Sunday, April 22, 2007
The 11th Hour by Ron Wood (www.touchbygrace.org)
The Eleventh Hour is identified by Christ in Mt 20.6-16. Here, workers are rewarded beyond what they expected because they arrived and labored in the last hour of the day. Are you an eleventh hour laborer?
Forces are converging that are producing sifting and sorting. Factors over which we have no control are forcing us to face our fears, fall apart, or reaffirm our faith and find strength to stand. Choices are being pressed upon us. Where will you be standing when your final hour to work for God arrives?
The Bible reveals that history is moving inexorably toward a climax- the return of Jesus Christ (Mt 24.44). As this Great Day approaches, look at these signs of the times. We see society moving toward an inevitable harvest, where both the wheat and the tares have ripened side by side (Mt 13.24-30). When mature, the fruit of God's seed is set in stark contrast to Satan's seed, but in its early stages, you can't make a distinction.
Humanity, by its posture toward the will of God as it relates to Israel, is now being divided into two camps- sheep and goats (Mt 25.31-46). The nations will be judged.
As more and more people adopt pagan lifestyles rather than apostolic faith (secular humanism versus Christian community), God is sending forth angels as reapers to divide the wicked from among the righteous (Mt 13.49). In other words, if you want to live like hell, there are now angels assigned to help you do it.
Judgment is already occurring and we seem oblivious to it. The world is being weighed and found wanting and still doesn't see the handwriting on the wall.
Here at the end of the age we all are being faced with the need to choose sides. There is no avoiding this decision and the default act of NOT choosing is itself a choice. Will we align ourselves with the God of history or will we live as though Christ never was? Will we deny the fact that He once came to redeem us? Will we ignore the prophecy of Scripture that He is returning to rule over planet earth?
Much of the church world is in denial and willfully ignorant. Many attempt to avoid the fray and stay passive. That choice, however, is not available. Either by faith we become victors and overcome, or by our inaction we become victims imprisoned by our enemy.
Years ago I heard Bible Teacher Bob Mumford say, "God only has two problems: the pastors and the people. Other than that, the Lord doesn't have any problems."
For the last month, I have awakened repeatedly at an odd hour- 3:44 in the morning. It has happened so often that I lost count. I told the Lord, "You have my attention. What is it you are saying to me?" As I considered this, I wondered if there was a Bible reference that corresponded to this: chapter 3 verse 44? I found none. But I did turn to Ezekiel 34.4, a verse with which I was already familiar. It addresses pastors and leaders.
This verse gives an alarming indictment from God against his shepherds. He accuses them of feeding themselves but not feeding his sheep. He says they had not lifted up the fallen, gathered the scattered, or healed the wounded. In other words, they were fat and happy and content to be fed off the flock but were not actively rescuing the lost and thus saving them from their doom or solving their misfortunes. These shepherds were jaded professionals. Their mercy-gift was diminished but their carnal appetites were sated. To these shepherds, the Lord said, "I myself will rescue my flock from your hand!"
An incredible sorting is now occurring. Christ himself, the Head of the church, is reassigning his sheep. He is removing his people from sheepfolds (churches) where they have been controlled or dominated by legalism or by harsh authority, and he is placing them under genuine shepherds who possess healing balm for their wounded souls.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd (Jn 10). The word good in this context doesn't mean morally good, although that is true. It means effective or capable, qualified or productive. Jesus knows how to tend to his people well. He knows how to use the tools of a shepherd, the rod and the staff. He knows how to pickup fallen sheep who are cast down. He knows how to fight off the lion and the bear. He knows how to lead his sheep into the safety of the sheep-fold at night. He knows how to feed them beside still waters and green pastures (Ps 23).
Jesus is the model pastor. Today, He appoints under-shepherds (see Acts 20:28) who have his heart and have learned his skills, although not necessarily with a seminary degree or with professional credentials. In fact, cold-hearted education, if it is devoid of the Spirit or contrary to God's Word, may hinder rather than help.
God is making distinctions between those who say they will serve him versus those who actually do serve him. Words are cheap and don't count for much. The Lord is looking for fruit, not just buildings or large crowds. How do we measure success? Do we want the real evidence of the kingdom of God in our midst? Do we want the fruit of the Spirit or just the flash of spectacular gifts? The latter may be displayed by false prophets, whereas genuine love, humility, or faithfulness cannot be mimicked.
