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My grandmother passed away August 9th to be with God.  Here is a song and poem written for my grandmother, Nhu Pham. Title of song: Nhu Pham

I love you Grandmother, Keith

Song Lyric

Verse 1:

Everyday you were alive

You always shared about God

Your love and faith

Raised this beautiful family

Now your key can open up heaven

Chorus:

Nhu Pham

You will always be

Remembered for all eternity

Nhu Pham

You will always be

Remembered for all eternity

Verse 2:

Now your pain is over and you are gone

I have to find the strength to carry on

I won’t forget a single deed you’ve done

You’ve raised me since I was young

All those countless times you were there

Showing me how much you care

Hope that One day I will be

The person you always wanted me

Chorus:

Nhu Pham

You will always be

Remembered by your family

Nhu Pham

You will always be

Remembered for all eternity

Poem for Grandmother:

Oh Lord, what shall my life be?

Grandmother has always been here for me.

Oh Lord, if only I can turn back time

To laugh, to love, to joke, and to play.

Oh Lord, if I can only ask for one more day

That would mean the world to me

Oh yes, I will miss these things

I know she is now free to go on the path you laid for her

I know she took your hand when I said my last few words

I know her last tear drop was a sign of her love for us

I know the void in my heart must be filled with memories of joy

I know grandmother’s spirit is always with us

Oh yes, I will trust in you Lord

I cannot say no more because I know I have to let go

Grandmother, don’t forget the silver key you gave me 3 years ago to open the gates of heaven

I still keep it close to me and will use it when I take my last breath to see you

I love you grandmother!

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If beauty is recognized ^a
Then ugliness arises ^a
If good is recognized ^b
Then bad arises ^b

Spirit and Flesh forms each other ^b
Difficult and easy produces each other ^b
Long and short measures each other ^b
High and low define each other ^b
Music and tone harmonize each other ^b
Front and back follow each other ^b

Therefore, the Master:
Achieves his purpose but without ado ^c
Gets his message across but without words  ^c
Holds all things together but without controlling ^c
Creates all but without possessing ^c
Serves all but without seeking glory ^c
Fulfills the Promise to all but without claiming ^c

Since He does not claim anything ^c
Nothing is ever lost ^c

^a(1 Peter 3:3-5) ^b(Ecclesiastes 9:2-3, Job 30:26) ^c(Colossians 1:15-23)

My Thoughts: The universe is now full of dualities, where one descriptive concept creates its own opposite. Read More on Dualities Chapter 2

Translated & Produced by Keith Hoang

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If you can talk about it ^a
It is not the eternal God ^a
If it is worth naming ^b
It is not the eternal name ^b

The nameless, is the origin of Heaven and Earth ^c
The namable, is the Mother of all things ^d

Free from desire, one observes the Spirit ^e
Filled with desire, one observes the Flesh ^e
The two merge and become one of the same body but differ in name. ^f

The unity is the Mystery of God ^e
Mystery of mysteries ^a
The gateway to wonders ^a

^a(Job 36:26, Job 37:5) ^b(Exodus 3:13-15) ^c(Genesis 1:1-2) ^d(Genesis 3:20) ^e(Romans 8:9-18, 1 Corinthians 12:12-14, Ephesians 4:4) ^f(1 Corinthians 6:19)

My Thoughts: After reading 40+ different translation of the Tao Te Ching, Chapter 1 of the Tao is probably the most difficult to understand but is the foundation of all the other chapters. Please don’t let this discourage you from reading the other chapters. Click here to read more: Biblical Translation of the Tao Te Ching Chapter 1

Translated and Produced by Keith Hoang

John 6:68:

“Then Simon Peter answered Him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.’”

Jesus had just delivered some hard teachings. In response, many of those who were part of the crowd that followed Him turned back and left Him. Jesus turned to His disciples and asked, “Will you also go away?” In response, Peter gave the answer that is the Fred List entry for today.

I know I’ve written on this passage before, but this morning God is bringing me back to it. I get the feeling that this is a slightly different approach this morning and so please bear with me. It seems to be a message worth repeating, and there are probably some who need to be reminded of it.

Following Jesus gets tough at times. We need to make the determination in our lives to stay the course. Those who know us know that my wife, Bev, was diagnosed with breast cancer a couple of months ago. We look back and ask, “Has it only been a couple of months? It seems so much longer.” Being in the middle of a trial is always hard, and the time seems to drag during the trial. I think it is important to face your fears, and be honest with your feelings when going through trials as this lets God do His best work in your life and through your life.

