Reading Reflectively to Get Better Understanding Using Proverbs 19:1 as an Example

Reading reflectively, filling in the blanks to get a whole picture will bring you greater understanding and revelation. Let's use Proverbs 19:1 as an example.

Proverbs 19:1
(KJV) Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.

Dropping a Word

Some commentator can't integrate all the ideas together and so he drops some. For example,

 (BBE) Better is the poor man whose ways are upright, than the man of wealth whose ways are twisted.

The 'fool' is dropped as the commentator seems not to be abe to relate wealth and foolishness at the same time. This gives a distorted view. Even if it doesn't make sense to us, it doesn't mean we can take away some words to make it meaningful to us. That is distortion.

All There but is it Complete?

Some commentators got it all together -- So we find: 

(CJB) Better to be poor and live one's life uprightly than engage in crooked speech, for such a one is a fool. 

Or, 

(CEV) It's better to be poor and live right than to be a stupid liar.

But they miss the wealth part. 

Reflectively Fill in the Implied Words.

The author is talking about poor and upright together in the first half of the verse. The 2nd half of the verse, 'perverse lips'  is opposite to the 'walking in integrity".  The first half is poor + integrity. The second should be '?' + perverse, and '?'+fool, with the '?' being the opposite of poor, i.e. rich.

The Better Interpretation:

To fully tied in the whole message, I would suggest a better interpretation as:

(1) It is better to poor and upright than trying to be rich by lying; such an act is foolish.

If we separate the fool and the liar, then I can say,

(2) It is better to be uprightly poor than a rich cheater(one who get rich by illegal means) or a rich fool (one who inherits his wealth and could not keep them but waste them).

Whether (1) or (2) is the correct interpretation can be determined by the context with the subsequent verses. This we will discuss in the next post.

Lessons for Us:

What can we learn from this verse?

1.  Integrity/Honesty/Uprightness is more important than wealth/money.
2. There is nothing with wealth, it is just that you must get it the right way.
   Chinese has a saying, 君子爱财 取之有道 gentleman follows the righteous way to get wealth.
3. Getting wealth by way of cheating/lying/false testimony is not wise but foolish. You either cannot get it or even if you get it, it will not last and you will suffer other consequences. (note: the details are found in the remaining verses of Proverbs 19)

What do you think? Which is the right understanding?

Lim Liat (c) 23 June 2013

Love, Fear Not - Looking Deeper into Love and Fear

The Background

In last week Mandarin service at Petra Church, Ps Moses Largo's sermon was titled "爱，不怕 Love, Fear Not". It so happened that before the service, a FaceBook friend posted "The Three Treasures of Lao Zi". The first of which is Love. Lao Zi in Chapter 67 said that 慈故能勇 "Love enables one to be bold". What an interesting coincidence. It shows the teaching of Ancient Chinese Wisdom matches well with the Bible too.

Back to Moses' sermon. Here are some of the key points that I picked up.

• The most touching part was his sharing of the premature birth of his son and all the challenges, the stresses, the fear, the comforts, the miracles and lessons that he and his wife had to go through.
• Our view of God determines how we act. If we think our God is very strict and unforgiving, then we will live in fear and behave badly. This is the teaching from the servant with one mina who buried it (see Luke 19:11-27). When anything goes wrong, we will think it is God punishing us. Living in fear, we will do as little as possible to get by.
• As an example, breastfeeding of a baby. The lesser the milk, the more stress the mother becomes. The greater the stress, the lesser the milk produced. Fear brings a vicious cycle of defeats. 
• Fear is something we give away our control to. We let fear control us.
• Fear, however, is powerful. It will not just stay we us but will also spread out to those around us, especially our children. 
• Fear is also like a magnet. Fear draws the bad things toward us. Let Job 3, the things that he feared most had happened to him.
• However, we have a choice to make. We can either give our fear to our children or the Words of God to them.
• Seek God first in all our decision making.
• Use LOVE to overcome Fear. 
• However, just receiving love will not remove fears. Fears are overcome by loving others. So go and pray for other people. Go and help others. Love and concern for others will cast out fear.

Fears in the Bible - The right meaning of the Fear of God.

• A typical meaning for Fear is afraid. Fear of sickness, injury, accidents, harms, even of devils etc.
• However, there is another kind of Fear, the good kind, Fear of God. In Chinese, 畏, and usually, 敬畏, is used for the fear of God. 畏 has many meanings, the two key meanings are afraid and respect. We don't fear God because of His punishment but rather because of His love and honour. We fear that we may cause God to lose face when we sin. We do good things not to gain His approval but because we are already approved and hence want to please Him.

Overcoming Fears - Know that You are Not Entitled and yet Securely Loved and Protected

• Apostle John reminded himself as "the disciple Jesus loved" often. Whereas Apostle Peter said he loved Jesus. The one that felt loved was bold to stay with Jesus all the way and be found at the foot of the cross of Jesus. The one who claimed he loved denied Jesus three times. A secured person is bold to help others because he is secured. A person who is a good swimmer is able to jump in the water to save others. A person who is not should not and could not save others.
• Hurt people hurt others. Will loved people love others?
  Apostle John showed us that it was. But Jesus' parable of the Unmerciful Servant (Matthew 18:21-35 - The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant - Bible Gateway) seems to indicate otherwise. It is only when love is truly felt inside that will trigger the boldness to care for others. The unmerciful servant only thought it was by his intelligent plead that go him off his hook and hence did not feel love nor grateful. Giving lots of things, giving a lot of blessings, do not automatically trigger love and boldness. It may just produce spoiled brats like the many stories of the bad behaviour of the rich and famous 2nd and 3rd generation children. They think they are the specially entitled people whereas others are not.
• John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends. Jesus did that for us without us doing anything to earn it. Henceforth, Matthew 10:8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. We are not just saved, but saved for good work to glorify God (Eph 2:8-10). Loving others become a responsibility because we are of our Heavenly Father.

