Tag: God's Story

GOD’S STORY: Pt 43 Leave and cleave

Post author By Sarah Tun
Post date 30/11/2023
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What GOD intends for married couples is the leave and cleave principle…

Preparing the Bride for GOD’s Story

How do we prepare as the Bride of Christ? One aspect is to learn GOD’S STORY. He created us in His image…. Piece by piece, and peace by peace, we learn to walk as He has walked. And we learn His perspective.

Male discovering Female

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.” (Genesis 2:24-25)

Imagine as a man, awaking to the presence of Eve, a more beautiful, softer, gentler version of yourself. Wow!

And this is what happened for Adam.

Adam went to sleep alone but awoke with Eve in his presence (Genesis 2:21-23)

Significance of Eve’s arrival

When Adam says, “This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man” (Genesis 2:23) he sounds excited! Then they get married and establish the template for marriage:

The man leaves his parents and becomes one flesh with a woman, his wife. And there is no shame.

That’s the template for marriage: one person in two, one body nurturing all its parts, soul and body laid bare and without shame.

Beautiful!

What about singleness

Paul talks about singleness and prefers it. But he also says it is better to marry than to sin (not to have sex out of wedlock, I assume he means). Singleness is a calling, just as marriage is a calling. We are not incomplete if we don’t marry. It is simply that if we do, a healthy marriage means the man no longer is tied to his parents, and the man and woman enjoy one another and feel as naturally comfortable when together as if they were still alone.

Leave and Cleave

So I hope and pray for marriages, that we can get back on track as a society, and at least for those who love Jesus, that we can love GOD, love one another, but especially prioritise and enjoy the marriage that GOD intends for us: intimate, free and surrendered to one another in trust, devotion and love.

Tags adam and eve, equality of male and female, God's Story, husband and wife, innocence, Larus Press, man and woman equality, naked without shame, no shame in love, Preparing the Bride of Jesus Christ, Sarah Tun, two become one flesh

GOD’S STORY: pt 42 Innocence has no Shame

Post author By Sarah Tun
Post date 23/11/2023
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When we are joyful, when we are full of excitement, enthusiasm, hope, fun… when we have joy, we are like children at Christmas, we are like puppies experiencing snow for the first time; we are as the young who in their innocence, are free. In joy, we are free to express, uninhibited as young children; we are as innocents. And innocence has no shame.

“The Joy of the LORD is my strength” (Nehemiah 8:10)

Preparing the Bride for GOD’s Story

GOD made man in His own image. But it was not good that man should be alone, so GOD made Adam a helper… He made Eve. And what was Adam’s response: sheer joy!

“And Adam said: “This is now bone of my bones
And flesh of my flesh;
She shall be called Woman,
Because she was taken out of Man.” (Genesis 2:23)

I believe Adam was awestruck. He was delighted. He was overjoyed. And he was reverent. Out of pleasure, excitement and respect, he named this creation Woman… because she was taken out of himself.

No inequality

In the naming of Woman, there appears to be no balance for power, no hierarchy. But factually, she was so named because of where she came from. “Wo” makes me think of womb and given that the construct of Adam’s “rib” refers to the rib cage rather than to a single bone as I mentioned in my previous post, it may be sheer coincidence that in English “wo” leads to the spelling of womb. It is not linguistically reliable because this is a translation from Hebrew, but it just leads me to that thought… As under the protection of the womb-like ribcage, so woman was created from man.

The quote for today continues,

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24)

One flesh

One person in two… Marriage in this context reminds me of the truth that GOD’s identity is 3 persons in One: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In creating Adam and Eve, GOD created a marriage bond much like the bond between His 3 persons.

Why did He do that? Perhaps He gifted Adam with intimacy because created in His own image, GOD gifted man for relationship just as He was so gifted Himself.

Humanity is created for relationship. All of us, whether destined for a physical, literal marriage or not, we are all part of families from birth (or intended to be), and not created in or for isolation. GOD did that right from the beginning. It is a tragedy of the Western civilisation that family breakdown is so rife and so we see society broken because people are broken — because we are so alone.

Instead, GOD’s intention is for the unity of relationship, and the ultimate intimacy is marriage: to be with another “as one”. This was GOD’s intention: to gift mankind with relationship as intimate as His own relationship with Himself. And so He also created woman.

Ultimate in Intimacy

“And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.” (Genesis 2:25)

Born to be intimate: without secrecy or shame, we were created to be free. But by its nature freedom requires innocence. Just as children are innocent, not being accountable for right and wrong, so too in marriage we are meant to experience that same freedom.

Marriage is the perfect template for the expression of total intimacy. This is why we are meant to be virgin when we marry. Experience breeds shame just as innocence personifies shamelessness.

GOD created humanity for His delight, just as He created all of Creation to rest and to take pleasure in. Then He created woman to pair with man, so that they would experience intimacy as He experiences intimacy.

What a gift GOD gave to Adam. And what joy and delight Adam and Eve must have experienced, before their downfall.

This is the bliss marriage is meant to be. Some are blessed to experience it. Oh may we get back to that standard once again, for the betterment of all society, that GOD’s joy, our joy, may be complete.

Tags God's Story, innocence, innocent love, joy of marriage, Larus Press, marriage in heaven, married bliss, no shame in love, perfect relationship, Sarah Tun, the innocence of youth, virgin marriage, virginity

GOD'S STORY

GOD’S STORY: Pt 41 Adam’s core job

Post author By Sarah Tun
Post date 16/11/2023
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Adam’s core job

Genesis 2:19-22 reads,

“Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.”

Imagine GOD creating one creature superior to all others such that the latter — Man — would have the fascinating responsibility and the authority to execute a core job, namely to name all the other creatures. How would he come up with the names of each living creature? No wonder he needed help… Was it to come up with ideas? Or to curb his isolation? Or both?

Preparing the Bride for GOD’s Story

GOD is generous and compassionate

GOD created the planets and stars, the earth and everything in it, for His pleasure. He — in three persons, Creator, Word, Spirit — had fellowship. Then He created beasts and birds and fowl and plants, each of which had a duplicate minus a complementary difference… Barring some variation (I’ll call it artistic licence) GOD created creatures in pairs: each creature having two versions: two sexes, male and female. But Adam initially had no complement. GOD saw Adam industrious but alone and it was “not good”…. until the creation of a Female: Eve.

At what point did GOD know there would be joy and sorrow?

One theory as to what happened following the creation of man and woman relates to the discovery of the serpent-like dinosaur skeleton on display in Toronto Canada’s Royal Ontario Museum, with its elongated body and spindly legs. Could this indicate the existence of a great being, these bones indicating a descendant of that which was in Eden and which was eventually inhabited by Satan to tease and deceive Eve? It is a far cry from the small serpent we imagine, yet is something that the proud and powerful Satan might equate himself to within the chain of living creatures which GOD created.

Could Satan have inhabited something immense to lure Eve to listen, be deceived, and draw Adam in? If size matters relative to ego, then this very well may be true.

But if GOD created such a being, with an ego which thought it might be Man’s equal, and who was offended when Eve became Adam’s partner, why did GOD create this creature at all? Is it reminiscent of the creation of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil? Is it that which was another aspect of the battle against Satan?

In GOD”s capacity for compassion towards Adam, did He miss the threat from a competitor who sought Adam’s attention or status?

I don’t believe so. If anything, He put Adam first, created Eve to help him, and then came the fallout.

Perhaps that is what triggered Satan’s rebellion… envy, rage, pride may have come to Satan following Creation and the elevation of Man over all other creatures.

Something to ponder…

Tags adam and eve, Creation, God's Story, Larus Press, Sarah Tun, satan tempting eve, satan's rebellion

GOD'S STORY

GOD’S STORY: part 40 Marriage

Post author By Sarah Tun
Post date 08/11/2023
3 Comments on GOD’S STORY: part 40 Marriage

What is GOD’s Perspective on marriage?

Biblical marriage is between a man and a woman just as GOD made Adam and Eve, a man and a woman, to start off humankind.

Preparing the Bride for GOD’s Story

Genesis 2:18 reads,

“And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.””

Equal but different

We can argue ’until the cows come home’ whether women are able to preach or teach. There is scripture that can be picked out for both cases.

We can debate whether woman obeying husbands is dated or current.

We can discuss homosexual Rome and elsewhere in Ancient Times.

But this space is not about debate. It is looking into GOD’s point of view from Creation until now, as best we can…

Why GOD created women

I purport that in making woman for man, it means to GOD’s eye, it was not good for man to be alone. Male and female animals had been created. GOD was Adam’s companion. And yet, man should also have a partner, a female person who would help him.

This means women have something to offer that men don’t have, as I see it. That’s why man needs help from someone else, who is female rather than male.

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24)

One flesh means equal. Of course we’ll explore this more when we come to this verse in our chronological approach. Two parts become one and make a new “whole”.

Partners

Marriage is a partnership. What is a partnership?

Psalm 133 says, “How good and pleasant it is when brethren dwell together in unity…”

Partnership in GOD means both members trust Him, both believe in Him, both follow Him (not to be unequally yoked). It means rowing together not against one another. It means supporting each other and adapting strategies so that they can work together to achieve the common goal. It means having the same common goal.

Partnership is two or more equals striving together, complementing one another. In the case of marriage, it is two people rowing together.

Obedience and Love

Ephesians 5:25 states,

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,” and for far too long, for some, this has been overlooked, with emphasis going to that which comes before, “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.” (Ephesians 5:22)

Since, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,” (2 Timothy 3:16) then I will use this truth to discuss the relationship between man and woman from the time of GOD’s Creation.

There are a couple of verses telling wives to obey their husbands. Then there is a stream of verses telling men to love their wives. I wonder if that is significant. Is it GOD’s sense of humour? Or do men need to be given detailed reason rather than simple instruction to get them to recognise GOD’s guidance in this matter?

What is sure is that obedience and love go hand-in-hand. One is not conditional on the other. One is not more important than the other. From GOD’s perspective, wives need to obey and He tells them so, likely because it isn’t easy for women to do so… and because men inherently need respect. Equally, men need to love their wives, and instruction is plain, probably because men need it spelled out…. and women need to be loved.

Both obedience and love are difficult for us. GOD prefers obedience over sacrifice, though He gets a lot of sacrifice historically. And He is love, expressing it perfectly as no human can manage.

Conclusion

There is not hierarchy in marriage. There is partnership. There is no superiority in marriage. Both answer to GOD. That’s the starting place. He encourages each to reach beyond their ability for the benefit of the other and of the partnership.

Of course there will be cultural nuances. Of course the buck needs to stop somewhere and so husbands are responsible, ultimately, to GOD. Eve was deceived. Adam sinned. There is a difference in GOD’s eyes between the two. Men are physically stronger than women. Women are more naturally empathetic, and so on go the differences.

But all-in-all, to my mind, the LORD does not suggest men are more equal and women less so. We need to love one another and respect one another (my opinion) and follow the pattern GOD outlines in His Word.

The two were one flesh — Eve made from the flesh of Adam. And so goes the pattern of a Godly marriage.