We had a subtle warning from God before this happened. Our Church bulletin had a devotional in it the week before Bev got her diagnosis. It mentioned that some of us would go through losing our hair. Bev had the feeling the message was for her. The diagnosis confirmed it. She struggled with the fact that she might lose her hair. We asked for God’s Will and I asked everyone to pray for one of two things: 1) that God would let her keep her hair; or 2) that God would give her the strength to endure the loss of her hair.

You and many others prayed believing just as I did. God gave His answer night before last; and she noticed her hair was starting to fall out. This is not to say God did not answer your prayers. It is not to say your prayers were not effective. It is just that God’s Will is being done; and so now the focus is on praying for God to give her the strength to endure the loss of her hair.

This will be difficult for her, but we now know it is the Will of God. We asked God to demonstrate His Will. He has the power to preserve her hair; but for some reason it is part of His Will that she goes through this valley of trials as well.

Cancer seems to be at epidemic proportions in our small Church our pastor is coming out of his chemo phase. The week after Bev’s diagnosis a young man also received the cancer diagnosis. Yesterday a close brother in the Lord shared his wife just got the diagnosis. We need to pray. However, our prayers should not be to avoid the Will of God in our lives. It should be for God to give us the strength to accept His Will in our lives. We never want to be fighting God.

These are the hard teachings. This is the harsh reality of following our Lord. There are no promises that we will not suffer, struggle or even die as part of God’s Will in our lives. Those who teach such things are ignoring major portions of Scripture dealing with Job and Paul. The promise is that God is in control during these times. He sets the limits. He is not doing this without a purpose. And that God will use it to further His Will and purpose. We will grow through it; but we still must go through it.

So as we look at the road ahead of us, it is like this passage of Scripture. Jesus has revealed some hard things for us. The flesh wants to turn away. We mistakenly believe that by turning from our faith this trial will end. It won’t. But Jesus looks at us when the news is delivered: “You have cancer.” “You’re losing your hair.” “You’ve just lost your job.” “You’re now broke.” “You’re going to lose your home.” “Someone you love has just died.” This is the reality of the world. These are the truths we are dealing with. We cannot ignore them. God’s trials hit you right in the face and wake you up. You reevaluate your life and your faith and your God. Jesus sees our reaction. He knows the fear creeping into our lives and asks, “Will you also go away?”

Are we willing to commit to following Him knowing the price? Peter’s response is the only honest response we can make. “Where else can we go?” There is nowhere else. If we turn from Jesus, we turn from someone who loves us so much He died to save us. He gave up Heaven and became a man to redeem us. If we turn from Him the only other option is a cold, cruel, uncaring world.

As believers we do not walk this valley alone unless we choose to. We can push everyone away, or we can reach out to Jesus and let Him walk with us. We can share with Christian brothers and sisters and they take our hand, give us a hug, and you see your pain in their eyes as they choke back a sob and say, “We’re praying for you.” And you know they mean it.

Where else can we go? There is no where else to turn. Trials force us to turn to Jesus. They force us to cling to Him as He wraps His arms around us and gives us His warmth, His strength and His compassion. We’re still going through, but He’s going through it with us.

Finally, He has the Words of Life. The words of the doctor, or the world are not Words of Life. They are, at best, words of death. They cannot give us hope. They cannot reassure us we will get through. The world lacks the power to fulfill on its promises. Jesus has that power. He will deliver. When He speaks, His promises carry the power of the Words of Life.

So as you hear the news. As Jesus reveals to you the cost of being His follower, stop and count the cost; but there are two prices before us. We will pay one or the other. If we choose to follow Jesus, the trial lies ahead. But Jesus will be there with you giving you the strength to endure and to go on. Or you turn away and face it alone. Where else can we go? Where else can you go? There is nowhere else that makes any sense of it all except for to continue to follow our Lord who loves us so. Only He has the Words of Life and can fulfill His promises.

Dennis

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A custom song my friend wrote for my wife and I in 2004 based on our 15 year relationship before asking her in marriage. Song Title: Waiting Patiently.

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Song Title: Hold On – I asked Niseem to help raise money for my cousin’s foundation to save a  young girl living with cancer. Thanks to Niseem who offered his time to produced this song.

