Death on a Friday Afternoon by Cru Singapore

DEATH ON A FRIDAY AFTERNOON Reloaded Edition MARCH 2013

Up Close and Personal with

Evelyn Tan THE RESURRECTION

Conspiracy or Miracle?

JESUS ON TRIAL

Is He Really Who He Claimed To Be?

GAMBLING, GLITZ and GLAMOUR

A True Story

DEATH ON A FRIDAY AFTERNOON 1

What Say You?

Jesus

Death on a Friday Afternoon

出死入生

A Steadfast Hope

The Slow Death of Crucifixion

3 Reasons Why…

A Life Transformed

新造的人

A Matter of Life and Death

Will the Real God Please Stand Up?

Gambling, Glitz and Glamour

Special Easter Activities

What Say You? We took a street poll to find out what people think about Jesus!

Why was Jesus crucified?

Who do you think Jesus is? “Religious leader, philosopher and good moral teacher.” Anonymous

“He was too wise and popular; it was not welcomed by the Roman dictatorship-like authorities.”

Mirek Voracek, junior manager

“Son of God”

“To sacrifice himself for the good of all humans.”

Eunice, nurse

Li Lin, management executive

Editorial

Koh Li Ting Irene Neo Gail Tan

Editorial Support Dorothea Chow Wang Bixia Yong Chit Fee

Contributors

James Chee Fong Li Ling Wilson Lau Amanda Mok Tan Soo-Inn (Dr.) Fay Yong

How Evelyn Tan found peace in her darkest moments We find out on page 10

Design

“To save people’s lives (I’m not very sure).”

Cover Story “Maybe to show the public?”

Ruby, analyst

“Prophet, good moral teacher.” Kiat Hien, engineer

Chow Yuan Yi, planner

Reggie Ibarra

With special thanks to Bethseda (Bedok-Tampines) Church

In Jesus’ time, people on the streets saw Him as a healer, teacher and, some say, the Son of God.

Do you believe in the resurrection of Jesus?

• YES • NO

Who do you think Jesus is?

©2012,2013 Death on a Friday Afternoon is a publication of Cru Singapore. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. For reprint permissions, please contact corpcomms@cru.org.sg

Death on a Friday Afternoon 1

Jesus The Beginning: CREATION

God made everything in heaven and on earth. The first humans, Adam and Eve sinned against God and Man’s relationship with God was broken.

Approximately 4BC

Birth of Jesus

An angel appeared to Joseph to announce that his betrothed, Mary, a virgin, would give birth to a son born of the Holy Spirit. He was to be given the name ‘Jesus’, “because He would save His people from their sins.” He was also called Immanuel, which means ‘God with us’. (Matthew 1:21-23, The Holy Bible)

After Resurrection Jesus’ Miraculous Healing Jesus healed many people from various diseases and drove out spirits from the demon-possessed. On one occasion, a leper, an “untouchable” in those days, begged Him for healing on his knees. Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man, and immediately the leprosy left him.

Crucifixion

Jesus was arrested for claiming to be God. He was crucified on the Cross, the cruelest penalty known to mankind at that time.

One of His disciples, Thomas, would not believe in the resurrected Jesus unless he could personally touch His hands and feet. Jesus appeared to His disciples and allowed Thomas to touch His nail-pierced hands. Thomas knelt down in worship. Jesus also ate with His disciples and appeared to more than 500 others before He ascended to heaven.

Empty Tomb Preparation

More than 300 prophecies foretold during this period were later fulfilled in Jesus’ life. This is amazing, considering that the probability of having just 8 prophecies from that period fulfilled is 1 in 1017.

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Jesus Calmed the Storm

While out at sea in a boat, Jesus and His disciples met with a heavy storm. Jesus calmed the waves with these words, “Quiet! Be still!” Immediately, it was completely calm. Many were also amazed with Jesus’ other miracles and teachings for He taught as one with authority.

Prediction of His Death

Jesus predicted His own death and resurrection.

Three days later, Jesus rose from the dead, demonstrating that He has power over death and that He is God. Those who believe in Him will also pass from death to life.

Today

Jesus offers each of us a new life and relationship with God to all who believe in Him.

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DEATH Good Friday: the day that hundreds and thousands of Christians around the world remember the death of Christianity’s ‘founder’ and God, and subsequently, His rising from the dead. At the crux of the Christian faith is the death of Jesus Christ on the cross and His resurrection three days later.

ON A FRIDAY AFTERNOON Crucifixion was the cruelest form of punishment used by the Romans in that era. After being severely tortured, Jesus was crucified on the cross according to ancient Roman traditions. His wrists and feet were nailed to the cross where He hung for almost a day, eventually dying of slow suffocation. He was later buried in a tomb heavily guarded by Roman soldiers. On the third day, however, He rose from the dead and was seen by more than 500 people. This course of events is recorded in what we now know as the Bible. (Can you trust the Bible? See page 14.)

Hoax or fact? To some, this account may seem as implausible as saying that pigs can fly. Can a dead man actually come back to life? Is this a hoax or a historical fact? Many have come up with possible theories to explain it away as mere legend. In order to render something so far-fetched believable, we need evidence. Faith needs to be based on a trustworthy object, not blind emotions. Join me to look at four common arguments against the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and see if they stand up against reason and historical records.

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DEATH ON A FRIDAY AFTERNOON Theory

Theory

Theory Jesus’ body was stolen

People Were Hallucinating

The story: It was popularly believed even during Jesus’ time that His disciples came during the night and stole Jesus’ body, hence the empty tomb.

The story: The 500 witnesses thought they had seen a risen Jesus. To “hallucinate” means to see something happening in one’s mind that is so real that one really believes it is a real-life occurrence, when it is actually not.

The truth: A team of 16 Roman soldiers – tough and highly trained – were assigned to watch over the tomb. Four of them would have been positioned just in front of what they were to protect and the other 12 would sleep in a semi-circle in front of them with their heads pointed toward the middle of the semi-circle. It was precisely the fear of the body being stolen that prompted such all-around protection, and failure on the part of the soldiers would result in their military execution. Furthermore, there was a 1.5 to 2-ton stone (1361-1814 kg) rolled over the tomb’s entrance, which would have made it all the more impossible to steal the body and get away undetected.

Jesus fainted and was revived The story: It is assumed that people at that time did not have the medical knowledge to tell the difference between death and a faint. As such, they believed that Jesus was actually buried alive and the cold tomb revived Him.

