Jesus as Rabbi

came across this article abt "remez" :

Some Jewish scholars have recorded Jesus as the master at this particular technique, so we will delve into this one a little bit more than the first. Basically, the rabbi, when using remez, will “hint” at a part of scripture, and based on that entire section of scripture being “hinted at”, he implies a deeper meaning. In order to be good disciples, we have to know the text so well that we can recognize what passage Jesus is quoting, so that we might better understand his meaning.

more about it here.
And here is a very good example of it.
It's very long... but very interesting...

there's something about worship

was just listening to one of pastor's past sermons.

1 Kings 4
29And God gave Solomon exceptionally much wisdom and understanding, and breadth of mind (largeness of heart) like the sand of the seashore.
30Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the people of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt.
31For he was wiser than all other men--than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol (these people are worship leaders). His fame was in all the nations round about.
32He also originated 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005.
33He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the wall; he spoke also of beasts, of birds, of creeping things, and of fish.
34Men came from all peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from all kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom.

worship ushers us into the presence of God. and with it comes His wisdom that help us to make the right God decisions in life. best thing is, you don't have to be a worship leader to be in His presence; let worship be a lifestyle, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Galatians 5:19-20).

let us not let a day pass by without giving thanks to Abba. and praise God, our voices of praise are music to His ears! =)

Matthew 7:7-14

Matthew 7:7-12
Keep Asking, Seeking, Knocking

- v12. "Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."

So my question is now is, what is sum total of Life?
And the Spirit spoke: Life will give you discernment on when to apply this principle.

Also, I realised that from Matt 7 onwards, Jesus' teachings start to move away from exposing your self-righteousness, to focusing on Himself as the Messiah; somewhat like providing you a lifeline when you've reached the end of yourself.

Matthew 7:13-14
The Narrow Way

- NKJV v14. "Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."

- AMP v14. "But the gate is narrow (contracted by pressure) and the way is straitened and compressed that leads away to life, and few are those who find it."

Btw, "life" here is ZOE. The emphasis here is really on the very fine line that leads to zoe, as though to signify that there is only ONE way to experience LIFE and LIFE MORE ABUNDANTLY.

Although it says few are those who "find" it, Jesus did say earlier on in verse 8 that "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened."

Matthew 7:6 (con't)

Had a conversation with (King) Jiawei abt that Matt 7:6...
Here's the transcipt:

King Jiawei says:
got some interpretations lar
Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs
the ; as pastor mention means =
so Do not give dogs what is sacred = do not throw your pearls to pigs
they illustrate the same point

Jesus refers to gentiles as dogs if u can remember Jesus encounter with the Canaanite woman
BEFORE i go any further u must understand that IF i rem correctly the book of Mathew is written to the Jews
Jesus Christ said to her, "Let the children first be fed, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs." ---Dun rem from where liao
and so u can say Do not give gentiles what is sacred = do not throw your pearls to pigs

as for pigs if u r a JEW u will know that it is the most UNCLEAN animal on the surface of this planet
so u can interprete it this way " Do not give gentiles what is sacred = do not throw your pearls to the unclean"
as for pearl, i think Jesus refers to righteousness (sacred = santified)

seems like verse 1-5 he is rebuking self righteous pple, but i cant seem to tie in wad he's refering to in verse 6

Raphael says:
EXACTLY!
v6 ma chiam out of nowhere
and i see Joyce Meyer's interpretation
i feel more fear than love
i totally agree with everything u say
esp the ; and =
that's true

so even if i dunno what is pearls and swine about
and if the meaning is exactly as holy and dogs
the only way to link to v1-v5
is that after u remove the wood from your eye liao,
and u try to correct other ppl,
when u give advice,
have discretion,
and dun anyhow give to worldly ppl, and then kenna slapped by them.

King Jiawei says:
if i interprete correctly, it seems like verse 6 is Jesus implying to the Jews not to reject him (the pearl, his righteousness)---Because Matthew is written to the Jews and Jesus came to save the Jews but they rejected their saviour

it is the same as what Paul had written about we (the gentiles) being grafted into the olive tree

Matthew 7:1-6 (Do Not Judge)

Matthew 7:1-6
Do Not Judge

- v6. “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces."