“It Is A Good Thing To Give Thanks Unto The Lord…”

[As tomorrow is Thanksgiving and we need to spend time with family. I am going to take the weekend off. I will start the Fred List back up on Monday morning. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Thank each and every one of you for your prayers and words of encouragement. - Dennis]

Psalm 92:1:

“It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto your name, O Most High.”

In preparation for Thanksgiving, I found myself coming back to this verse. It was a praise song we sang in the early 1970’s. It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord. That means that it is beneficial to us to take time out of each day and to thank God. It takes our focus off the world around us. It makes us look for God working in our lives.

God is working in each life, every day. The problem is that God is subtle. He does not drop major miracles on us all the time. We would come to expect them. He moves quietly. He works behind the scenes. He encourages here. He slows us down there. He lifts us up. Someone says something we need to hear. Something does what it’s supposed to do. Something doesn’t act the way we expect it to.

God is all around us, literally. But He is not calling attention to Himself. He goes about His work in a quiet and unpretentious manner. You have to stop and look at things taking place around you to spot His fingerprints. If you want to find God, He will be there. As we saw in one of the Fred List entries earlier this week, “We will find Him when we search for Him with our whole hearts.” Jeremiah 29:13 [paraphrased]

Fred Palacios – for whom this study is named – had a favorite expression: “coincidence is not a kosher word.” He would tell me that the rabbis point out that there is no Hebrew word for coincidence because the rabbis do not believe there is such a thing as coincidence. It is a subtle proof that God is working in our lives.

We need to stop for a moment throughout the day and look for the evidence that God is there – that God is working. Unless you look, you will miss it.

I wrote a poem back in my high school days called The Red Fingers of Morning. It was a compare and contrast poem. The character was going about his daily duties:

“The red fingers of morning
Flex across glowing skies
The coffee pot is bubbling
In the skillet a scrambled egg fries…”

We see things in nature that speak of God’s handiwork. Our main character gets in his car and drives to work. He goes about his job. He comes home and watches television. All the while birds are singing, the sun is setting, the moon comes out and the stars glow overhead. The poem ends with the comment:

“…Isn’t it rather odd,
He tosses and turns in his sheets
And wonders “Where is God?”

Unless we look for God, we will not find God. He does not beat down the door with a sledge hammer. He is there working to make things happen.

That is what this verse is all about. It is a good thing – it is beneficial for us – to take the time out during our busy day and look for God. Don’t stop looking for God until we see evidence that He is there working. Recognize that God is involved in your life. When you find Him there, thank Him. As we see more and more of God in our lives – it is a skill we have to develop – we will do more than just thank Him. We will get excited about His work. We will start to sing praises to Him.

We celebrate Thanksgiving once a year. It’s good that we do it. Many people would never stop and look at their lives and realize all they have to be thankful for unless we shut the entire world down for one day and made them do it. Some people do not even do it then. The Psalmist called for us to make every day a Thanksgiving. Giving thanks makes us realize we are not alone. Giving thanks makes us realize we have friends and family. Giving thanks makes us focus on the positive rather than the negative.

Last year at Thanksgiving, I quoted the verse from Paul where he said, “I thank God for you all.”  I still do. Bev’s cancer has made me even more thankful for God and for you. Each year God brings us through another trial. It might be financial. It might be health-related. It might be relationships. It might be career-centered. It might be the loss of a loved one. But each year God brings us through it. He brings us through it by His Holy Spirit and through those He places around us – you.

So let me take a moment to thank God for all he has done, all He is doing, and all He is going to do. I want to quote I Thessalonians 5:24:

“Faithful is He who called you, who will also do it.”

We can count on the faithfulness of God. We can count on friends and family because those are the ones God uses to bless us through and with.

Thank you…Thank you all.

–Dennis–

Image by Alastair Dunning via Flickr

 

“…I Will Follow You…”

 

Luke 9:61 – 62: “And another also said, ‘Lord, I will follow you; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.’

 

And Jesus said unto him, ‘No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.’”

 

This seems like a harsh standard on the part of Jesus, but it is what following God requires. Now there is a part of this standard that we all seem to overlook: none of us are fit for the Kingdom of God. None of us can earn our way into God’s Kingdom. Each and every one of us will fail God at some point. This does not mean that God will reject us. It does not mean that God does not want us to try.

 

Each one of us has come to God with a sincere and honest desire to follow God. We have every intention of making our best effort to do what God wants us to do. Unfortunately, good intentions only get you so far. If we take this teaching of Jesus at face value, then all of us should not even bother to come to God. None of us are worthy of salvation. So accept our fate and move no.