Tags adam and eve marriage, god's marriage plan, god's perfect marraige, God's Story, is marriage of equals, Larus Press, love and respect equals marriage, preparing the bride, Sarah Tun, two become one flesh, what is marriage

GOD'S STORY

GOD’S STORY: part 39 The Tree (pt2)

Post author By Sarah Tun
Post date 01/11/2023
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What is GOD’s Motive?

“Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”” Genesis 2:15-17)

What is GOD’s ultimate motive behind including the tree of the knowledge of good and evil being in the garden but not permitting it to be eaten?

Preparing the Bride for GOD’s Story

GOD’s higher calling for mankind

Was it necessary to give Adam the option ie the tree and commandment not to eat, so that he would discover the knowledge of good and evil, and then be able to combat it? And through that strife, mankind would embrace the truth of GOD but at a higher level than where is Adam in his innocence in the garden. This is where we left off from the previous post.

GOD’s love, GOD’s perspective

Although man will surely die if he eats of the tree, that death is first physical and second spiritual… but not eternal. Although his physical death is not immediate, he becomes mortal having a finite number of years to live in his physical body. That is the consequence of his disobedience to GOD. That death is also spiritual, becoming separated from GOD with mankind’s spiritual death. And yet, the soul will live on in eternity.

But GOD!

In GOD’s plan, that death gives way to rebirth. Man, both societal and individually, struggles and in that struggle his character is refined. Though with the Fall of man, all things become subject to death, so too do they become subject to rebirth on a higher level. Plants die, seeds are buried, new life comes forth.

In GOD’s redemption plan, He makes way for all to return to Him as ‘He wants that none should perish’.

He sends His son,

“Indeed He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ” (Isaiah 49:6)

Satan and his demons are not given the same option. Those who follow GOD are rescued and those who do not, are destroyed. Evil is conquered and destroyed.

The Glory

And so perhaps the purpose for the tree and the subsequent events is to allow Satan to see the result of his rebellion… and that he can never defeat nor rise above Yehovah GOD. Satan can never win!

Perhaps GOD’s motive has little directly to do with mankind, so confident is He in the ultimate goodness of mankind, through His son. But perhaps it is much more about the entire universe, His Creation and all that is in it.

This walk with GOD

All the glory is in and from GOD, not with mankind, not even with His creation, but only to Him — because He is righteous and good. And no glory will ever go to Satan.

Ultimately, all glory goes to GOD and Satan will experience this.

All the glory belongs to You, Father GOD. Thank you for your resurrection power and grace.

Tags forbidden tree, god's motive behind the tree, god's redemption plan, God's Story, good v evil, Larus Press, preparing the bride, redemption plan, Sarah Tun, satan v god, tree of knowledge

GOD'S STORY

GOD’S STORY: part 37 Three More Rivers

Post author By Sarah Tun
Post date 19/10/2023
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Genesis 2:13-14,

“The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one which goes around the whole land of Cush. The name of the third river is Hiddekel; it is the one which goes toward the east of Assyria. The fourth river is the Euphrates.

Three more rivers

“Rivers of water run down from my eyes, Because men do not keep Your law.” (Psalm 119:136)

I think of this passage when I read the Genesis 2 passage. Why?

Preparing the Bride for GOD’s Story

Rivers: significance

Fresh water brings life. These rivers which flow from Eden reach out in all directions to the further world. Water, a source of refreshment, in all its richness, is available to humanity, animals, and plant life. Ah!

So, why am I drawn to the Psalm 119 passage? Because GOD gives to humanity and humanity messes up. Law came in, step by step, covenant by covenant, in order to maintain relationship between the LORD and mankind. And the Psalmist (and I) weep, because humanity keeps messing up.

These three rivers

Did the LORD create the River Pishon (Genesis 2:11) and these three rivers knowing that Adam and Eve would be cast out of Eden? Mankind would need the freshwater sources.

Did He create these rivers because of the beauty which they inspire by appearance? Or was His priority the practical necessity of fresh water for the land?

Why did He share the direction and expanse of the rivers? Why did He talk about the land, the nations, the boundaries? He wanted the readers centuries in the future to identify these rivers. He wanted precision to prove Creation. He wanted us to recognise these rivers in relation to the necessity for water and for beauty.

Most of all, I believe, He wanted us to know His attention to detail: that He never misses a thing — not the smallest to the largest necessity. And He knew He’d be completely taken for granted but poured love into His Creation nevertheless.

That’s my GOD

Tags Creation, document proof of creation, God's Story, Larus Press, physical value of water, Sarah Tun, water value

GOD'S STORY

GOD’S STORY pt 36 Rivers!

Post author By Sarah Tun
Post date 27/09/2023
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Water Water Water flows…

Genesis 2:11-12 says, “The name of the first [river] is Pishon; it is the one which skirts the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. And the gold of that land is good. Bdellium and the onyx stone are there.”

I’ve just been listening to this song: Let it Rain and if you believe the LORD sets up our circumstances to speak to us, then He’s talking to me about rain, waterfall, rivers…. I become thirsty and joyful just thinking about this!

Next, I think of the verse from Psalm 119:136,

“Rivers of water run down from my eyes, because men do not keep Your law.” This is so tragic.

Preparing the Bride for GOD’s Story

Water, Rivers, Oceans…

I believe the LORD loves water which offers refreshing: it is purity and clarity, it sustains life and washes away death.

I believe the LORD knew where man would wander before He even created him. And yet, He created him nevertheless.

I believe the LORD knew we would need refreshing and cleansing. So He built in the system physically and morally even before our immortality was established and then lost.

I believe the LORD knew He would rescue us: we would need it and He would offer it. The water is symbolic of this rescue just as much as it is symbolic of the Holy Spirit.

The River Water in Eden

Rivers are fresh water which flow naturally, unhindered, offering life wherever they flow.

The Pishon River went round the whole land, even where there was gold and jewels. How beautiful the scene must have been!

GOD’s Creation is Beautiful

There was and is perfection in everything GOD has created. The beauty and life of Creation are beyond words to share adequately. The detail is profound. We can only imagine… I am overwhelmed in the imagining of it!

He provides in His word enough detail to enable us to imagine it all. He provides guidance through this Word: to keep the Law and then to walk in His fulfilment of it through Jesus. And throughout Biblical history there are those who mourn the weaknesses of humanity, calling us back to our centre: to our Creator. All of this is through the leadership of our GOD of love.

Today’s text

There will be theologians and Biblical historians who are much more learned and sophisticated than am I. They would guide as to the significance of this first of four rivers, the River Pishon. They would be able to illuminate for us the significance of Havilah, of the gold, the bdellium and the onyx stone. And praise GOD for these people.

However, I simply want to take in (and to share with you) the splendour, the detail, and the life-quenching power of this river and its surrounding environment. This says to me profoundly, GOD is our Provider and He will always provide for our needs: sustenance, beauty, and peace. He shares this truth with us through the poetry of Creation itself. In turn, this even encourages us to be poetic, to express our thanksgiving fully, freely, creatively.

Hallelujah! Let it Rain! GOD is with us and will never leave us nor forsake us.

Shalom and GOD Bless…

Tags beauty of creation, Creation, Eden, God's Story, Holy Spirit Anointing, holy spirit rivers, Larus Press, preparing the bride of Jesus, rivers of god, Sarah Tun, what is eden

GOD'S STORY

GOD’S STORY: pt 34 Eden part 3

Post author By Sarah Tun
Post date 21/09/2023
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A Garden

“The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” (Genesis 2:8-9)

Why did GOD create man?

Man was created to have dominion over the earth and everything in it. (Genesis 1:26)

Recently it was pointed out to me that the angels were created on Day 6, at the same time as the animals and mankind (thank you, Bishop Malcolm Wilson),

Genesis 2:1 says, “Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished.” The earthly animals and the heavenly hosts — aka angels — were created.

GOD gave the earth to man to manage. Is it possible that this enraged Lucifer, which led Him to inhabit the serpent? Perhaps GOD gave the earth to man, out of love and also out of the knowledge that Lucifer’s pride would be exposed…

Why did GOD put man in Eden?

GOD put man in a paradise, full of beauty and perfection. Then He added woman, who would become deceived by the serpent.

Surrounded by absolute perfection and full of love, man has everything. He names the animals; he has responsibility. That certainly is fulfilling. But he gives it all up….

Preparing the Bride for GOD’s Story

Where Adam fits in

Adam was presented a choice: to remain in his current state intimate with GOD and free from sin, or to discover knowledge to be “as GOD” — he chose the latter. He chose knowledge of good and evil, and Eve over GOD, His creator and companion.

Adam chose to “go it without GOD”. Although he may not have known GOD would send Him from the garden, he wanted knowledge and risked paradise. He may not have known GOD would send him away and their relationship would be forever changed, but he chose Eve and disobedience (only then to blame her for his choosing her*) over GOD.

GOD’s desire

GOD wants us to choose Him. GOD wanted Adam to obey which was his way of choosing GOD. Adam reveals to us that we all have a choice and the choice we make, for or against GOD, will effect our lives now and forever.

What Adam’s actions reveal

Adam reveals in us our power to choose.

Adam reveals in us our weakness and our strength.

Adam reveals in us our choice.

GOD gives everyone a choice and what we do with it shows us GOD’s unequivocal love and forbearance. When we choose other, GOD loses us and He grieves. When we choose Him, now that Jesus has paid for our sin, when we will fail from time to time, GOD accepts our repentance and forgives us.

Adam fits into the Genesis Story because he exposes our choices, our humanity and our frailty.

Some might say the story of Adam and the garden and all of the Creation Story is an allegory or a metaphor, revealing GOD’s character and our own. I think this is true. Some recognise the story literally, which I believe as well. GOD creates the perfect opportunity for Creation to choose Him or to rebel.

In Adam, we see humanity’s natural proclivity to rebel. And through Adam’s disobedience, we see GOD’s compassion, desire for relationship, and love. He does not destroy Adam but there are consequences for his sin.

Adam now separated from GOD, unveils the unfolding of human history: how man becomes rejoined. It is a master plan of GOD’s, because only in choosing Him, does GOD truly have relationship with us.

*There is so much more that could be said about Adam, Eve, their relationship, the deception and the rebellion… but not for this time:)

Tags adam and eve, eden and adam, fall of man, god eden adam, God's Story, Larus Press, Sarah Tun, why adam

GOD'S STORY

GOD’S STORY pt 33 Eden (part 2)

Post author By Sarah Tun
Post date 13/09/2023
1 Comment on GOD’S STORY pt 33 Eden (part 2)

A Garden

“The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” (Genesis 2:8-9)

The essence of this garden?

Every fibre in my being suggests, when I read reference here to Eden, that it is a quiet and peaceful place, full of trees, full of sunlight, full. It is eastward — but in relation to what that is westward? And why is it full of trees? Not flowers or waterfalls or animals are mentioned, all possible aspects of an idyllic world.

Why did GOD create Eden?

How spontaneous is GOD? Did He have a plan for man and Eden? Or did things just happen?

