20110422: Good Friday : Cancer & Covenants

Today is Good Friday.

Barely ten hours earlier, we received news that my sister-in-law had contracted breast cancer. It was kind of a shock to all.

I am reminded of my 2003 rainbow. And the recent 27/3/2011 rainbow sighting once again reminded me of COVENANTS.

Well, today is Good Friday.

Hebrews talked about Jesus- greater than Moses, the great High Priest, like Melchizedek.

Jesus , the High Priest of a New Covenant.

I thank Him this Good Friday. Old covenant of worship in the earthly tabernacle is gone. So much difference between the old testament and new testament.

Twice this had been written in Hebrews 8:10-12 and 10:16-18 reagrding the COVENANT:

"This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord.

I will put my laws in their minds

and write them in their hearts.

I will be their God

and they will be my people...I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more..

..and where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.."

v13 "By calling this covenant 'new', he has made the first one obsolete and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear."

Jesus came to die on the cross. He entered the Most Holy place not by means of the blood of goats and calves; but by his own blood. Heb 9:15 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new COVENANT , that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance - now that he has died as a ransom to set us free from the sins committed under the first covenant.

The 2 "C's in comparison:

"Cancer" speaks of death sentence. But "Christ" offers life eternity.

"Cancer" instills freaking fear. But "Christ" offers forgiveness and love that casts out all fears.

"Cancer" cells are all out to devour. But "Christ" conquers the enemy who is out "to kill , steal and destroy"

"Cancer" may require repeated chemotherapy. But "Christ" treatment of cleansing is made complete once and for all, by His own death on the cross.

"Cancer" speaks of the physical battle of the flesh. But "Christ" offers the spiritual battle of our mind and heart - from inside out.

'Cancer" may hit some . But "Christ" is available to all.

"Cancer" cast a shadow on the temporal life here on earth. But "Christ" offers a reality of the eternal heaven above.

Heb13:14 "For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come"

It is for this reason, Christ died on the cross for us all, so that we can look to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of our LIVING GOD. What an awesome COVENANT!

20110415-"Strange" Fire /Unauthorised / Unholy Fire? Lev 6 & 10

Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer, and put fire in it, and laid incense on it, and offered unholy fire before the LORD, such as he had not commanded them. And fire came forth from the presence of the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD. {Lev 10:1-2 RSV}

Yesterday, I was reflecting on the coal of fire that touched the lips of Isaiah. About the fire of JUDGEMENT. Imagine the fire that came about in the earthquake M9 and tsunami in Japan on 11/3/2011. Video above.

I realised that there is another kind of fire recorded in the bible : It is called unholy, unauthorised or strange fire. The fire the killed Nadab and Abihu. Scary!

What killed them? Good question. Guess the answer was in the subsequent verses that followed as Moses spoke to Aaron.

V3" This is what the LORD spoke of when he said ' Among those who approach me I will show myself holy; in the sight of all the people I will be honoured.' Aaron remained silent"

The fire on the altar was repeatedly mentioned 3 times in Lev 6:8-13 to be kept burning- it must not go out.

1 Pet 1:15 But just as he who called us is holy, so be holy in all we do . we are reminded of the character of God "Be holy, because I am holy" in V16.

Yes indeed it is scary to fall into the judgement hand of our Lord. Ezekiel had the word of the Lord came to him in Eze 22 all about the sins of Jerusalem. The house of the Lord had become a dross - despise of holy things, desecration of the Sabbaths, inability to distinguish the holy and the unholy, the clean and the unclean, the making of unjust gains, the false visions and the lying divinations, extortion in the land, robbery, oppression of the poor and needy , mistreatment of aliens, denial of justice.

V21, 31 So the Lord poured his wrath on such people, consumed them with his fiery anger. Total meltdown. Scary. Like the impending Fukishima Nuclear plant meltdown.

Reflections

Dare we play with the fire of God?

