Challenge #7 – Understand the Teaching of the LORD’s Prayer!

Passage of Scripture (KJV): Matthew 6:5-13

Matthew 6:5: And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

Matthew 6:6: But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

Matthew 6:7: But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

Matthew 6:8: Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

Matthew 6:9: After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

Matthew 6:10: Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

Matthew 6:11: Give us this day our daily bread.

Matthew 6:12: And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

Matthew 6:13: And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Challenge:

Many Christians (nominal or real) have misunderstood the true meaning of PRAYER. Some thought that prayer is merely talking to God, or merely asking God about something. The Catholics thought that prayer is reciting the Rosary, which is not only useless, but also against the Biblical Doctrine. Matthew 6:7 says, “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.” Rosary is very CLEARLY “vain repetitions.” One man thought that as long as you have a good intent on what you ask God for, it is prayer. Wrong! People are being misled by their wrong understanding of the Biblical Doctrine. This challenge not only intends to correct this misunderstanding, but also hope to give a clear direction on “how to pray” straight from the Bible.

In any circumstance, the main foundation of our prayer must be based on what Jesus teaches in Matthew 6:5-13: the Lord’s Prayer.

The book titled “Answers” by Keith Piper defines “prayer” as follows:

• Prayer is asking specific things from God and receiving them.
• Prayer is worship addressed to the Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, and in the power of the Holy Spirit.
• Prayer is having two-way fellowship with God.
• Prayer is NOT just talking TO God, but WITH God.

In order for us to understand the true foundation of PRAYER, as it was taught by the Lord Jesus Christ – I have broken down the Lord’s Prayer for easy understanding.

PART I.

Our Father which art in heaven,

• The very key in any prayer is SALVATION, as prayer is ALWAYS toward OUR FATHER. We cannot call Him FATHER unless we are His Child.
• Salvation gives us genuine BELIEF that OUR FATHER is in primarily in HEAVEN, where we will spend eternity when we die.
• Even CHRIST (the SON of GOD) called onto HIS FATHER, as HE said, “ABBA, FATHER” while praying at the Garden of Gethsemane before He was arrested. (Mark 14:36)
• No one has the right to call Him FATHER unless he was a Child of God. The Bible says in Galatians 3:26: “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” Only when you accept Christ that you will be a Child of God, then you can earn the right to call OUR FATHER in HEAVEN.

Hallowed be thy name.

• “Hallowed” (adjective) means “Holy,” “Consecrated,” “Sacred,” “Revered” – it points toward GOD’s Name. Holy is HIS NAME! Whether it points to JEHOVAH, YAHWEH, ELOHIM, etc. – HIS NAME is indeed HOLY!
• This is a phrase of EXALTATION of God.
• Lifting up the NAME of OUR FATHER is indeed an important element of every prayer because HE is HOLY!

Thy kingdom come.

• Again, this line also relates to SALVATION. The New Testament has mentioned several times that being SAVED (being BORN AGAIN) through the GRACE of GOD by FAITH of accepting CHRIST is our ONLY WAY to the KINGDOM of GOD, which is in HEAVEN.
• John 3:3 says: "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."
• Matthew 6:33 says: "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."
• To me, Matthew 6:33 is very clearly saying that ALL the things we ask for will not be given to us if we don’t seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness FIRST.

Thy will be done in earth,

• “Believing completely (totally)” is the key phrase here. Logically speaking, acceptance of Christ in Salvation proves our total belief in GOD (OUR FATHER) as our SALVATION is from HIM through CHRIST.
• Believing in OUR FATHER’s will and believing His GODness make us believe that HIS WILL be done in earth where we’re at. OUR FATHER is a POWERFUL God. HE can do everything HE wishes, even the most impossible things all combined.
• As we pray, we always need to keep in mind that it must be HIS WILL and not OURS that we must respect. We must keep our FAITH that HE knows BEST. No matter what, HE is GOD!

as it is in heaven.

• If we totally believe the WILL of OUR FATHER in earth, we must also believe that HIS WILL in earth is exactly the same as IN HEAVEN.
• Again, this line also relates to SALVATION. Only when we are SAVED that we will believe in HEAVEN.
• This also means that we should RELY to the WILL of OUR FATHER, as His WILL here in earth is the same as in HEAVEN.

PART II.

Give us this day our daily bread.

