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• #1 by Amare at May 10th, 2010

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  Fellow Believers! Peace be upon you all who read this! Amen!

  Today I wish to tell you a story that touched me…

  ****Title:MY SON!***

  The time, he [The story-teller] said, was the roaring twenties. The place was Oklahoma. John Griffith was in his early twenties-newly married, and full of optimism. Along with his lovely wife, he had been blessed with a beautiful blue eyed baby. With delight and excitement, John was dreaming the American dream.

  He wanted to be a traveler. He imagined what it would be like to visit faraway places with strange-sounding names. He would read about them and research them. His hopes and dreams were so vivid that at times they seemed more real than reality itself. But then came 1929 and the great stock market crash. With the shattering of the economy came the devastation of John’s dreams. The winds that howled through Oklahoma was strangely symbolic of the gale force that was sweeping away his hopes. Oklahoma was being systematically ravaged by depression and despair. And so, brokenhearted, John packed up his few possessions and with his wife and little son, Greg, headed east in an old Model-A Ford. They made their way toward Missouri, to the edge of the Mississippi River, and there John found a job tending one of the great railroad bridges that spanned the massive river.

  Day after day John would sit in a control room and direct the enormous gears of that immense bridge over the mighty river. He would look out wistfully as bulky barges and splendid ships glided gracefully under his elevated bridge. Then, mechanically, he would lower the massive structure and stare pensively into the distance as great trains roared by and became little more than specks on the horizon. Each day he looked on sadly as they carried with them his shattered dreams and his visions of far-off places and exotic destinations.

  It wasn’t until 1937 that a new dream began to be birthed in his heart. His young son was now eight years old, and John had begun to catch a vision for a new life-a life in which Greg would work shoulder-to-shoulder with him, a life of intimate fellowship and friendship. The first day of this new life dawned and brought with it new hope and a fresh purpose. Excitedly father and son packed their lunches and, arm in arm, headed off toward the immense bridge.

  Greg looked on with wide-eyed amazement as his dad pressed down the huge lever that raised and lowered the vast bridge. As he watched, he thought that his father must surely be the greatest man alive. He marveled that his father could single-handedly control the movements of such a stupendous structure. Before they knew it, noontime had arrived. John had just elevated the bridge and allowed some scheduled ships to pass through. And then, taking his son by the hand, they headed off for lunch. Hand in hand, they inched their way down a narrow catwalk and out onto an observation deck that projected some 50 feet over the majestic Mississippi. There they sat and watched spellbound as the ships passed by below. As they ate, John told his son, in vivid detail, stories about the marvelous destinations of the ships that glided below them. Enveloped in a world of thought, he related story after story, his son hanging on every word.

  Then, suddenly, in the midst of telling a tale about the time the river had overflowed its banks, he and his son were startled back to reality by the shrieking whistle of a distant train. Looking at his watch in disbelief, John saw that it was already 1:07. Immediately he remembered the bridge was still raised and that the Memphis Express would be by in just minutes. Not wanting to alarm his son, he suppressed his panic. In the calmest tone he could muster, he instructed his son to stay put. Quickly leaping to his feet, he jumped onto the catwalk. As the precious seconds flew by, he ran at full tilt to the steel ladder leading into the control house. Once in, he searched the river to make sure that no ships were in sight. And then, as he had been trained to do, he looked straight down beneath the bridge to make certain nothing was below. As his eyes moved downward, he saw something so horrifying that his heart froze in his chest. For there, below him in the massive gearbox that housed the colossal gears that moved the gigantic bridge, was his beloved son.

  Apparently Greg had tried to follow his Dad but had fallen off the catwalk. Even now he was wedged between the teeth of two main cogs in the gearbox. Although he appeared to be conscious, John could see that his son’s leg had already begun to bleed profusely. Then an even more horrifying thought flashed in his mind: lowering the bridge meant killing the apple of his eye. Panicked, his mind probed in every direction, frantically searching for solutions. Suddenly a plan emerged. In his mind’s eye he saw himself grabbing a coiled rope, climbing down the ladder, running down the catwalk, securing the rope, sliding down toward his son and pulling him back up to safety. Then in an instant he would move back to the control room and grab the control lever and thrust it down just in time for the oncoming train.

  As soon as these thoughts appeared, he realized the futility of his plan. There just wouldn’t be enough time. Perspiration began to bead on John’s brow, terror written over every inch of his face. His mind darted here and there, vainly searching for yet another solution. What would he do? What could he do? His agonized mind considered the four hundred people moving inexorably closer toward the bridge. Soon the train would come roaring out of the trees with tremendous speed. But this-this was his son…his only child…his pride…his joy. His mother-he could see her face now. This was their child, their beloved son. He was his father, and this was his boy.

  He knew in a moment there was only one thing he could do. He knew he would have to do it. And so, burying his face under his left arm, he plunged down the lever. The cries of his son were quickly drowned out by the relentless sound of the bridge as it ground into position. With only seconds to spare, the Memphis Express-with its four hundred passengers-roared out of the trees and across the mighty bridge.

  John Griffith lifted his tearstained face and looked into the windows of the passing train. A businessman was reading the morning paper. A uniformed conductor was glancing nonchalantly at his large vest pocket watch. Ladies were already sipping their afternoon tea in the dining car. A small boy, looking strangely like his own son, pushed a long thin spoon into a dish of ice cream. Many of the passengers seemed to be engaged in either idle conversation or careless laughter. But no one looked his way. No one even cast a glance at the giant gearbox that housed the mangled remains of his hopes and dreams.

  In anguish he pounded the glass in the control room and cried out, “What’s the matter with you people? Don’t you care? Don’t you know I’ve sacrificed my son for you? Want’s wrong with you?” No one answered; no one heard. No one even looked. Not one of them seemed to care. And then, as suddenly as it had happened, it was over. The train disappeared, moving rapidly across the bridge and out over the horizon.

  “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only
  For our sins but also the sins of the whole world”
  - THE BELOVED APOSTLE JOHN

  //* “Christianity in Crisis – 21st Century”; Hank Hanegraaff (pp.167-170)*//

• #2 by Amare at May 12th, 2010

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  Brothers & Sisters:

  How are you? Hope that all is well you.

  Well, I didn’t want to start a brand new page with a negative comment; and therefore, I’ve posted something that reminds us of what God has done by sacrificing His Own Son for our sins as comment#1 of page 6. But now I want return to The Healing ‘gospel’ matter that we’ve been investigating with the help of a book written almost half century ago. In the last comment [comments 249-250, of page 5], we’ve investigated the citations of Isaiah 53 in the New Testament books (specifically in Matthew & I Peter). We discovered that Matthew cites the healing message of Isaiah as a fulfillment of Jesus’ earthly ministry; and Peter has see ‘Jesus paying for our sins’, but not in any way we see it that He {Jesus} paying for our body-sickness on the cross. And the next point, (c), that we shall see deals with the claim: “God honors faith”; and his book titled “Disease of the Health and Wealth Gospel” Gordon D. Fee continues his investigation of the concept that ‘God honors faith’ as,

  “c) The “faith” passages are in fact the crucial ones for the total health movement. After all, other Christians have used the two previous sets of texts as a biblical basis for healing. The argument for perfect health, or healing on demand, lies finally in the joining of healing as a part of the atonement (the basis of the demand: God has provided for it, therefore, He must heal when asked) with all the texts on faith (since it is fully provided for by God, it may be secured by the correct formula of faith). Thus the great emphasis in this movement is on “raising peoples’ faith.”

