Bible Study Service in Malang, February 15, 2024 (Thursday Evening)

Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Revelation 21:1-8 can be divided into three parts as follows:

1. [verse 1] The new heaven and earth.
   
2. [verse 2-3] The new man.
   
3. [verse 4-8] The new atmosphere.
   
   
   1. [verse 4] The atmosphere without death.
      
   2. [verse 5-6] The atmosphere of heavenly satisfaction.
      
   3. [verse 7] The atmosphere of victory.
      
   4. [verse 8] The atmosphere of the truth, holiness, and perfection.
      

As a result, we can enter the New Jerusalem.

We learn about the new atmosphere, namely the fourth.

Revelation 21:8
21:8 "But the cowardly(1), unbelieving(2), abominable(3), murderers(4), sexually immoral(5), sorcerers(6), idolaters(7), and all liars(8)shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."

The eight sins which drown men to the hell are as follows:
(1) the cowardly,(2) unbelieving--> are resisting against the truth.
(3) abominable, (4) murderers, (5) sexually immoral, (6) sorcerers, (7) idolaters--> are resisting against the holiness.
(8) liars--> is resisting against the perfection.

The cowardly and unbelievingare not totally being worldly and not totally following Jesus.

The cowardly means that one does not dare to totally leave the influence of the world, so he cannot totally follow Jesus. He does not have the true and stable faith, but the false one, namely the one because of seeing the physical thing. He depends on man or the lust of the flesh, so his faith is dead. Consequently, he gets nothing, and his faith cannot save him. His spirituality is like the church of the Laodiceans, namely being lukewarm. It means being neither cold nor hot, so he is vomited by God. He is separated from God up to perdition forever.

Romans 10:17
10:17. So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

The true faith comes by hearing the Word that is anointed by Holy Spirit, not by seeing. Holy Spirit helps us to hear the Word earnestly until we can understand and believe in it, so it becomes the true faith in our heart.

Galatians 5:6
5:6. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.

The true faith which is worked by love will become the living one.

Hebrews 11:3
11:3. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

The true and living faith can create something that does not exist yet to take care of and help us in the midst of the impossibilities of the world as well as make the sinner become the righteous.

Luke 14:25-27
14:25. Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them,
14:26. "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.
14:27. "And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

The requirements of following Jesus are as follows:

1. [verse 26] We must surrender all things up to our life to God, so we can become His disciples. We imitate Him who totally surrenders up to the death on the cross. It means surrendering all things including the sins that burden us and make our heart uneasy, so we can totally follow Jesus in freedom.
   
   
2. [verse 27] We must bear the cross.
   1 Peter 4:1-2
   4:1. Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,
   4:2. that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.
   
   It means that we willingly suffer because of Jesus to stop sinning and live for the will of God. We repent and live in righteousness. We experience peace, so all things become easy and light. There is no more fear. We can live in holiness up to perfection.
   

So, the fear or anxiety can be defeated by the experience of death with Jesus.

The consequences of having the false faith, namely the one by seeing, are as follows:

1. Being unable to build the house until it is finished, but just its base.
   Luke 14:28-30
   14:28. "For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it -
   14:29. "lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him,
   14:30. "saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.'
   
   It means not ministering the building of the body of Christ anymore, starting from marriage, shepherding, and inter-shepherding. He will be ashamed and not glorified up to perdition forever.
   
   
2. He is always defeated in the battle.
   Luke 14:31-33
   14:31. "Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?
   14:32. "Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace.
   14:33. "So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.
   
   
   
3. Becoming the salt that loses its flavor.
   Luke 14:34-35
   14:34. "Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?
   14:35. "It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"
   
   Consequently, one becomes in decay. He just commits sins up to the peak, namely sin of eating-drinking and marrying-giving in marriage. He loses heart as well as gets disappointed and heavy laden. His life is not easy. He just harms others until he is trampled by the Antichrist and cast into the hell.
   

Ad.2. The second group, namely abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, and idolaters.
Genesis 46:34
46:34. "that you shall say, 'Your servants' occupation has been with livestock from our youth even till now, both we and also our fathers,' that you may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians."

Abomination means that one does not want to be shepherded well and correctly. The consequences are as follows:

1. Committing sins up to feeling that he is right. He does not want to be advised or rebuked until he lives and enjoys to sin.
   
   
2. Blaming at the righteous and justifying the sinner.
   Proverbs 17:15
   17:15. He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just, Both of them alike are an abomination to the LORD.
   
