I want to talk about the image of God in this world. Scott who wrote Issues facing Christians today brought some powerful thing about the image of God. He wrote that the biblical revelation reminds us that human beings are not self-explanatory.
We derive the meaning from outside themselves, from God in whose image they are made
Now this is very significant essentially, that really just puts human beings into the right pedestal so that we don’t exalt ourselves as if we are god in this world living in self-denial that there’s a higher power we call the sacred power in this cosmos, caused by the enlightenment. During which Reiff and Freud and the Rousseau and all these folks abandoned the sacred order, and put ourselves in charge all the universe. (Jean-Jacques Rousseau was one of the most influential thinkers during the Enlightenment in eighteenth century Europe). They have forgotten completely that we derive our meaning from outside ourselves, not from within ourselves. That’s when exactly the modern contemporary cultures teaching that we just need to be authentic to restore our dignity to find our dignity by looking inwards to find our authentic self. They forgot that we did not derive our image, our meaning of who we, from within but we got it from God in whose image we were made. Like Scott said we are not autonomous individuals, creating ourselves constantly by the decisions and choices we make.
No, we are images, we are reflections
Now we are mere images we are not the thing we are not god! Can you imagine we images trying to say to the creator God that “we find our authentic self within ourselves not in your image?” That is completely laughable, in fact it’s not even funny anymore, because this is precisely what the world is doing heading towards ,causing millions and millions of millennial generations totally alienated from the image of God. They can’t find themselves anymore.
The dignity of a human humanity is derivative
That’s the important word. We derive our dignity from our created God in whose image we were made in. In other words our dignity is derived from God. Our dignity did not come from our authentic self deep within, it comes from him whose image we bear. We are dependent beings.
The bible’s picture of human beings is not as wheelers and dealers in the corporate boardroom, signing contracts with the gods or Ultimate reality in order to get ahead, instead, we are joyful children on Christmas morning receiving unexpectedly lavish gifts from loving parents. Free gift, not contractual obligation, is at the heart of God’s picture of reality, just as it is at the heart of the bible’s picture of redemption.[1]
I think it is absolutely fantastic and overwhelmingly rejoicing to see a God of such generosity and of superabundance in contrast to the transactional calculative economy of mankind. What we see of what God has done in Christ Jesus towards us is just something simply lavishly full of grace that we can’t even begin to comprehend. This is the concept of the superabundance God that works in and the antithesis towards the way humans bargain and grab kind of economy of lifestyle.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son to the world, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16) Did you see in this passage that God gives when he loves, not demands. Watkin has described it in like we are just like children joyfully waiting for lavish gifts from our loving parents on Christmas morning. Folks the cross of Jesus Christ is the most glorious and greatest gift of the divine God to humanity, so lavish that the son of God drops blood as a gift to us.
If this principle has followed through, it yields a world in which the poor, the weak, and the aged are not cast aside because they have nothing to put on the table in the great business deal of life, but they are cared for and honored. God gives freely to those who cannot stand on their own two feet, those who cannot cut a deal with him. [2] This is another illustrious communication by Watkin drawing from the Superabundance of God in the redemption of the world through his Son given to this world, that will be the ultimate reality that we live on. And if we do that what he’s saying is the poor, the weak, and the aged will never be cast aside just simply because they cannot contribute to the community in real life.
You see it is truly the case that God delights in freely giving to those who are marginalized, who are in need, who are being bullied by this society. That’s why you see so much in the Bible God demands social justice from his people. Look at what Jesus said, he’s always fighting for the widows, the orphans, and always urging us to give to the poor and helping them. The parable the Samaritan is cutting edge to demonstrate the second greatest commandment to love your neighbor. When Jesus used Samaritan as the neighbor of the Jew, that in itself is ground breaking because Jews don’t mix with Samaritans at that time, Samaritans are being looked down upon socially and societally. So what Jesus is called us calling us to love our neighbors, including people who are very different or socially or economically lower than us. And to help them without expecting anything in return and that’s a kind of love superabundance that Jesus has for us all as he mightily demonstrated on the cross dying for humanity because we cannot keep the covenant of God.