• Prayer is a DAILY chore, as a minimum.
• Daily bread is not just food that we eat. It includes ALL our needs (materials and spiritual). Specifying our need when we pray is an important teaching of our Lord, although OUR FATHER knows what things we have need of before we ask Him (Matthew 6:8).
• Asking OUR FATHER what we need on a daily basis is what Christ expects us to do.

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

• Forgiving: How forgiving are you?
• Before you ask for forgiveness from God, make sure you have forgiven others, even those who had done wrong to you. No matter how serious it is.
• Think about this and ask your own self this question: How could God forgive me, if I myself could not forgive others?

And lead us not into temptation,

• CHRIST knows what we are made of. We are made of flesh. We can always be tempted. This is why we must always ask God to keep us away from any temptation.
• Temptation leads to sin.
• We should strive to remain holy, as God is Holy.

but deliver us from evil:

• CHRIST knows the works of the devil: to kill, to steal; and to destroy.
• This is also why the Bible teaches us the whole Armour of God: The Bible says in Ephesians 6:13: "Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."

PART III.

For thine is the kingdom,

• This part should always remind us that God owns the Kingdom, the Heaven, which we all have to have the desire of going when we leave the world we now live in (that is, when we die).
• The question we should ask ourselves is, “Where shall we go when we die?” There are only two possible places where our soul could go when we die: Heaven or Hell
• John 3:3 very clearly indicates that our only way to go to Heaven is Salvation to Christ. We need to be born again to go to Heaven. Otherwise, Hell is the only alternative…not Purgatory that many Catholics claim. Purgatory is not in the Bible.
• Catholics defend purgatory by quoting 2 Maccabees 12:40-45 (an Apocrypha book from the Douay-Rheims Bible, which is the Catholic Bible) where a “sin offering” is offering for dead soldiers who had committed the sin of idolatry. This not only contradicts the Bible, but also contradicts the Catholic teaching, because idolatry is a mortal sin that would confine a person to hell. The Book of Maccabees has never been regarded as inspired by Jews or Christians.

and the power,

• Psalms 147:5: Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.

and the glory,

• Psalms 24:10: Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.

for ever.

• Eternity – John 3:16 – relates (again) to Salvation first, then everlasting life. Very clearly, it says “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

PART IV.

Amen.

• Affirmation of the truth of statement
• Confirmation of belief
• How could one affirm the truth if he has not accepted Christ. The Bible says in 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.
• To affirm the truth requires believing in Christ through Salvation Only, and not believing through religion and tradition. To be saved, one must follow Roman 10:9, which says “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.”
• Be saved now: ADMIT your sins; CONFESS your sins with your mouth to Christ; BELIEVE and ACCEPT CHRIST in your heart as your Saviour and Lord; and then say -- “Amen.”
  

Simple Explanation: Why God Allows Pain and Suffering?

***** This article was sent to me by a Christian friend *****

This is one of the best explanations of why God allows pain and suffering that I have seen. It's an explanation all people will understand.

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects.

When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said: "I don't believe that God exists."

"Why do you say that?" asked the customer.

"Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving a God who would allow all of these things."

The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop. Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkempt.

The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber: "You know what? Barbers do not exist."

"How can you say that?" asked the surprised barber. "I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!"

"No!" the customer exclaimed. "Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside."

"Ah, but barbers DO exist! What happens is, people do not come to me."

"Exactly!"- affirmed the customer. "That's the point! God, too, DOES exist! What happens, is, people don't go to Him and do not look for Him! That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world."

BE BLESSED & BE A Blessing !

Challenge #6 – The ONLY TRUE Salvation is Jesus Christ!

Passage of Scripture (KJV): Acts 4:12

Acts 4:12: Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Challenge:

As we look around the globe today, we can see the many different religions: Christianity (as others claim Christianity as religion); Islam; secular, nonreligious agnosticism and atheism; Hinduism; Chinese traditional; primal-indigenous; African traditional and diasporic; Buddhism; Sikhism; Jainism; Baha’i Faith; Spiritism; Shintoism; Unitarian-Universalism; Scientology; and many others. For one who is really curious to find out the real truth, a good way to start is ask the question, “Why?” But if you are one of the many spiritually ignorant people in the planet earth, you may either not care at all because you are happy on the religion you and your forefathers inherited without even knowing the real truth, or you may think that there may be so many religions in the world, but all worship the same God. You may think you are correct, if the latter is what you believe in. But the fact of the matter is -- you are as wrong as that of a lost soul with similar belief, so please consider yourself lost as well.

