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Burning Bush – Typology of the Cross

Exodus 3:2
There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up.

Exodus 3:7-8

The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.

The burning bush that Moses saw was a typology of the Cross.

First, God said “I have come down to rescue” in Exodus 3:7.

This becomes more clear when read with Philippians 2:6-8:

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man,   he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—        even death on a cross!

The only Beloved Son of God came down as a mere Man in the likeness of a sinner.

2 Corinthians 5:21
For He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

The bush speaks of the fig leaves that Adam used to cover himself after he sinned. [Genesis 3:7]. Thus, the bush is a picture of a sinner.

The burning speaks of the fire of judgment that fell on Jesus on the Cross.

Therefore, the burning bush is a picture of Jesus on the Cross. The burning bush is 2 Corinthians 5:21.

The bush was burning but not burned out. It speaks of Jesus exhausting all of God’s fiery judgment but not consumed. It signifies that Jesus has taken away all of our sins. All the OT sacrifices were consumed by fire and were therefore not sufficient to take away all our sins.

Hence, Moses was given the Gospel when he saw the burning bush.

Hence, Moses was given the Gospel when he saw the burning bush.

The old is the new concealed. The new is the old revealed.  We read the New Testament to see what was hidden in the Old Testament.

Thanks be to God my Father for showing me more of Jesus in the Old Testament through the blessed Holy Spirit.

The Desire

I was reading the footnote to 3 John 7 of the NIV.  It says that “Today, Orthodox Jews often address God by the title Ha-Shem (“The Name”).

Looking at it, “Ha” means “The” and “Shem” means name.  In a flash, it brought to my mind the three sons of Noah; Shem, Ham and Japheth [Genesis 9:18].  If Shem means “Name”, what about Ham and Japheth?

A check to Strong’s Concordance revealed the following:  Ham means hot; Japheth means open or expand (usually in a mental or moral sense).

Hebrew reads from right to left. Hence, reading the order of the names of Noah’s three sons in Genesis 9:18, it would be: Japheth (open or expand the mind),  Ham (hot),  Shem (name).

To me, it means open or expand my mind to be hot (desire) for the Name; the Name of Jesus; for God has given Jesus the Name that is above all names [Philippians 2:8-11]. It is also interesting to read the footnote to Haggai 2:7 of the Amplified Bible. Does it not relate to repentance, a change in thinking?

Then Revelation 3:15 came to mind,

“I know your [record of] works and what you are doing; you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot!”

It occurred to me that God has intended that we make Jesus, His only Beloved Son, THE Desire of ours. This is evident from Creation [Genesis 3:16] to Renewal [Genesis 9:18] and finally to the End Times [Revelation 3:15].

In Genesis 3:16, God said,

“Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”

Jesus the Christ is our Husband.  We are His bride.  He is our Desire and He will rule over us.

This has been God’s intention right from the beginning.

Then, when God renewed the world with Noah and his three sons, He repeated the intention in Genesis 9:18.

And in the Book of Revelation, it is mentioned yet once again [Revelation 3:15].

And what is the benefit of making Jesus (John 1:1) our Desire?

I believe it is found in Psalm 1:1-3. When our desire is for Jesus, Who is the Word of God [John 1:1], we shall become healthy and prosperous.

Yet our focus is not so much on the health and prosperity. Our focus is on the Person of Jesus. The benefits are the effects. The cause of them all, or the Source, is Jesus, the only Beloved Son of God Who came in the flesh.

The basis of our assurance and confidence is in our Lord Jesus, not material or physical things,

1 John 2:16

For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh [craving for sensual gratification] and the lust of the eyes [greedy longings of the mind] and the pride of life [assurance in one’s own resources or in the stability of earthly things]—these do not come from the Father but are from the world [itself].

God has made Jesus our Wisdom [1 Corinthians 1:30]. When we pursue that Wisdom as our Desire, length of days (long and satisfied life) as well as riches and honour pursue us [Proverbs 3:15-16].

The footnote to Proverbs 1:20 mentions that Wisdom means Wisdom of God. What or Who is the Wisdom of God? The answer is found in 1 Corinthians 1:30,

“But it is from Him that you have your life in Christ Jesus, Whom God made our Wisdom from God, [revealed to us a knowledge of the divine plan of salvation previously hidden, manifesting itself as] our Righteousness [thus making us upright and putting us in right standing with God], and our Consecration [making us pure and holy], and our Redemption [providing our ransom from eternal penalty for sin].”