Lim Liat (c) 17 June 2017

Compare by All Means, But Pick the Right Target

The typical advice for happiness is "not to compare with others".  Others suggest that we compare ourselves with those better than us, we will be upset. So, we just compare ourselves with those worse off than us and then we will be happy and we feel blessed. All such pieces of advice are wrong. We are to compare so that we can learn where we stand and make improvements. However, the target of our comparisons must be right. We don't choose those who are better so that we become jealous nor we choose those who are less so that we pride ourselves. Our target must be the specific calling that God want us to be.

Our Target for Comparison

Paul gave us the following verses:

Ephesians 2:10  (NLT) For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Philippians 3:13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

The target gives us a purpose, a meaning and a yardstick for us to steer our course and to check our progress.

It is a Journey with Him

It is not a lonely and tough journey because our Lord Jesus Christ has given us the assurance that He is with us even until the end of the world. (Matthew 28:20 NKJV ... to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. )

It is Not an Exam - There is no failure but a prize waiting.

We don't have to pass an exam. We are starting from the acceptance of God as a child of God. This journey is for us to grow-up to be like Him in our own unique masterpiece created by Him ( Rom 8:29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.)

See also:

• You are a Masterpiece Created in Christ.
• Christian Transformation & Growth -The Unified Model

Lim Liat (c) 7 Jun 2017

Why You Need to Read Multiple Translations of the Bible

While translators of the Bible try their best to make sure their translations convey the right meaning of the original texts, it is inevitable that the translator's biases and opinions are reflected in the translated text. Here are some examples from the Bible.

Genesis 27:39

[KJV] And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above; 

[ESV] Then Isaac his father answered and said to him: “Behold, away from the fatness of the earth shall your dwelling be, and away from the dew of heaven on high. 

We can see that the two translations are opposite in meaning. Why is that so? 

We can look up the translation with strong numbers using KJV+

Gen 27:39  And IsaacH3327 his fatherH1 answeredH6030 and saidH559 untoH413 him, Behold,H2009 thy dwellingH4186 shall beH1961 the fatnessH4480 H4924 of the earth,H776 and of the dewH4480 H2919 of heavenH8064 from above;H4480 H5920 

H4924 is fatness.

H4480 has many meanings:
properly a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses: - above, after, among, at, because of, by (reason of), from (among), in, X neither, X nor, (out) of, over, since, X then, through, X whether, with.

It is either with or away from.

Which one is correct?

We have to go by the context. In this case, it is easy to find out. Because in an earlier verse Gen 27:28 Isaac had blessed Jacob with the blessings of fatness and dew:

[KJV] Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine: 

[ESV]  May God give you of the dew of heaven and of the fatness of the earth and plenty of grain and wine. 

Since that blessing have been given to Jacob, then Esau have to go elsewhere, away from the fatness and dew. So in this particular case, ESV is correct and KJV is wrong.

The implication of this verse is of less important for us since it is meant for Esau. However, there verses that have great implication for us. Below is one.

Joh 15:2  

[KJV] Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away(G142): and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 

[ESV] Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

Here KJV and ESV both agree. However, 

(CBr)  Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit He raiseth [from grovelling on the ground] and every branch that beareth fruit, He cleanseth it, in order that it may bear more fruit. (CBr is Companion Bible Revised, 1909 by E.W. Bullinger)

The issue is the word G142 has different meanings as in:

G142 ah'ee-ro

A primary verb; to lift; by implication to take up or away; figuratively to raise (the voice), keep in suspense (the mind); specifically to sail away (that is, weigh anchor); by Hebraism (compare [H5375]) to expiate sin: - away with, bear (up), carry, lift up, loose, make to doubt, put away, remove, take (away, up).

Which one is the correct one?

Again, we have to go by the context. 

In Joh 15:6  If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away.

In John 15:2, Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, the branch is in Jesus. Such a branch will surely bear fruit (as in John 15:5) but it is not due to the present bad circumstances. It is covered with dirt or blocked from the sunlight. Hence, it must be lifted up, be encouraged, then it can bear fruit. 

We have many verses telling us to watch out for and encourage one another such as 

• Galatians 6:1 Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. 
• 1 Thessalonians 5:11Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

Conclusions:

So, in your reading of the Bible and if you find something that seems incorrect, then look up multiple translations, check the meanings of the original words with a concordance, and most importantly, read the whole context, cross-check from the other books of the Bible.

One More Thing just for fun:

For Chinese, same words with multiple meanings are not rare. We have to determine the right meaning from the context. Here is an examination question from level 10 Chinese.

1. 冬天：能穿多少穿多少； 夏天：能穿多少穿多少。

Winter: wear whatever much you can. Summer: wear whatever much you can.

While the words are the same, in winter it means wear as much as you can whereas in summer, it means to wear a little as possible. For more see https://www.ptt.cc/bbs/joke/M.1374795813.A.715.html

So, when reading the Bible, always read in context so that we don't misunderstand it.

Lim Liat (c) 23 May 2017

How to Control Your Tongue - James 3

In James 3, James said that the tongue could not be tamed. He left a hint that blessings and curses should not come from the same mouth. The solution to controlling the tongue is then about changing the heart. What is within the heart comes out from the mouth is taught by Jesus in Luke 6:45. So, we control our tongue by guarding our heart as in Proverb 4:23. Follow the simple GIGO principle - Garbage In Garbage Out.

