Life...Jhn 6:53

Jhn 6:53

Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.

King Solomon in Ecclesiastes lamented about the vanity of life in this world. So what's 'life' to you?

Is life just about following the cycle of birth, growing old, falling sick and death? What makes human different from other creatures?

According to Bible, human is the only creation of God that is made in His image (Gen 1:27), and became alive when God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life (Gen 2:7). In another word, man is created to have the zōē life of God in him!

So what's the life of God? Just look at Jesus (Jhn 8:19)!

Jesus lived a victorious life, in both the physical and spiritual realms. Even during His temporary submission to the pharisees and Romans, even when He was scourged and hang on the cross, all these were done so that Christ's victory over sins and death is complete. He is now sitting down on His throne in heaven as a victorious King. His victory is total and complete, else He would not be able to sit at God's right hand (Mat 16:19)!

What's the source of this victorious life? The answer lies in God's love for Him.

Jesus always walked in God love, and called God His Father (Luk 2:49), as the Spirit of God with Him from birth (Luk 1:35). God even directly declared from heaven His love for Jesus (Mat 3:17) and most of all, God is love (1 J0 4:8).

My friend, if you feel that you are always a victim of circumstances, and life have dealt you a raw deal as you are trapped in unending cycles of lack (materially and emotionally) and sicknesses, you can have a choice of saying 'no' to all these and 'yes' to the victorious life that is your birth-right!

God wants you to live a victorious life, the life that you as a child of God deserve because you have been fully qualified by God through the blood of Jesus on the cross two thousand years ago.
Say 'yes' to Jesus, acknowledge Him as your Lord and Savior and receive His life into you (Jhn 6:53) to be a heir of this world (Rom 4:13), to be a victorious witness, AMEN!

Baptism Of The Holy Spirit...Acts 1:8

Act 1:8

"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

In Acts 1:8, just before Jesus was taken up to heaven, He foretold them the "birth" of Christianity later at the Pentecost, exactly fifty days after His death on the cross. Every year during the Pentecost, while the Jews celebrate the given of the Law through Moses, Christians celebrate the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5).

When the Pentecost had fully come, all the disciples (about 120 (Acts 1:15)), were filled with the Holy Spirit, to be witnesses to Christ everywhere they went. Same is the case for us today, we shall be witnesses to Christ today when we are baptized by the Holy Spirit, manifesting the power of God (Acts 1:8) with signs and wonders by the gifts of the Spirit (1Cr 12:8-10).

So how can we be baptized in the Holy Spirit?

In the story of Cornelius, the Roman Centurion and his family were baptized in the Holy Spirit even before they had the chance to confess Christ as their Savior and Lord. They received the baptism of the Holy Spirit just as they heard Peter mentioned God's forgiveness of sins for those who believe in Jesus (Acts 10:44).

Jesus Himself teach that the Holy Spirit will come upon those who ask (Luk 11:13).

On the other hand, others such as Simon (Acts 8:17) and Timothy (2Ti 1:6) received the baptism of the Holy Spirit through the laying of hands by someone who was already had the Spirit upon them.

Brethren, it is God's will that all Christians should receive baptism of the Holy Spirit, and does not tie to a method. The question is not with the will of God but our will, will you ask God for the baptism of Holy Spirit? If your answer is yes, God will find a way to baptize you in Holy Spirit. All that is required of you is to yield to the Spirit, and loose your tongues when the Spirit gives utterance (Acts 2:4) to be a sign of power of God in you.

O you the bride of Christ, adorn yourself with the heavenly jewels, not for the love of oneself but the love for Christ because He first loves you! Please don't grief the Spirit, gifts of the Spirit that came with baptism of the Holy Spirit are meant for public display to witness the love of Christ for the world, AMEN.

Lost And Found...Luk 15:24

Luk 15:24

for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.' So the party began.

In the story of the prodigal son, the father not only forgave all the transgression of his son, but lavished on him when the son returned. Though the son had forsaken him by asking for inheritance while the father was still alive, the father still loved the son.

Note that when the son was out in a far country, he was regarded as 'lost' and even 'dead' but once back and 'found', he returned to life.

This is a picture of when Adam and Eve were driven out of Eden, man is lost and death set in. However, when we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are found and returned to life. And the party began! Hallelujah!

Note the furry of activities that took place between the prodigal son's arrival and the commencement of the party. Same happened the moment when we accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior, best robe (of Jesus' righteousness) was put on us, ring (of Jesus' authority) on our hands and shoes (of Jesus' shalom peace) on our feet. And that's not all, but just a beginning, beginning of great celebration where the fatted calf (of Jesus' abundant blessings) were provided by our Father for us to enjoy and merry (and dance) in His presence!

Just like the father in the story that did not tell the younger son to clean up his acts and find the right reason of return before re-admitting him back to the family, our Father in heaven only need us to turn our way and head back to His bosom, for whatever reason!

My friend, if you are down, rejected and depressed, and had even done many wrongs to many people, your Father still want you. Even when you think that you are worth next to nothing and living a life not worth living, you are still the most precious in His eyes and God is waiting for you to join His party. In fact, you are so precious to God that, even in you worthless and wretchedness, God as Jesus was bitten and died for and as you, resurrected as you and ascend to the heavenly throne as you, to restore you to your rightful position as a son or daughter of God, AMEN!