Yet again, God sent His only Beloved Son in the flesh to reinforce the message He intended from Creation: “Do that one thing needful; making Jesus our Desire”.

Luke 10:39-42

39 And she had a sister named Mary, who seated herself at the Lord’s feet and was listening to His teaching.

40 But Martha [overly occupied and too busy] was distracted with much serving; and she came up to Him and said, Lord, is it nothing to You that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me [to lend a hand and do her part along with me]!

41 But the Lord replied to her by saying, Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things;

42 There is need of only one or but a few things. Mary has chosen the good portion [that which is to her advantage], which shall not be taken away from her.

And Jesus said that the cares and concerns of the world choked the Word. In other words, we have allowed worldly desires to distract us from THE Desire [Mark 4:19].

“Then the cares and anxieties of the world and distractions of the age, and the pleasure and delight and false glamour and deceitfulness of riches, and the craving and passionate desire for other things creep in and choke and suffocate the Word, and it becomes fruitless.”

Looking away from all that distracts towards Jesus, the Author and Finisher of faith [Hebrews 12:2].

At this juncture, God’s command to Adam came to mind [Genesis 2:17].

There was the desire for the forbidden tree. Then there was God’s Word. Adam made his choice.

Today, there is the desire for worldly things and God’s Word. What’s my choice?

  

Deuteronomy 30:14-15

14 But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your mind and in your heart, so that you can do it.

15 See, I have set before you this day life and good, and death and evil.

Remember Luke 10:39-42.

Last but not least, remember that the Lord satisfies our mouths with His Word. And He is the Word.

1 Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul; and all that is [deepest] within me, bless His holy name!

2 Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul, and forget not [one of] all His benefits—

3 Who forgives [every one of] all your iniquities, Who heals [each one of] all your diseases,

4 Who redeems your life from the pit and corruption, Who beautifies, dignifies, and crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercy;

5 Who satisfies your mouth [your necessity and desire at your personal age and situation] with good so that your youth, renewed, is like the eagle’s [strong, overcoming, soaring]!

The Lord Jesus the Christ is our Desire!

Godly Counsel

I find Genesis 3:16 rather interesting;  “ Your desire will be for your husband and he will rule over you.”

This is not about man versus woman. It is about our Lord Jesus the Christ, the Gospel.

Jesus the Christ is our Husband. Our desire is for Him and He shall rule over us! Amen!

It is also interesting to note that the serpent tempted Eve and not Adam. Eve did not have the Word. Adam did. Hence, to me, Genesis 3:16 is also about Godly counsel.

The one without the word will desire the one with the word. And the one with the word will rule over the one without the word.

It reminds me of Psalm 1:1-2, “Blessed is the man who walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (i.e the one without the word).” And the delight of the one with the word is in the Lord, our Husband.

It amuses me that the serpent should know not to tempt Adam who had the word. Yet many years later, he tried to tempt not only the Man Who had the Word but the Word Himself! And our Husband Lord slapped that idiot silly! Has the evil one become more dumb?

Hey, just enjoying my Bible here. Cheers!

Rest

There remains a promise of rest. [Hebrews 4:9]. All that need to be done have already been accomplished by God's only Beloved Son as Jesus the Man for and as me.

When I take the leap of faith to live the "take no thought" and "worry not" life, I enter into that promised rest. [Matthew 6:31-33].

The wind of demands may be howling. I have the protective force-field of God's love all around me.  I find that I really need to fling those demands onto the Lord. [1 Peter 5:7]. To fling means to not even be bothered about them. Ignore them!  If I ever entertain them, I  will me driven to extreme desperation and untold miseries. I adopt the attitude of "whatever happen, happens". If I perish, I perish.[Esther 4:16].

But how can I ever perish when I have John 3:16?!? How can that ever happen when I have John 10:10?!?

Romans 14:17 says that the kingdom of God is not about eating and drinking but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. When I enter into that rest, all the things I need shall be added to me. [Matthew 6:33]. To me, the kingdom of God is that rest.

Let God do His thing.

What is God's way of doing and being right as stated in Matthew 6:33? To me, it is leaving it to God to take care of all my cares and concerns. When I let Him do His thing, I have my joy and peace knowing that He is working all things for my good. This is the life of the righteousness of God! The indwelling blessed Holy Spirit is there to remind me that God loves me.

