Great Spiritual Blessings

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.   Ephesians 1:3-8

Come with Me and Rest

 

Jesus said, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”   Mark 6:31

Believe it or not, I saw these words flashed across me while passing the ever busy City Hall. No, I did not exactly have a supernatural encounter; (cue lightning and thunder). It was a lot less dramatic than that; in fact it was just a humble and somewhat weathered banner in front of St Andrew’s Cathedral that kept me pondering and then gratefully noting. Then again, such was never the works of coincidence.

Simple words, but of profound significance.

In context, Jesus sent out His twelve disciples, giving them authority over evil spirits, preaching to the people for repentance, driving out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healing them, Mark 6:7-13. Obviously, the people kept coming.

Many a times, when it comes to God’s work, we want to go all out and just do it for His honor; we want to help people open their eyes to the Light, help them get anointed, get their healing and to be freed from their bondage. To proclaim His victory, we want to spread the Good News far and wide; and for Christ to be magnified and glorified.

In our relationship with God, we want to worship Him with all we have, we want to learn all about Him, we want to ingest the entire Bible to know Him more, we want to praise and thank Him from the very bottom of our hearts, and then some more. Our entire being and very existence is designed just for that!

 

But sometimes, God just want us to come with Him to a quiet place and well, … rest; not doing anything, just calm plain relaxation with Him. To enjoy Him solely in a tranquil and still moment of soothing nothingness…     To bathe in the warm cosy comfort of peace, confidence and rest; brought forth to us by His righteousness and His grace that will last throughout eternity. Now that’s restful…

The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever. My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.     Isaiah 32:17-18

Snake On The Pole

When I was rather young, for a long time I couldn’t figure out why there were symbols of a snake in medical centres, on badges of paramedics and ambulances; even the World Health Organization has one on their flag, see left.  Aren’t snakes dangerous and venomous? Aren’t they dirty and “evil”? Aren’t snakes the ones that inflict pain and death instead of dispensing healing and life? What irony, right?

What has the snake symbol got to do with humanitarian medical entities internationally whose sole purpose is about health and healing? Not many people can answer me, those who did mumbled some mythological Greek deities who magics on healing that they themselves barely understands. Of course, that was before the internet age and Google  was a spelling mistake for goggles in school.

Finally, I found my answer in the Bible.

Some background first; following the exodus from Egypt, the Israelites thought that they were good enough to be on their own to adhere to God’s law instead of relying God’s repeated grace extended over and over again during their short journey so far. So in their ego, they requested Moses to ask God to give them the laws to follow, where they prided themselves to be able to; and God did, Deuteronomy 5:27-31. Well, the Israelites didn’t last even a month and a half (forty days) in their committment. While Moses was still downloading God’s commands, decrees, and regulations up on Mount Sinai; they built a golden calf; breaking the first and most important command God had given, “You must not have any other god but Me“, see here. And ever since Mount Sinai, whenever the Israelites sinned; complained or murmured, God had to send judgment. They, afterall asked for it.

Fast forward about 39 years later, the Israelites were still wondering in the desert. In their impatience after long and hard journeying around the land of Edom, they spoken against God and Moses yet again. They also complained about the “horrible” manna God has been providing, Numbers 21:4-5.

God had to judge, so He sent poisonous snakes among the people and many were bitten and died. When the people repented of their sins, they pleaded with Moses to pray for forgiveness from God. Moses did, and the Lord then instructed Moses to make a bronze snake and set it on a pole. Moses did what God said and the bronze serpent (nahash) was produced. Then those who were bitten by the snakes, doomed to die, had only to look upon the bronze snake and lived. Not only did they not die but even their bite wounds were miraculously healed, simply by glazing upon that bronze snake on the pole.

And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.   John 3:14-15

Jesus drew a parallel between the bronze snake on the pole and His own crucification on the cross. Like the Israelites looking upon the bronze snake to be saved and healed, sinners who looked upon the cross will be saved from eternal doom to have eternal life and healed of all afflictions caused by sin. The bronze snake illustrated a prophecy of the cross that the very instrument of judgment became the very means of deliverance. The symbol of pain and death became a symbol of healing and health over 3500 years ago. Indeed, the bronze snake in the days of Moses may very much have later influenced the Caduceus symbol for medical arts in Greece.

But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing.   Galatians 3:13

The next time you happen to see such a logo of a snake on a pole, be glad that health and healing belongs to you because Jesus took upon Himself the curse on the cross.

Quote of the Day – Walk

 

To follow the Lord, we must walk with the Lord.

 

The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice.   John 10:3-4

Warm Protection

You who sit down in the High God’s presence, spend the night in Shaddai’s shadow, Say this: “God, you’re my refuge. I trust in you and I’m safe!” That’s right—he rescues you from hidden traps, shields you from deadly hazards. His huge outstretched arms protect you— under them you’re perfectly safe; his arms fend off all harm. Fear nothing—not wild wolves in the night, not flying arrows in the day, Not disease that prowls through the darkness, not disaster that erupts at high noon. Even though others succumb all around, drop like flies right and left, no harm will even graze you. You’ll stand untouched, watch it all from a distance, watch the wicked turn into corpses. 