It is likely that Eden was special if not completely unique. The whole earth may have been damaged by the fall of Satan, which was “like lightning from heaven.” (Luke 10:18) Perhaps Eden was a part of the earth that had not been damaged or…. less likely, perhaps the LORD reestablished it to its Creation state at some point before creating Adam. In either case, Eden was unique: guarded by angels, full of trees bearing luscious fruit. And therein were two particular trees: one of Life, the other of Knowledge of good and evil.

In that beautiful garden was complete freedom, total bliss for every living creature therein. Eden is peace, Eden is rest, Sabbath Rest, daily today and for eternity. An Eden existence is what was intended for mankind; that is what we are drawn back to when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour.

“Be anxious for nothing…” (Philippians 4:6)

Preparing the Bride for GOD’s Story

In Eden lies the future of mankind

Eden represents the opportunity for a peaceful mental state. In Eden is our spiritual place of rest. In Eden is our life — abundant life without strife, without antagonism, with harmony and grace, love, joy… and peace.

Eden was a real garden. It is also a symbol and a destination of the heart and of the mind. We are in a tug-of-war between our will and GOD’s, between our residence and Eden.

A friend recently said when she prays, she “meets Jesus in the garden.” That garden is the garden of our hearts! When our hearts are pure, we are as though we are in Eden.

Where Adam fits in

GOD created beauty. He created life. He created opportunity: eternal life or knowledge of good and evil; a walk with GOD or a walk without Him. Adam didn’t know the detail, he wasn’t given the detail.

Adam was presented a choice: to remain in his current state, or to discover knowledge to be “as GOD” — he chose the latter and that, we shall unpack in the third and final part of our look at Eden.

Tags Eden, god's creation of eden, God's Story, how is eden special, Larus Press, preparing the bride of Jesus, Sarah Tun, what is eden, why eden

GOD'S STORY

GOD’S STORY: Part 31 Creation of Man

Post author By Sarah Tun
Post date 30/08/2023
2 Comments on GOD’S STORY: Part 31 Creation of Man

Genesis 2:7 says, “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.”

This Creation of Man is so exciting!

A month’s worth of posts and we’re finally at the Creation of Man. That includes all human beings by the way, though not at the particular moment cited in Genesis 2:7.

Preparing the Bride for GOD’s Story

GOD made the first person from out of the dust. And how did this person take his first breath?

GOD breathed into him. Wow!!

We are made in GOD’s image

If ever there is any doubt we are fashioned from GOD, here is the evidence for what we have in common: Our very breath comes from GOD. That is amazing. Life is in the blood, life is in the breath. Our breath comes from the breath of GOD. Incredible.

Ponder our connection to the Creator of the Universe

Humanity is not an accident. We each are no accident. The very Creator of all the earth breathed into the first of humanity to give him life. And so we inherit that same life.

GOD made his brain. He made is body, fingers, toes, organs. He set his heart beating, his lungs breathing, his energy, eyesight, taste buds, passion. His life.

Worship

Let us celebrate our Creation. Let us worship our Creator!

“Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!” As the first man began so let us continue. This is a mark of praise and worship: to celebrate His Creation, to celebrate the Creator, to celebrate life!

Hallelujah!

Tags Adam the first son of GOD, god-breathed man, God's Story, humanity beginnings, Larus Press, mankind beginnings, Sarah Tun, spirit of life

Preparing the Bride of Jesus Christ

Working in partnership

We are meant to be partners with GOD. God working in partnership with us is His heart and it is the means to transforming society, bringing mankind back to Him.

How to partnership with Yehovah GOD

Writing from GOD’s perspective as I have been attempting to do for the past several weeks, I can’t possibly assume I know what He’s thinking or wanting to share; and yet, He reveals things to us through His Word and through His Spirit that complement one another and encourage us. GOD lives and breathes in and through us to the degree we allow, through our obedience, surrender, engagement and worship. We are saved individually, but also for the purpose of bringing others to Him. He is a good GOD, the righteous and generous father of mankind, giving good gifts to His children and desiring that none should perish.

“GO and make disciples of all nations…” said Jesus in Matthew 28.

A leaf from GOD’s STORY

So, this piece is not a part of GOD’s STORY per se, but about our relationship with Him and the depth and breadth He can draw us to Him.

Why did GOD create mankind?

GOD created mankind for relationship — with Him, as well as with one another.

Reading Genesis 1, He reveals Himself as 3 persons with 3 identities, aspects, personalities in the One Person of GOD. He is 1. Creator who creates. 2. The Word who speaks 3. The Spirit who hovers over the waters from the beginning. GOD spoke and creation happened. He was and is and will be GOD: “In the beginning, GOD”.

As GOD is Creator, Word and Spirit – He is one GOD revealed in three persons, He is and always has been in relationship. Likewise, when He created Adam in His image, He did so for relationship. And then, He said it was “not good” that man was alone and He created woman. More relationship.

And so it is with us, we who are born again, we who speak of a relationship with GOD, we who have faith and follow Him through His Word and by His Spirit — we are in relationship with Him.

In Partnership

But I choose to go a step further today to say: Yes, we have relationship, fellowship… and also partnership with Him.

I read a book recently which offered good teaching for young people about following GOD. I won’t quote it but I mention it to say this: It has solid information but it lacks one thing: It does not teach about partnership through Holy Spirit.

The book taught that since Word became flesh and that word has been written down, everything Jesus had/has to say to us is in the Bible; by following that Word, and using sound judgment, we walk the Christian life. This is true but it is leaving out a vital point: through Holy Spirit we have fellowship with GOD and the opportunity for complete partnership with Him.

The Father wants relationship with us. He is relational; it’s a part of His identity. Even following the Bible with the best will and passion in the world, we are still walking in the flesh, which is still finite and, I purport, still limits our engagement with GOD.

Only through the power and presence of Holy Spirit manifesting in our lives are we walking in complete partnership: yielding our flesh to His Spirit with each step that we take.

This does not mean we cannot tie a shoe without asking GOD. As the book rightly suggests, GOD is Sovereign and in that, He gives us freedom and room to choose, to think, to delegate, to “live and move and have our being” while He is also fulfilling His plans and purposes.

But our walk can be so much more than applying the Bible to our lives. Applying the Bible is good! but it is still not the fullness of what GOD asks and what He offers. Rather, He offers and seeks intimacy that comes with constant fellowship — conversation with Him, seeking Him out, allowing Him to fill us with His supernatural presence and power through the person of Holy Spirit.

John 3:6 says, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit, is spirit.” Acts 17:28 says, “for in Him we live and move and have our being”

Faith is Trusting in GOD

First and foremost, we commit our lives to faith in Jesus, as son of GOD, as the one who died and rose again. We trust Him with our salvation and with our lives, both here on earth and in heaven after our physical presence on earth ends. We believe and we trust. But there is more…

Rigidity without Holy Spirit

There is a danger in following the Bible totally fastidiously: that danger is to become rigid in our thinking, becoming religious or even self righteous. Without the Word we have no compass. But with only the Word we can become legalistic, dictatorial. Alternatively, our attempting to follow the Holy Spirit can become whimsical, irrational, or can even lead us toward error in our thinking without the Bible support. If, for example, we think “GOD said to do X” when X is clearly contradictory to the Word, it cannot be true. We do need both the Word and the Spirit to walk with Jesus in the way He has always intended.

The Word keeps us on a righteous path. The Spirit keeps us surrendered to GOD.

Jesus said he did only what the Father told him to do (John 5:19). His Spirit will never contradict. We need to know the Word so we recognise the voice and the will of Jesus. But Jesus left earth in order for Holy Spirit to come, and we need that Helper to help: to lead, guide, teach, correct us. Father, Son and Holy Spirit will always have the same message, though they may express themselves to us differently. We need all three in our lives. We need Holy Spirit in order to grow in our intimacy with GOD, in order to become perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48), in order to fellowship with GOD and with one another to the capacity GOD has for us.

There is nothing trivial with GOD!

Some might say that GOD isn’t interested in what we should eat for dinner, or whether we should wear these shoes or those, take this job or that, marry this Christian or that one. But I disagree.

“As a father pities his children, so the LORD pities those who fear Him.” (Psalm 103:13) He is watchful, He is engaged, He is interested.

Jesus adored and encouraged the children to come to him. Likewise, the Father relishes our time with Him. It is narrow for us to think He isn’t interested or that what is trivial to us is also trivial to Him. That is looking at ourselves as equal to GOD, as “adults”… but we are neither equal nor adult to Him.

1 John speaks of children, young men and fathers. And yes, we in the faith, mature. And Paul speaks in 1 Corinthians of teaching “meat” versus “milk” to the believers. We do grow in maturity as re are ready to hear.

But GOD does not limit our access to Him nor our prayers. Yes, He wants us to move and respond freely and as we grow, in a mature way. But this takes time and experience. We learn the Word and we discover Holy Spirit: both Jesus and Spirit of GOD are equal and of equal importance to grow us into the people GOD has created us to be.

In one sense, we will always be His children.

Predestination v Arminianism

I think the debate between predestination — where everything is pre-ordained, and arminianism — where GOD gives us freedom to effect the outcome of our lives, is futile, because both purport a one way or other way view.

I think the truth is in between, a both/and reality. GOD is sovereign. And yet, we must wrestle against flesh and blood to grow into His likeness.

The Hebrew people were completely able to recognise competing truths. I think we gentiles need to be able to do the same.

Sovereignty and Partnership

Recognising GOD as sovereign does not mean we are puppets. Realising the active influence of the Holy Spirit in our lives does not mean we can foul up the predestination of GOD. Rather, we trust in GOD’s righteous and powerful sovereignty even in the midst of our attempts and failures at following His voice today through Holy Spirit.

GOD wants partners. GOD wants us to grow to full maturity. GOD wants to engage with us. And in my experience, I grew more though Holy Spirit than without. I failed more often too. But here I am, more surrendered, more intimate, more in line with the character of GOD as revealed in His list of Holy Spirit fruits (Galatians 5) , than I ever would have become with the Word alone.

I have studied the Word voraciously. But that alone was not enough to curb my impulsivity, my fleshly temperament, my ego. I needed Holy Spirit actively in my life to ensure my dependence and eventual maturity in GOD.

Flesh v Spirit: obedience, wonder, worship, surrender, grace

We cannot walk in the flesh forever. Ultimately and sooner-is-better-than-later, we need to walk by the spirit in us. How?

“I die daily.”

“I am crucified with Christ.”

We must “work out our own salvation with fear and trembling.”

Centuries ago, priests seeking to be more like Jesus literally flagellated themselves to try to defeat the sinful flesh. In the 1800’s many preached hell and damnation, not erroneously but without love, and alienated for generations those who would be lost; today Christians still have a rotten reputation for hypocrisy and judgementalism rather than for the lovingkindness of Jesus.

Seek Jesus, Seek Holy Spirit, Seek the Father

The Word of GOD is wonderful. It needs no editing, no addendum, no apology. However, Jesus was openly declared at his baptism by the voice of GOD and the presence of Holy Spirit. Only then did his ministry begin. Likewise, we need Holy Spirit to live our lives as Jesus teaches us.

If we resist Holy Spirit out of fear, suspicion or pride, we miss an essential part of GOD and forfeit the power and presence He wants us to have.

We learn to worship the LORD in Spirit and in Truth!

