Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd

The Lord Looks after David

Psalm 23: 1-6 NIV

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,[a]
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.


You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.

Jesus the Christ is the Good Shepherd

John 10: 1-13 NIV

“Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.

Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

Continue reading: verses 14-21

Epilogue

The Lord of David is the pre-incarnate Christ. He is the same God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He met with Moses, who saw him face to face.

Jesus, the Christ, is Immanuel [read: Isaiah 7: 14; Matthew 1: 23]. He being sent of God came for God's people to save them from being captive of sin. The people, freed from sin, can live righteously as they abide in the word of their shepherd.

Truth vs Lies

With Lies Satan Deceives Eve and Adam

Genesis 3: 1-7 NIV

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”
 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

Jesus Parries Satan's Lies with Truth

Matthew 4: 1-11 NIV

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'"

Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’"

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

Comment

Adam and Eve failed to heed the truth. In contrast, Jesus kept the truth in his heart. Man can do what Jesus did when confronted with any temptation. 

Will you choose to be armed with the truth ? And given the power to keep it?

Two Stories, One Message No. 10

Through Jacob many People are Blessed
Genesis 28: 10-17 NIV

Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Harran. When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. There above it stood the Lord, and he said: “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.”

God through Christ Assembles his Blessed People

 I. The Resurrected Righteous Dead Generations

     Revelation 7: 1-4 NIV


After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.” Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.

 

Continue reading: verses 5-8

 

II. The Translated Righteous Living Generation

     Revelation 7: 9-14

 

After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:

“Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.”

All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying:

                                            
“Amen!
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!”

Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?”

I answered, “Sir, you know.”

And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."

 

Two Stories, One Message No. 9

Abraham, a type of God

Genesis 22: 1-14, NIV

Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied.

Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”

Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”

Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”

“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.

“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.

When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied.

 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”

Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram [behind him]. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

God Provided His Son as a Sacrifice

Matthew 27: 27-50, NIV

Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. Above his head they placed the written charge against him: this is Jesus, the king of the Jews.

Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).

When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”

Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”

And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

Two Stories, One Message No. 8

Israel Got Yoked with Another God

God Kills 24,000

Numbers 25: 1-13

While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people ate the sacrificial meal and bowed down before these gods. So Israel yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor. And the Lord’s anger burned against them.

The Lord said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of these people, kill them and expose them in broad daylight before the Lord, so that the Lord’s fierce anger may turn away from Israel.”

So Moses said to Israel’s judges, “Each of you must put to death those of your people who have yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor.”

Then an Israelite man brought into the camp a Midianite woman right before the eyes of Moses and the whole assembly of Israel while they were weeping at the entrance to the tent of meeting. When Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, saw this, he left the assembly, took a spear in his hand and followed the Israelite into the tent. He drove the spear into both of them, right through the Israelite man and into the woman’s stomach. Then the plague against the Israelites was stopped; but those who died in the plague numbered 24,000.

The Lord said to Moses,  “Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites. Since he was as zealous for my honor among them as I am, I did not put an end to them in my zeal. Therefore tell him I am making my covenant of peace with him. He and his descendants will have a covenant of a lasting priesthood, because he was zealous for the honor of his God and made atonement for the Israelites.”

Notice well the last passage, verses 10-12, which will give insight to the passage we will read below.

God gave his Son for those who Believe

John 3: 16-21, NIV

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

Epilogue

God wants everyone to be saved from his/her sins. For freed from sin's captivity, anyone who is joined with his Son, has the capacity to be righteous and live the life that Jesus modeled.

Are you willing to be yoked with Christ?

Two Stories, One Message No. 7

The People Rebel

          The Israelites are the chosen people of the Lord God but most were not loyal him. God made them wander in the wilderness of forty years and all the while they rebelled. In the end among the 20 or more years who were numbered only Caleb and Joshua survived, for their heart is with the Lord.
           All the rest perished.

Numbers 14: 1-12

That night all the members of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness! Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”

Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown in front of the whole Israelite assembly gathered there. Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes and said to the entire Israelite assembly, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.”

 But the whole assembly talked about stoning them. Then the glory of the Lord appeared at the tent of meeting to all the Israelites. The Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs I have performed among them? I will strike them down with a plague and destroy them, but I will make you into a nation greater and stronger than they.”

