CHRISTIAN JOY AS PRESENTED IN THE LETTER TO THE PHILIPPIANS

1. Introduction.

Joy is the second aspect of the Holy Spirit’s work in a Christian to make us like Jesus. Joy is defined by the world as “a highly pleasant emotion associated with accomplishment, satisfaction and gratification.” The Webster-Collegiate dictionary puts it this way: “The emotion excited by the acquisition or expectation of good; gladness, delight; state of happiness, that which causes happiness; exhibition of joy.” These definitions place emphasis upon joy as an emotion. Furthermore, in these definitions joy is considered to be an emotion associated with external conditions and, therefore, the possession of joy is dependant upon one’s circumstances. However, these are the natural man’s definitions and they reveal his self-centered philosophy of joy. We always believe that each individual determines what will bring us joy. If we attain these things, then we have joy. For such a person a moment or a day is wonderful when everything is going well. But when something goes contrary, resentment, bitterness or depression crop in. This emotional vacillation can be expected when joy is considered an emotion associated with eternal circumstances and conditions. Therefore, it is essential that believers discern between genuine fruit of the Spirit and the pseudo-fruit of the world.

2. CHARACTERISTICS OF CHRISTIAN JOY.

In the first century, the apostle Paul engaged in missionary work and had wonderful experiences. He was often supported by the contributions of his fellow believers. One congregation that was particularly helpful was the one in Philippi. Hence, when writing to them, Paul was moved to utter these opening words:

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:3-5, 7-8)

We found that Paul told the Philippians that he just does not pray but pray with joy. This joy is "because of your partnership in the gospel". Therefore, Paul’s joy is a share joy because of the partnership in Christ as they held unity in just one purpose common to all Christian. We notice that Paul was talking about a three types of joy that are:

1. A share joy - we share all common grace, burden and hope in Christ. We divide over politics, ethnic issues, gender differences, and personal tastes and interests. When we come to Christ, a bond put us together by God's grace. The common burden is to do the same thing we want to do for Him that is to glorify Him in our living and testify of Him to around us. Lastly, the common hope looking forward to meeting and being with Jesus for all the trials.

2. A confident joy – In Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Knowing for sure our completion of God’s work guarantee us a salvation and a place in heaven and that joy is a confident joy and not just wasted joy.

3. An increasing joy – In Philippians 1: 9-11 “that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ — to the glory and praise of God.” Here God want us to be always growing or progressing in the faith. The Christian life is not static . . . it is growing. We experience joy as we see ourselves becoming more and more like Christ. We might fall or do something wrong but we must be ever really to rise up to perfect our self in Christ and that is an increasing joy in oneness in Christ.

In Philippians 2: 2 “fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.” Here we are told in the scriptures that love “does not get puffed up.” One, who is puffed up, or haughty, unloving, exalts himself above others. Such a mental attitude is most unwise because “God opposes the haughty ones, but he gives undeserved kindness to the humble ones.” (James 4:6) Love acts in just the opposite way; it considers others to be superior. Paul wrote at Philippians 2:2, 3: “fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let, each esteems others better than himself. ” Such a mental attitude makes others feel comfortable; while the haughty person because of contentiousness makes others feel uncomfortable. We can contribute to the unity of the true congregation if we acknowledge and show appreciation for the good qualities of others. Paul's joy was made full when he saw the brothers and sisters applying the bible in their lives that is to love God more than anything else and in communion with God, it will change us in these following areas[1]:

• in our wisdom. We grow in our understanding and love for the Lord and we are better able to tell the difference between right and wrong, good, and evil. We understand better how to help and encourage each other. And we come to understand how God wants us to serve in His church.

• in our character. We see and pursue that which is "best, pure, and blameless." As we grow in our knowledge and love of Christ, it will make a difference in the kind of people we are. We will be more consistent, more compassionate, more godly. The more we grow the less holes there should be in our character. We will not be perfect but we should be better people than we used to be. We will be filled with the fruit of righteousness. In other words, we are living more godly (righteous) lives.
• in our service. We will be living our lives and bringing God glory. We will see every opportunity as an opportunity to honor Him. Christianity is meant to be practical. The idea of an unchanged believer is a contradiction in terms.
  