“Not my might, nor my power but by My Spirit says the LORD of hosts.” (Zachariah 4:6)

As we ponder the Spirit of GOD, to the degree we allow Him to be active in our lives, we will determine our growth in character and our depth of relationship… that’s what I’ve experienced and that’s what I believe.

Going forward, I press on to the upward call of GOD in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13) and pray for the same for all of us. How we manage is up to the LORD and may we all surrender fully into this so that He can have His way entirely in our lives.

Shalom and GOD BLESS you!

Tags gifts of holy spirit active today, God's Story, Holy Spirit Anointing, Larus Press, partnership with GOD, preparing the bride, presence of GOD, presence of Holy Spirit, relationship with GOD, Sarah Tun, temple of holy spirit

GOD'S STORY

GOD’S STORY part 21: Another Day

Post author By Sarah Tun
Post date 22/06/2023
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I’m exploring Genesis to learn GOD’s point of view. Today I discover: Another Day!

To the best of my ability, this is GOD’S STORY: His Word considered….

“Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so.” (Genesis 1:11)

How enthralling! Did the LORD GOD inhale and smell the grass and flowers, trees and plants? How excited was He at what came forth from His lips and before His eyes? Did He envision every detail or did His nature progress spontaneously from cell to finished product of its own volition once He created it?

Did each person: Creator, Son, Spirit, know what was to develop or was one surprised by another’s Creation at any point?

To imagine GOD’s Creativity, His personality, His engagement is extraordinary, isn’t it? Of course He wasn’t surprised in the sense that He is all-encompassing, all- powerful, all-knowing. Just as He watches over us, so too He watched over His Creation. And yet, it is amazing to contemplate How He Created!

We are His workmanship

We can be so “confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6)

His work in us is never finished. We get in the way of His good work so often, but did the Creation oblige? Surely it did!

And so, it was Another Day! Day 3 and it was good!

Now its our turn

Let us be creative — creating our sphere of reference, our perspective, our attitude… to:

Dwell on His goodness, His creation, His life-giving power.

Accept His leadership and surrender to His power, again.

Feed on His faithfulness, endure His challenges, know He is good, life is good, His creation is good and all is for your benefit.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)

Larus Press with the blog stream Preparing the Bride is all about enabling us to be ready for Jesus’ return, preparing also for all He has in store for us in the meantime.

How do we prepare as the Bride of Christ? One aspect is to learn GOD’S STORY. Piece by piece, and peace by peace, we learn to walk as He has walked. And we learn His perspective.

Here at Preparing the Bride, I’m telling GOD’S STORY. Presumptuous?! Not when simply looking at scripture, because scripture is the unfolding of God’s story to those who read it.

Tags Creation day 3, genesis 1, god as creator, God's Story, in the beginning, Larus Press, Sarah Tun, third day of creation

GOD'S STORY

GOD’S STORY: Part 18 GOD is Divisive

Post author By Sarah Tun
Post date 01/06/2023
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GOD’S STORY Part 18 GOD is Divisive

“… and GOD divided the light from the darkness. GOD called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.” (Genesis 1:4b-5)

So: I’m crawling through Genesis at the moment, to discover what is GOD’s point of view. I discover today that GOD is divisive!

Larus Press with the blog stream Preparing the Bride is all about enabling us to be ready for Jesus’ return, preparing also for all He has in store for us in the meantime.

How do we prepare as the Bride of Christ? One aspect is to learn GOD’s STORY. Piece by piece, and peace by peace, we learn to walk as He has walked. And we learn His perspective.

Here at Preparing the Bride, I’m telling GOD’S STORY. Presumptuous?! Not when simply looking at scripture, because scripture is the unfolding of God’s story to those who read it.

Let there be Light

“GOD is light and in Him is no darkness at all….” (1John 1:5b)

And yet,

Job 34:21-23 states,

“For His eyes are on the ways of man,

And He sees all his steps.

There is no darkness nor shadow of death

Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.

For He need not further consider a man,

That he should go before God in judgment.”

GOD is light. He sees into the darkness, into the secrets of mankind. And as He created Day and Night, He surely did not sleep or abandon the darkness. He made Day and He made Night, and nothing is hidden from Him at any time. And so He is in both the darkness and in the light. What does this imply?

GOD separates: He begins Time by separating Day from Night. He will create a bright source of light for Day and a lesser light for Night. And although even in darkness there is light… He has separated light from darkness, day from night.

He divides

He divides Time into days. He divides day by night. He divides good from evil, right from wrong, life from death, truth from lies… and so on. And through this division we can begin to learn His perspective: to discover who GOD is, and what He is not.

Why does division matter?

GOD will know what is to come… The battle for mankind between GOD and satan will take mankind millennia to navigate. They will need to know a clear difference between GOD and notGOD. They will need a clear distinction. And so GOD makes the difference clear, mirrored in the contrast between light and not light.

Division marks out choice

Mankind — each individual will have a choice between GOD and notGOD. We need to see through the darkness clearly, to find our choice.

Isn’t division bad?

Society has trained us to see division as a negative. But it is simply a distinction, neither negative or positive…

Even today we see division being eroded. Men and woman are equal but to some that means they are the same. Black and White have suddenly become politicised and making a distinction is racist. We are experiencing an unprecedented attack on differences.

But GOD is here, there, everywhere…. then and now

GOD created differences; He created variety and in that variety He created individual uniqueness.

First He created Day and Night; Light is His first distinction.

GOD is there -> GOD is light -> GOD is marking out Time. This will be for a purpose, a form of distinction. Yes, GOD is divisive (and we distinguish this even in our debates about the very existence of GOD)… We may not like division, we may have been programmed to not like it but it is true, real, a necessary part of Creation.

GOD created evening, morning = the first day

He must have marvelled at His Creation. And He didn’t stop there. First day implies more is coming. And yes, He created MORE.

Dividing

Dividing Time, He would go on to create even more diversity. Dividing is creative; diversity is exciting. A new day will come — a second after a first. And difference, division, darkness and light are not to be shunned or feared. They are part of GOD’s Creation.

As usual, our walk with GOD shakes up our thinking. Let’s have more of GOD’s divisions…

Tags day and night, distinction is good, division is a good thing, God's creation, God's Story, Larus Press, let there be light, Preparing the Bride of Christ, Sarah Tun, what is GOD's point of view, why does GOD create?

GOD'S STORY

GOD’S STORY: part 17 God is Present

Post author By Sarah Tun
Post date 24/05/2023
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GOD’S STORY Part 17 God is Present

Here at Preparing the Bride, I’m telling GOD’S STORY. Presumptuous?! Not when simply looking at scripture, because scripture is the unfolding of God’s story to those who read it.

How do we prepare as the Bride of Christ? We learn GOD’s Story. Piece by piece, and peace by peace, we learn to walk as He has walked.

Looking at GOD’s Character in Genesis 1 we read, “And the Spirit of GOD was hovering over the face of the waters.” (Genesis 1:2b)

A spiritual GOD is hovering…. present, aware, available, engaged.

Who is the Spirit of GOD?

Hovering suggests to me anticipation (what will happen next?), present (and immediate to the space), aware (conscious), poised (filled with potential energy), watchful (ready to act!)…. to do something!

I’ve heard it said that the Spirit of GOD — known as Holy Spirit — is the power and the presence of GOD. Jesus called Him the Helper. Theologians explain He’s the third person of the Trinity.

From this scripture, I think He is revealed as eager! Eager to create. Eager to engage. Eager to do: alive and alert to His surroundings and ready to engage. But what would happen? Since the earth was lacking form, what would Holy Spirit do about that?

He could change what was void into something more. And He did!

Then GOD spoke, and what did the Spirit do?

“God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.” (Genesis 1:3)

How did that happen?

Holy Spirit is the action behind the spoken word.

Perhaps we shall see Holy Spirit as Action Man — the action aspect of GOD and the action within man…. since man has been created in GOD’s image. (Genesis 1:27)

Who is Holy Spirit… in us?

First and foremost, Holy Spirit is GOD. He is one of three personalities in one GOD.

Holy Spirit is not only power; He is GOD’s power, and GOD’s power put into us when we accept Jesus. He is, always has been and always will be. We first met him in scripture in Genesis 1. He is the power of GOD hovering, ready when called upon, ready when needed.

Perhaps the single most important take away from this post is, GOD is present with us, active in us, ever with us.

From experience, I add: the more we surrender to Him -> the more we acquaint ourselves with Him -> the more active the Spirit is within us -> the more empowered we are -> the more we effect society, pointing others to Truth in Messiah Jesus -> and society is transformed to joy, peace, rest.

Holy Spirit transforms us and empowers us to transform the world. As Jesus did when in earthly ministry, so He commissions us to

“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15)

When we are active, doing as He asks us to do, He is pleased, we are pleased and the world is a better place. That’s an integral part of GOD’s Story because what He has always wanted is fellowship. As it is written in Matthew 22,

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. …”

Tags God's Story, Holy Spirit presence, is holy spirit god?, Larus Press, Preparing the Bride of Christ, Sarah Tun, transforming power of GOD, truth will set you free, what is god, What is the Holy Spirit, who is God, who is holy spirit

GOD'S STORY

GOD’S STORY: Pt 16 Creativity Unleashed!

Post author By Sarah Tun
Post date 18/05/2023
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GOD’S STORY Part 16 His Creativity Unleashed

Here at Preparing the Bride, I’m telling GOD’S STORY. Presumptuous?! Not when simply looking at scripture, because scripture is the unfolding of God’s story to those who read it.

We look at GOD’s character and in the very first chapter of His story the Bible, we discover His creativity unleashed…

How do we prepare as the Bride of Christ? We learn GOD’s Story. Piece by piece, and peace by peace, we learn to walk as He has walked.

What was GOD thinking when…

“The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of GOD was hovering over the face of the waters.” (Genesis 1:2)

‘So much potential!’

Is that what He was thinking? There was no form to the earth, but a blank canvas. There was space, there was darkness, there was a deep, there were waters. The Holy Spirit dwelt above. That’s all there was… Until we read of His creativity unleashed!

What could be done with this earth?

From GOD came the Creation, starting with two entities: the heavens and the earth. But did He know in detail what He’d create? Or was He playfully speaking and spontaneously creating?

I suppose there were already other planets or would be other planets, given they exist now. How would this earth be unique from all the other planets?

GOD created. At first, at the very beginning, there were heavens and there was earth without any sort of form whatsoever. And then: GOD spoke form and life into the earth. He then spoke light. Then He spoke life to many forms.

The impetus behind Creation

GOD is creative. GOD is alive. GOD is expressive. It seems the vastness of the heavens and the earth was too great to allow it to exist in a state of nothingness. There was too much canvas to ignore!

And so GOD created a wonder. He created a planet that had life! He put Himself into the planet… and gave it life. He was no longer an observer but became a part of the story of humanity. He created the habitat…. and then He created life for the habitat, first plant life and then animate life. As part of GOD’s self expression and as part of the story about GOD, this truth reveals a great deal about Him.

In creating the vastness of the universe, He decided to put some of Himself into it.

This is what the earth is: a manifestation of life that mirrors GOD the Creator Himself. The culmination of it all life is Man.

