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Showing posts from April, 2012

Jesus: The Believer’s Inheritance

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  It is fascinating to observe when people talk about inheritance, ones mind would immediately cater properties, wills, houses, jewelries, and other material things. All of which are centered on material temporal things.   In 1 Peter 1:4 , although The Apostle Peter used the term “inheritance” once in his letter, Apostle Paul on the other hand, mentioned this term in his letters several times. ( Eph_1:14 , Eph_1:18 , Eph_5:5 , Col_3:24 ,) But what is so significant about this particular emphasis of Peter? After all, he made a brief description of the inheritance (verse 4-5) a believer will obtain now that he is part of God’s family.   The term “inheritance” is not something new among Jewish ears. Going back to the OT, when God divided the promised land among the 12 tribes of Israel, every tribe received a portion of the land as their inheritance, except for the tribe of Levi…”the priestly tribe”. They were the only tribe that didn’t get one. God’s reason for doing so is interesting. Th
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Ecclesiastes - Life is Meaningless apart from God

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“All is meaningless and there is nothing new under the sun” was the cry of  Qohelet  (the Preacher) in the book of Ecclesiastes. Though he pursued every sort of work, desire, knowledge and experience under the sun, his heart and soul remained empty. Though Bible scholars are divided as to whether Solomon or a post-exilic anonymous character authored the book, the message is clear: apart from God, all is vanity, ultimately useless and empty (Ecclesiastes 1:1-3). Qohelet  begins by stating the first part of his thesis in Ecclesiastes 1:1-3. The following chapters describe how and why he arrived at his conclusion. In brief,  Qohelet   endeavored to find meaning and purpose in life by engaging himself in pleasure, women, wine, personal projects, wealth and many more (ex. Ecclesiastes 2:1-11). His pursuits and accomplishments left him only frustrated and even more so when he shifted his attention to the perplexities of our imperfect world (ex. Ecclesiastes 4:1-7, 13-16; 5:8-17). Qohelet  wa
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The Resurrection of Christ

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The man most well known for the grievous trials he faced asked this question– “If a man dies, will he live again?” (Job 14:14 a). If answered from one’s own view or understanding, the response will vary (ranging from the belief in purgatory or rebirth or to the annihilation of the soul). One truth we can all agree on– death is no respecter of persons. It comes to everyone–the wise, the fool, the rich, the poor; and when it comes, it stings. The separation it creates between loved ones brings pain. It brings grief. While some may choose to end their own life, we can all agree that most people view death with fear or as a hateful enemy. How does the Bible respond to this worldview question? First, the Scriptures explain how death entered into the world. Genesis 3:17-19 and Romans 5:12 make clear that death is the result of man’s sin against God. However, according to the Scriptures, man’s death is not the end. In John 11, an account is given about a man named Lazarus who was close to the
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Proverbs - "A Book on Wisdom"

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If the book of Psalms reveals the religious side of humankind, Proverbs reveals another human aspect that separates us from the rest of creation–the desire for knowledge. Without a doubt, man thirsts for understanding. In fact, his pursuit of knowledge has brought him to a point where he has forgotten its Source; he has become wise in his own conceit.   Proverbs begins with a clear statement of its purpose–that is, to give wisdom and instruction (Proverbs 1:2-6). It lays down the foundation for real knowledge—the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 1:7). The knowledge of God and His word is to gain true understanding and to obey Him is true wisdom. He who applies biblical truth in his life is wise (Read James 1).   Proverbs is a book of pithy sayings. It communicates truth and instruction for daily living. Among other things, it teaches us about human conduct (Proverbs 20:11); temper (Proverbs 29:11), pride (Proverbs 27:1) and laziness (Proverbs 13:4). It gives instruction on speech as we relat
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