Yes, because God’s your refuge, the High God your very own home, Evil can’t get close to you, harm can’t get through the door. He ordered his angels to guard you wherever you go. If you stumble, they’ll catch you; their job is to keep you from falling. You’ll walk unharmed among lions and snakes, and kick young lions and serpents from the path. 

“If you’ll hold on to me for dear life,” says God, ”I’ll get you out of any trouble. I’ll give you the best of care if you’ll only get to know and trust me. Call me and I’ll answer, be at your side in bad times; I’ll rescue you, then throw you a party. I’ll give you a long life, give you a long drink of salvation!”

Psalm 91

 

The Virgin Birth

There was a comment on one of my previous post, offering an “unusual angle” on the virgin birth of  Jesus Christ, see here. On closer inspection, this “unusual angle” is actually an attempt to dislodge the divinity off the virgin birth, claiming that Jesus was borned a normal man, chosen from among his fellows by God. Their “supporting claim” is that none of the authorities quoted by the churches make any reference to virgin birth at all, with references made to the Book of Isaiah, Matthew and Luke.  All I can say is that, God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom (1Cor 1:21). Such subtle deviation from the Truth is often the most stumbling.

All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).   Isaiah 7:14

The biggest contention or controversy on the debate about the virgin birth where even the book of Matthew also make reference to is from Isaiah 7:14.  You see, in most modern English translations, the word virgin is used. However in the original Hebrew where book of Isaiah is written, the word עלמה (almah) is used refering to a young maiden woman. And because the modern Hebrew usage for the word virgin is בתולה (bethulah), people assumed that almah does not imply a virgin or sexual purity but age.

On the other hand, if we use the Bible to interpret the Bible, then its a different story altogether; the word bethulah does not necessarily indicate virginity and that almah does mean a virgin. While in modern Hebrew usage bethulah is used to mean a virgin, in Biblical Hebrew however, a young woman almah certainly refers to a virgin, for example: when seeking a wife for Isaac (Genesis 24:43). In short, we simply have to see if from the ancient biblical perspective not from our modern perception.

In addition, the context of Isaiah 7:14 is to look for the sign! Something extraordinary -> Look! A young virgin maiden is to conceive a child and she will give birth to a son and He is called Immanuel, God (Himself) is with us. If Jesus’s birth is natural through human sexual behaviour, then what extraordinary sign is there to look for and get so excited about?

With everything being presented so far, nothing is more important still than to open our eyes to other clear indications from the Bible that confirm and endorse the fact that Jesus had came down from divinity and not from a wriggling sperm!

• In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God.     So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.   John 1:1-2; 1:14
• For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will.   – Jesus Christ, John 6:38
• Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I Am!”   – Jesus Christ, John 8:58
• But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law.   Galatians 4:4

It is also interesting to note in Luke 3:23, in NLT, “Jesus was known as the son of Joseph.” and in NIV, “Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph”. Luke is obviously trying very hard to point out that Jesus is only somewhat known to be the earthly son of Joseph but in fact, does not have any flesh and blood relations.

The above are just some few examples from the Bible that also supports what is very clearly written in the accounts of Matthew and Luke that Jesus is not just any normal fellow and His birth was extraordinary. He is God’s own Son sent from heaven through the virgin birth of Mary. It is not so difficult to believe the virgin birth which is through the work of the Holy Spirit, if we believe already that God in spirit forming whole entire creation in material form.

Jesus declared Himself to be from heaven! He declared Himself to be the Son of heavenly Father, God Almighty! You can certainty believe that He is either a liar, a lunatic or He is what He really claims to be, but there is no other options here that does make sense otherwise. It is pure stupidity to call and believe in someone who declares himself something else.

Supernaturally, there is also a physical connection between Mary and Jesus, between human and God; which render Jesus truly human too. Baby Jesus probably came into this earth screaming like any baby would. Scripture teaches that Jesus was fully human, with a physical body like ours. This He received from Mary. At the same time, Jesus was fully God, with an eternal, sinless nature.

Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying. Hebrews 2:14-15

The very reason why the virgin birth of Jesus Christ has to be clearly comprehended is because we must understand that Jesus was not born  in sin; that is, He had no sin nature. The blind cannot lead the blind; a sinner cannot save himself much less others. To save us, God cannot send any Tom, Dick or Harry; God has to send His very own Son who is perfect, sinless and nothing less; and for our Saviour to save us from hell, bondage and death, He first has to be from heaven, free and alive.

And because we are in flesh and blood, this God also came down in flesh and blood, for only a flesh and blood can die and by dying for our sake, can He break the chains of death and defeat the devil. And by this, He can set us free!

This, ladies and gentlemen, is our God!

Proof

 

 

Excerpt: Most of us have thought how much easier it would be to follow God if we could just see Him once. The truth, though, is that He is all around us. We just fail to recognize the evidence. There are many things, like gravity for example, which we can’t see, but that we know are real because we see their effects on the world around us. In the same way, we can’t see God, but we can see Him at work in this world. He is making Himself known, and the proof is all around us.