 

But contrast this verse with John 6:37:

 

“All that the Father gives me shall come to me; and he who comes to me I will in no wise cast out.”

 

Is there a contradiction in teachings here? Not really. I notice that in Luke’s passage Jesus is telling us that we are not fit for the Kingdom of God. He does not say that He will not accept us. Jesus was dealing with a specific situation and we run into problems when we take the response of Jesus to a specific situation or person and then try to give it universal application without first checking to make sure it has that kind of application.

 

Jesus was addressing a half-hearted commitment in Luke’s passage. Jesus was calling out to people to follow; but each person wanted to negotiate with Him before committing. Their hearts were not in it. I believe that this is the key to the response of Jesus. They were not sincere about their following God. But by contrast in John’s passage Jesus notes that God has to be the one bringing each person to Jesus. As God draws us, our hearts are responding. Anyone who comes to Jesus sincerely will be accepted by Jesus. Neither God nor Jesus are willing to let anyone go to Hell. Both will do all that They can to encourage each person to come to them. The invitation is made to all.

 

Someone once complained that “How can God let someone go to Hell?” In response the minister pointed out that in order for someone to get to Hell they have to step over the body of Jesus who is blocking the road to keep them out. They have to knock Him down as He stands in front of the door yelling for us to go back. They have to pry the fingers of Jesus off of the doorknob that opens the door to Hell, and then tear the hands of Jesus off their arm and leg as He tries to hold them back from jumping through the door. Jesus has done everything He can do to keep us from going there. The only thing He did not do or cannot do is make the decision for us.

 

So the invitation is made to all: “Follow me.” But the response must be sincere. People who go forward to an invitation as “fire insurance” and there is not commitment in the effort run the risk that if it is not a sincere response to God; God may fail to recognize it. God wants to recognize it; but there is a legal system controlling how we are saved. God cannot ignore those legal requirements.

 

In a legal system we have to sign the contract for the contract to be binding. A half-hearted commitment is not signing the contract. It’s picking it up. It’s putting it into your pocket and offering to look at it later. But until you take it out of the pocket, open it up and sign it; it is not a commitment. If you are willing to commit; then Jesus will do all He can to bring you into the fold and make you one of His own.

 

The choice to follow Jesus is the most important choice you can make. While the acceptance of Jesus as our Savior is the first step in following Jesus, the decision to follow Jesus is not just a one-time thing. Now don’t misunderstand me. The decision to accept the offer of Jesus to save us is a one-time decision. It is binding for the rest of our lives. It’s the signature on the contract that lasts forever. But following Jesus is the daily decision. Success is rarely by accident. It is a focus of the mind and the heart.

 

We take up the cross daily. This expression literally means that each day we have to make the decision of dying for Christ. We take our desires, our plans, and our goals and kill them. We then replace them with God’s desires, God’s plans and God’s goals. If we don’t make this conscious decision each day, then we lose our focus. Our goals begin to slip back in. Our plans begin to have priority. And without coming back and making this conscious effort each day to do what God wants us to do our focus is lost.

 

You might wonder why Jesus used the expression of putting your hand to the plough. There is a very specific reason and unless you’ve heard the reason or actually plowed a field, you miss it. To plow a field the old-fashioned way with a horse and plough involved focus. You had to pick a point at the other end of the field and keep your eyes focused on that point. That point has to become your goal – your only goal. And as your focus is on that point and nothing else, everything involved in plowing the field follows.

 

However, if you start to plow that row and start looking around, the focus is lost. The horse veers to the left or right. The row is curved or crooked. But an experienced farmer sets the plough in place. He focuses on the exact spot where he needs this plough to go. His mind draws a straight line from where he is to where he wants to be. He then starts the horse and guides the horse by keeping his eyes focused on the point ahead.

 

Christ is the point on the other side of life that we want to reach. Where we are is our place in life right now. We need to focus on the goal. We need to commit to reaching it. These efforts will create a straight line toward Jesus and the focus will keep us on the path.

 

When a farmer realizes that he has made a mistake, he stops. He repositions the plough. He resets his focus and starts again. If he doesn’t reset the plough he adds to the mistake. In some cases he may have to go back to where he lost the focus and start from there. But to succeed he has to keep the same point in focus. Jesus is that point that we must focus on. He is the constant in our life.

 

If you find that your walk with God is not as close as it once was; or the desire to follow God is not as strong as you want it to be; it involves coming back and making the commitment once more. And then you need to make the commitment to commit – each day. 

