A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver

Proverbs 25:11
11 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.

I have read this proverb many times and I like it a lot. I like it a lot because it not only sounds very poetic, but also paints a beautiful picture. I imagine a big table with a red satin sheet, all kinds of gleaming silver cutlery and golden apples taking centre stage -- a bit Christmasy.

Of course, I like it because it is a wise saying too -- say the right thing at the right time and your hearer is most blessed. How true when counselling a depressed soul.

But this morning (25 November 2008 -- 25:11), after praying in tongues for a while, the Holy Spirit showed me something new about this scripture. It came in a flash the moment I read it. (Praying in the Spirit first really does open up the Scriptures to you!)

I saw in a moment this truth: If you want to have divine fruit in your life, you must speak the rhema word of Christ, resting on the foundation of redemption.

We know that gold in the Bible speaks of divinity and silver, the redemptive work of Christ. A word fitly or aptly spoken is not just any scripture you pick off the Bible, but the scripture the Holy Spirit or the Spirit of Christ speaks to you for your unique situation. Also, our foundation has to be the finished work of Christ -- He has done it all.

So to bear fruit that is of God, speak the word that the Holy Spirit has quickened in your spirit and rest in the finished work of Christ!

'That life is in you!'

John 21:25
25 And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.

When I read this last verse in the book of John, I thought to myself, "Isn't John exaggerating here?" I mean, Jesus earthly ministry only lasted three years. No doubt He accomplished a great deal, but certainly not to the point that if the deeds He did were recorded one by one, "even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written".

But I know that the Holy Spirit, in inspiring the Gospel of John, did not exaggerate or lie. Jesus' life must really have been so full -- of accomplishments, so infinite, that it was just too big to be contained in books.

So I said, "Wow, what a life!" Then, I believe the Spirit said, "That life is in you!" That blew my mind. You mean that perfect, infinite life that is so full of achievements, miracles, power, love and wisdom is in me? Well, isn't Christ in me? (Colossians 1:27) Am I not in Christ? (2 Corinthians 5:17)

This means that all the life and power of Christ to live a life that is so full and so infinite resides in me. Did not Jesus say, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father"?

Son of the Father

Matthew 27:20-22, 26
20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus.
21 The governor answered and said to them, "Which of the two do you want me to release to you?" They said,"Barabbas!"
22 Pilate said to them, "What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" They all said to him, "Let Him be crucified!"…
26 Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.

Barabbas was a rebel, murderer and robber. But he was set free instead of Jesus.

Barabbas is actually a picture of the sinner. Without Christ, we were all once, a Barabbas. We were all rebels, murderers and robbers, if not outwardly, then inwardly. But Christ took our place at the cross, so that we could be set free.

I believe that Barabbas became a believer after he was set free. When he saw Jesus standing there, he must have thought, "This is a holy Man. He is innocent and I am guilty. Yet, because of Him, I am being set free. There is something about this Man. I must know who He is."

Why do I believe that Barabbas became a believer?

Because of his name. Barabbas means "son of (bar) father (abba)". Obviously, his parents did not bother to give him a proper name as every man is a son of his father!

But I believe that in his case, because Jesus took his place, he became a son of not just any earthly father, but our heavenly Abba Father!

John 1:12-13
12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Killing in the name of their god

Religious extremists often kill in the name of their god, thinking that they are doing their god a service. For example, a Muslim extremist might cry, "Allahu akbar!" or "Allah akbar!" (which basically means "God is great") just before he blows himself and others up, or when he has just decapitated a Christian or Jew.

Above: Religious extremists killing in the name of their god.

John 16:2
2 They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service.

Jesus warned His disciples that "the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service". Although He was referring mainly to the religious Jews (such as Saul), who would persecute His disciples and throw them out of the synagogues, I find it interesting that in the post September 11 era, this warning still applies.

What else did Jesus say about these people?

John 16:3
3 And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me.

He said that these people "have not known the Father nor Me".

So if you are a religious extremist and you are reading this, according to Jesus (whom Islam regards as a prophet), you do not know the Father nor do you know Jesus.

The opposite is true

In Christianity, God does not require you to die for Him. However, He requires you to believe that He died for you.

John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son [Jesus Christ], that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Romans 5:8
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

The world hates you

John 15:19-20
19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
20 Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.

As Christians, we are in the world but not of the world. There is a big difference between what is of the world and what is of God and His kingdom. 

For example, the world says, "If you want more money, work harder and save more." But God says, "Tithe and give to others." The world says, "By this age, expect to have this disease." God says, "By Jesus’ stripes you have been healed."

An element of hate in worldly systems

I find it interesting that Jesus said, "The world hates you." To me, this means that it is not just a matter of different systems and beliefs, but that there is also an element of hate for the Christian in the world's systems. In other words, the systems of the world are not designed to love God's people, but to "hate" them, and as Christians, we must bear that in mind when we use the world's systems. [I know that in the context of the verse quoted, Jesus was talking about hate in terms of being persecuted. (Verse 20) But I believe that it goes beyond that.]