Hmm I don't understand this verse fully.

I think "do not give what is holy to dogs" refers to not giving super holy stuff to worldly people, lest they despise what you give them and you kenna slapped.

But "cast your pearls before swine"? Joyce Meyer interprets pearls as love and swine as evil spirits, and she says you open a door for them to "tear you in pieces" when you judge other people.

She then talks about an incident where she judged and criticised a fellow Christian friend and in the end, she also kenna the same problem as her. Doesn't sit right with me. I searched around and could not find other interpretations about pearls and swine. Hmm....

However, I do tend to agree that swine refers to evil spirits (because Jesus did cast them into swine later on). But pearls? And what can evil spirits do to you when you have the blood of Jesus on you??

Matthew 6:25-34 (Do Not Worry)

Matthew 6:25-34 (The Message)
Do Not Worry

- v33. "Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met."

Matt 6:33 - The verse that drives my life.

And the Message version really speaks to me right now - "Don't worry about missing out."

Psalms 1 (What Pastor preached last sunday)

2But his delight and desire are in the law of the Lord, and on His law (the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God) he habitually meditates (ponders and studies) by day and by night.

3And he shall be like a tree firmly planted [and tended] by the streams of water, ready to bring forth its fruit in its season; its leaf also shall not fade or wither; and everything he does shall prosper [and come to maturity].

The words in bold reallie struck me. I was stressing out over my project a couple of hours ago coz alot of things were undone and we're going round in circles... I was anxious and all. But thank God for the holy spirit, which brought me to read the Amplified version of Psalms 1 again...

Habitually --> as we exercise our faith and talk verses out and think about it, such meditation will soon become part of our life.

I love the next verse. That we shall be a tree, not just planted blantly BUT firmly planted. Daddy God wants us to be strong in HIM, stable in HIM. And HE takes reallie reallie good care of us, concealing us under HIS wings, that we'll not wither. Implanting us beside rivers of fresh and flowing water so that we will not dry out. His supplies always flows, never stagnant, never runs out.. always fresh and revitalising!!!

And as we stay in HIM, He'll make us ready! Ready for wot? Ready to allow HIS manifestations, miracles or wot breakthroughs you are hoping for to be unleashed! My project shall be well... things will clarify itself during tutorial tomorrow.

And in season... the harvest shall come! It not only prospers... but the harvest will go beyond.. it will also mature! Daddy God will not only bring us through... HE'll mature us also!

Wot Pastor Prince said is so true... you can read verses over and over again. And everytime you read it, there will still be fresh revelations pouring forth, new bread to feed on!

Daddy and i are one.

On my way to work, was just ruminating on matthew 17:5:

While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, "This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!"

i'm in Christ, and i am His beloved, and Daddy is well-pleased with me. =)

Matthew 6:19-24

Matthew 6:19-21 (Amplified)
Lay Up Treasures in Heaven

- v20. "But gather and heap up and store for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust nor worm consume and destroy, and where thieves do not break through and steal;"

Moth ----> Wicked people (Isaiah 50:9, 51:8)
Worm ----> One of its figurative definitions is disease
Rust ----> The act of corrosion (the idea of consumption)
Thieves ----> This one has to be the devil/s. (notice the plurality)

- v21. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Matthew 6:22-23 (Amplified)
The Lamp of the Body

- v23. "But if your eye is unsound, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the very light in you [your conscience] is darkened, how dense is that darkness!"

Matthew 6:24 (Amplified)
You Cannot Serve God and Riches

- v24. "No one can serve two masters; ... You cannot serve God and mammon (deceitful riches, money, possessions, or whatever is trusted in)."

----------------------
I was thinking why Jesus talks about gathering treasures, then suddenly jumps to talking about having light in your body, then He comes back to money again.

Could it be, that the key to what affects your decision to serve God (and not what you trust in), lies in the fact that there is an absence of light in your conscience?