Continue reading: verses 13-45

The Parable of the Weeds
           
As with the Israel generation of the people of God, the Church generation beginning in the time of the disciples, i.e., the Twelve, until now and at the time of  the yet to come generations will be made up of true and false believers, whose hearts only God will know.

The totality of various Christian congregations will be worshiping and pledging allegiance to God, but the bigger part will be false believers which God will deliver at the last day into the fire of destruction. They will suffer this fiery and horrible death together with the already condemned, the outright unbelievers.

Matthew 13: 24-30

       Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.  “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’
“‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.
“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
“‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”

Continue reading: verses 36-43

Two Stories, One Message No. 6

Rebellion of the Levites

Numbers 16: 1-11

Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and certain Reubenites—Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—became insolent and rose up against Moses. With them were 250 Israelite men, well-known community leaders who had been appointed members of the council. They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the Lord’s assembly?”

When Moses heard this, he fell facedown. Then he said to Korah and all his followers: “In the morning the Lord will show who belongs to him and who is holy, and he will have that person come near him. The man he chooses he will cause to come near him. You, Korah, and all your followers are to do this: Take censers and tomorrow put burning coals and incense in them before the Lord. The man the Lord chooses will be the one who is holy. You Levites have gone too far!”

Moses also said to Korah, “Now listen, you Levites! Isn’t it enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the rest of the Israelite community and brought you near himself to do the work at the Lord’s tabernacle and to stand before the community and minister to them? He has brought you and all your fellow Levites near himself, but now you are trying to get the priesthood too. It is against the Lord that you and all your followers have banded together. Who is Aaron that you should grumble against him?”

Continue reading: verses 12-50

Sinners are Rebels 

All of humanity - past dead generation to the yet to be last generation - are sinners, having inherited the fallen nature of Adam and Eve.

God has offered his Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins and made him alive again to serve as High Priest up in heaven before God, doing atonement for those who believe.

God's mercy is mediated through him. In him you can be born again, a new creature with a new heart and spirit. Everyone is invited to receive mercy that you will be one again with God.

Are you willing to join him before the Father?

Two Stories, One Message No. 5

Naaman Healed of Leprosy

Old Testament: 2 Kings 5: 1-19

Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.

Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”

Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. “By all means, go,” the king of Aram replied. “I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing. The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy.”

As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, “Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!”

When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: “Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.” So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.”

But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage.

Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.

Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said,
“Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.”

The prophet answered, “As surely as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing.” And even though Naaman urged him, he refused.

“If you will not,” said Naaman, “please let me, your servant, be given as much earth as a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will never again make burnt offerings and sacrifices to any other god but the Lord. But may the Lord forgive your servant for this one thing: When my master enters the temple of Rimmon to bow down and he is leaning on my arm and I have to bow there also—when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the Lord forgive your servant for this.”

“Go in peace,” Elisha said.

Continue reading: verses 20-27

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

The New Testament: Matthew 18: 21, 22 (NIV)

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

Continue reading: verses 23-35

Epilogue

The Old and New Testaments - the two witnesses [Read: Deut. 17: 6; 19: 15; Rev. 11: 3] - tell many stories; one story in the OT will teach one truth, which the NT may also teach with another story.  As two witnesses, the OT and NT establish the truth.

Both the Naaman story and the parable of the unmerciful servant teach forgiveness of sins of those who come to God, whose mercy is greater than his judgment.

Now, dig for minor truths in the couple of stories we mentioned above that the Bible has been telling us for hundreds of  years.

Two Stories, One Message No. 4

God Decides to Free the Israelites from Captivity
Exodus 3: 1-10
Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3 So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”

When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!”

And Moses said, “Here I am.”

“Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” Then he said, “I am the God of your father,[a] the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”

Continue reading: Verses 11-22

The Black Man's Story in America
Martin Luther King Jr. Had a Dream

Click for the link: http://www.nytimes.com/video/2013/08/24/us/100000002404675/a-divided-dream.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&smid=tw-nytimes

 

Two Stories, One Message No. 3

Pharaoh's Dream and Joseph

Genesis 41: 1-14 NIV

When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing by the Nile when out of the river there came up seven cows, sleek and fat, and they grazed among the reeds. After them, seven other cows, ugly and gaunt, came up out of the Nile and stood beside those on the riverbank. And the cows that were ugly and gaunt ate up the seven sleek, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.