The truth: The terrible wounds that Jesus suffered on the way (beatings, lashings, collapse of the cross on Him) before He was crucified would have been severe enough to kill Him, not to mention the act of crucifixion itself - the ultimate punishment during the Roman times which guaranteed the death of its convicts. Furthermore, the Roman soldiers were trained killers. They would not have released the body for burial unless they were certain that the victim was dead. To ensure that Jesus had indeed died on the cross, it is recorded that they pierced His side to reach the heart – a fatal blow for anyone. In addition, the Roman soldiers had the option of breaking His legs while He was still on the cross to prevent Him from pushing Himself upward to breath, thus hastening death. However, they did not do so as Jesus was already dead after 3-6 hours on the cross. After His death, Jesus’ body was wrapped in about 45 kg of linen strip and spices for burial. He would not have been able to breathe, much less get up and escape out of the tomb with all His fatal injuries.

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The truth: Usually people who hallucinate are either mentally ill or have taken some drug to have caused the hallucinations. But in the Bible, the people who saw Jesus alive again were ordinary people who were not mentally ill. Furthermore, it would have been absurd for more than 500 witnesses to have the same hallucination at different points in time. And even if that were true, why couldn’t the Romans present the actual body to prove their proponents wrong?

Theory Jesus was substituted. He did not really die at the cross The story: Another popular theory goes, Jesus was saved by someone made to look like Him and that person was crucified instead. It goes on to say that Jesus ascended to heaven where He remains alive until His return to earth at the end of time. The truth: Jesus Himself said that He would die for the sins of all people. Did Jesus lie? And if it was God’s plan to have taken Jesus to heaven without death, then why would some other person be substituted and made to die? Did God change His mind? Besides, there has been no agreement on who the supposed substitute was.

Where Do You Stand? What we are really interested in here is an exploration of truth.

Any information presented as fact must have eye-witnesses or strong circumstantial evidence, or both and that ensues for the following: 1. Did Jesus really die? 2. Was Jesus resurrected? Through the content of this magazine, we invite you to figure all that out with us. At some point, you might arrive at a personal evaluation and conclude where you stand. Illustrations: David Chong Source: Josh & Sean McDowell, Jesus is Alive, IMprint Edition, 2009

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出死入生

理论一：耶稣的遗体被偷

理论三：这是人们的幻觉

这是较流行的看法，即使在耶稣的时代，人们一般相信耶稣的门徒在夜里偷走耶稣的遗体。

这理论认为当时的见证人以为他们看到复活的耶稣。“幻觉”意即人看见某些东西，在他的意念中那是如此真实，因此他们相信那是真实发生的事，但实际上这只是他们的幻觉，不是真的。

真像：看守坟墓的罗马卫兵由十六个士兵组成，这些士兵经过严峻的训练，他们分四人一组，这四人会站在坟墓前把守，而其他十二人则在这四人前面围成半圆，头会朝向半圆的内部睡觉。严密的看守就是担心遗体被偷走。若这些兵士看守坟墓的任务失败了，他们将按军纪被处死。除了军队把守，耶稣坟墓前还有块重达两吨的石头（至1814公斤）把坟墓入口挡住。这重重的把守说明了耶稣的遗体是不可能轻易被偷走或搬动的。

真像：通常精神患者或是嗑药的人会有幻觉。但在圣经时代，那些看到耶稣复活的人都是普通人，不是精神患者。当时有五百个人在不同时间看到耶稣复活，难道这都是他们的幻觉吗？即使这些人真的有幻觉，难道罗马政府不会把耶稣的遗体交出来，以证明这些幻觉都是假的吗？

每年的耶稣受难日，在世界各地千千万万的基督徒，都会在这特别的一天共同纪念这位神，基督教“创始者”之死。三天后就纪念他的复活。基督徒的信仰中心就是耶稣在十字架上的死亡，以及他的复活。十字架是罗马帝国最残酷的刑罚，耶稣基督根据罗马帝国的传统，残酷的被折磨后，钉在十字架上。他的手腕和脚被钉子固定在十字架上，并挂在十字架上整整一天。他最后窒息而死。他被埋葬在坟墓里，罗马兵丁严密地看守这坟墓。但三天后他却从死里复活，当时有五百人看见复活的耶稣。而这整起事件都记录在圣经里。一场骗局仰或真实事件？耶稣能从死里复活就像有人说猪能飞那样，这真的让人无法置信，难道死人真能复活吗？这是骗局吗？或是真实历史事件？有许多人以一些理论来解释耶稣复活只不过是传说。这难以让人置信的事件，须透过一些证据来证实。信心并不是一种盲目的情感，而必须以可靠对象为基础。让我们来看一般反对耶稣基督复活的四个理论，并看看这些理论是否符合逻辑和历史记载。

理论二：当时耶稣只是晕倒，后来清醒过来

理论四：死在十字架上的不是耶稣，而是他的替身。

这理论假设当时的人们没有足够的医学常识来分辨晕倒和死亡。因此持这理论的人相信耶稣当时只是晕倒在十字架上，而在冰冷的坟墓中清醒过来。

这是另一个流行理论，耶稣被某个很像他的人救了，这人代替耶稣被钉在十字架上。这理论进一步延伸说耶稣没有经过死亡就升天，直至末后的日子第二次再来。

真像 -耶稣被钉在十字架前遭受极可怕的刑罚，这些刑罚包括殴打、鞭刑，他所背的十字架更是一度倒在他身上。这些酷刑足以夺命，更不用说被钉在十字架了。十字架是罗马帝国时代的终极酷刑，钉十字架的酷刑能确保每个被钉在上面的人必死无疑。

真像：耶稣曾说他会为世人的罪死，难道是耶稣说谎吗？若上帝让耶稣没经过死亡就升天，那么为何他要让另一个人代替耶稣去死呢？难道上帝改变他的心意吗？除此之外，到底是谁代替耶稣而死，没有人可以达成共识。

-罗马士兵经过严格的训练，若不确定受刑者已死，他们绝对不会把遗体拿下去埋葬的。为了确定耶稣已经死亡，他们用枪从他身体旁刺入直达心脏，这一枪刺下去对任何人来说都是致命的。 -为了让钉在十字架上的人更快死亡，罗马士兵可以打断受刑者的腿，让他无法用腿撑着十字架，来承托自己的身体，保持着呼吸。罗马士兵当时没有打断耶稣的腿，因为他已经死亡。 -耶稣的遗体被重达45公斤的裹尸布和香料团团包起来，这已能使他窒息，更别说是身负重伤的他还能起来走出坟墓。