“So GOD created man in His own image; in the image of GOD He created him; male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:27)

Surely He looked upon all of it, at the end of Day 6, and marvelled!

Tags creation is GOD at work, creativity and god, God's Story, god's view of torah, in the beginning, Larus Press, preparing the bride, Sarah Tun, universe creator

GOD'S STORY

GOD’S STORY: part 15 Discovery!

Post author By Sarah Tun
Post date 11/05/2023
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GOD’S STORY Part 15 Discovery

Here at Preparing the Bride, I’m telling GOD’S STORY. Recently I was offered prayer. I said, “Sure, thank you!” I didn’t realise it would lead to such a Discovery!

One word that recurred in tongues three times as I was prayed for was “Torah”

Discovery

So, I came home and looked at Genesis 1:1 (which you read about last entry)

And I realised, I’m meant to share GOD’s Story simply, through the Torah!! Double exclamation mark because how could I miss what is SO OBVIOUS to me now?!

“How do we prepare as the Bride of Christ? We learn GOD’s Story. Piece by piece, and peace by peace, we learn to walk as He has walked.”

I wrote the above several weeks ago as I began to seek to honour GOD through creating the GOD’S STORY blog chain. Only NOW I’ve realised, this rediscovery of the Pentateuch, the Torah, the first five books of the Bible, is the format I’m meant to use…

GOD’S STORY: Part 15 Discovery

Reading Genesis, I’m discovering so much. This is simply what the Father is saying to me as I read,

“Tell My story without preconditions or assumptions…”

So here goes:

Genesis 1:3a “Then GOD said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.”

But why did GOD ask for light? He is light. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12) so why ask for light as darkness was on the face of the deep? Why did He place Himself into the darkness?

What I recognise is that He spoke His reality into being, in to the Creation, joining with His Creation, saying through this action: ‘Let there be light there too’ or ‘I put Myself into Creation’ or ‘All of Creation has My stamp, My ID, my creativity, My life in it’.

He simply invaded the space, invades every space, doesn’t He? If so, that means He’s here now and always. Yes, that would jive with the supernatural and omnipresent concept of GOD.

Genesis 1:1-3

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.”

Before the heavens and the earth there was GOD. He was in relationship: Creator, Word and Spirit: three personalities in one GOD.

We don’t know if there were other planets before He created the earth. Perhaps they are part of “the heavens” in this text. Physics, in my limited understanding would suggest (and remember GOD created Laws of physics too) that the planets which are in perfect balance including the earth, were created at the same time as the earth, so that all were created in perfect balance with one another. All we know from this scripture is that GOD preceded the heavens and the earth. So, GOD created them: the heavens and the earth, and then gave form to the earth. His Spirit was over the waters which existed. Then GOD spoke….

And in those first few lines of scripture we have the Father – Creator, the Spirit – Holy Spirit, and the Word – the Son. All of the GODHEAD was before the heavens and the earth and for some reason, He began to create. Perhaps in creating all the planets He decided ‘I’m going to create something with life!’ There was the creative spark, there was the present Spirit, and there was the voice of GOD who spoke and brought forth light. Do you wonder if He had a full plan or if He just began… and allowed one idea to follow another?

Does an artist know the landscape he will paint before he begins? Does the playwright know the entire story before she begins? Do composers hear the complete compositions before they begin their masterpieces?

Here’s a thought

Imagine if we could speak and have our creative spirit simply create with our voices!? We can already copy that as writers, by voice recording our thoughts and implementing a computer programme which transcribes our manuscript.

And spiritually speaking, perhaps we can…. Perhaps we can do all that Jesus has done, before He was Jesus, when He was the voice of GOD speaking His Word. Perhaps the Father would like us to ask Him for this gift. Or perhaps we have it, we just don’t recognise it. Perhaps.

From GOD’s point of view: He thought, He was present, He spoke and brought forth light. How wonderful! What a wonderful, awesome, inspiring GOD.

And if we have the faith of a grain of mustard seed, perhaps we too have gifting in creativity we don’t even know we have, that He wants us to use, to put at His disposal, to increase His presence in this world…. We need to ask Jehovah GOD, and wait with Him for His reply…

Let’s just ponder that reality for this week.

Blessings….

Sarah

Tags consequences of Torah, creativity of god, genesis 1, God's Story, in the beginning god spoke, Larus Press, Preparing the Bride of Christ, Sarah Tun, truth of Torah

GOD'S STORY

GOD’S STORY part 14 God’s Existence

Post author By Sarah Tun
Post date 03/05/2023
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GOD’S STORY Part 14 GOD’s Existence

Here at Preparing the Bride, I’m telling GOD’S STORY. Presumptuous?! Not when simply looking at scripture, because scripture is the unfolding of God’s story to us who read it.

How do we prepare as the Bride of Christ? We learn GOD’s Story. Piece by piece, and peace by peace, we learn to walk as He has walked.

GOD’S STORY: Part 14 GOD’s Existence

“In the beginning GOD

created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)

I’ve broken up the verse deliberately, to encourage us to ponder each line individually.

Our Father in heaven existed before time. Our Father in heaven existed in relationship with Himself: Creator. Word. Spirit. To us, this is Father, Son, Holy Spirit. This is who we know. And He has always been. Always. When we grasp this, if we can grasp this, it makes our existence even more amazing.

Once upon a time there was GOD. Then He created angels. Then one angel rebelled and took a third of the others with him. He – Lucifer – was cast out of heaven. His cohort became demons. Then GOD created earth, and us. This we glean from various scriptures in Job, Isaiah, elsewhere… but this is a wee bit of context and for this message is not where I’m stopping…

GOD has always BEEN

“In the beginning

GOD

created

the heavens and the earth.”

GOD has always been. He has always been in relationship. He didn’t need us, wasn’t lonely or bored. There is no evidence for that. But He is creative, and so He created. And eventually, He created earth and everything in it. He created humanity.

As I contemplate the beginning of the Holy Bible, and rest simply upon the first two verses, I question, I seek — knock — find — that GOD is incredible. We are incredible to exist.

Let us simply take much more time contemplating GOD. From the beginning, let us abide in Him to discover Who He is and What is His Story. What is GOD’s Story?

We begin again at the very beginning, before Time, before Us

For homework, I suggest we just rest, abide, sit with GOD: Our Father, Our Creator, Our LORD. Just dwell in Genesis 1:1, then add Genesis 1:2…..

What will we glean? What part of GOD’s Story will He reveal to each and every one of us? For me it is His power, His awesome power as “in a whirlwind…..”

Shalom as you Rest in Him.

Tags existence of god, God's Story, in the beginning god, Larus Press, preexistence of god, preparing the bride, Sarah Tun, torah genesis

GOD'S STORY

GOD’s STORY: Part 10 Unpacking our free will with GOD

Post author By Sarah Tun
Post date 06/04/2023
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GOD’S STORY Part 10 Unpacking our Free Will

I believe wholeheartedly that we who have given our lives to Jesus have free will. But I’d like to suggest we need to undertake the unpacking of our free will. We start by looking at what those who follow Jesus have inherited: We have a renewed mind, with the ability to see truth from deceit, light from darkness, life from death. Without this ability to see clearly, people have not got the full range of choices and so haven’t really got free will. Without Jesus, we are accountable to the devil, who keeps us ignorant and provides no freedom at all.

Here at Preparing the Bride, I’m telling GOD’S STORY. Presumptuous?! Not when simply looking at scripture, because scripture is the unfolding of God’s story to us who read it.

How do we prepare as the Bride of Christ? We learn GOD’s Story. Piece by piece, and peace by peace, we learn to walk as He has walked.

Choice comes through clarity of mind

The LORD gives us the ability to know right from wrong from birth (Romans 1). But we choose to follow or to turn from Him. When we follow, we have the ability to see Truth and therefore to make an informed choice that is not available to those who are not born again.

That’s how I see it. But how does the LORD see things? Let’s try unpacking our free will: how GOD has designed humanity, how He leads us, and how He holds off destruction for a time.

GOD gives us freedom

Does GOD insist we obey constrictive rules OR does He give us room so that we can unpack our free will “at will”? Yes, I think He does the latter.

First, allow me to begin with the fact that the LORD knows the way we will choose, and He accounts for that in His bigger picture. (Job 23:10) He knows the choices we will make, and yet we do have the freedom to make our choices and experience the consequences.

Next, I ask you to imagine the LORD as a music producer: He knows the ultimate sound that will come forth, but He enables the composer, conductor and the instrumentalists to engage with one another and with Him to create a symphony of sound. In other words, He knows the ultimate outcome. He knows what will transpire in the meantime, and He waits for us to interact amidst His cues in a way that inspires, moves, motivates us. He knows — we discover. That’s our personal and societal journey. He knows not because He manipulates, but because He knows us, our character. How many of us as parents are more often predicting how our young child will behave. Sometimes we are surprised; but more often, if we know our child, there is a high level of prediction as to how s/he will behave in a particular situation. How much better does our father in heaven know, predict our behaviour and attitude. In fact, when we give our lives to Him, we commission Him to change us into His likeness. So first, He knows us, next He knows the end from the beginning, and ultimately He’ll enable us to fulfil our desire to be “like Him”.

Finally, the LORD has His absolute red lines: He has limits that will not be crossed. When Satan was allowed to mess with Job, the LORD said, “but do not take his life…” (Job 2:6). Similarly, there will come a day when the bowls of wrath will be full (Revelation 16:1) and then Jesus will return to judge the earth (Revelation 16:16-17). Jesus didn’t know when that time would be, but GOD the Father knows. (Matthew 24:36)

This is GOD’s Story, not mine

Ultimately, it matters not a bit what I think or have worked out. In the sovereignty of GOD, He holds the earth and everyone in it in His hands.

What does His omnipotence mean within this conundrum of our free will and His omnipotence?

Omnipotence is having unlimited authority and power. GOD has the power and authority to make choices and He has chosen to give us the freedom to make our own discoveries and our own choices. Whatever we choose will hold consequences. In His Story, GOD chooses to teach us and to shape us through our own choices ,experiences and consequences. That’s how it works under His sovereignty.

Character over Circumstance

In my experience and from observation as well, I see GOD always seems to choose our character development over our situation or circumstance. It seems so long as we survive, GOD would prefer us to grow spiritually, rather than to have an easy ride. He does grant us the desires of our hearts, though we sometimes confuse our will with our heart. Even when someone significant in our lives actually passes away, that experience grows us too. We can rest assured the loved one is in His presence and in His will now. And that passing will catapult our growth: both ours and others’ around us.

Always, GOD takes our commitment at our word and gives us opportunity to shine! We are allowed to make our own choices: whether to prosper in our growth or to hide from our challenge, we always have a choice.

When we follow His ways, our character will grow, and in that I believe He takes particular delight.

At the End of the Age… or at least at the end of the Day

Natural and scientific laws operate without GOD’s ongoing attention, because He designed them that way. Within those laws human beings exist and we are responsible for the rest of the earth: the other living creatures, the seas and landscapes. He brought us into this universe in order that we would relate to Him and to one another. Genesis 1 makes that crystal clear.