The Mindmap for Controlling tongue, with bible references from James 3:1-12. Luke 6:44=45, Pro 4:42-47:

The Takeaway:

1.  Check Our Heart - Our Intention of wanting to be a Teacher:
   Don't be a teacher for the sake of glory and pride. Be a teacher because of your calling where has given you the wisdom and the compassion. Our influence comes not from our talking but more from our behavior. Children copy the behavior and not the mere nagging talks. So we should check ourselves. Are we doing what we preach? Are we able to model the right behavior more than just talking?
2.  The Perfect or Matue Man is One who have Self-Control --- Especially the mouth.
   However, the perfect man could be good or evil! The evil ones know how to 'bless' to manipulative people to get what they want besides knowing how to curse and to bad-mouth others.
3. Power is NOT determined by Size but by Position of Influence.
   The horse bit, the ship rudder, the forest fires are all under the control of something that is much smaller in size. But they are in the positions of great influence. Where you stand, what you stand for, your integrity, your position are not determined by your external size but by what is inside you.
4. The tongue is Most Powerful.
   Our influence on others is determined by what we say with the tongue and what we do with our hands and feet. Speaking is much easier than doing. Influence begins with what we say. Check our speeches. Do we gossip? Do we bad-mouth others? Do we discourage others? Are our speech comforting, guiding, encouraging, correcting? We can and must follow up our speech with our actions. Our actions that reinforce our speech will bring about greater influence.
5. How to tame the tongue?
   James says how can a spring bring forth both fresh and salt water James 3:11.  It cannot. So to change the output of the tongue, we must change the inside, the heart of the person. Jesus said in Luke 6:45 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.  So we much heed the advice of Proverb 4:23 Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.  We must be careful of what we take in, our seeing, hearing, touching, smelling and eating, Then we can control the tongue and feet. 
• talk - 24 Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you.
• see -  25 Let your eyes look ... straight before you.
• think before doing - 26  Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. 
• Stay Right - 27 Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.

Guard our input to control our output. That's the simple formula GIGO that we learn from the computer school.

Lim Liat (c) 19 May 2017

Reflect & Change God Wants You to Celebrate - Isaiah 55

Are what you are doing bringing you satisfaction?If not, learn about and from God. God is waiting with opened arms to receive you back to Him and to celebrate everlasting life with you. Why wait anymore?

Bible Reference: Isaiah 55.

The mindmap:


The Content:

• It is Freely Given
• necessities of living are abundantly provided
• Isa 55:1 “Come, everyone who thirsts or has no money, just take and eat!The wine and milk are free.
• Reflect on Your Life
• Isa 55:2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not nourishment, and work for that which does not satisfy?
  ---Think carefully, what does all your hard work bring you?
  A Taiwanese pastor wrote a book about "So poor that all you have is money." You lost your health, family, relationships, etc.

• Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, delight yourselves in nourishment.
  ---Learn the wisdom from God to know what is right & good for you.

• Get Wisdom
• Isa 55:3 Come & listen to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.
  ---God is inviting you to have an everlasting relationship with Him.

• Know Him
• Isa 55:4  Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples.
  ---Jesus came to share the good news and died for our redemption and resurrected to give us new lives with Him.

• God' Glorify Him
• Isa 55:5  Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know, and a nation that did not know you shall run to you, because of the LORD your God, and of the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you.
  ---John Piper said, "God is most glorified when you are most satisfy with Him". God's glory is revealed through you ... God glorifies you as His testimony of His glory.

• Seek God NOW
• Isa 55:6  “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near;
  ---Not that God will run away but rather Our Time on earth will flee quickly and then we will too late to seek Him.

• Repent & Be Forgiven
• Isa 55:7 let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
• let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
  ---It is never too late to return to God. God is like the prodigal son's father, waiting with open arms to receive you back to Him.

• God's Wisdom is Higher than Man's
• Isa 55:8-9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are God's ways & thoughts than yours.
  ---Too amazing to be true? That is precisely true for His thoughts and actions are way above ours.

• God's Good Purpose will be fulfilled
• Isa 55:10  “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
  ---Nothing can stop God from saving You. God's purpose is to bless you to bless others as well that all may be restored and be well.

• Isa 55:11 God's spoken Words shall not return empty, but it shall accomplish His purpose on the thing.
  ---- God's will for you will be accomplished. --- Repent & Go back to Him 55:7

• Celebration of Eternal Joy
• Isa 55:12  “For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. ---When men are saved, the environment will be too with rejoicing. Rom 8:19-21... that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 

• Isa 55:13  Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall make a name for the LORD, an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”---Curses and Mourning turn to everlasting blessing and joy.

 What are you waiting for? Come back to God.

Lim Liat (c) 13 May 2017

Have Wisdom & You Have All

Do you want to have honors and long life? Do you want happiness and protection? There is the only thing you need to seek --- Wisdom. Wisdom is the Father's Words. Proverb 4.

Here is the mind-map of Proverbs 4.


The steps are simple. Find the Father's Words, listen, see, talk, and walk in them. We are easily distracted, so we need to hold on to them, remember them, stay focused, guard the inputs to our hearts, and most importantly stay away from evil and wickedness.

The benefits are the by-products of our walk in and with God. Do not fall into the trap of making the benefits our gods or our idols.

What is God's Words for you today? Meditate and Walk in them.

For more on the wisdom of Proverbs see Wisdom of Proverbs by Topics

Lim Liat (c) 12 May 2017

Is God fair? Why should we suffered because of Adam's Sin?

When one of our loved ones passed away, or when we get sick and suffer much, we would like to question God's fairness. Why should we suffer because of Adam's sin? If only Adam sinned not, we will all be having a great time in heaven instead of suffering here on earth.

The first answer we get is, "It is not about fairness, life is about facing the reality, and life is not fair". Just accept the reality and try to make the very best out of it. Even the Bible says so. See Ecc 11:9  Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thy heart, and in the sight of thine eyes; but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.  There is only one consideration, the judgment after dead. So, within the boundary, live life to the maximum is the advice.