 

 

 

I visited Jerusalem early this year. Here is a video of our trip. First song written for a girl with cancer and second song written for my book. Lyric of the song is based on the content of my book. Thanks to Niseem who produced the songs. Watch the City of Jerusalem, Capernaum, Sea of Galilee, Garden of Gethsemane, Masada, Caesarea, Night of Hope with Joel & Victoria Osteen.

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Your Love (Tao Song)
Second Song Verses:

You think you know, but you don’t know.
You try to figure out but can’t seem to find it.
Every door that you open seems to close.
Cause you are not looking in the right place… oh yah.

In a world full of dark things.
We try to find the love that brings.
Brings you up and down on your knees.
There is love,
That cannot be taken over,
That can give you all you need.

Chorus
Your love, is never ending
Your love, has no name
Your love, is greater than all
Your love, like water in the rain
Your love, consecrate life
Your love, change to all
Your love, is not just what you have
Your love, no matter who you are
Your love, God the Father
Your love, living in the Son
Your love, here for all to know
Your love, Holy One
Your love, is what I am
Your love, is what I need
Your love, so empty me out
To pour into me

Verse:
Before we knew God,
The right appeared wrong,
The light appeared dark,
And the truth is like a lie and all but gone.
But when we receive,
Our sins are washed away,
By the Blood of Son,
And the night turns to day.
So tell me son, what are you living for?
Don’t you know, you can lose your soul?
So let go, let God, let him save you now, save you now.

Truly good people keep their mind on what is eternal and seek out the spirit for guidance. They are not concern about the material world, the opinions of others, and do not make their achievements known. Mark 10:17-18, As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. They are in alignment with God going about their life effortlessly, yet nothing is left undone. Living in harmony and abundance is a gift from God who endures forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him. Unlike foolish men who work vigorously to achieve and leave more undone. They gain nothing from their toil because God has made everything beautiful, but yet they cannot fathom what God has done from the beginning to end. Those who are falsely good constantly have to remind themselves to uphold their image and/or act good. Their actions often lead toward personal agendas to improve their public image, gaining authority, and nullifying their guilt or wrongful doings.

From high virtue to the low: Goodness, Kindness, Righteousness, and Ritual, respectively. These are the four virtues believed to measure our true character. Whenever God is lost, good people anticipate the goodness of God that flow naturally. For the appeal they make does not spring from error or impure motives. When goodness is lost, then kindness appears. Kind people try to remain loving, be compassionate toward others, and free themselves from personal agenda. When kindness is lost, then righteousness appears. Righteousness can be a trap for self-righteousness. People who possess self-righteousness feel strongly justified in themselves that their actions may reflect their own motives. They are not guided by love and compassion, instead they act based on creativeness and justice. Their beliefs become very complex and confusing like the laws today because right and wrong can be subjective. When righteousness is lost, then rituals appear. Unfortunately, many ritual people act unnatural, showing great politeness and modesty. They believe to posses foreknowledge and devise formulas for human action and try to trade the spirit for the letter. Thus, they fall back on protocol and rules to mask their true intentions. If they fail to obtain their goals upon others, they use physical and aggressive means to force their view points. This may be artificial and wrong, but they have something to follow if nothing else works. Those who practice artificial rituals are nothing more than a shell without substance, pretending to be trustworthy and genuine while possessing neither quality. It is the husk of true faith and the onset of confusion and chaos.

Matthew 23:1-7
¹Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: ²“The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. ³So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. ⁴They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. ⁵“Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; ⁶they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; ⁷they love to be greeted in the

Similarly, people who possess knowledge without any of these virtues are also shells lacking substance. Like the pleasing appearance of flowers, they possess none of the fulfilling goodness of the fruits. Their “flowery knowledge of God” represents their own superficial knowledge of this world. They look upon the beautiful surface and not the fruit or substance. In other worlds, the flower is a metaphor of an individual who look good on the outside but lack substance. Thus, people who possess knowledge without virtue may project a knowledgeable image but are ignorant in fundamental ways. Unlike truly good men who dwell in the depths of God and not the surface. They look upon the fruit and not the flower. They prefers what is within to what is without.

Matthew 23:25-28
²⁵“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. ²⁶Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. ²⁷“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. ²⁸In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

Before Goodness, Kindness, Righteousness, and Ritual, there is God who just “IS”. If we lose God, what we have left are the four virtues to uphold. When people are living in the Spirit of God, they do not have to uphold these virtues because everything is in alignment with God and comes naturally without effort. It is like the perfect image of God, a Spirit that cannot be measured by any means of virtue.

