Seidel's Blog

The name ‘Eve’ in Hebrew is ‘Hawwāh’ and is most commonly believed to mean ‘living one’ or ‘source of life’. She is also called ‘Woman’ because she was taken out of a ‘Man’ (Genesis 2:23). ‘Woman’ is more of a generic designation than a name, and is associated with Eve’s relation to Adam, a relationship she was created to fulfil. Eve is mentioned only four times in whole of the Bible (Gen. 3:20; 4:1 and 2 Cor. 11:3; 1 Tim. 2:13).

Think about this – Eve was the last living thing to be personally created by the almighty God! Eve was the reason why the Creator God for the first time said that his creation was ‘not good’ (Gen. 2:18). Everything else God created was good, but for the first time God looked at his creation and said that it is not good for Adam to be alone. Eve was the last piece of the Creator’s grand puzzle after which the creation was then finally complete and perfect. Moreover, Eve was not made from the dust of the ground like her husband Adam, but she was carefully designed from living flesh, bone and blood. If Adam was God’s greatest creation, then Eve was the glorious refinement of this greatest creation. She was a unique being who never was a child, a daughter, a sister or a maid. Eve not only completed Adam, but she also completed the whole of creation.

Have you ever thought that Adam never asked for a wife! God never approached Adam as asked him ‘Adam, do you want a wife?’ or ‘what qualities and features do you want in your wife?’. Adam never realised that he needed a wife, but God saw the need of a companion. You know what this means? This is a beautiful illustration of how God knows beforehand what we need even before we realise our need. Every gift flows from the sovereign will of our heavenly Father (James 1:17).

Unfortunately, or fortunately, the scripture does not mention any of her physical characteristics. However, we can safely assume that she must have been beautiful, unblemished by any defect, disease or imperfection. One biblical scholar calls her ‘the flawless archetype of feminine excellence’. Whilst saying that today our media and cosmetic companies are obsessed with image, cosmetics, body shapes, skin colour and other external features of the female body. Disagreeing to the popular notion, I think the most magnificent beauty for any woman lies in her character, and especially for a Christian woman it lies in both her character and her faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Men should desire these qualities in women more than anything else.

Another remarkable aspect of the creation of Eve is the beautiful illustration of the relationship between husband and wife. The Puritan Bible Commentator, Rev Matthew Henry wrote this in his famous six-volume biblical commentary – ‘The woman [Eve] was made of a rib out of the side of Adam; not made out of his head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be beloved’. The intimacy, friendship, mutual love and respect for each other come because she was created from his side, and they both are equally made in the image of God. Thought-provoking, isn’t it?

Safe in the arms of Jesus, safe on His gentle breast; there by His love o’ershaded, sweetly my soul shall rest. Hark! ’tis the voice of angels, borne in a song to me, over the fields of glory, over the jasper sea.

This song has been on my mind for the last few weeks as I mourn the loss of a beloved friend and colleague. I have known this person for many years and I can confidently say that he was a godly man who truly cared for people and reflected Jesus through his character. Family, friends and colleagues are grieving his demise, but at the same time, are comforted that he is safe and at peace with his Lord Jesus. I am sure he is echoing these words from heaven – Safe in the arms of Jesus, safe from corroding care, safe from the world’s temptations, sin cannot harm me here. Free from the blight of sorrow, free from my doubts and fears; no more trials, no more tears. I’m safe in the arms of Jesus!

Dear friends, in Jesus Christ we have a hope, in fact, it is much more than a hope, it is an assurance which we can have that after we die we will be safe in the arms of our Lord Jesus. By his death on the cross and his resurrection, Jesus has secured our place in heaven. That every person who believes in him will not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16). Isn’t that comforting? Which other worldview can give this kind of assurance while we are still alive? An assurance of eternity with Jesus!

You see friends, though this is a great assurance, being safe in the arms of Jesus after we die is not the finality of being a Christian. Here is where it gets even better. The Bible tells us that one day Jesus will resurrect us back to life in full bodily form, not the previous natural, weak and perishable body but as a new spiritual, glorified and imperishable body. The whole chapter of 1 Corinthians 15 is dedicated to this subject. The resurrection of Christ gives us the hope that one day we shall also be raised up bodily just as Christ was bodily raised from the dead. Sigmund Freud once said, ‘And finally there is the painful riddle of death, for which there is no remedy at all has yet been found, nor probably ever will be’. Every person who trusts in Jesus has victory in death and over death because our Lord Jesus Christ through his resurrection defeated and conquered death. How wonderful are those words of Jesus when he said ‘Because I live, you also will live’ (John 14:19).

Let me close with these words, 1 Peter 1:3-4 says ‘Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade– kept in heaven for you.’ Oh, what an assurance!

Apostle Paul begins his 15^th chapter of 1 Corinthians (NIV) with the evidence for the resurrection of Christ. He says,

V3-4 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.