你的立场是什么？这篇文章的目的是要探索真相。以上呈现的资料，无论是目击证人或是环境证据的印证，都是要确定以下两点： 1. 耶稣真的死了吗？2. 耶稣真的从死里复活吗？透过这几页的简短文章，我们邀请你和我们一起探索以上事件。也许看了之后，你能自己评估并达成一个结论。然而在这些逻辑推理和辩证背后，一颗愿意回应上帝的心才是重要的。即使耶稣真的从死里复活，他已出死入生，这对你和我又有什么意义呢？也许你从来没有想过要对上帝有这样的回应。在第19页里解释道，若你的心思意念愿意接受上帝对你的爱，请你现在就行动吧！图解：张文腾 Source: Josh & Sean McDowell, Jesus is Alive, IMprint Edition, 2009

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Death on a Friday Afternoon 9

RY COVER STO

Steadfast Hope Death on a Friday Afternoon 10

A Steadfast Hope How Evelyn Tan found peace in her darkest moments

Death on a Friday Afternoon 11

During that time, I was pregnant and didn’t want to allow my negative emotions to affect the baby. So I told myself that I had to be strong, and God It was still tough on Darren and our relationship really helped me through though. When my father knew that Darren and I were many of those days. together and that it was he who brought me to church,

COVER STORY

A Steadfast Hope

I was first introduced to Christ at the age of eight. At that time, there was a group of kor kor and jie jies (older brothers and sisters) who went around my neighbourhood sharing Christ. One day they knocked on my door and that was how I first heard the story of how Jesus died for me on the cross. I remember feeling so touched that day. That the living God would do this for me, and my tears just flowed and flowed. I accepted Christ immediately. But the minute I closed the door and went to tell my mom, she got angry and said, “You better not believe in this ‘angmoh god’! You don’t even have the same hair colour, and your eyes are different… Why should you believe in someone else’s god??” And so that very same day, I renounced my faith. God never gave up on me though, and continued to knock on my door. But my heart was hardened. I wanted to be filial to my parents, and continued to obey them. God didn’t force me to do anything I didn’t want to, but He always had a plan. Along the course of my life, numerous people would invite me to church. But I always held on to my resolve…until Darren came along. But even then, all he did was to invite me. Back when Darren and I were getting to know each other, he had started attending church. I agreed to go, and each time I went, tears would flow uncontrollably, because the pastor would be speaking about something that mattered to my heart. I knew that God was ministering to me, comforting me with reassurances, and giving me wisdom to handle each week ahead. I knew then that I needed Him in my life. He’s so real, so good, and so ever-present, and I received Christ into my life once again. I was about 24 at that time. My parents felt that I was old enough then, and were more able to accept that I was choosing to believe in Jesus.

Death on a Friday Afternoon 12

he chased Darren out of the house and told him never to come back again. It took four years of perseverance and rejection before my father finally asked him over for lunch one Chinese New Year.

Over the course of the years, I’ve seen how God has been so good in answering my prayers. Something especially memorable is a period in my career when Darren and I switched over to work for another television station; from MediaCorp to MediaWorks. Five years later, we were told that we were not able to continue on anymore. I was faced with the thought of retrenchment, and it was all very scary. My career was going very well, but I was told that I was one of those chosen to be retrenched. It was a very down period in my life. Even though I knew that God was there for me, the feeling wasn’t nice because I felt rejected. During that time, I was pregnant and didn’t want to allow my negative emotions to affect the baby. So I told myself that I had to be strong, and God really helped me through many of those days. I knew that according to my contract, I would be officially out of work from 1 January 2005. But when that day came, God gave us Kristen, our first child at the stroke of midnight, even though she was not due till the 3rd of January. It was such a wonderful turn of events!

It felt like He was telling me, “I’m giving you a far more important career. A vocation to be a mother.” It was a job I wanted to do well. With a growing family, our concerns as parents turned to whether or not we were able to feed another mouth. We had bought a new home, we had our car, and multiple things to service. Since then, we’ve gone on to have two more children, and God has never failed to continue to provide. How good is He? One of the biggest changes I see in myself is having security about the future. I used to be very superstitious. I searched for answers in everything, because I was insecure. But now I rest secure in a God who loves me enough to send His son Jesus to die for me on the cross, and who abundantly gives. He is the One who created everything, He is the One who created me, and because of that I can rest secure in His love. Knowing Jesus has been the best thing that has ever happened to me, because I’ve found true freedom in Him. Initially, I thought that once I knew Jesus, life was going to be like in heaven. But then I realized, maybe not. Not just yet. While we are still here on earth, God has a lot of work He wants to do in us. And He will see to it that His work is complete. I now have the confidence that even though life is not perfect, God will walk me through. Whenever I’m down and out, or face difficulties, I only have to look up to Him, and everything else will dissolve into the background. God will always open a new path for me. When one door closes, He will open a bigger, wider door. God will make a way for me, and He will make one for you too. I hope that you too will take time to seek God, to see His goodness and the purpose He has for your life.

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The origins of crucifixion is unclear, but most say it was invented by the Persians, and later used by the Egyptians and the Romans as a form of capital punishment. The Romans perfected it to produce a slow death with maximum pain and suffering on slaves, foreigners, revolutionaries and the worst criminals.

the slow death of

crucifixion

The Key Players The whip

Flogging was a legal preliminary to Roman execution. The whip consisted of leather straps embedded with metal and glass fragments with small metal balls sewn into the ends. Undoubtedly, the victimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s back was reduced to an oozing mass of mutilated flesh. Scourging stops when the victim was near death or 39 lashes reached (the number of mercy according to Jewish law). For comparison, Singapore courts stipulate a maximum of 24 strokes of the cane in one sitting for criminals .

The Cross

After flogging, though barely able to, the victim carried his own cross to the crucifixion site. Normally, a heavy upright wooden stake is permanently placed outside the city walls. The victim carries the crossbeam weighing 34-57kg, measuring 1.5m-1.8m in length, on the nape of his neck, balancing it along both shoulders.

The Nails

The victim was then nailed to the cross. The victim was laid upon the crossbeam and a nail driven through one wrist. The other hand was pulled moderately tightly and a nail driven into its wrist as well. With both arms now fixed onto the crossbeam, the victim and the crossbeam were then lifted onto the upright wooden stake. The feet were then nailed to the cross by first bending the knees and rotating them laterally. The victim is now crucified.

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the slow death of

Crucifixion

BRAIN

BODY Diagram

Scourging on the back results in severe pain and blood loss, rendering the victim susceptible to circulatory shock. Exposed wounds make every heave of breath on the wooden cross excruciating.

