20111230: Rev21 - 2 Cor 5:An eternal house in heaven

The year 2011 is coming to a close.  This Christmas, I received a lovely devotional "Sparkling Gems from the Greek" - so wonderfully timely as I started this series of Rev 21 study on the City of God and its foundation gem walls.  The rainbow was captured by another friend who was in Hanoi - in a village in Fannispan, near Sapa Valley, Vietnam.

A great year to end with great photos above. Awesome gems and rainbow of covenant of love!

I am reminded of this verse in 2 Cor 5:1 "Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven , not built by human hands."
I am also reminded of this wonderful song "You are God Alone"



2011 in restrospect:

1. The year has passed us by with much shaking - the tsunami in Japan, the earthquakes in diverse places and much global economic shakeup especially in the Euro.  How true of 2 Cor 5:2 " Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groaned and are burdened because we do not wish to be unclothed byt to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 
2. Despite the shakings around, I thank the Lord that He has set eternity in our hearts. 2 Cor 5:5"Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come"  Living in the last days require us to have greater sensitivity to the Spirit of God. Rom 8:14 those who are led by the Spirit are sons of God. John 16:13 the Spirit of Truth, comes, he will guide us into all truth..and he will tell us what is yet to come. Oh what a deposit ! what a guarantee! Thank God for the Holy Spirit!
3. So what is our goal to be? 2 Cor 5 :9 "So we make it our goal to please him whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear beofre the judgement seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body whether good or bad"

May we invest more than those precious stones & treasures here on earth. 1 Tim 6:19  we exhort ourselves to "lay up treasures for ourselves as firm foundation for the coming age, so that we may take hold of the life that is truly life"

YWHW: Unchangeable, Unshakeable, Unstoppable!

You are God Alone !

Amen!

20111224:Rev21/Heb12v22:Jingle bell rock?Zion?The city of the living God

Heb 12:22 "But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God.  You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven"

"Zion" means "fortification. It is more than a physical place - it has spiritual implications.  It implies the city of the living God.

Firstborns too have lots of spiritual implications. They have the inheritance rights and blessings. Just like the cute little boy , Aaron , above- he is a firstborn in the family and just celebrated his 1st year birthday in December 2011.

Ps 87 is a wonderful psalm - "the one was born in Zion" mentioned 3times V4,5 and 6! and the Most High himself will established her. The Lord will write in the register of the peoples. All his fountains are in her.

This is the Christmas season. Heb 12:14 exhorts all to make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.  Can we be godless and yet see the Lord? No, see that no one is godless like Esau who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.  Afterward as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected.

So there is a warning in Heb 12 for refusing God. It is 2-way: Either you receive Him or reject Him. Further in Heb 12:26 God promised "Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens. The words once more indicate the removing of what can be shaken- that is created things - so that what cannot be shaken may remain."

What are we receiving here on earth for those born in Zion? It is a kingdom that cannot be shaken.

Today, Christchurch is hit by another 5.8 earthquake - about ten months from the earlier one this year. Pakistan too had an earthquake later today. Followed by Philippines ( the latter already facing a storm crisis that claimed about 1000 lives todate)

Reflection of this Season:

Is this another warning for us here? It is "Christchurch" that the Lord is intensively shaking. In June this year, I wrote about the alarm bells and clock ticking....

Now - is it the "Jingle bell Jingle bell Jingle bell rock"?? Jingle hop has begun? Better giddy up jingle horse and pick up your feet now? What a bright time, it is the right time! Wake up , arise and shine for the light has come!

Here's wishing all a blessed christmas 2011! May you be fortified in your faith in the midst of all that is being shaken around us!

Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock

Jingle bells swing and jingle bells ring
Snowin' and blowin' up bushels of fun
Now, the jingle hop has begun

Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell twist
Jingle bells chime in jingle bell time
Dancin' and prancin' in Jingle Bell Square
In the frosty air

What a bright time, it's the right time
To rock the night away
Jingle bell time is a swell time
To go glidin' in a one-horse sleigh

Giddy-up jingle horse, pick up your feet
Jingle around the clock
Mix and a-mingle in the jinglin' feet
That's the jingle bell rock, yeah

20111218_Rev21/ Heb11: Another city?

Heb 11:10 For he looked for a city, which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God
Heb11:13 These all died in faith...confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
Heb11:16 But now they desire a better country , that is heavenly; wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for he had prepared for them a city.


Hebrews is a book of people of faith. 
What exactly is faith?
Heb11:1 defines faith as the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.