  We cannot examine all these texts. But a few words are in order. First, not all the texts frequently cited by the evangelists refer faith in God for the miraculous. Nonetheless, several of them clearly do (e.g., Mark 11:22-24; James 5:14-15), and a restoration of these texts the life of the church is not a totally bad thing. In fact, these texts on faith have regularly been a bit of an embarrassment to the church. They are all clearly there in the biblical text, yet seldom does one see them “at work”-except in rare instances. One must ruefully admit that evangelical Christianity by and large does not expect much from God. He is given credit for all the ordinary things in our lives-as well He should be-but most Christians’ expectation level, when it comes to the miraculous, is sometimes between zero and minus five. In fact, Dispensationalism and certain sections of the Reformed tradition have circumvented all these texts with a theology that would leave the miraculous in the apostolic age. Even though evangelical pray, “If it be Thy will, please heal so-and-so,” they would probably fall over in a dead faint if God actually answered their prayer.

  The God of standard-brand evangelicalism is very much a God of the ordinary.

  On the other hand, there is a way of interpreting these texts that can make a mockery of the divine will. “God promises us whatever we ask,” is the battle cry. Fortunately, however, God does not grant everything we ask. For our asking is based on our own limited knowledge, and all too often it is colored by our self-interest. We can only praise God that He does not answer every prayer “prayed in faith.” Hezekiah, after all, had his prayer answered and was granted fifteen more years, but it was during those years that Manasseh was born!

  The real issue, therefore, when it comes to these texts, is not how “to get them to work for us,” but how we are to understand them in light of the full biblical revelation. How do they relate to the reality of God’s sovereignty and His overall purposes with mankind? For the concerns of this paper, the crucial question is whether God specifically wills all Christians to know perfect health. If that were true, and there is no text that supports it, then “failure” to be healed miraculously would indeed be a failure of our faith. But it is not true, and it does not appear to be so, then faith not only believes specifically for healing, but also knows how to trust God when the effects of the fall continue to be very much with us.”
  • Gordon Fee, The Disease of the Health and Wealth Gospel (Regent College Publishing, Vancouver, British Colombia; 2006 (first published in 1985)), p.25-27.

• #3 by Amare at May 17th, 2010

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  /***
  . “2. As with its “wealth” counterpart, the “gospel” of perfect health is also guilty of hermeneutical selectivity. Only those texts are selected which fit the scheme, and a whole series of hermeneutical gymnastics is devised to evade or explain away the texts that are an embarrassment to it.

  Tied to this is the insistence on conventional wisdom as biblical. It is argued that every child of God SHOULD enjoy perfect health simply because he or she is a child of God; if they do NOT experience healing, then, of course, it is due to their lack of genuine trust in God. All of this simply refuses to take the Bible, the Fall, or common grace seriously. From their perspective Christ has redeemed us from the curse, therefore these evangelists will not allow the biblical view, which sees the fall as permeating the whole fabric of the created order.

  The Bible itself is much more realistic-and much more genuinely hopeful. God is revealed to have limitless power and resources. He regularly shows Himself strong on behalf of His people. Yet His people still live out their redeemed lives in a fallen world, where the whole creation, including the human body, is in “bondage to decay” (Romans 8:21), and will continue to be so until we receive “the redemption of our bodies” (8:23).

  Thus the Bible records many of Elisha’s miracles, including healings; yet quite matter-of-factly, without judgment, it also records that he was “suffering from the illness from which he died” (2 Kings 13:14). In similar manner, it records that James was martyred and Peter delivered (Acts 12)-and Peter’s deliverance was surely no direct result of his or the church’s great faith!

  Above all it is the Apostle Paul who presents problems for this point of view. On the other hand, his ministry was accompanied by “signs and wonders” (2 Corinthians 12:12; Romans 15:19); yet neither he [n]or his associates always experienced always experienced perfect health. And NEVER is their sickness attributed to lack of faith, nor their recovery to great faith. Epaphroditus fell ill and nearly died, and in his case “God had mercy on him” (Philippians 2:26); yet Trophimus is left sick (2 Timothy 4:20). For the sake of his frequent stomach disorders, Paul does NOT tell Timothy to pray or exercise faith for his healing. Again very matter-of-factly, he urges him to take wine for his sickness (1 Timothy 5:23). Why is it, one wonders, that the evangelists do not make THIS Scripture a part of their healing ministry?”

  ***/
  • Gordon Fee, The Disease of the Health and Wealth Gospel (Regent College Publishing, Vancouver, British Colombia; 2006 (first published in 1985)), p.27-28.

• #4 by Amare at May 20th, 2010

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  /***
  “Some have argued that in all these case, and especially the latter, Paul was exhibiting a lack of faith. But such an approach must be vigorously resisted, because it means to sit in judgment on the Holy Spirit Himself. If we believe all of Scripture to be inspired of the Spirit, then He inspired “wine for the stomach” in Timothy’s case, just as He inspired the laying of hands and oil in James 5:14- 15.

  More troublesome yet are Paul’s own physical illness and suffering. His own body was weak, or sickly (2 Corinthians 10:10). Indeed, he says he always carried about in his body the death of Jesus (2 Corinthians 4:11), and the context makes it clear he is referring to his bodily weakness. Outwardly he groaned (4:16), longing to replace his present earthly tent with the heavenly dwelling (5:1-2). He preached in Galatia as a direct result of illness (Galatians 4:12-15), which almost certainly was some kind of ailment of the eye. Whether or not this was also his “thorn in the flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7), there can be little question that the problem for which he thrice sought deliverance was a physical one. Some, to be sure, have suggested that the “flesh” here is Paul’s sinful nature and that some “person” (=messenger) from Satan was attacking his sinful tendencies. But that is to play havoc not only on the text and its context, but also with Paul’s theology of life in the Spirit (Galatians 5; Romans 8).

  The most common way to “get around” these texts has been to argue for a distinction between suffering and sickness. Suffering is something external to us, which comes as a result of our following Christ. This, it is argued, is what Paul suffered, and we may expect to as well. Sickness and disease, on the other hand, are part of the fall and a curse, and these have now been overcome by Christ.

  But this is a distinction that cannot be sustained biblically. It is not that the biblical writers did not, or could not, know the differences; they simply do not make such distinctions. The clearest evidence of this is the fact that in both the Old and New Testaments the most common word for sickness is in fact the word WEAKNESS, so that frequently only the text alone tells us what kind of “weakness” is involved. (Compare for example, the differences in the NIV and the NASB on 2 Kings 1:2-3.)

  The obvious reason for this usage is that ALL evil is seen to be the result of the Fall, not just sickness. And God can and does deliver from evil, not just sickness. But in neither case does He always so deliver. Just as Satan as responsible for Paul’s “thorn in the flesh,” so also Paul was hindered by Satan from returning to Thessalonica (1 Thessalonians 2:18), yet there is no hint in either case that he or God “failed.” Sickness, therefore, is not some unique part of the Fall, deliverance form which is ours on demand; it is simply a part of the whole fallenness. We are promised healing; yet there is also a placer in the present age for “a little wine” for one’s frequent ailments.”

  ***/ p.28-30.

• #5 by ye at May 21st, 2010

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  Hi all, there is a good news that Dr. Dreje Kebede is going to release volume 1 remixe (old songs in new recording and singin) On June 6/10. You can order form his facebook.

  Be blessed.

• #6 by Amare at May 24th, 2010

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  /***
  “3. The third are of weakness in the biblical interpretation of this movement is closely related to what has just been said. It is the failure to have, or to construct, an adequate biblical theology.

  The essential framework of New Testament theology is eschatological; that is, it has to do with the coming of the End. By the time of the coming of Jesus, Jewish hopes for salvation had become totally eschatological. The present age was seen as under Satan’s dominion, and totally evil. Evil men ruled, and they oppressed the righteous. The Jews have therefore come to give up on any salvation within history. They looked for God to vindicate them by bringing an end to the present age; He would this through His Messiah, who would judge evil and usher in the New Age, the Kingdom of God.

