(Pre 2011)
2. On my routine fast day, heavy workload made me think I need to eat for strength. Recently read somewhere eating fruits does not break the fast. So I was going to eat some fruit to maintain the fast while not be too taxed physically. Then I think to myself, I love fruits. Eating fruits is not sacrifice instead of enjoyable to me. Is that fast? The Spirit says, loving what God loves brings joy. Only when our desires are different from God’s desire, forsaking those things become a sacrifice. The very demands God put on us are also the rewards He gives to those who love His ways. That is why the Law of God is sweet to the righteo us and burdensome to the wicked.
3. God’s love and God’s favor are two different things, yet often people confuse these two as the same. God’s love is unconditional. God decided to love, and he provides for those whom he loves, according to their needs. Yet God’s favor is conditional, and interactive, partially determined by men’s responses. Therefore God gives more to those whom he favors, even to overflow. This overflow is not guaranteed. Because God favors, he may lavish upon the person beyond his provision for other children. This lavish is not given merely based upon the status of being God’s children. Also, the abundance he lavished could be material things, but also could be Spiritual riches that seems a lack in the natural. After all God is lavishing treasure upon us to the same storehouse where He commands us to store our own treasure. I think most prosperity teaching mixes these two.
4. Watching the Gospel of John, was struck by this one verse and pondered:
John 4:2 '(although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples),'
The example set by Jesus: Baptized in water by man (John), then baptized in H.S. although in the same event, still distinct happenings
Mat 3:13 'Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him.' ...Mat 3:16'And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him;' (also Mark 1:9-11, Luke 3:31)
John and Jesus’ statements about baptism: John (men) baptized with water for repentance, Jesus baptizes with H.S. and fire for rebirth
Mat 3:11 'I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.' .... Mat 3:15 'But Jesus answered him, ''Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.'
John 3:5 Jesus answered, ''Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. (also Mark 1:8 )
Apostle’s teaching and experience: both water and H.S.
Act 2:38 'And Peter said to them, ''Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'
Act 8:12 'But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.'
Act 8:16-17 'for he (H.S.) had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.' Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.
Act 10:44 While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. ... Act 10:48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.
Act 19:3'And he said, ''Into what then were you baptized?'' They said, ''Into John's baptism.' Act 19:4 'And Paul said, ''John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, thatis, Jesus.''' Act 19:5 'On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.' Act 19:6 'And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying.'
Rom 6:3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Rom 6:4 'We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.'
So it seems to me that water baptism is men’s responsibility- willing to repent and to die; H.S. baptism is God’s responsibility – willing to save and to give life. Jesus himself took John’s baptism, not to repent of his own sin, but willingly to die for men’s sin. He then received the H.S. from the Father, not for rebirth as men needed, but for the revealing of his life and sonship (the Father was able to announce: this is my beloved son, with whom I amwell pleased). So those who assumes water baptism is all that there is are wrong. Without repentance, water baptism is not a true death. Without the baptism of H.S. one is still not of God. (I'm not talking about when and how these two events happens)
5. I sensed Lord's anger when we started to pray against the homosexual agenda and genetic manipulation of the food. I felt the Lord is angry because all these activities (homosexuality, abortion, genetic manipulation of human and nature...) are Satan's attempt to extinct/defile God's seed. Yes Jesus is THE SEED of woman who crushes the head of THE Serpent. But we are also the seed of woman (woman kind, as well as the revealation Woman) who crushes the heads of the serpents. And we are all God's seed. So the plot to extinct/defile cause the Lord to be very angry for it is very personal to Him. We should know we pray against these evil activities not only for moral reason, but for deeper spiritual reason.
A friend’s response: 'For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rules, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.' The enemy is trying all ways to sabotage the Lord's redemption plan but their efforts will be of no avail in the end. 'For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. '
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