About 2 weeks ago, I brought home the above little cute green ball of grass from this orchid farm in Jurong. Unknowingly that it could flower! Just barely few days back, all of the sudden some of the green leaves turned red and purple. One day earlier I couldn't see any thing but next day -POP! A little yellow flower appeared . Another day later, POP! Another flower bloomed!


I was not expecting it so I did not hoped for a flower. But having seen one flower, I started to hope to see more!


Going through the glorious picture of the new city in Rev 21, I came across Heb11. Abraham was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance. Well he obeyed, not know where to go. He looked for a city which had foundations  - whose builder and maker is God! His desire was for a better heavenly country! And God had prepared for them new city!


Having tasted the Lord's goodness, I would expect us to long for more! It is exciting! The exercise of Faith! The green grass ball experience : Anticipation! Yes, the eagerly awaiting in the morning -for more of those pretty blooms!

20121212-Rev21: No diamonds?

Exactly one month ago, I started on studying the new city wall 12 layers of precious foundation stones. So far, collected 3 of the 12 gemstones through the national geographic magazines.

I realised that Geology which is the science of studying the Earth - its origin, composition and revolution through time so fascinating. It can be divided into many branches and draws on related sciences such as physics, chemistry, astronomy and biology!

To have a better understanding of those precious gems mentioned int the coming city wall foundation, one has to understand the basic raw materials of geology! Which are minerals!

What exactly is a mineral? it is an element or compound made of 2 or more elements with a unique set of properties and usually with a regular crystal shape.  Many are of considerable economic significance and some are used as gemstones

The value of gemstones is determined by their scarcity and beauty, but it can be greatly enhanced by the cut and faceting. There are 3 main types of gemstones:-
1) The precious stones : Diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds ( hard and durable)
2) Semi-precious stones : Opal, jade, amethyst and quartz (not as hard)
3) The most rare and precious stones : Platinum and gold.

Interesting - most of these gemstones are classified according to their group types with attributes of differing hardness, density ,cleavage, fracture, colour, streak, lustre and flourescence.  Each having its own chemical formula. 


Reflections
Why are diamonds not specially mentioned in the Rev 21?

Diamonds are the hardest mineral known on earth. Yet the recent discovery was that it is actually carbon based.

Perhaps that is the main reason why.....
However, diamonds are mentioned in Ex28:18 and 39. There were part of the ornaments on the garment of the priests. These 12 stones were according to the names of the children of Israel- like the engravings of a signet.  

The city to come in Rev 21 and the earlier tabernacle in Exodus - there is so much similarity. The wall had 12 gates, and the gates the 12 angels, and the names of the 12 tribes. And the wall had 12 foundations and in them the 12 apostles of the Lamb.

With such glory of God, could this not have been what the late Steve Job had seen at his death bed? He "oh wow" 3 times!

We man can be so fascinated with just one precious stone. Oh much much more in awe to see so many of them laid out in the new city that is to come?

AWESOME : Updated 25/3/2012 : Through my sister-in-law's email today!! THE ANSWER To why no diamonds in heaven!! AWESOME!!!

20111207: Rev 21 New Earth Discovery Kepler 22 - Rev 21

Today, I read about the new planet discovered recently! Whoa! Just when I am studying Rev 21 - all the gems - the new earth and new City of God!

For a moment this morning, I really thought that Kepler-22 System could be the new earth the Lord has mysteriously stored for us. But the only issue is that in the bible "the sea existed no more" So if the new found Kepler is found to have water, then it would throw the equation right off! Well the temperate at 22 degrees celcius seems perfect place to live in!

So I hope that perhaps scientist would not find liquid on it but yet signs of the trees of life on it!

New planet discovered to be first in habitable zone

New planet discovery excites scientists: the discovery of a new planet 600 light years away with roughly the right temperature for plant and animal habitation is causing a buzz in the science community.  Though much larger than Earth, scientists haven't ruled out the possibility of life being discovered.

By SETH BORENSTEIN, Associated Press / December 6, 2011

• 

A diagram comparing our own solar system to Kepler-22, a star system containing the first 'habitable zone' planet discovered by NASA's Kepler mission. Kepler-22b, the most Earth-like planet ever discovered is circling a star 600 light years away, a key finding in an ongoing quest to learn if life exists beyond Earth, scientists said on Monday. Kepler-22b joins a list of more than 500 planets found to orbit stars beyond our solar system. It is the smallest and the best positioned to have liquid water on its surface - among the ingredients necessary for life on Earth.

