Live Streaming from Fellowship in Toraja.
Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 2:9
2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
A priest is a holy person who bears ministry from God and serves as well as ministers to God according to the ministry from Him.
Why do we have to become priests and kings and serve and minister to God?
THE APPEARANCE OF PRIESTS AND KINGS.
Mark 1:6
1:6 Now John was clothed with camel's hairand with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.
General appearanceof God's servants is in simplicity, not showing off the luxury of the world.
Special appearanceis with camel's hair clothes that refer to physical and spiritual clothes of God's servant.
The functions of the camel's hair clothes are as follows.
God blesses you.
Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 2:9
2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
A priest is a holy person who bears ministry from God and serves as well as ministers to God according to the ministry from Him.
Why do we have to become priests and kings and serve and minister to God?
- Because there is difference between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.
Malachi 3:18, 4:1
3:18 Then you shall again discern Between the righteous and the wicked, Between one who serves God And one who does not serve Him.
4:1 "For behold, the day is coming, Burning like an oven, And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up," Says the LORD of hosts, "That will leave them neither root nor branch.
One who does not serve God is the wicked one as stubble that is not useful. It only waits for being burnt and destroyed.
There is difference between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him. For example, Cain and Abel served and ministered to God, but He only received the offering of Abel. Therefore, we must serve in the true consecration. - We get the guarantee of double assurance from God for our present life up to eternal one through the true service and ministry.
1 Timothy 4:8-10
4:8For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.
4:9 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance.
4:10 For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe.
God has made efforts for the house of Israel to serve to Him by punishing Egypt with ten plagues. In New Testament, Jesus is willing to die on the cross to make the Gentiles serve to God. Therefore, we must also make efforts to serve and minister to God more than anything in the world. - Because the service to God is the only activity in the world that can bring us to the throne of heaven.
Revelation 22:3, 5
22:3 And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him.
22:5 There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.
The inhabitants of one thousand years kingdom of peace and heavenly kingdom are priests and kings.
THE APPEARANCE OF PRIESTS AND KINGS.
Mark 1:6
1:6 Now John was clothed with camel's hairand with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.
General appearanceof God's servants is in simplicity, not showing off the luxury of the world.
Special appearanceis with camel's hair clothes that refer to physical and spiritual clothes of God's servant.
- Physical clothes.
The requirements are as follows.
- It must be according to the function, namely to cover the nakedness of flesh.
Leviticus 21:10
21:10 ' He who is the high priest among his brethren, on whose head the anointing oil was poured and who is consecrated to wear the garments, shall not uncover his head nor tear his clothes; - It must be proper for serving to God.
- Being clean and not smelly.
- Being correct.
Deuteronomy 22:5
22:5 " A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman's garment, for all who do so are an abomination to the LORD your God.
- Spiritual clothes, namely camel's hair clothes.
The function is to sustain high temperature in the day and low temperature at night in the wilderness. It also prevents the destruction in the wilderness.
The camel's hair clothes refer to the power or anointing of Holy Spirit that protects us from temptation and destruction in the wilderness of the world.
How great a man is, he will be destroyed together with the world if there is no anointing of Holy Spirit.
The world is passing away. It means there is much destruction in the world now. Physical destruction happens in economy, and so on. Spiritual one happens in morality and marriage, with sin up to the peak, namely sins concerning eating-drinking and marrying-being given in marriage.
The functions of the camel's hair clothes are as follows.
- Camel is sensitive toward danger in the wilderness, so it can turn away from it.
It means the anointing of Holy Spirit makes us sensitive toward the danger in the world and we can turn away from death danger that always threatens us as follows.- The danger of worldly friendship.
1 Corinthians 15:33
15:33 Do not be deceived: "Evil company corrupts good habits."
Worldly friendship makes us sick, dry, and dead in our spirituality. Spiritual sickness means one sins. Spiritual dryness means dissatisfaction. Spiritual death means one sins without any regret. - The danger of friendship in false service to God.
