A Prayer for the Bereaved

O God our Father who is in Heaven,
Blessed be Your Name, and Blessed are You,
for You have created all things,
and for Your pleasure they came into existence and were created.

We pray to you Holy Father,
for the bereaving family of our dear Brother/Sister (name)
who has passed away from this world
and has returned to be with You in Heaven.

Father, in this hour of grief and mourning,
we remember deep within our sorrowful hearts,
that naked came we out of our mothers' womb,
and naked shall we return thither:

O LORD our God,
You gave us our Brother/Sister (name),
who brought us love, joy and happiness all these years,
and today You have taken him/her away;

Our hearts are filled with grief,
we mourn for our beloved Brother/Sister (name)
together with each bereaving member of his beloved family.

Comfort each one of them, O LORD,
take away the pain from their hearts,
and grant them Your peace,

for you are the Father of our Lord Iesus the Anointed,
You are the Father of mercies,
and You are the God of all comfort;
who comforts us in all our tribulation,

To You, the One True God, the Father,
from whom are all things and for whom we exist,
and through our Lord Iesus the Anointed One,
through whom are all things and through whom we exist,

We pray.

Amen and Amen.

Ego eimi

Ego eimi?

Written about four years ago on 2017.10.29 in whatsapp after Sunday morning service in Wesley Methodist Church, Kampar.

Does the Greek "ego eimi" (I am) refer to God himself?

In Exodus 3:14 it is written,

And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM (ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὤν, ego eimi ho on)” And He said “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM (ὁ ὢν, ho on) has sent me to you.”” (Exodus 3:14)

In the NT, our Lord told the Jews in John 8:58,

"most assuredly I say to you, before Abraham was, I am (ego eimi)"

Similarly, in John 10:7, the Lord Jesus told the Pharisees,

"Most assuredly I say to you, I am (ego eimi) the door of the sheep"

If the use of "ego eimi" implies "I am God", then the apostle Paul must have also claimed to be God in Acts 26:29

And Paul said, “I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I AM (ego eimi) except for these chains” (Acts 26:29)

Likewise, the centurion who pleaded with our Lord in John 8:5-13 must also have claimed to be God because he said,

For I AM (ego eimi) a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. (Matthew 8: 9 KJV)

It is obvious that the Greek expression ego eimi by itself does not imply divinity. Instead it is another expression that was used alongside ego eimi in Exodus 3:14 that carries the meaning "I AM" for God himself

And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM (ego eimi ho on).” And He said “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM (ho on) has sent me to you.”” (Exodus 3:14)

It can be clearly seen from Ex3:14 above that it is the expression "ho on" that refers to God's Name rather than "ego eimi".

This is consistent with the Greek in the NT in Rev 16:5

And I heard the angel of the waters saying: “You are righteous, O Lord, The One who is (ho on) and who was (kai ho en) and who is to be (kai ho osious) Because You have judged these things. Revelation 16:5

καὶ ἤκουσα τοῦ ἀγγέλου τῶν ὑδάτων λέγοντος Δίκαιος Κύριε, εἶ ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἦν καὶ ὁ ὅσιος ὅτι ταῦτα ἔκρινας

Conclusion:

The expression that Moses recorded in Exodus 3:14 for God, I AM that I AM (ego eimi ho on) uses "ho on" and not just "ego eimi" for the Name of God Almighty.

Further reading about Exodus 3:14
http://exodus-314.com/part-i/exodus-314-in-early-translations.html

Through the storm

This testimony was recorded in my notebook back in August 2012 and has remained there all these nine years ago, while I tell myself from time to time to post it in my blog. At last, today I came across the note again and decided that I must post it here and now.

Through the storm, 30Aug2012

This evening I drove into a severe thunderstorm just after leaving the road junction outside Malim Nawar heading towards Kampar at about 7 o'clock. Dark storm clouds descended, there were flashes of lightning and deafening claps of thunder all around us outside. Strong winds and blinding rain made us slow down to a crawl. Branches dropped from trees and littered the road along the way.

It was like the end of the world.

Suddenly, something fell on to the roof of our car with a very loud thud and soon after that we encountered a small tree that had fallen across the road. However, a big lorry that was ahead of us managed to run over some branches of the fallen tree and "opened" a way for traffic to pass in single file.

Thanks be to God who protected us and the motorists in front of us, no one was hurt, our car was not damaged and we reached home safe and sound. Blessed be the Name of YHVH, our God who is our refuge in times of trouble.

Psalm 23: 4
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Iesou: ascending to where he was before

This note was written about four months ago on 2021.01.19

Ascending where he was before, 19 January 2021 12:18 hrs.
Reading from John chapter 6 ASV

Our Lord asked his disciples a pointed and perhaps somewhat troubling question in verse 62 of John chapter 6.

