And the God of Israel will be your rear guard

Isaiah 52:12
For you shall not go out with haste,
Nor go by flight;
For the Lord will go before you,
And the God of Israel will be your rear guard.


The Lord has and will prepare us before we go out on His Mission. Our past will always be with us, but He knows all about us and have forgiven us when we accept Him. That is why He gives us the assurance, but that only works when we have faith in Him, including that we are truly forgiven by Him. Then as we go out in His timing, and according to His will and direction, as guided by the Holy Spirit. He will be our "rear guard". Is there anything more comforting than knowing that God is watching our back? That is the best assurance that anyone can ever have.

All my springs are in you

Psalm 87:7
Both the singers and the players on instruments say, “All my springs are in you.”

God does not mend or patches our virtues. When we accepted Him as Lord, He gives us a new set of virtues, He transforms us. Our new man is supposed to replace the old man, not trying to fix the old man. But as we still live in a sinful world, with the old body, we need to let the new man in us take over. With this new man, our dependence on self is gone as we now learn to depend on God. The virtues would not be something that we develop, but will be the virtues of Yshua embedded in us. It does not force us or control us, so we must learn to yield to the new virtues.

From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more

John 6:66
From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.

Yshua's teachings are pretty high and hard to follow. If the Old Testament teachings seem hard, Yshua's teachings are even harder and goes against our natural inclinations. Where the Old Testament says "an eye for an eye", the New Testament says "when someone slaps you on one cheek, turn and give him the other cheek to slap". Many who have heard His teachings turned away, despite the miracles they witnessed. Truly this needs supernatural help, from the Holy Spirit, to keep us on track. A commentator advised that when God's instructions clashes with our own will or desires, don't spend time debating or contemplating at all. Doing so will make us think of our rights and our interests, eventually leading us down a path opposite and away from God.

unless you are converted...., you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven

Matthew 18:3
and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

When we are first converted, most of us come to the Throne of God as little children, in submission of our will, even in if that is just temporary. We must keep being converted in the sense of working out our salvation. Everyday may bring new and different battles. There will always be temptations trying to draw us into acting opposite to God's will. So we continue to submit our self will and be led by the Spirit of God.

“If you will return, O Israel,” says the Lord

Jeremiah 4:1
“If you will return, O Israel,” says the Lord, “Return to Me;
And if you will put away your abominations out of My sight, Then you shall not be moved.


We either choose to do God's will or to rebel against Him. This battle of the will is not between us and God. It is a battle fought by our own will, against our own will. There is no postponing. Every battle lost is a danger to  us. Every battle won, puts us a little closer to God.

But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another

1 John 1:17
But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Whatever the sin is, big or small, it is untouchable to the Holy God. God hates sin, so as we learn to walk with Him, we too should hate sin. It is more than just doing wrong or morally below standard. It also has something to do with our relationship with God, whether we obey and follow Him, or if we ignore Him. This is something the Holy Spirit can point out to us as we walk with God. So this means at the time of becoming a Christian, we may still not fully understand what sin is, but it is the beginning of a journey of being led by the Spirit.

And they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

Matthew 1:23
Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

Merry Christmas!

This is the reason that we celebrate Christmas - that our Lord God, became flesh, and came to this world, with the aim to save us. It is worth contemplating something that we cannot fully appreciate, that is the Most High Holy God, would choose to become something as dirty and untrustworthy as us humans. He did this knowing that it is the only way to save humanity whom He loved. Just as He came into the world to reveal Himself, now we must let Him come into us and live with us, as our Lord.