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A young man living in Kuala Lumpur corresponded with a young lady in Singapore. Their friendship grew and, wishing to see each other, they agreed upon some form of arrangement. On a certain Saturday afternoon, the young lady was to wait for him at Robinsons Departmental Store in Orchard Road. She would wear a pink dress.
When the young man saw the pink dressed lady, he exclaimed, "That is my future wife!" But on that day there might be a few other ladies dressed in pink and so the young man would not be able to identify his lady friend in pink easily. If many details were added to describe herself, it would be easier for him to identify her. For instance, the lady could describe herself by saying she would be wearing a pink dress with blue spots and a hand bag made of leather with red strips and pink high heel shoes made of leather with silver lined heels.
This illustration shows to us how God announced specifically the birth of Jesus Christ .
God foretold the coming of His Son through the prophecies of the prophets in clear details.
This will give us without any shadow of doubt about His priceless gift to us - His Son, Jesus Christ.
Many do not know Jesus. When Jesus asked His 12 disciples what people were saying about who He was, some answers were Elijah, Jeremiah, and John the Baptist, but these answers were all inadequate. The apostle Peter was correct when he said to Jesus, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God".
Isaiah 7:14 prophesied that Jesus would be born of a virgin woman and His name shall be called Immanuel, meaning, "God with Us". Isaiah the prophet had the glimpse that God would come to dwell in human flesh. It was the prophecy of the birth of Christ fulfilled in the Gospel of Matthew 1:23. Mary was the virgin woman in which Jesus was conceived by the Holy Ghost. His name would be Immanuel, "God with us", because Jesus was the Son of God and lived among us
(Matt 1:23).
Isaiah chapter 9 prophesied that this child to be born of the virgin must come from the house of David. He would be the king of kings, ruling over the Jewish nation. He will be the hope of all Israel. "His name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever". From the titles of His Name, we see Jesus invested with the highest honour and power. The names reveal that Jesus is God.
The Messiah will be called the Wonderful Counsellor. It is actually one name instead of two. The word wonderful speaks of supernatural, so referring to Jesus as the supernatural counsellor who at His first coming brought words of eternal life. His counsel and teaching reflected that He was God Himself. Even His enemies testified that "never man spake like this man" (John 7:46).
The Mighty God implied that He is the all powerful God. Jesus said "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Jesus is equal with God, the Father. Philip said unto (Jesus), Lord shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him He that hath seen me hath seen the Father. Christ Jesus came to reveal God the Father to us. He is more than simply a reflection of the Father. He is God in human flesh. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the God head bodily (Col 2:9).
The Everlasting Father. The term "Father" was never applied to Jesus during His sojourn on earth. Job claimed to be "a father to the poor" (Job 29:16) and this probably meant he was their protector and provider. The Messiah throughout history had provided and protected his people.
As Davidic king, he will compassionately care and disciplined them.
The Prince of Peace. There can be no peace on this earth until Jesus occupies the throne of David. This is a literal throne which He will occupy at His second coming. Isaiah predicted that what the Prince of Peace will do for the world. There shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse... and the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together."
Isaiah mentioned that "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given".
Christmas is the time when we commemorate God's greatest gift to mankind - His Son Jesus Christ. God is seeking for you to accept His "indescribable gift".
The best gift anyone could receive this Christmas is Jesus.
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As a covenant Church and family, let us remember to pray for one another and intercede for the members. Below are some prayer concerns for all.
1. For the Knowledge and Fear of God
to "Be still and know the Lord" {Ps 46:10}. In our busyness, may the members be still and reflect upon God and fear Him always in our lives.
2. For Salvation
that the Gospel which is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek {Rom 1:16} is believed in their hearts and help our members to learn to trust in God in their lives and remain faithfully committed to his ways throughout their lives.
3. For Patience as Parents
that although family life is often hectic and busy, for God gives wisdom to listen with patience and love to the worries, troubles and problems our members may have and give the right advice (if any).
4. For Spiritual Stability
that in times of moral corruption and temptation of our times, to enable our members to exhibit spiritual stability and cling on to the Lord their God.
5. For Spiritual, Moral, Intellectual and Emotional Growth
that our members be like Jesus who "grew in wisdom and stature and in favour with God and men" {Luke 2:52}.