The resurrection of Christ is not something that happened out of the blue. It was predicted in the Old testament several hundreds of years ago (Isa. 53 and Psa. 16). Here is an interesting point – There are close to 15 references in the whole of the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) where Jesus predicted his own resurrection. In most of these cases, if not all – is that Jesus never predicted his death without adding that He would come back to life again.

So he rose from the dead, what is the evidence? See the following verses.

V5-7 and he appeared to Cephas [Peter], and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, and finally to Paul himself.

Jesus made fifteen appearances after his resurrection:

1. His first appearance was to Mary Magdalene, on that early Sunday morning. (Mark 16:9; John 20:10-18).
2. Jesus appeared to the women returning from the tomb. (Matthew 28:9-10).
3. Jesus appeared to two disciples on the road to Emmaus. (Luke 24:13-32; Mark 16:12-13).
4. He appeared to Peter in Jerusalem. (Luke 24:34; 1 Corinthians 15:5).
5. He appeared to his disciples and other followers, and also a second time to the two men from Emmaus, in a locked room in Jerusalem. The apostle Thomas wasn’t there at that time. (Luke 24:36-43; John 20:19-23).
6. A week later, Jesus again appeared to his disciples behind locked doors, and this time Thomas was present. (John 20:24-29).
7. Jesus appeared to seven of his disciples on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. (John 21:1-24).
8. Jesus was seen by 500 believers at one time. (1 Corinthians 15:6).
9. He appeared to James. (1 Corinthians 15:7).
10. He appeared to eleven disciples on a mountain in Galilee. (Matthew. 28:17).
11. He walked with his disciples along the road to Bethany, on the Mount of Olives, and then ascended into Heaven. (Luke 24:50-53).
12. He was seen by Paul on the road to Damascus. (Acts 9:3-6; 1 Corinthians 15:8).
13. To Stephen. (Acts 7:55).
14. To Paul in the Temple. (Acts 22:17-21, 23:11).
15. To John at Patmos. (Revelation 1:10-19).

The beauty of Jesus is that he still appears to people even today. I have heard of several testimonies of people coming to the knowledge of Christ through his appearances in visions and dreams, particularly in places where evangelism or the Bible are banned. What an amazing saviour we have. He is not dead, he is risen indeed!

I read a story where a Sunday school teacher had just finished telling her junior group about how Jesus was crucified and placed in a tomb with a great stone sealing the opening. Then, wanting to share the excitement of the resurrection, she asked: “And what do you think were Jesus’ first words when He came bursting out of that tomb alive?” A hand shot up into the air from the rear of the classroom, and that was of a little girl. Leaping out of her chair she shouted out excitedly “I know, I know!” “Good” said the teacher, “Tell us, what were Jesus first words.” And extending her arms high into the air she said: “TA-DA!”

Funny isn’t it? In her little innocence she said something that came to her mind. But when you pause and think about it. It is indeed the ‘TA-DA’ point of our entire Christian faith. The Resurrection is the essential foundation on which the entire Christian faith stands upon!

Now, why do I call it the essential foundation? Apostle Paul, when he wrote his first epistle to the Corinthians, lists six disastrous consequences if Jesus did not rise from the dead. Turn with me to 1 Cor. 15:12-20 (NIV).

12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. 20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

Here are the six disastrous consequences if Christ was not raised.

1) Preaching Christ would be useless (v. 14)

2) Faith in Christ would be useless (v. 14)

3) All the witnesses and preachers of the resurrection would be liars (v. 15)

4) There would be no redemption, and people are still in their sins (v. 17)

5) All former believers who trusted Christ would be perished (v.18)

6) Christians would be the most pitiable people on the earth (v. 19).

Those are some serious consequences, but Paul says not to worry as Jesus did rise from the dead! See the next blog post on how we know that.

In Luke 14:28-35, Jesus reminds us that unless we give up and surrender everything we have, we cannot be his true disciples. Many years ago, I heard this revised, sometimes accurate version of the song ‘All to Jesus, I Surrender’. It goes like this,

Some to Jesus, I surrender
Some to Thee I freely give
I will mostly love and trust Him
In His presence, often live

I surrender some
I surrender some
Some to Jesus, I surrender
I surrender some

 Some to Jesus I surrender

Proudly at his feet, I stand

Worldly pleasures all held tightly

Take some Jesus but not too much

Don’t you think this song reflects our church today? More importantly, does it reflect you? Let us humble ourselves before God and honestly reflect on this question.

A century ago, a man named Judson Van Deventer wrestled with his life choices. He loved the arts and became an author, composer and artist. Nevertheless, he felt that God was calling him to ministry. He wrestled for some years whether or not to leave his job that he loved so much. One fine day after much prayer and reflection, he said, ‘At last the pivotal hour of my life came and I surrendered all’ and then penned those famous words.

All to Jesus I surrender All to Him I freely give
I will ever love and trust Him In His presence daily live.

I surrender all, I surrender all
All to Thee my precious Saviour
I surrender all.

Later, he joined Florida Bible Institute and played a vital role in mentoring one of the greatest evangelists of all time, Rev Billy Graham.