  It was this kind of hope that Jesus came. He announced the Kingdom as present in His own ministry and proceeded to demonstrate it by healing the sick, casting out demons, and freely accepting the outcasts. Eschatological excitement reached fever pitch. But instead of ushering in the glorious New Age of their expectations, Jesus was crucified-and the light went out.

  But no, there was glorious sequel. He was raised from the dead. Surely now is the time for the Kingdom, his disciples thought. But instead, He returned to the father and sent the promised Holy Spirit. Right here where the problems come in, both for the early church and for us. Jesus announced the coming Kingdom as having arrived with His own coming. The Spirit’s coming in fullness and power were also signs that the New Age had arrived. Yet the End of this age apparently had not yet taken place. Evil and its effects are still very much in evidence. How were they to reconcile this?

  Very easily, beginning with Peter’s sermon in Acts 3, the church came to realize that Jesus had not come to usher the “final” End, but the “beginning” of the End, as it were. Thus they came to see that with Jesus’ death and resurrection, and with the coming of the Spirit, the blessings and benefits of the Future had already come. I a sense, therefore, the End has already come. But in another sense it had not yet fully come. Thus we saw the Kingdom, and salvation, as both ALREADY and NOT YET….

  //*** Fellow Brothers & Sister, I think this guys is teaching us a very sound biblical truth! It is sooo neat! ***//

  …The early believers, therefore, saw themselves as a truly eschatological people, who lived “between times”-that is, between the time of the beginning of the End and the consummation of the End. At the Lord’s Table, they celebrated their eschatological existence by proclaiming “the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26). ALREADY they knew God’s free and full forgiveness, but they had NOT YET been perfected (Philippians 3:7-14). Already death was theirs (1 Corinthians 3:22), yet they would still die (Philippians 3:20-22). Already they lived in the Spirit, yet they still lived in the world where Satan could attack. Already they have been justified and faced no condemnation, yet there was still to be a future judgment. They were God’s “future people.” They had been conditioned by the future; they knew its benefits, lived in the light of its values. But they still had to live out these benefits and values in the present world.”

  ***/ p.30-32.

• #7 by Amare at May 25th, 2010

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  Please correct the sentence,
  “I a sense, therefore, the End has already come. But in another…” [line 4, paragraph 5] as,
  “In a sense, therefore, the End has already come. But in another …”

• #8 by Amare at May 25th, 2010

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  /***
  “Healing is not a divine obligation; it is a divine gift. And precisely because it is a gift, we can make no demands. But we can TRUST him to do all things well!”
  • Gordon Fee, The Disease of the Health and Wealth Gospel (Regent College Publishing, Vancouver, British Colombia; 2006 (first published in 1985)).

  “The problem in Corinth, and that which the wealth and health gospel is repeating, was to emphasize the “already” in such a way that they almost denied the continuing presence of the world. They saw Christ only as exalted, but not as crucified. They believed that the only thing that glorified God was signs and wonders and power. Because God heals, He must heal everyone. There is no place for weakness or hunger or thirst for this kind of eschatological existence.

  This false theology lay at the very heart of the Corinthian rejection of Paul. His bodily weakness did not commend him to their view of apostleship. An apostle should be “spiritual,” eloquent, living in glory and perfect health. They rejected Paul and his theology of the cross (with its on going suffering in the present age), because they saw themselves as “spiritual,” redeemed from such weakness. In their view Paul looked like anything but an apostle of their “glorious” Jesus.

  Paul tries everything in his power to get them back to his gospel. In 1 Corinthians 1:18-25, he reminds them that the gospel has its verse base a “crucified Messiah.” For the Corinthians that’s like saying “fried rice.” Messiah means power, glory, miracles; crucifixion means weakness, shame, suffering. Thus they gladly accepted the false apostles, who preached a “different Gospel” with “another Jesus” (2 Corinthians 11:4), and condemned Paul for his bodily weakness (10:10).

  In 1 Corinthians 4:8-13 he tried irony: “Already you have all you want! Already you have come into your kingdom-and with out us!” he tells them. Then, with absolutely brilliant strokes, he annihilates them with the stark contrasts between himself and them, with himself as the example of what it means to live out the future in the present age.

  In 2 Corinthians 3-6, he tries to explain the true nature of apostleship, which has a glorious message but it is proclaimed by a less-than-glorious messenger. “We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us,” he explains (4:7).

  Finally, in 2 Corinthians 10-13, he attacks their false teachers head-on. To do so he plays the role of the “fool as in the ancient dramas. Paul is forced to boast (because of his opponents), so in what does he boast? In all the very things the Corinthians are against-Paul’s weaknesses. In total irony he finally sets himself alongside the boasts of the false apostles, with their great visions and miracle-stories. However-in keeping with his point-his vision turns out to have to have no great word of revelation (12:4; he was not even allowed to tell its content!), and his miracle story had no miracle! All of this because he was a true disciple of the Crucified One. God’s strength is perfected NOT in His delivering His Messiah FROM crucifixion, nor in delivering His apostle FROM physical suffering, but is seen IN the crucifixion ITSELF, and IN the apostle’s weaknesses.

  ///***WOW! This is just an awesome insight!! Don’t you agree?! ***///

  ***/ p.32-33.

• #9 by Amare at May 28th, 2010

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  Brother Fee concludes his analysis of The Perfect Health ‘Gospel’ as:

  /***

  “Thus the “perfect health” evangelists simply repeat the Corinthian error. They find it impossible to live in the tension between the already and not yet. Because God has already brought the Kingdom, they demand all of the future in the present age-except for the final resurrection. But 1 and 2 Corinthians stand over against this OVER-realized eschatology of theirs. Paul lived out a free, joyous existence in the already (in both want and plenty, in both sickness and health), because he knew that God has secured his life for the future-even though it was not yet fully realized. “Death is ours,” Paul says, yet we still die. So with healing. It is ours; yet our bodies are not yet perfected. And in this present age, even some of God’s choicest servants continue to be perfected through suffering, as was the Son of God Himself (Hebrews 5:8-9).

  4. A final theological word. Again, as with the wealth side of their “gospel,” the preaching of perfect heath tends to put the EMPHASIS’IS on the wrong SYLLAB’LE. Healing ultimately resides in God, they will affirm. Yet in actual practice, it is the result of man’s faith. Indeed, they see God as under obligation to us in this matter.

  Healing, therefore, instead of being a gracious expression of God’s unlimited grace, is something He HAS to do-at our bidding. By way of contrast, the first sentence of a sound biblical theology may well be, God MUST do NOTHING. God is free to be God. He is sovereign in all things and is simply not under our control. The second sentence of a sound biblical theology will be: Although God MUST DO NOTHING, in grace He does ALL THINGS. No healing has ever been deserved; it is always an expression of God’s grace. Some have asked, If God must do nothing, then why pray at all? Why not simply wait for Him to act sovereignly? The answer is simple: Because God answers prayer. The mystery of faith is that there is a wonderful correlation between our asking and trusting, and what goes on about us. God doesn’t have to answer prayer, but He does. God doesn’t have to heal, but He graciously does. Healing, therefore is not a divine obligation; it is a divine gift. And precisely because it is a gift, we can make no demands. But we can TRUST him to do all things well!”
  ***/
  • Gordon Fee, The Disease of the Health and Wealth Gospel (Regent College Publishing, Vancouver, British Colombia; 2006 (first published in 1985)).

  {Brothers & Sistert, I guess this would be the final say on the Healing ‘Gospel’} Have a blessed week-end!

