Monday, June 17, 2019

Introduction (GL00)

   'Appreciating God's Love'

Rev 19:7  "Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready."
    Brethren, I believe that we should concentrate more on the preparation to be the bride of the Lamb.
    His bride will only consist of those whom He loves and those who truly love Him.
   Since we cannot see Him, it is imperative that from the Bible we know and understand Him and His great love (freely given to us on the cross), before we can appreciate His love for us.

I Cor 13:13  And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
    Love covers our total faith or trust in Him, believes all His promises, and willingly and joyfully be the living sacrifice for the benefits of the loved ones. It is the most difficult topic to write and I pray that the Holy Spirit will guide me along.

God is Love (GL01)

   'Appreciating God's Love'

A)  1 John 4:7-8  Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
    Since God is love, anyone who claims that he knows God must love one another by caring for their welfares. Those, who are not able to love one another, do not know God.
I John 3:17-18  But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

B)  What is Love
I Cor 13:4-7  Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
    This is the Divine love of God within the Triune Godhead and also the perfect love shown to men throughout the whole history of man since that days of Adam.
    God has shown and given this divine love to us and He will help us to perfect our love so that we can be His bride seated on His throne.
   If we can love one another as Jesus had loved us, then our love is perfected.
John 13:34  A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

C)  Children of God
Rom 8:15-16  For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
   The moment we have believed and accept the gospel of grace, our Lord Jesus will give us the Holy Spirit of redemption or adoption and we can then call the Almighty God our Father. We become part of the family of God and enjoy the power of casting out demons, praying for the sick, intercession, preaching His gospel with signs and wonders...
I John 3:1-2  Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

D)   Sons of God
Rom 8:17-19  and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.
   After we are born again, with the help of His Spirit, we must crucify our flesh. This is a painful process where we will be completely free from the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. God will then call us 'sons of God', for we have been transformed into the image of His only begotten Son, Jesus.
Rom 8:13-14  For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

Love within Triune Godhead (GL02)

   'Appreciating God's Love'

A) The Triune Godhead
NKJV  I John 5:7  For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.
    God revealed Himself in the Triune Godhead as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, so that we can see the divine love within the Godhead.

Working in Unity at Creation
Gen 1:1-2  In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
    The Spirit of God was on earth. Then God (the Father) spoke and His Word (our Lord) created.
   There is full agreement and complete harmony concerning creation and also in the creation of man into the image of God.
Gen 1:26  Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."

We can now visualize the divine love within the Triune Godhead and we can use this for our own families and also our spiritual families in His church.
 
Though All Three are equal in the Triune Godhead, and their decisions are always in agreement and in harmony, yet the Father being the Head has the full authority.

B) Father's Love for Son
John 5:20  "For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel."
    The Father loved the Son, who pleased Him in all things. He was always with Jesus and revealed everything to Him
John 8:29  "And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him."

Husband is the Head
Eph 5:23-26  For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
     Similarly, since God has appointed the husband to be the head of the wife, he must love her with the perfect love God has given to him (1 Cor 13:4-7)

C)  Jesus' Love for Father
John 15:9-10  "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love."
    Our Lord Jesus expressed His love for the Father by obeying Him in keeping all His instructions and commandments - even to the death on the cross.
Phi 2:8  And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

Love by Submission
John 5:19  Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner."
   Our Lord obeyed the instructions of the Father to the last detail as His expression of His complete love for Him

Love in Church and Family
Eph 5:24  Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.
    Similarly, to be scriptural with God's love and blessings, congregations must submit to the appointed pastors and wives must submit to their husbands as the expression of their love.

D)  Importance of Jesus' Word
John 14:26  But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
    The Holy Spirit was sent by the Father to bring to our remembrance the word of Jesus to ensure that Christians can keep them.
Note All those rejecting Jesus' word are without the Holy Spirit and they are lost forever, so keep away from them.
Jude 18-19  how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the spirit.

Submission to Jesus' Word
John 16:13-14  "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for *He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak*; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you."
    Even the Holy Spirit submits to the Jesus' word, which is actually God's word.

