. There is no time like now. As the matter now stands, this is the day of salvation. If you want to be saved, be saved now. Now is the acceptable time, acceptable to God. Acceptable time is the day of salvation. Be saved today, for you may not have tomorrow. Nobody knows what tomorrow may bring. If you accept the Lord as your Savior now, the Holy Spirit will come into your heart and give you a new life.
2Cr 5:17,"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." Jesus Christ is knocking at the door of your heart; will you open your heart and accept Him as your personal Lord and Savior now?
January 4, 2018
Willie Wong
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