16 April 2014

We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him (Jesus) the iniquity of us all. [Isaiah 53:6]

15 April 2014

Surely he (Jesus) took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. [Isaiah 53:4-5]

14 April 2014

He (Jesus) was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. [Isaiah 53:3]

Jesus suffered that you may prosper. He took your pain that you may receive His comfort. He was despised that we may be accepted. He was led in low esteem so that God can see us in high esteem.

13 April 2014

Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He (Jesus) grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. [Isaiah 53:1-2]

12 April 2014

Fear the Lord, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing. [Psalm 34:9]

Please don't think of "fear" as "afraid". Jesus defined the fear of the Lord as worship (Deut 6:13, Matthew 4:10). So we can re-read this verse as this: Worship the Lord, you his holy people, for those who worship him lack nothing.

Sing, O barren! Sing! (Isaiah 54:1) Taste and see that the Lord is good! And if you being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more your Heavenly Father gifts good gifts to you, accepted in the Beloved!

11 April 2014

Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; Sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant. [Psalm 135:3]

"I sing because You are good 

I dance because You are good

And I shout because You are good, You are good to me"

These are lyrics to a song, and it is evident that we should praise God with all our hearts because He IS GOOD! 

How has God been good to you? The simple things first and foremost: you have all your senses functioning properly. Isn't that good? You also have food to eat everyday. 

So even if bad times strike, continue praising God because He is good! -Jeanette Lim

16 April 2014: Passion Week Day 1

Riverlife Church Passion Week (Day 1)

Date: 16 April 2014

Speaker: Pastor Joel Baker

Rhema word from the Lord: “It’s Time!”

Time for what:

• New worship (as though Christ the Lord has already returned; physically standing on the stage)
• Honest transparency before the Lord
• It’s going to get messy (out of order)
• Sense of expectation to rise (permission to expect more from God)
• Breaking out a flood of goodness, wholeness, freedom and boldness on part of the body of Christ

Jesus: Prince of Peace (Hebrew “shalom”: wholeness)

Your gates shall be open continually; day and night they shall not be shut, that people may bring to you the wealth of the nations, with their kings led in procession. [Isaiah 60:11]

Believe the supernatural

Passover: entry-level of our relationship with Israel; not just Passover! By faith in Jesus, become part of Israel! Israel’s history becomes our history; Israel’s feasts become our feasts!

DARE NOT BECOME FAMILIAR/APATHETIC WITH THE GOSPEL!

Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent (forceful men, NIV) take it by force. [Matthew 11:11–12]

{indwelling Spirit given to those who believe: new covenant}

11: number of transition (between numbers of perfection, 10 and 12)

So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. [Romans 11:11]

You cannot stay in a season of transition and hope to be fruitful

Jesus is saying to His listeners: It’s time to break out! Things are going to change. The kingdom of heaven is forcefully advancing.

Passion invokes passion. He loved us first that we may love Him today

Prophetic: See what God is doing and do that, see where God is going and go there

Passiveness in the passion of Jesus!? Our passion is God’s reward for His great sacrifice

Expect the end VERY SOON

John: forerunner of Messiah, Jesus: Messiah (Matthew 11:11–12)

MUCH MORE than the greatest of our expectations!

Live prophetically. Live by the Spirit.

I will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob; I will gather the remnant of Israel; I will set them together like sheep in a fold, like a flock in its pasture, a noisy multitude of men. He who opens the breach goes up before them; they break (forerunner) through and pass the gate, going out by it. Their king (the Messiah) passes on before them, the Lord at their head. [Micah 2:11–12]

• Sheep are in fields
• Shepherd takes ample number of stones to make enclosure for sheep
• Forerunner serves as king
• Shepherd removes stones, opens enclosure wide enough for sheep to reach greener grass, crystal clear waters
• Celebrating freedom, liberty, bounty, their inheritance

Jesus: I have set you free!

Passover: season of our liberty

Gap between God and us is fertile ground for our growth in Him. “We’ve got no where else to go, other than You!” When we don’t understand, when God is beyond us, nevertheless, “I’m in love with You, I don’t want it any other way”

Q: In what ways yet do I need to break free?

BLOOD MOON 1: WHAT DOES IT POINT US TOWARD?

And let them be for signs and for seasons [Genesis 1:14]

“And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars…” [Luke 21:25]

‘Zion’: signposted, marked (owned by God, sign pointing beyond itself to God)

Lunar Eclipses:

Roman Year (Gregorian)

2014: 15 April (First Day of Passover) and 8 October (Feast of Tabernacles)

2015: 4 April (First Day of Passover) and 28 September (Feast of Tabernacles)

Same Jewish year: 5775 (perfection {7} ended by grace {5})

2015 Solar Eclipses

20 March: 1^st Nissan, Sacred New Year

13 Sept: Rosh Hashanah (Feast of Tabernacles), Civil New Year (aka Tax Year)

• Reality that God is binding Jew and Gentile together
• Fate of one (Jew) is bound to the other (Gentile)
• Jews + Gentiles = One New Man
• How does that look like? Dunno leh. But it’s going to be glorious!

Physical separation (Jews) affect spiritual separation (church)

Jewish lands became barren; Gospel of the kingdom corrupted

1492 Return of Jews led to reformation and revival of Church

(1) 1499 – 1950: Independence of Israel

(2) 1967 – 1968: 6 Day War

(1) + (2): Israel in War and expands her territory! Leads to the church blessed!

2014/2015 Tetrad: Likely to lead to Israel/Middle Eastern war (Psalm 83), intention that Israel be wiped out as a nation and be remembered no more.

Prayer that millions of Jews/Muslims enter the kingdom!

Jewish/Islam: Ezekiel 37–38 War (Gog and Magog). Israel needs to win a convincing victory over her enemies.

Solar eclipse: In the darkness, we see things that we couldn’t see before (stars in the day). In the darkness, Gods light shines, and we gonna’ participate in God’s activity!

The Road to Tabernacles

Feast of Tabernacle: 7^th (Last) of Jewish feasts in the Jewish year

Feasts are signposts that God will fulfill in Jesus

First 5 Signposts		Second 5 Signposts
1	Pentecost (Acts 2): Gentiles added to God’s programme	10	The Last Revival (John 17:2, Ephesians 2:15)
2	Loss of Jewish roots (2nd century)	9	Saved Remnant of Israel restored, Reconnection with Jewish roots; Recovery of Tabernacles
3	Loss of gifts of the Spirit (3rd century)	8	Gifts of Spirit (1897); Recovery of Pentecost
4	Loss of moves of the Spirit (4th century)	7	1700–1850 Revivals; Recovery of Unleavened Bread
5	Loss of Authority of Word	6	Protestant Reformation: Word Restored; Recovery of Passover (16th century)

Today: Between Signposts 8 (1987) and 9

1987 First Zionist Congress → Pentecostal Revivals

1948 State of Israel Declared → Healing Ministries

1967 Jerusalem Recovered →    Jesus Movement and Charismatic Renewal (most powerful in Catholic church)

1973 Yom Kippur War Miracle → Messianic Movement (Jewish movements)

Conclusion:  Tetrad signifies trouble in Israel to give opportunity for God to save Israel and to bless the Church

2 Kings 22: Parallel between Josiah and the Church now

Josiah: Good king of Judah, last godly king to reign Israel before Nebuchadnezzar. Bold in restoring worship of Yahweh in Spirit and in truth.

The Church now:  Last godly generation before God returns to earth. Stand out of the crowd and boldly declare Jesus.