When King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold and ask the nation to worship, he made a pledge that whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace." Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego does not want to bow down before the idols and was brought to the king.
Do you know that King Nebuchadnezzar actually gave them another chance to bow down?
In the book of Daniel 3:17 mentioned that despite all of them given a second chance still able to answer “If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. 18But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up."
How many of us would actually have the guts to say these on the verge of persecution, especially given a second chance? They did and they were saved by an angel. Such was their faith.
Someone once told me.
We are all Christians and we can easily say, “we have faith in Jesus”. We believe He is risen and we believe He is God. Saying all these, you can make God smiling from above.
But at the verge of being tested, when things do not go our way, just like what happen to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, will we all still have such faith in our God? Friends, When we are put to test, and if we are still able to have such faith to say that our God shall deliver us from days of trouble, I can assure you that God at that time will not smile anymore. That God will surely have a tear dripping His cheek.
Remember,
Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed”
- written by Jonathan Ang -
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Faith and persecution (part 1)
I have read many articles on love and relationship. While there can be much chemistry and elements of passion in it, many would have agreed that love can only take place when feelings are involve. But how about Christian walk with God? Is it about fate and feelings?
Being a Christian is not about feeling right or wrong. It is okay that we can feel quiet and lifeless but it does not mean that God is not there. Some Christian thinks that God comes in form of strong signs are movements of nature but sometimes the spirits moves gently. This was described in the book of 1 Kings 19:11-12
"A great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper….
So if God does not come in form of greatness, and if God does not come through feelings, how do we know that our God is God? In my 20 years as a Christian, I don’t deny that I have some doubts in Christianity when I was very young. I asked myself if my God is not real, would I be hurting the ‘real’ God? Why not just stand on the fence (be neutral) and not side any God, least I worship a wrong religion? I believe some of you have encountered this situation at one point or another, so have we done very wrong?
Thomas, one of Jesus twelve disciples (supposingly to be so close with Jesus) have doubts too. When Jesus arose, He met up with all the disciples but Thomas was not there (read John 20:24). All the disciples rejoices telling Thomas that they have seen the Lord, but Thomas said, “Unless I see his hands and prints of the nails, and put my hands into His side, I will not believe” Then Jesus appeared to him saying, “Reach your finger here and look at My hands….Do not be unbelieving but believing”.
And Jesus said, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed”
The whole episode of Christianity is between God and you. We all know Jesus died for us and most importantly He resurrected. There can be no evidence to prove, but being a Christian is about believing that Jesus is alive. Many times our faith are tested, but as a Christian we need to stand and believe.
Being a Christian is not about feeling right or wrong. It is okay that we can feel quiet and lifeless but it does not mean that God is not there. Some Christian thinks that God comes in form of strong signs are movements of nature but sometimes the spirits moves gently. This was described in the book of 1 Kings 19:11-12
"A great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper….
So if God does not come in form of greatness, and if God does not come through feelings, how do we know that our God is God? In my 20 years as a Christian, I don’t deny that I have some doubts in Christianity when I was very young. I asked myself if my God is not real, would I be hurting the ‘real’ God? Why not just stand on the fence (be neutral) and not side any God, least I worship a wrong religion? I believe some of you have encountered this situation at one point or another, so have we done very wrong?
Thomas, one of Jesus twelve disciples (supposingly to be so close with Jesus) have doubts too. When Jesus arose, He met up with all the disciples but Thomas was not there (read John 20:24). All the disciples rejoices telling Thomas that they have seen the Lord, but Thomas said, “Unless I see his hands and prints of the nails, and put my hands into His side, I will not believe” Then Jesus appeared to him saying, “Reach your finger here and look at My hands….Do not be unbelieving but believing”.
And Jesus said, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed”
The whole episode of Christianity is between God and you. We all know Jesus died for us and most importantly He resurrected. There can be no evidence to prove, but being a Christian is about believing that Jesus is alive. Many times our faith are tested, but as a Christian we need to stand and believe.
Are you going to Heaven or Hell?
Are you going to Heaven or Hell?
I was walking down the escalator in Hong Kong office the other night, when few of my Chinese colleagues spoke about religion. One of them said that all religions are the same, as it teaches good and the basic of going to heaven or hell comes down to weighing how much good or bad you have done on earth. If you do more good in the end of the day, you’ll go up and if you are more evil, you’ll be condemn downwards. Theology is often linked to myth, and so often today we have a new religion so much practiced, a ‘free thinker’. Reason? Because many people find the easy way out to a less committed practice, and what else can be more comfortable than making-themselves-godly-status; to love and to trust themselves?
The world so often debate on which religion has a God able to withstand, and doing so, the Gods of all gods. Arguments have gone long and far extreme, but it all comes down to beliefs. Beliefs that gives hope, and above all gives peace.
There are many written scriptures on what and how God looks alike in every religion. Some religion takes god as an ancient warrior, some takes nature as a source of life such as the god of the fields, the god of the sea etc, and some believe that god is a source of living, a creation of life and breathe. So who is God? And what makes Him the God of all gods?
Then following question comes down to what is Christian so different from other religion?
A friend of mine who was a Christian backslider never wanted anything to do with Christianity. He felt so terrible inside that once describe himself as “I have sinned so much that God can’t even forgive me”. Some even say, “I am worse than the devil herself”.
