John 16

1 These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.
2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.
3 And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor Me.

This commitment to faith in Christ is starting to sound like a crazy idea, right? "Whoever kills you will think he's helping God"? So strange. How could the tests be so difficult? I thought God was kind and good and peaceful. What's up with this?

Jesus explains that the reason these things are going to happen is because "they have not known the Father, nor Me." We, my friend, are the fortunate ones, the blessed ones! Why? Because we do know the Father and Jesus!

4 But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you.
5 But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou?
6 But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart.
7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

It's sort of how your mom would talk when she was leaving and your grandmother was coming to babysit you. You can have some time with Granma! Yea!

8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
9 Of sin, because they believe not on Me;
10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see Me no more;
11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
12 I have many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.

Being Born Again

Being "born again" is a result or offshoot of being saved. This is also something you cannot "feel" with your senses. Although, some people do feel happy, elated, excited, relieved, bubbly, exuberant and peaceful in a unique full-of-total-peace way that they've never felt before. So, for a lot of people, there are "feelings" involved.

Some have said that they felt as if they were emerging into the air, coming up from deep water! Some have said that the grass appeared to be greener, the sky bluer and the air fresher. For many, being saved and being "born-again" was a once in a lifetime experience that they will never forget.

Can you remember the day you received Jesus as your own Saviour and Lord? I sure can!

For me, that day will be forever recorded in history as a milestone. When I opened my eyes after having prayed the "sinner's prayer", it felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted from my shoulders. I could breathe! Yes, the grass was greener, the sky was bluer and I had an inexplicable peace that everything was going to be just fine from then on.

Although I also received an infilling of the Holy Spirit, it wasn't until days later that I received the "gift" of tongues. The Holy Spirit manifested also in prophecies and visions later on. It's one step at a time. And it's really according to your faith.

However, all this to say that salvation is not necessarily a physical experience for everyone. And if you don't "feel" saved, that doesn't necessarily mean that you're not saved. Once you have confessed your sins and accepted Jesus Christ by faith, you don't need to do it again. He comes in and your life is changed. You are reborn.

As Jesus Himself said to Nicodemus in John 3:3, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." When Nicodemus couldn't wrap his head around it, Jesus explained a bit further saying, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."

You may not even be aware of the exact point at which your spirit is reborn. But, it happens by faith. We receive new insights into the Word of God and new motivation to reach out and help other humans around us.

Along with this rebirth, you should have a good, healthy appetite for the Word! As Number Five said in the movie, "Short Circuit",
"Input!"

A truly born-again, saved and delivered believer will want to know more about his Creator and his God! And God will want to pour out to you, too! Just like a newborn baby, you will desire the milk of the Word to grow on.

And that, my dear friends, is what this blog is ALL about. The Sincere Milk of the Word! So, drink up. And grow. Mature spiritually. Then, as you get closer to God, you will begin to learn all the secrets of the universe.

That's a start.

Are You Saved?

So, are you saved? Do you have "salvation"? And, how can you know for sure whether you are or not?

First off and very importantly, this is something you can't figure out with your mind. Believe me, I've tried! So many times! And can't wrap my head around it no matter how hard I try. I don't think it's because I'm stupid. Salvation is a spiritual concept that doesn't make sense with the human brain.

Perhaps, some day we will understand it.

I watched "The Passion of the Christ" the other night and it sickened me. (No offense, Mel.) I couldn't stand to see all that blood. But, what was worse than the disgusting visuals was that it really messed with my head.

I do not understand why Jesus was required to suffer agony, shame and death. Why? Why? Why? What good did it do? Did Satan gain anything from it? And here's the real killer, the Bible says "it pleased the Lord to bruise Jesus"! Phew.

Sorry. I don't understand. I'm not trying to make this more difficult than it already is, I'm just saying. My brain cannot comprehend it. Is it because it's so much love that it supersedes my thinking modus operandi? Or is it because pain and love don't seem to go together? Who would want someone they loved to suffer?

Why was a death required in order for the sins of the entire history of humans to be overcome?

It seems that Jesus did this wonderful, hugely sacrificial thing for us in order to please God and so that God would be able to look at us. Before Jesus's death, God could not look at us because we are covered in sin. Apparently, the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all that sin that was blocking God's view!

The question is, "How do you know you are saved?"

The answer, to the best of my ability is: "It is by faith." If you believe you are saved and you know that you believe in Jesus Christ as the Messiah, you are saved! That's right, folks. That's how simple it is. If you prayed that little prayer or one like it, to receive (accept) Jesus into your heart/life (not your mind), then you can be "born again into the kingdom of heaven".

Amazing, isn't it? So simple and yet so powerful! And wonderful. And all for free.

You simply touch God with your faith and a miracle happens inside your soul called "salvation".

Salvation

What is salvation? What does it mean?

You have probably heard of the "Salvation Army". Growing up, we used to put our unwanted clothes into bags for the Salvation Army. But, I really never understood the meaning of the word, until I received salvation.

Like the old clothes, our souls can be redeemed or bought back. The price is the blood of Jesus Christ.

I don't think the Salvation Army was using that word for their clothes and second-hand goods, but it just became very well-known as a group of Christians that took old, used items to sell so they could raise money to help the needy.

In that case, the word that is more fitting is the word "salvage". That's the word for retrieving something worthless and putting it to good use, or renewing it to use it again.

