The Blood on the Lintel and Doorposts

You shall take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood which is in the basin, and apply some of the blood that is in the basin to the lintel and the two doorposts; and none of you shall go outside the door of his house until morning. For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to come in to your houses to smite you (Exodus 12:22-23 NASB).

Every first born in the land of Egypt shall die. How could any first born be saved? There must be the blood of the lamb on the lintel and door posts. When God sees the blood, He will pass over the house. Any first born in Egypt at that time who believed and do exactly the same shall be saved. It does not matter if he is a Hebrew or an Egyptian. Any house without the blood, the first born shall be slain. It does not matter if he is a Hebrew or an Egyptian. This salvation is also available to the Pharaoh, but he did not believe.

Noah's Ark

By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith (Hebrews 11:7 KJV).

God's Will and Jonah

Everyone does God's will. Some do it willing, others unwillingly. There are those who do it by opposing it, and there are those who do it unknowingly.

Daniel and Paul did God's will willingly and against great odds. Jonah did God's will unwillingly. Satan is doing God's will by opposing it. Most people in the world do God's will everyday unknowingly.

The word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me.” But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. So he went down to Joppa, found a ship which was going to Tarshish, paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD (Jonah 1:1-3 NASB).

But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; (Matthew 12:39 NASB).

God asked Jonah to go to Nineveh to preach. Jonah disobeyed God and went in the opposite direction from Nineveh, to Tarshish. Jonah is not doing God's will, or is he? If he did not flee from the presence of the LORD, he would not be swallowed by a big fish for three days and three nights. If he was not swallowed by the fish, there would be no "sign of Jonah the prophet" for our Lord Jesus to quote.

Life Bible-Presbyterian Church wins suit against FEBC

Does any one of you, when he has a case against his neighbor, dare to go to law before the unrighteous and not before the saints? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life? So if you have law courts dealing with matters of this life, do you appoint them as judges who are of no account in the church? I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not among you one wise man who will be able to decide between his brethren, but brother goes to law with brother, and that before unbelievers? (1 Corinthians 6:1-6 NASB).

A difference in doctrines over VPP led to a dispute between the Life Bible-Presbyterian Church and the Far Eastern Bible College, which had shared the same premises in Gilstead Road since the 1960s. The dispute led to a court battle when the church filed a suit in 2008 against the directors of the college to evict the school. On 30 June 2010, High Court judge Judith Prakash ruled in favour of Life B-P Church. Justice Prakash ruled that the college was a separate entity from the 1962 one as it had a different constitution which mentions the new VPP doctrine. She noted that the courts have recognised that doctrine is fundamental to the character of a religious charitable body. So the 2004 college cannot benefit from the funds that were raised in the names of the church and the original college. The claims of the FEBC Board of Directors against the Church were dismissed with costs. Adapted from this article from Singapore Law Watch.

Do not say, "I will repay evil"; Wait for the LORD, and He will save you (Proverbs 20:22 NASB).
Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD (Psalm 27 :14 NASB).
Wait for the LORD and keep His way, And He will exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are cut off, you will see it (Psalm 37:34 NASB).
Now he waited seven days, according to the appointed time set by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattering from him. So Saul said, “Bring to me the burnt offering and the peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering. As soon as he finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him and to greet him. But Samuel said, “What have you done?” (1 Samuel 13:8-11 NASB).

Waiting on the Lord can be very trying. But if you do not wait, you could become like king Saul, doing the wrong things for a right cause.

North Korean live telecast loss to Portugal

But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived (2 Timothy 3:13 KJV).

Habitual liars usually cannot perceive truth well. North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il probably thought that his soccer team could tear Portugal to shreds after losing to mighty Brazil by just one goal. He decided to let his people watched the glory of his team beating the daylights out of Portugal live on television. Instead, Portugal beat the daylights out of his team. Depending on what bullshit he fed the people before the match, the defeat may open the eyes of his people to the truth.

When the window of truth shines on the regime of deception, it may spell its doom. Never underestimate what a live television broadcast may do. It is truth.

The sin of Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Jeroboam was the son of Nebat is the man who made Israel sin.
What did Jeroboam do?

1. He made two golden calves and set them in Bethel and Dan (1 Kings 12:28-29);
2. And he made houses on high places (1 Kings 12:31);
3. He made priests from among all the people who were not of the sons of Levi (1 Kings 12:31);
4. He devised his own feast on the fifteenth day in the eighth month(1 Kings 12:33).

Basically, Jeroboam created a new religion which worship a god call Yahweh. But this god was worshipped in Jeroboam's way. The Israelites of those days may think that their religion is the same as those in Judah because they are worshipping the same Yahweh.

Today, many religions featured Jesus. He may be God or prophet, but He is not worshipped according to the Bible. Like Israelites of old, people think that all these religions are Christianity. However, in God's eyes, they are evil. All the kings of Israel are " evil in the LORD's sight" because they "departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin".

Jeroboam II and Uzziah

Jeroboam II did what was evil in the sight of the Lord (2 Kings 14:24). However, the LORD saw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter and there was no helper for Israel (2 Kings 14:26), He saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash (2 Kings 14:27). He restored the border of Israel from the entrance of Hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah (2 Kings 14:25).

In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam II, king of Israel, Uzziah became the king of Judah. He did right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done (2 Kings 15:3, 2 Chronicles 26:4). He was successful in his wars and he became very strong (2 Chronicles 26:6-15). But when he became strong, his heart was so proud that he entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense (2 Chronicles 26:16). Leprosy broke out on his forehead and he was a leper to the day of his death (2 Chronicles 26:19-21).

What can we learn from these two kings?

First, we learn that God may save through evil kings. Jeroboam II was an evil king who did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat (2 Kings 14:24). But the northern kingdom was at her greatest prosperity under the rule of Jeroboam II. God was hoping that some may repent and He sent the prophets Amos and Hosea to preach to them, not about prosperity, but about the righteousness of God. However, Israel would not repent. The northern kingdom would be destroyed (722 BC) within 40 years after Jeroboam II’s death in 753 BC. Thus when we see some worldly churches prospering and having large numbers, do not think that God is truly blessing the church. God in His mercy is temporarily staying His hand of judgement, hoping that some may repent.

Uzziah was a good king. That meant that he worshipped the true God. His kingdom also prosper, but not as much as Jeroboam II's kingdom. Jeroboam II worshiped the calves set up by Jeroboam the son of Nebat but he died peacefully. Uzziah usurped the priests’ function and he became a leper to the day of his death. Churches led by true Christians may not be as large or as properous as some mega-churches. However, God will still bless them in obvious ways. However, God is stricter with the leaders of these churches. For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth (Hebrews 12:6 KJV). If you are chastened by the Lord, it is a proof that you are His child.