For the Soul, Quotes:CKW

Choices is one of the great constants of life. Everyone is given a choice by God … ~ Cheong Kok Weng

img_9609

Every one is responsible for one’s own choices and actions and one will live by the results or consequences of the choices. Life is filled with continual choices, a succession of choices if you like, one after another: choices are a “constant” in our lives.

Choices are before us and It is our call, but we need to remember this ..we either make good or poor choices …AND the choice that we make may change our lives forever.

It depends on each of us to make favourable and better choices out of life. Retrogressive or progressive choices ..our call – as per the mandate given by our Creator who gave us the free – will to choose.

May God help us to wisely choose – our lives depend on this.

***

God has also given man the power to make an eternal choice regarding his ultimate destiny.

As a free moral agent, man has the awesome responsibility, to choose between, being with God in Heaven or reject Him and live without Him, joining the devil and his angels in the Lake of Fire – a choice with eternal consequences.

“See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;” Deuteronomy 30:15

“I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, ..” Deuteronomy 30:19

 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.

“For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.” John 3:16-22

For the Soul, Quotes:CKW

To miss the doughnut by looking through the hole is ok, but to miss the CREATOR by looking through Creation is Eternal Regret.. ~Cheong Kok Weng

img_9570

When we look at the mountains, waterfalls, skies above, and all of creation, we can see the unmistakable evidence of God’s power and glory.

God alone created the heavens and earth so that all living things would rejoice in His effulgence and refulgence of creation.

But many of us almost never take time to give attention, to pause and marvel at the immeasurably expansiveness and loveliness of His creation.

“O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.” Psalm 8:1

“And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen.” Psalm 72:19

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge”  Psalm 19:1-2

Motivational, Quotes:CKW

We must take Action if we want to sail and cross the Sea… ~ Cheong Kok Weng

God gave us choices and there’s power embedded with the right actions taken.img_9364

Right actions are powerful and this comes with the choice we take. Actions do define us. The reality is that, by taking the right actions, even small ones, will have a compounding effect to carry us forward.

We need to remind our selves that incrementally or significantly be better in our daily actions, will get us further than a standstill.

We have to take action and it is good to make a start now. Be pleased with the level we are at right now and do trust that as we take the right actions, we will gravitate consistently to, develop and grow into the greatness that God wants us to be and reach for the great

potential that God has built into us – humans and to glorify our

Creator who is forever praised.

img_9365

Quotes:CKW

Today is an opportunity to make a fresh choice ..for the better.. ~ Cheong Kok Weng

choice

Today is an opportunity to make a fresh choice ..for the better – as long as we are alive on planet earth. ~ Cheong Kok Weng

Sometimes we need to start taking action and making fresh  choices

to make the necessary changes.

God gave us the mandate and the freedom to choose  each day how we want to live it. And also be held accountable for it.

When we choose beneficial choices, things will be for the better.

For the Soul, Quotes:CKW

What we choose to do today will be our harvest ..today ..in future & for eternity. ~Cheong Kok Weng

IMG_8870

We are each the CEO of our own life, as per the mandate given by our Creator. Our lives are a concatenation of choices, and actions bring aftereffects – for better or otherwise. The choices we each make when compiled together make up who we are. It is the principle of the harvest – reaping what we sow.

Choices become habits. Habits become character. Character becomes destiny. It goes back to individual choices we make and what we choose to sow.

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” Galatians 6:7

For the Soul

Why does God give humans free will? Isn’t Hell cruel and how to reconcile that with the loving God?

BeOpened

Would you want to have a Free Will or rather not to have one? 

Isn’t Hell Cruel and how to reconcile that with the Loving God?  Why does God give humans free will?

Isn’t Hell Cruel? How to reconcile that with the Loving God?

Many people had said and are saying: “God, with His being omniscient, should NOT have given men free will because He knows that they will use it to rebel against Him that will result in them going to Hell eternally. He must  be a God who enjoys seeing people going to Hell?”

Click here –> What is Hell Like?

First of all, GOD has no pleasure of seeing wicked people going to Hell. God repudiated the slander upon Him – that of taking pleasure in a sinner’s death.

Say unto them, “As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live:” Ezekiel 33:11a

“Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?” Ezekiel 18:23

“For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.” Ezekiel 18:32

God says to each sinner, “Turn ye, turn ye, for why will ye die?

The aforesaid implied that God is grieved that anyone should die, and also that his own turning is the only means of preventing so dreadful a doom. God saves men only with their concurrence; and will not force His ways to men.

You yourself will bear witness and take responsibility for your own death, as you act as if you believed yourself to have sound reasons for choosing death. If you have reasons they must be your own, and God asks you what they are.