Also, like our souls.

So, where do we all deserve to go when we die? That's the question.

And, the answer is: HELL.

Going to Hell isn't only for bad, bad people and terrible monsters who murder and steal. Hell is for pretty much everybody. Apparently, it's an awful place of torment where you burn and the worm doesn't die. It's a place of punishment.

Now, the question is, "Why would God allow such a horrendous thing?"

Well, originally, remember, in the Garden of Eden, we were supposed to live forever. The first human bodies were built to LAST. They must have been incredible models of perfection.

But, then, as you know, sin entered the world. Sin changed the whole ballgame.

God could no longer allow humans to live forever with sin in the mix. You see, Satan had entered in and thrown his monkey wrench into the works to try to screw up the relationship between man and God and the entire existence of man on this planet. God had to work fast to patch things up and to control the damage from spreading too much further.

Therefore, our bodies became limited. We were placed into a sort of safety zone where time held us captive so that we couldn't live long enough to do so much damage. And Hell was reserved as a form of punishment for the stubborn followers of Satan.

But, God also came up with a plan to completely defeat Satan's purpose. And to teach him a lesson as well.

God decided to send His Only Son into the world in human form to become like one of us. He was chosen to dwell among humans, live like humans and be tempted in every way that humans are tempted. But, because He had no sin, Jesus could become the sacrifice that was required by Satan to purge our sins.

When Jesus died on the cross, He wasn't suffering and dying for His own sins, but for all the sins of mankind, right from Adam and Eve to all of their descendents throughout time.

Now, the thing about time is that Time is only in our perspective. God is not bound by time. God is not limited by Time.

For God, Time isn't an issue and doesn't control Him or how He sees things. For God, Time can even go backwards.

Why are we talking about Time?

Because Jesus died over 2000 years ago. But, when He died doesn't matter in the sense that even though sin has been taken out of the world 2000 years ago, it appears to us that we are all living in a very sinful world.

Look around you and you'll wonder what in the world we're talking about to say that Jesus died for sin. If He died for sin, why is all this terrible stuff continuing to happen?

The simple answer is, "Time."

Jesus died somewhere in the middle of our perceived "Time Line". It is finished. His death is complete. We are forgiven (if we believe). Our souls have been paid for. 

So, "salvation" means to be saved from going to hell to be punished for your own sins and for the sins you inherited in your genes. Like it or not, you are a sinner! All of us are! That's our curse. That's our heritage. We can't get away from it.

BUT, we can be saved OUT of it. Your soul can be saved from sin. Your soul can be bought with the blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God! Isn't that wonderful?

You get to escape from Hell and Death and Sin! You can be free!

Now, as far as I know, this is the only kind of freedom that exists on planet earth. If you don't receive and accept Jesus as your Messiah and Lord, I'm afraid you will never know true freedom.

So, to be saved and be free, all you need to do is talk to God. You can call it praying. Here's a prayer that you can repeat:

"Dear Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, like everyone else on this earth and that I need deliverance and salvation. Please come into my heart and save my soul from Hell. I believe You died on the cross and that You rose from the dead. Please forgive me for all my sins, past present and future. Amen."

Here's a prayer in Malaysian for all you Malays that want to accept Jesus:

"Tuhan Yesus, Saya adalah orang berdosa. Saya patut mati kerana dosa-dosa saya. Tetapi kau sudah gantikan saya mati di kayu salib untuk dosa ku dan untuk menebus aku. Sekarang saya undang Tuhan Yesus masuk dalam hatiku menjadi Tuhan dan juruselamat ku secaka pribadi sekarang dan selamanya. Amen."

Let me know if I have made any mistakes in the above transcript. Thanks.

John 15

16.Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in My name, He may give it you.

What a promise! God chose us to bear fruit for Him so that whatever we ask, He will give it to us! How's that for an "Affirmation"? Claim the powerful Word of God in your life if you want huge change!

17. These things I command you, that ye love one another.

It's a commandment from Jesus that we love each other. We may not like each other, but we must love each other!

18. If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.

What does He mean by the "world"? I think it means people who only live for their flesh and fleshly desires and who have no faith in God or the invisible, spiritual world that we live in.

19. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

If the world doesn't hate you, there's something wrong! Got any enemies?

20. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
21. But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not Him that sent Me.
22. If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin.
23. He that hateth me hateth my Father also.
24. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both Me and my Father.
25. But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated Me without a cause.
26. But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, He shall testify of me.

Here, Jesus is talking about the Holy Spirit which is poured out to believers without measure. All we need to do to receive it is to ask for it. It's the Spirit of TRUTH. We could all use a lot more of it, right?

27. And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.

God is the Vine

If we Christians would just follow the instructions in this chapter alone, our lives would be peachy! At least we can give it a try!

John 15
1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

Think of yourself as a plant. It may hurt a little when God plucks the dead stuff off you, but it will help you to bear more fruit.

3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
8 Herein is my father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you; continue ye in my love.
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
15 Henceforth I call you not servant; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

Jesus calls Himself our friend. How cool is that? Have you ever had a friend that died to save your life?

An old friend of mine had a son whom he loved very much. One day, at a party, the boy looked up and saw that the ceiling was going to cave in on top of a little girl. He jumped to push her out of the way and as she was saved from the crashing ceiling, the boy was crushed and killed. He laid down his life for his friend. What a hero! What a friend.