How can we be sure that we can pass through the judgment of God? Religions have all kinds of ways to tell you how to do that. But none of them can be sure that they can pass God's judgment. Man creates special ways of accounting like an arithmetic formula, make sure your good works is greater than your sins in the final sum. Sometimes you can do arithmetic like in the case of stealing from a friend, you can try to compensate him more than what you take. However, many things could not be measured and weighted, such as emotional hurts, bodily harms, etc. How much is a life worth?

God's created universe works on orderliness such that our Science can discover the various Scientific Laws whereby we create lots of technologies that make our lives better and may be more dangerous. God's cannot violate His own laws not be unfaithful to Himself. God's original intention was not for men to suffer nor die. But our ancestors sinned and we carried over their sins to the present. However, God's original plan is not defeated. God, Himself provides a way of escape and restoration for men. In fact, restoring men to a much much better state than our ancestors. Let's look at the Bible verses:

• Rom 5:17  For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. 
• Rom 5:18  Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 

So, God is fair when He provides a way whereby men can be restored back to God. God is more than fair when the restoration is much more than the original men's state. 

The righteousness is a free gift that men did nothing to gain. It is all done by Jesus Christ. All we need to do is to accept this free gift.

Adam was created in the image of God. Through Jesus, men now can become children of God. We become of God and God's nature is in us. A much higher and honorable state than Adam's. 

• Rom_8:16  The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
• Rom_8:21  that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
• 1Jn_3:1  See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

The unfair thing is then ourselves. We will be unfair to ourselves if we refuse this free gift of righteousness from God through Jesus Christ.  Choose life, choose freedom, choose righteousness, choose eternal life... receive Jesus as the Son of God to bring us into His family as we become children of His.

Lim Liat (c) 11 May 2017

On God's Mission - The Path, the Warnings & the Blessings

When we are led by God to start a new work, here are some assurances and guides that we must follow. Distraction, losing focus, deviation from original goals are dangers to watch out for. There are blessings despite the challenges throughout and an eventual home.

Bible Reference: Exodus 23:20-33

Here is the mindmap of the passage:


1. The Right Path to Take:

• God goes before you. God sent His angels to prepare the way for you.
• Listen Carefully.
• Obey His instructions.
• Success is assured. Lose not hope when we encounter challenges and obstacles.
• Incremental Changes. Changes happening one step at a time enables us to learn. Trust God in His timing. He is never too late nor too slow. We need to be patience. The slow progress is actually for our benefits.
• Your Promised Home. We shall accomplish the work that the Lord has given to us.

2. The Danger to Watch out for:

• Lose Not Your Focus on God. It is easy to be distracted.
• Be Faithful to God. Forget not the original mission. There are difficulties to cause us to lose hope. There are complexities to confuse us. There are temptations, seemingly good things, to attract us away from God.
• Be Faithful to God Only. Trust God no matter what. 
• Keep going with the original mission. Methods may change but the objective remains. We need to adapt to the situations we face. But keep the objectives and follow the righteous Words of God.

3. The Blessings Accompanying Us all the Way:

• God will be an enemy to our enemies.
• God will bless our bread and our water,
• God will take sickness away from among us.
• None shall miscarry or be barren in our land;
• God will fulfill the number of our days.
• God will send terror before us and confuse our enemy and make them run away.
• God will send hornets before us, which shall drive out the enemies. 

Be encouraged in your work for the Lord.

• Galatians 6:9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
• Philippians 4:19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Lim Liat (c) 10 May 2017

You are in the Great Union of God filled with His Love to Show the World

Jesus' prayer recorded in John 17 is most amazing. Here the part that speaks of our oneness with God.

• Joh 17:20  “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 
• We, who believe in His disciples' words of Jesus, are included in Jesus' prayer. 
• Joh 17:21  that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 
• We are to be One, as close as Jesus and the Father. 
• Jesus and the Father are in each other, totally immersed in each other. We are to be like that.
• Our Oneness becomes the testimony that Jesus is from God! Jesus said it earlier in:
• John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you: that ye love one another, as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples: if ye have love one for another.”
• Our love for one another, our oneness, is the key for people to know we are Christ's.
• There is more....
• Joh 17:22  The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 
• We have this glory that the Father had given to Jesus because Jesus had passed it to us.
• This glory enables us to be one. Our oneness also gives forth this glory that attracts attention. 
• Joh 17:23  I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. 
• We all become perfectly one because Christ, the Father and we are all together in a union!
• The triune God is the perfect union of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And now the Son brings us into this union with them. This is really amazing. We are in and of God and God is in us too. 
• As a side note, love about the relationship between at least two separate identities. If God is just alone, how does He know about love? Because our God is a trinity, a perfect union of three personalities, we know God is Love.
• Jesus emphasized this perfect love also includes us. The Father love us as much as He loves Jesus. 
• This oneness of us with God is not easy to understand and grasp. Even Paul tried very hard to explain it and yet still not as close as what Jesus prayed. Paul said Jesus is the Head of the Body. The body that is made up of His church. In Ephesians, he uses the metaphor of a building.
• Eph 2:18  For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. Eph 2:19  So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, Eph 2:20  built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, Eph 2:21  in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. Eph 2:22  In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. 

We are so loved by the Father that He is willing to be in union with us, with His Son and the Holy Spirit. His glory is given to us. We are to live out this unity and glory so that the world may come to know Him. Speak of His love for us. Show forth His glory and power for us. Be joyful. Be helpful. Be hopeful. We are a different kind of people, of God's kind.

May we spend time meditating on this Oneness with God.