He tells you most earnestly that you need not die because He wants to have you live, and because He has no pleasure at all in your death.

Do press home to your own heart this matter – put to you by your Maker – Why will you die?

Click here –> What is Heaven like?

Would you rather have free will or not to have free will now?

A holy God may not tolerate sin. The attributes of HOLINESS, LOVE, JUSTICE, RIGHTEOUSNESS AND MERCY of GOD may not be separated. At the Cross of Calvary, where JESUS PAID the PENALTY of SIN, all the above attributes of GOD met.

14 “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

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.

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” John 3:14 – 18

Note on verse 16, God says “WHOSOEVER”, that means ANYone.

 Click here –> Why did Jesus die on the cross?

Know that God is good; and a good God is, and will be terrifying to the wicked.

But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,

Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;” Romans 2:8-9

GOD will have the eternal consciousness of having Himself done right, and of not being in any sense or degree to blame for the death of the wicked – when the smoke of their torments shall go up forever and ever, God will forevermore affirm that “no blood of the wicked”, is on His hand.

 Click here –> How to be saved?

Why does God give humans free will?

He created man for His glory and for His pleasure.

“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” Revelations 4:11. 

“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:” Colossians 1:16 

God is a creative Being, and it gives Him pleasure to create. God is a personal Being, and it gives Him pleasure to have other beings He can have a genuine relationship with.

We are created to have a relationship with God.

Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever. ~ Westminster Shorter Catechism

Quote: No person, no experience, no drug, no success, no things, no possessions ..nothing is going to fill that aching hole in your heart that God created for himself. ~ Rick Warren Unquote.

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” Genesis 1:27

Being made in the image and likeness of God, human beings have the capacity to know God and consequently love Him, worship Him, serve Him, and fellowship with Him. God did not create human beings because He needed them. As God, He needs nothing. In all eternity past, He felt no loneliness, so He was not looking for a “friend.” He loves us, but this is not the same as needing us. If we had never existed, God would still be God, the unchanging One.

“For I am the LORD, I change not;” Malachi 3:6a

God was never dissatisfied with His own eternal existence. When He made the universe, He did what pleased Himself, and since God is perfect, His actions are always perfect. God does not make any errors and is at all times, fully in control.

God is Omnipotent – INFINITELY POWERFUL and able to do ALL things, Omnipresent – is EVERYWHERE present, and Omniscient – is ALL KNOWING – fully aware of ALL knowledge.

He wanted man to love Him willingly.  Free will, allows man to love God voluntarily. That’s why God gave us a free will, and not doing so, goes against reason, and is irrational.  God is perfectly logical and that’s why He saw it right to give man the freedom to choose for himself and He hoped that we would use it to give Him pleasure.

God gave man free will even if He knew it will cause problems through man’s wrong use of it because He has the solution to it … Jesus.

Jesus was the solution, God turned evil to good, by transferring all of man’s evil onto His beloved Son so He could pay for them. The chains of sin on us were broken because Jesus paid the full penalty of the sins of men.

RESULT or OUTCOME of free will!

“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” Romans 5:12

“Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.” Romans 5:18

That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 5:21

But God in His mercy prepared a way out, the only way out, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the death penalty of sins, offered his blood for atonement of sins and became the one and only way to God. He is now the antidote or remedy from death.

This is NOW, a free will exercise. IF you chose to receive Jesus Christ, you will get eternal life, ELSE, IF you prefer to continue to reject Him, you will remain in your sins and never receive the remedy from death.

“For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” John 3:17

Recognising the complete sovereignty and holiness of God, we are astounded that He would take man and crown him “with glory and honour”

“What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.” Psalms 8:4-5

Why did God create us and gives us Free Will? God created us for His pleasure and so that we, as His creation, would have the pleasure of knowing Him for eternity.

  • He made the universe – you may reign and share with Him.
  • He created you for Him.

Enjoy God, our CREATOR, the KING of Kings and LORD of Lords for ever and ever. Amen

For the Soul

Blessed Easter for… “He is not here; for He is risen, as He said.” Matthew 28:6a

download (1)

 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26

Christ Is Risen, He Is Risen Indeed !!!

‘But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. ‘ Mark 16:6

empty-tomb1

He Is Risen !!

 

“Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men. 

 

But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.  He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.” 

 

So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word. 

 

And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying,“Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.”  Matthew 28:1-10

 

The angel rolled away the stone not to let Christ out,

 

 

but to let Mary Magdalene and the other Mary in.

 

 

For the Soul

Good Friday commemorates the death by crucifixion of JESUS Christ & we are the REASON for Good Friday!