Just rest and be assured that if He did not spare His only Beloved Son but gave Him up for me, He shall also together with Him freely and graciously give me all things. [Romans 8:32].  That's my joy! And if I do not get what I asked Him for, I have peace knowing that He did so for my good. [Romans 8:28]. That's my peace! And I know all that to be the truth because Christ crucified is the show and proof of God's love for me. That's my righteousness!

In short, knowing that God loves me is the Kingdom of God.

But I say, 'How to, Lord?'

The giants are too great for me. There are the mounting bills to pay, the negative opinions of others, the disapproval of loved ones, money not enough, etc, etc. I will be mocked at, humiliated and ridiculed!

The Lord replied through the Word, "Have my arm grown weak?'  Is there anything I will not do for you? I am the Source of all your provisions. I will vindicate you. I am the lifter of your head. I will restore you to honour.  My grace is sufficient for you every day. So let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.  For I have not given you a spirit of fear but of love, power and sound mind. I have given you a spirit by which you call out 'Abba, Father'.  I have promised to not leave you nor forsake you and that I will be with you wherever you go. I am not a man that I should lie and neither do I repent. What I say, I will do. What I promised, I will make good. Be like Caleb. Be my Joshua."

'Rest in me.' The Lord invites. 'You who are weary and heavy laden, come to Me and I will give you rest.' The Lord encourages.  The Lord gives a big bear hug.

How does the Lord give me rest?

I have been badly injured by the fights and struggles in life.  There is no more strength left in me. I understand what it means when the Bible says, "What's the point of winning the world and yet lose your soul?" [Mark 8:36].

Every time I make a compromise in exchange for what I deem as success, I lose a piece of my soul.

The Lord takes me in and nurse me back to health.  Meanwhile and for all eternity, the Lord takes over all of my cares and concerns. He lifts those heavy burdens off my shoulders. I just focus on getting well. I just need to do that one thing needful. I let Him strengthen me through the Word of God's love for me by the blessed Holy Spirit. Thereafter, the Lord will show me the wonderful plans He has in store for me. 

My problem was that I was too impatient.  Before I could fully recover, I wanted to "die" for the Lord. I wanted to do this and that for Him.  The Lord does not need me to do anything for Him.  He came to do everything for me. All that He is and will be guiding me to do, He does so for my good. And through it all, He is right there with me to hold my hands.  Even though I may stray from His guidance, He will always bring me back onto the paths of the righteous. [Psalm 23:4].

Relax!

The Lord has died for and as me.  Stop justifying myself to get into God's good books. I am already in His good books. I am God's blue-eye boy or child. Acts 13:38-39 says, "Therefore my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through Him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses."

The Law of Moses shows me what I must do to get into God's good books. I cannot break even one commandment.  But the major problem is that we have all broken the law as Romans 3:23 tells me. Before I become discouraged, the Apostle Paul quickly shared the good news in Romans 3:24, "We are justified freely by God's grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."

So why did God give the Law?

It was to show me up.  Romans 3:20 says that it is by observing the law I become conscious of sin and recognise sin as sin.  For I would not have known what I am doing is sin except through the law, Romans 7:7.  In other words, I will not have known that I have broken the law if nobody shows me the law.

We were all born with a sinful nature.  But we were not aware of it. We imagined that we are "healthy".

We were all imprisoned by and in sin. We were not conscious of it. We imagined we were free.

Once I used to covet what I did not have and strive to get it. I did not know that I was in fact breaking the law. It is through the law that I recognise the sinful nature in me, Romans 7:13. My default response in any given situation is my sinful nature.

The Law of Moses is holy, righteous and good, Romans 7:12.  Apart from showing me God's pristine standards, it cannot help me measure up to those standards. In fact, when I try to fulfill the law, I find that I cannot. Instead, the very thing I tried not to do, I ended up doing even more! [Romans 7:18-23].  The Law amplifies my sinful nature. This is what it means to be a prisoner of sin. Sin draws power from the Law, Romans 7:5,8, 11.

What a wretched man I am!

The solution is not found in what I should or should not do.  The solution is found in the Person of Christ Jesus, Romans 7:24 to 25.

Christ crucified has released me from the prison of sin and transferred me to the prison of God's love. [Colossians 1:13].

A prisoner is one who cannot get out of the place of confinement.

Once I could not overcome sin no matter what I do and how hard I tried. God sent His only beloved Son to do what I could never have done.

After Christ crucified has set me free, He lavishes me with the love of God.  In that sense, I have become a prisoner of God's love.