6. To be Salt and Light
that our members will learn how to be effective witnesses for Christ, in their circles of influence, to be "the salt of the earth" and the "light of the world" {Matt 5:13-14}.
7. For Protection from Harm and Evil
that our members who will go out everyday for school or work be lovingly protected by God from every danger, disease and trauma and from the evil one.
8. For Faith in Times of Difficulty
that our members when face with trial, trouble or fear, let them turn to God for guidance and strength as "The eternal God is our refuge and underneath are the everlasting arms" {Deut 33:27}.
9. For Growth in Grace
that our members may grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ {2 Pet 3:18} through the daily quiet time, prayer, Christian worship and fellowship.
10. For Contentment
that our members will cultivate the same spiritual contentment as did the Apostle Paul, who have learned to be content whatever the circumstances {Phil 4:11-12} and not be covetous of things that do not belong to them.
11. To be Giving and Unselfish
that our members will be more loving, practice self-denial, more willing to give to the Lord and sacrifice for God and others and understand that it is more blessed to give than to receive.
12. For Spiritual Wisdom/Life
that members in their thoughts will be filled with spiritual wisdom and prudence and not folly of this depraved world.
13. To Confess their Sins and Seek Forgiveness
that our members when they err and do wrong, will confess their sins and seek God's forgiveness, that they may know, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness" {1 John 1:9}.
14. For Gratitude in the Lord
for gratitude, praise and thanksgiving to flow from the lips of our members, In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you (1 Thes 5:18).
15. For the Building of Strong Biblical Convictions
that our members "be strong and courageous" {Josh 1:6} and stand up for the Lord in witnessing for Christ to the unsaved friends.
16. To be Filled with Christian Hope
that whatever befall us, may we be filled with hope that it prevents despair from taking hold of us. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost {Rom 15:13}
17. For Perseverance
that our members be patient and develop within them endurance and perseverance so that when faced with major challenges and crises, they do not easily give up. Let our members be rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer (Rom 12:12).
18. For a Genuine Love for God and His Word
that they will cultivate a passion to love, to read God's Word and serve God. That our members will have the same kind of passionate love to praise, worship and honour the Lord with all their heart, mind and soul.
19. To be Forgiving
that our members may have the spirit of forgiveness. Whenever they are hurt, that they may learn to forgive and thereby free themselves from the burden of resentment, as the Lord forgave us {Col 3:13}.
20. To have a Teachable Spirit
that our members be willing to learn better patience, greater love, more fervency for God, his Church, to attend regularly Sunday School, YF/YAF/LF and prayer meetings.
21. For the Wise Use of their Talents
that our members numerous gifts, talents and abilities, may be nurtured and exercised in wisdom to serve God and help others in the Church and beyond.
22. To be Honest
that our members exhibit honesty of conduct and speech daily in school, office or home. That there be nothing deceitful in what they say and do but honesty, truth and integrity will fill their hearts.
23. To be Faithful in Prayer and Worship
that our members be filled with a desire for importunate prayer, in that they will be filled with the Spirit and "pray in the Spirit, persevering" {Eph 6:18} and remember and desire to come for Tuesday night prayer meeting and to worship the Lord on the Sabbath, in Sunday School and fellowship meetings as well.
( Adapted from Maranatha Messenger )
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We thank God that He has forgiven our sins, grants guidance, protects, enlightens and
provides our daily need. Here is the anniversary prayer from our thankful hearts.
Father, we thank Thee:
For peace within our favoured land,
For plenty from Thy bounteous hand,
For means to give to those in need,
For grace to help in thought and deed,
For faith to walk, our hands in Thine,
For truth to know Thy law divine,
For strength to work with voice and pen,
For love to serve our fellow men.
For light the goal ahead to see,
For life to use alone for Thee-
Father, we thank Thee.