Eph 5:21  submitting to one another in the fear of God
    Submission is an expression of love so we need to submit to one another in the fear of the Lord (no heresies nor sinful lifestyle)

Adam in God's Image (GL03)

   'Appreciating God's Love'

A)  Image of His Divine Love
Gen 1:26a  Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness."
    I believe that when the Triune God created Adam and Eve, He created them in their image with their divine love so that man will be able to love one another just as Each Member of the Triune Godhead loves one another.

Oneness in Adam and Eve
Gen 1:27  So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
    This divine love in Adam and Eve will help them to live in harmony and unity (oneness) as they dwell on this earth. The same harmony and unity was displayed by the Triune Godhead during their creation of the heaven and the earth and later in the salvation and transformation of the fallen man back into His own image.
John 17:11  "Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are."

B)  Impossible Task for Adam
Gen 1:28  Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."
    After the creation of Adam, God tasked him to have dominion over and name everything with life on earth and in the sea. In the flesh, this was an impossible task.
   Just imagine Adam enjoying the beauty of the garden of Eden while riding on the back of the giraffe, rhinoceros, wild elephant or possibly the back of birds.
    Or Adam on the back of the killer shark controlling it to drive into the deep blue sea and then surface for Adam to have his oxygen.
    What great joy it was to Adam when he could perform the possible with His empowering.
Gen 2:19  Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name.

Eph 2:10  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
    Jesus has redeemed us from our fallen nature, and like Adam we must do good works which always look impossible.

C)  Oneness with God
Gen 3:8a  And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day,
    In the cool of the day God, who loved Adam and Eve very much, would come down from heaven to fellowship with them for they looked forward to His wonderful presence.
    I believe that our Father came down purposely to carry and lift Adam and Eve to pick the fruit they wanted to eat that evening for He enjoyed their warm just by holding and comforting them.
    He also enjoyed Himself riding with Adam and Eve on the backs of sharks, wild elephants and big birds while Adam named and dominated them.
    With this divine love flowing in the garden of Eden, heaven was on earth then. There was oneness with Adam and Eve and also oneness of Adam and Eve with God.
   So Christians with perfected love will be able to be 'oneness with one another' and 'oneness with the Triune God' in the New Heaven.
John 17:20-21  "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.

Sunday, June 16, 2019

Love in the Covenant (GL04)

    'Appreciating God's Love'

A)  Adamic Covenant
Gen 2:16-17  And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."
    God told Adam that he can eat all the fruits in the garden of Eden including the tree of life, the fruit of which will give him eternal life. But he must not eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The day that he partakes of the forbidden fruit, he will surely die (cannot partake from the fruit of life anymore).
    God made this covenant with Adam so that as long as he does not eat the forbidden fruit, he can enjoy eternal life.
    This Adamic Covenant was the good and perfect gifts from God, the Father.
Jam 1:17  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

B) God was their Head
    When God gave the command for Adam and Eve to keep, He had established Himself as their Head or Lord. So when Adam and Eve accepted His command, the Adamic Covenant was in force.
    Adam and Eve were delighted that God made Himself their Head in this covenant. For He was always helping them in picking their delicious fruits high on the trees, carry and caring for them while riding wild elephants, horses, big birds...
    With their unfailing and perfect love for God, they would not hurt Him by breaking the covenant in eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge.

C)  Confidence with Covenant
I John 3:18-21  My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.
    With this covenant, every time the Lord God Almighty comes down for fellowship, Adam and Eve would be delighted for they had the confidence that God was pleased with them for they had kept His commandment. With this assurance they looked forward to a wonderful fellowship with Him.

Gangsterism during my Teens
    In the fifties, gangsterism was popular. Most students were involved. My parents forbid me to be involved. I was threatened by schoolmates. Against all types of threats, I kept my parents' command. Whenever I see my parents, I was filled with confidence and joy for my assurance to them brought joyful tears in their eyes.

Covenants of God are covenants of love. They give us the assurance of His approvals, pleasures and love. They also fill us with joy, faith and fulfillment for being able to keep them.