Photo Illustration/Ames/JPL-Caltech/NASA/Reuters

Enlarge

A newly discovered planet is eerily similar to Earth and is sitting outside Earth's solar system in what seems to be the ideal place for life, except for one hitch. It is a bit too big.

The planet is smack in the middle of what astronomers call the Goldilocks zone, that hard to find place that is not too hot, not too cold, where water, which is essential for life, does not freeze or boil. And it has a shopping mall-like surface temperature of near 72 degrees, scientists say.

The planet's confirmation was announced Monday byNASA along with other discoveries by its Kepler telescope, which was launched on a planet-hunting mission in 2009.

Space photos of the day: A Blue planet

That is the first planet confirmed in the habitable zone for Kepler, which already had found Earth-like rockyplanets elsewhere. Twice before astronomers have announced a planet found in that zone, but neither has been as promising.

"This is a phenomenal discovery in the course of human history," Geoff Marcy of University of California, Berkeley, one of the pioneers of planet-hunting outside Earth's solar system, said in an email. "This discovery shows that we Homo sapiens are straining our reach into the universe to find planets that remind us of home. We are almost there."

The new planet, named Kepler-22b, has key aspects it shares with Earth. It circles a star that could be the twin of Earth's sun and at just about the same distance. The planet's year of 290 days is even close to Earth's. It probably has water and rock.

The only trouble is the planet's a bit big for life to exist on the surface. The planet is about 2.4 times the size of Earth. It could be more like the gas-and-liquid Neptune with only a rocky core and mostly ocean.

"It's so exciting to imagine the possibilities," said Natalie Batalha, the Kepler deputy science chief.

Floating on that "world completely covered in water" could be like being on an Earth ocean and "it's not beyond the realm of possibility that life could exist in such an ocean," Batalha said in a phone interview.

Kepler cannot find life itself, just where the conditions might be right for it to thrive. And when astronomers look for life elsewhere, they are talking about everything ranging from microbes to advanced intelligence that can be looking back at us.

So far the Kepler telescope has spotted 2,326 candidate planets outside Earth's solar system with 139 of them potentially habitable ones. Even though the confirmed Kepler-22b is a bit big, it is smaller than most of the other candidates. It is closest to Earth in size, temperature and star than either of the two previously announced planets in the zone.

The confirmation of one of two, though, has been disputed. The latest discovery has been confirmed several ways, including by two other telescopes.

This year, a European team of astronomers said they had confirmed another planet in the habitable zone, but that one was hot and barely on the inside edge of the habitable zone.

For Marcy, who is on the Kepler team, the newest planet is a smidgen too large. But, "that smidgen makes all the difference," he said.

Because its size implies that it is closer to Neptune in composition than Earth, "I would bet my telescope that there is no hard, rocky surface to walk on," Marcy said.

Chief Kepler scientist William Borucki said he thinks the planet is somewhere between Earth and gas-and-liquid Neptune, but that it has a lot of rocky material. It is in a size range that scientists do not really know anything about. Measurements next summer may help astronomers have a better idea of its makeup, he said.

The planet is 600 light years away. Each light year is 5.9 trillion miles. It would take a space shuttle about 22 million years to get there.

Kepler spots a planet when it passes in front of its star. NASA requires three of those sightings before it begins to confirm it as a planet. Borucki said the third sighting for 22b happened a year ago, just before the telescope shut down for a while. It took several months to finish the confirmation.

"It's a great gift," Borucki said. "We consider this sort of our Christmas planet."

20111127: Jude :17-22" Natural vs the Spirit/ To do list!

Jude :17 -19 "In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires" These are the men who divide you , who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit"

There are 2 different kinds of men. One that unites, the other that divides. One follows the natural whereas the other follows the Spirit.

When we are in Christ, we allow His Holy Spirit to rule us and guide us unto all truth.  Christ is all we need.  We encourage and spur each other to persevere in our earthly journey.

There are a few things that were mentioned after this, for us to be reminded of in the last days:-( v20-22)

1. Build ourselves up in the most holy faith
2. Pray in the Holy Spirit
3. Keep ourselves in God's love
4. Wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring us to eternal life
5. Be merciful to those who doubt
6. Snatch others from the fire and save them
7. Show mercy to others mixed with fear and hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.

The first 4 are meant for ourselves. The latter 3 are our responsibility to others that the Lord brought across our paths.

Hence if we subject to His Kingdom rulership, v24 to him who is able to keep us from falling and to present us before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy - to God our Saviour be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen!