The final step: the Roman soldiers would pierce the victim’s side with a sword to reach the heart, a customary action done to ensure death. This produced a sudden flow of water and blood. Due to intense blood loss and impending acute heart failure, water would have gathered around the heart and lungs, thus flowing out when pierced.

The legs could be broken to prevent the victim from pushing himself upward to breathe, thus hastening death. However the Roman soldiers did not do so to Jesus as He was already dead after 3-6 hours on the cross.

BODY Diagram

LUNGS

Because of his outstretched arms, the victim’s chest cavity is in a perpetual expanded state, making breathing difficult. Severe blood loss from scourging and crucifixion means less blood to carry oxygen, causing his heart to beat faster to compensate. Eventually, the heart either ruptures, or he dies from asphyxiation.

HEART

VERDICT!

KIDNEYS

“…the assumption that Jesus did not die on the cross appear to be at odds with modern medical knowledge” Journal of the American Medical Association1

Nails driven into both wrists severs the median nerve, resulting in burning pain and paralysis.

Source: 1. William D. Edwards, MD; Wesley J. Gabel, MDiv and Floyd E. Hosmer, MS, AMI, “On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ”, Journal of the American Medical Association, 255 (Mar 21, 1986): No.11 2. Section 344 of the Criminal Procedure Code 2010 3. Matt Slick, “The Crucifixion of Jesus”, http://carm.org/christianity/miscellaneous-topics/crucifixion-jesus, accessed 28 January 2012

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3 Reasons Why you should check out The Holy Bible, the biggest bestseller in history.

The number of OT and NT MSS is far greater than any of the other works of antiquity. For example, Caesar’s Gallic Wars has only 10 surviving MSS, and Tacitus’ Annals can only be checked with 20 copies. Yet no reputable scholar would argue that the Gallic Wars and Annals that we have today were not the original works of Caesar and Tacitus themselves!

Fact #2: Short Time Span Between the Original and its Manuscript When scholars date the composition of the Bible and their MSS, the historical reliability of the Bible is further assured. The difference in the time span is crucial, as a shorter time between the original writing and our available MSS composition would mean less textual distortion through the ages.

Now, who wrote the Bible? The Bible was written by more than 40 different authors – Moses, Peter, Paul, etc. Moses (yes, the dude in The Prince of Egypt), for one, wrote a number of books of the Old Testament (OT). So where are these writings today? Well, here’s the shocker: There is no one who possesses the original writings of these biblical writers, but any respectable history scholar will tell you that this is likewise for ALL ancient texts. However, we do have manuscripts of the Bible available. A manuscript is a copy of an original writing (as there was no printing press in those days). Therefore, the presence of the Bible manuscripts is of utmost importance in our quest.

What makes the Bible reliable? Fact #1: More Than 10,000 Manuscripts of the Old and New Testaments Obviously, the more manuscripts (MSS) we have to compare, the better. Hence, the number of MSS is crucial. According to theologian Dr. Norman Geisler, there are easily more than 11,000 OT manuscripts available for scholars today (Geisler, Systematic Theology Vol.1). The number of New Testament (NT) manuscripts is an astounding 13,000 copies in both Greek and Latin translations. Check out the table below.

Author

Book

Written

Earliest Copies

Gap from Original

No. of Copies

Livy

History of Rome

59 BC – AD 17

Part – 4th cent.

400 yrs

1 partial

Most – 10th cent.

1000 years

Referring to the table again, compared to other accepted works of antiquity, the NT and OT have MSS that are far nearer to the original date of composition. Most historians accept the textual accuracy of other ancient works on far less adequate grounds than that of the Bible’s. The Bible passes the historical documentation test with flying colours. It trounces all other major works of antiquity in these two key areas: 1) The sheer number of MSS 2) The early dates of the MSS with respect to the dates of the original composition.

Gallic Wars

100 – 44 BC

c. AD 900

1000 yrs*

10^

Fact #3: Confirmation by Archaeology

Tacitus

Annals

AD 100

c. AD 1100

1000 yrs

300 BC

c. AD 1100

1400 yrs

200

800 BC

c.400 BC

400 yrs

643

Old Testament

1450 – 400 BC

c.300 BC

100 – 1000 yrs

11,000

New Testament

AD 50 – 100

Most – c. AD 250

150 yrs*

13,000^

Do external sources, apart from the Bible itself, substantiate its accuracy and reliability? Nelson Glueck, a renowned Jewish archaeologist, wrote, “It may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a biblical reference.”

Homer

Iliad

For example, the Bible mentions the Hittites 40 times, who were supposedly big and important enough to cause the Syrians to flee (2 Kings 7:6, The Holy Bible). However, as there was no mention at all of the Hittites in any pagan

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Dictionary

In 1947, the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls enabled Bible scholars to arrive at a time gap of around 100 years between the original OT books and their MSS. How about the time lapse between the earliest NT manuscripts and the dates which they were originally written? “Most of the NT, including all of the Gospels, are available in the Chester Beatty Papyri from 150 years after the NT was finished.” (Geisler, Systematic Theology)

Caesar Demosthenes

30-Sec

man-u-script /ˈmanjʊskrɪpt/n It is a copy of an original writing – a reliable source for many books of antiquity today. the old tes-ta-ment /ðɪ əʊld ˈtɛstəm(ə)nt/n This is the first half of the Bible. It records the relationship between God and the Israelites. All written before the birth of Jesus Christ. the new tes-ta-ment / ðɪ njuː ˈtɛstəm(ə)nt/n This is the second half of the Bible. The first four books record Jesus’ life on earth, telling us that He is the Son of God. The other segments contain letters written by His disciples. These continue to tell us the truth of who God is.

Death on a Friday Afternoon 19

3 Reasons... literature available a century ago, critics concluded that the Hittites never existed. Then in 1906, archaeological excavations discovered the Hittite capital of Boghaskoy and recovered thousands of Hittite texts including the Hittite Code. Another example is the city of Jericho (Joshua 6, The Holy Bible), whose collapsed site was excavated by the German Oriental Society in 1907-1909.

Only God Could Have Pulled It Off The Bible was written by more than 40 different authors, and across a period of 1,600 years. Yet amidst the diversity of authorship, there emerged a single unified story – the salvation plan of God for a sinful humanity. To get a picture of how miraculous a task this is, listen to this simple parable:

The master carpenter assigned seven of his disciples to make a table. He gave them each a part of the table to design. One was in charge of a leg, and another the drawer. They were given one week to come up with their designated component. Can you imagine what an impossible task it would be for the different parts to come together and fit precisely? One leg would be longer than the others, and the drawer may not fit. The result – a total disaster. Therefore, only because God inspired the OT and NT writers, as 2 Timothy 3:16 proclaims, “ All Scripture is God-breathed…” the Bible that we have today is not only a historically accurate work, but a divinely inspired account of one story – the salvation plan of God through Jesus Christ!