Blissful Time with God (GL05)

    'Appreciating God's Love'
 
A)  Man in the Likeness of God
Gen 5:1-2 This is the book of the genealogy of Adam. In the day that God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. He created them male and female, and blessed them and called them Mankind in the day they were created.
    God created man in His likeness with the divine love within the Godhead and the love for the Creator.
   So Adam and Eve loved one another just as the Triune Godhead loves One Another. Adam and Eve also loved God just as God loves His children.
    God loved Adam and Eve very much and in return they loved God as much, and they looked forward to their blissful fellowships every evening. Love in 1Cor 13:4-7 was found and practiced in the fellowships between Adam and Eve and their fellowships with God.
    To Adam and Eve then, heaven was on earth for over a hundred years until they were chased out from the garden of Eden.
I Cor 13:4-7  Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

B)  Blissful Time for the Father
I John 3:1-2  Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
    God was delighted to see Adam and Eve working in harmony and in love doing His task of naming and dominating all living creatures. They made the burden easier for the other by sacrificing oneself. They risked themselves willingly and joyfully for the safety of the other.
    Whenever one of them fell from the tree or animal's back, God would take this opportunity to carry them and hugged them with great joy. God is looking for every opportunity to hug and love us. He loves to be in contact with us for He loves us more than we love our beloving and obedient children.
    I remembered that during my early years when I was starting companies after companies, the burdens were great. But when I went home and held my new born son, all my fears, burdens and problems just vanished into thin air. The blissful moment of holding my son in my arms filled my soul with His pure love, which cast out all fears.
    Today, holding the OA tiny tots in my arms gives me great joy and serenity, just as though I am in my Father's arms.
I John 4:18  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

C)  Blissful Time for Adam and Eve
John 15:13  Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.
    Adam and Eve loved each other and their most important work is not only to name and dominate the living creatures but to ensure that they pleased God and loved one another with His perfect love.
   Adam and Eve were blissful for each lived their lives for the benefit, pleasure and happiness of the other. They cared and loved one another more than their own lives.
    God expects Christians to live in unity and love one another just like Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden.
Psa 133:1  Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

Perfect Love Lost by Adam
Gen 5:3  And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.
    Adam and Eve enjoyed their blissful lives for over a hundred years and after their fall, they were chased out from the garden of Eden. Having lost the perfect love of God, Adam's descendants were all born into his depraved image of sin and wickedness until they are born again into God's image through Christ Jesus.

Satan Cunning Schemes (GL06)

    'Appreciating God's Love'

A) Satan Twisted God's Words
Gen 3:1  Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?"
    The devil always uses God's words to deceive Christians by twisting and distorting them or taking them out of context. (Please read the devil's temptation of Jesus in Mat 4)
   God allowed Adam to eat from all the trees in the garden of Eden except the fruit of the tree of knowledge but the devil distorted it by suggesting that God forbid them to eat all the fruit in the garden. The devil indirectly indicated that God was not understanding nor loving by forbidding Adam and Eve to enjoy all those delicious fruits in the garden.
    Just like an angel of light, the devil appeared to be concerned of the welfare of Adam and Eve. But his evil motive was to deceive them to sin by disobedience or rebelion, so that they no longer could enjoy the blissful fellowship with God anymore. The devil's ministers are now preaching heresies by distorting or rejecting Jesus' word.
2 Cor 11:14-15  And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

B)  Devil Distorted God's Word
Gen 3:4-5  Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
    When God told Adam and Eve that if they ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge they would die - meaning that because they had sinned for their disobedience, they would be cast out from the garden of Eden. Without the fruit of the tree of life, which gives eternal life, they would die.
    But the devil twisted God's word and told Eve that they won't die because
1. God would not blame them for He loved them
2. He enjoyed their fellowship with Him
3. God promised that they would multiply to fill the earth.

Eve Fell into Satan's Snare
Gen 3:6  So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.
    When Eve saw that the fruit was pleasant and edible, and that it could make them wise, which she assumed God would be delighted at their wisdom, so they ate the forbidden fruit.
    God demands our obedience and not our sacrifices apart from His words. He abhors rebellion and stubbornness. Repent you rebellious, who distort and reject His words.
I Sam 15:22-23  So Samuel said: "Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. For *rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft*, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king."