God is Holy. He is awesome. Reverence and honour due to His name.

Ez22:30 The lord looked for a man among us who would build up the wall and stand before Him in the gap on behalf to the land so that He would not have to destroy it . But He found none.

Are we ready to stand in the gap?

20110414: Live coal on lips! Isaiah 6 Vision

This book "Why Revival Tarries" by Leonard Ravenhill was a Dec 2010 Christmas gift. I only started reading it on 10/4/2011 on our way to Batu Pahat to attend a wedding. But little did we know that we had to make the turn back after the first COLD dish that HOT sunday afternoon as John had a bad headache attack enroute! 2.5 hours there and then 2.5 hours back - messengers of the Ang Pow only!!??!!???!!No feast but 2 tablets of panadol! Poor John - his endurance power of that thobbing headache !

ISAIAH : His name " The Lord saves" .

He saw visions concerning Judah and Jerusalem during 740BC. Kings of Judah - Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezkiah.

Well unlike the fires that we know earlier - either representing the presence of the LORD, His quickening of spirit etc, the 'fires' that Isaiah saw was JUDGEMENT - scary ones that burned the rebellious nation, wicked people! (Is 1,10, 26,33,34 & 66)

Thank God that Isaiah is like a miniature little bible in itself with 66 chapters like the bible of 66 books. Whilst it was 'judgement' in the earlier chapters, the latter part of Isaiah was of comfort, deliverance and restoration - ushering in the new heaven and earth.

Following my previous blog, I just found the book cover extremely interesting too! Someone said it was a dove? But far from it - it looks like a ball of fire!!Ha Ha. Perhaps it is divine that the Lord had to bring to my mind about the coal fires and the balls of fire again in a month!

Extract from the book that I am now reading which I thought was indeed great:

Quote" Isaiah had a 3D vision from vs Is 6:1 -9:-

The 3 Cs:

1. V5 "WOE" - a word of CONFESSION

2. V7 "LO" - a word of CLEANSING

3. V9 "GO" - a word of COMMISSION

"It was an upward vision - he saw the Lord; an inward vision - he saw himself, and an outward vision - he saw the world. It was a vision of height - he saw the Lord high and lifted up. A vision of depth - he saw the recesses of his own heart. And a vision of breath - he saw the world.

Reflections

Quote from the same author "

"A vision of holiness. Oh beloved! How this generation of believers needs the vision of God in all His holiness! A vision of hellishness - "I am undone...unclean" and a vision of hopelessness - implied by the words "Who will go for us?" In this hour - when the average church knows more about promotion than prayer, has forgotten consecration by fostering competition, and has substituted propaganda for propagation - this threefold vision is imperative" Where there is no vision the people perish. Where there is no passion the church perishes, even though it be full to the doors."

How true indeed!

We serve an awesome fiery Father in heaven - his eyes are like fire, his waist down is like fire, he is indeed like a consuming fire, His presence is often pictured as fire - burning bush, 4th man in the furnace with Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego , pillar of fire in day, His Holy mountain is blazed with fire...He loves to speak out of the fire...RARRHHHH...\

Fire Fire Fire! Our S'pore GE is just round the corner. The great debate now ongoing in selection of people to serve our little red dot. Are we short of people with the right 'talent' or people with right "passion"? Well, likewise, the Lord looks at our heart of service & not ability but the heart of humility and that of availability. Even if one is not paid S$15,000 a month, would you choose to serve voluntarily? Umm...

Elijah called fire down from heaven. Lightning of fire struck on a particular party. Then came another party who had a hammer..“Is not my word like fire,” declares the LORD, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces? Jer 23:29..and another party came along shouting "Reform!!"

In flames for Yahweh!

20110402: Impression of burning coals and Vision balls of fire

Joel 2:28-30 " And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions, even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke."