Are you like Simon Greenleaf? This was the experience of Simon Greenleaf (1783 – 1853), the famed Law professor who put Harvard University on the world map. He wrote A Treatise on the Law of Evidence, which is still regarded as one of the most outstanding works on establishing legal evidence. As a non-believer of Christianity, Professor Greenleaf was challenged by some of his students to put the NT to the test of his own rigorous legal standards. After much extensive research, this professor of jurisprudence said of the NT documents, “You may choose to say I do not believe it at all, but you may not say there is not enough evidence.”

f five. My a family o p in a in t s e g n u o tu I am the y and I were brough nts were gs n re li a p ib s y o M tw mily. fa e m ievous o c c n is as a m h iscipline middle-i w I . rk o w ld at often busy h the lack of parenta . By 15, it 2 1 w f d o n e a g ea boy other oking at th I began sm d on marijuana and ce of drugs e n k e o u o fl I was h r the in ens. Unde o. Soon I hallucinog I began stealing to o years of , s and friend and sentenced to tw ishment t un was caugh nfortunately, the p roine U . h n g o takin e probati r me from nal Service. For te e d to d atio faile g to the dru s serving N when I wa iled twice and sent rmined ja te that, I was n centre thrice. I de circle of y o ti m a it to il ack rehab d not go b I went back to my n a e g n a h to c not. ut I could friends… b old ways.

a life d e m r o f s n a r t james chee

I hit the lowest point of my life on my third rehabilitation sentence that lasted 21 months. It seemed to me that I’ve reached a dead end. Nothing, not even my mother’s tears, my friends’ encouragement nor the rehabilitation program worked for me. Deep inside, I wondered, “Is my life over like that?”

On Christmas night 2001, I heard a group of people singing hymns. I was imprisoned at the second level, so I could not see their faces from where I was. However, I was deeply drawn to and touched by their singing. In time, I was able to join one of their ‘group meetings’ where I heard a pastor preach about the “Parable of the Lost Son”1. The story struck a chord in me as I saw myself as the son who has wandered for a long time and reached his end. Something changed in me and I desired to know more about the Bible and God. The pastor gave me a Bible, of which I began to read and understand from it how to live life. A particular verse that impacted me said, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here!”2 I felt then there was hope for me and my life could be changed.

Sources: 1) Geisler, Norman, Systematic Theology Volume One, Bethany House Publishers, 2002 2) McDowell, Josh, The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict, Nelson Reference, 1999 3) Zacharias, Ravi, Can Man Live Without God, W Publishing Group, 1994

Death on a Friday Afternoon 20

ft) ond from le James (sec m is pt ba s at hi

After serving two years in the drug rehabilitation centre, I was posted to Breakthrough Missions Halfway House where I continued to grow in my faith. After two and a half years, I have become an Operations Assistant there. It feels almost like I’ve come out to light from darkness.

ily

with his fam

ith his older

right) w James (far sister brother and

ht, in white y d from rig es (secon and high on ecstas m Ja e ag A teen friends ncing with t-shirt) da

Life has definitely taken a turn for me and I know I’m not the same. From passing each day aimlessly and indulging in nightlife with friends, I have become more motivated to work and live life with a purpose - like a normal person. Relationships with my family members that were very strained have now improved as I spent more time with them. Resisting the temptation to take drugs is a gradual and continual process. With God’s help, my heart and mindset has been changing. Now I’m convinced that even a cigarette is not beneficial to my body. I am thankful to God for the change in my life and I hope to be used by God to bless other people’s lives!

*James is currently working at Breakthrough Missions Halfway House. He counsels and helps others who are going through drug rehabilitation. 1) The Parable of the Lost Son (Luke 15:11-32, The Holy Bible) tells of God’s incredible ability to forgive, without judgment or condemnation, a child who has strayed far away from Him. 2 ) 2 Corinthians 5:17, The Holy Bible

Death on a Friday Afternoon 21

。兄弟姐家之康小个就我生长在一小。我从小最行排我，妹当中，又忙于工作人两母父很好玩，年，我就学那岁二十疏于管教。学时，便开中念岁五会抽烟。十药。因吞食幻迷食服始抽大麻与，被法庭窃行而惚恍迷幻药神志。但这并没有让我年加判了缓刑两反而更变本，头念的生起改过染上吸食海间期役服厉，在国民。洛英的恶习

A Matter of

人的新造谢文颂

因此，我被判入狱两次，戒毒所三次。虽然我每一次都想改变心志，脱离以前的朋友，可是没多久后，就会走回老路。就在我第三度被捕的时候，我被判入戒毒所二十一个月。那时的我很沮丧，母亲的眼泪与疼爱都不能改变我。监狱的改造、朋友的劝勉更是全无果效。我心想：“难道我一生就要被毒品捆绑，在牢里度过吗？”我顿时觉得我已经无药可救，这一生彻底完了。正当我感到人生绝望于无助时, 神的爱寻找到我。就在2001年的圣诞夜，有一群基督徒来到监狱里唱诗歌。当时我虽然被囚在二楼，看不见他们，却被他们所唱的诗歌深深感动。不久后，我有机会参加他们的聚会，并听到牧师讲了一个“浪子的比喻”1 的故事。我发觉自己仿佛那流浪了很久的浪子，走到了人生的尽头。我开始想要更认识圣经的话语和这位神。聚会过后，牧师送了我一本圣经。从那天起，我从圣经的话语开始明白做人的道理。主耶稣说：“若有人在基督里，他就是新造的人，旧事已过，都变成新的了”2。我开始对人生有希望，也感受到心里的转变。

合影

礼后与家人

）在教会洗

文颂（左二

兄姐

（右一）与

年幼的文颂

By Dr Tan Soo-Inn Everyone Dies

，

食迷幻药后

厅狂欢

与朋友在舞

牛仔裤者）

身穿黑色文颂（右二

名运作助理。以往沉沦在无所事事，空虚的日子已成过去。现在的我晓得甚至一根烟都对身体无益。当然，克服毒瘾的诱惑并非一朝一夕的事，而是一个渐进的过程，必须经历心态的转变。靠着神的力量，如今我能过着平常人的生活，拥有人生的目标。

The first time I went up close and personal to a dead body was in 1968, when I was in Form (Secondary) Two. My grandma (dad’s mum) had died and all her children and grandchildren had to help put on her funeral clothes. I was given the privilege of buttoning the uppermost button, the one highest on her collar. She looked as though she was sleeping. I cried when they were about to close the coffin over her for the last time, not because I was grieving for her but because it was the first time I saw my father weeping openly. As one grows older, one continues to encounter death. Dad himself passed away in 2003. I still miss him. And I was at her side when my first wife passed away from cancer.