Even in the Christian world, we see that there are so many different groups (small, medium, large), who claim that they are Christians – but ask them if they are saved or not, or talk to them about Salvation or any thing about the Bible and they stay as far away as possible from you. They are like melting candles when the word “Bible” is mentioned. They dread Bible Study. They always thought that one who brings the Bible to them has always the intention of taking them away from their religion. They thought Christianity is simply “believing in Christ by name” based on their old tradition, but their words and actions are truly not Christ-like at all. The fact of the matter is, the devils also believe (James 2:19), except that they also tremble. I was in exactly the same boat before I got saved in August 25, 1996. I thought I knew Christ as a Catholic. I used to go to church, but living and talking the carnal way. Then later on, I found out that Christianity is not merely a matter of believing in Christ. I learned that it is not enough to simply say “I believe.” True Christianity requires personal relationship with Christ, in which personal relationship drives interaction with Christ. Interaction includes communication, obedience and reward, disobedience and discipline, covenant and faithfulness between the person and the Lord Jesus Christ. It requires full focus in Christ, which creates conviction. No conviction, no Christ. Thus, what really matters is not a religion, but a relationship after acceptance of Christ as Saviour and Lord through faith by the grace of God. The Bible says in Ephesians 2:8: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” But the real question is: Are you saved?

It may be impossible to live a perfect life in this world as the Apostle Paul and many other Apostles dealt with the same struggles we have now, but having a personal relationship with Christ on a daily basis and knowing that a genuinely saved or born-again Christian is indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:11; 1 John 4:15; Romans 10:9) could be the most assuring and joyful experience from a human perspective, the fact that God is with His child every second, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, now and forever. God will never leave, nor forsake His child. The Bible says in Hebrews 13:5: “…for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

The fact that you are reading this challenge could be a sign that you are searching for the truth. Welcome to our humble blogspot! If you are indeed searching for the truth, then our sincere personal prayer for you is that you may be touched by the power of the Holy Ghost as you read through this article (and perhaps the other ones below), that you may decide to receive God’s free gift of Salvation.

If you are already a saved Christian, we also want to welcome you and ask that you would help us pray for the Salvation of those whom God is calling to receive His gift.

The Passage of Scripture above, Acts 4:12 is only a crystal-clear indication that the only TRUE Salvation is JESUS CHRIST. No other name under heaven could save a lost soul: no religion; no tradition; no cult. Only Jesus Christ could save a lost soul. Jesus said in John 14: 6: “…I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

Therefore, if you are not certain that you are going to Heaven if you die today – NOW is the time to forget your religion for a minute. NOW is the time to focus your faith in Christ, and accept Him as your Lord and Saviour of your soul. Put an end in your sins. Repent and allow Jesus to pay all your sins in FULL. Now is the time to break the strongholds of Satan in your life, regardless of your tradition and past religion for many years. Allow yourself to be born again. Jesus says in John 3:3: “…Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Accept the Gift of God now (Ephesians 2:8). You don’t have to dig the entire depth of the Bible to be saved. That’s not the measure of your Salvation. Instead, it is only knee-deep. No matter how bad your past was, all you have to do is drop on your knees and pray to God with pure sincerity in your heart, cry out to Him if you so desire. Confess your sins to God, and accept Christ that you may be saved. The Bible says in 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 also says: “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Lastly, Romans 10:13 says: “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

My dear friend, your courage to face Jesus now could benefit not just yourself, but your entire family as well. By accepting Christ -- you are simply avoiding to burn your own soul in hell (Luke 16:23-31).

On the same note, it is completely up to you if you want to keep whatever religion you have if it is truly dear in your heart, and if you think it makes sense at all – but all I am asking you is: Follow Jesus! The ONLY TRUE Salvation is Jesus Christ!

May the blessing of the Lord be with you!

Challenge #5 – Set your Vision in CHRIST…You will NEVER Go Wrong!

Passage of Scripture (KJV): Proverbs 29:18; Habakkuk 2:3

Proverbs 29:18a: “Where there is no vision, the people perish:…”

Habakkuk 2:3: For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

Challenge:

Happy New Year to all! It is my sincere prayer—in the name of Jesus—that all you readers of my blogspot ministry may have the most abundant blessings not only in the year 2008, but also in many years to come.

