WHERE WERE THE THOUSANDS OF FOLLOWERS?

"In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120)..." (Acts 1:15, ESV)

When Jesus walked and roamed the earth living His 33 and a half years or even taking His three years of ministry, it is recorded in the Bible that THOUSANDS followed Him... like when Jesus fed the 5000 or 4000 which was two different events recorded in the Bible... Wherever He went, THOUSANDS FOLLOWED... But the question was "WHERE WERE THEY, after His death, resurrection on the Third day, giving His last instructions and commands for forty days after His resurrection and after His ascension?" Perhaps the good question to ask is, "Were these THOUSANDS truly following after Jesus Christ or was it something else?" If you would think it honestly and carefully the answer, your answer should be the same as what Jesus Himself also declared before these thousands, and yet most of them still NEVER understood...

"Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For ON HIM God the Father has set his seal.” (John 6:26-27, ESV)

What a pity people are, seeking only those that are temporary and not that which is eternal. People easily are caught up with miracles and wonders. And yet from these THOUSANDS that saw Jesus do marvelous things, "How many were faithful to truly follow Jesus Christ whom God the Father has set His seal?" Acts 1:15 says only a HUNDRED TWENTY (120) were left faithful even after seeing their Master crucified and died. 

(2 Kings 18:1-4) "In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign. He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah. And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done. HE REMOVED THE HIGH PLACES AND BROKE THE PILLARS AND CUT DOWN THE ASHERAH. AND HE BROKE IN PIECES THE BRONZE SERPENT THAT MOSES HAD MADE, FOR UNTIL THOSE DAYS THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL HAD MADE OFFERINGS TO IT (IT WAS CALLED NEHUSHTAN).

Do "CHRISTIANS" truly understand what Hoshea had done? And yet until now, professing Christians still does the error of Israel and continue to build what God has always so angry and go against and a reason why Hoshea was declared to be "he did what was RIGHT in the eyes of the Lord." 

God has always been so clear from the beginning and yet people are stiff-necked to think that "Hey, it's our belief and faith on God, NO ONE has the right to choose what is right for us!" or "This is what we believe which is right, therefore, don't judge or tell us to be wrong!".. This what we call today as "Post Modern Thinking".. The thinking that this is the modern era now and those old things are not right anymore. A reason to think that the Bible is outdated and has no life or power or authority at all. The thing is, the Bible stands on Its own and can defend itself as it has always declared to be God's instruction for "Doctrine" = God's Teaching / Principles, for "Reproof" = say what is wrong, for "Correction" = say what is the right ", and for "Instruction for righteousness" = to continue to instruct what is right in order for not to fall to sin in the future. (II Timothy 3:16-17)

While these people hardly listen, still Jesus calls for repentance (turn back against sin and follow after Christ) and remission of sins goes on with a hope that many would truly repent. For there WILL be a time when He shall judge all men. And the most pitiful people to experience is what Jesus said in Matthew 7:21-23:

"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

"I NEVER KNEW YOU! DEPART FROM ME, YE THAT WORK INIQUITY."

When the time comes to face Jesus Christ, the Lord, Master, and the Judge... will He truly welcome us or will say, this dreadful words? Remember, yes! God is Love... BUT He also is Justice! as He is The Righteous Judge.  

My Supporting Arguments towards Death Penalty

At this time, there is a great debate within our nation regarding this matter, whether our nation should have this law or not. And, personally I do support this law and these are my thoughts, arguments and answer to some arguments I’ve heard.

First, in terms of the Christian Faith, this law is not against the Christian belief. I, as a Christian, DO NOT support killing / murder, BUT what I support is the law implementing Death Penalty (punishment by death given a proof without any doubt that a suspect has truly committed the crime). Now, there is a difference from simply “killing” to “giving a punishment of death” to a person who committed crime. Some would think there is no difference and would argue that it is not man’s right to take a life but God alone, referring to the God of the Bible. If we go to the Bible, we do find God’s commandment: “Thou shalt not kill” (Exodus 20:13), BUT if we go to Deuteronomy 20:16–18, we find God commanding Israel to completely destroy other tribes. We also would read in Lev. 20:10 "If a man commits adultery with another man's wife--with the wife of his neighbor--both the adulterer and the adulteress are to be put to death.".. Now, that seem to be contradicting but if we look at it in a different perspective unlike most people do, they don’t contradict. Because God’s commandment not to kill or not to murder is a command towards an individual person acting in his own decision / free will representing his own personal selfish motive whereas the other verses are God’s command to a nation to act in accordance to the pursuit of God’s own standard for order, peace and as God sees it to be for the good of the nation.