Once I was trapped in the prison of sin with no way out. Now, I am deeply entrenched in hope, rooted in God's great love for me. Nothing can ever separate me from that love.[Romans 8:38-39].

I am a prisoner of God's love.

When I depend on the Lord Jesus, then it is no longer about me. If it is me, then it is no longer the Lord. It cannot be some part me and other part the Lord. For apart from the Lord, I can do nothing. But in Christ Jesus, I can do anything.  All things are possible to those who believe that the Lord can do anything.

If it is by grace, then it is not by law. If it is by law, then grace has been made of no effect.

I thank my Lord Jesus Christ for having placed me under grace. Hence, the law has no dominion over me.  When the law has no dominion over me, Romans 8:1 declares that there is therefore now no condemnation for me.

Whether we like it or not, we were all born with a sense of guilt and condemnation. We have inherited these traits from Adam.

As I grow up and find demands being placed on me, those negative sentiments spring to life. I find that no matter what I do or how hard I try, I can't seem to get away from those negative emotions. In fact, those crushing sentiments grew stronger instead. I used to explain them away as part and parcel of this world.  I accepted them as part of human existence.

But God's only Beloved Son came to this world as Jesus the Man to free me from this prison of guilt and condemnation. He did it by shedding His precious Blood and crucifixion. Today, anyone can just walk out of the prison of guilt and condemnation by accepting the gift of no condemnation that is in Christ Jesus.

When I live my life fully dependent on what Jesus the Christ has accomplished on the Cross, it pleases God. For it honours what His only Beloved Son has done. It gives due credit to Him.  Give to man what is man's, and to God, God's. [Mark 12:17]. It warms God's heart because we reciprocate His love by accepting His love for us. We love Him by letting Him love us. [1 John 4:19]. In that way, we show appreciation for the sacrifices He has made for us.

God sacrificed His only Beloved Son to die for me.  Now that is a heaven of BIG DEAL!

It shook the whole of heaven. What is man that You should care for them? [Psalm 8:4]. I imagine the angels scratching their heads.

God's only Beloved Son did not die for angels. He did not die for good people. He willingly laid down His divine life for sinners! He died for you and I, unconditionally.

So, why drool at the prospect of rest when the invitation to enter into it has been extended?

Just cross over, pun intended.

Faith

Everything in the Bible does not make any sense to the natural mind.  It is utter foolishness.

Some may feel hypocritical for believing in Jesus for material blessings. Yet to believe in Him for anything is concrete proof of having received the gift of faith.

What is faith? Hebrews 11:1 tells us that it is this: "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." [NIV].

We have never seen Jesus the Man in person.  We did not witness His resurrection. All we have is the Word. Yet in the absence of any hard and solid physical evidence, we believe in something or someone we do not see. That calls for faith.

How did the young boy David have so much faith in God to deliver him from the 9-footer Goliath?  David had been exercising his muscle of faith in God Who delivered him from the bear and lion.

1 Samuel 17:32-37

32 David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.”

33 Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.”

34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. 37 The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”

Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.”

Faith is like a muscle.  It grows with exercise.

He Who is faithful with little will also be faithful with much. [Luke 16:10, NASB].

When we exercise our muscle of faith in Jesus to take care of the small things, that muscle of faith will grow to believe in Him for big things. It is like weightlifting. We start light and then progress to heavier weights with constant training.  Waiting for the Lord is that training.  My problem is that I want to lift 100 kg of weights when I can barely manage ten.

It is a process of letting go and letting God. When I believe to see Jesus coming through in the small things, I will begin to believe in Him coming through with the big things.

I believe. He delivers.

Therefore, continue in the faith.[Colossians 1:23].  Fight the good fight of faith. [1 Timothy 6:12]. Let not the cares and worries of the world steal the word from me.[Matthew 13:18-23]. Read the Bible for scriptures says that it is written for teaching and encouraging me. [Romans 15:4]. Be encouraged by the cloud of witnesses that were before me as recorded in the Bible. [Hebrews 12:1].

I am reminded that God spared not even His only Beloved Son but gave Him up to die for me. So I can be assured that if anything is good for me to have at any given point in time, He would have given it to me before I even ask Him. Just like He has given me Jesus even before I realized I needed Him.

With that, the seed of faith that is planted in me will grow  into a sturdy cedar tree.  Hence, I am planted like a tree by streams of water,  which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever I do prospers.  [Psalm 1:3].