The sorts of men that the apostle Paul held particularly dear were those who were willing to expend their strength unreservedly for God and their brothers. The sort of men described in Philippians 2:29,30—" Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such men in esteem; because for the work of Christ he came close to death, not regarding his life, to supply what was lacking in your service toward me.”

There is a huge difference in the life of individual who knows, understands, and obtains biblical joy. The word of God does not deny that joy is an emotion. However, the Bible gives a deeper meaning than the worldly philosophy does. The Bible views joy as a qualify founded upon God and derived form Him. Since joy is the fruit of the Holy Spirit, it is dynamic, not static. The Holy Spirit can place a joy in our hearts any time we ask if of Him. As we make decision to be joyful, even in the midst of severe trials, He will supernaturally cause joy to spring forth. Joy will overflow from our hearts into our emotions and thoughts. It will spring forth in praise even during the most difficult times. It is an inner strength and uplifting expression of life that permeates us and springs forth from us because of our communion with our God.

3. JOY IS A PERMANENT FRUIT FROM GOD TO CHRISTIANS.

When we read the word of God, the spirit opens our eyes to behold all the wonderful things God has done and is doing for us, causing us to be filled with joy. David declared, “You will show me the path of life, in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Ps 16:11). John said by inspiration of the Spirit, “And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.” (1 Jn 1:4). Joy is presented in Scripture as an abiding possession and a permanent state of mind of the believer in Christ. In Romans 14:17 we read “the kingdom of God is not food and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit”; and Romans 15:13 says, “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” The Lord did mention about joy when He says, “Joy I give unto you as the world cannot give.” This is the promise from Christ to believer than how do we find joy and happiness, then definitely it is time for reflection and repentance.

The Christian belief and faith brings joy to the life of the believer. If we are not experiencing this “joy” as Christians, then we must be missing part of the Christian message that supposes to be and Way of Life as Christ plans for us is not there. In short, the “joy” whether physical or spiritual is way to measure and assess the fullness or completeness of our faith or belief as believers. All these reflect our relationship with God and before our fellows Christians than we need to question or reflect upon certain areas we can seek to modify our way of life that the joy of the Lord is always in us. Those questions below will help us to ponder our belief and faith[2]:

1. Do I know and seek the purpose for which God has created me? God once told the Prophet Jeremiah and St. Paul “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.” What does this question mean to you? It means that you need to recognize strengths and capabilities in you so that we can overcome any obstacle we face in life whether spiritual or physical.

2. Do I really understand how Christ saves me and allows me to have “joy” in life? When we in Christ and serve Him wherever we go. Knowing He helps/changes my life and not knowing exactly how He does so, this does not make us any less Christians. However, it does not allow us to reap the fruits and benefits of our belief and efforts in life.

3. Do I really know Who is the Holy Spirit, and how the Spirit lives and guides me? Jesus promises you give us a Counselor in our life and we need to be aware of those promises that will guide us although even a positive answer to the above questions is not sufficient but by believing it by faith somehow, we give us a joy of fulfilling it.

4. Do I believe and trust in the gifts of the Holy Trinity? We need to believe and trust that God the Father created me for a good reason, and wants me to be joyful rather than wanting me to suffer all my life in the name of duty or responsibility than the rest of the search will be made easy

5. Do I believe that God has placed me among people who can help me live a joyous life? In my life God has place me in situation that depressed me but throughout those times I have learned so much and begun to see and realize thing that I have never known. I can answer all this incidents but the trials will joyous of what I have experienced.

6. Are we doing something to help us grow in the “image and likeness” of God? I was born in a family that was a bit conservative and do not like to mix with people. I have an unforgiving attitude and never give any thoughts of retaliating if anyone is rude but growing in Christ helps me to be forgiving and in all manners wishing to be like Him. This is one attitude we as believer need to ask our self.

Let us spend time praying, studying, reflecting and be supportive sharing that will help us answer positively to the above questions. If we do not have a sense of joy, the question will be a way of answering or pinpointing the areas of our life that are spiritually lacking. In addition, if we have the right answer and experiencing the joy that we suppose to have than the below lists in our Christian lives.

