How To Get Prayers Answered

The healing of the daughter of the Canaanite woman is a classic case on how to get prayers answered.

This woman of Canaan was a desperate mother whose daughter was grievously vexed with a devil. She must be at her wits end trying whatever means to deal with her daughter’s vexing trouble. It was no ordinary ailment where human intervention might bring solution to her vexing soul. It was an affliction that originated from a different dimension where human efforts are often found wanting and powerless in the face of such assault on the body, mind and soul of the tormented victims. Many were afflicted with such trouble in Israel and the religious elites could offer little help to the family members of the suffering victims.

But this woman of Canaan heard about Jesus and she had faith that the Lord could be the only solution to heal her pitiful daughter, God knows for how long had she been afflicted with the devil. So she approached the Lord during the Lord’s visit to her hometown.

Matthew 15:21: Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.

Matthew 15:22: And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.

Her approach was direct and she went straight to the point to plead for mercy, acknowledging Jesus as the Lord, the Son of David. All nationalistic pride was put aside, confirming the Lord Jesus Christ to be the King of the Jews, who would sit on the throne of David ruling over Israel. So this woman wasn’t an ignorant peasant unhappy with the Jews living in the former land of her forefathers and full of hatred for the Jews.

She cried and begged the Lord to have mercy on her and relating to the Lord her daughter’s condition. It wasn’t a small matter as her daughter was vexed with a devil badly in need of deliverance.

Matthew 15:23: But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.

However, the Lord ignored her. The Lord was being kind to her by ignoring her. The Lord could have said nasty thing she might not want to hear. She was not one of their own people. So the Lord kept silent.

With the Lord ignoring her, this woman went after the disciples. She must be harassing the disciples to ask them to help speak with the Lord. The disciples’ lack of compassion was rather telling. Instead of helping her intercede with the Lord to heal her daughter, the disciples got frustrated and went to beseech the Lord to send her away.

They didn’t behave that way when the Jews were healed of devils but for this woman, not one of their own nationality, they could not care less. Such is the hardness of men still very much plagued with nationalistic divide over who should benefit from blessings of their Messiah. So the woman continued her pleading with whoever who would help say a word to the Lord to help her and heal her daughter and this got annoying, at least with the disciples.

Matthew 15:24: But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Finally, the Lord open His mouth. Those words weren’t what this woman hoped to hear. But the disciples were very likely pleased and perhaps even secretly applauded the Lord’s reply to the woman. They couldn’t wait to get this woman off their back and they still had much work to do and with many others to minister to. Every day was a busy day and this woman of Canaan was holding up their work.

Moreover, it was the Lord who commissioned them to minster to the Jews and they were expressly forbidden to reach out to the Gentiles. Now this Gentile woman showed up and this would be a good test to see if the Lord meant business. So far the Lord confirmed the mission was meant for the Jews only.

Matthew 10:5: These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:

Matthew 10:6: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

The disciples were observing what the Lord would do with this woman, a non Jew coming to ask for help. Would the Lord practise double standards and violate His own admonishment for the disciples to avoid the Gentiles? The Lord’s reply confirmed their earlier commission. The Gentiles were to be bypassed. No doubt, the disciples might be glad and even pleased too.

So the door for this woman had been closed. She was an outsider outside of the commonwealth of Israel and could not enjoy the blessings meant for Israel. But she still didn’t give up knowing all avenues were closed and she had no other authority to appeal to in order to become a recipient of God’s blessing for His chosen people. She left the disciples and approached the Lord again since the Lord had opened His mouth to pronounce His rejection of her plea.

Matthew 15:25: Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.

This time, this woman did more than just acknowledging the Lord as the Son of David. She came and worshipped Him. She even worshipped Jesus as the Lord God, above just the King of the Jews. In fact, the Lord is not just the God of the Jews but God of the Gentiles as well. This episode of healing was about timing and the Jews must be dealt with first.

Earlier, she called Jesus Lord and Son of David. She already knew her proper place. This time she upped the ante and she worshipped the Lord. Her priority was to get her daughter healed and she knew the Lord could and she was doing all she could to get that blessing and her prayers answered.

If you are using some false bibles, you will get your prayers hindered. The translators of these fake bibles didn’t believe this woman of Canaan worshipped the Lord Jesus Christ. They only believe she bowed down or knelt before the Lord. Bowing down and kneeling do not necessarily mean worship for many people in this world also bow and kneel before earthly kings but worship is only reserved for the Divine. So it is time to throw away these modern fake bibles in order to get your prayers answered.

Matthew 15:25New International Version (NIV)
The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.

Matthew 15:25New American Standard Bible (NASB)
But she came and began to bow down before Him, saying, “Lord, help me!”

Matthew 15:25English Standard Version (ESV)
But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.”

Matthew 15:25Amplified Bible (AMP)
But she came and began to kneel down before Him, saying, “Lord, help me!”

Matthew 15:26: But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.

Since the Lord had already opened His mouth and the woman had persistently not given up hope on getting the Lord to do something for her daughter, the Lord had no choice but to reveal the real truth to this poor woman who had already lowered herself to beg, cry, prostrate and worship the Lord.

The reply here was terrible. To add insult to injury, she was called a dog. This woman was already humiliated for being an outsider. Now she was called a dog.

What do you expect this woman to do? Crawl away barking like a dog and complain to everyone how heartless the Lord has been to her?

Anyone who is not sincere and just making use of the Lord to get prayers answered without truly believing in the Lord and becoming a follower of the Lord would be greatly offended. How often we see people who needed help would do anything to just get what they wanted and then they would turn their back to their benefactors once they achieved their objectives!

Such people would come to you just to get a blessing and then leave you when you are no longer useful. Such scheming people would no doubt get up and spit at you and walk away and blast you all over the Internet to show to the world how cruel you are and would demolish you because you didn’t accede to their demands.

But this woman of Canaan was a woman of faith, no doubt a sincere believer of the Lord Jesus Christ. She was already in trials and tribulation over her daughter’s plight, what more could be added to afflict her and for this instant, it came from none other than the Lord of the whole earth to test her faith and tenacity in prayers!

The disciples might be getting more irritated even though this woman had left them and went back to beg the Lord for help. Why didn’t this Gentile woman just get lost and leave them alone? Didn’t she know she wasn’t a qualified beneficiary and the Lord had also made clear to her!

But this woman’s reply stunned heaven and astounded the disciples as well wondering how much lower could she go in order to get the Lord to lift a finger to help her and heal her daughter.

Matthew 15:27: And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.

Such a reply was classic. When she was already put down and then called a dog, instead of being offended, she reasoned with the Lord. There was so much wisdom in her reply under tremendous stress and despair with everyone over there against her and no one spoke a word in her favour.