Jesus walked up to the edge of the lake after preaching to the crowd. Standing there, he looked at the fishermen whose boats were pulled on shore. He had to make a distinction. He had to make a choice. He chose Peter's boat and told him to thrust out into the deep water for a catch.
Here was Christ the Lord, choosing to side with a businessman (fisherman) while the preachers back at the Temple were fearful of this new revival. Jesus didn't go with the religious crowd, he went instead with a profane businessman who had fished all night and caught nothing. You know the rest of the story- Peter caught a miraculous quantity of fish, thus making a huge profit. Then he fell to his knees and asked for mercy, seeing his sinfulness and respecting the Savior's power.
Many in these last days will find themselves blessed beyond their wildest dreams. Why? Because the Lord got into their boat and God's favor came on them. God is choosing men and women today based on criteria not readily visible, based on who we can become rather than who we have been. It is not a religious choice, but a character choice. The charisma, the power of the Holy Spirit, will certainly come later but the initial choice is based on how we will respond to Jesus when he manifests his glory in our non-religious setting.
It is not only sinners who need to bow their knees to Jesus and ask for mercy. It's also pastors who dwell at ease in Zion, who think it doesn't matter if they compromise God's word, who fail to feed the flock, who frighten people into quenching the Spirit, or who distort the right ways of God by substituting manmade rules or traditions.
For you who fear the Lord, Prov. 34:4 will come to pass
Forces are converging that are producing sifting and sorting. Factors over which we have no control are forcing us to face our fears, fall apart, or reaffirm our faith and find strength to stand. Choices are being pressed upon us. Where will you be standing when your final hour to work for God arrives?
The Bible reveals that history is moving inexorably toward a climax- the return of Jesus Christ (Mt 24.44). As this Great Day approaches, look at these signs of the times. We see society moving toward an inevitable harvest, where both the wheat and the tares have ripened side by side (Mt 13.24-30). When mature, the fruit of God's seed is set in stark contrast to Satan's seed, but in its early stages, you can't make a distinction.
Humanity, by its posture toward the will of God as it relates to Israel, is now being divided into two camps- sheep and goats (Mt 25.31-46). The nations will be judged.
As more and more people adopt pagan lifestyles rather than apostolic faith (secular humanism versus Christian community), God is sending forth angels as reapers to divide the wicked from among the righteous (Mt 13.49). In other words, if you want to live like hell, there are now angels assigned to help you do it.
Judgment is already occurring and we seem oblivious to it. The world is being weighed and found wanting and still doesn't see the handwriting on the wall.
Here at the end of the age we all are being faced with the need to choose sides. There is no avoiding this decision and the default act of NOT choosing is itself a choice. Will we align ourselves with the God of history or will we live as though Christ never was? Will we deny the fact that He once came to redeem us? Will we ignore the prophecy of Scripture that He is returning to rule over planet earth?
Much of the church world is in denial and willfully ignorant. Many attempt to avoid the fray and stay passive. That choice, however, is not available. Either by faith we become victors and overcome, or by our inaction we become victims imprisoned by our enemy.
Years ago I heard Bible Teacher Bob Mumford say, "God only has two problems: the pastors and the people. Other than that, the Lord doesn't have any problems."
For the last month, I have awakened repeatedly at an odd hour- 3:44 in the morning. It has happened so often that I lost count. I told the Lord, "You have my attention. What is it you are saying to me?" As I considered this, I wondered if there was a Bible reference that corresponded to this: chapter 3 verse 44? I found none. But I did turn to Ezekiel 34.4, a verse with which I was already familiar. It addresses pastors and leaders.
This verse gives an alarming indictment from God against his shepherds. He accuses them of feeding themselves but not feeding his sheep. He says they had not lifted up the fallen, gathered the scattered, or healed the wounded. In other words, they were fat and happy and content to be fed off the flock but were not actively rescuing the lost and thus saving them from their doom or solving their misfortunes. These shepherds were jaded professionals. Their mercy-gift was diminished but their carnal appetites were sated. To these shepherds, the Lord said, "I myself will rescue my flock from your hand!"