1. Joy of the Gospel – Joy because of his resurrection (Mat 28:8) and His ascended to heaven (Lk 24:52)
2. Joy of receiving the Gospel – Receiver the word of God with joy of the Holy Spirit (1 Thess 1:6).
3. Joy of believing – Bring peace (Rom 15:13) and the gift of the Spirit (Gal 5:22).
4. Joy of the fellowship of Christians – Its bring happiness or consolation (Philemon 7) and fellowship between Christians (2 Jn 12)
5. Joy in the midst of tribulations – Those who are tested with Christ, in his suffering rejoice (1 Pe 4:13); Rejoice because they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name (Acts 5:41) and the joy could not be taken away by the world because it is a promises of God for His people (Jn 16:21-22).
6. The Gospel is preached that people may abide in Joy – It is joy than come from hearing the word of God and double joy to those that spread His word. (Jn 15:11; 17:13).
7. The joy of God’s work – Even if we suffer for His name but yet we feel the joy over what we did for Him. (Acts 11:23)
8. Eternal Joy of the Lord – It is the joy of the Lord (Mat 25:21) and exceeding joy that the end of time (1 Pe 4:13).

The next question is how this Christian joy comes from. The joy God promises are from[3]:

1. Christian Joy comes from the Certain Knowledge that we are saved.

2. Christian Joy comes from the Certain Knowledge that we are Heaven-Bound.

3. Christian Joy Comes from Seeing your Prayers Answered.

4. Christian Joy comes from watching the Success of the Gospel.

5. Christian Joy comes from Watching other Christians Grow and Persevere.

6. Christian Joy comes from the Security we have in Times of Persecution and Affliction.

The apostle Paul urged Christians to take joy at all times in their knowledge of God and his dealing with them, writing to them: “Always rejoice in the Lord. Once more I will say, Rejoice!”—Php 4:4. Jesus Christ, who was the intimate one of God, knows Him best (Mt 11:27), and He is able to explain Him to his followers. (Jn 1:18) Jesus is therefore joyful, being called “the happy and only Potentate.” (1Ti 6:14, 15) Out of love for his Father, He is eager to do always the things that please Him. (Jn 8:29) Therefore, when there was set before Him the task of coming to earth, suffering, and dying in order that He might vindicate God’s name, “for the joy that was set before him he endured a torture stake, despising shame.” (Heb 12:2) He also had great love for and joy in mankind. Let us be like Him!

4. FALSE OR NO LASTING JOYS.

Jesus speaks of some who would hear the truth and receive it with joy but without getting the real sense of it. Such do not cultivate the implanted word in their hearts and, as a consequence, soon lose their joy by being stumbled when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word. (Mt 13:20, 21) Joy based on materialism is a false joy that is in error and will be short-lived. Also, a person rejoicing over the calamity of another, even of one who hates him, must account to God for his sin. A young man is foolish to think that enjoyment of life requires that he give in to following “the desires incidental to youth.” (2Ti 2:22) Similarly, love of entertainment or pleasure of the world will bring one into a bad situation. Even the Christian who exults in comparing himself with others is in error. Rather, he should prove what his own work is and have caused for exultation in himself alone.—Ga 6:4.

Under present conditions, wickedness, sickness, and death prevent full and undiminished joy. But in harmony with the Bible rule, “A wise king is scattering wicked people,” Jesus Christ as King will bring an end to all enemies of God and of righteousness. (1Co 15:25, 26) Thus, all obstacles to complete joy will be removed, for even “death will be no more, will mourn nor outcry nor pain be anymore.” (Re 21:4) Sorrow for those who have died will be completely gone, removed by the resurrection of the dead. This knowledge comforts Christians even today, who, on this account, do not “sorrow just as the rest also do who have no hope.”—1Th 4:13, 14.

Let read II Samuel 11 and find that David who was “man after God’s own heart”, lost all the joy of what God had given him because of sin. When David sinned he also terminated the living faith and trusting in the Lord. The Christian joy that had in David was drained when there was presence of unrepented sin and he focused on the problem he had created instead of coming before Christ. We know that physical joy of what the world has offered us is not a lasting joy and this false joy brings disaster in our lives. God’s joy is a supernatural joy defined below[4].