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Rev. Peter Chua (Weekly- 28th Aug 2005)
The Festival of the Hungry Ghosts which falls on the 15th day of the 7th month of the lunar calendar is observed by the many Buddhists and Taoists in Singapore. According to the Buddhists, it is a time to commemorate Mu Lian for his filial peity.According to the story, Mu Lian was able to lacate his dead mother in Hades after many trials and tribulations. When he tried to feed his starving mother, however, the food was invariably grabbed by other hungry ghosts. It was only through the intercession of Buddha, who was touched by Mu Lian's love and devotion to his mother, that the filial son finally succeeded in providing relief for his mother. To commemorate his filial act, Buddhist make it a practice to offer prayers to the dead on Hungry Ghost Festival.The Taoist believe that the gates of hell are opened on the first day of the seventh month, allowing the unborn souls to wander the world for food and other necessities. Throughout the month, therefore, and especially on the 15th day, food and joss papers (symbolising silver and gold) are offered to these hungry ghosts.Do hungry ghosts really exist? The answer is YES. They do. The Bible warns us to be careful and be vigilant "because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8). However, these devils are not the type of hungry ghosts the Chinese are thinking about because the real hungry ghosts are not out to seek for dirty and dusty food left onthe road-sides but to devour precious souls of men who are not redeemed by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.Do hungry ghosts really eat food offered to them? The answer is NO because everybody knows that all the offered food are finally consumed not by the hungry ghosts but by human beings whether they are hungry or not. Why then do men believe in offering food to the ghost? The fact is that they are deceived by the devils who are out to deceive men in order to make them sin against God (Gen 3:4-5). Our Lord warned us that the devil is a murderer and the father of lies (John 8:44). When the Chinese offer sacrifices to the ghosts, they do not really offer them with affection or for charity but with a spirit of fear.What is the significance of offering food to the hungry ghosts? People who offer food to the hungry ghosts do not realize that what they have offered is not food but their own precious souls. For when a person offers, he also worships and comes into fellowship with the devils. St Paul said, "But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils and not to God; and I would not that ye should have fellowship with the devils" (1 Cor 10:20). The worshipper is never at peace with the devils after worshipping them. Instead he becomes fearful of them and eventually becomes totally subject to them.Can the hungry ghosts harm anyone? If you worship them and pay tributes, the answer is YES. But, if you come to put your trust in Jesus, and resist them, thee will flee from you (Jas 4:7). Believers are protected by the precious blood of our Lord who died for us on the cross. The best way to be sure that the hungry ghosts cannot harm you is not only abstaining from worshipping them but by accepting Christ to be your personal Saviour. Then no hungry ghost or any evil spirit can ever come near you.Chinese observe the hungry Ghost Festival by offering prayers, food and paper money to the dead. It is, therefore, not uncommon to see Singaporeans burning joss papers at the roadsides during the festival. So widespread is the practice that the Housing and Development Board has provided special containers to facilitate the burning of the joss papers by residents.
The annual Hungry Ghost Festival is a reminder of one's departed ancestors and friends. Instead of praying to the dead, Singaporeans should concern themselves with the welfare of the living, particularly the poorer and older citizens. Providing relief for the living is no less important, and consideration should be given to aiding our less fortunate fellow citizens. Singaporeans, therefore, should use this occasion to raise funds for the destitute and less fortunate in our society. As Christians let us remember those who have set the examples of their faith, love and labour for the Lord Jesus Christ.
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If a child lives with criticism,
He learns to condemn.
If a child lives with hostility,
He learns to fight.
If a child lives with ridicule,
He learns to be shy.
If a child lives with tolerance,
He learns to be patient.
If a child lives with encouragement,
He learns confidence.
If a child lives with praise,
He learns to appreciate.
If a child lives with fairness,
He learns justice.
If a child lives with security,
He learns to have faith.
If a child lives with approval,
He learns to like himself.
If a child lives with acceptance and friendship,
He learns to find love.
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Rev. Peter Chua (Weekly- 12th Feb 2006)
Next Lord's Day is the dedication of the Sunday School teachers and staff. Other departmental leaders will also be included in this Dedication Service. The Sunday School has an important role in the teaching ministry of the Church.
Deuteronomy 31:17 aptly describes the ministry of the Sunday School. It states "Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the Lord your God, and observe to do all the words of this law."