• #10 by Amare at June 3rd, 2010

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  Fellow Believers,

  The last comment closes our look @ the Health/Wealth gospel. I think you’ve gained a deep understanding from Brother Godon Fee’s book. The book has a third part that strongly argues (and the argument is very convicing) about wealth & possessions from the stand point of the New Testament. In a single sentence, the book states that “wealth is given to a Christian only to share it with others…” or something of that sort. For those who are more interested to know, I advise you to get the book…

  However, after reading the last couple of comments, I don’t want to be taken as someone who does not believe (or is reluctant to believe) that God heals sickness today. Not t all! As a matter of fact, I am aware of the fact that God does heal physical sickness even today; and am aware of many Bible miraculous healing stories (which touch my inside) in the Bible.

  For example, let us see how God healed a ‘foreigner’ in the land of Isreal, through a great phrophet…This how NKJV tells one story (2 Kings 5:1-16)…

  Naaman’s Leprosy Healed:

  “Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master, because by him the LORD had given victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valor, but a leper. And the Syrians had gone out on raids, and had brought back captive a young girl from the land of Israel. She waited on Naaman’s wife. Then she said to her mistress, “If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy.” And Naaman went in and told his master, saying, “Thus and thus said the girl who is from the land of Israel.”

  Then the king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.”
  So he departed and took with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing. Then he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which said,
  Now be advised, when this letter comes to you, that I have sent Naaman my servant to you, that you may heal him of his leprosy.

  And it happened, when the king of Israel read the letter, that he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and make alive, that this man sends a man to me to heal him of his leprosy? Therefore please consider, and see how he seeks a quarrel with me.”

  So it was, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Please let him come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.”

  Then Naaman went with his horses and chariot, and he stood at the door of Elisha’s house. And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.” But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, “Indeed, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.’ Are not the Abanah[a] and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage.

  And his servants came near and spoke to him, and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

  And he returned to the man of God, he and all his aides, and came and stood before him; and he said, “Indeed, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel; now therefore, please take a gift from your servant.” But he said, “As the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will receive nothing.” And he urged him to take it, but he refused.”

  Be Blessed!

• #11 by Amare at June 7th, 2010

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  “Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel:”
  Naaman (The Syrian General)

  From the passage that we read in the above comment (i.e., the story of Naaman healed from leprosy), I have gleaned the following seven spiritual observations that I wanted to share with you today:
  • (1) “Leprosy”
  • (2) “Pride”
  • (3) “Obedience”
  • (4) “Grown & Little Ones”
  • (5) “Healed, Cleaned & Restored!”
  • (6) “Inward/Outward Testimony:”
  • (6.1) “Mouth”
  • (6.2) “Reward” and
  • (6.3) “Soul”
  • (7) “NOT FOR SALE!”

  Let us see them one-by-one:

  • (1) “Leprosy”
  In one occasion, I had the privilege of sitting in a church and listening to a preacher on this subject. The preacher started his sermon by saying: “Naaman is a Syrian General, BUT he is a leper. Bill Clinton is a President of the US, BUT he had an improper relationship with…, Michael Jackson is known as “king of pops”, BUT…” Well, this might be the way someone might look at it. However, I don’t think we can gain much from this kind interpretation. As far as I’m concerned, Naaman with his leprosy is a picture of me, because even if I’m not a General like him, I know that I was a “spiritual leper” before I was saved. I hope you see where I’m coming from. Every single human being as an ancestor of Adam, have a SIN (“spiritual leprosy”). It doesn’t matter whether we are at the pinnacle of glory or whether in living as a “trash” in this world, we have a big problem (in our body and soul) that shames us.

  • (2) “Pride”
  I don’t know if you have noticed that it is Naaman’s PRIDE that prohibited him from being obedient to act on what Elisha has instructed him to do. It looks, as the “guest of honor”, he expected the “man of God” should treated him as such. But the prophet even didn’t greet him; but “how dare he only sent a messenger?!”

  It is not only Naaman’s PRIDE that prohibited him from being obedient to act on what Elisha has instructed him to do, the SIMPLICITY of the message also made Naaman furious! In his mind might say “I can excuse him for not greeting me as a ‘big-shot!’ however, how dare he sent me this notorious message?!” 1 Coth.1:18 might be applicable here: [“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God”.]

  • (3) “Obedience”
  “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times…” No more, no less! The command from the man of God might be simple, but it is direct, clear and specific. In order for Namaan to be healed, he has to act in obedience to the command. No other water (or river), but “Jordan” [theologians say the river Jordan here represents the Gospel and/or Christ’s Blood]. Wash “seven” times [7 in the Bible indicates is perfection], not six or five times. I agree with the interpretation of this passage as indicating to us to be cleansed by the Gospel, dipping into the Blood of Christ.

  • (5) “Healed, Cleaned & Restored!”
  “So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.”
  Wow! Immediate Response!

  • (4) “Grown & Little Ones”
  In this story, it looks like the Little One have “get-it”, but the Grown Ones don’t. Not only that, it looks like that the Big-Shots are complicating matters; on the other hand, the Little Ones are straitening them right (or behaving wiser). Simply compare Naaman & his master (the king of Syria) versus the captive servant girl & Namaan’s servants.

  See first, the Israelite servant girl in Namaan’s house said to her madam “If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy”; but to whom and with what the king sent Namaan to? He sent him to the wrong person with a wrong command. In fact, if it had not Elisha head about the incident, another war might have broken between these two nations. Second, it is Namaan’s servants that convinced him to not to return to his country in anger but respectfully advised him to ‘Wash, and be clean’ [notice that they already believed Elisha’s word because they didn’t say ‘try it…’ or ‘it doesn’t hurt…’something] 1 Corinthians 1:27-28: “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;… “

  • (6) “Inward/Outward Testimony:”
  • (6.1) “Mouth”;
  After Naaman was completely healed, he immediately testified his faith by saying “Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel:” I believe that this is the heart of the passage; i.e., truly knowing (and testifying) that there is no other God except the Lord.

  • (6.2) “Reward”; and
  Naaman didn’t want to leave Israel without rewarding Elisha. Don’t forget that the General came to Israel loaded! He came with tons of money (silver, gold, clothing etc.) It is not wrong that he wants to do that.

  • (6.3) “Soul”
  As we saw earlier, Naaman wholeheartedly accepted and believed that the LORD is the Only True God in the whole Earth. Not only that, without attending church and not listening to many sermons, Naaman’s demonstrated that his soul despised worshipping false gods except the God of Israel [look @ verse 18].

  • (7) “NOT FOR SALE!”
  Salvation is a free gift from God. It is NOT absolutely for sale. “Since ye freely received it, you also freely give it” [Matthew 10] should be our guidance.

  I hope and pray that you got something out of this. May the Lord bless all of you!

• #12 by Amare at June 9th, 2010

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  “And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian”
  The Lord Jesus

  Fellow Believers in the Lord!
  Hope all is well with you!

  Today, let us close the story of Naaman…As a footnote, I don’t know if you have noticed that it looks like that God has already set His eye on Naaman (because the opening lines of 2 Kings 5 reveal that it is the Lord that gave victory to him …”by him [Naaman] the LORD had given victory to Syria…”) This reminds me of the following verse “And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.” [Acts 13] You see “AS MANY AS WERE ORDAINED to eternal life BELIEVED!” Wow! Anyways, let us start from where we stopped and go to the finish line.

  (i) The Gospel is not for Sale!
  2 Kings 15-16: ”And he returned to the man of God, he and all his aides, and came and stood before him; and he said, “Indeed, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel; now therefore, please take a gift from your servant.” But he said, “As the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will receive nothing.” And he urged him to take it, but he refused.”

