The Lion & The Lamb

The Lion & The Lamb

The love of God is multi-faceted, just as He is. He is the Lamb of God, but He is also the Lion of Judah. Some swing to the extreme and think that His love is always meek, gentle and kind. Some swing to the other end and think that His love is about judgment against sin. Well, each side is true, but incomplete.

In my limited exposure with people, I realised that the prophetic people (in general) leans towards the loving judgment of God. And the pastoral people (in general) leans towards the loving kindness of God.

There is a balance because it depends on His target audience. At the same time, we must not forget that we are in the New Covenant, where pronouncing judgment is an Old Covenant principle.

Having said that, when it comes to the religious ones and the devil, Christ's love is aggressive. For He is zealous and compassionate towards the weak.

As a father, I love my son. But because I love him, I am aggressive towards anything that tries to harm/hurt him. God is our Father. How much more His love is aggressive towards those who intentionally seeks to hurt His people.

In the temple He found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. And making a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And He poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. - John 2:14-15

These people were deceiving the innocent. They were making tons of money in the disguise of 'helping them'. Jesus did not come to them and said, "My Father loves all of you. I love you too", and walked away with a gentle spirit.

His love for the people who wanted to worship God compelled Him to have a righteous anger that drove out these oppressive and religious ones. He is the Lion of Judah against His enemies. And the Lamb of God towards the weak. 

The word 'drove' in Greek is 'ekballo', which is to cast out. It is used when Jesus cast out demons (Matt 8:16; 9:34). Since all kinds of fear (and bondage) come from the enemy, Jesus had to drive them out.

𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞, 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 (‘ballo’) 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬. (1 Jn 4:18)

Today, there are many kinds of peddling activities in the world. The peddling of fear is a lucrative business.

How do we deal with fear? The love of God (1 Jn 4:18) ---- both the Lion of Judah and the Lamb of God.

For the Spirit which God has given us is not a spirit of cowardice, but one of power and of love and of sound judgement. - 2 Tim 1:7 (WNT)

The Gospel Doesn't Stop

The Gospel Doesn't Stop

A lifestyle goes beyond a habit. It is built into you as part of you. Nothing can stop you when it has become part of you.

Bought a cup of yogurt for my son. As we were walking back home, we saw a man limping in front of us. So we purposely walked faster to catch up with him.

While the little boy was busy eating his yogurt, I struck a conversation with the man before ministering to him. He got healed and began to walk normally, looking surprised. Then I shared my own testimony of healing and the reality of the Gospel.

Following that, my son said to me, "You know Papa? I also keep sharing Jesus with my home-school friends." When we reached home, the first thing he told my wife is about what I did to the man.

You keep sowing seeds everywhere you go as a lifestyle. Because nothing should stop the Gospel from advancing.

I want my son to continually know that it is his responsibility to reach others with the Gospel. And the Gospel is not limited to this. Because it includes revealing truths and destroying lies and the works of the devil. 

For the Gospel is about enforcing His kingdom on earth. That cost John the Baptist his head because the earthly king couldn't bear the truth. And that cost Jesus everything on the Cross because the Jews and the Romans couldn't accept another Kingdom.

We must not back down for fear of the kingdom of darkness. For God has not given us the spirit of cowardice, but of power, love and a sound mind (2 Tim 1:7).

Where the spirit of cowardice is, you can be sure that there isn't a sound mind/judgment. Neither is there His fiery love and power.

P.S: If you realise that you have stopped/reduced walking in power, love and a sound mind, it's because you have submitted to the spirit of fear, whether knowingly or unknowingly.

The Power of Patient Endurance

The Power of Patient Endurance

The book of Revelation has a central theme: Patient Endurance.

Most of the chapters in the book talked about the events that had already taken place in the first century. The context was meant for the believers in those days. However, depending on your eschatological views, it might also be a double-fold prophecy, of which I am also not certain, though I have studied various views.

Some believe that there would be another great tribulation (though Matthew 24 was already fulfilled in context during AD70s). I'm not exactly sure if there would be, but I am open and will stay prepared if it really comes.

Another school of thought believes that the Christians will be taken out (rapture) before the tribulation comes. This is something that I least agree with, because it is not in line with the whole nature and character of God found in the Person of Jesus. To 'skip' trials pretty compromise the power of God, the dominion of Christ and the patient endurance that has been re-iterated in the book of Revelation.

The book of Revelation is not about the Great Escape. It is about the Great Resilience. The reason why some believe about rapture is as follows: 

Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, 𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. - Rev 3:10-11

Well, a word without a context becomes a pretext for a proof-text. Nowhere in the New Testament talks about God preventing you from experiencing trials. So the explicit should always interpret the implicit.