Wu Ch’eng
The Tao is like a fruit. Hanging from a tree, it contains the power of life, but its womb is hidden. Once it falls, it puts forth virtue as its root, kindness as its stem, justice as its branches, ritual as its leaves, and knowledge as its flower. All of these come from the Tao. ‘That’ refers to the flower. ‘This’ refers to the fruit. Those who embody the Tao choose the fruit over the flower.

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God makes no attempt to be in action and yet is the source of all action. Nothing is left undone and nothing is beyond his power. His eternal nature is the unchanging principle of the past, present, and future of effortless achievement. God has made everything beautiful in its time and set eternity in the hearts of man; yet we cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. It is better for us to be happy and do good while we live. Everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. When we embody the principle of effortless achievement, our environment, circumstances, relationships, family & friends will naturally transform into alignment with our goals. The Lord’s divine power has given us everything we need for life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. He has given us his very great and precious promises, so we can participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. We must make every effort to add to our faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. If we possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep us in alignment with our Lord Jesus Christ. However, it is our strong desire to be the captain of the ship and take control of our own direction in life. Our transformation may lead to chaos if left unchecked; derailing us from the simplicity of God. Romans 8:5, ⁵Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. Thus, our own thoughts and emotions, once aligned with God can result in being self-absorbed due to the pure excitement for success and drive for fame. The mind of a sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace. We must not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our mind.  ^cJohn 16:12-16, ¹²“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. ¹³But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. ¹⁴He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. ¹⁵All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you. ¹⁶“In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.”

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According to the way of the world, the weak is inferior to the strong; however this is contrary to the Bible. 2 Corinthians 12:9, ⁹But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. Thus, people should not abandon weakness, just as fish cannot leave deep waters. When fish leave the depths, they are caught. When people abandon weakness, they join the league of the dead (spiritually dead). God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. It is also Lao-Tsu’s belief that the weak can conquer the strong by letting the strong exhaust themselves until they become weak. Those who live according to their spirit speak softly and act with care. They do not argue about right and wrong, better or worse, good or bad, but understand the harmony of Heaven and Earth. They perceive and adapt to the hidden light that is the invisible power of the natural order for Heaven and Earth.  Mark 15:2-5, ²“Are you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate. “Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied. ³The chief priests accused him of many things. ⁴So again Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.” ⁵But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed.

We know that Jesus reached his highest limit of greatness in the eyes of man and goes beyond our understanding. Because we cannot add to the greatness of Jesus, the only way we know how to treat Jesus was lowering or condemning him. It is similar to the way we treat the fall of raising stars who reached their limits, such as Michael Jackson. We attract attention to gain popularity at the cost of another person before knowing the facts and soon become experts in our field. In fact, we may be afraid to look in the mirror at ourselves and can be very defensive when others do the same. We shrink, weaken, and cast legendary people down to what was once expanded, strong, and honored. This is how Jesus was treated when he was arrested and sent to Caiaphas, the high priest where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled.

Matthew 26:59-68
⁵⁹The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. ⁶⁰But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward.  Finally two came forward ⁶¹and declared, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’ ”  ⁶²Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” ⁶³But Jesus remained silent. The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.”  ⁶⁴“Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”  ⁶⁵Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. ⁶⁶What do you think?” “He is worthy of death,” they answered. ⁶⁷Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him ⁶⁸and said, “Prophesy to us, Christ. Who hit you?”

It is the Grace of God who given up his only Son to be the sacrifice for our sin. John 7:37-39, On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. ³⁸Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” ³⁹By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. Jesus gave up his Spirit on the cross to live in you, whom you have received from God. For that reason, your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and you are not your own. Though, we have received the Holy Spirit, but it must first be given by God to whom he chooses. If our sovereign God knows the value of giving, how much more should we do it? In order to receive, we must start by giving. In order to be treated kindly, we must start by giving other kindness. If we wish to make friends, we must start by being friendly. This is the natural order of God’s nature who is circular; the principle underlying all interaction that is one of dynamic, universal energy exchange. It is impossible to fully understand laws of nature (secret wisdom of things) because God have hidden these things from the wise. All things have been committed to Jesus by his Father and no one knows except the Father and Son, and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Just as fish keeping its depths, so too are the unrevealed weapons of the Heavenly Kingdom.