Good News

Well... year 2008 is coming to an end in a few hours time. As 2008 ends and 2009 starts, I thought of doing something different. Instead of the usual kind of posts, I would like to present the gospel. I try to model it from Paul's speech in the Areopagus at Athens in the book of Acts. So...yeah...read on...everyone.
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In the past, humans have always been interested in the supernatural as well as in awe of the nature around them. Since in the past humans relied heavily on nature for their survival, they see themselves at the mercy of nature. Therefore, they created a set of belief systems to try to control or rather to appease the forces controlling nature and these forces were known to them as spirits and gods.

This was the beginnings of religion. Over time, religion is the worship of something or someone. Everyone today holds a form of religion. Most people in cities today hold a materialistic religion. They worship material wealth because in their eyes, wealth is so important that they must strive to acquire more and more of it; since they require it to ‘survive’ like the ancestors in the past.

Therefore, they spend all their energies to acquire and indulge in material wealth. They try to acquire more and more without end in sight. This arises because it does not satisfy. They think they feel unsatisfied because they have not acquired enough. So, they will not feel content at all. But by right, at some point, they should feel satisfied.

Take an example of food. Hunger is a desire for food. When we are hungry, we feel the urge to eat. After we eat a hearty meal, we feel full and satisfied. Our hunger is satisfied. Our stomach is loaded until we can not take in any more.

Likewise, material possessions are important for survival. Just like food, we need some amount to survive. When we have all we need, we should feel content. But most people do not feel that way. They want more and more. No matter how much they get, they may feel satisfied for awhile but not full. Even if we are greedy for food, at one point we have to stop eating as we find it torturous to eat more. But there seems to be no end for material pursuit. Therefore, it goes to follow that we are trying to use material wealth to fill something it is not supposed to fill. It is like eating food when you are thirsty.

As a result, we will feel empty in the end. We feel as though we have not achieved anything in the end. Life seems to have no meaning and without a goal. There seems to be a chasm that we are trying to fill with material wealth but it does not seem to fill. I will tell you what this chasm is.

God created the heavens and the earth and he also created man. Into man, he imparted a part of himself so that man should try to seek after him. But man chose not to follow after God and this created a chasm in man who had departed from God. Man has sought in vain to fill this chasm with everything imaginable but has failed. Today, they run after material pleasures and addictions to try and fill this chasm. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.

This man is Jesus Christ and God has revealed him to all mankind. Man has no longer any excuse. No longer can man say, “I do not know”. He now calls men everywhere to repent and turn to him. Therefore, as an ambassador of Christ, I urge all of you who have not yet repented to repent and turn to God through Jesus Christ. He is the way to eternal life and eternal life is this: that people may know the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom he has sent. To know God in an intimate and personal way is what life is all about.

Christmas

Hello everyone. :P Yup..it has been awhile since I last updated. Honestly, I felt kinda lazy…>.< Oh well. Anyway, I am writing this on Christmas Eve. Even though I have other things to write on, I guess I’ll give my take on Christmas first.

What is Christmas? Many Christians do not go beyond the fact that it is a day to celebrate Jesus’ birthday. It is true that Christmas is about Jesus’ birth but Christmas is so much more than that. Besides, December 25th is not really Jesus’ actual birthday. I read somewhere that historians place Jesus’ birth to be around April. Jesus’ birthday was placed on December 25th to replace a winter solstice festival during the time of Constantine. (Note: I have to check up the details again)

The true meaning of Christmas, in my opinion, runs deep and carries many implications. One must realize how much God gave up to come down in human form. We see commercials, children art, etc depicting Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus all comfortable and smiling. Fine. Since they portray it as such, here is something to think about. One must realize where was Jesus before he came down to be in human form as a baby. He was with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit in heaven; in all his glory, splendour and power. Imagine. He left all that to come to earth. Even if he did come to a comfy manger as it is portrayed, it is still a massive ‘downgrade’ from the usual. Imagine the Yang Dipertuan Agong leaving his palace, his regalia, his servants and his comfort to stay in one of the citizen’s house. Whether he stayed in an extremely poor house (squatters, etc) or in a middle to above average house, it would still be a massive ‘downgrade’, would you not think so?

But here is the thing. God was not forced to send Jesus down to earth as a baby and later to die for our sins. He could have just wiped all of us out for our sins. He is perfectly justified in doing so as Yahweh is a holy and just God who cannot tolerate evil. The punishment for our sin and rebellion is death and God could have executed his judgment in a single stroke. But God chose to provide a way out; the only way out. He sent Jesus down as a baby, live a sinless life and then to die a horrible and shameful death on the cross. He resurrected Jesus and now Jesus sits glorified in heaven and intercedes for us on our behalf together with the Holy Spirit. Did God have to go through the trouble to do it? I do not think so. But yet he chose to do so.

Also, one must note that Jesus was born as helpless baby to a not so well to do couple. He was not born in a palace or some rich person’s house. He was born as a baby and grew into a man. He didn’t suddenly appear as a full grown man. As a baby, he was helpless. He had to be looked after by human parents as he could not defend himself. Here is the only begotten Son of God, second co-equal in the Trinity, existed even before time began, now as a defenseless human baby. It was bad enough to be confined to a human shell but a human baby shell??

In light of this, here is a passage of Scripture which sounds all to familiar to most. A special focus on verse 7.

5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:5-11

It is written that he made himself nothing, becoming a servant in human likeness. He humbled himself, gave up the joys of heaven to come down to be like us. Indeed, this is true love. Therefore, we must be forever thankful and grateful to God for what he has done. This is the reason why we give praise and thanks to God for. Indeed, this is the reason we live.

14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

18No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only,who is at the Father's side, has made him known.

John 1:14,18