Her reply was spoken softly rather than yelling back at the Lord but those words struck a chord in containing the Lord’s reproach, cornered the Lord and stormed through the dark clouds of heaven and so the windows of heaven poured down blessings upon her that day.

It is truly not right to give food meant for the children and cast it to dogs. The biblical exhortation is always to take care of one’s family first and not the other way around.

1 Timothy 5:8: But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

How many times have we come across foolish Christians giving away their wealth to ministers of Satan promising them God’s blessings and prosperity and then their family suffer poverty while these ministers of Satan enrich themselves and live in luxury.

What the Lord told this woman earlier wasn’t being unkind but scriptural. It must always be taking care of family first before helping others. Putting outsiders first would cause the family to fall apart. How many ministers who put in so much effort in ministering to others and neglected their own family and then they wonder why they ended up in divorce or their children become rebels when they grow up!

Perhaps everyone over there that day expected this woman to throw in the towel feeling disgusted and walked away. The Lord had already used the most cruel words to put her down and this was generally the attitude of the Jews towards the Gentiles regarding them as unclean. Even the Samaritans they regarded as people having a devil and would not speak with them or have anything to do with them.

John 4:9: Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.

John 8:48: Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?

Years later when Peter opened the gospel door to the Gentiles at Cornelius house in Acts chapter 10, he ran into trouble with the Jewish believers in Acts chapter 11 who confronted him. He had to explain himself with witnesses following him to Cornelius house to keep the peace of the believers in Israel.

But those words from the woman rang loud and clear though spoken softly hoping for the best. How would the disciples answer her having heard these words? What other excuse could the Lord throw at her with such a reasonable reply from her?

Yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. What she said was true and an observable known fact! How else could anyone counter her argument?

The Lord told the disciples not to minister to the Gentiles and the Lord made Himself an example by not wanting to help this Gentile woman. But what this woman did and said that day changed the course of events following. None wag a tongue after hearing what she said and all mouth was stopped that moment.

Matthew 15:28: Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

The Lord’s reply was one of excitement and full of admiration for her great faith and thus granting her request and her daughter was made whole that very hour. The Lord is plenteous in mercies but worthy recipients are few and far between. The Lord is rich beyond imagination but those chosen to share His wealth are just remnants who accept Jesus as Messiah and Saviour of the world.

This woman was one such recipients of the Lord’s mercy and grace and of course riches beyond measure. That day, her posture was one from prostrate humility and kneeling on the ground in worship to another of rising in victory conquering all odds that were stacked against her. No one could possibly stand in her way from getting her prayers answered.

The disciples stood speechless as the Lord took the exception to grant healing to the daughter of this Gentile woman that was against the original commandment given to them to minister only to the Jews, the lost sheep of the house of Israel. No one complained and stood against her for the Lord’s double standards in dealing with this Gentile woman in this case. They heard with their very own ears what this woman said and her reasoning was one full of faith and humble gentle submission in responding to the King of the Jews why she should be one of the recipients of the Lord’s mercy and grace even though she was a Gentile dog.

This woman’s admission of her lowly status nationally speaking and her unflinching determination interceding with the Lord in wisdom and humility won her the Lord’s favour as well as everyone present with no one dared to disapprove of the Lord dispensing healing to her tormented daughter.

She became a living example of what the Lord proclaimed as a message to the desperate and despairing John the Baptist rotting in jail waiting for execution, and she was blessed indeed because she was not offended by the Lord and in what the Lord had told her earlier.

Matthew 11:6: And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

Seldom you will find the Lord excited and exclaiming a big fat O in responding to situation during His earthly ministry. Here is one such incident where the Lord exclaimed with a big O followed by praise for this woman’s great faith.

Just a chapter before this woman’s incident, the Lord also likewise exclaimed with a big fat O but this was in response to Peter’s lack of faith while walking on water towards the Lord.

Matthew 14:30: But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
Matthew 14:31: And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

Matthew 15:25: Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.
Matthew 15:28: Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

Putting these verses together is a rather embarrassing comparison. Both made short prayers and were answered. The Jewish apostle was rebuked for his little faith and doubts while this Gentile woman was commended for her great faith and for not giving an inch to every obstacles thrown in her way to prevent her from getting her prayers answered and her daughter healed.

Such is the Lord’s dealing with fallen man. Even chosen privileged people of God can fail in faith while those temporarily set aside Gentiles could gain access to the privileges conferred for God’s own people and become one such members of God’s amazing goodness to all fallen man. Now that the chosen nation of Israel has been set aside for two thousand years and the Gentile Church is temporarily grafted in to deal with the world at large to magnify the name of Jesus above every name, the day will soon dawn upon this world when the Church is removed and the nation of Israel is come into focus again in the Lord’s prophetic calendar.

In order to get your prayers answered, you need to know your place and come sincerely in humility in worship of the Lord who is worthy of all praises and adorations. If you trust those fake bibles without having to worship the Lord in praying to the Lord to hear your petition, you will be badly mistaken. You will need to justify with reasons why the Lord should grant you your request lest you ask for things to consume upon your own lust which is not according to God’s perfect will for you. On top of that, you need to have this unflinching faith in the Lord who is more than able and capable to grant you your request. The question is whether you are one such worthy recipient for God to honour that request you put before the court in heaven.

Hebrews 11:1: Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:6: But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Faith is a prerequisite when approaching the Lord to petition your request. You must believe that He is God when you approach Him diligently like this Gentile woman. The Lord will then reward you according to your faith when you have pleased Him no matter how hopeless the situation might be.

Luke 11:9: And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

Luke 11:10: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

May heaven smile upon you as you bring your petitions before the Lord in all humble submission full of faith and truth!


Thinking out of the Earth

Very often, we have been told to think out of the box to come out with innovative solution to deal with some difficult situation or solve some tough problem. For earthly situation within human control, this might work but there will be times where all human effort would prove to be elusive where the problem would still remain within the box beyond all human intervention.

There is case in point regarding the feeding of the thousands where the disciples of the Lord were offered a chance to think out of the box for a solution but they all ended up boxed in by the problem. No solution was found until they gave up thinking out of the box.

Consider the situation here when the Lord offered them a chance to come up with an innovative solution to solve the hunger situation of the followers who came the hear the preaching of the Lord.

Matthew 14:14: And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.
Matthew 14:15: And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals.
Matthew 14:16: But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat.
Matthew 14:17: And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes.

Mark 6:35: And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed:
Mark 6:36: Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat.
Mark 6:37: He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat?

John 6:5: When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?
John 6:6: And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.
John 6:7: Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.
John 6:8: One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto him,
John 6:9: There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?

It was a futile situation beyond all human hope. How could the multitudes be fed? We could sense the disciples reacting in frustration. The response from the disciples sums up their conclusion.