Notice the three aspects of Sunday School in this verse:
1.Sunday School is the reaching arm of the Church
The command is to gather men, women, children and to reach out to strangers for the purpose of giving them instruction in the Word of God. In both the Old and New Testaments, God commands His people to reach out to the unsaved. Therefore, the Sunday School is fulfilling a biblical mandate when people, both saved and unsaved are brought together for instruction.
2.Sunday School is the teaching arm of the Church
For people ot be born again, the Word of God must be planted in their hearts. "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth forever" (1 Peter 1:23). God's Word is likened to seed (Mark 4:14) and when it is planted in the heart, God begins the work of regeneration.
Therefore, when the Sunday School teaches the Word of God, it is preparing unsaved people for salvation. The Sunday School, however, is more than just an evangelistic instrument. The Word of God needs to be taught to all Christians. They grow because the Bible nourishes them (1 Peter 2:2).
The Sunday School can play a vital role in helping a Christain grow to maturity. In fact, God's aim for every born again Christain is that he or she will grow to spiritual maturity. Ephesians 4:12-15 clearly states, "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the stature of the fullness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him all things, which is the head, even Christ."
3.Sunday School is the winning arm of the Church
The purpose of reaching out and teaching the unsaved students is to win them to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The phrase "...That they may fear the Lord your God..." in Deut 31:12 is an Old Testament term of salvation, having the same meaning as "trust, believe, receiving Jesus Christ".
Therefore one important function of the Sunday School is to reach out to the lost or unsaved ones, to teach them about the Christain faith and to bring them to a saving knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. (Romans 10:13-17).
Having considered the role of the Sunday School in Church, what should our individual response be to this work? If you are parents with children, having placed so much attention on their secular studies, are you going to neglect their spiritual needs and development?
It is indeed very contradictory that parents who will spend much time and money on tuition to help their children get good results in school, will not bother to bring their children to attend Sunday School. I say 'contradictory" because the former is only for temporal or earthly results but the latter is for spiritual results which have eternal value and consequences.
For the Christain parent and other adults, do you still need to grow spiritually? Do you know the Bible through and through already? Are you already matured sprirtually? I believe that all of us need to read and learn from God's Word continually, till the day we pass from this world and meet our Saviour and our God face to face.
We can never know enough about the Bible. This learning process is a life long one. So may I urge you to come and study together with us God's precious Word in the Adult's Sunday School class. To the young people in our Church, I must also ask if you consider it important to attend Sunday School that you may be instructed in the deeper things in the Word of God.
Finally, for those whm God has given the gift of teaching and have been called to teach, are you actively serving in the Sunday School or are you burying your talent in the ground and waiting to dig it out and return to the Master when you come face to face with Him?
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Rev. Peter Chua (Weekly- 5th Mar 2006)
A Novel Titled - "THE DA VINCI CODE" written by Dan Brown in2003 has sparked controversial questions - Did the early church believe that Jesus was the Son of God, or was this belief made up much later? Is the Bible today very different from the Bible used by early Christians? Did Jesus and Mary Magdalene marry and have a child? According to Brown, "Jesus' establishment as "the Son of God" was officially proposed and voted on by the Council of Nicaea". And "until that moment in history, Jesus was viewed by His followers as a mortal prophet ... a great and powerful man, but a man nonetheless. A mortal" (p.233).
Constantine was responsible for convening the Council of Nicaea (AD 325) to help church leaders develop consensus about the doctrine of Christ. The council was convened because an aged presbyter named Arius denied the full deity of Christ.
The Council's conclusion was that Jesus was "God of very God". This teaching had deep historical and scriptural support. The Old Testament prophets anticipated of Him as the "Immanuel" meaning "God with us" (Isa. 9:6).
This view of Jesus as God in the flesh was later taught by the apostles who were eyewitnesses to all that Jesus said and did. According to the New Testament, Thomas who is still known as "the doubter" upon encountering the risen Christ confessed, "My Lord and my God" (Jn. 20:28). Peter addressed Jesus as "the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Jn 6:69). And the apostle Paul, after his conversion, ascribed to Jesus the essential attributes of God and full deity in human form (Phil. 2:5-11; Col.2:9).