The Right Place At The Right Time

I have observed something else under the sun. The fastest runner doesn’t always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn’t always win the battle. The wise sometimes go hungry, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don’t always lead successful lives. It is all decided by chance, by being in the right place at the right time.     Ecclesiastes 9:11

The words of Ecclesiastes shares a perspective of a very wise, rich and powerful author who looks at life on earth without God, or life “under the sun.” From such a perspective – he was leaving God out of the entire picture; and everything is meaningless at best.

But if we contrast it with the Book of Ruth, then we see the other side of the coin. Ruth, a simple widow who was caring for her widowed mother-in-law, was seeking in a field to glean grain to provide for themselves. “So she went out and began to glean in the fields behind the harvesters. As it turned out, she found herself working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech” Ruth 2:3.  Elimelech had been the husband of her mother-in-law, Naomi, so Boaz was a relative of hers and was generous to Ruth. As Ruth returns home with a great deal more grain than Naomi expected, “Her mother-in-law asked her, ‘Where did you glean today? Where did you work? Blessed be the man who took notice of you!’ Then Ruth told her mother-in-law about the one at whose place she had been working. ‘The name of the man I worked with today is Boaz,’ she said. ‘The LORD bless him!’ Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. ‘He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead.’ She added, ‘That man is our close relative; he is one of our kinsman-redeemers.’” Ruth 2:19-20.   

So you see, Naomi did not see such “divine appointments” as “chance” or “luck” but as the providence of God, as do others later on in Ruth 4:14. There are so many other examples in the bible where people are put at the right place at the right time rising from rages to riches, slave to ruler, commoner to royalty, death to life and sick to health. From Prime Minister of Egypt – Joseph to Queen Esther, from Rahab the prostitute to Rebekah the destined wife of Isaac, the encounters with Jesus from the  woman at the well to man at the pool.

As we can also observe ourselves, being faster, stronger and wiser does not automatically give us the edge and make us winners in life. It is actually being at the right place at the right time that causes us to receive favours, healings and blessings. It is God, who holds time and chance in His hands; is the only one who can put you at the right place at the right time where all the great opportunities are. He will place you at the right place at the right time, where you will meet the right people, do the right things, get the big break people talk about and even be delivered from danger.

Therefore, the reverse will also be true from Ecclesiastes 9:11; We may not be the fastest runner or strongest warrior. We may not be very wise or very skillful. We may not even be very educated. But God in His divine will and appointments, will position us to win races and win battles. We will not go hungry and will even be wealthy and lead sucessful lives!

And why does God wany to do that?

Because He loves you…

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.   Romans 8:28-30

Grace and Love

Dear Lord, I thank You that Your grace and love are always there for me, even though I don’t do things perfectly. Thank You for Your faithfulness and that You are always on my side. Your amazing love for me makes me want all the more to do what pleases You. Help me to listen to Your Spirit and do the things that give You pleasure. I want to walk in the way of mercy and truth. Your goodness and mercy to follow me all the days of my life. We are established in Your love through Jesus Christ, our Saviour. Nothing can separate Your love from us.

In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demonsneither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.     Romans 8:38-39

The Agony Of The Cross

In one of the previous post, Jesus & Jonah – The Total Redemption, we explored the account description of Jonah when he was swallowed up inside the belly of the fish which was also a prophetic description of how Jesus Christ would suffer at the cross. It give us a glimpse of the not-so-oblivious dimension of Christ’s angish at the cross.

Another supernatural prophetic description of what Jesus had to suffer was written in a form of a psalm by King David. Note that the prophecy through King David to the fulfullment of that prophecy by Jesus Christ is about a thousand years apart. Yet the detail of the psalm and more amazingly the fulfillment of the prophecy to the word is quite unbelievable.

My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far away when I groan for help?

But I am a worm and not a man. I am scorned and despised by all! Everyone who sees me mocks me. They sneer and shake their heads, saying, “Is this the one who relies on the Lord? Then let the Lord save him!  If the Lord loves him so much, let the Lord rescue him!”

Yet you brought me safely from my mother’s womb and led me to trust you at my mother’s breast. I was thrust into your arms at my birth. You have been my God from the moment I was born.

Do not stay so far from me, for trouble is near, and no one else can help me. My enemies surround me like a herd of bulls; fierce bulls of Bashan have hemmed me in! Like lions they open their jaws against me, roaring and tearing into their prey. My life is poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax, melting within me. My strength has dried up like sunbaked clay. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You have laid me in the dust and left me for dead. My enemies surround me like a pack of dogs; an evil gang closes in on me. They have pierced my hands and feet. I can count all my bones. My enemies stare at me and gloat. They divide my garments among themselves and throw dice for my clothing.   Psalm 22:1; 22:6-18

Jesus knew exactly what He had to go through at the cross. Yet He chose to go, willingly. Re-live the actual account on the fulfillment of Jesus’ suffering and the agony of the cross, see here.

And he said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ You are witnesses of all these things.     Luke 24:46-48

There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent, because of what He suffered… And because He lives…