From: Wong Wie Khiong Moving According to God's Word
"And they said to him, 'In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet,'" (Matthew 2:5, NASB, emphasis added). In one of his lectures on postmodernism which I downloaded from http://www.bethinking.org/truth-tolerance/from-modernism-to-postmodernism.htm, D. A. Carson told a story of a Christian missionary in Thailand handing out a copy of the New Testament to a young Buddhist monk who happened to be a total stranger to Christianity. A few days later, he met the same monk again and asked him what he thought of the Bible. To which the monk replied, "It's incredible; this Jesus is certainly much better than Buddha." No doubt the missionary was so delighted to hear that. Being amazed at how the monk had gotten the Gospel so quickly, he promptly asked, "Can you explain what you mean when you said Jesus is better than Buddha?" "Well, you see," answered the monk, "He came into the world, He lived and died. He came into the world, He lived and died. ... He did it only in four cycles!" Of course the illustration is merely an amusing hyperbole, but it certainly drives the point that whatever we use and how we use it does affect our interpretation on what we perceive. Even our mood or emotion has done the same to us, occasionally or more than we care to admit. I remember having read a quotation from Søren Kierkegaard many years ago, which I came across in a Christian magazine a few days before Christmas: "The three kings had only a rumor to go by. But it moved them to make that long journey. The scribes were much better informed, much better versed. They sat and studied Scriptures like so many dons, but it did not make them move. Who had the more truth? The three kings who followed a rumor, or the scribes who remained sitting with all their knowledge?" (Meditations from Kierkegaard) Given the two options, and perhaps under the influence of the sentimentality and euphoria of the festive season at the time, I thought the three kings had more truth than the scribes who sat and studied the Scriptures. For years I completely missed the "leap of faith" Kierkegaard was trying to convey, for to know the truth and not act accordingly is futile indeed. Although I wouldn't gainsay what Kierkegaard has written, there is nonetheless something omitted which never occurred in my mind. Only recently did I learn that the missing link is the significance of God's own special revelation, when I began asking some rather impudent questions after reading the second chapter of Matthew. Since God had allowed the magi to have seen His star, I was wondering why God didn't lead them directly to the manger where Jesus was laid, and therefore avoid the massacre of all the male children in Bethlehem who were two years old and under. Instead, they had to arrive in Jerusalem, indirectly proclaiming the birth of Christ by inquiring, "Where is He who has been born the King of the Jews?" with their intention to worship Him. But, it was there in Jerusalem that the magi obtained the answer through the chief priests and scribes, who cited from the Scriptures what was written by the prophet: "And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the leaders of Judah; for out of you shall come forth a Ruler, Who will shepherd My people Israel" (Matt. 2:6). Only afterwards were the magi led to the Child to worship Him, but not before they heard the answer according to the Scriptures. Kierkegaard is right that to make a move even according to a rumor is better than to know the truth without making a move. However, relying solely on a rumor to move can only take one as far as "Jerusalem" where a worldly king awaits him. On the other hand, if one intends to go to "Bethlehem" to worship the "King of the Jews", he can only move according to the Scriptures alone. As for the young monk, I'm afraid he neither moved according to the Scriptures nor a rumor, but was moved by his illusion in front of the Scriptures. Rgds, Khiong ==================================================== From: Suzianty Herawati "To Him be glory both now and forever." --2 Peter 3:18 Heaven will be full of the ceaseless praises of Jesus. Eternity! thine unnumbered years shall speed their everlasting course, but forever and for ever, "to Him be glory." Is He not a "Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedek"? "To Him be glory." Is He not king for ever?--King of kings and Lord of lords, the everlasting Father? "To Him be glory for ever." Never shall His praises cease. That which was bought with blood deserves to last while immortality endures. The glory of the cross must never be eclipsed; the lustre of the grave and of the resurrection must never be dimmed. O Jesus! thou shalt be praised for ever. Long as immortal spirits live--long as the Father's throne endures--for ever, for ever, unto Thee shall be glory. Believer, you are anticipating the time when you shall join the saints above in ascribing all glory to Jesus; but are you glorifying Him now? The apostle's words are, "To Him be glory both now and for ever." Will you not this day make it your prayer? "Lord, help me to glorify Thee; I am poor, help me to glorify Thee by contentment; I am sick, help me to give Thee honour by patience; I have talents, help me to extol Thee by spending them for Thee; I have time, Lord, help me to redeem it, that I may serve thee; I have a heart to feel, Lord, let that heart feel no love but Thine, and glow with no flame but affection for Thee; I have a head to think, Lord, help me to think of Thee and for Thee; Thou hast put me in this world for something, Lord, show me what that is, and help me to work out my life-purpose: I cannot do much, but as the widow put in her two mites, which were all her living, so, Lord, I cast my time and eternity too into Thy treasury; I am all Thine; take me, and enable me to glorify Thee now, in all that I say, in all that I do, and with all that I have." CH Spurgeon =============================================== From: Suzianty Herawati "God, that comforteth those that are cast down." --2 Corinthians 7:6 And who comforteth like Him? Go to some poor, melancholy, distressed child of God; tell him sweet promises, and whisper in his ear choice words of comfort; he is like the deaf adder, he listens not to the voice of the charmer, charm he never so wisely. He is drinking gall and wormwood, and comfort him as you may, it will be only a note or two of mournful resignation that you will get from him; you will bring forth no psalms of praise, no hallelujahs, no joyful sonnets. But let God come to His child, let Him lift up his countenance, and the mourner's eyes glisten with hope. Do you not hear him sing-- "'Tis paradise, if thou art here; If thou depart, 'tis hell?" You could not have cheered him: but the Lord has done it; "He is the God of all comfort." There is no balm in Gilead, but there is balm in God. There is no physician among the creatures, but the Creator is Jehovah-rophi. It is marvellous how one sweet word of God will make whole songs for Christians. One word of God is like a piece of gold, and the Christian is the goldbeater, and can hammer that promise out for whole weeks. So, then, poor Christian, thou needest not sit down in despair. Go to the Comforter, and ask Him to give thee consolation. Thou art a poor dry well. You have heard it said, that when a pump is dry, you must pour water down it first of all, and then you will get water, and so, Christian, when thou art dry, go to God, ask Him to shed abroad His joy in thy heart, and then thy joy shall be full. Do not go to earthly acquaintances, for you will find them Job's comforters after all; but go first and foremost to thy "God, that comforteth those that are cast down," and you will soon say, "In the multitude of my thoughts within me Thy comforts delight my soul." CH Spurgeon