Since the Fall of man, His plan to bring us back to Him has been unfolding. He is patient, kind, wise, full of goodness and He awaits the appointed time for the grand unfolding of His new heaven and earth.

It is His timing and not ours. It is centuries long, even millennia. We might interpret this as a lack of interest or a lack of power on GOD’s part. But His fragrant love, His service to us as revealed particularly through Jesus, His never-ending devotion and guidance reveals to us that our actions do not dictate the times, seasons, conclusion to this Age — though they do impact our own lives.

The sovereign will of GOD is like the globe: all encompassing, grander and greater than our individual circumstances, but nevertheless everlasting and ever engaging.

GOD uses reason but encompasses it with His sovereignty and so we live, move, have our being in Him, if we so choose, for we are His offspring (Acts 17:28)

Every blessing and Amen.

Tags does everyone have free will, free will and satan, free will and sovereignty of god, free will and the devil, God's Story, gods story and free will, have I free will, laruspress, Preparing the Bride of Christ, Sarah Tun, what is free will

GOD'S STORY

GOD’s STORY part 9 God has given us free will… Really?

Post author By Sarah Tun
Post date 29/03/2023
No Comments on GOD’s STORY part 9 God has given us free will… Really?

Here at Preparing the Bride, I’m telling GOD’S STORY. Presumptuous?! Not when simply looking at scripture, because scripture is the unfolding of God’s story to us who read it.

How do we prepare as the Bride of Christ? We learn GOD’s Story. Piece by piece, and peace by peace, we learn to walk as He has walked.

GOD’S STORY Part 9 Has GOD given us Free Will really?

Free Will

Each person makes his/her own choices. But does anyone have free will without the LORD?

This is what I totally and whole heartedly believe Father Yehovhah GOD, Adonai Elohim wants me to write about this week…. It is a part of His Story which He wants us to understand…

Those who are in rebellion are under the control of the Evil One and make their choices in the dark.

Those who are in the light of the love of GOD are free to choose which direction to take, fully in the light, fully able to see which is conditional on if we take the time and attention to look. Those who walk with Him make choices, have freedom to engage with Him, freedom to take or reject His guidance… free to take the blessings or consequences of our choices.

Recently, I had an invitation to speak but I had a conflict with the timing of that invitation, and so I had a choice to make.

I waited on the LORD. I knew I could do either: speak or focus on my original arrangement, but I thought perhaps that He preferred I speak. But how could I reject the other pre-planned situation? Should I help 1 or the many? Then I thought of the 1 sheep and the 99 from Matthew 18. I chose to take care of the 1 even though the 99 might have benefitted.

Following the Word of GOD

I followed GOD’s Word, not because I had no choice, but because I made my choice. I had the peace of GOD then, though I believe that if I’d made a different choice it would not have been wrong. I’d have had different scripture to stand on. GOD gives us choices.

“He knows the way that I take, and when I come forth I shall shine like gold.” (Job 23:10)

GOD is bigger than our choices

If we have free will, how can GOD be sovereign? This is a deep theological question. It believe it is part of GOD’s Story…. I’d like to continue this journey at a deeper level next time.

Summary

But the kernels to hold on today are: GOD gives free will, Satan blocks it for those who walk without the knowledge of Jesus Christ. And we are responsible for our choices but those who walk in Christ can see and have the opportunity to choose!

Shalom and Amen.

Tags darkness and light of free will, do we make our own choices, does God give us free will, free will, God and free will, God's Story, gospel of Jesus, Larus Press, Preparing the Bride of Christ, Sarah Tun

GOD'S STORY

GOD’s Story Pt 8: Sovereignty of GOD

Post author By Sarah Tun
Post date 23/03/2023
No Comments on GOD’s Story Pt 8: Sovereignty of GOD

Here at Preparing the Bride, I’m telling GOD’S STORY. Presumptuous?! Not when simply looking at scripture, because scripture is the unfolding of God’s story to us who read it.

How do we prepare as the Bride of Christ? We learn GOD’s Story. Piece by piece, and peace by peace, we learn to walk as He has walked.

GOD’S STORY Part 8 Sovereignty of GOD

GOD is Sovereign. Personally, I have no doubt about the Sovereignty of GOD… But how is it, when GOD is sovereign, that sometimes His will does not seem to come to pass? Is it correct to think His will does not always reign?

Recently in the UK a new prime minister gained the title but after 6 weeks, she was forced to resign. The day she came into office the stained glass window in Westminster Hall, which is tidal, was completely alight. It was extraordinary and a rare — perhaps even a never before — event. To my mind and my prayer partners’ at the time, this was a marker for the LORD’s endorsement to her office. So why then did she not remain in office?

GOD does not interfere

I think the LORD observes and is grieved by some of the choices mankind makes. But He doesn’t interfere. He gave a gift of a particular leader as our Prime Minister in this example, who was then rejected by some powerful forces in media and banking, and she was forced out.

I believe the LORD will continue to observe us — all of us all over the world — until He cannot allow the corruption of humanity to grow any deeper. Then the Restrainer, the presence of GOD through Holy Spirit, will be removed… and Jesus will return.

GOD’s course of Action is long-term

2 Thessalonians 2:7-12 says,

“For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

This is a reflection of Romans 1 as well, which explains that we are born knowing right from wrong and the truth of the Creator.

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.”

GOD takes the long view and in doing so, He gives mankind opportunity to discover the Creator and to reconnect with Him. He gives us the opportunity to receive salvation, individually and nationally. He restrains evil. This is His ultimate will. But He gives us the choice to receive or to reject.

The Restrainer — Holy Spirit and His children, Believers who carry Him within — He holds the enemy and total depravity at bay, giving each persona and each nation the opportunity to embrace the Truth.

Depravity and its reach

We see the evidence of the depraved mind more and more these days in the West, as we ignore common sense and the laws of science, embracing the fancy of individualisation. Evil is not yet fully developed in all its fullness. Even though the world is becoming darker and darker, in GOD’s sovereignty, He holds Satan at bay.

But when the Restrainer is removed from this earth, what then? I believe this is to be marked by our rapture to Heaven, followed by the earth becoming consumed by depravity…. I shudder!

Let’s not linger on the thought of a dark world without any goodness, kindness, righteousness whatsoever.

The LORD’s grief

All the earth’s depravity grieves the LORD! He knows what will come to pass inevitably, but He holds off for as long as possible, for as many as possible to have every opportunity to see the light of Christ, and to receive Him, before His removal of His protection and the ultimate return and judgment of Jesus upon those who have rejected salvation.

What must is be like for the Father who observes?

In my mind’s eye, I can imagine our LORD, Abba Father, who observes our mistakes and waits for us to “knock” (Revelation 3:20) so that He can enter into our lives.

I can envisage a Father who looks upon His children, wanting to enter into their activities and waiting to be invited. A huge embrace is available to those who call upon Him.

For those who do not call upon this Father, He prompts them through bringing others into their lives; He gently steers and offers provision, but He does not force anyone to drink the water He offers.

Eventually, time and opportunity will run out….

The End as we know the Earth

The earth may cease but GOD’s love will never cease. The heavens may fall, but GOD’s power will never decline. The enemy may rise, but GOD will never be defeated. The time may seem short, but His arm extends into infinity.

GOD’s sovereignty may not reveal itself as we would expect, or ask, but it never fails. By faith and through a glance at History, we can trace His eye, His hand, His will. His word reminds us of His promises and on these we can depend, because He is all-powerful.

In Jesus’ name, may we recall and reclaim that which He has already declared in His word.

“No weapon formed against us will prosper and every tongue that rises against us in judgment will fail.” (text) Ultimately, the end from beginning has been ordained and His will will succeed. Amen.

He is sovereign. Let us have no doubt of that.

Tags bride of Christ, corruption of humanity, depravity of man, free will, God's Story, Larus Press, lawlessness and debauchery, lawlessness and depauchery, Liz Truss ousting, power of media over politics, Preparing the Bride of Christ, Salvation by Faith, Sarah Tun, satan influence over man, selfishness of man, Sovereignty of God, Westminster Hall, will of God

GOD'S STORY

GOD’S STORY Pt 6 Who is Holy Spirit

Post author By Sarah Tun
Post date 09/03/2023
No Comments on GOD’S STORY Pt 6 Who is Holy Spirit

“And those members of the body which we think to be less honourable, on these we bestow greater honour; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty”

While this is what Paul writes to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 12:23) in reference to the church as analogous to a human body, so I would ask you to look at this as analogous to the persons of the Godhead: namely, Father Son and Holy Spirit.

So Who is Holy Spirit?

We give GOD All the Glory! But who is GOD: Yehovah, Elohim if not inclusive of all three? Who is Holy Spirit and how does He fit with the others?

The Holy Spirit is to GOD as our most unpresentable parts are to our humanity: vital, for discretion, to be revered.

Part of GOD’s Story then is that Holy Spirit has been given less honour, less respect, less opportunity in our lives as a body of Christ = the church, than the other persons of GOD and I believe this needs to be addressed. Here is my opportunity to share GOD’s Story of Holy Spirit.

Here at Preparing the Bride, I’m telling GOD’S STORY. Presumptuous?! Not when simply looking at scripture, because scripture is the unfolding of God’s story to us who read it.

How do we prepare as the Bride of Christ? We learn GOD’s Story. Piece by piece, and peace by peace, we learn to walk as He has walked.

So, here we go…. GOD’S STORY Part 6 Who is Holy Spirit

GOD is Spirit. Surely that is first and foremost. He is timeless, omnipotent, omniscient, and perhaps most important for us to understand in order to understand Holy Spirit, is to remember that Our Father: Yehovah GOD, Elohim is omnipresent.

From His hovering over the earth in Genesis 1:2 to Jesus leaving the earth so that He could send His Spirit (John 14:25-26)…. I think it’s fair to say WE STILL DON’T REALLY UNDERSTAND THE HOLY SPIRIT, not that well at any rate.

United with the Holy Spirit, there is nothing our LORD cannot do, nothing we cannot do when we abide in Him.

In John 15 Jesus says,

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

“As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. These things I command you, that you love one another.”

Several times Jesus says “abide in me… and bear fruit”. What is this fruit that he is talking about? He is talking about character and the fruit that counts is the fruit of the Holy Spirit, which Paul lists in Galatians 5:22-23 namely, love, joy, peace, goodness, kindness, gentleness, patience, faith and self control. These are markers of character, godly character, Christ-like character, fruit which flows from the Holy Spirit.

And so in order to abide with Jesus and in Jesus, in order to grow in His character, we need the Holy Spirit. It is through Holy Spirit that we abide and through Holy Spirit that the our character bears fruit. That Spirit which is GOD, dwelling in us, transforming us as we allow, that Spirit which is united with us: GOD in us.

Yes, all humanity can choose love and can choose decency by its will. But only through Holy Spirit can we succeed in bearing the character of Christlike love and character.

How we grow in Christ

Man wrestles with himself and with GOD. Remember Jacob wrestling for his blessing (Genesis 32:24-29)? Jacob did not get all his answers but he did get the blessing of a new name: Israel. And it is his descendants who would become the nation of Israel.