It was an impossible task. It was a mission impossible. No matter how much brain juice they could squeeze to think out of the box, it was not going to be of any help and make any difference to those people waiting to be fed.

The people in this world would criticize the disciples for lacking in helicopter vision. They were all looking horizontally being bogged down by the cares of the ministries and they forgot to look up. All human endeavour matters nothing for a situation like this.

What they really needed was to think out of the earth. They should view the situation from above to solve this earthly problem. They had forgotten they had the Lord with them who came from above. Who else could provide a solution to solve this hunger situation better than the Lord?

They had been so accustomed to watching all the miraculous healings that were taking place among the people including casting out of devils beyond human intervention but why they failed to rely on the Lord was another symptom of human weakness, albeit followers of Christ. They were becoming too familiar with the Lord just as another ordinary man among them, a miracle worker no doubt.

It was only after the episode of the Lord walking on water towards them where Peter tried and failed when he left his eyes on the Lord to focus on the boisterous wind instead that the disciples worshipped the Lord with this confession.

Matthew 14:33: Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.

The disciples got distracted and couldn’t see beyond the horizon. In fact, the situation the disciples had to deal with was nothing new. Prophet Elisha encountered one such similar situation though smaller in scale.

2 Kings 4:42: And there came a man from Baal-shalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he said, Give unto the people, that they may eat.
2 Kings 4:43: And his servitor said, What, should I set this before an hundred men? He said again, Give the people, that they may eat: for thus saith the LORD, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof.
2 Kings 4:44: So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the LORD.

Didn’t the disciples know of this account from their Old Testament? Given the fact that the scribes and priests were custodians of the scriptures, if they didn’t know of such an account, it reflected the spiritual poverty of the people during that time. It shouldn’t come as a surprise though because the religious authority during that time had conclusively rejected Christ as their Messiah. If the religious elite didn’t know any better, then the common people won’t fare much better as well.

Nevertheless, the disciples should know how the children of Israel who came out of Egypt were fed with manna from above for forty years. Getting too busy and too tired can cause anyone to forget past victory and blessings. So no solution could come from the disciples concerning this situation of the feeding of the thousands, but another monumental miracles documented for all posterity to remember the power and goodness of the Lord.

It is so easy to get distracted by all the cares in this life even though some activities are legitimate concerning ministering to the saints. This can cause our eyes to look at earthly solution instead of looking for divine intervention when face with difficult situation and troublesome problem.

Our spiritual posture should be one of looking up instead of looking around. Much more can be done by looking to the Lord with steadfast faith than to rely on our fallen mind for wisdom and knowledge. They will surely fail.

Instead of thinking out of the box, it is better to think out of the earth and look to the Lord for help.


Attending One’s Own Funeral

South Koreans have taken the world by storm with their k-pop culture, Korean drama series and fashion. Seldom you will find Asian and even some Western women not well aware of the latest Korean drama or the up to date news of well-liked and well-known Korean artists. This is the commercial aspect of Korea being projected to the world; a glittering utopian paradise of sort where women and men are beautiful and good looking living up the good life.

However, one Korean King James Bible believing preacher called the capital of South Korea Seoul, “Sodom”. A recent documentary presented South Korea in a very different light from what the world is known to have understood. It is a cruel society that has lost its soul where suicide occurs every 33 minutes. That is quite astounding and unflattering for a nation of significant economic prowess where big corporations such as Samsung is giving Apple a run for its money on electronic and digital products. So stripping away the phenomenal facade of success, South Korea is just another country where many are left behind and the elderly are abandoned and left to die alone.

The documentary portrays attending one’s funeral as some therapeutic remedy for those afflicted with suicidal thoughts where participants are reborn after the experience to get back to life with a new found meaning and a new perspective in life. Sadly, the cold and cruel reality of the world around them won’t change and the constant slavery of making a living will still continue to plague them for the rest of their lives living out a meaningless existence. This rebirth experience is definitely not going to change reality on the ground.

The Bible however, also talks about dying and being born again.

Firstly, every sinner in this world is born dead in trespasses and sins regardless of whether the sinner is conscious of this fact and reality. Every living human is already condemned to death and waiting for the final execution to come; that is the reality.

Ephesians 2:1: And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

For a Christian however, he has been quickened which means he no longer remains in this state stuck dead in trespasses and sins. He has moved on from that state and has acquired a new status and a new course of life. This is done by God who quickens the new believer with Christ being saved by the grace of God. While physical death is still true for a Christian, it is not an execution of condemnation awaiting for the wrath to come but a translation into the presence of the Lord continuing in this new life eternal.

Ephesians 2:4: But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

Ephesians 2:5: Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

This theological fact is further explained by the apostle Paul writing to the believers in Rome.

Romans 6:7: For he that is dead is freed from sin.

Romans 6:8: Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

Romans 6:9: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.

Romans 6:11: Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Once a sinner believes in the Lord Jesus Christ and accepts Him as Lord and Saviour, his condemnation is already passed. He has been judged and executed together with Christ and died with Him on the cross of Calvary. When Christ rose from the dead, the new born child of God is likewise raised and he now lives together with the Lord in newness of life.

The apostle Paul also explained to believers in Galatia he had already been judged by the law and was already executed and dead to the law. He had then been reborn to live unto God.

Galatians 2:19: For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.

In like manner, the apostle Paul also expounded to believers in Colosse concerning their death experience and the subsequent rebirth in Christ.

Colossians 2:13: And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

The apostle Paul also wrote to Timothy to remind him of this theological fact that as believers, we are already dead with Christ in the past but are now alive to live with the resurrected Lord.

2 Timothy 2:11: It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him:

Hence the new birth experience for a Christian is completely different from a man-made funeral event that leads to a psychological rebirth experience for suicidal persons. Christian new birth leads to hope and eternal life while the man-made psychological fake death experience simply provides an emotionally charged experience seeking to alter attitudes and change of mind concerning the struggles in this life.

Without a biblical new birth experience, there will be no hope and no eternal life to look forward to for a sinner struggling hopelessly in this fallen cruel world. As such, the Lord Jesus Christ requires a sinner to be born again in order to live. Every other sinner will remain dead in trespasses and sins struggling to find meaning in this life with no true life thereafter.

John 3:3: Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

John 3:4: Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?

John 3:5: Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

John 3:6: That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

John 3:7: Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

The first water birth by the flesh cannot see life and enter the kingdom of God. It requires the second birth by the Spirit that will accord life eternal. This process cannot be obtained by a man-made fake death experience. No middle man can facilitate the process to confer this second birth of the Spirit. It requires the sinner to simply come to Christ without any merit of his own but receives the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.

John 1:12: But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

John 1:13: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

The born again sinner is conferred the title as a son of God. This new birth experience is not born of blood and of will of man through a gestation period but is an instantaneous event because it is effected by the Spirit of God. The Lord Jesus Christ confirms this fact that the reborn sinner has been passed from death unto life, explicitly mentioning everlasting life.