我要感谢神！祂不但把我从黑暗中救出来，更让我重新明白做人的意义。我愿在往后的日子里，主能使用我这微小的生命来成为多人的祝福。

To grow up is to learn about the reality of death, about its power to take away the people you love, about its finality, about the sorrow it brings, and about the fact that it is the one sure thing about being human. Death is the human universal. Everybody dies and after you die you don’t come back. Former Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew speaks for many when he gave his views on death in an interview he gave in 2010. His wife was still alive then though she had been in a coma for two years.

*文颂目前在“ 突破宣道之家”工作，帮助并辅导其他戒毒者。

“I try to busy myself,” he said, “but from time to time in idle moments, my mind goes back to the happy days we (he and his wife) were up and about together.”

刑期服满后，我到 “ 突破宣道之家 ” 来学习。在那里住了两年半，也成为中心的一

Death on a Friday Afternoon 22

“How do I comfort myself?” he asked. “Well, I say, ‘Life is just like that.’”

“What is next, I do not know,” he said. “Nobody has ever come back.” (Seth Mydans, “Days of Reflection for Man Who Defined Singapore,” The Saturday Profile, Asia Pacific, The New York Times, September 10, 2010.)

The Tragedy of Death There is another human universal. We all share similar desires for love, significance and security. We want to know that our lives count for something. We want

Death on a Friday Afternoon 23

A Matter of How did Jesus accomplish this? By dying on our behalf.

to give and receive love. We want to be secure from things that threaten what we hold dear. In a rapidly changing world we work hard to get love and significance but there are no guarantees. We experience them to a greater or lesser degree in our lives. But if death awaits us all at the end, why bother to work for anything at all since anything good is temporary at best? “It seems so tragic that everyone under the sun suffers the same fate. That is why people are not more careful to be good. Instead, they choose their own mad course, for they have no hope. There is nothing ahead but death anyway.” (Ecclesiastes 9:3, The Holy Bible)

“For the wages of sin is death . . .” (Romans 6: 23a, The Holy Bible) To sin is to choose to walk away from God, to live as though we don’t need God. To sin is to reject the authority of God over our lives. The consequence of that choice, the “wages” of that act, is death. Human beings die because they have chosen to walk away from God and live as though God doesn’t exist. That cuts us off from God and the source of our life and so we die.

The Defeat of Death Is there hope? Can we be connected to God again and find life beyond the grave?

The Origin of Death No matter what we do with our lives, we still end up dying. Is there a way to defeat death? Maybe we should first ask why we have to die in the first place. A cut flower placed in a vase looks beautiful but it is already dead. It has been cut from the source of its life. It has been cut from the plant from where it came. Humankind is dead because it has been cut from the source of its life. It has been cut off from God. Our eventual inevitable biological death is but the final confirmation that we were spiritually dead all along --- cut off from the God who created us.

“. . . God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.” (Romans 5: 8 – 11, The Holy Bible) On Good Friday, Christians observe the commemoration of the death of Christ. They remember how Jesus died for us on a cross to enable us to be friends of God, and connected with God we are now able to experience a satisfying life that starts the moment we put our trust in Jesus and lasts beyond the grave.

Jesus makes this offer: “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never die.” (John 11: 25 – 26, The Holy Bible) Jesus claims to be able to give us life beyond the grave. Apparently we still go through physical death but we are raised again to a life that is far better than the life we experience now and a life that will no longer be touched by death. Jesus’s offer is even more generous when He also offers us a meaningful life. “My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” (John 10: 10b, The Holy Bible) What Jesus wants to offer us is not just a great life after we die but a great life now, in real time. He wants to give us the love, significance and security we all want, now, although we will only be able to experience them perfectly in the new life we will have after death.

A cut flower placed in a vase looks beautiful but it is already dead. It has been cut from the source of its life. .....Humankind is dead because it has been cut from the source of its life. It has been cut off from God. Our eventual inevitable biological death is but the final confirmation that we were spiritually dead all along --cut off from the God who created us. Death on a Friday Afternoon 24

Why Should We Believe in Jesus? But why should we believe Jesus? How do we know His offer is true? Because Jesus died and rose again. A unique claim requires unique proof. Jesus’s incredible claims to be able to give us a satisfying life and a life beyond the grave can only be taken seriously if He gives us a compelling reason to believe in Him. Nobody comes back from the dead. If somebody were to do so we must take that person seriously. If someone claims to be able to conquer death, he or she must also be able to defeat death. Which is precisely what Jesus did. “Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said.” (1 Corinthians 15: 3b – 4, The Holy Bible) There are many who find it hard to believe that Jesus died and rose again from the dead. This is understandable since no one had ever done that before Christ and no one has ever done it since. Jesus’s resurrection is highly improbable. But we can’t say it is impossible until we take a long hard look at the evidence. We note that many of the early followers of Jesus suffered and died for the privilege of doing so. It is highly unlikely that they were willing to suffer and die for a belief that wasn’t firmly anchored in something that was true. It is possible that the early disciples were genuinely

mistaken but any fair investigation of the historical evidence leads to one conclusion:

Far and away the best historical explanation (for the rise of the early church and the shape of its belief) is that Jesus of Nazareth, having been thoroughly dead and buried, really was raised to life on the third day with a renewed body (not a mere “resuscitated corpse,” as people sometimes dismissively say), a new kind of physical body, which left an empty tomb behind it . . . (N. T Wright’s book, Surprised By Hope (New York, NY: HarperOne, 2008), 63).

Choosing Life On Easter, Christians celebrate Jesus’s resurrection. Jesus did rise again from the dead. He has conquered death and died on our behalf. His message is true. He now offers you a satisfying life and a life that conquers death. Will you take Him up on His offer?

Death on a Friday Afternoon 25

Will The Real God Please Stand Up? Who is Jesus, really? The world stands divided on this question. In the street survey (page 1), we see that though many have heard of Jesus, they hold different opinions on who He is. Yet, from eyewitness accounts of Jesus 2000 years ago, to this present day, over 2 billion followers believe that He is God. So who is Jesus, really? Jesus himself claimed to be God and to have the power to forgive sins. That was outright blasphemy to the Romans and Jews. And blasphemy meant death.