Treasure...Luk 2:18-19

Luk 2:18-19	All who heard the shepherds' story were astonished,
	but Mary quietly treasured these things in her heart and thought about them often.

Luke chapter 2 described the birth of Jesus. The angels appeared to shepherds announcing His birth, and when the shepherds found Jesus and told others about what they encountered, the people were astonished. They were probably discussing or even arguing loudly about the trust-worthiness of the shepherds' report. Apparently, people did not believe the shepherds' report, fulfilling the prophecy of Isiah (Isa 53:1), else the wise men from the east would have easily found out the where about of Jesus from the people, instead they were guided by a star (Mat 2:1-9).

The people were using their mental faculties when they heard the good news, they were analyzing, wondering and evaluating these things that took place. Their mind received but not their heart.

Throughout out the commotion, Mary remained quiet. I especially like the NLT version of Luk 2:19, "...Mary quietly treasured these things in her heart...". To Mary, all these things were not just things that amused, but miraculous and precious gems that were to be adored and stored deep within her hearts, an so very often she would take out these gems to admire and study their beauty and magnificent, from different viewing angles.

My friend, how do you treat this wonderful gospel of God's love for us, in the person of Christ Jesus? Do you simply astonish by its story and amazed by the miracles, and then try to explain the miracles by your intellects? Or are you like Mary, simply treasure Jesus, the most excellent Gem, often behold and mediate on His person with the help by the Holy Spirit through the study of His Word.

Father in heaven, thank you for giving us Jesus, the most excellent Gem in the treasure of Your Holy Heart, that we may have this same wondrous Gem as our Inheritance. Help us to the fresh revelation each day about Jesus, so that we might be transform more and more like Him toward the day of His glorious return, AMEN.

Missing The Mark...Exd 23:33

Exd 23:33

"They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against Me. For if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you."

When God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, He want to bring them into their promised land. However, before that, He warned the children of Israel against co-habiting with the people of the land, the Canaanites.

Forsaking the warning from God, the children of Israel permitted some of the inhabitants of the land dwell among them. They even caused children of Israel to worship their gods. They are in their promised land but could not rest and enjoy.

Sin, in Hebrew, means missing the mark. The children of Israel, when they chose law over grace, effective chose to aim and hit the mark themselves, to gain their salvation, their peace with God through their obedient of law.

The Mark has come and they missed Him, not recognizing Jesus Christ as their Saviour.

My friend, oh the redeemed ones! You are already in the Mark, you are in Christ and when you are in Christ, there is no sin in you as far as God is concern because all He can see is Jesus when He look at you.

Brethren, we are different from the children of Israel who are under law, as you are under grace, and will never ever be snared upon even though you may still sin from time to time. Even as the Holy Spirit is still in the process of perfecting our soul to be like that of Christ, God does not see our present incomplete state but already see the final glorious Christ-like son of God. Praise His holy name for His faithfulness, AMEN!

Living Water...Jhn 7:38

Jhn 7:38

"He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."

All living things on Earth need water to live. Water is required to maintain blood and extracellular fluids balance in our bodies.

When a person believes and confesses Jesus as his Lord and Saviour, he is immediately made the temple of God and the Holy Spirit moves to dwell in him (1Cr 3:16). The Holy Spirit is the living Spirit of Christ, that is endued with the power of God so that we may have life and have it more abundantly (Jhn 10:10).

The Holy Spirit is purposed by God to stay still in our hearts, but to radiate out, first touching our spirits, then our souls, then our bodies, and then spirits, souls and bodies of others around us. However, the Holy Spirit is a perfect Gentleman, and He will not force its way in us but will stay still as long as we do not activate it. The key that releases the Holy Spirit in us is our believes about the truth regarding Jesus, as the Spirit is truth (1Jo 5:6).

Which ever areas of truth about the person of Jesus we believe, these corresponding areas of our lives will be touched by the power of God through the Holy Spirit, even as the similar areas of lives of others around us will be touched by the radiating power of God.

My friend, I pray that as you row in Christ, you will have new revelation about Jesus each day, so that God will transform you each day more and more like Jesus each day in your spirit, soul and body. And as you are blessed, so are others around you, so that they will want to know your God, AMEN.

Friend of God...Jam 2:23

Jam 2:23

And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." And he was called the friend of God.

When two people become friends, they see each other as equal, they share their thoughts, joy and sorrow, even possession and enemies. How about if you are a friend of God?

Abraham was called the friend of God because he believed God (Jam 2:23), Similarly, we are also called the friends of God because we believed God. God has always view you as His friend, but how about you? When was the last time you went to God as you are and pour out to Him your complain about so-and-so, that you shared with a fellow colleague?

My friend, God longed for you to share your thoughts, joy and sorrow, and enemies with Him. He wants to be your Comforter, Counsellor and Overcomer. He wants to share your joy and celebration.

How about looking at all this from the other way around? How about that God is your friend because He believed that you will become like Him!

Our destiny is to be like God, so that He can share His thoughts, joys and sorrows with us. God wants companion of other 'gods' , and we are these 'gods' (Ps 82:6), who share His same nature (Rom 8:29).

My friend, it is your destiny by His grace to be the friend of God, a very personal friend of God, in you own and unique way. It is also your destiny by His grace to be a 'god' and 'christ' Oba 1:21) that God's grace and power will flow through you to save the world from Satan, the enemy of God, AMEN.