A thought came flashing through my mind; "Don't delude yourself! What prosper?!? Just look at the kind of results you have right now. You call that a success?!?"

I am reminded again of Joseph.  When he was still a slave, God declared him a successful man. What was the basis for that declaration? God was with him. [Genesis 39:2]. Today, God is not only WITH me, He is FOR me [Romans 8:31] and He lives IN me [1John 4:4].

Trusting or believing in Christ Jesus is a gift. The Bible says that we are in Him only because of God [1 Corinthians 1:30]. During His earthly ministry, Jesus Himself said that no one can come to Him except through the Father (God) [John 6:44]. Again Jesus said that I did not choose Him but He chose me. [John 15:16].

There is no logical explanation for having faith in Jesus. It is a gift from God.

A part of me says, "Com'on, give yourself some credit for believing!" 1 Corinthians 1:31 says, “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” My Lord Jesus Christ is the Author and Finisher of faith. [Hebrews 12:2].

Amen!

Hope

From the moment I wake up to the time I sleep, I am watching my Lord Jesus Christ in action in and around my life.

I asked, "Lord, what do You have in store for me today?"  He answered through the Bible, "This is the day I have made, rejoice in it."  Again I am reminded by His Word that His grace is fresh every morning and that His grace is sufficient for me.

In other words, He will shower me with good things that I do not deserve; those things that I would otherwise have to earn for myself based on my own merits.

I perceive that as being like someone who say or do something so fantastically good to make me hilariously happy. It could be seemingly minor things like a free bus ride or being late for some appointments or even not getting what I want.

I do not really know what is good FOR me. But I do know Who is good TO me.

So I live each day with a confident expectation of good things happening just for me. My Lord Jesus Christ tells me through the Bible that this is called HOPE.

And such a hope does not disappoint for the love of God for me has been poured out in my heart by the blessed Holy Spirit.

Hence, I follow the promptings of the blessed Holy Spirit.  His promptings always bring joy and peace. It is like a tour guide waving a small flag with the emblem of the tour group; peace on the one side, joy on the other.  It reminds me that I am like a tourist passing through this temporal world. I am a sojourner; a stranger to this land.

I am on a tour of this world but I do not belong to this world.

I belong to my Lord, Jesus the Christ.

Trials and Tribulations

Trials and tribulations are meant to train me to develop Godly responses so as to enable me to reign in life.

Imagine this prayer, "Lord Jesus, I am drowned by this lack of material blessings. I know you died to give me all things. The Bible says so. Lord Jesus, based on Your Word, I am trusting You to manifest all these material blessings in my life so that I can have joy and a peace of mind."  Sounds spiritual?

When I looked deeper, I realized that my trust was actually in the material blessings to give me joy and peace.  The desire for material blessings was reigning over me. 

When I reverse the situation as such, "Lord Jesus, I don't know why the material blessings have yet to manifest in my life. But you are my joy and peace whether those blessings manifest or not."  This conviction can only come from the blessed Holy Spirit. No point trying to conjure that up.

To reign in life, I need a convicted response that Jesus the Christ is my joy and peace in the absence of material blessings. I go through whatever is happening in my life with God's promise that He will cover my back.  

Yet, when this convicted response is being developed within me by the blessed Holy Spirit, I find material blessings hunting me down.  During the process of development, the evil one hurled bouts of intense guilt and condemnation at me. I was crushed!  My Lord Jesus lifted me up!

The adversary made me believe that I was engaged in a war with him. "Resist the devil and he will flee from me", I was reminded. I realized that it was a deception; a distraction from what my Lord Jesus Christ has accomplished. My Lord Jesus has already made a public spectacle of the evil one for and as me.

The war is over! There is no war to fight except the fight of faith.  Looking away from all that distracts towards Jesus, the Author and Finisher of faith. I resist the devil by ignoring his taunting. Why should I be bothered with a defeated foe? My Lord preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemy.

As I am reminded of what my Lord Jesus has already accomplished for me, I find myself reigning over guilt and condemnation in every form, shape and size.  Whenever I felt those negative and debilitating emotions of fear, worry, guilt , condemnation and the likes, I would speak in tongues until I feel the lightness in me.

I did whatever my hands could find to do, the best I could without being concerned if those things would translate into material benefits. In all that I do, I do it as if I am doing for the Lord.  Yet, my Lord Jesus protected me against exploitation; from being made a door mat to be trampled all over.