He fell asleep again and had a second dream: Seven heads of grain, healthy and good, were growing on a single stalk. After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted—thin and scorched by the east wind. The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy, full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up; it had been a dream.

In the morning his mind was troubled, so he sent for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him.

Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I am reminded of my shortcomings. Pharaoh was once angry with his servants, and he imprisoned me and the chief baker in the house of the captain of the guard. Each of us had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own. Now a young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us, giving each man the interpretation of his dream. And things turned out exactly as he interpreted them to us: I was restored to my position, and the other man was impaled.”

So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon. When he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh.

Continue Reading: Verses 15-40

One Special Dream of so Many

Of the many dreams that God gave I remember just now one peculiar dream. In it my wife and I went to live in a home we don't own. But in the end the stranger's home became our own.

When we migrated to Canada we lived with our daughter, her husband and her two children. Three months after we arrived the couple got into an argument with angry words spoken. It could have been just an ordinary spat of any married couple but this one ended with the husband threatening to kill my daughter and subsequently his banishment.

At that time, police officers were called and the incident ended with the husband taken to custody for a few hours and was told not to go near the house, the wife's workplace and the children's school. He was also not to communicate directly or indirectly with her. Later he was arraigned before the court. Until now the case is pending and awaiting trial as he opted to plead not guilty.

The incident was on the 20th of February and up to this time, August the 24th, the husband has not set foot again in his home. In fact my daughter already has elected to separate from him but keeping custody of the children.

In between they have since sold their two homes and my daughter got us a rented condominium unit where we now live with her two children to which we act as guardians. But she lives apart from us, for in the interim she got a better job than the last one, renting a room, as her work is one to two hour commute.

The husband got himself an apartment, too, where he lives alone.

We now live in a home that we virtually own sans papers. I might add that there are indications that my daughter will permanently live separately from us. In fact, she told my wife that the apartment is hers.

But this is another story to be told.

Two Stories, One Message No. 2

God Provides Elijah with Food and More

1 Kings 17: 1-11, NIV

Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.”

Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah: “Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.”

So he did what the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.

Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. Then the word of the Lord came to him: “Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.” So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, “Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?” As she was going to get it, he called, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.”

Continue reading: verses 12-24

Eternal Life Begins now for God's Children

Fifteen years without a gainful work. But God provided for my and immediate family's food, clothes and shelter. I am much more than content.

At the end of this period, God gathered my family in an alien land - Canada, where a new chapter will be written on my life's book.

But of course, the work that I do now - preaching the goodness of God - is an interesting and more productive work than any work I had before.

My work now involves much more than preaching. It entails living what God has shown through his Son, Jesus Christ. It's a challenging work but God through his Spirit provides the daily grace and strength needed for small and great accomplishments.

Eternal life is living God's way, where Christ trail-blazed - a path of righteous living. Death becomes just a temporary rest between the now life and the resurrection life. God through Christ has told us of this powerful message. He's such a good story-teller.

Experiencing it gives me eternal joy and complete gratitude to a great God. Will you join me?

Epilogue

Lastly, this is how the Bible should be read and understood: The Old and New Testaments are two stories but with only one message. What has been will be again. There's nothing new under the sun.

All that men do are vanities until they live what God appointed them to do.

Two Stories, One Message No, 1

Let's follow the story of Elisha fighting his enemies. The following passage is found at 2 Kings 6:8-18, which is lifted from the New International Version.

What's the message? God fights for Elisha literally with chariots of fire, which is a host of angels, doing the battle.

Elisha Traps Blinded Arameans

 Now the king of Aram was at war with Israel. After conferring with his officers, he said, “I will set up my camp in such and such a place.”
The man of God sent word to the king of Israel: “Beware of passing that place, because the Arameans are going down there.” So the king of Israel checked on the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places.
This enraged the king of Aram. He summoned his officers and demanded of them, “Tell me! Which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?”
“None of us, my lord the king,” said one of his officers, “but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom.”
“Go, find out where he is,” the king ordered, “so I can send men and capture him.” The report came back: “He is in Dothan.” Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city.
When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked.
“Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, “Strike this army with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked.

Today, how will God fights a battle for his children?

God fights the same way as he did at the time of Elisha. Most of us cannot imagine this to be so. But this is actually the case.