An incredible sorting is now occurring. Christ himself, the Head of the church, is reassigning his sheep. He is removing his people from sheepfolds (churches) where they have been controlled or dominated by legalism or by harsh authority, and he is placing them under genuine shepherds who possess healing balm for their wounded souls.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd (Jn 10). The word good in this context doesn't mean morally good, although that is true. It means effective or capable, qualified or productive. Jesus knows how to tend to his people well. He knows how to use the tools of a shepherd, the rod and the staff. He knows how to pickup fallen sheep who are cast down. He knows how to fight off the lion and the bear. He knows how to lead his sheep into the safety of the sheep-fold at night. He knows how to feed them beside still waters and green pastures (Ps 23).
Jesus is the model pastor. Today, He appoints under-shepherds (see Acts 20:28) who have his heart and have learned his skills, although not necessarily with a seminary degree or with professional credentials. In fact, cold-hearted education, if it is devoid of the Spirit or contrary to God's Word, may hinder rather than help.
God is making distinctions between those who say they will serve him versus those who actually do serve him. Words are cheap and don't count for much. The Lord is looking for fruit, not just buildings or large crowds. How do we measure success? Do we want the real evidence of the kingdom of God in our midst? Do we want the fruit of the Spirit or just the flash of spectacular gifts? The latter may be displayed by false prophets, whereas genuine love, humility, or faithfulness cannot be mimicked.
Jesus walked up to the edge of the lake after preaching to the crowd. Standing there, he looked at the fishermen whose boats were pulled on shore. He had to make a distinction. He had to make a choice. He chose Peter's boat and told him to thrust out into the deep water for a catch.
Here was Christ the Lord, choosing to side with a businessman (fisherman) while the preachers back at the Temple were fearful of this new revival. Jesus didn't go with the religious crowd, he went instead with a profane businessman who had fished all night and caught nothing. You know the rest of the story- Peter caught a miraculous quantity of fish, thus making a huge profit. Then he fell to his knees and asked for mercy, seeing his sinfulness and respecting the Savior's power.
Many in these last days will find themselves blessed beyond their wildest dreams. Why? Because the Lord got into their boat and God's favor came on them. God is choosing men and women today based on criteria not readily visible, based on who we can become rather than who we have been. It is not a religious choice, but a character choice. The charisma, the power of the Holy Spirit, will certainly come later but the initial choice is based on how we will respond to Jesus when he manifests his glory in our non-religious setting.
It is not only sinners who need to bow their knees to Jesus and ask for mercy. It's also pastors who dwell at ease in Zion, who think it doesn't matter if they compromise God's word, who fail to feed the flock, who frighten people into quenching the Spirit, or who distort the right ways of God by substituting manmade rules or traditions.
For you who fear the Lord, Prov. 34:4 will come to pass
Saturday, April 14, 2007
The Doctrines of Christianity
1.The Bible:
The Bible is inspired by God (2 Timothy3:16-17) and has thus been accurately transmitted to the present day by thousand of manuscript copies which still exists. It is the single final authority from God.
Comments:
➢ There are well over 5,300 partial or complete NT manuscripts that attest to its reliability and accurate transmission.
➢ There are 86,000 quotations of the New Testament by the early church fathers. Because of this, all but 11 verses could be accurately reconstructed even if we had no manuscript copies.
➢ As for the Old Testament, in the Dead Sea Scrolls discovered at Qumran in 1947 we have OT manuscripts that date about a thousand years earlier (150 B.C.) than the other previous manuscripts in our possession (which dated 980 A.D.). When one compares the two sets of manuscripts, they are practically identical, with very few changes.
➢ The fact that there two sets of OT manuscripts – some dating long before Muslim claim of biblical corruption (150 B.C.) and some dating long after (980 A.D.) – and the fact that these two sets of manuscript are practically identical proves the incredible accuracy of the Old Testament’s manuscript transmission
➢ Even the Quran encourages Christians to obey what is written in the Bible (Surah 5:50,68), and encourages people to believe in the previous Scriptures (Surah 4:136).
2.God
There is one true God (Deut 6:4) and He is a Trinity (Matt 28:18;2 Corinth 13:14). In the unity of the one God, there are 3 co-equal & co-external persons—the Father, Son & Holy Spirit. God is both transcendent (above& beyond us) and immanent (near to us)[Jeremiah 23:23-24].
God is characterized by grace, mercy, power and judgment.