C)  Carnal Image of Man
Gen 5:3  And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.
    After the fall of Eve, mankind, the descendants of Adam and Eve were no longer the image of God but that of the fallen Adam, which causes men to be selfish and filled with wickedness.
Genesis 6:5  Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

I John 2:15-16  Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.
    This fallen nature of man has inherited these weaknesses, where the devil always attacks by using temptations.
1. Lust of the flesh - carnality
2  Lust of the eye - covetousness
3. Pride of life

We thank God for His divine love that in Christ Jesus, fallen man can be born again by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and then transformed into God's image again. With His divine love and truth in us, we can crucify our carnal nature and overcome the devil's temptations and deceptions.

God's Predestination (GL07)

  'Appreciating God's Love'

A)  Rebellion of Lucifer
Isaiah 14:12-14  "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations. For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.'
       Satan (Lucifer then) wanted to exalt himself above all the other angels (stars). He wanted to sit on the mount before the congregation of all the heavenly hosts and be the Most High. So he rebelled against the Almighty God. Surprisingly, a third of these powerful and intelligent angels followed him in the rebellion.

Deception of Satan
2 Thess 2:3-5  Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?
    Since Satan was unsuccessful in his rebellion against the Almighty God in the heavenly realm, he then set his target on man created in God's image.
    He wants to humiliate God by deceiving man (sons of God) the beloved of God, to obey and worship him instead of the Almighty God.

B)  Predestined to be Sons of God
Rom 8:28-30  And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
    After the fall of Lucifer and his fallen angels, God had predestined even before the foundation of the world to create the weak and fragile human beings to become the sons of God to replace these fallen angels.
   As a just and fair God, only those who loved Him will be called to His purpose of finally becoming the sons of God.
John 14:15, 23a  "If you love Me, keep My commandments.. Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word..."

False Christs are Satan's Men
2 Cor 11:13-15   For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.
   Satan, even recruits carnal and depraved Christians to be his ministers. These wolves in sheepskin will parade like the angel of light and they will try to deceive God's children into damnation.

C)  Greatest Love of God
Rev 3:21  "To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne."
    Not only were man destined to be sons of God but also to sit on the throne of Jesus, sharing the oneness and love with Him, provided that we can overcome all the deceptions, temptations and wiles of Satan.
    This was the same throne that Lucifer was trying to covet. His failure of usurping God's kingdom led him to eventually be cast into the Lake of fire.

Oneness with Him
  God created men in His own image and gave them their free will. Men failed miserably when tempted by the Devil. Since then man worshiped idols and commit all types of abominations. Even the Israelites, the descendants of Abraham under Mosiac Covenant, with GOD displaying His presence, miracles, blessings, signs and wonders, were not able to help them from rebelling against Him. Eventually, the Word was made flesh and Jesus' death on the cross, redeems us from damnation and then exalts us to be His bride (sons of God) so that we too can be one with Him.
John 17:20-22   "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:

Destructiveness of Sin (GL08)

    'Appreciating God's Love'

A)  Hiding from God's Presence
Gen 3:8  And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
    Adam and Eve looked forward to meet God in the cool of the day for His presence gave them great joy and comfort. He would carry and help them to pick fruits on the tree tops, mount on the wild elephants and big birds and swim along with the sharks and whales.
    Such blissful time with God was destroyed by their sin. Their guilt of disobedience made them hide from His presence.

Awaiting their Repentance
Gen 3:9  Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?"
    God knew that they had already committed the sin of eating from the tree of knowledge. He did not condemn them but instead inquire of their whereabout hoping that they would repent.
    Instead of confessing their sin of disobedience and rebellion, Adam out of shame, gave the excuse that he was naked.
Gen 3:10  So he said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself."

B)  Prompting for Repentance
Gen 3:11  And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?"
    God did not accuse Adam of sinning but instead patiently and lovingly hinted to him that he should admit his mistake.
    Our merciful and loving Father will always forgive all those with sincere repentance.

Adam Blamed God
Gen 3:12  Then the man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate."
    Instead of confessing his sin, Adam, out of pride, blamed God for giving him Eve, who made him to sin by giving him the forbidden fruit. God had showered so much love on both of them and still Adam blamed Him for the sin.
    For over a hundred years, He was always at their side whenever He was needed - to help and comfort them and to save them in dangerous situations.
    Where were their love, trust, honour and respect for Him? Where was their divine love, which
 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (I Cor 13:7)
   Our Father God's heart was completely shattered by Adam's lost of love for Him and for Eve when he blamed God and Eve for his sin.