Psalm 27 (New Living Translation)

A psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation—
so why should I be afraid?
The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger,
so why should I tremble?
2 When evil people come to devour me,
when my enemies and foes attack me,
they will stumble and fall.
3 Though a mighty army surrounds me,
my heart will not be afraid.
Even if I am attacked,
I will remain confident.
4 The one thing I ask of the Lord—
the thing I seek most—
is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
delighting in the Lord’s perfections
and meditating in his Temple.
5 For he will conceal me there when troubles come;
he will hide me in his sanctuary.
He will place me out of reach on a high rock.
6 Then I will hold my head high
above my enemies who surround me.
At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy,
singing and praising the Lord with music.

7 Hear me as I pray, O Lord.
Be merciful and answer me!
8 My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.”
And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”
9 Do not turn your back on me.
Do not reject your servant in anger.
You have always been my helper.
Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me,
O God of my salvation!
10 Even if my father and mother abandon me,
the Lord will hold me close.

11 Teach me how to live, O Lord.
Lead me along the right path,
for my enemies are waiting for me.
12 Do not let me fall into their hands.
For they accuse me of things I’ve never done;
with every breath they threaten me with violence.
13 Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness
while I am here in the land of the living.

14 Wait patiently for the Lord.
Be brave and courageous.
Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.

Matthew 6:5-15 (Pray with Simplicity)

Matthew 6:5-15 (The Message)
Pray with Simplicity

- v14-15. "In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can't get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God's part."

Expressing emotions in the psalms

"The psalms express all levels of friendship with God, One who is in some ways like us and in some ways not. They include trivia as well as profundity, outrage as well as praise. Apparently God is the kind of friend who rewards honesty, for why else would the Bible include the more plaintive psalms? ...

...Psalms includes passages that are angry, whiny, petty, remorseful, explosive, loud, irreverent, and oh so human..." -P.Y.

Matthew 6:1-4 (Do Good to Please God)

Matthew 6:1-4
Do Good to Please God

- v4. "So that your deeds of charity may be in secret; and your Father Who sees in secret will reward you openly."

Everything that Jesus teaches thus far from Matthew 5 onwards somehow or other is related to bringing you to the end of yourself and exposing your self-righteousness...

the tree of life

psalm 1

let God's Words be my muse and let me mull about it over and over in my mind.

Matthew 5:33-48

Matthew 5:48 (The Message)
Love Your Enemies

- v48. "In a word, what I'm saying is, Grow up. You're kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you."

the blessing of being a blessing...

"As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.
They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share,
thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life."
- 1 Tim 6:17-19 (emphasis mine)

Matthew 5:17-32

Matthew 5:17-20 (Amplified)
Christ Fulfills the Law

- v19. "Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."

Jesus brings me to the end of myself.

Matthew 5:21-26 (The Message)
Murder Begins in the Heart

- v22. "...Carelessly call a brother 'idiot!' and you just might find yourself hauled into court. Thoughtlessly yell 'stupid!' at a sister and you are on the brink of hellfire. The simple moral fact is that words kill."

Jesus brings me to the end of myself.

Matthew 5:27-30 (The Message)
Adultery in the Heart

- v28-29. "Your heart can be corrupted by lust even quicker than your body. Those leering looks you think nobody notices—they also corrupt. Let's not pretend this is easier than it really is..."

Jesus brings me to the end of myself.

Matthew 5:31-32 (The Message)
Marriage Is Sacred and Binding

- v31-32. "... Too many of you are using that as a cover for selfishness and whim, pretending to be righteous just because you are 'legal.' Please, no more pretending. If you divorce your wife, you're responsible for making her an adulteress (unless she has already made herself that by sexual promiscuity). And if you marry such a divorced adulteress, you're automatically an adulterer yourself. You can't use legal cover to mask a moral failure."

Jesus brings me to the end of myself.

just as we are...

"...I realised that my image of God,.. determines my degree of honesty in prayer. Do I trust God with my naked self? ...From my side ,the wall seems like self-protection; from God's side it looks like a lack of trust. In either case, the wall will keep us apart until I acknowledge my need and God's surpassing desire to meet it...
...The most important purpose of prayer may be to let our true selves be loved by God..."

