Yesterday at Kota Belud I spoke about the number, 153 in John 21 - the 153 large fishes caught by Jesus' disciples. What does the number stand for? One way of looking at it is that 153 is 51x3. The number 51 is significant because it begins a new cycle of 50 years, the 50th year being Jubilee where every man is commanded to return to his own land (Lev 25) and if there is any debt accrued it must be cancelled or absolved by the creditor so that every man in Israel is free from debt and not be burdened by subjection to creditors and landowners because the debtor's inheritance/land is restored to him in the year of Jubilee.
I have felt thus in my 54th year where the Lord by His grace had worked wonders to cancel my debts. Now that I have returned to my homeland, Sabah - I plan to conquer it for Jesus and the Gospel's sake. I suppose the decision to return to Sabah when I turned 50 (my Jubilee) triggered a series of events which humanly speaking, it was folly to leave a land of milk and honey where pay is not only doubled what I get in Sabah but three times in value making it 5 times more than what I can earn in Sabah. But the Lord is no man's debtor. When one trusts in Him and seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, He will add/bless the person who entrusts his life to the Almighty.
My student asked me recently "Can we experience the blessings of Abraham including material blessings?" I said, "Yes, if we have the faith of Abraham and believed in the God of Abraham" who said to Abraham "I will surely bless you and you will be a blessing to the nations" but I added in Galatians the blessing of Abraham is the promise of the Holy Spirit so whether we are well off materially or not, provided we have the Holy Spirit, it is blessing enough, for one who has the Holy Spirit possesses everything because the Almighty is with Him.
Jerusalem today is 51 years old after the 6-day War from 5th to 10th June 1967. Jerusalem is entering a new cycle of 50 years and it is a new era where the world will soon acknowledge God's favour on his holy city. But as for me, in worship today I cried out to the Lord and He spoke to me clearly from Isaiah 49:8 "In an acceptable time I have heard you. and in the day of salvation I have helped you. I will preserve you and give you as a covenant to the people, to restore the land (Sabah) and to cause them to inherit the desolate heritage." This year, even in 2018, I too like Jerusalem, have entered a new era, a life of the Spirit, a true Jubilee of blessings of freedom, spiritual and material. All praise be to God.
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