Lim Liat (c) 9 May 2017

Manage Your Emotion to Good Health

Our emotions and our thoughts affect our health. Here is a teaching from Proverbs 14:30

• (ASV)  A tranquil heart is the life of the flesh, But envy is the rottenness of the bones.
• (NLT)  A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy is like cancer in the bones.
• (ERV)  Peace of mind makes the body healthy, but jealousy is like a cancer.
• (CEV)  It's healthy to be content, but envy can eat you up.
• (Brenton)  A meek-spirited man is a healer of the heart: but a sensitive heart is a corruption of the bones.

A heart that is at peace and contented leads to good health. It gives life to the body.

A heart that is disturbed, especially, of jealousy, is extremely dangerous as it gives rise to the rottenness of the bones, which many modern translations use the fatal sickness called cancer instead. A doctor thinks otherwise, she considers rottenness of the bones as osteoporosis. The cancerous one in: 

• Proverbs 17:22: A cheerful heart is a good medicine, But a broken spirit drieth up the bones.

A broken spirit, a spirit of depression, self-condemnation, suicidal, have many causes such as being abused emotionally, verbally, physically, sexually or perfectionism.  

In addition, bitterness, anger, unforgiveness are call emotions that disrupt the heart and will lead to sickness.

The lesson learned is to accept ourselves as God has accepted and loved us. Focus on God's love for us. Putting our trust in God's providence and care for us. With the love and power of the Holy Spirit, we forgive others who had harmed or betrayed us. We are content with what the Lord had given and led us. We live the assured hope and joy that God will continue to lead, protect and promote us because we are His children of love. We focus on God and the needs of others, and less on ourselves. Be freed from the bondage of hurt, the needs to be like others, to take revenge, etc. Manage our emotions well. Don't take life too seriously. Have fun. God wants you to be happy and joyful. Trust Him to care for you and your future.

Lim Liat (c) 8 May 2017.

See also Your Healing Prescirption for Today

It is not the Quantity but the right Quality

The Most Important Lesson in life is "Choose right path First before you start running". Find the right question to ask before you give the answer. Else, you may living a life of regrets.

We take a look at Matthew 17:20. There are two groups of translation for this verse.

The Unbelief Group

(KJV)  And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

Also ABP, EMTV, ISV, JUB, LITV, Murdock, MKJV, Niobi SB,  Disciple Bible, Webster, YLT.

The Little Faith Group

(ASV)  And he saith unto them, Because of your little faith: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

Also BBE, CEV, CJB, CBr, ERV, ESV, GNB, NASB, NLT, RV, WNT etc

The key question is "Are both groups saying the same thing?"

My answer is not. "Unbelief" and "Little Faith" are not the same thing. Unbelief is "not even a little", it is nothing. A little faith is at least some belief.

If they are not the same, then which one is right?

Jesus told us the answer. Jesus said if you have faith (the right kind), even as little as a grain of mustard seed (which is very small, about the size of the period in a typical font 12 text), you can move a mountain. So it is not about the amount of faith, but of the right faith, the right belief.

Application:

The application of this wisdom. "not amount but the right kind" is very important. Before you start your journey, you must choose the right route, else, no matter how hard, how fast, how persistent you run, you are not going to get to the destination.

You must ask the right question first, else any of your answers will be wrong. So while you are busy doing your work you may want to pause and ask, "Are we solving the right problem?".

Find out the right thing to do first before you can do the right thing rightly.

All road leads to Roman is not a wise nor a correct statement. Not all the buses at your bus stop will bring you home. The truth is a narrow road in this sense that you must find out and choose rightly.

Joh 14:6  Jesus said to him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but by Me. 

Choose wisely first before you start running.

See also Work Hard or Work Smart to be Successful? Let Sun Zi tells you.

Lim Liat (c) 5 May 2017

Believers, how to respond to your new heart?

All Believers Have a New Heart

In the Old Testament, there was a plan by God to put a new heart in men, in Jeremiah 31:33. The author of Hebrew referred to it again to confirm the fulfillment.

• “I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (Jer. 31:33; cf. Heb. 8:10).

He repeated it again, showing the importance.

• Hebrews 10:16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,”

Hence, all believers in Jesus Christ will be rebirthed with a new heart that makes us very sensitive to right and wrong and the feelings of others. Some describe it as a sharpened conscience. What used to be OK in our past now become not OK! That is a sign of our rebirthed.

Paul puts in very positively as in:

• Ephesians 4:24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Responding to Our New Heart
James teaches us what we should do with our new heart in

• James 1:21 (ASV)  Wherefore putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

With our new sense of right and wrong, the first part is to put away those behaviors that are obviously wrong. The second part is to learn and grow in the knowledge of our sonship and of God. The keywords are:

1. receive 
2. with meekness 
3. the implanted word, 
4. which is able to save your souls.

Every one of us has our own accumulated knowledge and wisdom when we receive Jesus. Now we are to humbly, with an open mind, to listen and learn the new things from the 'implanted' new heart. Our own mind needs to be transformed with the Word of God. The Word of God is able to rebirth us to begin a new kind of life as children of God for us, and also able to continue to save our souls, correcting our wrong thinking of the past and establishing us with the right thinking for our continual growth rightly.

Power of the Implanted Words

• Psa 107:20  He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction. 

The new Words have power, to guide our thinking and also to heal our body. Right thinking brings right behavior and also health, wealth, and reputation too. Health, wealth, and reputation are not the things we sought for, but rather, are the by-products of our seeking and learning of the Lord. Our worship of God in spirit, soul, and body will bring such by-products as in Matthew 6:33 seek ye first the kingdom of God and its righteousness and all these things will be added to you.

Guard Our Mouth 

• Pro 13:3  Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin. 