10He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who
fear him;
12as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
13As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.
14For he knows our frame;
he remembers that we are dust. -Psalms 103 (ESV)

10 Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. 12 But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” 13 And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.
14 But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.”
15 The Lord then answered him and said, “Hypocrite![a] Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? 16 So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?” 17 And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.
Luke 13:10-17

Matthew 5:13-16 (Believers Are Salt and Light)

Matthew 5:13-16
Believers Are Salt and Light

MSG v13. "Let me tell you why you are here. You're here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness?

AMP v16. "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in heaven."

MSG v16. "Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven."

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A sister told me last night that the Beatitudes (Matt 5:1-12) can be seen as "Be-Attitudes".

Jesus begins His first teaching by focusing on your mind, your attitudes and your thinking. Isn't He kind to reveal to you the rewards of heaven if you so choose to follow them? Only after that He goes on to talk about your purpose on Earth and your "good works" (NKJV v16.).

Today is another new beginning. Today I make a stand to end my double life.

the king stooped for his beloved

zephaniah 3, isaiah 57, hosea 11

hosea 11:4
I drew them with gentle cords,
With bands of love,
And I was to them as those who take the yoke from their neck.
I stooped and fed them.


God is a father to us, who does not stand on the high pedestal waiting for us to jump up to his level. the king of kings, stoops down to our level and feeds us, bringing us up to a higher level. let's also lay down our pride and self righteousness-es, humble ourselves and cast all our cares upon Him and be fed with heaven's best.

Prayer is a rest!

"Too often we think of prayer as a serious chore... must be scheduled around other pressing activities. We miss the point...

"God is inviting us to take a break, to play truant. We can stop doing all those important things we have to do in our capacity as god, and leave it to Him to be God." - Simon Tugwell

Prayer allows me to admit my failures, weaknesses, and limitations
to the One who responds to human vulnerability with infinite mercy." - Philip Yancey

Joining The Stream

Decided from yesterday onwards to read "Prayer" by Philip Yancey all over again... and to pray to Daddy God as I read each chapter every day... and it was good...

Philip was at the source of a stream on top of a mountain, seeing how the stream is formed, joining with other rivulets and flowing downhill.

...thinking about prayer, most of the time I get the direction wrong. I start downstream with my own concerns and bring them to God. I inform God as if God did not already know. I plead with God, as if hoping... to overcome divine reluctance. Instead, I should start upstream where the flow begins.

When I shift direction, I realised that God already cares about my concerns...more than I do. Grace, like water, desends to the lowest part. Streams of mercy flow. I begin with God, who bears primary responsibility for what happens on earth, and ask what part I can play in God's work on earth...

With this new starting point in prayer, my perceptions change... Thanksgiving and praise surge up as a natural response, not an obligation.

Indeed, as i tried this, "thanksgiving and praise surged up" from within me. hee.

"as a father carries his son"

This verse encourage me today... Context: Moses was telling the Israelites not to be afraid of the giants that inhabit the promised land.

"Then I said to you, 'Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. The LORD your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, and in the desert. Then you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.' " - Deuteronomy 1:29-31

Matthew 5:1-12 (The Beatitudes)

Matthew 5:1-12
(The Beatitudes)

Jesus' FIRST teaching. And I'm gonna share using the NKJV, Amplified and The Message.

My lecture notes says:
First we have the beatitudes, which lay out a series of ways in which people find blessedness or happiness, that is, they receive the divine favour. Included among these are a blessing on those who hunger and thirst after righteousness (5.6) and those who are persecuted for righteousness sake (5.10).

My lecture notes actually talk about receiving DIVINE FAVOUR!!!! Can you believe it?!?

- v3.
AMP "Blessed (happy, to be envied, and spiritually prosperous-- with life-joy and satisfaction in
God's favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the poor in spirit
(the humble, who rate themselves insignificant), for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven!"

MSG "You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more
of God and his rule."

-v4.
NKJV "Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted."

MSG "You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can
you be embraced by the One most dear to you."

-v5.
AMP "Blessed (happy, blithesome, joyous, spiritually prosperous-- with life-joy and satisfaction
in God's favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the meek (the
mild, patient, long-suffering), for they shall inherit the earth!"

