Marbaniang, Domenic

- Mercy involves forgiveness. - Only the one who has power to execute justice can show mercy. - When mercy is shown to one, the price is paid by someone else. To forgive a debt means that what has been taken or spent was taken from someone and not given back to him/her; so, the latter has paid the price. - The price paid will be the withdrawal of justice from the one who pays the price either voluntarily or involuntarily. - When one is forced, involuntarily, to pay the price, then s/he suffers injustice. - Forced payment creates injustice which in turn demands for justice. - Only justice, if not mercy, can be the terminal point. - When one pays the price voluntarily, then s/he shows mercy, and the voluntary payment is called sacrifice. - Someone, always, has to pay the price. - Infinite mercy requires infinite sacrifice. - Infinite sacrifice demands an infinite source. - The infinite pool of mercy is Love. God is Love. God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He ...

Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. (Rom. 13:8 NKJ) In other words, Love is an infinite debt that we owe to everyone in Jesus. It is the essential, infinite moral obligation. You cannot say to someone, "See, I have loved you proportionately; now, I'm not obligated to love you anymore." The obligation has no limit. However, in other matters, the Bible tells us not to owe anyone anything. Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. (Rom 13:7 NKJ) This applies to all aspects of life. When we owe someone anything, we become like the flat tire of car. It's difficult for the other wheels to move along with one flat tire. They get too much stressed. That's why we change a flat tire immediately and try to get it mended. You shall not cheat your neighbor, nor rob him. The wages of him who is hired shall not remain with you all nig...

The past two centuries have seen the burst of several para-church organizations thrusting to the frontline for the cause of justice and mercy. They are para-church in the sense of their not being subject to a local church or any denominational body as such. However, they are not para-church in connection to the Church Universal. They are instances of Christians trans-denominationally and trans-geographically coming together to voice, witness, and act out the concerns of God’s Kingdom. In many cases, there may not even be an organization as traditionally known; for instance, Christians can voice concerns through email or social media by just forwarding or commenting on concerns. Now, it must be understood that the mission of the Church is not about proselytizing, but about evangelizing and evangelizing simply means to bear witness of the Gospel to the ends of the earth, so that those who believe can believe so in their heart and be transformed into the likeness of Christ, being transfer...

1. CITIES OF REFUGE (Deut.19:1-13) These cities were places where an unintentional killer (someone who didn't kill by intention, but by accident) could run and be safe. However, if he left the city, his blood was on his head. 2. LIMIT OF WITNESSES ( Deut. 19:15-20) The limit of witnesses was at least two or three. The Law specifically states: "One witness is not enough to convict a man accused of any crime or offense he may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses." (Deut.19:15, NIV) 3. MANNER OF INVESTIGATION ( Deut. 19:18) The judges were required to make a "thorough investigation" (NIV), a "careful inquiry" (NKJV) of the matter. 4. DETERRENT OF CRIME ( Deut. 19:18-21) "..if the witness is a false witness, who has testified falsely against his brother, then you shall do to him as he thought to have done to his brother; so you shall put away the evil from among you. And those who remain shall hear an...

There is also something called emotional wisdom, when you shut your heart to feelings that attempt to gain unlawful entry into it. There is something called emotional justice, when you are fair in the allocation of your emotions to things. For instance, the emotions that a man must have for his wife cannot be directed or allocated, not even an ounce of it, to any other woman. Similarly, the emotions that rightly belong to a woman’s kids cannot be allocated to anyone else. This doesn’t mean that we don’t have love for others; but, love is not lawless. Supremely, the emotions that we must have for God are exclusive and cannot be had for anyone else – they belong supremely to God: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind”(Lk.10:27). The Bible provides some instances of the application of this truth. 1. In Genesis 21:12, God tells Abraham to not be in grief because of Ishmael and Hagar, but to send them away as Sar...

People sometimes bemoan the fact that slavery was permitted in the Old Testament; but, what one needs not fail to recognize is that it was permitted for only a liberating purpose and with certain limitations. It was both limited and liberating. Deuteronomy 15:12-18 underscores at least three laws about the practice of slavery: 1. It was to be VOLUNTARY. The Law specifies, "If a fellow Hebrew, a man or a woman, sells himself.." It was not to be a forced bond-labor. It had to be voluntary. When a person would be in so much debt that he couldn't pay it back anymore, he usually would prefer selling himself as a slave. In other cultures, such slavery would become permanent and for generations. But, the Bible didn't permit that, unless the servant voluntarily willed to remain with the master (16-17). 2. It was to be TEMPORARY. It says that when one has served for 6 years, in the 7th year "you must let him go free." Slavery couldn't spill over into the 7th yea...

"... look! The tears of the oppressed, but they have no comforter - on the side of their oppressors there is power, but they have no comforter" (Eccl. 4:1). Why?..? "If you see the oppression of the poor, and the violent perversion of justice and righteousness in a province, do not marvel at the matter; for high official watches over high official, and higher officials are over them" (Ecc 5:8). Oppression and violent widespread injustice are symptoms of a fatally sick political system - the whole body throbs in agony.

"The king who judges the poor with truth, his throne will be established forever" (Prov. 29:14). THE GOVERNMENT OF THE POOR IS THE GOVERNMENT THAT'LL ENDURE. The Government that protects the poor, fights for their cause, gives them justice (economic, social,and political) is the Government that is functioning right; the Government that is functioning right is the Government that is healthy; the Government that is healthy is the Government that lives and thrives on.

THE BOOK The passage is taken from the book of Exodus which forms the second book in the Pentateuch. The name “Exodus” comes from the Greek Septuagint translation of the Old Testament and means “exit” or “departure”. This name was also retained by the Vulgate, the Latin version, by the Jewish author Philo, and by the Syriac version. The name of the book in Hebrew is taken from the first words of the text: “And these are the names of” ( We’elleh Shemoth ) or simply Shemoth . The Pentateuch (i.e., “the five books) is in the Hebrew known as Torah, which means “Law”, “instruction”, “teaching”. [1] AUTHOR The traditional belief is that Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible (i.e., the Pentateuch). The NT writers believed that to be true (Lk.2:22-23; Jn.7:19; Acts 3:22). [2] DATE AND PLACE OF WRITING The date of writing can be inferred to between Moses’ eightieth birthday and his one hundred and twentieth birthday, when he died, just as the wilderness wandering was drawing to a close ...