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Loves Secret

- William Blake -

Never seek to tell thy love,
Love that never told can be;
For the gentle wind does move
Silently, invisibly.

I told my love, I told my love,
I told her all my heart;
Trembling, cold, in ghastly fears,
Ah! she did depart!

Soon as she was gone from me,
A traveler came by,
Silently, invisibly
He took her with a sigh.

— Blake is speaking clear english in this piece which is rare. He is saying that love can not be created with words. If it is to be, then it happens. No amount of briliance or language usage can suffice for God’s will.

More deeply he is showing the tragedy in the disillusionment that comes from being turned down or rejected by someone you think the world of. All his efforts to express his deepest feelings and his worship for this person was not enough.

The most tragic and punctuating part is the end which says despite his pain sorrow and best efforts to express his deepest love, he is not only rejected, but his lady settles for someone who doesn’t have much care for her at all.

This is a piece about the inability of man to create love and the irrelevence language has if it has no object. Language is only as beautiful as reality, and it is as tragic as reality too. The wisdom one can take from this is that we should not forget that language only expresses what is already there - it doesn’t create what one wishes to experience.

Lesson on Free Worship

2 Chronicles 5: 1-14

< 1 When all the work Solomon had done for the temple of the LORD was finished, he brought in the things his father David had dedicated—the silver and gold and all the furnishings—and he placed them in the treasuries of God’s temple.2 Then Solomon summoned to Jerusalem the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes and the chiefs of the Israelite families, to bring up the ark of the LORD’s covenant from Zion, the City of David. 3 And all the men of

Israel

came together to the king at the time of the festival in the seventh month. 4 When all the elders of

Israel

had arrived, the Levites took up the ark, 5 and they brought up the ark and the Tent of Meeting and all the sacred furnishings in it. The priests, who were Levites, carried them up; 6 and King Solomon and the entire assembly of

Israel

that had gathered about him were before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and cattle that they could not be recorded or counted.

7 The priests then brought the ark of the LORD’s covenant to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the

Most Holy Place

, and put it beneath the wings of the cherubim. 8 The cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark and covered the ark and its carrying poles. 9 These poles were so long that their ends, extending from the ark, could be seen from in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the

Holy Place

; and they are still there today. 10 There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the LORD made a covenant with the Israelites after they came out of

Egypt

. 11 The priests then withdrew from the

Holy Place

. All the priests who were there had consecrated themselves, regardless of their divisions. 12 All the Levites who were musicians—Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun and their sons and relatives—stood on the east side of the altar, dressed in fine linen and playing cymbals, harps and lyres. They were accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets. 13 The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the LORD and sang:

       "He is good;

       his love endures forever."Then the temple of the LORD was filled with a cloud, 14 and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the

temple

of

God

.>

Point 1:

The temple is prepared

- Our heart is dedicated to God

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

19Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

- Our lives and purposes are dedicated to God

Haggai 1: 1-7

1 In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of

Judah

, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest: 2 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "These people say, ‘The time has not yet come for the LORD’s house to be built.’ "

3 Then the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai: 4 "Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?" 5 Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. 6 You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it." 7 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways.

Point 2:

Preparation for the presence of God

- The ark contained the Word

- Prayer and atonement made by the sacrifice of animals

Today, we have both the Word in our hearts, and the ultimate sacrifice made by Christ. All the preparation has already been done; We can enter the Holy of Holies with confidence.

Hebrews 10: 15-22

15The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: 16"This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord.

   I will put my laws in their hearts,

      and I will write them on their minds."17Then he adds:

   "Their sins and lawless acts

      I will remember no more." 18And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin. 19Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

Point 3:

Worship in UNISON, in response to what God has done in our lives

– a new song; Together in one voice.

No rehearsal of what to say, but comes naturally what they declare from their hearts. All joining in, in one accord, flow together.

Psalm 33:3

Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.

Psalm 40:3

He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.

Psalm 98:1

[ A psalm. ] Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.

Psalm 144:9

I will sing a new song to you, O God; on the ten-stringed lyre I will make music to you,

Psalm 149:1

Praise the LORD. Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints.

Isaiah 42:10

[ Song of Praise to the Lord ] Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise from the ends of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, you islands, and all who live in them.

Revelation 5:9

And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.

Revelation 5:8-10 (in Context) Revelation 5 (Whole Chapter)

Ephesians 5:19

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord,

Ephesians 5:18-20 (in Context) Ephesians 5 (Whole Chapter)

Colossians 3:16

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

Point 4:

The presence of God comes, we have reached our goal; priests do not have to perform service anymore.

Psalm 16:11
You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

These past few days have been quite a whirl wind…

On Monday, I was told that the University would not support an extension of my PhD submission date and wanted me to continue writing up as a non-emrolled student. This would mean that I lose my student Visa and would have to go back to Singapore almost immedately to finish writing up my thesis, and perhaps come back on a tourist visa. Even my immigration agent mentioned that I had not much choice and was better off only coming back to Melbourne in Jan 2008 on a tourist visa.

I was really crushed at the prospect of having to move around and relocate during this time of writing up. It got to a point where I felt challenged between just taking the easy route to go home and be well cared for at home and write up, or be faithful to my calling to be here inAustralia serving God - I had to trust God to provide someway if indeed I am meant to be here for His purpose.

I asked the church to pray for me during our corporate prayer time on Tuesday, and I received many ebcouraging verses from the bible from some of my brothers and sisters. The one that stood out eas Isaiah 54, which God had also spoken to me, and He used another brother to confirm the Word. I felt almost certain at that point that even though the ‘experts’ said there was no way, God would make the way.