MSG "You're blessed when you're content with just who you are—no more, no less. That's
themoment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought."

-v8.
NKJV "Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God."

MSG "You're blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put
right. Then you can see God in the outside world."

-v10-12. (The Message)
10"You're blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God's kingdom.

11-12"Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don't like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.

--------------------------------------------

I feel extremely gloomy today. That is because I have been corrected yet again by Daddy. You know that kind of feeling when after reading or hearing the Word, your whole heart gets arrested and you know that you know that you know that it is telling you to repent, and there is no way you can try to reason yourself out of it...

Matthew 4:18-25

Matthew 4:18-22 (Amplified)
(Four Fishermen Called as Disciples)

- v.19 "And He said to them, Come after Me [as disciples--letting Me be your Guide], follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men!"

- v.20 "At once they left their nets and became His disciples [sided with His party and followed Him]."

From my lecture notes:

The most common designation for those who follow Jesus in Matthew’s gospel is mathêtês (disciple), someone who learns from Jesus (and this has often been called “the Teacher’s Gospel”). Another important term for the Gospel writer is the verb, ‘to follow’. The most important thing for the church to do, according to the ending, is to make disciples who will be taught to obey all that Jesus has commanded.

--------------------------------
Matthew 4:23-25
(Jesus Heals a Great Multitude)

- v.23 "And He went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the good news (Gospel) of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every weakness and infirmity among the people."

- v.24 "So the report of Him spread throughout all Syria, and they brought Him all who were sick, those afflicted with various diseases and torments, those under the power of demons, and epileptics, and paralyzed people, and He healed them."

Ever wondered why Jesus didn't just start healing people after He was baptised? He gathered the disciples first ( 4 disciples + Him = 5 ).

After that, He preached the gospel. Then the first thing He did for people was to heal them, every one of them.

I asked Coach Sian Hwa yesterday why the need to mention all sorts of different medical conditions. Coach told me that it was to emphasise that Jesus will heal you of EVERY affliction - during that time, they had Epileptics (those afflicted with leprosy), today we have cancer patients. And Jesus has already shown through many testimonies that He heals cancer too!

Matthew 4:12-17 (Jesus Begins His Gallilean Ministry)

Matthew 4:12-17
(Jesus Begins His Gallilean Ministry)

- v17. “...Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

This phrase just keeps arresting me, especially since John the Baptist just mentioned it earlier in Matthew 3:1.

Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand...
Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand...
Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

It just has a very doomsday connotation to it. I feel sin-conscious and condemned.

Then the Spirit spoke, "Repent, change your mind about your condemnation, because now you have access to the kingdom of God, you have access to righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17). So you are now able to get out of your condemnation!"

faith like a child

Romans 8:37
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

ever wondered what being "more than conquerors" means to you?

the International Children's Bible brings it out so powerfully:

But in all these things we have full victory through God who showed His love for us.

theres psalm-thing about psalms

psalms 22- 24

The Lord is selene's Shepherd, selene is not in lack
selene lies down in fresh grass and is led beside waters of rest
selene's soul is restored in the paths of righteousness

painting now, pictures of this tranquil rest i have in Jesus that does not change even when circumstances do.

...

read 1Tim 3 "Overseers and Deacons".
read Exo16 "Manna and Quail.".. then John6 again...

The vine and the branches.

Alrighie.. mulan is here.. FINALLY to start her little sharing to her beloved CG... our arrow family! Just to share wot I caught today. Went to ops servers meeting today expecting Sam Chan to share about planetshakers' concert but left the place, being renewed again on wot it's like to serve, with thy heart, flowing with Daddy God and not be focused on how much my ability can bring me to bring order during every arrow services...

This verse caught me (and I guess it does sound familar to many of u...)

JOhn15:5...
I am the vine; you ARE the branches. If a man (replace it with ur name) remains in me and I in Him (replace it with ur name), he (michelle) will bear MUCH fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

Replace the relevant parts with ur name, and let this be personal to you! HIS words are FOR you... and HIS words shall prosper you!