Comments:
➢ It is not the worship of three gods (tritheism)
➢ It is not “three gods in one god” or “three persons in one person”
➢ Rather, there is one God, and within the unity of the one God there are three co-equal and co-eternal persons – the Father, Son & Holy Spirit.
➢ The doctrine of the trinity is based on three lines of evidence: evidence that there is only one true God (Isaiah 44:6; 46:9; John 5;4; Romans 3:29-30; 16:27; 1 Corinthians 8:4; Galatians 3:20; Ephesians 4;6; 1 Timothy 2:5; James 2:19); evidence that there are three persons who are called God – the Father (1 Peter 1:2); Jesus (Hebrews 1:8), and the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3-4); and evidences of three-in-oneness within the Godhead (Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14).
➢ Moreover, each of the three persons on different occasions is seen to possess the attributes of deity. For example, all three are said to be omnipresent(everywhere-present): the Father (Jeremiah 32:17); the Son (John 16:30), and the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:10). All three are omnipotent(all-powerful): the Father (Jeremiah 32:17); the Son (Matthew 28:18); and the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:19). Furthermore, holiness is ascribed to each person: the Father (Revelation 15:14); the Son (Acts 3:14); and the Holy Spirit (John 16: 7-14). And each of the three is individually described as the truth: the Father (John 7:28), the Son (Revelation 3:7), and the Holy Spirit (1 John 5:17).
➢ Jesus is God’s Son not only in the sense that the Father procreated Jesus, but rather in the sense that Jesus Himself is eternally God by nature, just like the Father is. Ancient Semitics used the phrase “Son of…” to indicate likeness or sameness of nature and equality of being. That is why when Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, His Jewish contemporaries understood. He was making a claim to be God (John 19:7; see also 5:18).
➢ God is complete in himself. He didn't need to fellowship with us, as the Father, Son & Holy Spirit are in perfect fellowship. He created us out of His will (not need) and desires our communion with Him. If it was a monad God, who does God fellowship with before He created man?
3.Man
Man is composed of body and soul, and is born into this world with a sinful nature (Romans 5:19). Man is to trust in Christ for salvation (Acts 4:12), and then glorify God throughout life.
4.Sin
Sin is the failure to live up to God’s standards (Romans3:23). It involves moral rebellion against God. Because sin is such a dire problem, a powerful remedy is needed. This is found in the atonement wrought by Christ at the cross (Matthew 26:28; Hebrews 10:18-22).
5.Salvation
Salvation is a free gift of God and is received by faith in Jesus Christ (John 3:16;Acts 16:31). Salvation cannot be earned, but is based on God’s grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). The moment one trust in Christ, one is born again (John 3:5), declared righteous (Romans 3:24), reconciled to God (2 Corinth 5;19), forgiven (Hebrew 10:17; Collosians 2:13-14), and adopted into God’s forever family.
6.Jesus
Jesus is the son of God. He is both God (Hebrews 1:8) and Lord (Matt 22:43-45). He has all the attributes of deity – all powerful (Matt 28:18), all-knowing (John 2:24-25). He does things only God can do – such as creating the universe (John 1:3) and raising people from the dead (John 11:43-44). He was worshipped as God (Matt 14:33).
7.Death
Jesus died on the cross for our sins (Matt 20:28). He “gave himself as a ransom for all men.”(1 Timothy 2:16). He then rose bodily from the dead—an event attested to by abundant evidence. On one occasion He appeared bodily to more than 500 people at the same time (1 Corinth 15:6). He was then exalted to the highest place of honor & given a name above every other name (Phillipians 2:8-11).
8.In Christ
Depending on whether one has trusted in Christ (John 3:16; Acts 16:31), one will either spend eternity in heaven or hell. Heaven is a place of great glory (1 Corinth 2:9) where death is absent (1 Corinth 15:54) and rest predominates (Revelations 14:13). There will be intimate fellowship with God and Christ (2 Corinth 5:8; John 14:2-3). Hell is a place of horror (Psalm 30:9), weeping (Matthew 13:42), and punishment (Job24:19)
Comments:
Jesus died in our place.
Even the Quran affirmed that Jesus was sinless and righteous (Surah 3: 45, 49; 4:158; 82:22). Jesus was our sinless substitute and make us righteous before God(2 Corinthians 5:19-21).