John 5:24: Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

So the apostle Paul practised the art of dying daily to remind himself that he was already dead in Christ been judged by the law and then live on with Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:31: I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

Thus Christians should reckon themselves to be already dead but are now alive with Christ and awaiting for redemption of a new body to live on eternally. Man-made psychological death experience in order to get an emotional high has no place for a child of God. Pity lost sinners wallowing in the mire of sorrows and despairs and may the Lord be merciful to draw many more struggling sinners to experience the true new birth in Christ.


Tiger Mom and Eagle Dad

For many years, it has been reported that Asians are consistently outperforming Caucasians academically. One report suggests that Asian students work harder than their counterpart for their phenomenal academic performance.

Why Asian-American Students Outperform Their White Peers

While it may be true Asian students work harder, it does not however explain the reason why they work harder and the actual underlying motivation for them to work harder other than their “outsider” status in the host country.

Another report suggests that higher Asian parental expectation for their children’s academic performance is another reason why Asian students outperform US students. US parents are content with having lower academic performance for their children and this is not helping their children to level up to Asian students.

Why Asian Students Still Outdistance Americans

The above reports are based on observations seen through the lens of westerners’ perspective and they do not address the actual inner psychic of traditional Asians. Many Chinese hope and desire their sons to become dragon and their daughters to become phoenix according to the proverbial sayings, 望子成龙，望女成风.

Dragon and phoenix symbolize power and wealth. In time past, Chinese emperors wore dragon robes. Chinese believe they are descendants of dragons. By the way, there is a very famous Chinese song, Descendants of the Dragons, and Chinese cannot but be moved by the lyrics of this song which is quite melodious.

Since it is the hopes of Chinese parents for their children to become a symbol of success when they grow up, this process cannot be left to chance. Children are taught from young to live a disciplined life according to this Chinese proverb, 玉不琢 不成器 人不学 不知义。

Like jade that requires cutting and polishing to become a much sought after masterpiece, children are required to undergo rigorous training from young to become some outstanding person when they grow up. A child who does not learn will not understand righteousness is the second part of this proverb and hence the constant emphasis on learning.

So it has been driven into the inner psychic of Chinese parents to teach their children to pursue academic excellence from a young age as recorded in the Chinese classic written in 1100 AD, 万般皆下品，唯有读书高.

Every occupation on earth is rather common but academic excellence is of the highest esteem. Therefore, this constant forward looking posture of acquiring knowledge is a Chinese tradition drilled into the minds of children at a young age.

By the way, such thinking and work ethics also hold true for Koreans, Japanese, Taiwanese and even Vietnamese. A visit to the Temple of Literature in Hanoi City will show how much Chinese influence has taken hold on the Vietnamese even of today.

As such, this gives rise to some overbearing parents to become tiger moms micromanaging the lives of their children and their everyday activities in the pursuit of excellence in every aspect of life. Of course this does not sound like fun but once success has been achieved, looking back, the child would understand why the mother has to be very strict and rigid with the upbringing regime.

http://time.com/88125/the-tiger-mom-effect-is-real-says-large-study/

In addition, some children bore the brunt of rigorous training and discipline from eagle dad at a very young age. The kind of training some of these little kids go through will shock many. It is like putting these kids through special force or army rangers training at a tender young age.

Eagle Dad Regime

So learning and pursuing academic success become part of the psychic of Chinese from young so much so even Cantopop singer and song writer Sam Hui wrote a song 学生哥 to encourage young children to pursue their studies when they are young lest they regret later in their life.

To the Chinese, not doing well academically shames the family. Decades ago, a neighbour of mine failed his national examinations at age 12 and he dared not return home after getting his results from school. He eventually came home after a very long reflection and fearing retributive punishment back home. He had to repeat another year to sit for the national examinations again the following year. Education is a serious business for Asians.

This constant need to excel does take a toll on some. Last month, a Japanese father stabbed his 12 year old son to death for failing to study for a school entrance exam.

Japanese Man Stabs 12 Year Old Son to Death For Failing Exam

This is tragic no less. High parental expectation on children has probably driven some to suicide. A couple of years back, a young girl having done pretty well for her Cambridge Ordinary Level examinations except for one or two subjects that she failed to score a distinction committed suicide. A few months after, her mother took her own life as well. The father was reduced to a mental wreck requiring professional help since.

Another tragic case was reported in Canada in 2010. A bright young Vietnamese girl was put through the strict no-nonsense regime by her parents hoping she would become successful someday. She was doing pretty well during the initial years but dropped out thereafter and she lied to her parents about making it into the University of Toronto.

Eventually when her parents found out about her deceit, she was grounded. Her boy friend then conspired with her to hire killers to murder her parents and then inherit the property. Tragically, her mother died during the assault.

Daughter of Vietnamese Immigrants Hired Hit Men to Kill Her Parents

This is one of those sad stories of human frailties struggling to make it in this fallen world. The apostle Paul told the Corinthians the distinction on the preoccupation between the Jews and the Greeks.

1 Corinthians 1:22: For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

Here the Asians are the modern Greeks going all out to acquire wisdom and knowledge in this world clutching at straws for a better hope and future for their children. This is of course understandable as they do not have the promise of God providing for them and meeting their every needs like the children of Israel in the Old Testament and Christians in the New Testament.

Matthew 6:31: Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

Matthew 6:32: (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

Matthew 6:33: But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Matthew 6:34: Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

The wisest man who ever lived made this remark concerning pursuing academic excellence.

Ecclesiastes 12:12: And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

King Solomon was of course so right. Who in the world would think that doing well academically is just a piece of cake! King Solomon who went out of the way to master everything under the sun and then concluded that all was vanity. Hence his closing advice was this:

Ecclesiastes 12:13: Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

For the struggling humanity wallowing in the depths of despair and misery, there is a way out of this mad rat race of life.

Malachi 1:11: For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts.

The Lord Jesus Christ is the name the Gentiles shall trust and great is His mighty name who came to heal the broken hearts and restore hopes of life eternal to those who seek after Him.

Titus 1:2: In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

Of making many books there is no end, but Jesus came to be the book of books where those who finds Him will never have to suffer weariness of the flesh again.

Hebrews 10:7: Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.

John 21:25: And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.

Christians parents should take heed how they raise their children in this world and not getting caught up with the folly of many parents seeking the best for their children without factoring in the Lord into the equation of their child raising regime.


Deviants Not Born This Way

For those who are pretty senior in age, you would have understood the word “gay” which means bright, happy or carefree and it has been often used by students in written essays in decades past. In fact, this word is also found in the Holy Bible as an adjective to describe the clothes worn by certain category of people that has nothing to do with perverse deviants of our days.