When Sam was sharing this, my first thought was.. cheh! I knew this already! But Daddy God brought me to remembrance to read this verse AGAIN and AGAIN. Very often a times, we just glance through verses which we have read before and simply forget about it.

Verses u read the first time--> they became the seed
Very often you will catch a revelation---> and the seed is implanted in ur heart (the soil).
Meditate and talk it out ---> watering the seed.

But do you know if u read the same verse again and open up ur heart(the soil) to hear, it's also watering the seed?

What happens when u water the seed? It germinates (which may not be a physically visible growth at times) BUT ULTIMATELY, it shall grow into a seedling, then a tree with branches where it's roots comes from the word... and the word is Daddy God!

Which is why in Psalms 1, it mentions..
... on his law he meditates day and night
He is like a tree planted by streams of water
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.

Speak it out, read verses again and again... constantly allow the seed to be watered!
You'll feel that the word is sinking deeper and deeper into ur heart!

Another thing which appeared to me was the illustration of the tree, with branches whose leaves does not wither.

A tree supports a wide ecology of life! (Birds, insects... even other plants!)

What does that say of us?

In psalms 1(previously) it mentions we are like a tree. That means, as we prosper, so shall those who are around us, coz we are the tree which brings support to the other lives around us!

Heez.. hallelujah... as we prosper, we shall be a blessing! That shook me up! Coz I began to realise how important it is to feed on HIS word then serve. For the past few months, I've been giving and giving, serving and serving... and I forgot the need to give priority to HIS words and simply receive. I became drained out and I even thought of leaving RSM!!!

How can I continue to be a blessing when I did not receive from my source? How can I grow and bless others when I forget to spend time with Daddy God and lean on Him? Needless to say, flow with HIM and reach out to the youths?

Jesus is my source!
My faith from HIM, my desire from HIM.
MYself, I'll strive. MYself, I can't.

It's awesome to be renewed... renewed in my thinking! And I'm excited to be rejuvenated by Daddy God to desire to hear and read the bible all over again and discover more hidden treasures!

Aren't you excited too? Heez... it's a fascinating journey with Daddy God. Sailing through... ever soaring... like the eagles, up high!

Shalom.... =)

Zelophehad's Daughters

Who are they? See Numbers 27:1-11. Their father died and he had no sons. Therefore Zelophehad's inheritence was divided among his relatives (he had five daughters but it wasn't customary for daughters to receive any inheritance at that time). However they were bold in asking Moses for their father's inheritance and God allow them to receive it.

What I learn from this is that, the daughters were bold in asking for their inheritance even though they weren't entitled any and God was willing to listen to them and answered their request.

This verse was brought to mind...
"Let us approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." - Hebrews 4:16

finally i can post something... lol

read 1Tim2...
a reminder for me to interceed and thank God for "everyone-- for kings and all those in authority "...
was pondering over "i do not permit a women to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent".. . checked around and found a few possible explainations...but wat is NCC's stand on this?

read Exo15 "The song of Moses and Miriam"
This is after God parted the red sea delivered them from the Egyptians.

"Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song this to the LORD...... "

"...the people of Canaan will melt away; terror and dread will fall upon them..."-v15

how quickly the Israelites forgotten wat they sang abt and wat God did as they gave a bad report of the land of Canaan in Num13...
the same happens to me most of the time.. haha... hence the importance of daily quiet time with God.... to remind myself of how great He is and build a big of conscience of Him.

a nice story abt a muslim who found Christ...

Matthew 4:1-11 (Satan Tempts Jesus)

Matthew 4:1-11
(Satan Tempts Jesus)

- v5-7. Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:

‘ He shall give His angels charge over you,’
and,
‘ In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’”

Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’”

Eh... i never realised that the devil actually tempted Jesus by throwing scripture at Him too! I always thought he just said, "throw yourself down and angels will catch you".

So that means the devil knows the Bible as much as we do. And if we don't get the Word right, or don't listen to the Holy Spirit (Who will teach us all things - John 14:26), the devil can actually use God's Word against us!! So could this be one of the reasons why some Christians end up believing the wrong things? Partly because they have been misled by the devil too?