Dreams

Yes, I do dream dreams. Years back in 2001, I dreamt of something quite terrible in that month of July where I saw one of the main buildings in Raffles city area came tumbling down with our RSAF airplanes zooming past our apartment balcony. It was even more scary when I tuned in to watch the 911 events unfolded during the wake of my late dad. That was about 2 months after my vivid dream.

Joel speaks of old man dream dreams. I think this is happening today indeed. My mother in law had stopped going to church since Dec last year due to the sudden health issues of my dad in law. My MIL accepted and was baptised in 2005. My DIL too "kind of accepted" when he came to church one March sunday afternoons in 2009 (reasons cited was that he felt it was only right to be part of the big christian family since over the years all but one of his children & wife too had come to Christ) But he continued in his love of mahjong in the old men's club every sunday afternoon. I once prayed to the Lord to take away that mahjong spirit and prevent him from going to that place. Well, it happened since last Dec. Due to the water in his heart and breathlessness, he had to quit his usual sunday mahjong ritual. But I was kind of guilty stricken seeing his ill health in early Jan and Feb this year despite his stoppage of mahjong? But thank God that he need not go for surgery as initially recommended by the heart specialist. PTL, he is up and about now, back in pink of health!

Well, old man dream dreams. That was what happened my DIL in the recent weeks. So just this Tue dinner evening, he shared about his dreams of mahjong! Kept dreaming of it? And he came to a conclusion that he might as well 'accompany' my MIL to church now that he could not go for his mahjong club.!!(PTL, the clubroom is located up on the 3rd to 4th storey of the old shophouse in town - even I find climbing an uphill task - let alone an old man of 82 years old!)

Visions and Prophesy

I have never experienced visions in my christian life. And I am afraid to prophesy.

I have always been a curious person. I often wondered what Joel mean when he talks about young man and servants seeing visions and prophesying. Can I see pictures when my eyes are wide open? A vision like the 3D movies we have now? If I were to prophesy, it is really from the Lord or my wishful thinking? What if it was not right and cause havoc in the recipient's mind? Yes, I do have lots of questions. But I know His Word is true. If He says so, it must be so - just that I am not "up to it yet" I thought.

A funny thing happened last sat 2/4/2011. It was in my office sharing with a colleague. Sat's events were a little strange. We shared and talked about things of God & events happening around us since it was a sat. Skiving! There was an exchange of prayers. Then it was kind of a boldness on my part to share with her that I thought I saw and had this impression that came to me very suddenly after my prayer for her.

I thought I saw black charcoal trimmed in the red parts and white. Suddenly a fan came and starting fanning those heap of charcoals and it burst into flames. Just like that! She asked me what it means? I told her I have no idea! well I rattled on - may be the flame of the holy spirit is about to do something in her life. Keep our lives pure and expect greater things to come.

It was quite a weird sat morning. So I decided to go for that sat afternoon service as hubby was not in town. I had goose-pimples when I heard the vision of a pastor. She saw balls of fire coming down - carried by angels or something like that.

Reflections

During the intercession meeting on Fri, I was suddenly reminded of the Rev 8, the 7th seal where heaven was silenced for about half an hour. The angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar and hurled it on earth. ( My charcoal in flames (from the altar) and the vision of the balls of fire carried by the angels coming down at us... was to me light and revelation!)

This is the month of Qing Ming, a tradition of the Chinese to offer incense to the dead in the tomb visitation. We believers do not hold those joss-sticks. We pray. The smoke of the incense - our prayers - go up to the throne of God.

I believe when we pray, there is silence in heaven because God stops to hear the cries of our heart. The impressions/visions of that burning charcoal and that of the balls of fires coming down - I believe this is the beginning of the outpouring of His Sprit on all people. He will show the wonders in heaven and on earth. Our end-time church will be one where hearts are prepared for the groom to be come. There will be a revival and stirring and Joy -in the prayer life of the saints as we behold the awesomes-ness of the Great God we love and serve.