We all are like two year olds are we not? Like children who want both to please Mum and Dad and yet also to have their own way, do we not struggle against our love for GOD and our own way?

Holy Spirit teaches us and comforts us — leading us to follow and convicting us when we don’t, touching our hearts to draw near and not to punish ourselves for our short-comings but rather to learn from our mistakes. This is the personal touch of Holy Spirit. He is no less a person with whom we are encouraged to relate than the Father or Jesus. And yet, He is the least known, the least acknowledged of the three persons of GOD.

As the Father is the powerhouse of GOD — the one in whom we ‘fear’; as Jesus is the lamb of GOD, who models for us our humanity as GOD intends; so the Holy Spirit is deeply personal; He encourages us to persevere. In our humanity we will to do life on its own terms. We wrestle against GOD’s will; we doubt Jesus; we resist the Holy Spirit.

“Come unto me all who labour and are heavy-laden and I will give you rest…” These are Jesus’ spoken words in Matthew 11 but it is through a surrender to Holy Spirit that we can yield, be still, come unto, abide and find our rest.

GOD says, “Come”, “Be still”, ‘Love Me and love others” but we get distracted and diverted as our own will says, ‘Come, do it this way, now!’

All of life is a journey

GOD has offered us a journey of a lifetime when we surrender to Him. Holy Spirit enables that walk in that surrender. Only to the degree that we walk His way, in love, above the clouds of turmoil and strife, full of His grace, truth, love, peace do we live the best life.

This part of GOD’s Story is simply to say, GOD offers, GOD encourages, GOD asks us to align with, yield to, enjoy, and surrender to Him, and it is through Holy Spirit that we are able to do this.

GOD in our own strength

We are not meant — but often do— live a soul-ish spirituality. We love GOD yes, but we still follow our own will to Him. Instead we must surrender our will. We must surrender to the Spirit of GOD, walking daily in His will and way, if we are metaphorically, to ride on the clouds: Surrendering our body to our soul, soul to our spirit, our spirit to Holy Spirit of GOD will lead us into a spirit-filled walk that is as walking on water and as beyond the earthly condition. We can live as GOD lives, without time, without conditions, without limitations, if we simply trust and obey, surrender and receive.

GOD’s Power and Presence within us

Holy Spirit is the power and presence of GOD. When we abide in the LORD and allow ourselves to live completely surrendered, then we will rise above the temporal, beyond the clouds of emotion and circumstance, into a freedom and grace that is unknown to the earthly person.

What is the Holy Spirit? Who is the Holy Spirit?

He is that part of GOD that enables us to be truly intimate. We know the Father from above. We know Jesus from His earthly walk. We know Holy Spirit because He lives within us.

THE LORD GOD is seeking to draw us closer to Him. How closely will you allow Him to draw you? Will you yield all to Him? In His Story, He is asking you. He is asking us all.

“I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) This is not only a call from Jesus to us. This call is from GOD to us. This call is Holy Spirit’s offering to us.

Will we trust and accept the calling to be fully surrendered to the Creator of the universe?

Tags abide in god, character of christ, God's Story, holy spirit honour, identity of GOD, jesus and holy spirit, Larus press Holy Spirit power, Power of God, prepare the bride for god, presence of GOD, Sarah Tun journey in life, truth of god, who is God, who is holy spirit

GOD'S STORY

GOD’S STORY: Part 5 What is the Law?

Post author By Sarah Tun
Post date 28/02/2023
No Comments on GOD’S STORY: Part 5 What is the Law?

Here at Preparing the Bride, I’m telling GOD’S STORY. Presumptuous?! Not when simply looking at scripture, because scripture is the unfolding of God’s story to us who read it.

How do we prepare as the Bride of Christ? We learn GOD’s Story. Piece by piece, and peace by peace, we learn to walk as He has walked.

GOD’S STORY Part 5: What IS the Law? And How does it relate to Creation?

In a very personal way, the LORD GOD Yehovah has shared with us through Jesus what is the law… It all comes down to Love.

Last week GOD’s Story discussed why GOD created the Law. This week, I’ll share more about what that Law actually is….

Looking at Psalm 119 we can take apart so many verses and see how much the writer is devoted to the precepts, statutes, word, wonderful works. All these draw upon the Law of GOD, the Creator of the Universe.

Looking at the Laws of physics, mathematics, language…. GOD’s Law will not be mocked. We think of the Law as a set of rules (religion) or guidelines (relationship) but it is so much more….

“Open my eyes that I may see wondrous things from your law.” (Psalm 119:18) These are not simply words of wisdom but the essence of life.

“Make me understand the way of your precepts; so I shall mediate on Your wonderful works.” (v 27)

The Father does not just want us to obey rules but He wants us to comprehend His workings! Like a watchmaker who intricately creates a timepiece, so the Father has intricately created earth, from Beginning to End. And He has created not just the physical earth but all the properties and laws of nature that govern how everything works together and holds together. He is the Alpha and Omega (Revelation 22:13). In the beginning was GOD (Genesis 1:1) even before Time, creating day and night on the first day, and hence a marker, a beginning of Time itself, there was GOD at work.

Core of Creation

And at the very heart of this Creation… is Love. A GOD who has three identities in one person: the capacity for thought, the physical embodiment, and the spiritual. GOD the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are the labels given but He is in harmony with Himself and models that for mankind. In the beginning was a void and out of that void He created life in all its fulness, that He would have companionship and share that with humanity.

And for humanity to exist well, it needs Love at its core.

Opposition to Love

What does the enemy sow? Hatred, animosity, strife. What does GOD sow? Love, forgiveness, kindness, generosity, grace.

Following GOD’s Law is not following rules and even goes beyond relationship. Jesus came to fulfil the Law, not to replace it (Matthew 5:17). And what did he encapsulate the Law as?

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:36-40)

In essence His Law encapsulates the concept of Love and it goes right back to the beginning — to Creation itself and its natural laws. And GOD has always wanted us to explore, to discover His Laws. The writer of Psalm 119 yearns to understand,

“Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, And I shall keep it to the end. Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law; Indeed I shall observe it with my whole heart.” (v33-34)

GOD’s motive and science

The LORD does not shun our exploration but encourages it. And when we tried to build the Tower to reach heaven, tried to defy nature, He divided us through language, destroying our inter-communication, not so we would be confused against one another, but so we would rely upon Him still, to seek Him rather than to override Him, not to compete with Him, but rather to engage with Him.

The astronaut who goes beyond earth’s atmosphere and into outer space says that it is more obvious, not less, that there is GOD, a Creator, of this vast universe. Exploration in itself does not take us away from GOD, but draws us to Him.

A part of GOD’s story is Love. He loves us and wants us to love Him and one another. He also encourages us to explore, to understand His creation and its laws of nature and of science, so we can better understand Him and ourselves.

He does not compete with science and exploration. He is science and exploration just as He is the Creator of all and created us in His image.

Comment on Environmentalism

I cannot finish this post today without drawing momentary attention to the climate change agenda, the environment, and where society has got off track.

Simply put, GOD created the earth and the universe. He called us to be stewards (Genesis 1:26-28). He called us to worship Him and to take care of the planet. One without the other is confused or disobedient.

Let us love our world but let us love GOD first and foremost. Then the world will know us by our love. Hallelujah!

Tags father son holy spirit, god and science, God's Story, golden rule, law of GOD, laws of science, Love of God, preparing the bride, Word of GOD

GOD'S STORY Preparing the Bride of Jesus Christ

GOD’S STORY: Part 4 Why the Law?

Post author By Sarah Tun
Post date 22/02/2023
No Comments on GOD’S STORY: Part 4 Why the Law?

Here at Preparing the Bride, I’m telling GOD’S STORY. Presumptuous?! Not when simply looking at scripture, because scripture is the unfolding of God’s story to us who read it.

How do we prepare as the Bride of Christ? We learn GOD’s Story. Piece by piece, and peace by peace, we learn to walk as He has walked.

GOD’S STORY Part 4: Why the LAW?

“Open my eyes, that I may see

Wondrous things from your law.”

(Psalm 119:18)

I asked the LORD, What is the next thing to share of Your Story?

He led me to the Ten Commandments. Really? Yes! Okay.

Why the Law to share with you?

You will know Exodus 20, where the LORD lists the summary version of His Law: the 10 Commandments. Exodus and Leviticus are full of GOD’s laws for various contingencies. But the Law is encapsulated well in the 10 Commandments.

Exodus 20:2-17

2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.

4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.

8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

12 “Honour your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.

13 “You shall not murder.

14 “You shall not commit adultery.

15 “You shall not steal.

16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.

17 “You shall not covet your neighbour’s house; you shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbour’s.”

But why was the Law necessary?

Sin, yes. But why didn’t GOD just send His son in the first place? If Jesus didn’t come to replace the Law but to fulfil it (Matthew 5:17), why didn’t He just arrive in front of the Hebrews in the wilderness?

“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of GOD.” (Romans 3:21) But first we need to know we’ve sinned in order to recognise we have fallen short. The Law teaches us our inability to keep it. Who hasn’t made a mistake and hoped and prayed we’d not suffer the consequences? That fear, that prayer, enables us to see we’ve fallen short. The Hebrews needed to learn GOD’s perfection before they could recognise their fallibility. So they needed to know GOD’s standard, His Law — They certainly weren’t going to find it in the heathen Egyptian society.

And so, why the Law? So we can know we’ve broken it, so we can know we’ve sinned, so we can know we’ve fallen short and need a Saviour… and then value The Saviour: Jesus, the Jewish Messiah Yeshua.

What does the Law signify?

Whilst GOD very much wanted relationship with the Hebrews, the fear of GOD pervaded their hearts. They saw the power of GOD in the pillar of fire and the pillar of cloud. They saw His power in the parting of the Red Sea. And so, they pushed Moses up front and said, ‘You talk to GOD and then tell us what He says.’

“Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. Then they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.” (Exodus 20:18-19)

This was immediately after the 10 Commandments had been announced. The people were willing to obey but didn’t want intimacy with GOD. The Law gives rules, requirements and we turn it into religion. But GOD wants relationship.

So, why Jesus?

Millennia after the Hebrews in the desert Jesus arrived, and He fulfilled the Law we failed to follow, with two commandments that encapsulated GOD’s standard even more succinctly,

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your

strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbour as yourself.’ ” (Luke 10:27)

Even further, through Jesus we can receive freedom today… overcoming the Law through the grace of faith in GOD.

John wrote in chapter 8 of his gospel, “If the son sets you free, you shall be free indeed.” Faith in Jesus, the son of God, offers us freedom from the Law as we receive Him and His love. We discover our choice to follow the Law changes; no longer do we follow out of a sense of duty or fear, but out of the desire to love others just as He has loved us. We are free as the yoke is lifted! “Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

The Law makes us aware of our failure to keep it. But we don’t have to live in fear and anxiety about the consequences of our weaknesses. Rather, we can know we have been saved from ourselves — our sinfulness — through the blood of Jesus.

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 19:14) Like little children innocent of their faults, we can embrace Jesus and His Father, knowing Jesus is the Truth and GOD the Father is a GOD of love. The sin of the past is left behind and the new has come: walking as Jesus walks, saved through faith in Him and living beyond sin because through faith in Jesus our sin is forgiven and blotted out.