Be assured that God will work out all circumstances toward our good. [Read Romans 8:28-39] Trust him for he is always willing and eager to show us how he loves us. That's how he grows our faith, heightens our hope and nourishes our love for him and for our fellowmen.

Presumed Saved

Many take for granted that they are saved from the Day of the Lord's judgment. Are they not baptized into Christ? Did they not professed their faith in God by believing in his Son, Christ Jesus? Have they not remained faithful until now? - they go to church on every worship day! Have they not abided in his words by reading and studying the Bible?

Has not God promised salvation to everyone who professes loyalty to him?

                    It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel            
              are Israel. Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On
              the contrary “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” In other words,
              it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but it is the children 
             of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring. 

                    For this was how the promise was stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and 
              Sarah will have a son.” Not only that, but Rebekah’s children were conceived at the
              same time by our father Isaac. Yet, before the twins were born or had  done anything
              good or bad—in order that God’s purpose in election might stand:  not by works but
              by him who calls—she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” Just as  it is written:
              “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” Romans 9:6:13

The child promised by God is Christ Jesus, whom he loves. Those joined with him as they live amongst men will also be loved by God. With God's grace and strength they will have victorious lives. They are the "Jacobs', whose lives are blessed due to their obedience to God. 

Who are the "Esaus" whom God hates?  They are those whom God knows [Read: God's foreknowledge] will not be following his Son, whom he anointed to save them. They have knowingly spurned what God has appointed to lead them into battles with the devil and his kingdom, the world. The latter will certainly prevail over them and it will lead them into an inexorable destruction by God's hand on the last day.    

Predestination, God's Foreknowledge and His Mercy

To be sure, no one is predestined to be saved or to be lost.

However, God knows who are destined for either destiny.

If one is destined for destruction at the last day, does he or she has a chance to reverse the inevitable? Indeed, not! But no man knows his/her destiny until God shows him. And man can know in his/her lifetime. In practice, those that are lost are not sure of their fate. In contrast, the saved are assured by God through his Spirit, whom he sends to "make tent" in individual disciple.

The Spirit seals the truth of salvation in God's children.

If God knows beforehand and altogether everyone's destiny - saved or unsaved - is he unfair to the many who are not saved?

             "What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! For he says to Moses, 'I will have
             mercy on whom I have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.' ”   
                   Romans 9:14,15, NIV

The key word is mercy - that of God. To whom does he give mercy? Those who have contrite or repentant hearts will receive God's mercy.

In contrast, the proud and the unrepentant will not have it. They will be given their wish: to be separated from God forever. From dust they came, to dust they will be, which is nothing in anyone's eyes and God.
           

How Does one Know he or she is a Child of God?

Not everyone can claim to be one of God's children. One may be very religious and a baptised member of a church; but it does not mean he/she is altogether a God's child.

So, how can one know? God's word tells us how!

"The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.^[a] And by him we cry, “Abba,^[b] Father.” ¹⁶ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. ¹⁷ Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." Romans 8:15-17, NIV

Jesus taught that the Father has promised to make the body of his children the temple of the Holy Spirit. Because God knows everyone's heart he readily sends the Spirit to those whom he considers worthy of the gift - those considered already saved from condemnation at the last day.

Indeed, the Holy Spirit authenticates your faith.

Do you have the Spirit teaching and working in your thoughts and doings? If so, you are really a child of God. When worship day comes and the preacher says you can have God's promises and blessings daily as you pray and ask for them, you can in fact relate. In contrast, one who doesn't have the Spirit might wonder what the message of the preacher is coming from for he/she cannot recall instances of his/her life that were truly blessed.

Being Righteous vs. Being Wicked

There are just two conditions of man: living righteously or unrighteous. In other words, either one is  a child of God or the devil's ambassador on earth.

“Abraham is our father,” they answered. “If you were Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then you would do what Abraham did. As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. You are doing the works of your own father.”

“We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God himself.”

Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.” John 8:39-47, NIV

Jesus is saying simply that doing right to anyone means you belong to God. Doing the opposite means your father is the devil.

This is easier said than done, one would say. Again, one of Jesus' teachings will come to play: faith will appropriate God's power for anyone to stay righteous. He promised in fact the Holy Spirit to live within his children.

What do you choose to be?