Haggai .God is shaking the earth and calling us to come back to build the house of the Lord. Is 56:7

"These I will bring to my holy mountain

and give them joy in my house of prayer.

Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar;

for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations"

Joel 2:32" And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved." How exciting !

20110405 :Of Star, Seals and Signet Rings; The eclipse of the SON

Was reading Haggai last Sat. Short prophetic book of only 2 chapters, written around 520BC. Haggai is not the shortest book. Obadiah is. Haggai 2:23 The LAST verse “‘On that day,’ declares the LORD Almighty, ‘I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,’ declares the LORD Almighty.” I. THE STAR Last month, a friend CM sent this eclipse link to me. It was really kind of interesting to watch this video of the eclipse. Yep, there was this Star of David that appeared and it really looked like the signet ring! What is Solar Eclipse? An eclipse of the sun occurs when the moon revolving in its orbit around the earth comes bewteen the sun and the earth. The moon blocks the light of the sun and a shadow is cast over the earth. How does the moon block the sun? By a fortunate coincidence! The sun's diameter is 400 times bigger than of the moon and at the same time is it 400 times as far away (oh what a creative idea of Creator God). Hence from where we are, this creates the illusion that they are the SAME SIZE! If we look through a filter at the sun, it looks EXACTLY LIKE THE MOON on full moon nite. When the moon passes in front of the dun, the shadow falls on the earth and it appears exactly to cover the sun's disc. This is what a solar eclipse is - a shadow. I. THE SEAL & SIGNET RINGS Seals in ancient Egypt are commonly found in the form of signet rings. They denotes authentication and power - and ownership. 1. Gen 41:41: Pharoah put his signet ring on Joseph 2. Esther 3 & 8 : The King gave it first to Haman and then relaimed it later to gave to Mordecai 3. 2 Cor 1:22: The Lord has anointed us and set his seal of ownership on us and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. 4. Eph 1:13 We are marked in him with a seal, the promised Holu Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession 5. 2 Tim 2:19 God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription "The Lord knows those who are his " and "everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness" 3.THE STIRRING of the SPIRIT We are living in the end days. The video was captured in 2009 I think. At the end of it was saw what it looked like as if a signet ring came out of the Star of David. Striking! In the beginning of 2011, we had the earthquake in Christchurch in Jan and then the Japan disaster on 11/3/2011. Earthquake, tsunami and nuclear. BTW, Chernobyl is also known as "WORMWOOD" - Rev 8:11. The name of the star - Wormwood. 1/3 of the waters turned bitter and many people died died from the water that had become bitter. This record was the 7th seal opening with the 7 angels blowing their trumpets. Wormwood was mentioned in the 3rd trumpet. As of yesterday's news, we understand that Japan government has approved the pouring of more than 11,000 tons of the nuclear water at Fukishima into the sea. Ummm...what is the impact of this action? Only time would tell in the future. So, the word of the Lord came to Haggai and it stirred up the spirit of 3 groups of people:- 1. Zerubabbel - son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah 2. Joshua - son of Jehozadak, the high priest 3. The whole remnant of the people. Reflections: Are we the remnant of the people? Are we this generation to witness His second coming? Haggai's first chapter (the beginning) opens with the call to build the house of the Lord. Haggai's second and last chapter speaks of the second coming of the Messiah, called the "desired of all nations" in v7. Haggai saw the promised glory of the future new house, which is greater than the former house. It is in this place where PEACE prevails. But we cannot remain defiled. We have to give careful thoughts of our ways and build the right house. May the shaking of the news that rock us today be a stirring of hearts for us to turn to Yahweh. Rev 21. We look towards the Holy City ,the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. V21:23. This city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it , for the glory of God gives it light and the Lamp is its lamp! (No more solar eclipse!! NO more eclipse of the SON! Ha Ha Ha) Oh what a promise. V27 Nothing impure will enter it, now will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life. Is your name written in the Lamb's book?