2 Timothy 3:1-5
3:1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:
3:2 For men will be(1)lovers of themselves, (2)lovers of money, (3)boasters, (4)proud, (5)blasphemers, (6)disobedient to parents, (7)unthankful, (8)unholy,
3:3 (9)unloving, (10)unforgiving, (11)slanderers, (12)without self-control, (13)brutal, (14)despisers of good,
3:4 (15)traitors, (16)headstrong, (17)haughty, (18)lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
3:5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
False service rejects the power of service, namely true teaching Word that is able to change our life. Such service does not prioritize the true teaching Word, but shows off physical things. Consequently, there is no life renewal although one serves to God. He keeps fleshy man with eighteen fleshy characteristics. He is stamped with six hundred and sixty six by antichrist as a woman who was bent over for eighteen years in the temple. - The danger of false teachings that are not according to Bible.
1 John 2:26-27
2:26 These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you.
2:27 But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.
Being deceived means losing the direction to heaven.
Matthew 24:3-5, 11, 24
24:3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"
24:4 And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceivesyou.
24:5 "For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.
24:11 "Then many false prophets will rise up and deceivemany.
24:24 "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
- The danger of worldly friendship.
- Camel is able to endure suffering in the desert.
It means that the anointing of Holy Spirit makes us endure sufferings in the world because of Jesus.
Romans 5:5
5:5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Holy Spirit pours out the love of God, so that we can be strong and of good courage. We do not murmur or become disappointed and hopeless. We also do not leave God in facing all things in the world, but keep on believing and hoping in Him. We keep faithful and fervent in spirit following to God to serve and minister to Him until the end line. We also keep on holding fast one true teaching Word.
1 Chronicles 19:13
19:13 "Be of good courage, and let us be strong for our people and for the cities of our God. And may the LORD do what is good in His sight."
As a result, God makes all things good in due time. - Camel humbles itself, so that its master can sit on it.
It means that Holy Spirit makes us submissive or obedient to God until our flesh does not speak anymore.
1 Peter 5:5-6
5:5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble."
5:6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,
It means that we lift up our hands to God. He will also stretch His mighty hand to hold us, so that we do not fall in our ministry to God. We minister to Him until the end or forever.
Exodus 29:9
29:9 "And you shall gird them with sashes, Aaron and his sons, and put the hats on them. The priesthood shall be theirs for a perpetual statute. So you shall consecrate Aaron and his sons.- Abraham is obedient until his flesh does not speak anymore and he can offer Isaac.
Genesis 22:12-14
22:12 And He said, "Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me."
22:13 Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.
22:14 And Abraham called the name of the place, The-LORD-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, "In the Mount of The LORD it shall be provided."
Isaac is the description of something we love and hope or something we are proud of. Abraham must sacrifice his fleshy mind and feelings in order to be obedient because of loving God more than anything.
As a result, God is able to create something that does not exist yet and make impossible thing possible. - The widow of Zarephath is obedient until the flesh does not speak anymore, so she can offer small cake for God.
1 Kings 17:12-13, 15
17:12 So she said, "As the LORD your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die."
17:13 And Elijah said to her, "Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son.
17:15 So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days.
She must sacrifice her egoism or self interest in order to be obedient. As a result, the hand of God is able to preserve and protect us miraculously from now on until the time when antichrist reigns over the world. - Youth must be obedient until the flesh does not speak anymore.
1 Peter 5:5-6
5:5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble."
5:6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,
They must sacrifice their fleshy will in order to obey and love God more than anything. As a result, God will stretch His hand to exalt us in due time. We are lifted up from failures to success and joy in due time. We are used in the ministry for building Christ’s body. We are sanctified and renewed little by little until we are as glorious as Jesus is when He comes a second time. We become His Bride who is ready to welcome His second coming on glorious clouds.
- Abraham is obedient until his flesh does not speak anymore and he can offer Isaac.
God blesses you.