Now, this is scary. That's why Pastor always says which church you go to and who you follow is critical because as the head goes, so goes the body. Follow the wrong head, and your one chance at life is wasted. Pray for your leaders. I am so blessed and grateful that God led me here to this church, to reign in life (Romans 5:17)!

There's no nugget too small from God-

(ok the word nugget is getting to me, after sum's innocently hilarious sharing.)

I love The Message version of Philippians 4:6!

Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

let His praise be continually on our lips, just as david had. don't worry your life away, dearly beloved child of God!

Psalms 103:1 - 3

Was down with flu, then this verse keeps popping up.

1 Bless the LORD, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
2 Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
3 Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,


Psalms 103:1 - 3

Matthew 3

Matthew 3:1-12 (Amplified)
(John The Baptist Prepares The Way)

- v8. "Bring forth fruit that is consistent with repentance [let your lives prove your change of heart];"

Matthew 3:13-17 (Amplified)
(John Baptises Jesus)

-v15. "...Permit it just now; for this is the fitting way for [both of] us to fulfill all righteousness [that is, to perform completely whatever is right]."

This is the FIRST time Jesus appears in person (as an adult) in the Bible, and these are His FIRST words in Matthew (and the New Testament), and He talks about "fulfill(ing) all righteousness".

I went back to my lecture notes again, and it talks about the "Fulfillment Theme" in Matthew:

The Fulfillment Theme

The central theme of Matthew’s gospel, according to France, is that of fulfillment. This is seen in the repeated use of formula quotations: ‘this was to fulfill…’ (cf. 1.22-23; 2.15,17-18,23; 4.14-16; 8.17; 12.17-21; 13.35; 21.4-5; 27.9,10; see also 13.14; 26.54,56).

....

When Jesus comes to John the Baptist for baptism, John is at first reluctant to baptise Jesus. But Jesus persuades him that it is necessary in order to "fulfill all righteousness" (3.15). Jesus' teaching is concerned with the fulfilling of all righteousness, but Jesus does not offer teaching that legislates for the details of life, but rather gives broad principles of conduct.

------------

Although in this case, the Amplified Bible gives the impression that righteousness is a "performance", in the Greek Lexicon, it is still the word dikaiosune from dikaios which refers to righteousness as a state of being that is accepted by God.

The word "fulfill" here is the Greek word pleroo, which means:

- to carry into effect, bring to realisation, realise

1. of matters of duty: to perform, execute
2. of sayings, promises, prophecies, to bring to pass, ratify, accomplish
3. to fulfil, i.e. to cause God's will (as made known in the law) to be obeyed as it should be, and God's promises (given through the prophets) to receive fulfilment

Isn't it amazing that the very first thing that Jesus talks about is His fulfillment of ALL righteousness, to let us know that the gift of righteousness that we receive from Him has TOTALLY and PERFECTLY FULFILLED all of God's requirements so that we can have right standing with Him??

AMEN! Why do we seek our own lousy self-righteousness, when we can humble ourselves to receive His perfect righteousness, which is freely given to us as a gift?

Our self-righteousness can make us "feel good", but it cannot cause things to be added to us (Matthew 6:33).

Matthew 2:13-23

Matthew 2:13-15
(The Flight Into Egypt)

- v15. I now know why Herod didn't do the things that any person with common sense would do. He was fulfilling the prophecy of "Out of Egypt I called my Son".

Matthew 2:16-18
(Massacre of the Innocents)

- v18. Yet again Herod was fulfilling prophecy.

Matthew 2:19-23
(The Home in Nazareth)

- v23. This time, Joseph was fulfilling prophecy. All the events that happened had to happen the way they happened because of the need to fulfill prophecy and show to the Jews that Jesus was indeed the Messiah!

Isn't it interesting to note that in v.13, 20, 21, 3 times the word "tenderly" is mentioned in the Amplified Bible.

-v13 "Get Up! [Tenderly] take unto you the young Child and His mother and flee to Egypt..."
-v20 "Rise, [tenderly] take unto you the Child and His mother and go to the land of Israel..."
-v21 "The awoke and arose and [tenderly] took the Child and His mother..."