The word 'keep' in the Greek also means 'preserve, watch over, guard.' So an English translation is not always good.

The word 'from' in the Greek is G1537, which is the same word used for John 17:15.

Jesus said, "I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 the evil one." - Jn 17:15

Jesus did not expect His disciples to be taken out from any trial or tribulation, but that they be preserved from the evil one even as they were experiencing the trials.

The word 'trial' in Rev 3:10-11 can also mean 'temptation.' We can read the passage like this, 'Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will preserve you from the hour of temptation/trial.'

Faith is simply about keeping His word. When we keep His Word, His Word upholds and preserves our lives (Ps 119:50, 116). His Word sets us free (Jn 8:32).

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡. - 1 John 5:4

In Christ, we are meant to be over-comers. How? By faith in Him. By keeping His Word. By patient endurance.

When the tribulation comes, we are not here waiting for the Great Rapture. We are to step into the Great Resilience. Only those who have been keeping His Word on patient endurance will be preserved from the evil one.

We are not waiting to be taken out by God. Only the devil wants to take you out. We are to hold fast to the Word on patient endurance.

"The one who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God." - Rev 3:12

You can't overcome, if you are taken out (rapture) by God before you face the fight. That's not dominion. That's not what Christ came to put and live in you, the Hope of glory.

P.S: Many of the early commentaries shared similar notes, that this passage does not refer to rapture or escaping from trials.

Barnes' commentary said, "This does not mean that they would be actually kept from calamity of all kinds, but that they would be kept from the temptation of apostasy in calamity."

Enjoying Slavery

Enjoying Slavery

From my personal outlook, SG is not too far from Ancient Egypt.

Many are living in slavery without realising it. What is happening in the spiritual realm also affects the physical realm. 

Comparing to other Asian countries, many elderly in SG experience feeble feet and bent back. We tend to relegate this phenomenon to old age. However, when I was in Japan, Korea and some other countries, I observed that the elderly have reasonably strong feet and straight back. They could walk without much support. 

One of the signs of being enslaved/oppressed is being feeble.

We can be so used to a “slavery” culture that we don’t see anything wrong with it. It becomes a stronghold in the mindset. If we are challenged to get out of this ‘comfort’ zone, we find it difficult to resist going back to that slavery, just like the Israelites in Egypt.

Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?” And they said to one another, “Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt.” - Num 14:3-4

Freedom seems to be scary. It requires courage and faith. It sometimes involves the unknown. The Israelites did not comprehend it. Their sight was too short. They focused on the immediate and temporal. They were so used to slavery that they actually preferred that to true freedom. Freedom came at a cost that they were not willing to pay. They thought that it was better to live in Egypt.

Analogous to that, many of us are enslaved without realising it. We think that we are experiencing freedom by following the majority. The ability to go to places freely is misinterpreted as freedom. True freedom is from within (Gal 5:1). The inability to say No and have choices is slavery. True freedom is the ability to decide if it’s a “Yes” or “No.”

The physical health (feeble) of our elderly is a reflection of the spiritual climate in our nation. Bent back and weak legs are a sign of being enslaved.

There is no point crying out to God like the Israelites in Egypt if we choose to go back to Egypt. Complaining and murmuring yet choosing Egypt is not courage or faith. It is in fact, cowardly.

At the end of the day, we cannot blame others or the leadership if we are the ones choosing to enjoy slavery. It’s time to take responsibility and stop saying that “I have no choice”.

Saying “I have no choice” simply means “I refuse to pay a price for freedom. I don’t want to. I prefer to stay in the comfort zone of slavery.”

The End

The church prayed for many years for “revival”. When “revival” came, many rejected it as it didn’t look like what they were looking for.

I suspect that the End might be similar. Many prophets had prophesied the End but it didn’t come to pass. Now many from the church simply ignore such prophecies. When the End really arrives, many would reject it too, because it might not look like what they think it would be.

Going 'Higher'

Going 'Higher'

If we see from the earth, we only see the symptoms and the effects, and what is at hand.

Since we are seated with Christ in the heavenly places, we have the privilege to see from heaven. The view from the sky is always different from the view on the ground.

You begin to see what is causing the symptoms and the effects on earth, beyond what is at hand.

This is the same principle for healing and everything else in the Kingdom. While we are so focused on what is happening around us, it is time to 'come up higher'.

“Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things." Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. - Rev 4:1-2

In the flesh, many things are illogical around us. In the Spirit, everything comes into place.

Where Is God In The Midst of Fear

Where Is God In The Midst of Fear

Recently, my wife was talking to her friend, who had been sharing about the vie-rus, the vex-xing, it's 'benefits', etc.

My wife posted a question to her, "Where is God in the past two years? We have forgotten Him in the midst of all these."

Her friend (a believer) kept silent. There was a moment of silence and reflection.

This is an important question that we should ask ourselves as believers.

"Where is God in the midst of fear?"

"Have we forgotten Him?"

"Is God really powerful and loving to me?"

"Is God really the Protector and Healer?"

"Is God a religion to me or a personal relationship to me?

"If God is personal, why am I living like a non-believer chasing after the vex-xing with fear of the vie-rus?"

"Is God bigger than the pan-there-meek or smaller than it?"

"Who is living inside you? God or mickey mouse?"

"Is God the Lord or the vex-xing is the Lord?"

Yeah, some might say that God provides the vex-xing solution to the world. Well, if it's not in the Word, it remains an opinion. Period. Our idea of who God is should not be an idea. Else it remains an idea. I don't like to play grey or sugar-coat. The Word is sure, certain and clear, because God wants us to know Him. He's not a God who plays hide-and-seek. He has shown His card fully so that we can know Him. He desires to be known. He wants to. He longs to.

We are not of the world. So our solution is not of the world. He is our Answer. While we are all still growing, we should not deny our lack of trust in Him by saying that He provided a worldly solution. That's self-preservation that keeps us from maturity. Instead, we need to acknowledge that we don't really trust Him as our Protector, Healer and Almighty, so that we can go deeper and grow further.

This year 2022, may we not repeat what we have been doing for the past two years. May we put our trust in Him deeper. He is the only One whom we can put all our eggs into one basket.

2022: The Enemy Has No Hold In You

2022: The Enemy Has No Hold In You

In the OT, there were 6 cities (Jos 20:7-8) allocated as the Cities of Refuge, for the following purpose:

The cities shall be for you a refuge from the avenger, that the manslayer may not die until he stands before the congregation for judgment. - Num 35:12

The avenger has the rights to kill the manslayer who committed a murder (aka sin). But if the manslayer runs to the city of refuge, he has legal protection until he comes into a trial (Read Numbers 35).

If the manslayer goes outside the boundaries of the city of refuge, the avenger can find him and kill him legally (Num 35:26-27). Otherwise, the manslayer has to live in the city of refuge until the death of the high priest (Num 35:28), before he can be restored to the land of his inheritance (which he lost when he fled).

The cities were named as follows:

1) Kadesh, which means 'sanctuary'

2) Shechem, which means 'elevated body part'

3) Kirjath Arba, which is also Hebron, which means 'seat of association'

4) Bezer, which means 'fortress'

5) Ramoth, which is plural of Ramah, which means 'high in value'

6) Golan, whose root means 'captive'.

The Old Covenant is a foreshadow of the New Covenant.

1) Christ is our sanctuary (Heb 9:11, 24)

2) Christ is elevated above all (Eph 1:20-21)

3) Christ is our mercy seat and we are seated with Him (Eph 2:6; Ro 3:25; Heb 9:5)

4) Christ is our fortress and refuge (Ps 91:2)

5) Christ is our treasure (2 Cor 4:7)

6) Christ is our freedom. He captures us who were in captivity (Eph 4:8)

There were people who asked me if the enemy has legal rights to attack them because they have sinned in one way or another. The answer is Yes and No.

As an avenger (the enemy), he can. As a thief (John 10:10), he doesn't need any reason. But as a believer, you need to know that 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐠𝐞.

The most powerful protection you can have is to understand Colossians 3:3 - For you have died, and 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭 in God.

When you know that you are hidden in the City of Refuge, the avenger cannot see nor find you, regardless of how you have stumbled in your ways.

If you come out of that boundary (of hidden in Christ), the enemy can attack you (Num 35:26-27). In the City of Refuge, your judgment is already completed in Christ:

Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? 𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐬. - Rom 8:33

Your sins were judged when Christ died on the Cross (Rom 3:23-26). Your inheritance was restored when Christ the High Priest died (Eph 1:11).

Not only are you protected from the avenger, but your inheritance also cannot be lost.

In other words, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐍𝐎 𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐃 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 as long as you 𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐃 𝐎𝐍 𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐠𝐞.

In 2022, I declare that you don't just know the truth, but experience the true freedom in Christ despite of every pressure and coercion that comes your way. Jesus!