  (ii) Naaman looks like he wants to take something out of the land he’s healed (and know the True God) as a token…
  17: “So Naaman said, “Then, if not, please let your servant be given two mule-loads of earth; for your servant will no longer offer either burnt offering or sacrifice to other gods, but to the LORD.””

  (iii) Naaman’s soul despised worshipping other gods (which are false-gods), but he anticipated future sin and asked for forgiveness (i.e., he cannot refuse his master, but notice that in his heart, he only worships the God of Israel)
  18:“Yet in this thing may the LORD pardon your servant: when my master goes into the temple of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand, and I bow down in the temple of Rimmon—when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the LORD please pardon your servant in this thing.””

  (iv) And Elisha granted him pardon…
  19: “Then he said to him, “Go in peace.””

  (v) Gehazi’s Greed
  2 Kings 19½ -27:”So he departed from him a short distance. But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, “Look, my master has spared Naaman this Syrian, while not receiving from his hands what he brought; but as the LORD lives, I will run after him and take something from him.”

  (vi) Gehazi’s first lie:
  So Gehazi pursued Naaman. When Naaman saw him running after him, he got down from the chariot to meet him, and said, “Is all well?” And he said, “All is well. My master has sent me, saying, ‘Indeed, just now two young men of the sons of the prophets have come to me from the mountains of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of garments.’” So Naaman said, “Please, take two talents.” And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and handed them to two of his servants; and they carried them on ahead of him. When he came to the citadel, he took them from their hand, and stored them away in the house; then he let the men go, and they departed.

  (vi) Gehazi’s second lie:
  Now he went in and stood before his master.
  Elisha said to him, “Where did you go, Gehazi?”
  And he said, “Your servant did not go anywhere.”

  (vi) Consequences & Judgment!
  Then he said to him, “Did not my heart go with you when the man turned back from his chariot to meet you? Is it time to receive money and to receive clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and oxen, male and female servants? Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and your descendants forever.” And he went out from his presence leprous, as white as snow.”

  It is amazing that, a foreigner who travelled from a far away country returns to his home completely healed from leprosy; on the other hand, a native individual who’s so close to the man of God & the Word of God is infected with a brand new leprosy!

  Geta yitebken! Amen!

• #13 by Amare at June 14th, 2010

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  Greeting
  “I”, a bondservant of God and “slave” of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began, but has in due time manifested His word through preaching, which was committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior;

  To “Fellow Believers”, a true “brothers and sisters” in our common faith: [Titus 1:1-3 rephrased…]

  What is Salvation? (II)

  * Before we were saved….“For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.”

  ** But God is gracious…“But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared,”

  *** Salvation by Grace (not by Works)….“not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us,”

  **** And He saved us through…. (a) “through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,”
  - (b) “whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,” and
  - © “that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

  ***** God and His Word are faithful…“This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly,”

  ****** Work out your salvation with ‘fear and trembling’…“that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works.”

  ******* Commandments of the Lord are Good… “These things are good and profitable to men.”
  [Titus 3:3-8]

  Farewell [Titus 3:15]

  From here-to-there and from there-to-here… “All who are with me greet you. Greet those who love us in the faith.”

  “Grace be with you all.”

  “Amen.”

• #14 by Amare at June 21st, 2010

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  Fellow Brothers/Sisters: “…Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.” [Titus 1:4]

  What is Trinity?

  On one biblical question-and-answer session, a person asked that he’s confused about the doctrine of trinity (i.e., he couldn’t undestand how God can be One, yet reveal Himself in Three distinct personalities?) The person who was giving the answer wisely gave the answer “Welcome to the Club!”

  I think the following narrative (that I got from the web) might be helpful…

  The Doctrine of Trinity:

  /*
  The doctrine of the Trinity is that doctrine that affirms that there is one God, the LORD (YHWH, Jehovah), a single divine being who exists eternally in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This doctrine of the Trinity is a conceptual framework or system for affirming the following six core propositions drawn from the Bible:

  1. There is one (true, living) God, identified as the Creator.
  2. This one God is the one divine being called YHWH (or Jehovah, the LORD) in the Old Testament.
  3. The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is God, the LORD.
  4. The Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, is God, the LORD.
  5. The Holy Spirit is God, the LORD.
  6. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are each someone other than the other two.

  */

  Stay blessed.

  p.s. the next subject we might see is related to the ‘Word of Faith’ movement.

• #15 by Amare at June 23rd, 2010

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  Brothers & Sisters!

  Whenever we are thinking of the teaching TRINITY, we don’t have to forget that we serve and worship ONE God. We don’t have three Gods (as some say). Look at the following Bible passages for evidence:

  “But to us there is but ONE God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and ONE LORD Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.” 1 Corinthians 8:6 [KJV]

  (Question #1) How many Lord[s] we have?

  1. Deuteronomy 6:4
  Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is ONE LORD:

  2. Zechariah 14:9
  And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be ONE LORD, and his name one.

  3. Mark 12:29
  And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is ONE Lord:
  [Here the Lord Jesus repeats Deut. 6:4]

  (Answer) We’ve Only ONE LORD

  And, (Question #2) How many God[s] we have?

  4. Malachi 2:10
  Have we not all one father? hath not ONE God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?

  5. Mark 12:32
  And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is ONE God; and there is none other but he:

  6. Romans 3:30
  Seeing it is ONE God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.

  7. 1 Corinthians 8:6
  But to us there is but ONE God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

  8. Ephesians 4:6
  ONE God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

  9. 1 Timothy 2:5
  For there is ONE God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

  (Answer) We’ve Only ONE GOD!

  May the One True & Living God shine His face upon us! Amen!

• #16 by Amare at June 25th, 2010

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  This comment is for your week-end reading and search…Enjoy!

  “Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.”
  Galatians 3:20 [KJV]

  Brothers & Sisters,
  Today I want to share with you the following article (written by Rob Bowman), which is related to the subject of Trinity…

  The article identifies Major Attributes of God as:
  - (i) God is One; and -(ii) God is Unique;
  – (iii) God is infinite; and – (iv) God is Incomprehensible.

  (A) The Oneness and Uniqueness of God
  “A couple of the divine attributes bear closer examination due to their importance for our subject. One of these is the uniqueness of God. The Bible states explicitly, in both Testaments, that there is only one God. It says this in several ways. In the Hebrew Bible, it states that there is one EL and one ELOHIM, that there is no other EL or ELOHIM besides YHWH (Jehovah), and so forth. The New Testament states that there is one theos, or only one true theos.
  The Jewish creed, classically, is the statement in Deuteronomy called the Shema (“Hear”), which says, “Hear, O Israel, YHWH our God, YHWH one” (Deut. 6:4), or, as most English translations today read, “the LORD our God, the LORD is one” (ESV, JPS, NIV, NKJV; NASB is similar). This verse tells us, first, that Israel has one God, namely, Jehovah. This God, Jehovah, is “one.” The sense in which Jehovah is “one” is not specified, at least not explicitly in this sentence. It could mean that there is only one deity or divine being named Jehovah. It might mean that Jehovah is a single being (which amounts to the same thing). It also might mean that Jehovah, as Israel’s God, is to occupy the first, primary, most important place in their lives. As we might put it in idiomatic English, “Jehovah is the One” or even “Jehovah is Number One!” This connotation actually has support in the immediate context, as the very next sentence says, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deut. 6:5). Loving Jehovah their God with all of their being was another way of saying that Jehovah was “Number One” for the Israelites.