The primacy of the gift provides the pattern for a Society of compassion, of helping the needy when they have no means to pay back, of reaching out to the poor and the ungrateful when they are unable to repay. He lays the foundation for a caring, compassionate society that I suspect we will all like to live in, that we would all like our families to live in, especially in those times when we are aware of our own neediness. [3]
This again shows how our God is a God of compassion of wanting to help the needy when they cannot pay back, and reaching out to the poor and ungrateful when they are unable to repay. That’s the way how our God works, and that’s the way God wants to inculcate in our hearts and spirits, the spirit of Christianity. In this way God is laying down the foundation for a caring compassionate society that he wants us to build, the church must be a caring compassionate society. That’s the kind of society we all want to live in. If we extended politically to our social economic world, I believe therefore a compassionate health care system it’s definitely in place and is needed. We must not let too much of economic market economy drives away the compassion of society. Responsibility goes with the compassionate Society of course, but we must put compassionate society first and foremost because it reflects the compassion of God.
Our Lord Jesus preached about hell in the gospels more than all the other prophets combined in the whole Bible. If that’s so important to Jesus the Son of God himself, hell is a reality and that must be taken seriously now. Before it’s too late. The reason is that many people live as if there is no tomorrow. There’s no end time coming in there, just enjoy their lives. Do the most they can. And what’s most dangerous about this? It is called short sightedness.
People are not knowing what’s going to happen in the long term and just live for the present? It’s like you are in the 60’s and you have nothing in 401K, except that this time I’m talking about something a billion times and more significant than the 401K savings for retirement. The reason is the reality is in the end time that it’s either go into the eternal bliss with God and Jesus Christ in heaven paradise, or in hell tormenting forever in eternal fire with sulfur with the beast and the dragon the Satan. When you think seriously about it first it is not funny secondly it’s not being cynical, thirdly it is way too much at stake. Press the wrong button make the wrong decision the eternal justice coming back to haunt you forever ever painful and nonstop.
Father Abraham send Lazarus to dip water on my tongue
Thinking about the rich man with Lazarus while he was rich on earth he had anything he wanted to and he will throw his leftover bones etcetera to Lazarus who was a beggar begging for food at his house. Jesus gave the parable when Lazarus died, he went straight to heaven to be with Abraham. And when the rich man also died, he went straight to hell burning fire. The rich man lifted out his head from Hellfire and saw Lazarus with father Abraham in heaven. He called out to father Abraham, “ Abraham please ask Lazarus to give me a dip of water on my tongue because it’s so hot and dry here.” Matt 15:25-26
25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
Then the rich man asked father Abraham to go and send Lazarus to his brothers on earth to warn them of the Hellfire. Abraham tell him no my son your brothers will not listen to Lazarus even from death because if they didn’t listen to the prophets on earth they won’t listen to Lazarus from the death even.
30 “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
This story is told by Jesus as a parable with absolute truth and there is nothing metaphorical. The problem and danger of modern liberal theologians is that this is a fairy tale story with no real significance to it with no reality attached to it and that is even more dangerous because there’s deceitful and they can deceive entire generation or more. Its time to take the message of the end time warnings back today.
The Door is Shut
There’s another story about the parable of the five foolish virgins and five wise virgins. They are both waiting for the arrival of the bridegroom. It’s interesting that Jesus used the word virgin for the women waiting for the groom, it signifies the purity of the souls all Christians and the church are waiting for the arrival of Christ in his second coming as a groom to the church.