The Bible is inspired by God (2 Timothy3:16-17) and has thus been accurately transmitted to the present day by thousand of manuscript copies which still exists. It is the single final authority from God.
Comments:
➢ There are well over 5,300 partial or complete NT manuscripts that attest to its reliability and accurate transmission.
➢ There are 86,000 quotations of the New Testament by the early church fathers. Because of this, all but 11 verses could be accurately reconstructed even if we had no manuscript copies.
➢ As for the Old Testament, in the Dead Sea Scrolls discovered at Qumran in 1947 we have OT manuscripts that date about a thousand years earlier (150 B.C.) than the other previous manuscripts in our possession (which dated 980 A.D.). When one compares the two sets of manuscripts, they are practically identical, with very few changes.
➢ The fact that there two sets of OT manuscripts – some dating long before Muslim claim of biblical corruption (150 B.C.) and some dating long after (980 A.D.) – and the fact that these two sets of manuscript are practically identical proves the incredible accuracy of the Old Testament’s manuscript transmission
➢ Even the Quran encourages Christians to obey what is written in the Bible (Surah 5:50,68), and encourages people to believe in the previous Scriptures (Surah 4:136).
2.God
There is one true God (Deut 6:4) and He is a Trinity (Matt 28:18;2 Corinth 13:14). In the unity of the one God, there are 3 co-equal & co-external persons—the Father, Son & Holy Spirit. God is both transcendent (above& beyond us) and immanent (near to us)[Jeremiah 23:23-24].
God is characterized by grace, mercy, power and judgment.
Comments:
➢ It is not the worship of three gods (tritheism)
➢ It is not “three gods in one god” or “three persons in one person”
➢ Rather, there is one God, and within the unity of the one God there are three co-equal and co-eternal persons – the Father, Son & Holy Spirit.
➢ The doctrine of the trinity is based on three lines of evidence: evidence that there is only one true God (Isaiah 44:6; 46:9; John 5;4; Romans 3:29-30; 16:27; 1 Corinthians 8:4; Galatians 3:20; Ephesians 4;6; 1 Timothy 2:5; James 2:19); evidence that there are three persons who are called God – the Father (1 Peter 1:2); Jesus (Hebrews 1:8), and the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3-4); and evidences of three-in-oneness within the Godhead (Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14).
➢ Moreover, each of the three persons on different occasions is seen to possess the attributes of deity. For example, all three are said to be omnipresent(everywhere-present): the Father (Jeremiah 32:17); the Son (John 16:30), and the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:10). All three are omnipotent(all-powerful): the Father (Jeremiah 32:17); the Son (Matthew 28:18); and the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:19). Furthermore, holiness is ascribed to each person: the Father (Revelation 15:14); the Son (Acts 3:14); and the Holy Spirit (John 16: 7-14). And each of the three is individually described as the truth: the Father (John 7:28), the Son (Revelation 3:7), and the Holy Spirit (1 John 5:17).
➢ Jesus is God’s Son not only in the sense that the Father procreated Jesus, but rather in the sense that Jesus Himself is eternally God by nature, just like the Father is. Ancient Semitics used the phrase “Son of…” to indicate likeness or sameness of nature and equality of being. That is why when Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, His Jewish contemporaries understood. He was making a claim to be God (John 19:7; see also 5:18).
➢ God is complete in himself. He didn't need to fellowship with us, as the Father, Son & Holy Spirit are in perfect fellowship. He created us out of His will (not need) and desires our communion with Him. If it was a monad God, who does God fellowship with before He created man?
3.Man
Man is composed of body and soul, and is born into this world with a sinful nature (Romans 5:19). Man is to trust in Christ for salvation (Acts 4:12), and then glorify God throughout life.
4.Sin
Sin is the failure to live up to God’s standards (Romans3:23). It involves moral rebellion against God. Because sin is such a dire problem, a powerful remedy is needed. This is found in the atonement wrought by Christ at the cross (Matthew 26:28; Hebrews 10:18-22).
5.Salvation
Salvation is a free gift of God and is received by faith in Jesus Christ (John 3:16;Acts 16:31). Salvation cannot be earned, but is based on God’s grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). The moment one trust in Christ, one is born again (John 3:5), declared righteous (Romans 3:24), reconciled to God (2 Corinth 5;19), forgiven (Hebrew 10:17; Collosians 2:13-14), and adopted into God’s forever family.