C)  Gen 3:13  And the Lord God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said," The serpent deceived me, and I ate."
    After Adam blamed God for giving him Eve, who caused him to sin, Eve also blamed God for putting the serpent in the garden of Eden.
    Suddenly, their hundred years of blissful fellowship with God just vanished and there was no longer any respect nor reverence nor fear of God in them.

Consequences of Sin
1. Fearful of God's presence
2. Guilty of disobedience
3. Naked for exposing their weaknesses.
4. Blaming God for the sin
5. Blaming others
6. Destruction of the divine love
7. Blind, without truth and filled with doubts and fear.

Col 1:13-14  He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
    We thank God for the blood of Jesus that has dealt with our sins so that at our repentance, we have the confidence of facing Him without any more guilt of sin. We also thank God for restoring the love of God in man again.

Saturday, June 15, 2019

Horrific and Foul Sin (GL09)

    'Appreciating God's Love'

A)  Adam and Eve Driven Out
Gen 3:24  So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.
    Over this hundred years, I believe that every time Adam and Eve walked past the tree of knowledge, each of them must be delighted for they had kept His command. Their obedience had made their beloved Father extremely happy resulting to their blissful fellowship and a strong and unbreakable bond of love between them.
    God would have forgiven Adam and Eve, had they confessed and repented of their sins.
   
God is also a God of Justice
Psa 89:14  Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; mercy and truth go before Your face.
   God is love and He is full of mercy and forgiveness, but He is also a God of justice.

Justice for Non Repentance
Jer 44:4-5  However I have sent to you all My servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying, "Oh, do not do this abominable thing that I hate!" But they did not listen or incline their ear to turn from their wickedness, to burn no incense to other gods.
    Because of Adam and Eve's refusal to repent, God had to drive them from the garden of Eden just as He drove His unrepentant Israelites from His house.
Hos 9:15  "All their wickedness is in Gilgal, for there I hated them. Because of the evil of their deeds I will drive them from My house; I will love them no more. All their princes are rebellious."

B)  Why is sin so horrific?
    Even though Adam and Eve had over a hundred years of blissful fellowship with God, yet, for the sin of eating the forbidden fruit, God drove out the unrepentant Adam and Eve, and let them die by preventing them from eating the fruit of the tree of life.

Sin is equivalent to Excreta
  To God, sin is so horrific, nauseating, revolting and foul that it is unbearable. God abhors sin just as man abhors human faeces or excreta.

Horrific Raw Excreta
    The Aborigines still sleep in stilted bamboo huts with attap roofs in the most remote part of the Malaysian jungle. The air coming up from the ground through the bamboo floor between the gaps keeps the hut cool.
    Twenty years ago while sleeping in the Aborigines hut, I was awaken by the horrific, foul and revolting smell of raw faeces. Someone had just pass motion under our small stilted bamboo house.
    The foul, nauseating and stinking smell of the raw faeces came through the bamboo floor. It was unbearable and it was really torturous. I thank God that He allowed me to suffer such horrific, foul and nauseating smell, that I can now understand the horrific and revolting sin to Him.

Must Bury the Raw Excreta
Deu 23:12-14  "Also you shall have a place outside the camp, where you may go out; and you shall have an implement among your equipment, and when you sit down outside, you shall dig with it and turn and cover your refuse. For the Lord your God walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you and give your enemies over to you; therefore your camp shall be holy, that He may see no unclean thing among you, and turn away from you.
    Our Lord instructed the Israelites to bury their unholy and foul raw refuse or faeces in their camp. As He walked in their midst, the sins committed by His people will be as horrific and revolting as the smell of raw faeces.
    Out of His love, God ensured that everyone can sleep soundly and peacefully in the camp, when the foul and revolting raw faeces were buried.