The text here is that the five virgins who are wise have got their lamps filled with oil getting ready. But the five foolish virgins did not have any oil in their lamps because the groom apparently is much delayed and there has been a long time waiting for something. But the parable goes on with the groom finally arrived. Bang! So with a big trumpet call and the five wise virgins who were already ready with oil in the lamp went right up to meet the groom. And the five foolish virgins also started going immediately however they didn’t have oil with their lamps so they asked the wise virgins to give them some oil. But the wise virgins wisely said go and get your own oil because there is not there will not be enough oil for two of us sharing it. So the foolish virgins went to get some oil, while the wise virgins were already on the way to meet the groom. By the time the foolish virgins got the oil and the headed towards the feast of the wedding of the of the groom, they knocked at the door but they won’t let them in.
Matt 25: 11 “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’ 12 “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
You know that door is the entry to the big feast of the wedding of the lamb the groom and the church, and if you’re invited you get it but if you’re not invited you’ll be kept out and kicked into the eternal darkness of gnashing of teeth and that’s what happened to the foolish virgins.
Life is a Choice and Getting ready for the biggest even in universe
Life is really about a choice and getting ready for the biggest event in the in the universe in the cosmos. If we don’t get ourselves ready as Christians, with all the vibrant doctrinal faith that has been shown to us, we will have no one to blame but ourselves. However if you are in a church that doesn’t preach about this doesn’t talk about it doesn’t teach the correct doctrines, the church has to be blamed on their leadership.
Mark 9: 2 And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.”And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3 and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. 4 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.
Jesus said, some will not taste death until they see the Kingdom of God. Who is that you wonder who would not taste death until they see the Kingdom of God? And that is really interesting, but what it means is, you know, at that time when transfiguration happened, who went out to see the Transfiguration? Peter, James, and John.
Presumably Jesus was referring to Peter, James and John. They would see the glorious God before they die. It’s transfiguration. In the context of the scripture we can quite safely take, this is referring the transfiguration. The seed, the King of God comes with power. Isn’t that power? What happened to the Transfiguration? After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John to High Mountain by themselves, and he was transfigured before them. His clothes were radiant, intensely white, as no one on Earth could bleach them. He was intensely white. Do you know that whiteness is really like what happened to God when he descended of Mount Sinai? His face, his amazing radiant glory, love, lightning and Thunder. Everything. Even Moses went up to talk with me, with God for 40 days after the after he came down, his face was shining with brilliant light. So much so that Israel asked Moses to put a veil over his face because it’s hurting their eyes. That’s exactly what’s happening to Jesus. Jesus called, becoming intensely brilliant white, shiny. So much so the three disciples, Peter, James and John were afraid, was so afraid, don’t know what to say. You see, that is the transfiguration of Jesus on the mountain.
What do you call that? Jesus showed them the power of the Kingdom of God. That is Jesus glowing for a moment. Probably less than 30 minute. The eschatology, what is to come right now, what they see is totally human. Jesus is not glorified yet, but Jesus gave them a glimpse of what is going to be like. And I’m just so encouraging because for one thing, it would encourage us all of the end time coming.
And eschatology means end time perosia the return of Christ. You know, when we see what’s going to happen in the end we can live our present life with so much more power and joy and conviction and confidence and faith, right? Because you already know what the ending is like , what its going to be. Super Bowl is coming up, I think next week. You know, if you’re rooting for a team so passionately, like what I’m rooting pretty strongly for one team now to win the Super Bowl. I got nervous every time they made a blunder . I think it’s the National Football championship you know chiefs were were struggling to beat Bengals until the end so I switched off for a while. And then by the time it’s finished, I turned on the news. I checked news on my iphone: Chiefs is going to the Super Bowl. Awesome! So I quickly went back and saw the highlights. You know, I was so, so relaxed, so happy to to see, you know, to enjoy because I already know the end results. I did have a tense, didn’t have that doubts and uncertainty anymore. I just knew exactly what’s going to happen. Its already happened, actually.