It is now the beginning of 2008 – I’m sure most of you have New Year’s resolutions to improve yourself or your family or your job, etc. -- but have you ever asked yourself these questions: “What is my ultimate goal in life? Why do I exist in this world? Where is my life going from this point on? What is God’s purpose for my existence?” Tough questions to answer by yourself, but not quite if you seek God for answers. Being able to ask yourself the questions is the very first step. Answers will follow. God loves you the reason why He created you in the first place. There’s no need for you to dig the depth of the Bible for answers. The answers are only “knee-deep.” If you would only humble yourself and kneel down, asking God for forgiveness of your sins and accepting Christ as your Saviour and Lord – you will find the answers to your questions. Knowing the Five Steps to Heaven and reciting the Simple Prayer of Surrender—which could be found in the bottom page of this blogspot page—could lead you to answers.

The Bible says in Matthew 7:7: “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:”

However—chances are, you may not really care what life offers you in the future, and you don’t care asking yourself those questions above. You may say that life has a life of its own, and it goes wherever it wants to go. You can simply ride on. Or, you may say you are having so much fun and material things in your life right now…why worry about the future? Wherever the wind blows you go. That’s it! If this is your attitude toward life, then you’re missing a whole lot. You must drop on your knee, look up, and seek God. Keep in mind that your life on earth is too short. In fact, some are shorter than others. Remember that God can always pull the plug on you, then what? I urge that you start thinking about your future as you are truly important. Set your vision starting NOW. The vision you will set TODAY will surely come, whether you like it or not. Read the above Scripture again! “Where there is no vision, the people perish:… For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry."

What is your vision? You may say it is 20/20 vision, but you know in your heart that’s not what I meant. The real question is more like, “How do you see yourself in the future?” Do you have any future at all? Keep in mind that future is not only in this life, but it goes beyond this life. The quick answer is that if you are simply riding on in life, simply having the most fun you can get every single day, you must accept the fact that you really have no future at all, and that you are on your way to Hell. The fact of the matter is you live day by day. In fact I challenge you to look at yourself in the mirror when you’re not having fun. I am positive you will find your life empty. Living is not just to have fun, my friend. When you die without accepting Christ, you will end up in burning Hell like the rich man in Luke 16: 23, which says” “And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments…” God created you for a reason, and the reason is not just for you to have fun and ignore the Call of God for Salvation. God created you in His own image (Genesis 1:27). You may be young and do not care about God’s plan in your life, but let me tell you something: GOD LOVES YOU! God wants to give direction in your life, and all you have to do is “believe.” The Bible says, living is believing so we do not die. John 11:26 says: “And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?” In contrast, if we live in accordance with the world, we will die. Romans 8:13 says: “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.”

Why invest your life in things of this world which will always pass away, when you can invest your life in things of eternity which will never pass away? You can invest in Christ.

Jesus is actually saying, “I died for you. What have you done for me?”

Challenge #4 – Celebrate JESUS, God’s Gift to You

Passages of Scripture (KJV): Matthew 1:18, 21, and 23; Romans 6:23

Matthew 1:18: Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

Matthew 1:21: And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Matthew 1:23: Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Challenge:

It is very easy to drown in todays fast pace of life, especially this time of the year, called “Holidays Season” to the majority, including many Christians. People all over the planet spend a lot of time, energy, and money simply to buy the best material gifts money can buy for their loveones, families, relatives, and friends. When you look around, you will see that only a handful of Christians celebrate the Birth of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, whom God sent to save us from the wages of sin, called “death.” The Bible makes this very clear in Matthew 1:21 and Romans 6:23.