According to Brown he says, "The Bible, as we know it today, was collated by the pagan Roman emperor Constantine". He elaborates: "Because Constantine upgraded Jesus' status almost four centuries after Jesus' death, thousands of documents already existed chronicling His life as a mortal man. To rewrite the history books, Constantine knew he would need a bold stroke. From this sprang the most profound moment in Christian history ... Constantine commissioned and financed a new Bible, which omitted those gospels that spoke of Christ's human traits and embellished those gospels that made Him godlike.(p.234).
The recognition of New Testament Scriptures was well long before Constantine. The canonicity of the Bible culminated in the Council of Carthage (397 AD) and the Councill of Hippo (393 AD). So the fact is that Constantine has nothing to do with this canonicity of the Bible, as claimed by Brown.
According to The Da Vinci Code, Jesus was apparently married and his wife was Mary Magdalene who was handpicked to lead the Church (p.254). He further claimed that the Church leaders treated Mary as a whore and erased evidence of this family tie and that this was supposedly the greatest "cover-up in human history". The Church purportedly tried to "get rid of the evidence" by sending in the crusaders to destroy them in Jerusalem.
Dan Brown quoted the Gnostic non-canonical Gospel of Philip which says that, "the companion of the Saviour is Mary Magdalene. Christ loved her more than all the disciples and used to kiss her often on her mouth. The rest of the disciples were offended by it and expressed disapproval. They said to him, "Why do you love her more than all of us?"... As any Aramaic scholar will tell you, the word companion in those days, literally meant spouse (246).
Whenever the Bible mentions of Jesus' family, they refer either to His mother, brothers, and sisters but never to a wife. Furthermore, there is no hint that He was widowed. Three arguments against the claim that Jesus and Mary were married:
1. Mary is never tied to any male when she was named
(Mt. 27:55-56; Mk. 15:40-41; Lk. 8:2; Jn. 19:25).
2. If Jesus had married, Paul would have included Him in the list. Paul writes in 1 Cor. 9:5 "Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?
3. Jesus showed no special concern for Mary Magdalene at the cross
(Jn. 19:25-27).
Although "The Da Vinci Code" is written as a novel, his claim that his facts are based on "scientific evidence", ancient writings, "genealogical documents" and a "conspiracy theory" have been proven to be inaccurate. They contradict historical Christianity.
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Rev. Peter Chua (Weekly- 7th Mar 2004)
 There is much talk among the film critics and religious leaders about the controversial film: "The Passion of the Christ". In this movie, Jesus is battered violently and brutalised to a bloody pulp. He is made to suffer unbearable pain - so unbearable that some people have apparently walked out of cinemas. Many who had seen the film seemed to agree that there is much violence .Distributors Warner - 20th Century Fox hopes to release to the general audiences before Easter . Many too who are waiting to see the movie are apprehensive because it is very gruesome. Some reviews say it's the most gruesome movie they've ever seen. The film is rated 'R' or Restricted in the United States, banning teenagers under 17 unless accompanied by an adult.
 I have personally received some feedbacks from those who have watched the movie in the United States. One writes "People walked out of the film before it was finished. It is not suitable for the depressed or mentally unstable. You have to be fairly emotionally healthy to watch the film." Another mentioned "I watched the movie with my two kids last night. I must agree - it was a little bit gory."
There have also been accusations that the film is anti-Semitic. Rabbi Mordechai Abergel, the spiritual leader of the 750-strong Jewish community here, said he worries the movie might pin the blame for Jesus' death unfairly on the Jews. Referring to fears in the United States that the film might fuel anti-Semitism, he said: "The Jewish community here is non-confrontational and will not want to make waves, but we fear that the movie has not been sensitively done."If you live in France you won't get a chance to see Mel Gibson's film "The Passion of the Christ" - for the time being, at least. French movie theatre chains are refusing to distribute it for fear of anti-Semitic backlash. For the past two years, there have been hundreds of incidents of anti-Semitism in France where men wearing yarmulkes have been attacked, synagogues vandalized and burned, and Jewish businesses harassed. It has become so bad that Jewish children on their way to school have been advised to don baseball caps instead of their traditional yarmulkes in order to avoid being identified to prevent provocation.