It is not only what we take in, but also what we speak out that matter, because words have power as in Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

So we do both. Be careful as to what we receive, making sure we receive those that go through the filter of our new heart and also to speak out those that are filtered through our new heart. Then you shall be a good testimony for God as a shining light.

Lim Liat (c) 3 May 2017

Who are you, the believer?

Forget not where, what, who we are and our future too.

We may, at times, forgot about who we, the believers are.  Here are some verses to remind us.

Where are we now?
Col 1:13  He has delivered us
from the domain of darkness and
transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
14  in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

We have moved! We are freed. From the bondage of darkness into His Kingdom of love, of light, of whatever Jesus is. To be doubly sure, Paul repeated twice, redemption first and forgiveness later. We can boldly, freely, and happily be in His Kingdom.

What we are now?
Paul did not stop at our forgiveness. He reminds us of our new state of holiness! Even under the eyes of God, we are blameless. We are above reproach. The devil cannot accuse us anymore. We need not and should not have a guilty conscience. All because Jesus had paid the price for us and clothe us with His righteousness.

Col 1:22  he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death,
in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,

Romans 4:25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

Who are we now?
Col 1:27  To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Galatians 3:26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith,

What is the future for us?
Col 1:27 ... Christ in you, the Hope of Glory.

Our future is the glory of Christ who is in us!

John Piper said that "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him."

We can be most satisfy when we know that God's glory will be revealed through us as well. God shares His glory with us.

Speak life and glory to yourself, to your spirit, soul, and body. May all the sickness or bodily weakness leave you. May your mind be clear and sharp with the wisdom of God. May your spirit to revitalized with energy, peace, and joy of the Lord. Be not downcast but lift up your head because we have the hope of glory in us.

So we are now in His Kingdom; we are righteous; we are His children, and we shall be glorified.

Lim Liat (c) 2 May 2017

The Make-up of A Believer

What is man made of? A typical answer is man is a spirit with a soul living in a body. What then, is the difference between a believer and a non-believer? Here is the answer.

What is man made of?

The common answer is that man is a tripartite being with a spirit, a soul and living in a body. Most people can't differentiate the soul and spirit and they are combined as one. The Chinese use the combination of 灵魂 spirit and soul to refer to a person. 心 heart, representing not just the heart but also of the mind is used to refer to the inner being of man.  But Word of God can differentiate spirit and soul as in Hebrews 4:12 (NET) For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing even to the point of dividing soul from spirit, and joints from marrow; it is able to judge the desires and thoughts of the heart. ©NET

See The Tripartite Man and Salvation of Tripartite Man - The Details

So, we know a man has spirit, soul, and body.

So what is the difference between a believer and a non-believer?
The believer has the Christ in them whereas a non-believer does not.

Colossians 1:27 To them God would make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Jesus told us that in:

Joh 14:19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.
21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

Our body becomes the temple of the Holy Spirit:
1Co 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

Our Response should be:

• Rom 12:1  I appeal to you, therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

We are to be a living, not a dead, sacrifice ---- i.e. putting God's first in our life and not ourselves. This is actually the first 4 commandments of the Ten-commandments.

• Rom 12:2  Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Our past thinking and mindset need to be changed, re-oriented and transformed by the new knowledge of God and His love for us. Putting God as first is opposite to the old life of putting ourselves as first. We need to get to know God, His Love, His Will and His attributes. Let such new knowledge of God changes us. As we stay obedient to His Word and Will and will soon discover that His Will is indeed for our good.

Our living should be as Paul said the same thing in a different way in:

◄ Galatians 2:20 ►I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

So, the key difference between believers and non-believers is simple "Is Christ in You or Not?"

How should the life be different if there is a Christ within?

I need to move over and let Christ take charge. I need to draw from His strength and grace. Drawing comes from spending time with Him in worship, study, and sharing. This is how we build up our inner life. Jesus told us in another way, John 15:1-8 Vine & Fruits - Keys to Success.

Lim Liat (c) 1 May 2017

Update 4 Aug 2025

With the availability of Generative AI, we can get some good answers too. Here is from ChatGPT:

1. Body, Soul, and Spirit – A Biblical Framework

Some Scriptures suggest that we are a three-part being (tripartite):

"May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."
—1 Thessalonians 5:23

So what’s the difference?

---

2. The Body

• What it is: Our physical form—what relates to the world through the five senses.
• Function: Enables interaction with the material world.
• Biblical role: It's a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19–20), meant to be offered to God (Romans 12:1).

---

3. The Soul

• Greek word: psuchē (ψυχή) — where we get the word psyche.
• What it is: The seat of our mind, will, and emotions—your personality, thoughts, desires, and decisions.
• Function:
• Thinks (mind)
• Feels (emotions)
• Chooses (will)
• Biblical examples:
• Psalm 42:11 — “Why are you cast down, O my soul?”
• Matthew 26:38 — Jesus says, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow...”

---

4. The Spirit

• Greek word: pneuma (πνεῦμα)
• What it is: The innermost part of us that connects with God. This is what is "born again" (John 3:6) when we are saved.
• Function:
• Receives revelation, conviction, and communion with God.
• It’s God-conscious, while the soul is self-conscious, and the body is world-conscious.
• Biblical examples:
• Proverbs 20:27 — “The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord.”
• Romans 8:16 — “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”

---

5. Soul vs. Spirit – Key Differences

Aspect	Soul	Spirit
Greek	psuchē	pneuma
Focus	Self	God
Functions	Think, feel, choose	Worship, discern, receive revelation
Connection	Personality, emotions	Spiritual life, connection to God
Can be	Troubled, wounded, restored	Dead or alive (separated or united with God)

---

6. Why This Matters Spiritually

• A person can be soulish but not spiritual—emotional, intelligent, and expressive but not born again.
• Hebrews 4:12 says the Word of God divides soul and spirit, showing they are distinct.
• At salvation, our spirit is made alive (Ephesians 2:1), but our soul must be renewed daily (Romans 12:2), and our body is to be disciplined (1 Corinthians 9:27).