20111127: Jude: Enoch

Jude 14: "And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying behold the Lord cometh with then thousands of his saints, to execute judgement uopn all, and to convince all that are ungodly amont them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken..."

This text from Jude mentioned Enoch , after Cain and Balaam- the badies

Life is always seen from the 2 sides of the coin. The good and the bad. The godly and the ungodly.

I believe God singled out Enoch here as an example of the godly one. 7 is a perfect number.  He is the number 7 from Adam.  He is Adam's grandson (through Seth), the son of Jared, the father of Methuselah, and the great-grandfather ofNoah.

Enoch is a preacher of righteousness in those days. He was special because he did not experience mortal death ascribed to Adam's other descendants.  In Gen 5:22, we were told "He walked with God"..and later he was not; for God took him.

In Gen 4, the ungodly line of Cain was listed vs the godly line of Seth.

In Gen 6, the ungodly multiplied, sinned continually that God decided to pick Noah, whose great grandfather was Enoch, to be saved from the coming destruction. The lineage of Seth are generations who called upon the name of God. And Like his great grandfather Enoch, Noah found grace in the Lord as he too walked with God.

Following Jude, Peter too mentioned about the ungodly in 2 Pet. V6 " turning cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them unto those that after should live ungodly"  But yet in v5 "And spared not the old world but saved Noah , the 8th person , a preacher of righteousness, bringing the flood upon the world of the ungodly"

Reflections

Are we in the days of Noah now? Luke 17 & Matt 24:37 But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 

Last month we saw Thailand inundated in water- about 1/3 of the world country- crippling the  economy and the way of life.  S'pore here is not spared as we got more flash floods than never before.

Are we prepared to receive the Lord coming back for us?

Are we people of righteousness living in accordance of what He expected of us?

Are we ready?

20111116-Miracles & Prayers

Miracles of The Lord's answers to Prayers...

Oh yes, I wanna dance like King David did like nobody is watching.

I wanna sing like nobody is listening!

I wanna live as if this was heaven on earth!

Just the last 3 days, the LORD answered 3 prayers within a short span of few days and hours...

Just want to give thanks for His answer to a niece's problem, a customer's DTG problem and last but not least, my blood test report which showed I was no longer 'diabetic' (compared to 4 mths back!) Better still, my cholestrol level showed marked improvement , although still slightly above the norm range....Thankful!

With all this , I rejoice! PTL!

20111112-1:Rev21 Gems!

Rev 21: 18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.

¹⁹And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;

²⁰The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.

Today, I decided to collect Nat Geo treasures of the earth magazine and the gems!

Rev 21:1 speaks of the new heaven and earth; for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

The new Jerusalem is described. But for today, I start with the foundations : wow 12 gems each layer!

Reflections:

I am not sure why there is no more sea up in heaven. Can anyone explain? But surely there will be rivers. If there isn't going to be any sea, boy, I would really missed those waves. God, why not any sea anymore up there? I know that you do not desire a tsunami . Umm..but no sea?

But for sure I am really looking towards that awesome home up there!

Guess when you pass over the 46th year of your time on earth, death seems to be a common topic. We are 6 feet nearer to the ground than we think! Partly with osteoporasis, we become shorter each day automatically! Favourite chat among friends of our age would be those brown rice and fruit juices and all things healthy! How to prevent dementia.... How to age gracefully......How to detox...how not to get fat...how not to have high blood pressure or chlolestrol...how not to be diabetic.....how our eyes suddenly couldn't see near!

Signs of aging for sure. On the brighter note, nearer to our heavenly home! Yeh!!

As the cover magazine puts "Treasures of the earth"...similarly on the flip side will be the treasures of heaven. Matt 6:19-21 has a good reminder for us.

"Lay not for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust does corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal; But lay for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust does corrupt, and where thieves do not break through or steal; For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also"

P/s: Maggie my schoolmate joked about how her part-time cleaners came to her house and brought out bags of trash bags to be disposed. When asked why and questioned to look through, she was denied! Well, could they have been stealing whatever they could lay hold on in broad daylight? Ha Ha!

20111111-Jude 11 About Cain Balaam & Core

Jude 11: "Woe unto them! for the have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core"

Don't make the same mistakes as the TRIO!