Second, let’s go to logic or common sense. If we are to choose not allowing death penalty in our country just because of the understanding that it is only God who takes life to the extent that even the worst of all criminals can’t be given this verdict, then the nation should stop recruiting soldiers, because soldiers have no choice but to kill when in the line of battle. It would be unfair for soldiers being placed in such a situation where they have no choice but to kill for the sake of defending the nation as well as defending their life. Well, I know that’s an absurd thinking because having no soldiers for the country will simply invite the nation’s destruction. My point is having no death penalty is just like the same as a country having no soldiers to defend the country.

Now, let me lay my thoughts about the other reasons why people do not agree on death penalty. If I would think about it, the number one reason is connected in the faith of people, namely the Christian Faith. But as I’ve shared early on, the “Christian Faith” itself is not against death penalty. Within the Christian Faith, there is division on how one believes regarding the matter. And sadly, those who are in power are the only ones more of being heard via media, claiming it to be all in the name of God. But in reality it is a twisted idea or concept if one looks and studies the Bible. And I would re-iterate the fact that it is God who really authored this kind of penalty from the very start when He said to Adam and Eve "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." (Genesis 2:17)

Some would say or argue that this kind of God’s commandment is just for the Old Testament time. But shall we consider the Christian belief that God is unchanging (Psalm 102:27, Malachi 3:6, Hebrews 13:8). This will contradict the argument that God’s commandment is just for the Old Testament. Furthermore I could point to verses like Rev. 21:8 or Matthew 25:41 where God gives judgment like that of the death penalty. Furthermore reading Romans 13:1-7, we find God’s instruction about God blessing / giving the authority to the government to be the agent for peace and order. Therefore making laws that promote peace and order; And, enforce justice even in terms of giving the kind of punishment for the good of the nation. This is the Government’s responsibility. But, this doesn’t mean God agrees on everything the government decides on. Just reading the history of Israel gives a picture of how imperfect the government is, and we find that if the leadership is in line with God’s ways and principles, then the nation is blessed. But when it goes against God’s principles or laws, then the nation is cursed. Just like the issue about allowing same sex marriage which is surely an abomination to God’s law and principles, see how God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. Nevertheless, that’s not the issue here that I wish to talk about. This is just one of the issues the government is dealing with and if the government fails to decide rightly, instead of promoting peace and order, the government can go to a direction of promoting disorder and confusion.

Some would say that religious belief should be separated from the Government quoting the “separation of church and state”. But I would have to ask, what makes the government? Or when we talk about the constitution, how did the constitution came to existence? Didn’t these things come from people itself who has diversified beliefs and culture? No matter what we say or do, our laws are based on what we believe. And basically, what we believe as what is right from what is wrong. For one thing, the Philippines declares itself to be the only Christian nation in the orient, therefore if that’s the case, our beliefs of what is right and wrong would be based on the Bible. Therefore, it would be logical if the government or constitution would base their laws on the Bible. The problem is, Philippines no longer have one religion but many which really also contradicts the law itself mentioning “the church” which is actually pointing to the Christian Religion. So what then? If I remember it right or if my sources are right, the constitution or the form of government Philippines have embraced is based from the US government who is originally founded by the Christian community. And the origin of the “church and state separation” was made in order to protect the church from being controlled or dictated by government. Now? It has somewhat changed its meaning. Nevertheless, I think the point I wish to assert is that the when it comes to order, peace and harmony of the nation, this is the government’s goal and focus. Whereas the church, though partly it promotes order, peace and harmony, her (the church) main goal is actually to deal with what Jesus has been teaching and prioritizes the Great Commission. In other words, the church and state does have boundaries that ought to be respected and each institute ought not to overlap boundaries. But with the diversified views and belief of people within the nation, surely this issue will be a long debate which might never end, unless only if the nation unites in one belief or view.

One of the arguments I’ve heard amongst the anti-death penalty, is that they declare that such law is an anti-poor which claims to serve only the elite or those who have money. And their basis is past experiences which I doubt if it serves a logical basis. This argument is also accompanied by the statement that innocent people might be placed on death row. The problem with these arguments is that these are not a result or caused by having a death penalty but a result of weak justice system. If they use the argument that such law is an anti-poor law (meaning those who have no money can’t defend themselves well), wouldn’t that be the same as all other laws given? It does no difference to people who are sentenced to life imprisonment, whether they are poor or not. And to argue that what if innocents are placed in death row is not an issue of the penalty but of the people who are corrupted by greed and of bias judgment. These kinds of thinking just prove that people don’t trust the fairness and justice in our nation. Therefore means, it is not an issue of the penalty but of the justice system this nation provides.   

With all these arguments, I’ll end with these verses:

"For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer." (Romans 13:3-4, ESV)