Let me illustrate. When you are sick and you go to a hospital for treatment, though the procedures, treatments and policies may have been designed to help you, bear in mind that they are still of the world, and hence there exists an element of hate for the believer.

Am I being extreme here?

Well, doesn't the Bible say that Satan is the god of this world? (2 Corinthians 4:4, KJV) And if he is the god of this world and its systems, surely he does not have your best interests at heart. In fact, his job is to steal, kill and destroy. (John 10:10)

A reminder of sickness

So what is the element of hate in my hospital example?

The element of hate is a consciousness of sickness. As long as you are still going to the doctor, still taking medicine, still undergoing medical procedures, you will have a consciousness of sickness instead of health. Every visit to the doctor or every pill you take is a reminder of sickness, just as every sacrifice in the Old Testament was a reminder of sins. (Hebrews 10:3)

This system of the world keeps you in a consciousness of sickness. Its newspaper reports, magazines, TV programmes and the like make you very conscious of sickness. Singaporeans are thus not health conscious but sickness conscious. Remember that when man first sinned, a new consciousness entered, and from henceforth, all the ill effects of that negative consciousness.

Am I against, doctors, hospitals and medicine? Yes and no. Yes, because there still exists the element of hate. And no, because of obvious reasons, one being that most of us are not at a level of faith where we can confidently exclude doctors and medicine.

Why did Jesus want to be baptised by John the Baptist?

When John the Baptist saw Jesus coming to him, he said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"

Why did John use the words "the Lamb of God"? Why didn't he say, "Behold! The Lion of Judah who takes away the sin of the world"?

It is because the Lamb facet of Jesus speaks of His death. He is the final sacrifice -- the true Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. His one perfect sacrifice brought an end to the repeated animal sacrifices of Judaism, which served to point the Israelites to the true Lamb, who was to come at the appointed time.

What did the people behold?

John said, "Behold!" If you were there at the Jordan river, what would you have beheld?

The baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist.

You would have seen Jesus go into the water of the Jordan river and then rise out of it. What is this a picture of? It is a picture of His death, burial and resurrection. We know that water baptism speaks of our death and burial with Jesus, as well as our resurrection with Him into a new life. (Romans 6:3-11, Colossians 2:11-14, 2 Timothy 2:11)

So today, how do we behold the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world? We remember and meditate on the Lord's death and resurrection for us. And one of the most biblical ways we do that is by partaking of the Holy Communion, for when we partake of the Communion, we proclaim the Lord's death till He comes. (1 Corinthians 11:26)

Jesus was also glorified

Right after Jesus was baptised, the heavens were opened to Him and the Holy Spirit in the likeness of a dove descended and remained on Him. God the Father then spoke audibly, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

This is a picture of the glorification of Jesus. Our Lord wasn't just raised from the dead by the Father. He was also glorified. The Father "seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come". (Ephesians 1:20-21)

To fulfil all righteousness

Now, John's baptism was a baptism for sins. People who came to him to be baptised also confessed their sins. (Matthew 3:5) So why did Jesus go to John to be baptised when He was without sin?

Jesus gave this answer to John, who was puzzled as to why Jesus would want to be baptised by him: "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfil all righteousness." (Matthew 3:15, NIV)

Jesus was not being baptised for His sins, but for the sins of the whole world -- "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." In order for the righteous requirements of the law to be fulfilled, and in order for us to be able to receive freely the gift of righteousness apart from our works, Jesus had to die on the cross for our sins. Hence, He received John's baptism, which is a picture of Him dying for our sins, a most necessary sacrifice to "fulfil all righteousness"! 


Post revelation note:

There is another beholding of our Lord in the Bible. It is found in the Old Testament. I am talking about the bronze serpent on a pole in the wilderness. The Israelites had been bitten by fiery serpents and many were dying. God told Moses to make a bronze serpent and put it on a pole. Those who beheld it instead of their wounds were healed.

The bronze serpent (bronze speaks of judgment and the serpent symbolises the curse) on the pole is a type of Jesus becoming a curse for us on the cross. (More on the bronze serpent on the pole here.) He redeemed us from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13), which includes being redeemed from all kinds of diseases. (Deuteronomy 28:61)

So one is a "wet" beholding while the other is a "dry" beholding, in the sense that one took place in water and the other in the desert under the scorching sun. The "wet" one took away sins while the "dry" one took away diseases.

What is my point? When you take the Holy Communion, there are also two elements to behold. One is the "dry" scorched bread (the matzah bread must be made with burnt marks) for our healing and the other is the "wet" wine for the forgiveness of sins.