Woe unto them! - See Matthew 11:21. For they have gone in the way of Cain - Genesis 4:5-12. That is, they have evinced disobedience and rebellion as he did; they have shown that they are proud, corrupt, and wicked. The apostle does not specify the points in which they had imitated the example of Cain, but it was probably in such things as these - pride, haughtiness, the hatred of religion, restlessness under the restraints of virtue, envy that others were more favored, and a spirit of hatred of the brethren (compare 1 John 3:15) which would lead to murder. And ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward - The word rendered "ran greedily" - (ἐξεχύθησαν exechuthēsan,) from ἐκχέω ekcheō - means to pour out; and then, when spoken of persons, that they are "poured out," or that they "rush tumultuously" on an object, that is, that they give themselves up to anything. The idea here is, that all restraint was relaxed, and that they rushed on tumultuously to any course of life that promised gain. See the notes at 2 Peter 2:15. And perished - They perish, or they will perish. The result is so certain, that the apostle speaks of it as if it were already done. The thought, seems to have lain in his mind in this manner: he thinks of them as having the same character as Korah, and then at once thinks of them as destroyed in the same manner, or as if it were already done. They are "identified" with him in their character and doom. The word rendered "perish" (ἀπόλλυμι apollumi) is often used to denote future punishment,Matthew 10:28, Matthew 10:39; Matthew 18:14; Mark 1:24; Luke 13:3, Luke 13:5; John 3:15-16;John 10:28; 2 Thessalonians 2:10; 2 Peter 3:9. In the gainsaying of Core - Of Korah, Numbers 16:1-30. The word "gainsaying" here means properly contradiction, or speaking against; then controversy, question, strife; then contumely, reproach, or rebellion. The idea here seems to be, that they were guilty of insubordination; of possessing a restless and dissatisfied spirit; of a desire to rule, etc.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

20111103: Deut15/ Lev 25 : Jubilee & Reset button

Leviticus 25:10

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁰And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.

Deuteronomy 15

¹At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release.

²And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth ought unto his neighbour shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbour, or of his brother; because it is called the LORD's release.

.. ⁴Save when there shall be no poor among you; for the LORD shall greatly bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it:

⁵Only if thou carefully hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all these commandments which I command thee this day.

⁶For the LORD thy God blesseth thee, as he promised thee: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee.

Reflections of the current OWS movement :

Interestingly, 2012 is the coming Jubilee year.

Well, the Lord had actually instituted the Law of Jubilee and the Law of Debts in the OT for a purpose. This 50th year cycle is to maintain the rich and the poor equilibrium in the society that we are now in. Greed and not obeying the Lord's commands is the issue and the backbone of the OWS movement. Purging is a necessity. To de-cluster our lives. To live simply and back to the basics.

If you are a techo gadget freek, you would know that in many of todays' high tech equipment, there is such a thing called hard reset. That is when all system fails you or corruption had taken place in the data, we activate the "reset' key. That will automatically 'purge' and restore the data , hopefully to the original state. But sometimes, such restoration was not successful due to certain glitch.

In fact in Lev 25, the verse "you shall not oppress one another' had been repeated several times in this chapter along. When the Lord blesses a nation, the key as shown in Deut 15 , exhorts the nation that lends and not borrow.

Oops. What do we get here? OWS movement that is now happening in several countries .Look at what is happening in the PIGS. Nations in bankcruptcy.

Modern world had stopped understand the above 2 chapters.

Food for digestion. Deut 15: ⁷If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother:

Time for a reset?

20111021 :Altar#3 Freedom vs Perfect law

James 1:25" But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom.."

How much the NT writes about the law? In fact, Jesus' teachings on the mount is the highest interpretation of the law - His perfect law.

The reason why James exhorts us to 'look intently into the perfect law' is purely because it is the Law Of Liberty! Whilst it may sound contradictory - law and freedom?

• Freedom has high value by God
• God is free! and yet He is completely lawful
• God is God - He does what is good. God is love - what He does is love (there is no bondage os self consciousness)
• 2 Cor 3:17 " Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom"
• The counterfeit of freedom is that of "lawlessness", which is ungodly

Definition of Freedom - Being in a situation where all your needs are met and protected from harm

• Freedom is not equal to independence (story of the poor man who made it in life to go into the space)
• On the contrary, freedom involves dependence (Is61)
• The place where we are most 'free'? In your mother's womb!
• Freedom is always defined by law (eg laws of traffic observed so that we have good traffic flow, professionals spent years of study and training to learn a specialisation so that they can do what they are good at. Cardiologist vs Cook. Likewise, music is very rule-oriented. Good musicians when they perform, becomes very liberating for those who watch or listen. Sportsman like Michael Phelps, Tiger Woods, Nadal - their disciplines into the training.
• Our human spirit longs for freedom. God is free , so we are created to be free
• Moral freedom is the freedom of the heart - ie free enough to be what we are created (John 8:32 "..the truth shall set us free")

Freedom is about learning and mastering the Laws in life. But how?