Despite death breathing down their necks and hunting them down, God is STILL at rest!

His mercies are new every morning

Lamentations 3, particularly
Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
24 “ The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,

“ Therefore I hope in Him!”
25 The LORD is good to those who wait for Him,
To the soul who seeks Him.
26 It is good that one should hope and wait quietly
For the salvation of the LORD.

Proverbs 1-3, particularly
6 Length of days is in her right hand,
In her left hand riches and honor.
17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
And all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are all who retain her.

isaiah 1-3, 37
read about King Hezekiah, it'll bless you

mulling over--> proverbs 3: 16-18

Matthew 2:1-12 (Wise Men from the East)

You know, when you read the Bible with the revelation that every Word is Holy Spirit-inspired, any small detail can speak to you!

Matthew 2:1-12
Wise Men from the East

- v1. "Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king..."

I realised that you can be born at the wrong time in the wrong place, but when God is for you, who can be against you?

Jesus Himself was not born in the most ideal of times; wouldn't it be better for Him to have been born after Herod had died? We might thank God that we weren't born during World War II, or into a not-so-ideal family, but even if you were, what's there to fear if God's hand of protection is upon you? Jesus was only a baby and He was protected!

I'm pondering a few questions from this story:
1) Who are these Wise Men from the East? The Amplified Bible says they are astrologers. From China? And how do they know that the star was a sign for the "King of the Jews"? Does this imply that Judaism was already prevalent in other parts of the world then? And the irony is that these Gentiles are more ONZ than most people in Israel....

2) If Herod already knew that the baby was born in Bethlehem, why didn't he do the search himself? And why couldn't he just get someone to tail the wise men instead of expecting them to come back to him???

God has brought your enemies plot to NOTHING

Nehemiah 1-7 has an interesting account of Nehemiah rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem and it talks about how the enemies plots to detroy the wall came to nothing because God's hands of protection were on them

Zechariah 9- 10. i love Zechariah, lots of imagery and nice word pictures. i particularly love chapters 9 and 10, this is also where you find that you are prisoners of hope (Zechariah 9: 11-12)!

Hebrews 7- 8. you are under a better covenant which God swore to uphold!

i am mulling over this over and over and over again....
i love Psalms too. Psalms 37:4
"Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart"

thats all!

Matthew 1:18-25 (Christ Born of Mary)

Matthew 1:18-25 (Amplified)
Christ Born of Mary

- v21. "... for He will save His people from their sins [that is, prevent them from failing and missing the true end and scope of life, which is God]."

It just sorta hit me that Jesus' main purpose of coming down was not just to wash us clean of our sins and bring us to Heaven. Going to Heaven is only the so-called "by-product".

The main objective of the finished work, the "true END and SCOPE of life", is God. God is the reason and purpose of our everyday living. God is the centre and the totality of our life. And Jesus is the only link that "prevents us from failing and missing" God.

Matthew 1:1-17 (The Genealogy of Jesus Christ)

This is the first day of my commitment to start reading the Bible on a daily basis. Reading as in literally reading it, and not just relying on Pastor Prince's Daily Devotion.

I decided to start reading from the gospels onwards.

Matthew 1:1-17
The Genealogy of Jesus Christ

- v.17 "So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations."

This verse jumped out at me, and I asked the Lord why the need to emphasise 14 generations from Abraham to David, and from David to Babylon and from Babylon to Jesus Christ.

And the Holy Spirit brought me to refer back to my Theology lectures notes (I was studying Theology in NZ when I went for SEP). And it refreshed my memory that:

• The genealogy went back to Abraham to show that Jesus was of Jewish descent
• The genealogy went back to David to show that Jesus was of kingly descent

As for the emphasis on the sets of 14 generations:

14 = 2 x 7.

7 = perfect number/perfection,

Hence 14 = perfection to the power of 2.

My lecture notes stopped there. But the Holy Spirit continued to show me that there were 3 sets of 14 generations.

3 = divine order !!!

Praise the Lord!

The 1st Super Holy Post

Holy Holy Holy is the LORD Almighty....