  These different nuances or connotations in the way we might read the Shema are all consistent with one another, of course. They are also consistent with the doctrine of the Trinity as well as with Unitarian forms of non-Trinitarian theology. That the Shema is consistent with Unitarianism is obvious. That it is consistent with Trinitarianism is also obvious to anyone who bothers to understand Trinitarian theology correctly. The doctrine of the Trinity maintains that Jehovah is one Jehovah, one God, one divine being. There are not three Jehovahs, or three Gods, or three divine beings. Mormons regard the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three Gods, but Trinitarians do not. We affirm and believe that there is only one God, known in the Hebrew Bible as YHWH, and that this Lord God is one eternal divine being.
  The fact is that Deuteronomy 6:4 does not address the issue of whether Jehovah is a “unipersonal” or “triune” being. It is just as much a mistake to read into the Hebrew echad that Jehovah is unipersonal (as all non-Trinitarians I have read do) as it is to read into it that Jehovah is a “composite unity” (as some Trinitarians have fallaciously argued). The word echad is the common, garden-variety, ordinary Hebrew word for the cardinal number “one” (1). It occurs hundreds of times in the Hebrew Bible and just means “one,” period. It does not specify one what; in what sense Jehovah is “one” we must learn from the context or from other statements. The word is consistent with Jehovah as a unipersonal being or as a triune being. Yet critics of the doctrine of the Trinity often lean hard on this statement as supposedly an obvious disproof of the Trinity.
  ….
  Non-Trinitarians typically argue, for example, that it is obvious from the pervasive use of singular pronouns for God (I, he, him, his, you [sing.]) throughout the Bible that God is only one person. This argument would be sound if by “person” we meant an individual being. However, in Trinitarian theology, a divine “person” is not an individual being, because God is one being, not three. The doctrine of the Trinity cannot be refuted by assuming that it is false; and this is what non-Trinitarians do when they assume that a person can only be an individual being.
  That God is a single divine being, revealed in the Old Testament as YHWH, and that YHWH alone is God, is basic and fundamental to the doctrine of the Trinity. These are core affirmations that the doctrine seeks to uphold.

  (B) The Incomprehensibility of God
  Another attribute of God that merits close attention here is God’s incomprehensibility. In orthodox Christian theology, this term is a technical term denoting the idea that God’s being is in some ways beyond human ability to understand completely or comprehensively. It does not mean that we cannot know God, or that we cannot know some things about God, but that our knowledge of God is always partial. Furthermore, it means that some of the truths about God that we know from his self-revelation in Scripture are beyond our capacity to analyze or correlate completely. We can know that these things are true, but we find ourselves at a loss to explain them completely or to understand how all of these truths correlate with each other and with what we know about the world.
  The Bible itself proclaims that God is beyond our comprehension. In a broader sense, in fact, the Bible warns us that all of our knowledge, at least in this mortal life, is incomplete, partial, and even tenuous. “If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known by God” (1 Cor. 8:2-3 ESV). “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known” (1 Cor. 13:12 ESV). This last text does not mean that we shall ever be omniscient, but it does emphasize that our knowledge falls woefully short of the full knowledge that we will have in the consummation.
  There are two reasons (at least) that God is beyond our comprehension. The first is that God is unique. As the Creator of the world, there is nothing in this world to which we can compare God or liken him that adequately exemplifies what it means to be God (see Isa. 40:18, 25). This is why analogies for the Trinity always fall short, by the way (and why I generally avoid them). Not only do such analogies not prove the Trinity, they can never adequately illustrate or exemplify the Trinity because nothing in nature is “triune.” Every attribute of God, indeed, is unique in some respect, because God is unique. Omnipotence, for example, is not just God’s possession of quantitatively more power than anyone else has. It is his attribute of transcending all limitations of power by virtue of his unique identity as the Creator, the source of all power.
  The second, related reason that God is incomprehensible is that God is infinite. By “infinite,” I do not mean that God is a numerical or quantitative infinity, but that God qualitatively transcends the finite limitations of created existence. Orthodox Christian theology affirms that God is in some way transcendent with respect to space, time, energy, and information. With respect to space, God’s transcendence is such that his being fills and exceeds all space (what theologians call his immensity) and he is personally present everywhere simultaneously (omnipresence). With respect to time, God’s transcendence is such that he is the only eternal being, having no beginning to his existence (however this is understood). With respect to energy, God transcends all limitations of power because as the Creator he is the source of all power (omnipotence). With respect to information, God is the transcendent source of all of the information in the cosmos and so of course knows all things (omniscience).
  The Bible does not articulate these attributes in a formal, systematic way, as I have done here. However, it does speak of God in ways that clearly support the doctrines of divine immensity and omnipresence (Gen. 28:15; 1 Kings 8:27; Ps. 139:7-10; Isa. 66:1-2; John 4:20-24; Acts 17:28), eternity (Ps. 90:2; 102:25-27; Rom. 1:20; 1 Tim. 1:17), omnipotence (Gen. 18:14; 2 Chron. 20:6; Job 42:2; Isa. 14:27; 55:11; Jer. 32:17, 27; Dan. 4:35; Matt. 19:26; Luke 1:37), and omniscience (1 Kings 8:39; Ps. 139:1-4; 147:5; Isa. 46:9-10; 55:8-9; Matt. 10:30; Heb. 4:12; 1 John 3:20).
  Many people are so comfortable with these theological affirmations that they do not realize that they attest to the incomprehensibility of God. How can God’s being to exceed the bounds of the entire cosmos and yet to be personally present everywhere at once? It seems contradictory to assert that God existed (exists?) before the universe began to exist: how can something exist before physical time began? But if there is no “before” the beginning, then didn’t God’s existence “begin” at the beginning as well? How can God know something that hasn’t happened yet? The questions easily multiply. On the basis of such questions, some people either abandon the classical Christian conception of God altogether, try to revise it in order to resolve the logical difficulties, or even claim that the very concept of God is irrational. However, orthodox Christians affirm these attributes because they find that Scripture teaches them—that this is what God reveals about himself. We are prepared to accept truths about God that Scripture reveals (explicitly or implicitly) even though these truths are often beyond our ability to comprehend fully or to penetrate logically. They are not illogical, but they transcend our ability to provide a perfectly logical analysis of them that leaves nothing unexplained or correlated.”

  Fellow Believers! If you want to read the whole article you can search for “THE GREAT TRINITY DEBATE” (BY ROB BOWMAN) on the web.

  Stay Blessed in the LORD!

  p.s. It is exactly a year (June 2009) that we’ve started to comment in this blog. Geta yimesgen!

• #17 by Amare at June 29th, 2010

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  Fellow Believers!

  “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.” [2 Corinthians 13:14]

  For those of us who came from the Ethiopian Orthodox Church background, the teaching of Trinity (Selasewoch) might not be hard to swallow; however, we might stumble when we are asked to support our belief with the Holy Scriptures. The preceeding & following few verses might be helpful…

  “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.” [1 John 5:7] (KJV)

  “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:” [Matthew 28:19]

  “There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.” [1 Corinthians 12:4-6]

  Grace be unto you all!

• #18 by Amare at June 30th, 2010

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  The Doctrinine of Trinity (continued)…

  The earliest indication of God being One, and yet revealed as more than one personality is found in Genesis chapter 1. The chapter begins by declaring God’s first creation as:

  Gen.1:1 “In the beginning God [Elohim in Hebrew] created the heaven and the earth.”

  Then in verse 26, we find God’s unique creation in the sixth day! “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”

  Thus, God [Elohim of v.1] said “Let us”; “US” indicating a number >=2.

  The next passages in Genesis that I would like to bring here are: chapters 18 and 19; where the names “LORD”, “(three) men” and “(two) angels” are used inter-changeably (or even as synonyms).

  (i) This is how chapter 18 opens up: “And the LORD appeared unto him [Abraham] in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;” [v.1]

  But, immediately [in v.2] “the LORD” that “appeared” to Abraham are revealed as “three men”: “And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, THREE MEN stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,”

  (ii) In v.3, Abraham addresses the “three men” as a single personality by calling them (him) as “My LORD”! “And said, My LORD, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:”

  (iii) Then in v.9, they (the three men) are asking Abraham the following question: “And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? [Abraham answered:] And he said, Behold, in the tent.”