 Falling back on the claim that the film is anti-Semitic, French movie moguls say they fear the impact viewing "The Passion" might have on audiences, and want to wait and see how the rest of Europe reacts to it before allowing it to be seen in France, according the Chicago Sun-Times. The French authorities are especially wary of its effects on the Muslims who comprise 8% of France's population. Muslims esteem Jesus as one of their holy prophets and the play "Corpus Christi", which portrayed Christ as a homosexual, almost caused a riot in Paris and was ultimately banned in the late 1990's.
France wants to see how the movie plays out in Germany and the Netherlands, two other countries with large Muslims populations before they make their decision regarding whether or not to allow it to be shown in the country.
Mel Gibson, the film's director and co-writer is a Catholic. He has admitted to filling in some details from sources outside the Bible. Much of this material expresses Roman Catholic theology. Meanwhile, Warner-20th Century Fox and the Catholic Church here have already started organising a charity premiere on March 20 at Cathay Cineplex Orchard. Archbishop Nicholas Chia will be the guest-of-honour.
This movie - or any re-enactment of the crucifixion - is a faulty substitute for the God-ordained method of presenting the Gospel to a sinful world. It's not the way the Bible tells us to present the Gospel. We are to present the Gospel through the foolishness of preaching (1 Corinthians 1:21) Deep spiritual experiences come only from much study, earnest prayer and long meditation. You can hear a sermon regarding The Passion of Christ by Al Martin at www.audiosermons.com.
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Rev. Peter Chua (Weekly- 16th Apr 2006)
The Gospel of Judas which was shown on Channel 11, National Geographic last Sunday will be shown on Monday, 9 p.m. and the show will have repeated telecasts over the next two weeks on National Geographic.
The ancient manuscript of the Gospel of Judas was accidentally discovered by a farmer in an Egyptian desert cave in the 1970s. This leather-bound papyrus manuscript wandered its way through Europe and Long Island, New York.
Recently, this Coptic version of the Greek original was fully translated by scholars assembled by the National Geographic Society. The Manuscript, or codex, is considered by scholars to be the most significant ancient text found in the past 60 years. This includes the gospels of Thomas, Mary Magdalene and Judas. Similar to other Gnostic gospels, these were not by the apostles and were written a few centuries after Christ. For example, the Gospel of Judas was written in 300 AD. These gospels were considered as non-canonical work.
By "canon" we mean an officially accepted list of books. The Protestant canon of the Old Testament is the same as the Hebrew canon accepted by the Jews as constituting "The Holy Scriptures". This is the complete Jewish Bible. The teachings of Christ and the testimony of the apostles - God's immediate authorised representatives, form the basis of the New Testament canon.
"The Gospel of Judas", was used by a sect of Gnostics The Gnostics were Christian communities in the second to the fourth century whose scriptures and spiritual beliefs barely resemble what is now thought of as traditional Christianity. In their gospel it portrays Judas Iscariot not as one of the most reviled villains in history, but as Jesus' favoured disciple and willing collaborator in betraying him.
In the Gospel of Judas' account there is no mention of the crucifixion or the resurrection. The account of events leading to the Crucifixion differs sharply from the four gospels in the New Testament. In it, Jesus is said to have entrusted Judas with special knowledge and asked him to betray him to the Roman authorities. By doing so, he tells Judas, "you will exceed" the other disciples. "You will be cursed by the other generations and you will come to rule over them". Through this act, Jesus' death would fulfil the Old Testament messianic prophecies.
The church fathers said long ago that Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are the only gospels that circulated among the early Christian groups. The gospel of Judas - like the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Mary Magdalene and many others are heretical, which means they were the wrong gospels. They are called the "Gnostic" gospels, the name given to them nearly 2,000 years ago by Irenaeus, one of the fathers of the church who denounced them as false and "Heretical". Knowing many such gospels circulated among early Christian groups, Irenaeus wrote that "the heretics say that they have more gospels than there actually are; but really, they have no gospel that is not full of blasphemy".
Many of these secret writings, however, were still read and revered by Christians 200 years later when Bishop Athanasius of Alexandria, an admirer of Irenaeus, wrote an Easter letter to Christians in Egypt. He ordered them to reject what he called those "secret, illegitimate books" and to keep only 27 approved ones.
The Judas depicted in the Gospel of Judas is not the Judas which Jesus knew. The Gospel of Judas paints him as the good guy. Judas was never really Christ's man.