James 2:3: And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:

Today, this word “gay” has taken on a different meaning altogether where upright humans would loath to be associated with characters described by the new meaning of this word. Biblically, these people are abominable deviants that invited God’s direct intervention in aeon past where those practising perverts in Sodom and Gomorrah were completely erased from the face of the earth.

Genesis 19:23: The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar.

Genesis 19:24: Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;

Genesis 19:25: And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.

As a nation, Israel was given the mandate to establish its penal code and Sodomites were not allowed to live.

Deuteronomy 23:17: There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel.

The very reason why the Lord wanted the Canaanites exterminated was to eradicate such practitioners of perversion and then gave their land to the children of Israel.

1 Kings 14:24: And there were also sodomites in the land: and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.

The history of the nation of Israel recorded righteous kings executing such sinners to prevent the wrath of God to fall on them for such abomination.

1 Kings 15:12: And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.

1 Kings 22:46: And the remnant of the sodomites, which remained in the days of his father Asa, he took out of the land.

2 Kings 23:7: And he brake down the houses of the sodomites, that were by the house of the LORD, where the women wove hangings for the grove.

The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is also recorded in the New Testament for the great contempt God shown to those practising perverts and a warning to others who dare follow suit.

2 Peter 2:6: And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;

Today after two thousand years where God has been showing mercy to the world calling sinners to repentance by the gospel of Christ where the Church does not and is not given the power to execute such deviants to remove them from the earth, these perverts are getting worse and are coming out of the closets to claim their rights to be accepted as normal and seeking legal recognition and demanding legal rights to be married. Alas such form of species cannot reproduce. They can only recruit. They need to expand their pools of recruits for greater availability to practise their abomination.

Romans 2:4: Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

While the Lord allows these category of sinners to continue in their abomination without the nation of Israel to execute judgment on them, the Lord in recent times however, unleashes diseases to plague such sinners to die a horrible and miserable death on earth and hereafter judgment with no end in sight. Mention of AIDS strike fear in many. Originally, this disease is called GRIDS – Gay Related Immune Deficiency Syndrome. This really hurts some group of people.

Gay Related Immune Deficiency Syndrome

This GRIDS virus was first reported to be a disease that afflicted those perverts. It then spread to others where the name of the disease was then changed to AIDS – Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. The funny thing is how does one acquire this disease is too shameful to disclose. It is also too political to label perverts for the cause of this disease. It was later called HIV – Human Immunodeficiency virus. So thanks to these deviants for this new pestilence to come into this world.

The world is giving good press to these deviants claiming that such people are born that way. They are forcing the boundary of acceptable norms in society. Some cities are creating a third gender where lavatories are built for them as part of the amenities of public spaces. Schools have to teach children such deviants are actually part of the eco system of mankind and are encouraged to accept them as well as to explore their own sexuality. Hence, the rise of the foolish idea of Gender Neutral Parenting in some first world countries.

https://kjv-asia.comgender-neutral-parenting/

Not many dare to challenge such perverse indoctrination that they are born this way. Big multi-national corporations are sponsoring the acceptance of perverts and to go against the grain could cost the person his job and business owners their livelihood.

Nevertheless, the recent studies from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine reported that the politically correct “born this way” paradigm is not backed up by sufficient scientific data. The authors of the report wrote that “The understanding of sexual orientation as an innate, biologically fixed property of human beings – the idea that people are ‘born that way’ – is not supported by scientific evidence.”

Study On Fixed Sexual Orientation

Of course any Bible believers already know this fact. For the scriptures have concluded that such deviants have deliberately rejected the knowledge of God and have even taken pleasure in such abomination. Hence, God also gave them over to a reprobate mind to practise perversion to their own shame and destruction.

Romans 1:20: For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

Romans 1:21: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Romans 1:22: Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

Romans 1:23: And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

Romans 1:24: Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

Romans 1:25: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

Romans 1:26: For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

Romans 1:27: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

Romans 1:28: And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

Romans 1:29: Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

Romans 1:30: Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

Romans 1:31: Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

Romans 1:32: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

According to the report, the author, Lawrence S. Mayer, M.B., M.S., Ph.D., wrote, “I was alarmed to learn that the LGBT community bears a disproportionate rate of mental health problems compared to the population as a whole.”

The New Atlantis – Sexuality and Gender

Is it surprising to note these deviants have mental health issues when the Lord gave them over to a reprobate mind? By the way, Dr. Mayer wasn’t writing this report in support of Christian point of view on this issue. He was presenting scientific findings hoping to be of help to this group of people. Here is what he wrote, “I dedicate my work on this report, first, to the LGBT community, which bears a disproportionate rate of mental health problems compared the population as a whole. We must find ways to relieve their suffering.“

Actually, what is happening in this world is already revealed from scriptures. Prophetic statement has been issued concerning the coming wicked one during the end times. He is not any ordinary individual on earth. He has unique taste and preference and will claim to be someone above all else on earth.

Daniel 11:37: Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.

This sounds remarkably familiar to another character in eternity past where he sought to be who he was not and became the chief antagonist against the Creator God.

Isaiah 14:12: How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

Isaiah 14:13: For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

Isaiah 14:14: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

Isaiah 14:15: Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

So when you see deviants running rampant on earth, the time to the celestial city is not very far away.

Luke 21:28: And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh


Pearl of Great Price

Matthew 13:45: Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:

Matthew 13:46: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

The Lord Jesus Christ likened the kingdom of heaven like a merchant man seeking goodly pearls. Once found, he is willing to part with his all to obtain this pearl of great price. From this piece of information, there must be great value placed on pearls, in particular, special pearl of great price.

Since ancient time, pearls have been used in ornamental adornment together with precious stones for women. Apart from the purpose of treasure collections together with other precious stones, pearls are also used in medicine and cosmetic products as well as part of the burial items for the dead.

Pearls in some part of Taiwan have been so good due to the pearls being cultivated in mountain spring water, they could be used to alleviate many aliments as well as used as eyes cleansing solution when the pearl powder is mixed with water. These pearls are not cheap. They are sold in grams. The pearls are then ground to powder in your presence and put into small bottles. These pearl powder can be consumed with water as health supplements for its excellent minerals and medicinal properties.

In Wuxi China, the pearls obtained from clams in the lake Tai Hu are also much sought after for its beauty and often used as adornment pieces. The first lady of China was reported to like purple colour pearls and hence the price for this type of pearls has gone up. A beautiful white pearl necklace was also given to Michelle Obama during the US president’s visit to China some time back. These pearls are also made into cream and used as skin whitener as well as other cosmetic products much like the Japanese SK II cosmetic products.