Sure enough, when I called the Department of Immigration on Wednesday morning and explained my case, they told me that I simply needed a letter of verification from mysupervisor that I am still writing up, and they would extend my student Visa accordingly (for a small fee of course…)! Praise God! Was overjoyed by God’s providence. His goodness and favour is surely with me always

Ecclesiastes 7:8 The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Hebrews 6:12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

Am learning much more about patience this week. On the one hand, am so eager to finish this PhD, but on the other hand, I recognise the importance of doing it well and knowing the right season and timing. A good harvest cannot be rushed, but must be invested in accordingly.

Mark 11:13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs.

I have to graciously accept that my thesis will not be ready till probably early 2008. I was not even aware that they can fail a thesis on sight, so am much more realistic and wary in my preparation for submission now.

Think about Abraham. Here is a man called out by God, promised to be the father of many nations. He leaves his hometown and embarks on a journey whose destination is unsure. After a creative but failed attempt to fulfill God’s promise of a son, Abraham is old and discouraged.

Then the miracle happens. His also aging wife, Sarah, gets pregnant with their first and only child. It is the promise child, Isaac. Imagine the joy that captures Abraham’s heart. It is the moment he thought he would never see. Tears roll down his wrinkled face, creased with years of hardship and sorrow, as he holds his son in his arms. Isaac is tangible proof that the promises of God are true. Wrapped up in that little child is all of Abraham’s God-given hopes and dreams, indeed, his very destiny.

And then God spoke. "Abraham." "Here I am," came the response. "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love…and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about." <Gen 22:2>

No response. No question, no counterargument. The next morning came earlier than most. He gets Isaac, two servants, saddles a donkey and begins the fateful journey. A few days later, after enough wood had been cut, Abraham makes an announcement. Seeing Mount Moriah ahead, he turns to his servants and says, "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you."

We will worship. This is the first mention of the word "worship" in the Bible. It is the first time the Hebrew word "shachah", used only twice before and translated as "bowed low", is translated as "worship." The background for the introduction of this concept of worship is sacrifice. The setting, the place, is Mount Moriah.

Many years later King David would find himself looking for a place to build an altar to the Lord to confess his sin and worship. Under Divine instruction he approaches the threshing floor of a man named Aruanah. Aruanah, upon seeing the king, offers to give him the land and any animal needed for an offering. Here David utters the now famous words, "I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing." The place of that threshing floor? Mount Moriah. <2 Samuel 24: 18-25>

A generation later, King Solomon, David’s son, is about to commence the long-awaited building of the Lord’s temple. Where will it be built? On the threshing floor of Aruanah that David purchased on Mount Moriah. <2 Chronicles 3:1>

The first temple, the centerpiece of Jewish worship, is built on land famous for sacrifice. That is significant. You see, sacrifice is the foundation of Biblical worship. At its core, worship is about lordship; we give lordship to what we worship. When we make the choice to worship God, we are emptying ourselves of our own rights and will and surrendering to Him. Worship is the foremost act of sacrifice. It proclaims a death to our self.

There is one more element about worship that we can learn from the story of Abraham and Isaac. Worship is an act of sacrifice; it is also an expression of faith in God. When Isaac, probably a teenager or young man at the time, notices that he and his dad are up there with fire, wood, a knife, and no sacrifice, he nervously asks the question: "Where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" Abraham’s response is pivotal. "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." God himself will provide. The Hebrew phrase used there is "Jehovah Jireh"-the God who sees, the One who sees ahead, who watches over, the One who provides.

In the moment of confusion and uncertainty, in the midst of the greatest emotional stress he has ever experienced, Abraham reaches out for the very nature of God. His response is one that affirms the character of God. When the day is over, Abraham names that place "The Lord Will Provide", Jehovah Jireh. The name and character of God has defined that moment in his life. Before he knew what would happen, he trusted in the nature of God; when all was said and done, he reaffirmed it. The object of Abraham’s faith was not a specific outcome; the object of his faith was a Person-God himself. Our faith is tied up in the character and nature of God. When it is, our worship will reflect it. A true belief in who God is generates worship that is both authentic and powerful.

There is sufficient evidence outside of the Bible for us to know with some certainty the events which took place after the death of Christ. We can verify the life and death of Christ, some of Paul’s travels, the persecution and death of early Christians, the rise of Christianity in Rome and the subsequent attempts by the Emperor to stamp it out. We know that virtually all of Christ’s apostles spent the rest of their lives committed to spreading the good news of the Gospel, and almost all of them were martyred.

If the resurrection of Christ did not happen, the apostles would be the only ones who could know with any certainty. If it was a hoax, it was the apostles who perpetrated it. If it was a lie, it was the apostles who created it. Conversely, if the resurrection really happened, then it was the apostles who first watched Him die, rise again and then walk in their midst for forty days. There can be little doubt that these twelve men knew for certain whether Christ rose again or He did not. Yet, we know that each and every one of them spent their entire lives and indeed even gave their lives in order to spread the news of Jesus Christ.

Looking ahead further, we know that for the next century after Jesus’ death, Christians would continue to believe in the risen Christ despite the fact that it would very likely result in death. One hundred years is a short enough time that early Christians would have had an opportunity to at least meet one of the hundreds of people who had personally walked and talked with the risen Lord. The testimony of those early Christians, those who knew the fact of the resurrection for truth or a lie, was so persuasive that it would convince people to risk their very lives. Their testimony would endure for two thousand years and affect over a billion lives. Could it all have been a lie?

At this point, we need to take a leap of some logic and some faith and decide between two alternatives. We must decide that the apostles lived and died for something they knew to be false, or we must decide that Jesus Christ rose from the dead.

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The Bible is like a telescope. If a man looks through his telescope, then he sees the worlds beyond; but if he looks at his telescope, then he does not see anything but that. The Bible is a thing to be looked through, to see that which is beyond; but most people only look at it; and so they see only the dead letter. - Phillips Brooks