Every Christmas time, many people in the world celebrate the season as holidays, not as Christmas. They celebrate the holidays with festivities and gifts, but not the birth of Christ. Even in many workplaces, people couldn’t even say “Merry Christmas” for they are afraid that they may be fired for saying such. As an example, a young man came to see me in my office the other day. He said he just wanted to greet me a generic “Happy Holidays.” I said to him (in a bolder tone), “What’s the matter with you? You couldn’t say “Merry Christmas”? Christmas is for Christ, you know. You shouldn’t be ashamed, especially if you claim to be a Christian.” And he was blushing as he looked around outside my office, so afraid that others may have heard me saying the word “Christmas” inside the workplace and that both of us would be fired. It is a shame that many people in the world are like that young man, too afraid of saying the word “Christmas,” as if Christ is a very dangerous name to say. Our corporate world is full of this kind of people, using the generic greeting, instead of “Merry Christmas”—a total disgrace to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Well, one may say, “but the holidays include not just Christmas but also New Years day.” To me, it doesn’t matter. Jesus should always be #1 in people’s list, and everything about Him should be the biggest celebration of all Christians throughout the year. Jesus was brought to mankind, and died on the Cross because of our sins, for one and only one purpose: for the Salvation of those who shall call upon His Name. The Bible says in Romans 10:13: “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

This time of the year should be a celebration of Jesus Christ, our Lord. The Bible says in Romans 6:23 that “the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Keep in mind and heart that Jesus is God’s best gift to those who accept Him as their Lord and Saviour. Thus, telling someone about Christ could also be your best gift to that person this Christmas. My questions to you are these: Have you accepted Christ (the Gift of God)? Has your family? If you have not, NOW is the time. Then, you can share the Gift of God to others. Christ is the best Gift any one can have.

Now, one may ask, “How could I celebrate the birth of Jesus, and not the holidays?” This question could only be answered by your heart and your heart alone. The first question to ask your self actually is: “Do I really know Jesus, or Do I care for His birth?” It is only when you answer YES to either of these questions that you may have the desire to celebrate His birth. Thinking about the Lord Jesus Christ during the Christmas time starts from your heart. I dare you to check your heart right now. As you think of Him, you are (in fact) already celebrating His birth in your heart. The way to do a much bigger celebration of Jesus is to spread the Word about Him and the reason why He was born in the first place. The above passages from the Scripture could help.

As you spend your time, effort and money in buying gifts for people within your friend or family circle, I urge that you think of Jesus. Spend time with Him; make extra effort to spread the Word and share the Gift of God; and, give a few pennies to those who are in need. And if you give, just keep it between you and Jesus. Do not tell the world that you give. These are just basic examples of how you could celebrate Jesus this Christmas time. Again, it starts from your heart. Do you have a heart for Jesus?

Christmas without Christ is only a typical holiday – a worldly festivity! A gift without Christ is only a material gift that fades away after a few days! Christ is eternal. Christ is, indeed, God’s best gift!

Be blessed, and be a blessing to many this Christmas. Spread the SPIRIT of CHRISTMAS.

I wish you a very Merry Christmas, and a very Blessed 2008!

Challenge #3 - Get to Know Jesus Christ!

Passages of Scripture (KJV): Isaiah 9:6; Matthew 1:21; John 1:1; 1:14

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 Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Matthew 1:21: And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

John 1:1: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:14: And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

John 3:16: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

2 Corinthians 5:19: To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

Challenge:

Do you know who Jesus Christ is? If so, how much do you know Him? Do you know Him by heart? Or by name only? Do you know why was He sent to us? Do you have any personal relationship with Him?

To many: Jesus did not and does not exist. He was a myth, a fiction. To others: Jesus is a subject of late night humor. To non-Christians: Jesus was a Teacher, a Prophet.

To the Roman Catholic believers, you may be like me before I got saved in August 25, 1996. I was born and raised in the Roman Catholic background. Many times in my childhood, I heard the name Jesus inside and outside the church. From time to time, I even mentioned the name Jesus as if I really knew Him. The fact of the matter was that I only knew Him by Name in a ritualistic way, not by heart. I really didn’t know Him personally. It took me 40 years before I truly understood who He is, why He came to this world, and what He is to me. Now I can very proudly say that Jesus Christ is not only my Creator and my Father, but also my Friend, my Teacher, and most especially – my Lord and Saviour. Through Him, now I am very certain that I am going to Heaven when I die, because I am saved.

Today, allow me to discuss briefly with you who Jesus Christ truly is. If you don’t know Him, perhaps this is the time that you will get to know Him. If you are a religious person (whatever your religion is), you may think that you already know Him, but I challenge you to spend the next three minutes to look deeper into your heart and sincerely ask yourself (with your utmost honesty) the questions you see above.

Who is Jesus Christ?