---

In Summary

• Body = Physical world interaction
• Soul = Personality, emotions, intellect, decisions
• Spirit = Connection with God, spiritual awareness

Jesus’ words in Matthew 4:4 remind us: Don’t live just from the soul and body—live from the spirit, nourished by God’s Word.

 

"Believe and Receive" is incomplete - Must Believe Rightly First

Many people are taught to believe and then to receive. There is an unstated condition that determines the outcome. It is basis for the belief must be true and right first. It should be reworded as "Believe rightly first to receive."

Believe and Receive?

The Word of Faith preachers likes to quote the following verses to justify "believe and receive". Just have faith and you shall get whatever you want.

• Mar 11:23  Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. 
• Mar 11:24  Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 

Base on the above 2 verses, they come out with the simple rule of "Ask, Believe, Say, Receive, Done!" for effective prayers of faith. 

They have ignored the preceding verse:

• Mar 11:22  And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. 
• The starting basis for the prayer is God. We must know God and His will first. We know God loves us and want the best for us. However, for most of us, we want to decide what is best for us and just want God to get it for us. God is God and He cannot be manipulated by us. God will grant and allow only whatever is good for us according to His unchanging attributes of love and righteousness. God will do the wrong things nor to do them wrongly just to satisfy our desires.

And also the subsequent verse:

• Mar 11:25  And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” 
• There is a condition here - forgiveness. If we have bitterness against someone in our heart, we must forgive them first to get the answers from God. 
• Many will testify about the power of forgiveness - healings come after they forgive. Unforgiveness is a hindrance to getting our prayers answered.

Increase our Faith!

Because our prayers do not work, many people will tell us that we lack faith. We need to increase our faith. That was exactly what the disciples asked Jesus to do.

• Luk 17:5  The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 
• Luk 17:6  And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. 
• Jesus did not make His answer very explicitly. May be He wanted them to think deeply and to remember it well. It is not your faith that needs to be increased. It is whether you believe rightly. The basis of your faith must be right. Then, even a little of it will accomplish a great thing. The short answer is - it is not about increasing your faith but about believing in the right thing. Superstition is believing in a lie. Not matter how strongly you believe, you are not going to make the lie a truth. If you believe the truth, it will work irrespective of your amount of faith. All the scientific laws work wonders for us without any of our faith.

The Basis of Our Faith in Christ's Completed Work

• Gal 3:13  Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— 
• Gal 3:14  so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.
• The blessing of Abraham is no longer exclusive but is open to all who are willing to receive Jesus by faith.

 Don't Blame God for Our Sins - Temptation & Sin

• Jas 1:13  Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 
• Jas 1:14  But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 
• Jas 1:15  Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully grown, brings forth death. 

Check Our Motives First

• Jas 4:2  You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 
• Jas 4:3  You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 

Summary

When we don't receive the answers to our prayers, we don't try to believe more, to increase our faith, but rather to examine the basis of our faith, the promises of God, the will of God, and check our motives and also to check the hindrances, one of which is unforgiveness. Again, we can easily forgive by our own power. We invite the Holy Spirit to enable us to do that. We cast our cares upon Him. We meditate on His love for us. If we really want to increase our faith, we should ask to increase our trust in His love for us. May we see and taste the goodness of God and put our trust in Him in all that we ask.

Lim Liat (c) 28 Apr 2017

Your Protection in this Uncertain World

In this world of uncertainties, you need an anchor to give you the direction and the rock of ages for your protection. Read and meditate on Ps 91 with the righteousness given by Christ in 1 Cor 1:30 and the promise of life in Proverb 12:28. Be at peace and be filled with the joy of and because of the Lord.

Your Protection Against Anything and Everything - Psalm 91

The business people coined the term VUCA to describe the uncertainties in the world. VUCA stands for Volatility,  Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity. I would just add another D for Deception. The acts of terrorism and the fragile global monetary systems will give anyone nightmares and worries unless one has something that is unshakable. That unshakable foundation is the Lord Jesus Christ and here are the promises given in Ps 91. Just to highlight a few verses below for your meditation and application into your life.

• Psa 91:10  There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. 
• Psa 91:11  For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

Here is the bonus, a mindmap of Psalm 91 that I shared quite some time ago:

The Basis for Our Assurance:

1 Corinthians 1:30  But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

The Outcome of Righteousness:

Pro 12:28  In the way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof there is no death.

Conclusion:

Be at peace and be filled with the joy of and because of the Lord. If you are not at peace, read Psalm 91 again or go through the above mindmap carefully.

Lim Liat (c) 27 Apr 2017

Your Life Expectancy 120 or 80?

Your life expectancy is not 70 nor 80 but should be 120 and that is according to the Bible. Even so, it is more important to know how to live well.

What is our life expectancy?

Many of us will say it is 70 and at most 80, quoting

• Psa 90:10  The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away. 

But it is wrong if you read the verse in its context. The whole psalm 90 is about the short-life under the wrath of God. We are called to live it, though short, meaningfully. See Live Meaningfully - Psalm 90. The preceding and subsequent verses show that clearly:

• Psa 90:9  For all our days pass away under your wrath; we bring our years to an end like a sigh.  
• Psa 90:11  Who considers the power of your anger, and your wrath according to the fear of you? 

Science also tells us that it is wrong. The average life expectancy for Japan is 83.59 years, for Singapore is 83.1 years(Male 80.0, female 86.1 ), and WHO said that for man is about 80 and for woman 85. The life expectancy is increasing over the years.