His claims were TRUE

His claims were FALSE

Two Alternatives

Jesus Claimed To Be God

He is LORD

Two Alternatives

Yet, Jesus stood His ground. Why? We are faced with two possibilities: either He was speaking the truth, or He wasn’t. If it was true, He had better have evidence to prove it! If it wasn’t true, He was either lying or madly deluded. Let’s explore these possibilities.

Two Alternatives

JESUS SAID HE WAS GOD

You can ACCEPT You can REJECT

He made a deliberate misrepresentation

He was a LIAR

He did not know His claims were false

He was a LUNATIC

Death on a Friday Afternoon 27

LIAR LIAR

What would motivate someone to lie? Usually it’s to get out of some sticky situation or to gain attention. For Jesus, that ‘sticky situation’ would be the final trial with Caiaphas the High Priest. Given one last chance to save Himself from the religious leaders who had come to accuse Him of blasphemy, Jesus stood His ground and held on to His claim to be God. That persistence eventually led to His crucifixion. Surely if Jesus had been lying, He would have taken back His word before the point of hanging on the cross? After all, who would die for a lie? Or did Jesus simply thrive on the attention of ‘being God’? We see from many accounts that He didn’t feed off the fame of His miracles. After He had healed the sick, raised the dead back to life, fed the 5000 men with only five loaves of bread and two fishes, He withdrew into solitude. He could have basked in the worship of the people, but He didn’t. Jesus wasn’t craving for their attention.

WAS HE MAD?

Could Jesus have been a lunatic - sincerely but madly deluded? A lunatic would be characterized by his incoherent speech and behaviour, extreme mood swings, and so on. However, Jesus displayed just the opposite. In claiming to be God, Jesus had His fair share of enemies and critics. These critics were mostly the religious leaders of the day who knew the Scriptures to the core. Often they would try to corner Him with tough questions. Yet, Jesus responded with such depth, clarity and sound rebuttals that His critics were often left speechless. Hardly lunatic behaviour!

Maybe He IS GOD

What if Jesus’ claim was true? In order to ‘be’ God, Jesus had to be someone different from the rest of us. He would have to prove it by being exceptionally powerful; able to do what normal human beings like us can’t do. Here are three pieces of evidence that point to Jesus’ uniqueness and deity:

1. He performed miracles ed rrect

Resu

Healed the Sick

He raised the dead back to life ; there was the widow’s son in the town of Nain, Jairus’ daughter and Lazarus who died from sickness. 2

Raised the Dead Cast Out Demons

Fulfilled Prohecies

It is recorded in the Bible that Jesus healed the sick1 : the leper, the blind, the lame.

He had power over nature3; He could calm a storm and turn water to wine. Jesus even had power over spirits4; He cast out demons from the demonpossessed.

r Powe r e v O e Natur

2. He fulfilled all the prophecies concerning His life, even that of His own death and resurrection

It would be miraculous, for example, if you could predict in year 2000 that the MRT system will suffer a major breakdown on precisely 15 December 2011. Not just that, imagine if you could also predict these details: the train disruption would take place between Marina Bay and Braddell stations and a passenger would break the glass panel on the train door for ventilation.

1 The Holy Bible: Matthew 8:1-4, Matthew 9:27-31, John 5:1-8 2 The Holy Bible: Luke 7:11-16, Mark 5:35-43, John 11:38-44 3 The Holy Bible: Matthew 8:23-27, John 2:1-11 4 The Holy Bible: Matthew 8: 28-34, Matthew 17: 14-18

The odds would have been incredibly more difficult for Jesus, for whom 61 specific prophecies were made in the Old Testament, written hundreds of years before His birth. In his book Science Speaks, Professor Peter Stoner uses the laws of mathematical probabilities in reference to only eight prophecies about Christ. He states, “…the chance that any man might have lived down to the present time and fulfilled all eight prophecies is 1 in 1017. That is 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000!”5 If Jesus was a hoax, there was no way He could have fulfilled all these prophecies about the coming Messiah. But He did. Take a look at this table:

Prophecy and Fulfillment

Year

The Messiah would be from the lineage of King David.

Jeremiah 23:5

600 BC

Fulfillment: “Jesus…the son of David…”

Luke 3:23, 31

4 BC

The Messiah would be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver.

Zechariah 11:13

487 BC

Fulfillment: They gave him (Judas) thirty pieces of silver.”

Matthew 26:15

AD 30

The Messiah would have His hands and feet pierced.

Psalm 22:16

1000 BC

Fulfillment: “They came to a place called The Skull. All three were crucified there – Jesus on the center cross, and the two criminals on either side.”

Luke 23:33

AD 30

People would cast lots for the Messiah’s clothing.

Psalm 22:18

1000 BC

John 19:23-24

AD 30

Zechariah 9:9

500 BC

Matthew 21:7

AD 30

Fulfillment: “The soldiers…took His robe, but it was seamless, woven in one piece from the top. So they said, ‘Let’s not tear it but throw dice to see who gets it.’” The Messiah would appear riding on a donkey. Fulfillment: “They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them.” (Source: Y-Jesus, Volume Two, Bright Media Foundation and B & L Publications, 2005)

This documents only five prophecies and their fulfillment in Jesus’ life. The amazing thing is, He fulfilled all 61 prophecies about the coming Messiah. How is that possible for any normal human?

3. He resurrected from the dead

No man in history has, or will ever be able to do this (see page 4). That’s what makes Jesus unique among all other religious leaders.

Sounds impossible to predict? You bet. 5 Peter W. Stoner, Science Speaks, Moody Press, 1958

Death on a Friday Afternoon 28

Where you can find it in the Bible

Death on a Friday Afternoon 29

If Jesus is God, why didn’t He save himself from the cross?

Jesus’ death on the cross was an act of redemption for mankind because we have all sinned, and sin has its consequences. Sin doesn’t just refer to major crimes like murder or rape. We want to be a good person, yet we cannot help looking at a man/woman with lust; we want to do good, but we cannot help battling with our pride and greed. No one is perfect. The natural consequence of sin is death, which is eternal separation from God. Does it matter? It does, when you consider who God is: the giver of all love, goodness and life. When we are separated from God, what is left is only pain and emptiness. God is just. He cannot simply close one eye and let everyone off the hook. To take sin lightly would be to betray His very nature of justice and righteousness. At the same time, God is love. The Bible constantly refers to God as loving, forgiving and good. He desires to be reconciled with us in a loving relationship. Hence, in order to satisfy both His justice and love, He sent His own Son, Jesus, to take our place by dying on the cross. This sacrifice could not be an animal, because it is humanity that has sinned against God. Unlike us, Jesus did not sin, making Him the perfect substitute. Jesus’ death on the cross paid the price for all humanity’s sin and provides us a way back to God. His resurrection proved that He has power over sin and death. All He asks is that we believe in Him.