6.Jesus
Jesus is the son of God. He is both God (Hebrews 1:8) and Lord (Matt 22:43-45). He has all the attributes of deity – all powerful (Matt 28:18), all-knowing (John 2:24-25). He does things only God can do – such as creating the universe (John 1:3) and raising people from the dead (John 11:43-44). He was worshipped as God (Matt 14:33).
7.Death
Jesus died on the cross for our sins (Matt 20:28). He “gave himself as a ransom for all men.”(1 Timothy 2:16). He then rose bodily from the dead—an event attested to by abundant evidence. On one occasion He appeared bodily to more than 500 people at the same time (1 Corinth 15:6). He was then exalted to the highest place of honor & given a name above every other name (Phillipians 2:8-11).
8.In Christ
Depending on whether one has trusted in Christ (John 3:16; Acts 16:31), one will either spend eternity in heaven or hell. Heaven is a place of great glory (1 Corinth 2:9) where death is absent (1 Corinth 15:54) and rest predominates (Revelations 14:13). There will be intimate fellowship with God and Christ (2 Corinth 5:8; John 14:2-3). Hell is a place of horror (Psalm 30:9), weeping (Matthew 13:42), and punishment (Job24:19)
Comments:
Jesus died in our place.
Even the Quran affirmed that Jesus was sinless and righteous (Surah 3: 45, 49; 4:158; 82:22). Jesus was our sinless substitute and make us righteous before God(2 Corinthians 5:19-21).
Monday, April 09, 2007
Ravi Zacharias
I listened to a CD by Ravi Zacharias entitled "Jesus Among Other Gods". Really worth listening to.
Also read his book "The Lotus and the Cross". The Lotus and the Cross depicts a conversation between Jesus and Buddha set against the backdrop of a woman struggling with a deadly disease. What would Jesus and Buddha say to each other? How would each of them respond to the misery of a sick woman? Come along on an imaginary boat ride as these two eminent figures discuss life, suffering, and redemption. It is an entertaining read.
From my previous understanding:
Gautama (Buddha) was an Indian prince who left the comfort of his palace to live a life devoid of the richness and goodness. He wanted to seek questions to life -i.e why humans were suffering?. He was a Hindu but did not agree with the Indian caste system and was frustrated Hinduism provided no answer to human suffering.
He then meditated for years in a cave and became enlightened (Buddha means enlightened one). In his enlightenment he taught his disciples that if one can deny the 'self' this would end all human suffering. All suffering including hunger, disease were because of consciousness of the 'self'. He taught that humans were born into this world with a debt from previous life. In this current life, we can either pay off or add to the debt according to the way we conduct ourselves this lifetime. But to whom do we pay this debt to? Who is the creditor? The aim is to do more good than bad to reach Nirvana whereby you simply cease to exist at all, and then all suffering is ended as you just don't exist anymore.
I am not here to dethrone Buddha, but he himself never asked to be deified. Buddha taught his disciples that there is no God. Last weekend my family, uncles and aunt were at Ching Meng to pay respects to our grandparents, and there scores of people burning fire crackers to appease bad spirits etc. When you teach people there is no God, the problem is that superstition arises as man was made in his heart to hunger and seek communion with his Creator. Man was made with an awareness of the spiritual world. If you tell him there is no God, he will do all things out of superstition to not offend the spirits etc in fear that something bad might befall him.
If you read the Confucius Analects, the disciples of Confucius paid tribute to their master's holiness and wisdom. Confucius in his teachings had alluded to "Heaven" replied that he is not the holy one. In his Analects, he said if the Holy One was to come He will be found in the west. His disciples went to the west (India) and found Buddha, That is how Buddhism came into China. (If they went further west it will be Jerusalem - they didn't go far enough).
In fact Mencius a scholar 70 years after Confucius and who lived at the time of Prophet Daniel (500BC) actually predicted accurately the timing the Saviour of the world was to come - 500 years from his time. All these Chinese classical writings I bought in Hong Kong - English translations, including the Dao De Jing by Lao Zi.
In the end, as a scholar, I am examining facts. Nonetheless, I rather say why I am a Christian, rather than why you should not be a Buddhist. As the adage goes, if you throw mud at others, you not only lose ground but get your hands dirty.