Biblical Life Expectancy is 120

We have to go all the way back to Genesis to find it.

• Gen_6:3  And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be a hundred and twenty years.

And we have Moses to testify to it in:

• Deu 34:7  Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eye was undimmed, and his vigor unabated. 

Expect a Long and Healthy Life:

There is no point in having a long life if one is not healthy to enjoy the life. Some people would rather commit suicide because of the sickness of pains or immobility.  The Bible wants to emphasize that, as in the case of Moses, it will not just be long but also with vigor and good eye-sight.

If you are sick or weak, then you can base your prayer on this verse and look up the Bible for the healing promises for your recovery. See also Your Healing Prescription for Today, God's Prescription for the Healing of Your Body & ... etc.

Living Meaningfully is more important than living long

Paul says

• Php 1:23  I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 
• Php 1:24  But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 

Since heaven is better for us, God should immediately take us up to Him when we receive Him, but He did not. So, like Paul, if we are still living on earth, there must a purpose for us to accomplish here. Do you know what's the purpose that God has for you? There must be some people that God wants to save them through you. There must be some needs that God wants you, and only you, to provide.

A brother was sharing with me about what abundant life means.

• John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

He says that Christ comes to meet our needs and when our needs are met we can go on to meet His needs. Abundant life is about overflowing life to bless others, to meet the needs of others, who Jesus has identified with. Living life to the full is not just about our own lives but about others too. Because we are rebirthed as children of God with His character of love.

Eventually, 120 years is very Short

We were created not to live a very very long life but rather never to have died at all. Hence, we desire not just to live long but also to live with an eternal perspective. We look forward to meeting all those who have gone earlier than to heaven. With that perspective, may we redeem our time on earth.

May God bless you and keep you with health and purpose.

Lim Liat (c) 26 Apr 2017

Protecting and Increasing the Abundant Life

There are three types of losses that we may encounter in life. Know how to protect against such. Most importantly, know how to increase your abundance.

The Three Types of Losses

In John 10, Jesus compared Himself as the good shepherd versus the devils as thieves.

• (John 10:10) The thief(the devil) comes only

1. To steal and --- your money, possessions ...
2. kill and --- your health, lives,  loved ones ... 
3. destroy. -- your work, career, business, reputation, relationships ...

•  I (Jesus) came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

We must know the source and their methods so that we can prevent such from happening (see Christian Warfare and the Devil's Strategies). However, if the 'thief' is more powerful that you, then you need someone who is greater than the thief. That greater One is Jesus. Not only He can protect you, He can give you more, abundance life. Abundant life is not just in materials possessions, but also in your character and the fruit of His spirit such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, etc(Gal 5:22-23) and more in good health and relationships.

The Ingredient that Gives the Increase

Our warfare is more than just physical (Eph 6:12) so that our flesh is of no help. Spiritual warfare needs to be encountered in the spiritual world with the spiritual weapon. Jesus gives us the secret weapon - His Words.

(John 6:63) It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

Our abundance life begins with knowing and living out His Words. 

Paul makes it even more explicitly, the Word as the sword that can be used to attack the enemy and to destroy the enemy's destructive work, in Eph 6:17 ... and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. ... 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel ...

We are called to pray in the Spirit for fellow believers and to boldly proclaim the Word to the unbelievers that they may be saved from the destruction of the enemy.

Applications:

So, we must study His Words to know His will for us, to obey them, to live them out as testimony and we shall have the abundant life as a natural outcome. We must also pray for one another and boldly proclaim the gospel of good news ---- believe and accept Jesus to receive the rebirth and the abundant life.

Lim Liat (c) 24 April 2017

The Three Keys for Winning

How can we become an overcomer over our enemy or our circumstances? Here are the three keys: start with a right relationship, living it out, and keeping it as top always.

Bible Reference:

Rev 12:11  And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death. 

The Three Keys are:
they overcame him 

1. by the blood of the Lamb 
2. by the word of their testimony; 
3. they loved not their lives unto the death. 

1 The blood of the Lamb - The Children of God with Authority

• Luk 22:20  And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. 

What is this new covenant? Heb 8:7-12.

• Heb 8:10  For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 
• Heb 8:11  And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. 
• Heb 8:12  For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” 

Essentially, it refers to the rebirth of a believer by the Holy Spirit. We become a new creation (2 Cor 5:17). We are children of God (Gal 3:26, Rom 8:16,21, Php 2:15, 1 Jn 3:1,10, 5:2 ). We are blameless(Php_2:15) and righteous (Rom 3:22, 2Cor 5:21). As children of God, we are also given the authority to overcome the sicknesses, evils, and the enemies. Matthew 18:18, Matthew 16:18-19, Mark 6:7, Mark 16:16-19).

2 The word of their testimony - Our Witnessing

The blood is done by Christ. The word of testimony is our response to God's invitation. Our acceptance of His salvation and our obedience to His Lordship. We lived out the new life as Children of God. We share the good news of His salvation through Christ. Our living testimonies bring creditability to our words. We are the salt and the light.

• Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in Heaven.

Our witnessing brings others into the Kingdom of God, snatching back them from the clutches of the enemies. 

3 They loved not their lives unto the death - Our Priority

They valued their relationship with Jesus more than their lives. The most valuable thing that we have is our lives. 

• John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends.

It is about putting God as our highest priority, more than our own lives. It is actually the teaching of the first 4 of the Ten Commandments. What we put our priority, love, and trust on is our god, or rather our idols. Some idols are money, sex, career, wife, or children.

• Matthew 10:37 "Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

So, winners are those who begins with a right relationship with Christ through His blood to become His Children with authority and then living them out with good testimonies that shine out His light and also to always put Christ first instead of our own as a reminder.


Lim Liat (c) 22 Apr 2017