“We're talking about a supernatural joy here. We are talking about something that belongs only to Christians, something that is deep down. It is...it is as to its source identified in Galatians 5:22 as a fruit of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy..." In fact, in Romans 14:17 it says the Kingdom of God is made up of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. We are talking about a spiritual joy that comes from the Holy Spirit, like spiritual peace and righteousness and love. We have a love that is not earthly love. We have a righteousness that is not self-righteousness. We have a peace that is not the peace the world gives. And we have a joy that is different. It is a deep down joy. It is not the kind of joy the world knows. It comes from God through Christ, is dispensed by the Holy Spirit.”

Later we find that David realized his sin and begun praying for help and direction in his life (Ps 51) especially to regain the joy he had in the Lord. God did take him back after he realized[5]:

God grace not only saves us from the penalty of sin, it also saved us from harmful effects of sin if we will live godly lives.

1. David prayed ask God for his joy to be restored.
2. Joy can be restored in three steps – admission of sin, it must be a full confession and there must be a petition of true repentance.

Hence, what we learn here is that we have to be careful with what is true or supernatural joy with the physical or material joy that this world can offer. We need to turn away from the false when we are in some sort of situation like the one David had experienced in his life and let us not repeat the same mistake that David did.

5. HOW TO MAINTAIN A JOYOUS LIFE STYLE.

We have to pray always, continually, without ceasing (Luke.18:1)… always!… at home, at work, when you relax, when you eat or play, at times of joy and sorrows… continually, keep on praying without ceasing!... it is the secret of happiness of the Bible.

"Prayer is the expression of our yearning, our desire and need for the God who is absent, distant, or silent; praise is the expression of our joy in and gratitude for God's presence. Prayer is the expression of our life as lack, as poverty, as emptiness; praise is the expression of our life as abundant, overflowing, full, and exuberant. [Adoration, Thanksgiving, Rejoicing, Offering.] These different acts are complementary, and belong together[6]."

There are few ways to maintain that joyous life and that are through:

1. Give thanks to God always – Let Him know that we appreciate and need Him in our lives and I believe that He will take care of the rest.
2. Confidence in God - allows us to invite God's presence into the circumstances we face. God is omnipresence and let Him control circumstances we face in a more personal way. No doubt we see the Philippians experiencing the difficult time in God’ grace.
3. We must develop singleness of mind- not easy influence by people and not double-minded people. Set our mind on Jesus and let not the false teaching of the world takes our mind or belief.
4. We must develop a submissive mind- Be submissive to the prompting of the Holy Spirit in us and be alert to move away from things not right in God’s sight. Another way of putting this is to be obedient to our God because sometimes when He told us to do certain thing we will question His instruction.
5. We must develop a spiritual mind – see thing in how God sees things.
   

The Bible’s prescription for true joy, for enlightened insights into the measure of the love of God and for stimulation to sing songs of joyful thanksgiving, is not something but someone – Jesus. The believer controlled by the Holy Spirit has true life, lasting joy and abiding fellowship with God regardless of external conditions or circumstances.

• True joy only in oneness with God in Christ as new creation with a new heart, new spirit and a redeemed soul.
• Joy not an emotion of the old creature fallen in sin--not a human emotion.
• Joy brought about by the natural fulfillment only God's Creating Word Speaks.
• Joy impossible in a heart which can hear only non-creating speech/sin; perpetual non-fulfillment because of the lack of creating power is lust, avarice and greed.
• Joy is community/oneness in Christ with others who are new creations in Christ
• There is no solitary joy.[7]
  