Legend has it that the last Qing Dynasty Empress of China, Empress Dowager Cixi was buried with a lot jewels when she died and a massive pearl was put in her mouth to prevent her corpse from decomposing according to Chinese traditions. During the civil wars, her tomb was robbed and her corpse was said to be intact. Once the pearl from her mouth was removed, her corpse began to decay. The pearl was then given to the Kuomintang leader Chiang Kai-shek by the warlord but ended up as an ornament on the gala shoes of Chiang’s wife, Soong Mei Ling. Notwithstanding the fact that this is just a legend and the truth required authentication, the importance and the premium placed on pearls of great price cannot be under estimated.

Recently, it was reported that a Filipino fisherman found a gigantic pearl. He didn’t know what it was and kept it under his bed for ten years as a good luck charm. When finally discovered, this massive 34 kilograms pearl could be worth more than 100 million dollars.

Biggest Pearl in the World

Fisherman’s Giant 34 kg Pearl Worth 100 Million Dollars

Matthew 7:6: Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

Just like the scriptures admonished not to cast pearls before swine because some people simply can’t appreciate the beauty and price of pearls, those who could find such pearl of great price would willingly give up all they have to acquire this pearl. Today, the gospel is this pearl of great price where those who finds it will give up their all to go after the kingdom where pearly gates await.

Job 28:12: But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding?

Job 28:13: Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.

Job 28:18: No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies.

While precious pearls may be valuable, wisdom is far above the price of pearls and precious stones. This wisdom can only be found in none other source other than in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the power of God and the wisdom of God.

1 Corinthians 1:24: But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

Those seeking after the pearl of great price leading them to the Saviour of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ, would be rewarded with inheriting the city of the pearly gates.

Revelation 21:21: And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.

The 34 kilograms pearl found by the Filipino fisherman is absolutely nothing compare to the massive pearls that will the adorn the gates of that celestial city for the saints of all ages.

If you are not the dogs and swine the scriptures described, you have a good chance of seeking after the pearl of great price. If you wish to have a chance to see the greatest pearls of great price, you need to follow the sign posts below.

John 14:6: Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Romans 10:9: That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Romans 10:10: For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Romans 10:11: For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

Romans 10:12: For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

Romans 10:13: For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

If you have followed the instructions above, you are well on your way to that city and enter the pearly gates together with the multitudes of other saints having found the pearl of great price in the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Revelation 21:23: And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

Revelation 21:24: And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.

Revelation 21:25: And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.

Revelation 21:26: And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.


A Contentious Woman

Ever encountered some unreasonable and quarrelsome women? Here is what scriptures have to say about the trouble with such women.

Proverb 21:9: It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house.

Proverb 25:24: It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman and in a wide house.

Sometimes when scriptures reveal the fallen nature of woman, some may not take it to heart, especially those whom the Lord has blessed with a virtuous wife adorned with a meek and quiet spirit. This cautionary advice wasn’t given once but repeated twice in the book of Proverbs.

If retreating to the corner of the housetop in a wide house could hardly offer sufficient refuge and solace from a brawling woman, the intensity of the trouble is really astonishing. How much more personal space does one need to escape from such a woman is beyond measure.

Recently, two women were quarreling on the road for eight hours and they both eventually collapsed and were sent to the hospital. This is not some kind of sick joke. It happened in China and is really newsworthy.

Two Chinese Women Collapse After Arguing Nonstop For 8 Hours

If a man could hardly find peace in a wide house from a brawling woman, these two women had taken such vexatious assault to a whole new level of world record for quarreling nonstop for eight hours in open space by the road. Their stamina was indeed outstanding. Some countries’ special force could perhaps persuade these women to join them to vex their enemies to no end.

Women can be really quarrelsome. They can nag nonstop like a spoilt brat not given her favorite toy.

Proverb 27:15: A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike.

Such continual dropping contention will surely drive one to insanity. If you think this is bad, consider what king Solomon who had a thousand women in his life had to say about some women.

1 Kings 11:3: And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.

Ecclesiastes 7:26: And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.

Pity those men who have the misfortune of marrying such women.


War and Terror

It is commonly reported that terrorists are hijacking religion to commit terrorist acts for political gain. It seems to imply that all religions are fair game to be hijacked for terror and political activities. This may also allude that verses found in the Holy Bible could also promote terror and world conquest to exterminate infidels if they refuse to capitulate to biblical demands.

It is indeed true there are verses in the Old Testament that commanded wars and provided historical records of war. It is important to understand the local geographical nature of those conflicts and the mandate given to those involved in the conquests otherwise the enemies of the cross will take scriptures out of context to accuse biblical Christianity to be just another religion that could promote terror and regime change.

For the record, the children of Israel were given commandment to exterminate certain groups of people residing in Canaan.

Exodus 23:23: For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off.

Exodus 23:24: Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images.

Exodus 23:27: I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee.

Exodus 23:28: And I will send hornets before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before thee.

Exodus 33:2: And I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite:

Exodus 34:10: And he said, Behold, I make a covenant: before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation: and all the people among which thou art shall see the work of the LORD: for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee.

Exodus 34:11: Observe thou that which I command thee this day: behold, I drive out before thee the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite.

Numbers 33:51: Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye are passed over Jordan into the land of Canaan;

Numbers 33:52: Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their pictures, and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places:

Numbers 33:53: And ye shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land, and dwell therein: for I have given you the land to possess it.

In fact, this mission was already preplanned four hundred years before the nation of Israel came into existence when Abraham was given a preview of things to come.

Genesis 15:13: And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;

Genesis 15:14: And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.

Genesis 15:15: And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.

Genesis 15:16: But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.

Deuteronomy 7:1: When the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou;

Deuteronomy 7:2: And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them:

Deuteronomy 7:3: Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son.

Deuteronomy 7:4: For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.

Deuteronomy 7:5: But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire.

Deuteronomy 7:6: For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.

Deuteronomy 7:8: But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

The Lord did not give the land of Canaan to the descendants of Jacob because they were obedient and faithful. In fact there were the most obstinate and rebellious people. They were given the land because of the promise God made to their fathers.

Deuteronomy 9:1: Hear, O Israel: Thou art to pass over Jordan this day, to go in to possess nations greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and fenced up to heaven,

Deuteronomy 9:2: A people great and tall, the children of the Anakims, whom thou knowest, and of whom thou hast heard say, Who can stand before the children of Anak!

Deuteronomy 9:3: Understand therefore this day, that the LORD thy God is he which goeth over before thee; as a consuming fire he shall destroy them, and he shall bring them down before thy face: so shalt thou drive them out, and destroy them quickly, as the LORD hath said unto thee.

Deuteronomy 9:4: Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the LORD thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness the LORD hath brought me in to possess this land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD doth drive them out from before thee.

Deuteronomy 9:5: Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that he may perform the word which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Deuteronomy 9:6: Understand therefore, that the LORD thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou art a stiffnecked people.