So, the knowledge of GOD’s Law provoked mankind to realise our sinfulness and Jesus has released us from the yoke of the Law when we choose to follow Him.

“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32)

God’s Story

When we look at GOD’s Story through the lens of His Law, we recognise that the Hebrews and all the descendants, save one, were imperfect. It is through that one exceptional person that any and all can be rescued from imperfection.

We cannot escape GOD’s Law but we can learn to live the Law as embedded in the principle of Love, GOD’s love. And a part of GOD’s story is to recognise His identity. GOD’s identity is that He is Love.

Tags bride of Christ, God's Story, Jesus Fulfils the Law, law of GOD, preparing the bride, Ten Commandments, thou shalt not, truth shall set you free

GOD'S STORY Preparing the Bride of Jesus Christ

GOD’S STORY: part 3 Love for Israel

Post author By Sarah Tun
Post date 15/02/2023
No Comments on GOD’S STORY: part 3 Love for Israel

Here at Preparing the Bride, I’m telling GOD’S STORY. Presumptuous?! Not when simply looking at scripture, because scripture is the unfolding of God’s story to us who read it.

This is GOD’s Story: Part 3. GOD’s love for Israel.

Let’s look at GOD’s story through His Psalm 105 to see GOD’s love for Israel.

GOD is Love.

The Hebrews en masse didn’t catch the depth and breadth of GOD’s love for them. Surely if they had, their nature and their nation would have experienced more joy, peace and confidence as they trusted and obeyed their Creator and advocate.

Looking at Psalm 105 the other day, I noticed how it starts with a celebration towards the LORD and responds with a sharing of His love for His chosen people: the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

The reader is called initially to thank and celebrate the LORD, and to share His good deeds among His people — While today it could refer to those who believe in Him, Jew and Gentile alike (as we are grafted into the vine), historically, most certainly “His people” refers specifically to the Hebrews, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. That has never and will never change.

The psalm is divided into 45 verses. It is a poem of praise to the Creator,

“Oh, give thanks to the LORD!… Sing to Him…. Talk of all His wondrous works!” (v1,2)

Then, His chosen people are identified: “O seed of Abraham His servant, You children of Jacob, His chosen ones!” (v6) and the LORD’s covenant is referenced (v9) and His devotion is quoted, “Do not touch My anointed ones…” (v15)

A description of the history of Joseph and Moses in Egypt and all His goodness and protection in the wilderness toward them is referenced before the psalm ends with His holy promise of blessing and His practical demonstration of commitment to this chosen nation as “He gave the lands of the Gentiles, And they (the Hebrews) inherited the labour of the nations, That they might observe His statutes and keep His laws.” (v 44-45)

Why is it that repeatedly the miracles of the plagues against Egypt, the provision to the Hebrews of manna and quail, the guidance and protection from the pillars of cloud and fire… why are these things spoken of quite frequently in scripture? I think this is so because this history reveals HisStory of His grace, His supernatural power, His steadfast love and commitment to these His chosen people. They reveal His consistency as well, toward those who have turned away; He loves the sinner both Jew and Gentile and does not forget His promises to any of us.

The tragedy is that His people, in majority, have not kept His laws and so throughout time they have suffered loss including jealousy, accusation from others and a distance from GOD. Praise the LORD that things have been changing… There are and always have been a group of committed Jews, some Orthodox and some Reformed; but most excitingly, there are now an increasing number of Jewish people who are recognising Yeshua (Jesus) as Messiah as well. These Messianic Jews suffer rejection from their own Jewish neighbours and yet they stand fast for the Lord Jesus. I finished reading Psalm 105 thinking not of the Hebrews nor of myself, but predominantly of the sadness of the LORD. But as they turn back He receives them and so it is for all of us as well.

Do we consider His loss, His mourning, His sadness as a Father, who’s children rebel?

He loves us all. He loves His chosen. So many have turned away. What is His feeling in all of this? What is His story?

We know the LORD created us in His image. We know we suffer when we experience rejection, sadness and loss. So, is it reasonable to think that the LORD GOD Creator of the Universe likewise suffers when we reject Him?

Consider the father and the prodigal son. What does the father experience when his youngest son asks for his inheritance and leaves the family homestead for a life of debauchery and excess? We are not told. We only know that upon the son’s return, he is welcomed by his father with open arms. (Luke 15:11-31)

We are the prodigals. The father is Our Father. And we who are saved have already been welcomed with open arms. A part of His story is that He continues to wait for others, including and especially for the Jews, the descendants from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob aka Israel. This cannot be ignored. Jacob, the grandson of Abraham, wrestled for his blessing (Genesis 32) and was then renamed Israel, which is where the nation got its name, and has kept its name throughout millennia. The Father, LORD of the universe, has not broken His covenant with the people, and continues to love them just as His love is shown in Psalm 105.

We do not know when He will send His son to judge the earth. No one knows, only He (Matthew 24:36). But I certainly believe that left to me, I would have run out of patience, both with the Jew and the Gentile, long, long ago.

GOD’s love for us is clear. He teaches us to worship and obey Him because it releases us to a life of joy and peace. Let us pray for those who have yet to respond to Him, and particularly for the descendants of His people the Hebrews, that they would come to know the perfect peace and grace of a father’s unconditional love. This is what we can pray for. This is what we can minister into: That the world, and His chosen ones, will be saved.

Tags god is love, God's Story, Larus Press, Preparing the Bride of Christ, prodigal son, Salvation of Jews, Sarah Tun

GOD'S STORY

GOD’S STORY: Part 2 Nature of the Hebrews

Post author By Sarah Tun
Post date 08/02/2023
2 Comments on GOD’S STORY: Part 2 Nature of the Hebrews

Here at Preparing the Bride, I’m telling GOD’S STORY. Presumptuous?! Not when simply looking at scripture, because scripture is the unfolding of God’s story to us who read it.

This is GOD’s Story: Part 2, looking at the nature of the Hebrews, God’s chosen people. He chose them because He had chosen Abraham and the Hebrews are Abraham’s descendants. Abraham had others descendants but the ones who are special to Him, according to Biblical scripture: the Chosen Ones are the Hebrews, descended from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Hebrews become Faithful

Exodus 14 is where we’ll start. The Hebrews have left Egypt with gold and silver from their Egyptian neighbours, who had watched the onslaught of plagues inflicted upon the Pharaoh — and his people — because of his own stubborn heart. But after their escape, when they see the Egyptian army following, “Then the Hebrews say to Moses, “Because there were not graves in Egypt, you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt so with us…?” (verse 11)

The miracles of GOD did not leave an impression on them, building them as a people of faith. Not yet.

Next Moses obeyed GOD and the sea was parted miraculously. The Hebrews escaped across dry ground and then the sea closed over the Egyptians who were following them. “Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore.” (verse 30) Very grim indeed. Such was the consequence of the power of GOD, and “so the people feared the LORD and believed the LORD and His servant Moses.” (verse 31)

They who were faithless became full of fear and full of faith.

Hebrews complain

Next, let’s turn to Exodus 16 and 17. The Hebrews have arrived in the wilderness. And they are getting grumpy, as people are inclined to do.

They’ve celebrated their deliverance from attack and the miraculous parting of the Red Sea. GOD has promised He will take care of them. He has promised they will escape disease if they heed His voice and do what is right in His sight. He has offered them a one-to-one relationship with them. But they don’t like the wilderness and they start to complain.

Moses says, “for the LORD has heard your complaints which you make against Him…” (verse 8) and “He has heard your complaints.” (Exodus 16:9)

The LORD presents Manna — bread from Heaven for them to eat. He brings quail and promises bread will come by day and meat at evening.

But they break His rule which asks them to respect His Sabbath.

Then “the people contended with Moses” (Exodus 17: 2) because they were thirsty.

They had received water from a rock. Pillars of fire and cloud had guided and protected them, food and water was given. Why did they still complain?

A new enemy approaches and they fear the enemy; yet GOD gives them military victory.

So many good gifts and mighty miracles have come from GOD. And yet, gratitude and obedience are missing, even after the fulfilment of all His promises and His miracles. Why?

Talking to Moses

“Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness.” (Exodus 16:2)

“And the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses, and said “Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” (Exodus 17:3)

What is missing? GOD has provided and protected at every turn. And yet the complaints and hostility continue to be the knee-jerk reaction of the Hebrews in their situation. One problem is that the Hebrews are communicating with the leader but not with Their Leader. They talk to Moses, they complain to him and Aaron. But they do not communicate with GOD. What if they had?

Celebration

The Hebrews are not without some gratitude. They are expressive, not only of fear and complaints but also of joy. Exodus 15 is all about the celebration of freedom.

Miriam, Moses’ sister, leads the dance and song as women rejoice at their escape from the enemy.

“The LORD is my strength and son, And He has become my salvation;” they sing. (Exodus 15:2)

There is an echo of this later in Judges 5, when the Hebrews rejoice after another military victory, “Thus let all Your enemies perish, O LORD! But let those who love Him be like the sun when it comes out in full strength.” (verse 31)

The Hebrews, who will become the Jewish people, know their GOD is powerful. But do they know He’s on their side. Do they know who it is they are celebrating?

Fear of the LORD GOD… without trust

When staring at the dead Egyptians on the seashore, after the waters of the Red Sea had come crashing down, the Hebrews must have shuddered. They must have paused and thought, “That could have been us!”

The scripture says, “Thus Israel saw the great work which the LORD had done in Egypt; so the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD and His servant Moses.” (Exodus 14:31)

Reminiscent of this is Peter, walking on water…

In Matthew, this Jewish man, upon seeing Jesus walking on water said, “LORD, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” (Matthew 14:28) And Jesus does.

“But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” (verse 30)

What was missing in Peter? We might scoff at Peter and yet, at least he got out of the boat; at least he tried.

What was missing with the Hebrews? We might think ‘how ungrateful they are’. And yet, they were homeless.

They have fear. They have faith. So what is missing in the Hebrews and in Peter?

Missing Key

GOD provided to the Hebrews according to the requests. GOD was consistent. Jesus did do as Peter asked. And yet there was so much doubt.

They all saw the power of GOD. But did they know His love?

Do you know what I believe was missing? They feared Him without trusting Him.

Why was trust missing? They were not aware of the perfect love of GOD.

And even Peter, who had relationship with Jesus as one of his best friends, still lacked faith because he was unable to realise just how much GOD loved him.

Who is GOD?

This is GOD’s story. He made Himself available to the Hebrews. He made Himself available to Peter. He makes Himself available to us. What do we do with that opportunity? Do we talk to Him? To what degree do we trust Him? To that degree will be the our level of faith, the extent of our submission, and the limit of our peace.

GOD’s story will tell us at every turn, He loves us! He will never leave us nor forsake us. If we turn around and He isn’t there, why is that? Surely it is because we’ve moved away.

Every blessing as the LORD allows His story to unfold in our own hearts:)

Tags God's chosen people, God's Story, growing in Christ, hebrews chosen ones, Larus Press, preparing the bride