In a congress held in one of part of the world to discuss the differences of many religions, many leaders of different religion came together to voice their opinion. The question sits still as what is in their religion so different and having that extra edge? Many came to talk, with different views but the conclusions are very alike that the rule stands by every religion teaches good and is the key to heaven’s welcoming gate. It goes for the Christian committee as well that they find it nothing to speak to declare Christian so different from others. So what is the Christianity different from others? Take a moment to ponder.
Look into the 10 commandments and you’d realize that it still teaches the basic of doing good. Thou shall love the Lord, Thou shall not kill, thou shall not commit adultery etc. It even struck me, that in my 20 years walk with God, I fail to point out what our religion is so different from others, that at times it is all about teaching to do good. Agree?
In the new testaments however, God Himself came as a man and He made it clear to us, He is the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the father except through Him. Again, in Matthew 20:1-16: the parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard. An owner of the field went out early in the morning to hire some laborer and promised 1 denarius per day. In the afternoon, he saw people in the market place and again hired them to labor with 1 denarius per day. On the sixth hour and up to the eleventh hour, he still brings men in to labor the field and still promised 1 denarius a day. That evening came, and he gave all of them 1 denarius each. The people who worked from the morning complained to the landowner thinking that that deserves more, saying, “these men who worked only one hour gets the same as us”. But the landowner said, “take what is yours and go your way, I wish to give to this last man the same as to you”. “Is it now lawful for me to do what I want with my own things? Or is your eye evil for I am good?”
For such is the kingdom of God, while we think that our Christian life is about sacrifices and givings, we envy those that on their last breathe accept Christ and still go to heaven. Is it all fair? As Christian, we think that we have done much and we deserve to be loved more, but God still allows them that sinned so much to enter His kingdom, and enjoy the “privileges” the same as what you and I can.
Such is Christianity. It is the only religion that your entrance to Heaven does not measure by the amount of good works you do. We enter heaven by the GRACE of God. You and I know that we were sinner and undeservingly get to go to Heaven, but by the GRACE and His agape love, we are all reconciled with Jesus.
The next time, someone ask you what is it so different between your God and others, tell them. Your God is a God of love.
-written by Jonathan Ang-
I was walking down the escalator in Hong Kong office the other night, when few of my Chinese colleagues spoke about religion. One of them said that all religions are the same, as it teaches good and the basic of going to heaven or hell comes down to weighing how much good or bad you have done on earth. If you do more good in the end of the day, you’ll go up and if you are more evil, you’ll be condemn downwards. Theology is often linked to myth, and so often today we have a new religion so much practiced, a ‘free thinker’. Reason? Because many people find the easy way out to a less committed practice, and what else can be more comfortable than making-themselves-godly-status; to love and to trust themselves?
The world so often debate on which religion has a God able to withstand, and doing so, the Gods of all gods. Arguments have gone long and far extreme, but it all comes down to beliefs. Beliefs that gives hope, and above all gives peace.
There are many written scriptures on what and how God looks alike in every religion. Some religion takes god as an ancient warrior, some takes nature as a source of life such as the god of the fields, the god of the sea etc, and some believe that god is a source of living, a creation of life and breathe. So who is God? And what makes Him the God of all gods?
Then following question comes down to what is Christian so different from other religion?
A friend of mine who was a Christian backslider never wanted anything to do with Christianity. He felt so terrible inside that once describe himself as “I have sinned so much that God can’t even forgive me”. Some even say, “I am worse than the devil herself”.
In a congress held in one of part of the world to discuss the differences of many religions, many leaders of different religion came together to voice their opinion. The question sits still as what is in their religion so different and having that extra edge? Many came to talk, with different views but the conclusions are very alike that the rule stands by every religion teaches good and is the key to heaven’s welcoming gate. It goes for the Christian committee as well that they find it nothing to speak to declare Christian so different from others. So what is the Christianity different from others? Take a moment to ponder.
Look into the 10 commandments and you’d realize that it still teaches the basic of doing good. Thou shall love the Lord, Thou shall not kill, thou shall not commit adultery etc. It even struck me, that in my 20 years walk with God, I fail to point out what our religion is so different from others, that at times it is all about teaching to do good. Agree?
In the new testaments however, God Himself came as a man and He made it clear to us, He is the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the father except through Him. Again, in Matthew 20:1-16: the parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard. An owner of the field went out early in the morning to hire some laborer and promised 1 denarius per day. In the afternoon, he saw people in the market place and again hired them to labor with 1 denarius per day. On the sixth hour and up to the eleventh hour, he still brings men in to labor the field and still promised 1 denarius a day. That evening came, and he gave all of them 1 denarius each. The people who worked from the morning complained to the landowner thinking that that deserves more, saying, “these men who worked only one hour gets the same as us”. But the landowner said, “take what is yours and go your way, I wish to give to this last man the same as to you”. “Is it now lawful for me to do what I want with my own things? Or is your eye evil for I am good?”
For such is the kingdom of God, while we think that our Christian life is about sacrifices and givings, we envy those that on their last breathe accept Christ and still go to heaven. Is it all fair? As Christian, we think that we have done much and we deserve to be loved more, but God still allows them that sinned so much to enter His kingdom, and enjoy the “privileges” the same as what you and I can.
Such is Christianity. It is the only religion that your entrance to Heaven does not measure by the amount of good works you do. We enter heaven by the GRACE of God. You and I know that we were sinner and undeservingly get to go to Heaven, but by the GRACE and His agape love, we are all reconciled with Jesus.
The next time, someone ask you what is it so different between your God and others, tell them. Your God is a God of love.
-written by Jonathan Ang-
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