So it’s the same thing with us. When Jesus gave us an eschatological (end time) appearance, the entire appearance to Peter, James and John, He is telling them that folks lift up your eyes. The end is coming. When I come back this is going to be me alright church, be strong at the end time. I’m coming. That’s gonna be me. It will be so amazing, so tremendous. We should all be one living together as one family of God forever and ever. There be no more tears. Wipe all your tears , no more pain, no more grief. No more sorrows. No more evil.
Paradise precisely its exactly paradise as good as the best moment of your life. For at that moment we will not end. How about that? This goes on and on and on and on. It will be just the best the Lord has so much blessed us. That’s so encouraging. I hope it encourage you to stay firm and looking forward to the end time. Looking forward to that eschatology.
Be sure you read my article on Consumerism or materialism really, really just cause people failure to look at end time because it’s so bumped out of the present. So read that. But really, Jesus gives us a glimpse of his glory of his end time appearance folks. Be ready for the end time. When Christ comes back, there’s no more fighting. The fighting will be over everything over the victories completely won. The dragon ak the Devil would be thrown into Hellfire with sulphur burning well, the false prophets and the beast and all those who rejected Christ. So those who have not believe, I urge you to make a strong decision to consider. Read the Bible. Consider the divinity of Christ, what he claims, and what he offers folks. Jesus responded with the glory of God on the Mount to s Peter, James and John.
That transfiguration lasted for less than half an hour or pass. But is this a few conversations now, right after that, Peter said, “ Oh, Lord, let me make three tents for you”. He had no idea what he’s talking about because Elijah and Moses appeared. Now, right after that, God’s voice saying, “listen to this is my beloved son. Listen to him.” There’s an affirmation that voice is not for Jesus. Their voice is for the people. Listen to Jesus. He’s my son. That’s the voice of God from heaven. They were overwhelmed, stunned. And then Jesus told them, don’t tell anybody until I’m raised from the dead. They were scratching their heads going down the mountain. What does he mean by raising rising from the dead? Why don’t they just ask him? But Jesus already said many, many, many, many, many, many times explicitly. The Son of man should be killed, but three days later he shall rise from the dead. Jesus said so many times, and yet the 12 courses beside us don’t get it. How about that?
As today, we have been the church many, many, many, many years and some of the major doctrines, we don’t get it. Or we kind of know the doctrines intellectually in our heads, but we don’t get it in our hearts. So folks, this is a powerful one.
Last thing Elijah and Moses appeared to Jesus. I believe that is very revealing. Those who have died, the Saints, those who believed in Christ, who have died, they are with the Lord now. Their spirits are with the Lord. That’s why they can appear to talk to the Lord Jesus Transfiguration. When called upon, this is it is such a comforting thing. This confirms what Jesus said to the thief on his right side on the cross to today you shall be with me in paradise. This is spirit, and the flesh will come later when Jesus returns with the big trumpet. Amen. God bless you.
The frailty of life in this world should make everyone think hard and long for the long term that goes beyond just the 401K for retirement. Looking at what happened to thousands of people died in the massive earthquakes that just hit Turkey and Syria, our hearts break and grieve for them. And when I saw the TikTok videos on pulling out 6 year-old kid from the concrete blocks after 3 days in the cold weather freezing with snow and how the crowd cheered moved me to tears. And prior to that, I saw my own 83 year old mom who is getting older and more frail, and struggled to walk well, but thank God otherwise she is generally good. I thank God I have the opportunity to share with her the gospel and the exposition of the whole scriptures when I call her weekly. And I sincerely appreciate and thank my little brother Julian and his wife living with mum and taking care of her. The Lord bless him.
You know the reality is we’re all aging and moving towards closer to the finishing line in our lives. I just read Romans 13.
Romans 13:11 Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.