   
   
3. Becoming the murderer--the hatred--, sexually immoral--fornications--, sorcerer, and idolater--stinginess and greediness.
   

These five sins can only be defeated by the true power of resurrection.

The servant of God who willingly experiences the true death experience with Jesus will surely experience the true power of resurrection.

Acts 5:41-42
5:41. So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.
5:42. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.

Not all men are allowed to have the death experience with Jesus, but just those who are counted worthy. It means receiving God's mercy, so one can experience the death experience with Jesus. The example is fasting prayer. Not all men want to fast, but just those who receive the mercy can bear the cross.

After Jesus' death and resurrection, the apostles experienced the death and resurrection experience with Jesus. Now, we also live in the death and resurrection experience with Jesus. The facts are as follows:

1. Entering the true water baptism.
   Romans 6:4-6
   6:4. Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
   6:5. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,
   6:6. knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.
   
   The true water baptism is that one who has died to sin or repented must be buried in the water with Jesus and come out or rise from water with Him to receive new life or the heavenly one--the heavens are opened. We are changed from the slave of sin to become the one of righteousness. We are saved and blessed.
   
   
2. [Acts 5:41-42] Having the perseverance in committing the three kinds of main service to God. That is being built by the true teaching Word.
   Acts 2:41-42
   2:41. Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.
   2:42. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
   
   We persevere in the sheepfold. We are shepherded well and correctly. We obey the voice of the shepherd.
   
   John 5:24
   5:24. "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.
   
   John 15:3
   15:3. "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
   
   The word which Jesus speaks is the Word of God whose secret is revealed through a verse that explains another verse in the Bible, namely the true teaching Word. The true teaching Word has the power of resurrection or purification that moves us from the death to life.
   
   If we are shepherded well and correctly--hearing and obeying to the voice of the shepherd--, we will experience the power of resurrection or purification that purifies us from the five sins. Namely the abominable, murderer, sexually immoral, sorcerers, and idolater. As a result, we live in holiness.
   
   Ephesians 4:11-12
   4:11. And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
   4:12. for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
   
   We are equipped with the ministry and gift to be used in the ministry of the body of Christ.
   The ministry is a tunic of many colors, so our life becomes beautiful.
   
   The sinners must be destroyed, but through the shepherding, we are risen to have a beautiful life.
   
   Ephesians 6:18-20
   6:18. praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints--
   6:19. and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel,
   6:20. for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
   
   Let us pray, so a shepherd can preach the Word sincerely and bravely.
   

The third group, namely all liars.
The lie is the end of the sin. It means as follows:

• Lying means having the other seven sins.
  
• If one lies, he will never become perfect, so he cannot enter the New Jerusalem.
  

So, the lie makes us unable to become perfect.

Jeremiah 9:5
9:5. Everyone will deceive his neighbor, And will not speak the truth; They have taught their tongue to speak lies; They weary themselves to commit iniquity.

Lying makes one unwilling and unable to repent.

So, the lie is the sin that strongly attaches, so one cannot repent and become perfect like Jesus. He becomes the same as Satan, the father of liars who will be destroyed.

The lie can only be defeated by the power of glory of God.

How can we receive the shekinah glory? Through the ministry of Jesus as the High Priest who reconciles us by bringing the incense and blood.

The sprinkling of blood is the suffering in the flesh with Jesus.
The incense is the worship, namely the tearing of the flesh with all of its lusts, so can see Jesus' face.

1 Peter 4:14
4:14. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.

As a result, we receive the Spirit of glory that gives us extra power, so we become strong and of good courage. We do not get desperate and disappointed as well as leave God but we keep ministering to God faithfully and fervently until He comes a second time. We keep feeling happy in the midst of the suffering, namely we keep giving thanks. We keep trusting, hoping, and worshiping God.

The Spirit of glory changes us from liar to become honest and obedient. We just stretch out our hand to God. We surrender and cry out to God.

Exodus 14:16-17,21
14:16. "But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.
14:17. "And I indeed will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. So I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen.
14:21. Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided.

There is God's glory in the deep distress to divide the Red Sea. It means as follows:

1. Protecting and taking care of us in the midst of the difficulties of the world.
   
2. Finishing all of impossible problems as well as giving beautiful and successful future.
   
3. Giving victory over challenge and obstacle in the building of the body of Christ.
   
4. Changing us up to perfection. We do not stumble in words anymore.
   

It continues until we are lifted up on the glorious clouds to greet Jesus when He comes a second time.

God blesses us.