And yes, He provided food and clothing as well as the things I needed.  I learnt contentment.  Greed was losing its sway over me. Pride, the reliance on material things for assurance, was losing its grip on me. Those very things that I once thought I could live without became meaningless to me. Priorities took a paradigm shift.

The day that I caught a glimpse of all that was the day I started to live the victorious life that my Lord Jesus the Christ has died to give me.

I am beginning to be convinced that a Christian life is one of being and not doing; do this not, do that not ; I should have or should have not.  The moment I allow just one of those to take root, I place myself under condemnation. And condemnation kills! It really does! To those around me, I am irresponsible and lazy. Only my Lord Jesus Christ truly knows what He is doing in and with my life.

I thank my Lord Jesus the Christ and our Heavenly Father for having given up His only Beloved Son for me.

Parenting

While raising my two beloved children, I find myself trying to teach them how to handle every perceivable incidents in their lives.  I shared with them my experiences and personal perception. Yet no two incidents are ever the same.  They are at best similar. Hence, I end up confusing them more.

Then, by the grace of my Lord Jesus Christ, I realized that the best way to prepare them for the fights of life is to let them feel loved and cherished. The power of love will enable them to win every challenge in their lives. As a parent, I just need to do that one thing needful and all the rest will fall in place.

And to do that, I first need to feed on God's love for me as shown and proven by Christ crucified. With that, I, too, will reign over every circumstance in my life.

Establishing Faith in the Heart

Faith is tested when we believe in what we do not see. [Hebrews 11:1].

The temptation to make things happen instead of waiting for God's timing to manifest what we are believing in Him for is great. But the time of waiting is the time when faith grows and is being established in our hearts. It is like the laying of the solid foundations before any building is erected. It is a necessary process.

When we exercise this gift of faith, we are worshipping God in spirit and in truth.

God is a spirit as in Someone we do not see.  Faith is being sure and certain of what we do not see. John 17:17 says that God's Word is truth.  Hence, I put it to you that taking God at His Word for something we do not see is faith.  And that act of faith is worshipping Him in spirit and in truth. John 4:23-24 says that God is looking for people like that.

Are we counted among the number? Yes of course!

The moment we receive, as our personal Saviour, Jesus Christ, whom we do not see, we have exercised great faith. Now let that faith grow and be established in our hearts as we wait for all of God's promises, which are Yes and Amen in Christ Jesus [2 Corinthians 1:20], to manifest. Yeeha!

We who believe in Christ Jesus already have great faith. We are now blessed with the establishing of that same faith deep into the very recesses of our hearts. Let patience do its thorough work so that we may be complete and lacking nothing. [James 1:4].  Our souls prosper as we wait on the Lord. With that, we have health and prosperity in all things [3 John 1:2]. Even King David advised us to wait on the Lord for He will strengthen our hearts [Psalm 27:14].

Could waiting for the Lord be the way we guard our hearts? Against all the odds that are stacked against us, we choose to wait for the Lord.

Above all that we guard, guard our hearts [Proverbs 4:23]. How?

John 14:27. Jesus is the Peace.  He is the guarantee and the guarantor that all things are working out for our good. Looking away from all that distracts towards Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith [Hebrews 12:2]. It was He Who first gave us the gift of faith. He will not just follow up with it, He will follow it through to home run! He Who has carried us this far will definitely carry us all the way through. For God is not a man that He should lie, neither the Son of Man that He should repent. For has He said and shall He not do it; or has He promised and shall He not make it good? [Numbers 23:19].

Selah!  Pang sim la! Sabai sabai..

Blessed Holy Spirit

What we hear stays in the head.

What we see or experience for ourselves stays in the heart.

Preachers are raised to announce or declare the Word of God. We hear it and it stays in our head.  When we read the Bible for ourselves and live the Word, it stays in our hearts.

We have all been given the same blessed Holy Spirit. If God had meant the Word to be taught only by a certain group of people, He wouldn't have made it so readily available in so many languages.  Yes, there are many arguments for and against the various versions of the Bible. Just read the Bible for ourselves and let THE Teacher, the blessed Holy Spirit, teach us.

In the three volumes of the series God's Generals by Robert Liardon, we read that in the church history, there was a time when God's Word was limited to a certain group of people.  They exploited the church.  One of the leaders openly admitted that to the effect that they made lots o money from the exploitation.

Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. And faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of Christ. Again, what we hear stays in the head. How sure and certain we are in the heart depends on how we see Jesus for ourselves in the Bible.