John 6:62 ASV
What then if ye should behold the Son of man ascending where he was before?

Where was our Lord Iesou before he came to earth? Where is this place "where he was before", and where he is returning to?

We can find the answer in the following verses where our Lord repeatedly called himself the Bread of Life, and that he came down from Heaven:

John 6: 32b - 33 ASV
. . . It was not Moses that gave you the bread out of heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread out of heaven. For the bread of God is that which cometh down out of heaven, and giveth life unto the world.

John 6: 35 ASV
. . . I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall not hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

John 6: 48 ASV
I am the bread of life.

John 6: 40 - 58 ASV
50 This is the bread which cometh down out of heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down out of heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: yea and the bread which I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world.

From Passover, Tabernacles, Hanukkah, to the next Passover

This observation from the Gospel of John was recorded about four months ago on 2021.01.19.

From one Passover to the next, the final year of the earthly ministry of our Lord Iesus.

John 6:4 ASV
Now the passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand.

John 7:2 ASV
Now the feast of the Jews, the feast of tabernacles, was at hand.

The weeklong Feast of Unleavened Bread, commonly called the Passover, begins on the 15th day of the First Month, whereas the week long feast of Tabernacles (Sukkoth) begins on the 15th day of the Seventh month of the Biblical lunar year.

There is thus a gap of six months between John 6:4 and John 7:2.

At Passover, our Lord revealed himself as the Bread of Life.

John 6: 35 ASV
. . . I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall not hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

John 6: 48 ASV
I am the bread of life.

On the last day of the feast of Tabernacles, the 22nd day of the 7th month, our Lord revealed himself as the giver of Living Water, the water of life, which is the Holy Spirit.

John 7:37 - 39 ASV
Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. 38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, from within him shall flow rivers of living water. 39 But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believed on him were to receive: for the Spirit was not yet given; because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Additional notes, posted on Fri 2021.06.25

It was another two months later, on the 25th day of the Ninth month (Chislev, around end Nov/Dec), at the start of Hanukkah, the Feast of Dedication, that the Lord Iesou walked in Solomon's Porch (or Solomon's Colonnade, NIV) in the Temple area in Jerusalem. There, he was confronted by the Jews who asked him,

"How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Anointed One, tell us plainly" (John 10:22 - 24 NIV)

So the gap between John 7:37 (last day of Tabernacles, 22d 7mth) and John 10:22 (beginning of Dedication 25d 9mth) is about two months.

After that, it would be another stretch of about four months before we approach the Passover of the following year at John 12:1, "Six days before the Passover", which is around the 8th day of the 1st month (Abib) when the Lord Iesou arrived in Bethany. The next day, he entered Jerusalem triumphantly riding on a donkey, as a great crowd waved palm branches and shouted,

"Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the Name of the LORD (Yehovah)" (John 12:12 - 15).

That would be his final visit to Jerusalem before his crucifixion on Passover Day (or 1st day of Unleavened Bread) on 15th day 1st month, and his resurrection on 17th day 1st month.

A Prayer for Enlightenment

Adapted from Ephesians 1: 17-22
This prayer was written on 07Mar2017. An earlier version of this prayer was posted on this blog on 04Mar2013.

A Prayer for Enlightenment

O God of our Master Yeshua (Iesou) Your Anointed One,
Grant us the spirit of wisdom and revelation
in the knowledge of You, God,
That the eyes of our understanding be enlightened,
That we may know
what is the hope of Your calling,
what are the riches of the glory of Your inheritance in the saints and
what is the exceeding greatness of Your power
toward us who believe,

According to the working of your mighty power
which You worked in Your Anointed One,
when You raised him from the dead and
seated him at Your right hand
in the heavenly places,
Far above all principality
and power
and might
and dominion
and every name that is named,
not only in this age
but also in the age to come.

And You put all things under his feet,
And You gave him to be head over all things
to the Assembly,
which is his body,
the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Amen. Amen.

Was Iesus the Logos in the beginning?

I wrote this note about three months ago back in 2021.02.05, after coming across some arguments on fb denying the pre-existence of Iesou the Anointed One before his Advent on earth, in blatant contradiction to the verses in John Chapter One.

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

John 1:14 KJV
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.

An argument that I came across:

That 'Word/Logos'was actually the Torah . . .

Actually the Word is the plan while Christ is the fulfillment of that plan. Logos literally mean expressed idea.