The Lord has determined to bring wars and destruction to certain nations for a reason. When iniquities become full, judgment will fall whether it is by the hands of the children of Israel or otherwise. In fact, God’s chosen people, the children of Israel were not spared from judgment too.

Deuteronomy 18:9: When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.

Deuteronomy 18:10: There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,

Deuteronomy 18:12: For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.

Deuteronomy 8:18: But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.

Deuteronomy 8:19: And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the LORD thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish.

Deuteronomy 8:20: As the nations which the LORD destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish; because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the LORD your God.

2 Chronicles 12:1: And it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the LORD, and all Israel with him.

2 Chronicles 12:2: And it came to pass, that in the fifth year of king Rehoboam Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had transgressed against the LORD,

2 Chronicles 12:3: With twelve hundred chariots, and threescore thousand horsemen: and the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt; the Lubims, the Sukkiims, and the Ethiopians.

2 Chronicles 12:4: And he took the fenced cities which pertained to Judah, and came to Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 12:5: Then came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Judah, that were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said unto them, Thus saith the LORD, Ye have forsaken me, and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak.

2 Chronicles 12:6: Whereupon the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said, The LORD is righteous.

2 Chronicles 12:7: And when the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance; and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.

2 Chronicles 12:8: Nevertheless they shall be his servants; that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.

So the children of Israel were likewise punished as well. God determines who can continue to stay alive on earth and who has to leave. When nations transgress beyond the point of God’s tolerance, judgment will come regardless whether these nations have the benefit of receiving the written oracles of God.

Romans 2:11: For there is no respect of persons with God.

Romans 2:12: For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;

Romans 2:13: (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.

Romans 2:14: For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:

Romans 2:15: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)

Commandments for the children of Israel to exterminate certain groups of people were restricted to those residing in Canaan and not the world at large.

Deuteronomy 20:10: When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it.

Deuteronomy 20:11: And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, that all the people that is found therein shall be tributaries unto thee, and they shall serve thee.

Deuteronomy 20:12: And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it:

Deuteronomy 20:13: And when the LORD thy God hath delivered it into thine hands, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword:

Deuteronomy 20:14: But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which the LORD thy God hath given thee.

Deuteronomy 20:15: Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities which are very far off from thee, which are not of the cities of these nations.

Deuteronomy 20:16: But of the cities of these people, which the LORD thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth:

Deuteronomy 20:17: But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee:

Deuteronomy 20:18: That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against the LORD your God.

The nation of Israel was not given a mandate to conquer the whole world. Their primary mission was to exterminate those sinners God wanted to be removed from Canaan but they failed and compromised the mission. Those nations became a snare to them and eventually caused them to sin and they likewise had a taste of judgment.

Waging wars outside of Canaan was not a priority nor an absolute necessity. Unlike the inhabitants of Canaan destined to be completely wiped out, option of peace must first be extended to the inhabitants in those cities. If peace was rejected, they were given rules of engagement where not every souls that breathed were to be destroyed.

So when you think God is cruel and merciless towards the pagan nations, God allowed half a million people from His own chosen people to perish in a civil war for rebellion and apostasy against His law. The number of those slain during that conflict is more than three times the victims of those who died in the two atomic bomb attacks in Nagasaki and Hiroshima during world war 2.

2 Chronicles 13:16: And the children of Israel fled before Judah: and God delivered them into their hand.

2 Chronicles 13:17: And Abijah and his people slew them with a great slaughter: so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men.

The magnitude of those who perished is mindboggling where this number who died is twice the number of those who were wiped out during the tsunami resulted from an earthquake that hit the Indian ocean in 2004. This just demonstrates the wrath of God against all unrighteousness and fallen men often severely underestimate the holiness of God. It is worthwhile to note that God’s own people were not spared just as He did not spare those pagan Canaanites living on the earth He created when they committed abominable practices.

So the children of Israel continued to sin and rebel against the Lord and did not keep their covenant with God. Eventually God raised up the heathen nations, in particular, the Assyrians and the Babylonians to destroy their cities and carried them away for seventy years. They had a taste of being driven out just like what their forefathers did to the Canaanites of old for failing to keep God’s covenant.

When they were finally allowed to return from their exile and reside in their own land again in Israel awaiting for their Messiah to show up, they did not fare any better. Their Messiah then showed up but they rejected Him.

John 19:15: But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar.

Matthew 27:23: And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.

Matthew 27:24: When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.

Matthew 27:25: Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.

So they killed their Messiah. Eventually Jerusalem was sacked by the Romans and the Jews banished for two thousand years and the rest was history. Those chilling words of taking responsibility for murdering their Messiah to be charged to their children are still frighteningly in effect till this day and they have been paying the price since.

With the nation of Israel now set aside, God no longer deals with one single nation alone. Thus the Lord moves forward His plan of salvation for the whole world. The nation of Israel is just a chosen vessel to bring forth the Messiah, the Saviour to the world and it has now been accomplished. The Church is now set in motion to fulfill her mission to bring the gospel of salvation to the end of the world.

The Church however, does not have a mandate to occupy real estate on earth. The Church is made up of individual members from all nations on earth who believe the Lord Jesus Christ and receive Him as Lord and Saviour. The Church is not an earthly nation and there are no Christian nations on earth. In fact the Church is a holy nation and certainly not an earthly carnal nation.

1 Peter 2:9: But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

Like the saints of old before the existence of the nation of Israel, the Church is heading to a heavenly country.

Hebrew 11:10: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

Hebrew 11:16: But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

The Church has no business fighting wars on earth to occupy real estate. As such, there are no commandments given to Christians to wage war on earth like the children of Israel. This is simply not the mandate for Christians because they have a different calling and take on different priority.

Colossians 3:2: Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

Any one who calls himself a Christian using scriptures to justify war on earth is out of line with biblical revelation.

There are commandments to wage wars in the Old Testament but they are only restricted to one geographical location on earth. The mandate was not given to any one else other than the children of Israel which is now history. Any one seeking to resurrect those commandments to justify wars on earth does not have a leg to stand on theologically let alone claims to be a believer of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Meanwhile, this world continues to be at war. We have been told in no uncertain terms there will be wars and rumours of wars.

Matthew 24:6: And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

The biblical reason for wars is greed. Nations will continue to go to war for real estates and resources. The strong will dominate the weak and this has always been the case since time immemorial.

James 4:1: From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?

James 4:2: Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

After all, how can the world have peace when the Prince of Peace has not returned to earth to set up the Kingdom? So wars will be here to stay. This will culminate at Armageddon where the Lord will settle once and for all the controversy of wars with Israel and the nations on earth.

Revelation 16:16: And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

Hosea 4:1: Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.

Hosea 12:2: The LORD hath also a controversy with Judah, and will punish Jacob according to his ways; according to his doings will he recompense him.

