Spirit Soul & Body - Animation Part 1

This is the 1st animation of the teaching Spirit, Soul and Body, which is a foundational truth that is essential for understanding how much God loves you and believing what He says about you in His Word. Each person is made up of three different parts: spirit, soul, and body.
Learn how these three parts relate to God and to each other. At salvation your spirit is totally changed, but your soul and body is not yet redeemed. This series will teach you how to release the life that is already in your spirit, into your physical body and emotions.

Bangsa Malaysia - summary of PhD thesis

The question of nation-building has always been a central issue in Malaysian politics. Whilst the country has been able to sustain a relatively stable politics since the 1969 tragedy, and hence spawn a rapid economic development (at least until the 1997 Asian economic crisis), the project of nation-building remained a basic national agenda yet to be fully resolved. This study investigates the delicate process of nation-building in Malaysia in the post 1970s, especially in the context of the vision of constructing the Bangsa Malaysia or 'a united Malaysian nation' enshrined in Mahathir's Vision 2020 project which was introduced in 1991. The aim of the study is firstly, to examine the underlying socio-political parameters that shaped and influenced the politics of nation-building in the country, and secondly, to explore the viability of the project of Bangsa Malaysia in the context of the daunting challenges involved in the process of nation-building. Drawing from a range of theoretical frameworks as well as from both primary and secondary data, the study contends that, based on the Malaysian experience, the potent interplay between the forces of ethnicity and nationalism constitute the crux of the problems in the politics of nation-building in Malaysia. This dialectic it is argued, stems from the prevalence of the varying perceptions of 'nation- of-intent' within and across ethnic groups. These phenomena have not only shaped the pattern of ethnic political mobilisation in the country, but above all, laid the most complex set of obstacles in the path of the project of nation-building. This study argues that the project of constructing the Bangsa Malaysia therefore, can be seen as a significant attempt by the state to reconcile the varying ethnic ideologies of nation-of- intent. It can also be considered as an attempt to consolidate Malay nationalism and cultural pluralism, thus, depicting 'the nation' as a 'mosaic of cultures', or reflecting a creation of 'a supra-ethnic' national identity. However, the viability of the envisaged project is yet to be tested. The concept itself is still vague to many people and the challenges ahead are enormous, involving political, economic, socio-cultural and religious issues. Indeed, the project risks becoming the 'latest' in the series of competing notions of nation-of-intent circulating in Malaysia. This study contends that whilst, to some extent, the socio-political landscape of Malaysian society has been rapidly changing, especially under the eighteen years of Mahathir's reign, ethnicity still pervades Malaysian political life. This study differs from many previous studies on nation-building in Malaysia which have mainly focused on either the historical dimensions or those which have examined the impact of key national policies. As such, it is hoped that this study would be able to provide an alternative perspective in the analysis of ethnic relations and nation-building in Malaysia, thus broadening the understanding of Malaysian politics and society.

Further reading: http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/504/1/uk_bl_ethos_428187.pdf

Ida'an (Bajau recognized them by this name) term for man is Kadayan/Kadazan

Peace Theology vs Kadazan Jurisprudence & Capital Punishment

When the offense is serious enough, the only payment acceptable to justice is death – hence the moral validity of capital punishment.  The human instinct not to kill is overridden by the requirements of justice.  God wills that humans kill other humans under these circumstances because the most important value is God’s justice.

In this theological framework, the doctrine of the atonement enters the picture here.  Due to the extremity of the offenses of human beings against God’s law, the only way God can relate to human beings is if there is death from the human side to restore the balance. God cannot relate to human beings simply based on love and compassion; God’s justice, i.e. holiness, trumps God’s love.  God can relate only if God’s holiness is satisfied.

As it turns out, the only way this can happen is through the enormity of the death of God’s own Son, Jesus, whose righteousness is so powerful that it can balance out the unrighteousness of all of humanity.  Jesus’ atoning death provides a way for God to relate to repentant human beings.  Human beings, when they confess their own hopeless sinfulness, may claim Jesus as their savior from the righteous anger of God, anger based on human violation of God’s laws.  As a consequence, salvation itself does not go counter to the basic nature of the universe as founded on impersonal holiness.  Salvation happens only because that holiness is satisfied through the ultimate act of human violence – the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ.  The basic nature of the universe does not change, and hence the pattern of restoring the balance by punishment when violations of God’s law occur remains intact.

Further reading, Click HERE.

Man: Past and Present

The early natives of Sarawak and North Borneo 1890

These good deeds are not acceptable to God, because they are without the only motive with which God is pleased – love to God and humble faith in Christ (Hebrews 11:6). When the Pharisaical Jews kept every outward commandment of the Law, God was not pleased with them because every act was marred by the sinful enmity of their hearts. Their best deeds were as filthy rags in the sight of our Holy God (Is. 64:6). Article XIII of the Church of England expresses this truth very clearly – ‘Works done before the grace of Christ and the inspiration of His Spirit are not pleasant to God, forasmuch as they spring not of faith in Jesus Christ.’ There is therefore not a single thing that a man can do that will please God, if he has not been born again of the Holy Spirit. 

Further reading please click here.