ISn't IT TOO EASY?

Perhaps you are wondering, isn’t this too easy? Shouldn’t there be something else I should do to match up? The truth is, we will never be able to match up. None of us is sinless. We need to admit that we can’t save ourselves. What is your choice today? Will you accept the love of God by placing your trust in Christ to bear the consequences of your sin? Do you want Jesus to be the Lord of your life? Today, if you want to be reconciled in your relationship with God, tell Him. The following is a suggested prayer: “Lord Jesus, I believe You are the Son of God. I acknowledge I have sinned against You. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be.” God hears your prayers and sees your heart. Today, if you decide to believe in Him, He will come into your heart. If you have prayed the prayer on this page or have any questions about this magazine, email us at easter@cru.org.sg

Death on a Friday Afternoon 30

Gambling, Glitz and Glamour A small bet at a casino led to an irreversible downward spiral for Suzann Sing Of Roulette and Rolex

Admiring the glamorous life of air stewardesses, I became one myself at the age of 18. Through my colleague, I was introduced to the world of gambling. I played my first bet at a London casino – £25 on the Russian Roulette – and won! My earnings? A whopping £7900! I was immediately hooked. I am the third of six children. We grew up in a poor family. My father was a fisherman, and my mother was a cleaner in a primary school. I had one love – branded goods. Shortly after my maiden win at the London casino, I won a Rolex watch. Naturally, my gambling appetite increased.

I was desperate to win more money

To award ourselves better luck at the casinos, my friends and I went to see fortune-tellers around the world, who could apparently show us ways to win more money. A particular one in Penang saw us making recurrent visits. The moment we met him, he made accurate predictions about my friends’ lives. He claimed I had the worst luck of all and all my undertakings will not be smooth. He gave us instructions to change our luck, and taught us

to recite different chants that would purportedly win us more money if we recited them more frequently. He also gave us a charm each, which we had to pay for with our winnings. This went on for nine years. During that time, I also practiced witchcraft. Not only could I see evil spirits and differentiate them from ghosts, I could also read people’s minds. For unknown reasons, I began to display aggressive behavior and would lash out on my family, causing them to fear me. Even my dog was not spared; I threw it down from a two-storey height because it had a minor skin defect from my mother’s care. Meanwhile, my gambling habits became more compulsive. One bet I made easily amounted to hundreds of thousands of dollars, losing me a lot of money, on top of my enormous credit card debt. In desperation, I went back to the Penangite fortune-teller to ask for more power in order to place one last winning bet to pay off my debts. That meeting cost me $5000 and a drink of the fortune-teller’s blood. He promised that by drinking his blood, his spirit will follow me wherever I go and I will not lose anymore.

Death on a Friday Afternoon 31

“ I have tried to gain happiness by winning more money and buying more branded goods. But it left me penniless and wanting instead.”

COLOUR

your day with your children on Easter morning!

Of eggs and bunny

But as the odds would have it, I lost that last bet on a gambling cruise. I finally realized I was conned. I felt cheated, betrayed. My heart was filled with bitterness. I had lost everything. Returning to work, I found that my contract had not been renewed because of my constant absence. I had to sell two of my houses to help pay my debts. To make matters worse, one of my siblings almost committed suicide and my mom suffered a stroke. My life came crashing down. I found that I could trust no one else, except myself. For six years, I secluded myself. Even then, I was not spared from my gambling addiction. As a real estate agent, I continued to try my hand at local underground dens. Wealth eluded me. One fine day, I realized my gambling khaki was financed by accompanying men who would pay for her gambling chips. It was only then that I finally realized I could not let myself slip further.

relief in my spirit that I had never experienced before, and started weeping. My life gradually changed after that. I made the decision to become a Christian and for the first time in many years, managed to sleep peacefully. Certain lifestyle habits and circumstances, however, took more time to change. Early on in my Christian life, I would share with my aging parents that life with Jesus “got peace”, while smoking my cigarette. I was also still heavily in debt. Over time, by the grace of God, I quit smoking and cleared my debts. Today, I walk debt free! The Bible says, “With man this is not possible, but with God all things are possible.”1 Because Jesus Christ entered my life, I am changed. For good.

*Article adapted from short film “The Deal”

Why don’t I...

Under my sister’s invitation one day, I went to church. The pastor’s message on Man’s fruitless pursuit of material things struck me that day. Similar to the pastor’s descriptions, I, like many others, have tried to gain happiness by winning more money and buying more branded goods. But it left me penniless and wanting instead. “Why don’t I give Jesus a try?” I thought. I responded to God that day by going up to the front to be prayed for by the pastor. When he prayed, I sensed a

Easter does not begin with bunnies nor will it end should the fashion of Easter bunnies die off someday. Unlike the legendary Easter bunny, Jesus’ death and resurrection remains true and has changed the lives of many forever.

Easter bunnies and colourful Easter eggs originated in Germany when people believed hares and eggs were symbols of fertility according to a pagan religion.

Resurrection Rolls (Makes 8 resurrection rolls)

Ingredients

1 Mark 10:27, The Holy Bible

Death on a Friday Afternoon 32

1 can (~300g) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls or homemade dough 8 large marshmallows 1/4 cup melted butter (optional) 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon 2 tablespoons sugar

Directions 1 Preheat oven to 200 degrees and lightly grease a baking sheet. 2 Separate crescent rolls into individual triangles. 3 In a small bowl, mix cinnamon and sugar. 4 Dip a marshmallow into melted butter and roll it in the sugar mixture. Place marshmallow onto the center of a dough triangle. Carefully wrap the dough around the marshmallow. Pinch the seams together very tightly to seal in the marshmallow as it melts. Place on baking sheet. Repeat. 5 Bake for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Source: www.beautyandbedlam.com/resurrection-rolls-easter-recipe/

Easter, Easter Easter, Easter, nothing special. Eggs and bunnies, year after year. Why should I even bother? “Crucify Him, crucify Him!” The crowd shouted and screamed. Was I one who had joined in? A heavy cross on His shoulder. Staggered along, He tumbled. What help could I have offered? Some mocked and jeered. Some lamented in tears. Would I’ve stayed or disappeared? The nails drove in, He agonized. Seen as one who was despised. Should I not have sympathized? Easter, Easter, something special. For all my sins, Jesus suffered. Does it not really matter?