Micah 6:2: Hear ye, O mountains, the LORD’s controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth: for the LORD hath a controversy with his people, and he will plead with Israel.

Jeremiah 25:31: A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the LORD.

What Israel failed to accomplished in time past God will bring to past the extermination of Canaanite from His house.

Zechariah 14:21: Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the LORD of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein: and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts.

Israel will finally settle in nicely in the land grant promised to their fathers according to the division of the land documented in Ezekiel 48 stretching from Hamath in the north to Kadesh in the south whether the nations on earth like it or not.

So whenever anyone brings out any verses from the Bible to justify terror and wage war, he is reading in the wrong place of history. Commands to wage war were only given to the children of Israel concerning a small piece of land in the Middle East that connects three continents more than three thousand years ago. No Christian in the New Testament is ever commanded to wage earthly wars on earth for the purpose of occupying real estate on earth.

Meanwhile in spite of chaos and conflicts in the world, Christians while on earth have been officially conferred to be representatives of the heavenly country with a mission to reconcile sinners to the Lord. They have been commissioned as ambassadors for Christ to offer peace not war.

2 Corinthians 5:20: Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

Matthew 5:9: Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

So Christians, know your status and mission on earth. It is one thing to protect yourself and your loved ones from criminals and terrorists which is scripturally justifiable, it is another to participate in terror to wage war. Don’t be manipulated by anyone on earth to commit terror and wage war for political gain. It is not befitting the status as an ambassador for Christ.


Science and Satanism

If you believe there is no place for religion in science, you could not be more mistaken. Perhaps Christianity is the only religion that has no place in science where the biblical account of creation of the world is rejected by majority of scientists in this world. Science and false religions do go hand in glove.

The recent reports of a Satanic human sacrifice ritual that took place at the premier nuclear research facility in Geneva Switzerland is a case in point.

CERN – Satanic Human Sacrifice Video

Chilling Satanic Human Sacrifice Video

There is already a controversial pagan deity that adorns the entrance of this facility among other occult symbols found there. Now with the video of this Satanic ritual that took place there, it is just the tip of the iceberg.

Whether the video was a hoax or spoof, it was reported that the man who filmed this ritual is dead.

Even if this video may just be a spoof, it is hard to dispel any doubts of the connection with Satanic attractions to some of those involved in the project.

The bizarre occult ritual that took place at the opening ceremony of the largest tunnel in the world is another case in point.

The Opening Ceremony of the World’s Largest Tunnel Was a Bizarre Occult Ritual

Just hang on to your seat. The real show is yet to begin.

The End Times character to show up will be someone who will honour the God of forces. That is as much science as you can get. And this chap will be the greatest scientist the world has ever seen.

Daniel 11:38: But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.

Matthew 24:24: For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

Revelation 13:14: And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

Revelation 16:14: For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

The good news is that these Satanic followers and their master will not win.

Revelation 19:20: And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.


Christian Charity Scam

It is so common to receive emails from supposedly Christian individuals or Christian organisations asking for help or donations one way or another to help them in their charity or ministries. But when you received an email from the scam capital of the world, you have to be diligent to make sure you are not enriching the coffers of scammers.

A friend used to borrow money from me which I declined because he has been irresponsible for his own financial management and has fallen into the vice of gambling. He then remarked that he would approach his colleague because this man is a Christian and is helpful and kind as though myself being a Christian is unhelpful and unkind.

The people in this world think that Christians are stupid and can be easily manipulated because the Bible teaches Christians to be charitable. However, the Bible also teaches Christians to be wise and not be easily taken in by scammers.

Matthew 10:16: Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

Below is an email from Nigeria requesting for help with Christian materials for the ministries.

From: Bright Bamiu <pstbggp@yahoo.com>
Subject: Bibles request

Message Body:
Bright Bamiu
Christian Bible Church
Post Office Box 3016
Benin City, Edo State
Nigeria
West Africa

Dearly Beloved,

Greetings in the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave His life for us at the cross that we who believe in Him might have eternal life.

I am the pastor of Christian Bible Church. Am married with children. I’m age 50 and my wife 45. My occupation is farming. Ten years after giving my life to Jesus Christ I had a divine call from God to the ministry here in my village. Initially l resisted but when God started moving and dealing in my heart, l obeyed and went into this ministry. Our church is located in a rural village community of about 8,000 inhabitants which is a typical traditional community, in recent years this village has been greatly stroked by ethnic clashes which had resulted in many death and made many children homeless and orphans. Our church is presently the only one which have moved in here despite many oppositions and threats to our lives .Many new convert have now joined us, as it has really been difficult for us since many wanted to stop the gospel of Jesus Christ from coming in, but they failed. The Bible says in Isaiah 59:19, “When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.” And I John 4:4 says, “Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” When we recognize the reality of God’s word in these chapters the devil is no match for us. Today the Lord is with us, as many keep joining our Church. We have also added a small orphanage home where we care for orphans. Our goals are to bring them up for their service to the Lord. “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

The people here are unskilled laborers who engages in manual farming! fishing! etc

We are writing to request for your assistance for materials.

Presently, we are GREATLY and URGENTLY in need of:

16 Large Print Center Column Reference Bibles

Our members cannot afford to buy Bibles and many have not opened it since their birth. These materials will be helpful for our study and research and my wife is presently in need of a Giant Print Bible because of her reading difficulties of small letters.

Please see what you could do to help us, as we are greatly committed in witnessing, teaching and proclaiming the Good News of our Lord God Almighty. We have many numbers of false religions here so we want to reach these people with the truth from God. Jesus return is near and thousands of people are searching for a new kind of life. Without materials we will not be able to evangelize effectively.

We appreciate whatever number of Bibles you could give to help us of the requested Bibles.

Thank you for your consideration!!

In Christ,
Pastor Bright Bamiu

This same old story has been circulating over a decade with the same mailing address from the same ministry. The only difference is the name of the recipient.

Check out the links below for more information. Take note also the quote Jude 20:21 from the scam email links below but the quote of Jude 20:21 is missing from the above email received. However, the words of the verse is exactly the the same. Unfortunately, no such verse is found in the Bible.

Bible Scam

Nigerian 419 Bible Scam

Charity Warning

This standard template email has been around for a long time. Notice the ages of husband and wife team 50 and 45 ten years ago? They are still the same age in 2016. This is just too funny for words. There are many scammers out there trying to take advantage of Christians. Here is another scam to milk unsuspecting Christians.

https://kjv-asia.comcomparing-spiritual-things-with-spiritual-translation-scammers/

Christians should do their due diligence before helping such wicked people sucking away precious resources from you that could otherwise help those genuinely in need of help.

Beware of deceitful workers and be a good steward for the Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 11:13: For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.