6. CONCLUSION.

How beneficial the book of Philippians is for us in the understanding of the joy of the Lord! We certainly desire God’s approval and the same kind of commendation from our Christian overseers that the congregation at Philippi received from Paul. This can be ours if we follow the fine example of the Philippians and the loving counsel of Paul. Like the Philippians, we should manifest generosity, be concerned to aid our brothers when they are in difficulty, and share in the defending and legally establishing of the good news. (1:3-7) We should continue “standing firm in one spirit, with one soul striving side by side for the faith of the good news,” shining as “illuminators” in among a crooked and twisted generation. As we do these things and continue considering the things of serious concern, we may become a joy to our brothers in the same way that the Philippians became a crowning joy to the apostle Paul. We need to remember that the present and future joys reserved for Christians alone far outweigh sufferings in this life "the pleasures of sin for a season" (Heb. 11:25) and even the temporal joys one may experience on earth. Christian joy already has a solid foundation that is through endurance that is sufficient to carry us through the earthly life we have now so let us be joyous always for the Lord.

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[1]Goettsche,Rev. Bruce, Philippians: The Blueprint for Joyful Living, October 22, 2000,

http://www.unionchurch.com/archive/102200.html

[2] Dingilian ,Rev. Fr. Stépanos “Lent: A Time to Seek Lord’s Joy”, St. Peter Armenian Apostolic Church, Glendale, California, February 26, 2004 http://www.hopeforfamily.org/christian_joy_f02.htm

[3] Alan Morrison, WELLSPRINGS OF JOY FOR THE CHRISTIAN, Diakrisis International, 25th June 2000, http://www.diakrisis.org/Christian_Joy.htm

[4] MacArthur ,John; "Fundamental Christian Attitudes: Joy", © 1997 Grace to You

http://www.biblebb.com/files/MAC/90-122.HTM

[5] Cooper Abrams, Losing and Finding the Joy of Salvation, The Bible Truth, http://www.bible-truth.org/msg72.html

[6] Theodore W. Jennings, Jr., (1982) "Life as Worship: Prayer and Praise in Jesus' Name", Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans

[7] Tim Elder, Jr. Christian Joy, Christian Clarity March 2003

http://members.aol.com/telder1/joy.html

Something to ponder!!!

The Parable of the Janitor and the CEO
by Buck Jacobs (From: A Light Shines Bright in Babylon: A Handbook for Christian Business Owners, © Buck Jacobs, 1995. Used by permission.)

There once lived a janitor who worked for the same company for 40 years. He never rose above the position of janitor and never had anyone report to him. He never owned a home, never had an investment, never bought a new car. But he was a fine janitor. With the highest standards, he maintained all of the areas for which he was responsible. The brass shone, the windows glistened, the carpets were never dirty. He would occasionally be seen on his hands and knees, with a toothbrush, cleaning the corner where the floor meets the tile wall. And through it all, he always had a smile and a cheerful good word for his co-workers. After he retired, several folks remarked that they had never once heard him complain.

Over the 40 years, from time to time, he would be asked, "How come you work so hard? You don't really have to put in all that extra effort." He would answer, "You don't understand. I'm doing this work for Jesus and for Him it has got to be good. You see, He is my best friend. I love Him and owe Him my best because He gave His life for me."

Some of these people laughed and just passed on. But some said, "Jesus? Your friend? I don't know about that. How can Jesus be a friend? I don't know Him in that way."

The janitor would smile when this happened, and no one could miss the love in his eyes when he answered, "Well, let me tell you about me and Jesus." He was never too busy to share how the love of his Lord had touched his life.

In this same company there was another man who worked there for 40 years, starting his career at the same time as the janitor. He had attended a fine university and had done well, working hard and making good grades. He joined the company as a salesman right out of college and quickly became the top salesman in his department. In record time he was promoted, becoming the youngest sales manager, regional manager, vice president of sales, and ultimately, the youngest CEO the company ever had.

Under his leadership, the company grew and expanded, eventually becoming an international leader in its industry. The firm acquired other companies and under his shrewd and wise direction, these companies prospered as well.

Because of his obvious skills, gifts, and success, he was often asked to speak to organizations and groups. Even peer CEOs would visit and inquire how he had done so well. He always gave the same answer, "This is the greatest land in the world and the opportunities are limitless. America is the land of freedom to excel and I've worked very hard. What I have done, you can too if you believe you can and if you give your all."