The blessed Holy Spirit is the Teacher.  Let Him teach us.

We need preachers to bring the Word to the head.  We have the blessed Holy Spirit to bring the Word to our hearts.

We are sensed ruled as pointed out by Dr E W Kenyon. 

When we hear the Gospel preached, we receive the gift of faith. With that gift of faith, we receive our Saviour, Jesus the Christ.  When we receive our saviour, we receive the blessed Holy Spirit Who convicts us of God's love for us.

Faith

How can you be sure that there was this person by the name of Jesus Christ? Do you have any archaeological evidence that this person even existed? If not, how can you be certain of his resurrection? The crux of the Christian faith rests on his resurrection [1 Corinthians 15:12-19].  If you cannot prove that, then perhaps it is all but a myth.

Hebrews 11:1 has this to say, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” [NIV]

I do not have the physical evidence.  Yet, I choose to believe in Christ crucified and His resurrection.  It takes faith to believe in Him.

What crap! This is utter foolishness! 

You may want to look at what 1 Corinthians 1:18 have to say about that.

For us who believe, it is the power of God. And for us who believe, there is no longer a need to question whether we have faith or not. This is because it takes faith to believe in Christ Jesus. Faith is a gift from God. And a public declaration of that belief is a demonstration of that faith.

It takes great faith to believe in something we do not see based solely on the word of God. This is like the centurion who took Jesus at His word. [Matthew 8:8-10]. And Jesus said the centurion had great faith. Today, we who believe in Him based on the word of God is like that centurion. Hallelujah!

Inevitably, we always question our own faith whenever we do not get what we prayed for. The default response is that our faith is not strong enough and therefore we do not have what we asked for. 

The Bible says that God will not withhold any good things from us. [Psalm 84:11]. Since He did not spare His only Beloved Son but gave Him up for us, how shall He not together with Him freely and graciously give us all things. [Romans 8:32]. God works out all things for our good. [Romans 8:28].

Personally, I believe that when I ask God for something and do not see it manifest, it is an answer from God. To me, it is a "No" for the time being. In His good time, I believe I shall see God doing a work that is super abundantly, far over and above all that I dare ask or think. [Ephesians 3:20].

Freedom

Imagine someone broke the law and then try to escape punishment by not breaking the law again. What an absurd impossibility!

The life of a fugitive is one of constant fear and condemnation. The Book of Romans tells us that we have all broken the law. How then can we ever escape punishment by now trying to keep the law?

Thanks be to God Who sent His only Beloved Son as Jesus the Man to take our place of punishment.

Today, we who have received that free pardon in and through Jesus Christ do not have to be fugitives any longer. We have been set free.  And when Jesus has set us free, we are free indeed!

The perfect love of God for us has cast out all fear. And there is therefore now no condemnation for us who are in Christ Jesus. For we are no longer fugitives!

I find reading the Book of Romans in this context just that bit easier to understand.

Give Thanks

Dear Heavenly Father, I thank You for bearing the pain of watching Your only Beloved Son, Whom You so dearly love, go through the passion and die the death on the Cross. Now that I am a parent, I can only catch a glimpse of how painful it was for You. And You did that for me! 

I can better appreciate Psalm 8:

1 O Lord, our Lord, how excellent (majestic and glorious) is Your name in all the earth! You have set Your glory on [or above] the heavens.

2 Out of the mouths of babes and unweaned infants You have established strength because of Your foes, that You might silence the enemy and the avenger.

3 When I view and consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained and established,

4 What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of [earthborn] man that You care for him?

5 Yet You have made him but a little lower than God [or heavenly beings], and You have crowned him with glory and honor.

6 You made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet:

7 All sheep and oxen, yes, and the beasts of the field,

8 The birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

9 O Lord, our Lord, how excellent (majestic and glorious) is Your name in all the earth!

When my little one was having her rotten tooth extracted, she was screaming and writhing in pain. How I wished it was me in her place.  Yet, it was necessary for her to go through that for her own good. I just couldn't bear to watch. I walked away.

But You sent Your only Beloved Son to suffer that much pain for my good. There was nothing wrong with Him. You sent Him to take all that pain to remove my rottenness. [2 Corinthians 5:21]. This is so that I can be made whole without having to suffer that pain.

Is it more painful to go through the Cross or to watch the ordeal? It was excruciatingly painful to die on the Cross and I thank Your Son, My Lord Jesus, for having willingly laid down His life for me. And I am grateful to You Father for having borne the pain of Your heart being shredded in billion pieces from watching all that come to pass.