  But strangely, the three men said the following identifying themselves (himself) as “I”: “And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.” [v.10]

  And, when get down vv.13-14 “The LORD” talks about nothing being hard to “The LORD”.

  (iv) When you follow the story, the [three] men” started to journey to Sodom, but “And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.”[v.22]

  And then in Chapter 19 opens up by declaring “two angels” arriving to Sodom: “And there came TWO ANGELS to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;”[v.1]

  (v) In v.18, Lot addresses them (the two angels) as LORD: “And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my LORD:”

  Lastly, look @ verse 27: “And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the LORD:”

• #19 by Amare at July 1st, 2010

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  /*

  Please add (or observe) the following remarks with the above comment:

  - (a) In Genesis 1:26 God not only said “LET US” but also “make man in OUR IMAGE”…However, the very next verse [27: "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."] reveals that human beings are created in the image of “God” {”his own image”-singular]

  -(b) Bible scholars say the Word ‘YAWEH’ [or Jehovah] is used more that 7000 times in the Bible (in the King James Version, ‘YAWEH’ is translated as ‘LORD’ (all-capital letters). That is one of the main argument you come up with when you talk with a person claiming to be of “Jehovah Witness”. However, the Bible also uses other Names (such as: Elohim & Adonai) of God, which we can’t simply ignore. There are also quite many direct/indirect Names of God: Almighty, Father, El-Shadday, etc.

  */

  I wish you many blessings from the Almighty God!

• #20 by Amare at July 6th, 2010

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  “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” [Isaiah 7:14, KJV]

  Is Jesus Christ God? (I)

  When you come around people questioning the deity of Jesus, you usually encounter them complain by saying “But Jesus didn’t say he was God!” And, I usually answer “So what?! He didn’t say ‘I am not God’ either”. In addition, we have plenty of evidence from the Holy Scriptures that CLEARLY reveal Jesus as God, in addition to the Son (of God, of Man), the KING, the Messiah, the Savior, etc.

  In fact, the main reason the Jews crucified Jesus is because He walked and talked as someone who is EQUAL to God (we will this in the next comment).

  For today, let us see three Scriptures, that teach Jesus as,

  - (a) Mighty God & Everlasting Father:
  [Isaiah 9:6] “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called
  - [i] Wonderful,
  - [ii] Counsellor,
  - [iii] The mighty God,
  - [iv] The everlasting Father,
  - [v] The Prince of Peace.”

  - (b) The Word:
  [John 1:1] “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

  /*Please notice the last sentence: “and the WORD WAS GOD”. And we know that “the WORD” is Jesus Christ Himself! Look @ the following:

  [John 1:14] “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,” and

  [Revelations 19:13] “And he [he, who sat upon a white horse (see vv.11-12)] was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.”

  - (c) Creator:
  [Colossians 1:16] “For by him [the father’s dear Son (see vv.13-15)] were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:”

  Have a blessed day!

• #21 by Amare at July 8th, 2010

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  “But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?
  And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
  Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses?” [Mark 14:61-63]

  Is Jesus Christ God? (II)

  As I indicated in the earlier comment, the reason the Jewish Leaders of Jesus day crucified Jesus is not in the pretext that “they are afraid the Romans will take their country”, but they were “jealous” and above all they were furious of him claiming to be divine! See for example, the following back-and-forth [John 10, KJV] between them and the Lord Jesus:

  - When Jesus said in v.30 “I and my Father are one.”

  - The Jews responded as [v.31] “Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.”

  - Then, Jesus challenges them why they want to stone him [v.32]: “Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?”

  - And they answered [v.33] “The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.”

  Please note that, reading the last phrase carefully we can conclude that the Jews certainly understood Jesus’ claim being divine [i.e., “I and the Father are one”] because they him said “how could you, being a man, make yourself God”? I don’t why and how we couldn’t understand Jesus’ claim though?

  Anyways, let us continue our search of the Holy Scriptures that teaches Jesus as,

  - (d) ‘I AM’
  I don’t know if some of us know that the name (or the phrase) ‘I AM’ is also the Name of God. Yes! It is the Name that God revealed when Moses asked God for His Name.

  This was how it happened on “the mountain of God, even to Horeb”…
  – Moses asked: “And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?” [Exodus 3:13, KJV]

  – And, God answered [v.15]: “And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.”

  Compare with the following verse where the Jews wanted to kill Jesus (i.e., stone him to death) when he said: [John 8:58] “Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.”

  In addition to the above, the Beloved Disciple of Jesus (the Apostle John) recorded many claims of Jesus as ‘I AM’:

  (1) In The Gospel of John,

  “I am the bread of life” [6:35, 48 and 51];
  “I am the light of the world” [8:12; 9:15]
  “I am the door” [10:7, 9]
  “I am the good shepherd” [10:11, 14]
  “I am the resurrection” [11:25]
  “I am the way, the truth and the life” [14:16]
  “I am the (true) vine” [15:5 (1)]

  In the Revelations,

  “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending (the first and the last)” [1:8, 21:16 & 22:13 (11, 17)]; and
  “I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star” [22:16]

  May the LORD bless you richly! Amen!

• #22 by Amare at July 12th, 2010

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  (e) Redeemer and/or Savior/Saviour:

  In the Old and the New Testaments God (or the LORD) is revealed as Israel’s ‘Redeemer and/or Savior/Saviour’.

  (e-1) Old Testament:

  For example, let us look @ passage (in the King James Version) where the Prophet Isaiah has revealed “God as Redeemer and/or Savior/Saviour”:

  - “For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.” [43:3]
  - In 43:11, “I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.”
  - In 45:15, “Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour.”
  - In 45:21, “Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.”
  - In 49:26, “And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.”
  - In 60:16, “Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.”
  - 63:8, “For he [the LORD] said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so he was their Saviour.”

  In other prophecy books:
  - Hosea 13:4 “Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me.”
  - Obadiah 1:21 “And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD’s.”

  (e-2) New Testament:

  Mary said [in Luke 1:47] “And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.”

  In 1 Timothy:
  - 1:1, “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;”
  - 2:3, “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;”
  - 4: 10 “For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.”

  In Titus:
  - 2:10 “Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.”
  - 3:4 “But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,”

  And, finally, see Jude 1:25 “To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.”

  Fellow Believers! What would you say if asked “who is your savior?” I am sure you answer “jesus Christ!” Becasue, we all know that the Lord Jesus is our ‘Redeemer and/or Savior/Saviour’! I’ll let you search the passages of Scriptures that support this.

  May God bless all of us! Amen!

• #23 by Amare at July 19th, 2010

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  “And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.” 1 John 4:14 (KJV)

  Is Jesus Christ God? (III)

  (e’) Savior/Saviour:

  In Luke 2:11, the Angel said to the shepherds “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”

  In John 4:42 the Samarians said to the Samarian woman: “And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.”

  Peter (and the other apostles) responded to the council “Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.” [Acts 5:31]

  Paul spoke in synagogue (in Antioch in Pisidia) “Of this man’s [King David] seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus:” [Acts 13:23]

  Philippians 5:20 “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:”

  1 Timothy 1:10” But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:”

  iN Titus,
  – 1:4 “To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.”

  – 2: 13 “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;”

  – 3:6 “Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; 6Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;”

  2 Peter OPENS UP AS FOLLOWS, “Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:” [1:1]

  contiues [in 1:11] “For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”

  2 Peter 2: 20 “For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.”

  And 2nd Peter closes as: “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” [3:18]

  Fellow Brothers & Sisters! I’m sure you’ve done your homework; however, I’ve posted this comment for the sake of those who doesnot have full access to internet.