C)  Baked with Human Waste
Eze 5:9-11  And I will do among you what I have never done, and the like of which I will never do again, because of all your abominations. Therefore fathers shall eat their sons in your midst, and sons shall eat their fathers; and I will execute judgments among you, and all of you who remain I will scatter to all the winds. 'Therefore, as I live,' says the Lord God, 'surely, because you have defiled My sanctuary with all your detestable things and with all your abominations, therefore I will also diminish you; My eye will not spare, nor will I have any pity.
    Israel was so sinful and abominable that God was ready to allow the enemies to annihilate Jerusalem and the temple of God, which they defiled with detestable things. For God to move in the midst of the extremely sinful and abominable Israelites, it was just like Ezekiel eating cakes baked using human waste - revolting, nauseating, foul and horrific.
Eze 4:12-13  And you shall eat it as barley cakes; and bake it using fuel of human waste in their sight." Then the Lord said, "So shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, where I will drive them."

We thank God that when we repent of our sins, the blood of Jesus cleanses them. God can once again joyfully fellowship with us.

Are You Still in Sins? (GL10)

   'Appreciating God's Love'

A) Worm Does Not Die in Hell
Mark 9:45b-46  ..to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched— where 'Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'
    Forty years ago, when I first read this verse it brought me back to the late 40s after World War 2. One day I went to my uncle's vegetable garden and just before arriving, the air was foul and nauseating.
    In those days, fertilizer for vegetables and plants was mainly the decomposed human waste. If you get close to any vegetable garden, you would be welcome by the stink of human waste.
   There was a pond in each vegetable garden where the night soil would be dumped there. It was filled with human faeces and you can see clearly the detestable and horrible worms crawling all over them.
    My uncle warned me not to get too close fearing that I might fall into it.

Just Imagine That You Fall In
    Before you touch those foul and detestable decomposing night soil, you would be filled with fear and horror. As you sink below, you would try to keep your eyes and mouth shut. You will use both legs to reach the bottom so that you can resurface from the foul and filthy mess.
    Suddenly, you realize that worms are entering your nose and ears. As you try to scream, faeces and worms enter your mouth. While trying to stand up, you will be extremely disgusted with the horrific, foul, nauseating, revolting and detestable night soil and horrible worms covering and humiliating you.

Note  Had someone push you into the pond, you will forever hate him.

B) Born Again Christian
I Cor 3:16-17  Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.
    The moment you believe Jesus and accept the gospel of grace then God will give you the Holy Spirit as the seal of redemption and you are born again. The Holy will try His utmost not to leave you otherwise you will lose your salvation.
    His stay within you depends on how you treat Him. A joyful and glorious Holy Spirit when you keep the words of Jesus. The Holy Spirit then becomes your Lord and King and He will joyfully teach and lead you into eternal life.
 
Grieving the Holy Spirit
Eph 4:30  And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
    Every time you sin, the Holy Spirit dwelling within you becomes your prisoner and He will be grieved with your sins. He will be suffering the foul, nauseating and revolting sin surrounding Him as though He has fallen into the pond of night soil filled with faeces and worms.
    Still the Holy Spirit refuses to leave you for He loves you, otherwise you will lose your salvation
Note Thank God for the blood of Jesus that each time you confess and repent of your sins, the temple of God (your body) will be cleansed of all sins. Immediately, the Holy Spirit will rejoice for He now dwells in a sinless, clean and fragrant temple.

C) Nothing Can Separate Us From God's Love
Rom 8:38-39  For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
    Our Lord had promised us that nothing (including Himself) can separate us from His love in Christ Jesus. However, since man has been given the free will, only man alone can separate himself from the love of God.
1. He can choose not to love God by rejecting His word
2. He can rebel against God by sinning or not confessing his sins.

I The 5:19  Do not quench the Spirit.
   Quenching the Spirit means to remove, extinguish or snuff-out the Holy Spirit
    Sin destroyed the divine love between God and Adam and Eve. If you choose not to repent of your sins, you have grieved the Holy Spirit. If you keep on grieving the Holy Spirit you will eventually quenched the Holy Spirit. Then, He has no other choice but to leave you, thereby causing you to lose your salvation.
   
Idolatry also quenches the Spirit
    When a Christian bows down to worship an idol, he is forcing the Holy Spirit dwelling within him to bow down to the idol thereby forcing the Holy Spirit to leave him resulting to his lost of salvation.

Brethren, at all cost, don't ever prevent God, who will pour out all His love for your perfection, from completing His good work in you by your refusal to submit to His Lordship.