IMG_1650

“But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.”

Galatians 4:4-5

 

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” Phil. 2:5-8

 

Jesus has two natures:  Divine and human. Jesus is fully God and also fully man while here on the earth.

Jesus say “The Father is greater than I” in John 14:28 whilst saying He is the great “I AM” in John 8:58

 

Jesus said the Father was greater than He NOT because Jesus is not God but because Jesus was also fully man; and as a man, he was in a lower position. See Philippians 2:5-8, Hebrews 2:9 and Galatians 4:4-5 Jesus was speaking in reference to his human nature.

 

The nature of the incarnation when God became man. See 1 John 4:2 & 2 John 1:7  “By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God;” 1 John 4:2 “For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.” 2 John 1:7

 

“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.” Hebrews 2:9

 

However, Jesus is fully Divine (See John 1:14 “And the Word became 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.”) too.

 

By taking on human nature, Jesus did not relinquish His Divine nature—God cannot stop being God. When Jesus, God the Son, took on human form, something amazing occurred. Christ “made himself nothing.” In essence, what it means is that Jesus voluntarily relinquished the prerogative of freely exercising His divine attributes and subjected Himself to the will of the Father while on earth.

God the Son is fully Divine yet fully human.

 

Jesus was restricted as man – restricted to one location at a time, got tired, needed sleep, got hungry, needed food, got exhausted, needed rest, etc. Jesus suffered all things as a man; He emptied Himself of the Godhead to be made flesh, to be made sin, to die.  It was however a temporary measure, He now has the glory He had with the Father before He came to the earth; He has been restored to the fullness of the Godhead. This is why scripture says Jesus thought it not robbery to be equal with God but took on the form of a servant in Philippians 2:6

 

God the Father said of God the Son in Hebrews 1:8a “But to the Son He says: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;” Jesus of Nazareth is God in the flesh, the Creator – fully God and fully man.

Christ Jesus is the second “person” of the Triune God – One God in 3 “persons” – the blessed Trinity.

 

“..The Lord our God, the Lord is one!” Deuteronomy 6:4 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” Genesis 1:26

“I am the Lord, and there is no other; There is no God besides Me.” Isaiah 45:5 Notice it is not no God besides us.

“For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,” 1 Timothy 2:5

 

God refers to Jesus “But to the Son He says: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;” Hebrews 1:8a

Jesus said to His disciples. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”Matthew 28:19 Jesus spoke clearly of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Nevertheless, if you read this verse attentively, you will see that the Three have just one name. It says, “baptizing them into the name” (not names) “of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

 

There are Three with one name. This is the Triune God, the Trinity.  ONE God in 3 “Persons” not and NEVER 3 Gods. We cannot understand the Trinity fully but that is how God reveals Himself to mankind – both “I and Us”. Don’t forget we are finite and God is infinite – we may not fully comprehend God. BUT what God has revealed is sufficient for our salvation.

IMG_4850

Today it is March 25,  2016 AD (Anno Domini – in the year of the Lord, not ‘after death’) – this date and every day, testifies to all of us that Jesus once walked on planet earth more than 2 thousand years ago.

Good Friday commemorates the death by crucifixion of Jesus Christ at Calvary, before His resurrection three days later on Easter Sunday.

WHY must Jesus die for us?

The gospel reveals that God acts righteously in forgiving us; He does not ignore our sins, but takes care of them in Jesus Christ.  representational, God presented Jesus as a sacrifice for our forgiveness. Sin has consequences, and Jesus volunteered to suffer the consequences on our behalf. The cross demonstrates God’s love as well as His justice.

  • “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
  • “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 1 John 4:10
  • Jesus said in Luke 24:46 “Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day,”
  • ‘Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”) ” Galatians 3:13
  • “ And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.” 1 John 2:2
  • “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

Jesus became a curse on our behalf so we could escape the curse of the law, which is death. He became something He was not, so that we could become something we were not. He became sin for us, so that we might be declared righteous through Him. Because He suffered what we deserved, He redeemed us from the curse of the law. “The punishment that brought us peace was upon him.” Because He suffered death, we can enjoy peace with God.

  • “He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” 1 John 3:8

The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. Victory was won on the cross. By His death, “Jesus was able to “destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil” and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” (Hebrews 2:14-15). “

  • “whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” Romans 3:25-26
  •  “and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.”Acts 13:39
  • For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” Romans 1:17

Without Christ, a sinner is estranged – separated from God’s people, a stranger to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God. (Ephesians 2:12).

Click here: -> Man’s Crucial Needs

 

 

Observations