  Jesus Christ is Our Savior and is the Lord!

• #24 by Amare at July 20th, 2010

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  “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.” [Revelations 19:11, KJV]

  Is Jesus Christ God? (IV)

  (f) ‘My God, My Lord!’
  “And Thomas answered and said unto him, My LORD and my God.” [John 20:28] /* I say this is probably one of the verses that most non-trinitarian would wish was not in the Bible */

  (g) KING OF KINGS and LORD OF LORDS:

  (g-i) In the Old Testament, “King of Kings” and “Lord of lords” is God Himself: Deuteronomy 10:17: “For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward:”

  “O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.” [Psalm 136:3]

  (g-ii) In the New Testament, Jesus Christ is trhe King of Kings and Lord of lords:
  “Which in his times he [our Lord Jesus Christ, see v.14] shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;” [1 Timothy 6:15]

  In the Revelations,
  “These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.” [17:14]

  And in 19:16, “And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF
  KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

  Wish Many Blessings to you!

• #25 by Amare at July 26th, 2010

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  What about the Holy Spirit (of God)?

  Let us just analyze the following three passages found in the Gospel according to the apostle John (chapters 14-16, KJV):

  1. John 14:17
  Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth HIM not, neither knoweth HIM: but ye know HIM; for HE dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

  2. John 15:26
  But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, HE shall testify of me:

  3. John 16:13
  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, HE will guide you into all truth: for HE shall not speak of HIMSELF; but whatsoever HE shall hear, that shall HE speak: and HE will shew you things to come.

  Fellow believers! Please note that in the above passages, the Lord Jesus addressed the “Spirit of truth” as a person (i.e., Jesus labeled “the spirit of truth” or “comforter” as “HE”, “HIM”, “HIMSELF”,..)

• #26 by Amare at July 29th, 2010

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  The Spirit (of God) ‘Speaks’!

  Today, let us nalyze the following found in the Book of Acts (KJV): (please see the phrase(s) The Spirit (or The Holy Ghost) said…”

  1. Acts 8:29
  Then THE SPIRIT SAID said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.

  2. Acts 10:19
  While Peter thought on the vision, THE SPIRIT SAID unto him, Behold, three men seek thee.

  3. Acts 13:2
  As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, THE HOLY GHOST SAID, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.

  4. Acts 21:11
  And when he [a certain prophet, named Agabus] was come unto us, he took Paul’s girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, THUS SAITH THE HOLY GHOST, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.

  “Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ” [Ephesians 1:2]. Amen!

• #27 by Amare at August 5th, 2010

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  The Spirit (of God) has ‘Emotions’!

  1. Ephesians 4:30 (KJV)
  And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

  2. Thessalonians 5:19
  Quench not the Spirit.

  And, the following are ‘Fruits’ of the (Holy) Spirit:

  3. Galatians 5:22
  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

  May God bless all of you!

  p.s. God willing, we will try to analyze the “Faith Movement” in the next comments.

• #28 by Amare at August 26th, 2010

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  Brothers & Sisters:

  I post the following very interesting story to let you know that I’m still breathing (lol!) Have a nice reading…

  There were once two men, both seriously ill, in the same small room of a great hospital. Quite a small room, just large enough for the pair of them-two beds, two bedside lockers, a door opening on the hall, and one window looking out on the world. One of the men, as part of his treatment, was allowed to sit up in bed for an hour in the afternoon (something that had to do with draining the fluid from his lungs), and his bed was next to the window. But the other man had to spend all his time flat on his back-and both of them had to be kept quite and still. Which was the reason they were in the small room by themselves, and they were grateful for peace and privacy-none of the bustle and clatter and prying eyes of the general ward for them. Of course, one of the disadvantages of their condition was they weren’t allowed much to do: no reading, no radio, certainly no television-they just had to keep quite and still, just the two of them.

  They used to talk for hours and hours-about their wives, their children, their homes, their former jobs, their hobbies, their childhood, what they did during the war, where they had been on vacations-all that sort of thing. Every afternoon, when the man in the bed next to the window was propped up for his hour, he would pass the time by describing what he could see outside. And the other man began to live for those hours.

  The window apparently overlooked a park with a lake where there were ducks and swans, children throwing them bread and sailing model boats, and young lovers walking hand in hand beneath the trees. And there were flowers and stretches of grass and games of softball, people taking their ease in the sunshine, and right at the back, behind the fringe of the trees, a fine view of the city skyline. The man in his back would listen to all of this, enjoying every minute-how a child nearly fell into the lake, how beautiful the girls were in their summer dresses, an then an exciting ball game, or a boy playing with his puppy. It got to the place that he could almost see what was happening outside.

  Then one fine afternoon, when there was some sort of parade, the thought stuck him: Why should the man next to the window have all the pleasure of seeing what was going on? Why shouldn’t he get the chance? He felt ashamed and tried not to think like that, but the more he tried, the worse he wanted to change. He’d do anything! In a few days he had turned sour. He should be by the window. An he brooded and couldn’t sleep, and grew even more seriously ill-which none of the doctors understood.

  One night, as he stared at the ceiling, the other man (the man next to the window) suddenly woke up coughing and chocking, the fluid congesting in his lungs, his hands groping for the button that would bring the night nurse running. But the man watched without moving. The coughing racked the darkness-on and on-chocked off-then stopped. The sound of breathing stopped-and the man continued to stare at the ceiling. In the morning, the day nurse came in with water for their baths and found the other man dead.

  They took away his body, quietly, no fuss.
  As soon as it seemed decent, the man asked if he could be moved to the bed next to the window. And they moved him, tucked him in, and made him quite comfortable, and left him alone to be quite and still. The minute they had gone, he popped himself up on one elbow, painfully and laboriously, and looked out the window. It faced a blank wall!

  “The Window” by G.W. Target

• #29 by Amare at September 7th, 2010

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  [Romans 8:28, part I]

  Fellow Believers!

  I don’t know if you have noticed this, but as per Romans 8:28 [“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” KJV], two conditions have to be met in order for “all things work together for good” for us. That is, we not only have to LOVE GOD, but also we have to be CALLED according to God’s purpose.

  In college algebra, there is a math study part which is referred as “logic and propositions”. In logic and propositions, the two common conjunction operators are “OR” and “AND”. The output of two statements connected with the operator “OR” is “TRUE” when either one (left or right) or both statements are true. On the other hand, the final output of two statements connected with the operator “AND” is “TRUE”, only if both statements are true. In other words, assuming that we have statements A and B, combining “A” and “B” with “OR” and “AND”:

  - (i) The statement “A OR B”=TRUE if either A, or B or both A & B are TRUE. And, the statement “A OR B” will be FALSE, only if both A and B are false.
  - (ii) On the other hand, the statement “A AND B”=TRUE if only both A & B are TRUE; and it would be false in all other cases (i.e., if either the values of A, or B or both is/are FALSE).

  By the same toke, as per the revealed Word in Romans 8:28, in order for us “to work all things for good” we have to satisfy two criteria. We have to:
  – (A) “LOVE GOD” (statement A) AND
  – (B) “CALLED ACCORDING TO GOD’S PURPOSE” (statement B).

  Therefore, it is safe to identify four categories from Romans 8:28

  1. Those who LOVE GOD, and are also CALLED according to God’s purpose;
  2. Those who LOVE GOD, but ARE NOT CALLED according to His purpose;
  3. Those who DO NOT LOVE GOD, but ARE CALLED according to His purpose; and
  4. Those who DO NOT LOVE GOD, and ARE NOT CALLED according to His purpose.

  May God bless you all!