The Judas of the Bible fell from apostleship. He never had a genuine relationship with the Lord Jesus. So he remained "the son of perdition" who was lost because he was never "saved".
His highest title for Christ was "Rabbi" (Matt. 26:25), never "Lord". He was "a doomed and damned man" because he chose it so, and God confirmed him in that dreadful choice. He betrayed Jesus because of his love for money, jealousy of the other disciples and to save his own skin. All these motives came from his evil and wicked heart.
Till today, Gnosticism still persists. In Germany the Jesuits are campaigning for sainthood for the betrayer. There are various competing philosophies out there, and the authenticity of the Bible is constantly being questioned. Let us take the time to find out more about Church history so that we can be sure of how the scriptures were canonised.
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Rev. Peter Chua (Weekly- 23rd Apr 2006)
 There were several heresies that emerged in the first few centuries of the history of the Church. The Gnostics was one of the heresies which existed during the second to the fourth centuries.
Before the 1940s, not much information was available about the Gnostics. What was known was communicated indirectly from the writings of the Church Fathers who made references to some of the Gnostic thoughts and practices in their criticisms. As early as the second century, Church Fathers such as Irenaeus and Tertullian identified Gnosticism as heresy.
In 1945, an ancient library of books written in the Egyptian language of Coptic was discovered in Nag Hammadi in Egypt. The scrolls contained 52 texts, many of them recognised as Gnostic texts, and this led to the publishing and dissemination of these texts.
Collectively these texts discount the Genesis account of creation and consider the God of creation as a lesser being - a powerful hungry male chauvinist. For example, in the The Testimony of Truth, one of the Nag Hammadi texts, the Garden of Eden story is told from the serpent's perspective, where God is described as an angry and jealous man, and the serpent, a bearer of divine wisdom.
Some of the Gnostic texts include the following:
* The Gospel of Judas
* The Gospel of Thomas
* The Gospel of Truth
* The Gospel of Mary Magdalene
It was asserted that the Gnostic Gospels were written at the same time or earlier than the canonical Gospels. This is a fallacy. There is overwhelming evidence from both Christian and non-Christian scholars that the Gnostic Gospels were written at least about a century after the canonical Gospels. The claim that they were kept out of the New Testament Canon for political reasons is also wrong.
Why were the Gnostic gospels excluded from the Bible? There are many reasons the Gnostic gospels were not included in the Bible. Early church leaders found consensus in determining whether ancient Christian documents were sacred by asking some basic questions: Was it written by an apostle of Christ or by someone who had direct contact with the apostles? Did the writings in question receive wide acceptance as being consistent with the teaching of Christ and the apostles? Did they bear the mark and effect of spiritual power and truth?
None of the Gnostic gospels measure up to the New Testament standard of reliable documents. Instead of being consistent with the earliest and most reliable eyewitness accounts, and instead of resting on the foundations of the Jewish Scriptures, the Gnostic gospels reflect a worldview that is foreign to both Old and New Testaments.
Let us look at the Gospel of Thomas. Some have claimed that this Gospel was written earlier than the canonical Gospels because this material does not cover the death and resurrection of Christ. Furthermore, they argued that the Gospel of Thomas has certain identical section in the Gospel of Matthew and Luke. So they concluded that the Gospel of Thomas must have come from the same source as the canonical Gospels.
It has been well established that the canonical Gospels were all written in the first century and that the Nag Hammadi Gnostic material was written no earlier than 140 AD. The Gnostic Gospels were written after the canonical Gospels to challenge the apostolic teaching of Scripture and Church, and to promote several heresies.
The Gnostic Gospels such as the Gospel of Thomas and the Gospel of Philip cannot be given any authority, for they were not written by the apostles or their associates. Moreover, they are contrary to the Christian faith and the teachings of the Church. Take, for instance, the Gospel of Thomas. It contains 114 sayings attributed to Jesus, some of which resemble sayings found in the earlier canonical Gospels.
A few of the parables of Jesus such as the "Parable of the Sower" are mentioned in the Gospel of Thomas - though in shortened form - but they appear distorted in many places. The book also contains Gnostic ideas and various esoteric sayings. It is, therefore, no surprise that the Gnostic Gospels did not come anywhere near being considered seriously for inclusion in the New Testament Canon.
