Longing

Hello all

Its finally time for the season





Christmas!!!

What are you longing for this Christmas?

Well, there will be so many that you can expect to get like

1. Presents



2. The Atmosphere

 

3. Holiday 

And will be a lot of things that you are longing

I'm sure how it feels of longing something.

And now, let say if you are in the middle of confusion  and want to find the right direction, will you wait for someone that can direct and lean on?

Thats what Israelites had been longing for!!

From the death of Joshua, God had risen many judges such as Gideon ben Jehoash, Eli, Deborah, and many others, where Israelites betrayed God when the judges died. And after the period of judges, God raised the king for them to lean on!!

King David

God expected the kings to lean more on Him instead of the living people. Otherwise, it can be seen from the case of King Jehoash of Judah.




He was fostered and anointed in 7-year-old by Jehoaida the Priest. Jehoash began his reign and did what is right in the eyes of the Lord when Jehoaida guided him (2 Chronicles 24:2)

Soon after the Jehoaida's death, Jehoash betrayed Lord who anointed him (2 Chronicles 24:17-18).
It was tragic that Jehoash has reigned for 40 years, same as David his predecessor who ended his reign with righteous and full of honors (1 Chronicles 29:28), while Jehoash being killed by his officials (2 Chr 24:25-26)

But, Lord understand that it is hard to lean on Him as He is invisible with physical eyes.

God has promised during the unfortunate period in King Ahaz's  reign, in Isaiah 7:14 where there would be a young woman bear a son, which will be named Immanuel, means God is with us. So the Immanuel will have the same nature like God and His presence will be among the human social life.

Who is the "Immanuel" that has been promised?

Hezekiah, the righteous king who celebrated first Passover since the monarchy period?
Nope, he has fallen into a boastful attitude for his richness (Isaiah 39:1-8)

Josiah, the last righteous king who celebrated biggest Passover in monarchy period?
Nope, he died because of his disobedience of Lord's command (2 Chr 35:22-24)

Then who?

Jesus is the answer!! He has the throne like David of Israel (Isaiah 9:6-7) and has been granted the Lord's authority (Isaiah 53:1-2, Psalms 110:1)

Why did the King of the king came into this world in a usual human form? (Isaiah 53:1-2)

Because, as His title, Immanuel, He wants to always be with us, means feel our joyful and sadness.
Jesus had a usual human lifestyle like attended wedding (John 2:1-11) and mourning (John 11:35).

Israelite were waiting for the messiah from very long time, which has been promised by Him since fallen of Adam and Eve (Gen 3:15). Throughout waiting period, some of them were faithfully waiting while others were desperate and committed to sinful manners, for example worshiping golden calves statue (Ex 32:1-7).

Sadly, after Jesus came, He was rejected and tried to be killed by some of Israelite, while others of them were becoming His faithful follower such as Paul and James.

Paul

And now, we are waiting His second coming, when Jesus will come as a Judge covered with His majesty.

What are we doing during this waiting period? Have we gathered and encouraged each other (Heb 10:24-25) ? Have we love our neighbors, forgiving each other, and working everything with all our heart?

Or even worse, are doing all those things in order to gain reputation instead to glorify His name?

Those are the questions that must be self-answered by me and us.

Jesus, yes it was Him that people are longing for to lean on. He always care of our burden (Matt 11:28-29) and have covered our sinful nature in the eyes of our Father (Rome 3:23-24).

Glory to Christ, the King of all king!!

May you have the meaningful Christmas




Christmas Songs

Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55) - Keith and Kristyn Getty

 

We Are The Reason - Avalon

 

 

Transformers

Hello all, its been very long time since my last post as I was busy for many things

I wanna give thanks to Him as I have been graduated and employed for around 2 months 😁



Well...lets get to the topic




I'm sure that you guys know whats the picture about. Yes, its Bumblebee from Transformers

Transformers is the story of robot which can transform from any electronics (eg. coffee grinder, locker, cars) to robot which is very completely different from appearance and abilities. For example, Bumblebee can transform to Chevrolet Camaro instantly!!

Wait...why am I talking about transformers?

Hmm...first I want to refer to 2 Chronicles 33:1-20

That part of Bible tells us about King Manasseh of Judah, son of Hezekiah the righteous king. However, contrary from his righteous father, he started his reign with did what was evil in the sight of the Lord (v2) by practicing idolatry worship. Even worse, he burned his children as the offering!!!  