Dear friends, the concept of total surrender to God is probably the most essential factor in our relationship with him. There is a difference between salvation and discipleship. Salvation means coming to the cross and believing in Christ Jesus, but discipleship means carrying our cross and following Christ Jesus. In Luke 14, Jesus taught about the cost of being His disciple. It involves the total surrender of our lives to him. Carrying our cross means death to self, our plans and ambitions, and we place God and his will for us above everything else. God gets upset when we confess his authority over us, but we carry on to live by our plans and ambitions. Apostle Paul noted that he no longer lives, but Christ lives in him (Gal 2:19-20). Christ always did the will of the Father, so if we die to self and let Christ live in us, then we will also be able to do the will of the Father. CH Spurgeon once said, ‘No man has truly given himself to Christ unless he has said, ‘My Lord, I give thee this day my body, my soul, my powers, my talents, my goods, my house, my children, and all that I have. Henceforth, I hold them at thy will, as a steward under thee. Thine they are. As for me, I have nothing. I have surrendered all to thee!’’

Can you say that prayer today? Are you surrendering some, but you would like to surrender all and become a true disciple of Christ? Let us come before our almighty God to repent, surrender all, carry our cross and follow Christ daily.

Have you heard about the elderly man (maybe in his mid 80’s) who moved into a retirement community to spend the rest of his life there? Because of his charismatic personality, it wasn’t long until he had made a number of friends among the other residents. There was one lady he was especially attracted to and she was attracted to him as well. So they spent a lot of time together. Finally one evening he proposed, asking her to marry him.

The next morning he woke up remembering his proposal, but he couldn’t remember her answer. So he went to her and said, ‘I’m really embarrassed. I proposed to you last night but I can’t remember if you said Yes or No’.

‘Oh, thank goodness! You are that one’ she replied. ‘I remembered saying yes, but I couldn’t remember who asked me’.

Though we chuckle at that, sometimes I feel the same way about my new year resolutions. Many of us make great promises to ourselves about what we are going to do in the new year, but we usually abandon about the second week in January. Let’s be honest now. How many of you kept to your diet and exercise plans? Yes, there are some people who do keep their resolutions. Nonetheless,  I want to talk about a resolution, which I guarantee, will make a radical difference in your life this year.

The apostle Paul writing to the Philippians talks about an amazing commitment in Philippians 3:13-14 – But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Forgetting is a difficult thing to do. Please keep in mind that biblical terminology ‘to forget’ does not mean ‘to fail to remember’. It is not like a brain malfunction or a mental gymnastic technique. It is very difficult to forget what has happened in the past.  ‘To forget’ according to the Bible means ‘to be no longer influenced by or affected by’. God said in Hebrews 10:17 – and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. This does not mean that God has a terrible or a bad memory. It just means is that God will no longer hold their sins against them or their sins will no longer influence his attitude towards them. Forgetting those things which are behind simply means that we break the power of the past by living for the future.

Self-evaluation sometimes can be a dangerous thing because we can err in two directions – 1) make ourselves better than we are, and 2) make ourselves worse than we really are. God does not want us to live a life that is being imprisoned by our past. Some of you might have had tough time last year. Or something bad might have happened in the last few years and that is now still troubling you.

Christians should be like runners who refuse to look around or look back but keep running with their eyes on the goal. Many Christians are trying to run the race looking backward. No wonder they stumble and fall or get in the way of other Christians. To look back at past successes or failures, or to look around to see what others are doing or saying, is to invite defeat.

Apostle Paul is encouraging us to put our eyes and trust on Jesus and strain towards what is ahead of us in 2024. He is saying is that we must not allow ourselves to be bogged down by our past failures, but leave them behind and move forward into the future that God has for us.

When we read the story of the wise men in the Bible, it is only the Gospel of Matthew (2:1-12) that records this narrative. What struck me when I read this passage is that when these wise men came to the place where Jesus was, the Bible tells us that they were overjoyed (Matt 2:10). Please note, it was not just joy, it was exceedingly great joy.

The reason for their overjoy was that from the time the Medo-Persian Empire was overthrown by Alexander, people were looking for a King who would come and overthrow the Roman Empire. To their overjoy, a star rose and announced that their awaited next King, the messiah was born.

Please note that their overjoy was not because they saw the star, but because of Jesus. They were thrilled and excited because of Jesus. Now, honestly, ask yourselves a question, what excites you this Christmas? Is it the decoration? Carols? Meeting your family or relatives? Christmas gifts? Roast Turkey?

My dear friends, if the answer to that question is not Jesus, you really need to rethink how you celebrate Christmas. Jesus should be the reason for excitement on every Christmas. Now please don’t mishear me. I am not saying that all of the above are wrong. Do decorate your houses, do sing carols and meet your family and friends. However, they should not replace Jesus. He should be the main focus and attention of every Christmas. When Christ is the main focus of Christmas, then that is indeed a true Christmas.