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Rev. Peter Chua (Weekly- 29th Oct 2006)
On this Lord's Day, we commemorate the event of the 16th century reformation. It was on 31st October 1517, that Martin Luther, the Augustinian monk broke away from the Roman Catholic church. His famous 95 theses which he had nailed on the door of the Wittenberg Cathedral in Germany were against the errors of Roman Catholic church doctrines and practices. We thank
God for such reformers as Martin Luther, John Knox and John Calvin. Through their enlightened examination of the Holy Scripture, we have been restored to the Apostolic faith.
Many Christians today are still ignorant of the many wrong teachings and practices within the Church. Halloween has taken over, and has displaced this historic commemoration of our rich protestant heritage. Some churches have been so desensitized to the subtle invasion of Halloween festive spirit that their kindergartens have embraced it as a time of fun, parties, and games for the children.
In secular society, nightclubs are concocting drinks with scary names. Even the heartland is turning to horror this weekend, as a Community Centre holds a Halloween party for its residents. Scary movies will be screened and half the entire CC will be transformed into a "horror tunnel".
Shopping malls like Cold Storage in Holland Village and Jelita are full of sprawling stacks of plump pumpkin. The colour of pumpkins along with black is the symbol of Halloween. People also hollow them out and light a candle inside. They carve devilish faces on them to scare others.
As Christians, should we allow our children and ourselves to have some fun and participate in Halloween? Is it all right to go trick-or-treating? Can we dress our homes or our kids up in
diabolical costumes on that day for some fun as Christians?
The word "halloween" comes from the word "hallow" which means saints. It was introduced as All Saints Day or All Hallows Day to replace a pagan festival of the dead. Eventually, on the eve of all Saints Day known as All Hallows eve (Halloween) becomes the celebration of the underworld. In
this festival which is on 31st October, they dressed to look like skeletons, vampires and witches from the underworld. They roam the streets and knock on the doors of neighbours' houses for sweets, crying out "trick or treat".
Apparently, the origins of Halloween can be traced back to Ireland and Scotland. Towards the end October, the Celts celebrated the end of summer. This was important an celebration. All animal herders would move their animals into barns and prepare to ride out the winter. This was also the time to harvest their crops. This annual change of season was marked by a celebration called Samhain.
There was much superstition associated with this time. They believed that the spirits of the dead wandered around looking for bodies to inhabit. Since the living did not want to be possessed by spirits, they dressed up in costumes and paraded around the streets making loud noises to confuse and frighten the spirits away. In addition, the Celts began their new year on 1st November. So, the day of Samhain was believed to be a day that was neither the year past nor the year to come.
Since it was in between, chaos ruled on that day. Often, people would pull ghostly tricks on others.
When the Roman Catholic moved into the area, 1st November became "All Hallows Eve" where all the saints of the Catholic church were honoured. People would go door-to-door on 2nd November requesting small cakes in exchange for the promise of saying prayers for some of the dead relatives of each house. This arose out of the religious belief that the dead were in a state of limbo before they went to heaven or hell and that the prayers of the living could influence the outcome.
This may have been the precursor to "Trick-or Treat".
The Jack-0-Lantern apparently comes from Irish folklore about a man named Jack who tricked the devil into climbing a tree. Once the devil was in the tree, Jack carved a cross on the trunk, preventing the devil from coming down. The devil then made a deal with Jack. If Jack would remove the cross from the tree, he would not go to hell if he died. However, when Jack died, he couldn't go to hell, neither could he go to heaven. He was forced to wander around the earth with a single candle to light his way. The candle was placed in a turnip to keep it burning longer. When the Irish came to America in the 1800's, they adopted the pumpkin instead of the turnip. Along with these traditions, they brought the idea that the black cat was considered by some to be reincarnated spirits.
So, it appears that the origins of Halloween are a mixture of old Celtic pagan rituals superstition and early Catholic traditions. As true believers of Christ, we have nothing to do with both of them for they are contrary to the biblical teachings of scriptures which clearly forbid the celebration of occultic events or practices (Lev 19:27-30, Deut 18; 9-14).
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