Through the Spirit!

The spirit of the king in us will always fulfil the laws of God

But are we really truly free in the Spirit?

The sermon on the Mount - teaches us beyond the spirit of the law on murder/ anger,, adultery, marriage, vows, loving the enemy, sabbath . The letter of the law and the spirit of the law.

"Fill me with your spirit" "Rule me by your Spirit"

Not overnight stuff. A lawyer's mistake goes the prison, a doc's mistake goes to the grave and a minister's mistake goes to hell.

Jesus fulfills without the need to struggle.

Hence to master life in freedom and true liberty, we must learn to understand the law of the Spirit.

Freedom is designed and created by the Creator King. To change the entire world, we need to learn and master His laws. So live in the Spirit!

(extract teachings from Peter Tsukihara's conference)

20111027: Jude 7 Sodom & Gomorrha: A SG Nation

^{Jude 7}Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

These 2 sin cities were first mentioned in Gen 19. Destroyed by God. The term "Fornication" is a common characteristic of two of the seven Churches found in the book of Revelation Chapter 2, which are the Church at Pergamos and the Church at Thyatira.

And even today, the article below may shock you! Man is going after strange flesh indeed! Fornication and strange flesh!

Wednesday, Oct 26, 2011 Today's article below:

HARARE- A Zimbabwean man has told a court that he hired a prostitute who during the night transformed into a donkey, and that he is now "seriously in love" with the animal, state media said Wednesday.

"I think I am also a donkey. I do not know what happened when I left the bar, but I am seriously in love with (the) donkey," Sunday Moyo told the court, according to The Herald newspaper.

He said he had paid $25 for a prostitute, and was surprised Sunday morning when he heard people accusing him of having sex with a donkey. Moyo, 28, was arrested in the town of Zvishavane, about 300 kilometres (185 miles) south of the capital Harare on Sunday.Moyo has been charged with bestiality. The court has ordered him to undergo a mental examination, The Herald said.

We are indeed living in days of increasing darkness. Homosexuals too are becoming more open about their condition. Society which once shun such acts are slowly being sucked in and being pressured to approve such activities in the name of 'human rights and freedom'. Is this what freedom is all about? Is this what independence that man and woman are yearning for?

History has shown that in the days of old , the Israelites when they were out of the slavery of Egypt , were given a set of God's laws in the desert after crossing the miracle of the Red Sea - many instructions given and recorded in Exodus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. Why? Simply because when God rules, He rules lawfully. We obey and we are blessed and if not on the contrary, disobedience brings curses.

Isaiah 1 mentioned the 2 cities of Sodom and Gomorrah again. In the vision he saw what concerned Judah and Jerusalem.

• Is1:4: Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters; they have forsaken the LORD. They have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, there are gone away backward.
• Is1:9 Except the LORD of Hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom and we should have been like Gomorrah
• Is1:10 Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom, give ear unto the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah.
• Is1:21 How is the faithful city become an harlot! It was full of judgement; righteousness lodged in it ; but now murderers

Consequence? Jude 7 - such will suffer the vengeance of eternal fire. Ouch! In Isaiah opening chapter #1: It is recorded.

• ^{Isaiah 1:7}Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.
• Isaiah 1:⁸And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city.
• Isaiah 1:¹¹To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.
• Is1:¹²When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?
• Is ¹³Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.
• Is 1:¹⁴Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.
• Is 1:¹⁵And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.

Our Freedom of Choice to choose

• ¹⁶Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;
• ¹⁷Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.
• ¹⁸Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
• ¹⁹If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:
• ²⁰But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
  • ²⁸And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the LORD shall be consumed.

    • ²⁹For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have desired, and ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen.
    • ³⁰For ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water.
    • ³¹And the strong shall be as tow, and the maker of it as a spark, and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them.

The Hope of God's promises:

• ²⁵And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin:
• ²⁶And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city.
• ²⁷Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness.

A Reflection

Let us not become a SG nation. A sin city that is displeasing to the Lord.

But the reality is that such iniquities are increasing around us. We may be be able to change the nation. But perhaps it starts of with just one unit. Me and you first. Let us not be like an oak with fading leaves, like a garden without water. Let us be found to little trees of righteousness , planted by the Lord in that Garden City- the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City. May YHWH help us, keep us, protect us.