Paul exhorts us to wake up from our slumber or our sleep, but even closer to the finishing line when Christ comes back. And there’s ultimately complete salvation. The chances is most people are still sleeping in their slumber because they don’t think about what’s going to happen in the end time. People get old, and some are already old. Age is really a relative thing, but the real deal is to know the end is coming and are you ready for it? Many people drift into the old age, and try to enjoy the pleasures of the world as much as possible, without knowing what is ahead. I think this is very sad , uncertain and also being very ignorant, not knowing. Not thinking of the end of life, it’s not going to make it go away.
The other thing grieves is the institution of old folks home or nursing home. I have seen and heard some of our friends who put their senior parents in this retirement home or old folks home, and basically what they do essentially all day long is to sleep, eat, watch TV, take medication, and calling for help. Sometimes worse some of the horror stories we heard, nurses would put the medications on the person’s beside and a little water, without bothering if the persons actually going to take the medication or not. Or worse, hit the old man or woman. The entire old folks home culture in the West seems to be a convenience outlet for the grown kids who want to continue to enjoy their own lives without being bothered with the aged parents. To me as an Asian immigrant to America, when I first saw and heard of this, I was horrified. The idea of children looking after aged parents it’s just naturally the responsibility of the children, as parents had raised them up with love and care and with great sacrifice. The notion that when children are grown up and parents are aged and feeble, old parents are conveniently slotted into some nursing homes which would not cost children’s’ down time and effort to look after them is unheard of and a very foreign in the Asian culture, and also in the biblical culture in the Old Testament and the New Testament. If you look at the Old Testament Jewish families look after their aged parents. With modern amenities, cities like New York of course you have the option of having the Medicare to have the State paid nurse to come and stay in your house even 24/7 to look after your aged parents if they medically require it, which is truly a wonderful gracious generous provision in New York State.
But the principle is this, children should look after their aged parents. There’s nothing hip and cool about living your own lives with your children while dumping your aged parents in their nursing home. Our friends, a married couple, in Long Island with the old 80 plus and 90 plus years old parents and in-laws living with them. They do their best to take care of them while they go to work and show the affection and care to them. Of course when they’re not around, they do have the nursing aides from the State to help look after them. You know psychologically and physiologically the aged parents or grandparents are just much more happier and joyful to be shown affection and care from their own family instead of from the nurses and strangers in their nursing home. In all ways and forms and shapes, their health just get better and live longer. And above all the emotional well-being is far better than staying without children and grandchildren at home. I’ve never seen a single instance in the Bible where parents are left in the nursing homes. Some may argue that there were no nursing homes in the old days, but we do have the same capacity of love as they do.
The Bible talks about love your parents and look after your parents so that:
Ephesians 6 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3 “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”[a]
The Bible says children obey your parents in the Lord, not outside the Lord. Also honor your father and mother which is the first commandment with the promise so that it may go well with you and you may enjoy long life on the earth. I’m thinking most of the grown children today, when they put their parents into the nursing home, have not read this verse or been taught this verse. What’s bigger than this versus is the fact that it shows that we are basically self-centered people. And God has to put a promise right after honor your parents so that you may go well with you and enjoy long life. And it is very encouraging that God will think of this because he already foresees the problems is coming within the families in the future. The promise of God that you may go well with you and if you dishonor your parents do not expect that your life will go well. And do not expect that God will bless you to enjoy long life on the earth. People may be wondering why do they die young or young age because they have not obeyed and honored their parents. You know God takes parents very seriously and he expects us to honor our parents and to love them and obey them. America truly needs to read Ephesians 6 all over again and churches should preach them all over again. The command to honor our parents is even found in the Ten Commandments with a promise of long life!
Exodus 20: 12 “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
Somehow the worldly modern contemporary culture catechizes our children ourselves day and night 24/7 to the point that jettisoned the commands of the Lord from the holy scriptures.
May we take the promises and the warnings of the holy scriptures seriously and let it sink in so we live the life that will honor our parents and honor and obey our God. And the blessing is we may go well in life and enjoy long life! How about that?
Al Ngu sermons & devotion 