He was also active in many civic organizations and government advisory panels. He was elected to the board of regents of his university and was a respected member of a fine church. He and his family could regularly be seen Sunday morning seated in the fourth row on the left side for the 11 a.m. service.

But Sunday had little to do with Monday. Sometime when he was young, his father had told him, "Son, two things you cannot mix with your business: politics and religion. They are like oil and water." It never occurred to him to question his father's advice, although deep in his heart he knew it just didn't seem right.

So he never gave it much thought. In fact, he was so busy that God was crowded out of much of his life. With the business, the cottage at the beach, the club memberships for golf and tennis (when he could find time), and trying to fit in family ski trips between board meetings, his time—and his life—flew by. Widely revered by multitudes, he retired after a long and successful career.

It happened that both men died in the same day. And as the scripture promises (1 Cor. 3), each man in turn went to stand before Jesus to give an account of what he had done with his life.

The CEO went first, as usual, and stepped before the Lord. Jesus put His hand on his shoulder and said to him, "My son, you have done well with your life. I gave you intelligence and opportunity. You worked hard and you took advantage of all that I set before you. You accomplished much. But son, all that you built must remain behind. Your homes and cars, your company and clubs were good, but they are not a part of my kingdom. The university that you loved and served refused to honour me and it will burn up and be destroyed. Your money is not needed here. My son, you laboured long and hard, but unwisely. You have gained the good, but missed the best."

The janitor stood humbly nearby, fearful and in awe. If a CEO could receive no commendation from the Lord, what could a mere janitor expect? His eyes were cast down and tears covered his cheeks when Jesus put His hands on the janitor's shoulders.

"Son, lift your eyes." The janitor looked into the face of the Lord he loved. The smile on Jesus' face caused a thrill to leap through the janitor's heart and in astonishment he heard Jesus say: "Turn around, son, and tell me what you see."

With the Lord's strong arm around his shoulders, the janitor turned. To his amazement, he saw crowds of jubilant people coming toward him. Their expressions reflected a pure love and joy that he had never seen.

He turned to Jesus and said, "Lord, I recognize only a few. Who are the others?"

Jesus said, "Those you recognize are the ones you told of my love. The others are those they told. They are here now to thank you. Enter into the joy prepared for you from the foundations of the world."

Nearby, angels sang "Glory to God and to the Lamb" as the janitor was reunited with his friends and stepped into paradise.

You see, both men had opportunities, just as you and I do. One built a fortune here, the other, there. One fortune was temporary, the other, eternal. Both were the result of choices. Which fortune are you pursuing?

A BRIEF COMMENT ON HISTORICAL APOLOGETICS!

Christian faith is all about history i.e. the historical nature of the Bible. Radicals and atheists know that if the foundation can be destroyed than Christianity automatically crumble down. That is only for decades they used historical basis to deny the Bible legally or historically. Apologetics is the combination of legal and historical reconstruction. Legal apologetics deals with the legal investigation of certain facts or events. This information is collected from available within and to be cross-examined. In the Bible, these events are historical events recorded in the Bible. These events than demonstrate if probably taken place beyond all doubt and to be explained as available data. Historical to Apologetics are connected with legal but historical aspect are important in archaeology i.e. the study of ancient civilization where archaeological discoveries is leads to Bible history took place as the actual incidents or events in legal history. Data techniques determine of the age as what the Bible is written while linguistic studies is important to understand the languages used to understand the meaning of the Biblical text which like to study ancient custom and culture; and the ability to evaluate the accuracy and authenticity of ancient manuscripts. All these can be considered as an application of the legal/historical tools which sees with or insight into history/chronology, culture/customs/manner, languages and reconstructions of the incidents for investigation of biblical histories. Finally, the values of historical investigation is about understanding how Biblical text is produced, preserved and transmitted till today, it is a better appreciation of it reliability of what prophecies that have been recorded. One major opposition that likes to attack Christianity is the historical of Jesus Christ as a dispute issue as He does not exit but many ancient records and manuscripts from great and famous philosophers and king had proven His existence is truly real as how it was mentioned or recorded in the Bible.

Wishing all Chinese around the world Gong Xi Fa Cai.