In Roger Carswell’s book, titled Questions & Answers from the Bible – It is quoted that “The Bible makes it very clear that there is only one God. This one God is in three persons: God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God clothed Himself in humanity in the person of Jesus Christ. God became man and dwelt among us.” Mr. Carswell referred to the following verses of Scripture: Isaiah 9:6, John 1:1, John 1:14, and 2 Corinthians 5:19.

In the same book, Mr. Carswell also quoted the following:

“Jesus came into the world to save His people from their sins. Because He cared He gave sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, speech to the dumb, strength to the lame, cleansing to the leprous, life to the dead, food to the hungry, peace to the troubled, comfort to the grieving and forgiveness to the guilty.

He had come to die. In dying He was bearing in His own body the sin of the world. In rising from the dead He conquered the great conqueror, death. He came from God that He might bring us to God. Christ is not only the greatest human who ever lived, who gave to the world the greatest teaching ever given, but He is the Creator, stepping into the areas of human history to rescue men and women from sin and bring them back to God.”

I couldn’t agree more with Mr. Carswell’s crystal-clear explanation of who Christ is. His explanation is much clearer and more straightforward than the way I could have written it.

In addition, Jesus is not only the proof of God (the Father)’s immeasurable love toward us (John 3:16), but also His sacrificial Lamb for the Salvation of those, who shall call His name (Matthew 1:21).

The Bible is, indeed, very clear – Salvation, which leads to an everlasting life in Heaven, could only be found by accepting Christ in your heart as your Lord and Saviour. Get to know Christ now, and be saved!

Challenge #2 -- Study the WORD

Passage of Scripture (KJV): 2 Timothy 2:15

2 Timothy 2:15: Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Challenge:

Everyday we spend most of our time working (if we work for a living), studying for school (if we are a full-time student), and sleeping. The rest of our daily time are spent to our own self, whether it is resting, working out, watching television, or hanging out with friends. We spend very little time (or no time at all) praying to God, reading the Bible, or even studying the WORD of God. Occasionally, we read and/or study the Bible but we spend more time studying other things (such as those related to school activities, curricular activities, hobbies, business, or self-improvement) than studying the WORD. The biggest question we need to ask our self is, WHY? Do we ever wonder why? I do, but what about you? We ought to seek for an answer.

To some of us, yes, we find time to study the WORD of God: Some study too deep; some not deep enough; some not to deep; some just to know enough; some take formal schooling to study; some do self-study; but some simply listen to a preacher without doing their own studies of what is being preached, not realizing that not every preacher is preaching the right doctrine.

As an example, in one occasion, I confronted a preacher a couple of weeks after he preached (one Sunday morning) a doctrinal heresy that "a saved person will be left behind when the rapture comes, simply because that person is not a member of a local church." The preacher even used (as an analogy) the story of Noah, his family, their wives, and the ark explaining that the ark is like a local church in which eight people entered and were saved, equating it to the Rapture theology. This kind of interpretation has no sense at all. There is no verse in the Holy Bible that could justify the validity of this distorted doctrine of Biblical theology. Other Christians (some of them preachers) I consulted with to validate my stand on the topic had raised eyebrows out of shock as they could not believe such a heretical interpretation of the clear doctrines of Salvation and Rapture. The pulpit should not be used to spread heresy, lest the church wouldn’t grow. For anyone who is simply a hearer of the WORD, and does not spend time to study – that person could easily be fooled by a wrong interpretation of God’s doctrine.

Let’s keep in mind that God’s doctrine of Salvation is based on His unconditional redemption of our sin, through His Son Jesus Christ. It is also based on God’s unconditional Salvation to those who believes and accepts His Son Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. This was indeed very clearly explained in the Scripture. While on the cross, Jesus did not tell the criminal (or malefactor) next to him, who said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom (Luke 23:42), to join the local church first before he can get saved. Instead, Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. (Luke 23:43) – plain and simple, no condition of any form.

The Bible says in 2 Timothy 3:16 that, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:” This clearly means that the interpretation of the WORD of God must be handled very delicately, lest we make a fool of our own self and commit sin to God when out of ignorance we preach the wrong message. Let us always remember Psalms 12:6, which says, “The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.”

Based on our Passage of Scripture (i.e., 2 Timothy 2:15) – we need to show our self approved to God without being ashamed. Thus, we really need to study the WORD, especially if we want to preach. Once we have studied the WORD and understood the TRUTH, then we can APPLY it to our life, and then we can PREACH the WORD.