So when you hold the bread in your hands, behold Jesus on the pole cursed with your disease. See your disease taken away from you and placed on His body. Surely He has borne your sicknesses and carried your pains. (Isaiah 53:4, YLT) And when you hold the cup of wine in your hands, behold Jesus going into the watery grave of the Jordan river -- behold the Lamb who shed His blood to take away your sins!

The sign of sign and wonder of wonders -- when I survey the wondrous cross

All these thoughts that I am about to share came to me one morning, I believe, by the Spirit.

I woke up early that morning and was unable to go back to sleep. Thoughts were flying across my mind. Not good thoughts -- problems, worries, fears… So I said to myself, "I need to replace these thoughts or I'll go crazy. I need to meditate on something good. I will meditate on the majesty of Christ. He's the best subject to meditate on." That's my way of "beholding" Him.

So which story in the Bible should I meditate on, I asked myself.

The healing of the nobleman's son

I had read the first five chapters of the book of John the night before but nothing got in. So I just decided to recall one thing that Jesus did: The healing of the nobleman’s son in chapter 4.

The healing of the nobleman's son

Jesus was in Galilee when a nobleman from Capernaum came imploring Him to heal his son who was sick at home, actually, at the point of death. I thought about the two things which Jesus said:

John 4:48
48… "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe."

John 4:50
50… "Go your way; your son lives."

I thought to the Lord, "Wow, Jesus, You are so awesome -- just one simple sentence out of your mouth and the life-threatening problem was solved. You didn't even have to go to the man's house to lay hands on his dying son. You only had to speak six words. And those powerful words of yours -- every syllable -- transcended time and space, and blasted resurrection life into the boy. Big problem solved, just like that! No wonder you are God! No question about it! That’s so cool!"

I continued, "You know, for us, we can pray and pray, command and command till the cows come home, confess and confess till we're blue in the face, and the problem still persists! Gosh, how is it You can do it and we can't seem to do it?"

Why did Jesus have all the faith in the universe?

So I wondered why Jesus was so confident that what He said just once would surely come to pass. I mean, how is it that He had all the faith in the universe, not doubting even once?

The answer came in a short while. It was so simple: Because He knew without a doubt that He Himself was going to the cross to die for the sins and the sicknesses of that boy. He was going to die so that that boy could live. He was going to die young at the age of 33, so that that boy could live to a ripe old age, full of years. And as far as Jesus was concerned, His sacrifice was already a done deal. Doesn't the Bible talk about the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world? The cross indeed transcends time and space.

I then said to myself, "Well, if we are going to have any faith to do anything, like pray for healing, we need to have a some degree of revelation that Jesus indeed went to the cross and died for our sins and sicknesses. That has to be our rock-solid foundation for believing for any miracle or blessing."

But how are we going to get that? We weren't there at the cross. It's not fair. We didn't see Him die. All that was more than 2,000 years ago! We live in the here and now.

Then, I thought about the other thing Jesus said: "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe."

Hmmm… Jesus wasn't exactly in a "good mood" if I may put it that way. Yet, He could still perform the miracle. That itself was awesome to me. And isn't what He said so true? Before we can believe, we need to see a sign, and then probably another, and another, just to reconfirm and double-reconfirm! We need to see, hear or feel something. "Show me a sign! Then, I'll believe!" That's our human nature. That's our flesh.

While I was meditating on all this, I wondered how what I was receiving could be linked to the Holy Communion, since I sometimes have to lead the Holy Communion after our department lunch on Tuesdays. We take turns and I don't like to just go through the motion if I can help it. So was there something of value that I could share that would help my colleagues believe?

The elements are your proof

Then, this came to my mind: "The elements you hold in your hand during Communion -- the bread and the wine -- are all the physical evidences you need today. They are the 'signs and wonders' that I went to the cross and died for your sins and sicknesses."

In other words, my friend, when you partake of the Holy Communion, you hold in your hands the "signs and wonders" to help you believe for your miracle. Many of us would prefer God to split the ceiling, descend with lightning and thunder, and speak to us audibly. But that doesn't seem to happen, does it, no matter how much we pray for it!

No, God is telling us that all we need to see, taste, touch and smell are the bread and wine. So partake seeing and believing, and "Go your way".

Go and live!

What does "Go your way mean"? Go! Live out the dreams that God has birthed in your heart. Go! and enjoy life. Go! and do what you have always wanted to do. Go your way! Why can you do that? Because "your son shall live". That near-death situation in your life shall have life!

Here's one last thought: You know, that man could have gone shopping in Galilee or had St Peter's fish for lunch at a nice restaurant. Why not? His son was already healed the moment Jesus spoke those words. He didn't have to worry about it. The Bible says that "the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way". So if you believe, you will go your way. You will not argue, reason and question -- "but… but… but…" -- till you are paralysed by analyses. No, you will go your way. So go! Having partaken, having seen, having believed, go and live life to the fullest for the glory of God!