I believe You love Your only Son so much to spare Him from watching You suffer. Yet, the only way to redeem me from the clutches of the evil one was for You, God, to take my place of punishment.  It was either You or Your only Beloved Son. You chose to take the more painful part.

Now that all that has come to pass, the blessed Holy Spirit is in my midst bearing the untold griefs of my stubbornness. Yet He patiently coax and persuade. Like a loving parent who sees the folly of an ignorant child insisting on his foolish ways, He lovingly advise and guide. Whenever I make a mess, He is always there to clear it up. Whenever I take a wrong turn, He is right there to lead me back to the right one. He is Your love for me in motion.

The blessed Holy Spirit is here today to indwell me only because You sent Your only Beloved Son to die on the Cross.  Christ crucified did not just show and prove Your great love for me, He unleashed the power of Your love in me!

The more I trust You, the more of Your graciousness I experience. All of Your graciousness is laid before me for my taking.  The more I let go, the more I receive.  The more I hold on, the more I am deceived.

Psalm 23

1 The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack.
2 He makes me lie down in [fresh, tender] green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters.
3 He refreshes and restores my life (my self); He leads me in the paths of righteousness [uprightness and right standing with Him—not for my earning it, but] for His name’s sake.
4 Yes, though I walk through the [deep, sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with [a]oil; my [brimming] cup runs over.
6 Surely or only goodness, mercy, and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life, and through the length of my days the house of the Lord [and His presence] shall be my dwelling place.

Thank You Heavenly Father for giving me Your only Beloved Son to die on the Cross as Jesus the Man as Your Messiah, Your Anointed One. And He has already undone all the works of the devil in my live as well as the lives of each and every member of my household. [1 John 3:8].

Fight the Good Fight of Faith

Christ crucified makes me fearless in the overwhelming presence of fear.  For Christ crucified is the irrevocable statement of declaration of God's perfect love for me.

When all things present themselves as every valid reason to succumb, Christ crucified is the power to stand on God's Word. The creator of the entire cosmos is on my side.  His every resource and power are for me.

1 Timothy 6:12

Fight the good fight of the faith; lay hold of the eternal life to which you were summoned and [for which] you confessed the good confession [of faith] before many witnesses.

1 Corinthians 1:18

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

1 Corinthians 1:24

24 But to those who are called, whether Jew or Greek (Gentile), Christ [is] the Power of God and the Wisdom of God.

Hebrews 12:1-13

12 Therefore then, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us,
2 Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 Just think of Him Who endured from sinners such grievous opposition and bitter hostility against Himself [reckon up and consider it all in comparison with your trials], so that you may not grow weary or exhausted, losing heart and relaxing and fainting in your minds.
4 You have not yet struggled and fought agonizingly against sin, nor have you yet resisted and withstood to the point of pouring out your [own] blood.
5 And have you [completely] forgotten the divine word of appeal and encouragement in which you are reasoned with and addressed as sons? My son, do not think lightly or scorn to submit to the correction and discipline of the Lord, nor lose courage and give up and faint when you are reproved or corrected by Him;
6 For the Lord corrects and disciplines everyone whom He loves, and He punishes, even scourges, every son whom He accepts and welcomes to His heart and cherishes.
7 You must submit to and endure [correction] for discipline; God is dealing with you as with sons. For what son is there whom his father does not [thus] train and correct and discipline?
8 Now if you are exempt from correction and left without discipline in which all [of God’s children] share, then you are illegitimate offspring and not true sons [at all].
9 Moreover, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we yielded [to them] and respected [them for training us]. Shall we not much more cheerfully submit to the Father of spirits and so [truly] live?
10 For [our earthly fathers] disciplined us for only a short period of time and chastised us as seemed proper and good to them; but He disciplines us for our certain good, that we may become sharers in His own holiness.
11 For the time being no discipline brings joy, but seems grievous and painful; but afterwards it yields a peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it [a harvest of fruit which consists in righteousness—in conformity to God’s will in purpose, thought, and action, resulting in right living and right standing with God].
12 So then, brace up and reinvigorate and set right your slackened and weakened and drooping hands and strengthen your feeble and palsied and tottering knees,
13 And cut through and make firm and plain and smooth, straight paths for your feet [yes, make them safe and upright and happy paths that go in the right direction], so that the lame and halting [limbs] may not be put out of joint, but rather may be cured.