Parallel to this reading 2 Kings 21:16 stated that Manasseh shed much of innocent blood in Jerusalem!!! And according to Jewish tradition, he executed Prophet Isaiah!!! From all kings either in Northern and Southern Kingdom of Israel, he was the first king who killed a prophet!! This way would be followed by his heir, Jehoiakim of Judah who executed Uriah the Prophet (Jeremiah 26:23).
Bear in mind that the prophet in Old Testament period has role of Lord's spokesman like Jesus in New Testament (Heb 1:1-2).

But LORD did not give up on rebuking Manasseh. So He let Manasseh to be captured by Assyrians armies and chained to be imprisoned in Babylonians. Well, I am not quite sure how long he was being imprisoned. This fate would be soon experienced by his heirs, Jehoahaz, Jeconiah, and Zedekiah of Judah.

Can you imagine a king,  living in the beautiful palace that has been built by Solomon with all his prosperous wealth and facilities that he could enjoy anytime he want, suddenly captured and imprisoned in a dark room with his hands being chained? That was Manasseh's condition!!
Frustration, despair and willing to commit suicide probably came to his mind.

Illustration of him being captured

However, in v.12 he chose the very wise option, which was humbling himself greatly before God that he knew that his father, Hezekiah, worshiped. Moreover, Manasseh also confessed that the Lord was God after being re-throned in Jerusalem by Him (v.13).






This is not the first case that a bad king sought for His mercy in distress and He helped. The first case was Jehoahaz of Israel when the kingdom was invaded by Syrian. However,the difference is Jehoahaz ben Jehu did not repent afterwards (2 Kings 13:4-6).

Back to Manasseh, after seated back on his throne, he remove and threw away all the idolatry worship instrument from Jerusalem. In addition, he restored the altar of the Lord and gave offerings on it, and he commanded Judah to serve the faithful Lord, the God who granted freedom for Israel from Egypt (v15-16).



Yes, God has transformed him to become the righteous king!!! And he died peacefully like his righteous predecessors. He was the only king that begun bloody and sinful reign, finished his reign with what is righteous in sight of the Lord, contrary with Jehoash and Amaziah of Judah.

Lovely Heavenly Father also applied this transformation in New Testament, to Saul of Tarsus that later changed to be Apostle of Paul. Prior to the transformation, Saul had been so vicious and so enthusiast to persecuted Christ followers (Acts 8:1-3, 22:4-5, 26:9-11). After being transformed, he became the radical apostle to encourage people for following Christ and wrote 14 books in New Testament, that contains many essentials doctrine and teachings in Christianity. He faithfully serve the Lord until he decapitated by Roman Empire (Christian Tradition).


Our Lord is the God that full of anger to the sin and eventually will make the sinners pay for price of their committed sins. Like someone whom you have welcomed to your private house and then he or she create the mess in your personal bedroom, how do you feel?
But He is also the lovely God, he has sent Jesus Christ so that our relationship with Him restored (Rome 6:23-24). Lord has specifically done that to Manasseh and Paul. And through the death and resurrection of Jesus, everyone who believe in that shall not perish.

Lets get back to us...

Manasseh removed all the idols statue and altars from Jerusalem and House of God. 
How about we, the redeemed and living House of God? Our idol may not statue or altars like the ancient times.

What are our idols?



1. Money

 

"For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs" - 1 Tim 6:10 (NIV)


2.  Tasks




"not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching" - Heb. 10:25

If you are asked to go to Church or finishing your to-do-list, what will you choose?

 3. Love




The picture above illustrates Solomon, the righteous king who turned into worshiping idolatry, followed the belief of his wive. Why? Because he loved his unGodly wive more than Lord that he had worshiped and built the temple for!!


How many of us have been slaved by love?
Love is the gift of God. If we don't use it wise, it will become the curse.

(Don't talk about BGR please...😥)

Well there will be a lot of "idols" if you want to list out!!!

We may not completely remove our idols. But, give thanks to Him as He let His Only Son, Jesus to sanctify us by His blood. So that we, sinners, are precious in Lord's eyes.

For me, I am also the one that has been transformed by Him. Well, it is hard to completely leave our "idolatry worship" as we live in this fallen world, where sin is the nature. But remember, as brothers and sisters in Christ, our identity is from Heaven, not world (John 17:16).

So let us ask the guidance of Holy Spirit to lead us walk away from "idolatry worship"

And let us reserve our truest praise and worship to God and God alone.

Amen

P.S. Hopefully I can create the new post about Christmas. Ho..ho..ho..ho