It really boils down to the fruit. If we agree that the plan of God is for us to become like Christ, then we must have the same starting place to begin the journey. If Jesus is some hybrid creature, not purely human and not purely God then we can never be like him. This scraps the entire plan of God for his children.

Besides the above comment, I also came across some weak arguments trying to equate certain verses in John 6, about Iesou coming from heaven, with good gifts (James 1), blessings (Malachi 3), manna (Psalm 78), and even John the Baptist (John 1).

All these comments conveniently leave out the following verses from John chapter 6 where our Lord plainly states that he was from God and that he would be ascending back to where he was before:

John 6:46 ASV
Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he that is *from God*, he hath seen the Father.

John 6: 62 ASV
What then if ye should behold the Son of man ascending *where he was before*?

Further passages that are also ignored by these "non-preexistence of Iesus" advocates are as follows:

(1) The world was made through the Lord Iesou.

John 1:10 NIV
He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.

(2) No one has ascended to heaven except the Lord Iesou who came down from heaven.

John 3:13 NKJV
No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.

(3) Our Lord stated twice that he who comes from heaven is above all. In contrast, we who are of the earth are earthly people who speak only of things on earth.

John 3:31 NKJV
He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.

(4) The Lord Iesou came out from God. At the end of his earthly ministry, he told his disciples that he was leaving the world and was going back to God again.

John 16:27 - 28 KJV
27 For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.
28 I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.

(5) God loved His only begotten Son before the creation of the world.

John 17:24 NIV
Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

When one looks at the assertions plainly stated in John chapters 1, 3, 6, 16 and 17, one cannot find any reason at all to deny the pre-existence of Iesou the Anointed One as the Word (Logos) who was in the beginning with God our Father, Almighty Creator of Heaven and Earth.

Source (read with caution):
https://www.followintruth.com/did-jesus-pre-exist-his-earthly-incarnation-come-down-from-heaven

The power of spoken words

This note was written early last year, on Wednesday 2020.01.29, in response to an article posted by church members commenting on Dr Alfred A. Tomatis' practice of "sound and listening therapy", claiming that cells in our body emit vibrations, that we can bring back normal vibration to damaged cells. Citing some research by Boston University that reading the Bible aloud can bring about healing, the article even claims that reading bible aloud can heal all illnesses, including cancer!

My reply:

In my opinion, whatever we say aloud, including our prayers, has influence over us and over those around us.

For example, I have read comments by a Jewish (non-Christian) scholar who studied the Lord's Prayer in the New Testament. He was surprised to find that the Lord's Prayer is very similar to their Jewish prayers, both in the things that are asked for (God's Name, Kingdom, and Will etc), as well as in the fact that the statements in this prayer are powerful "let there be" commands.

In other words, when we say the Lord's prayer aloud, we are "commanding" powerfully, things to happen by the hand of God our Father in Heaven.

For example:
• "Hallowed be Thy Name"
• "Thy Kingdom come"
• "Thy will be done . . ." etc

Praying aloud has powerful effects. Whenever possible, let us pray aloud.

Is Chinese New Year similar to Passover?

This note was written about three months ago, back in 2021.02.17.

I received the following post on whatsapp claiming that CNY is like Passover. (My response at the end of the post.)

/// The origin of Chinese New Year and the Jewish Passover.

There are a good many coincidental similarities between these two festivals.

Chinese New Year is called GUO NIAN.

GUO is Passover in English.

NIAN is the monster that killed children. The Angel of Death also killed every first born child in every family in Egypt on the eve of the first Passover.

The NIAN is aversed to the colour of red. The Angel of Death also spared the household with red colour blood on their door frame.

The Dui Lian or couplets written on strips of red paper are pasted on the sides and the top of the door frame. The red blood of the Passover lamb was also painted on the sides and the top of the door frame of every Jewish household.

The family was instructed to gather all their family members inside the house on the eve of the Passover for protection. In the Chinese Reunion dinner, it is compulsary for all members of the family to return and gather around the table in the household on the eve of the Chinese New Year.

The Chinese New Year reunion dinner is celebrated on the eve and not the first day. The Passover Seder meal is also celebrated on the eve. The Reunion dinner traditionally consists of Jiaozi (dumplings), Tangyuan (soup ball like manna), Chunjuan (spring rolls) and Niangao (sticky cake) incidentally are all unleavened food. The Passover meal also consist of only unleavened food.

The Chinese New Year spring cleaning searched out to get rid of any old things or dirt to discard. The Passover practise of Chametz also searched out any old leaven to get rid of it.

People normally do not work for the first week of the Chinese New Year just like the Jewish people who will keep the Sabbath in the 7 days from the Passover.

Do these similarities point to a possible origin of the Chinese New Year in the Jewish Passover ? Possible . . . ///

My response:

Yes, there appears to be broad similarities between the Chinese Guo Nian and the Hebrew Passover.

However, I would like to point out two significant differences between Chinese New Year traditions and the Passover Meal in the Hebrew New Year.

Firstly,

The Chinese tradition of Guo Nian (Pass through the Year) has nothing to do with the Israelite observance of Passover.

The Chinese word "GUO" does not meaning to "pass over". Instead, it simply means to "pass", and can be used for passing by or passing through or passing across a time, occasion or place.

During Guo Nian, the Chinese pass the year by merely using red coloured objects and noisy fire crackers to frighten AWAY the mythical Nian monster. No passover lamb is involved. No blood is shed. No sacrifice is required.

In contrast, during Passover, each Israelite household applies the BLOOD of a one year old unblemished male lamb, isolated from the flock on the 10th day and cared for until the 14th day of the New Year, so that the Angel of Death will pass OVER their household. (Exodus 12:1-13)

In particular, Exodus 12:13 tells us, "The blood will be a SIGN for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you"

The Angel of Death passed over the household not because he was averse to the red colour of blood, but because the blood on the door posts was "a sign" to show that the Passover Lamb has given its life in place of the first born child in the household.

Secondly,

The assertion that the "red paper" on which the Chinese Dui Lian couplets are written, which are pasted on door posts and lintel, is akin to the "red blood" of the Passover lamb is mistaken.

Again, it is not so much the use of red paper but rather the tradition of posting "good words" on the door posts that is significant. This practice runs parallel to the command in Deuteronomy 6:9 where Moses told the children of Israel to write the word of God (good words) on their door posts and gates.

Conclusion:

One should not associate the chasing AWAY of the Nian in Chinese New Year tradition with the passing OVER of the angel of death in the Hebrew New Year.

Whilst the Nian is averse to the colour red, the angel of death passed over the Israelite household not because of any aversion to red colours, but because of the SIGN of the blood of an unblemished lamb on the door posts.

Likewise, one should not associate the red paper used in Dui Lian couplets with the blood of lamb on the door posts, but rather the writing of words should be associated with the command given in Deuteronomy 6:9.

A Prayer for the Severely Sick

Our Father who is in Heaven, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, who is above all and in all, and from whom are all things,

Blessed are You, and Blessed be Your Name,

We pray to You, O God,
for our beloved (Name),
for he is in distress,
he is very sick,
his body has grown extremely weak,
he is faint, and in deep anguish and agony.

O LORD, Have mercy on (Name),
And have mercy on us all,
we lift our hearts and hands to You,
we pour out our hearts before You
and ask that You may heal (Name) of his severe illness.

Preserve our Brother / Sister (Name), O God,
and be a refuge for him in this hour of suffering,
For you are our Lord, and we have no good apart from you.

Heal him, and he will be healed,
Save him, and he will be saved,
For You are the one we praise.

We ask this from you, O God our Father, in the Name of Your Chosen King, our Lord and Saviour Iesou the Anointed One.

Now to You who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think,
according to the power that works in us,
To You be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus
To all generations for ever and ever. Amen

Praying with one voice, in one accord

First posted in whatsapp on 29Jan2020
Sharing my thoughts about praying together in one accord.

In my opinion, praying aloud "together" in the New Testament is always done in "one accord, with one voice". I understand this to mean uttering the same words together in prayer.

This is the way the Jewish people have prayed together for centuries, whether at home or in the synagogue, even until today. Their prayers are written in books of prayers called "siddur".

I think it is for such a purpose that our Lord gave his disciples the Lord's Prayer in Matthew Chapter 6 (and in Luke too) - that they should say the words of the prayer aloud, in one accord, with one voice. I guess the disciples wrote it down in some kind of book of prayer in those days.

Notice that the Lord's Prayer was given by our Lord in response to the disciples' request, "Teach *us* how to pray . . ." They wanted to know how to pray together. That's why our Lord taught them to say, " *Our* Father, who is in heaven . . ."

Another example of praying together aloud with one voice is recorded in Acts 4: 24-30, when Peter and John returned to the disciples after their release from detention and interrogation by the chief priests and elders:

"Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:

‘Why do the nations rage
- - and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth rise up
- - and the rulers band together
against the Lord
- - and against his anointed one.'

Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

Acts 4:24 tells us that the disciples raised their voice "together in prayer" to God. That means somebody among them had written out the words of the prayer so that they can all pray together *in one voice*, just like when they pray the Lord's Prayer together.

Sadly, this priceless tradition of saying prayers aloud together has all but disappeared from churches today.