Peace and grace in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Matthew 28:20b
28:20 ... and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
God is with us always, even to the end of the age. It means He is with us from present time until Jesus comes a second time and we sit together with Him on the throne of heaven forever.
Moses asks for the presence of God in the wilderness to go to Canaan. It is written in Exodus 33.
Now we ask for His presence or accompaniment in the wilderness of the world to go to New Jerusalem.
There are two forms of the accompaniment of God to Moses as follows.
Exodus 33:23
33:23 "Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen."
Moses saw the glory of God from His back, so he could write the five first books of Bible, namely Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, that contained the things that had happened far away before Moses was born.
In the New Testament, John saw the glory of God from the front, namely the face of Jesus, so he could write the last five books in Bible. They are the gospel according to John, the first, second, and third epistle of John, and the Revelation that contain the things that have not happened yet, the end of the age, and the things in the throne of New Jerusalem.
Revelation 1:10, 12-14, 16
1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heardbehind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet,
1:12 Then I turned to see the voicethat spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands,
1:13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.
1:14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire;
1:16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two–edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.
The requirement of seeing Jesus’ face is hearing and seeing the voice of a trumpet, that is shepherding Word.
Ezekiel 33:1-6
33:1 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
33:2 "Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their watchman,
33:3 ‘when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people,
33:4 ‘then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head.
33:5 ‘He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will save his life.
33:6 ‘But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.’
The duty of a pastor is to preach the shepherding Word as if he blows the trumpet to warn the congregation in order not to get the judgment of God.
If the congregation receives it, they will be saved. On the contrary, they will get the condemnation of God as they own responsibility if they reject it.
If the pastor does not want to blow the trumpet because of his will to please the congregation, and then the congregation sins and gets the condemnation of God, He will insist the responsibility of the pastor.
Thus, the fact found in hearing and seeing the voice of the trumpet is being well shepherded as follows.
The result of being well shepherded is as follows.
God blesses you.
Matthew 28:20b
28:20 ... and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
God is with us always, even to the end of the age. It means He is with us from present time until Jesus comes a second time and we sit together with Him on the throne of heaven forever.
Moses asks for the presence of God in the wilderness to go to Canaan. It is written in Exodus 33.
Now we ask for His presence or accompaniment in the wilderness of the world to go to New Jerusalem.
There are two forms of the accompaniment of God to Moses as follows.
- The grace [verse 12-17].
- The glory of God [verse 18-23].
Exodus 33:23
33:23 "Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen."
Moses saw the glory of God from His back, so he could write the five first books of Bible, namely Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, that contained the things that had happened far away before Moses was born.
In the New Testament, John saw the glory of God from the front, namely the face of Jesus, so he could write the last five books in Bible. They are the gospel according to John, the first, second, and third epistle of John, and the Revelation that contain the things that have not happened yet, the end of the age, and the things in the throne of New Jerusalem.
Revelation 1:10, 12-14, 16
1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heardbehind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet,
1:12 Then I turned to see the voicethat spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands,
1:13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.
1:14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire;
1:16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two–edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.
The requirement of seeing Jesus’ face is hearing and seeing the voice of a trumpet, that is shepherding Word.
Ezekiel 33:1-6
33:1 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
33:2 "Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their watchman,
33:3 ‘when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people,
33:4 ‘then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head.
33:5 ‘He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will save his life.
33:6 ‘But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.’
The duty of a pastor is to preach the shepherding Word as if he blows the trumpet to warn the congregation in order not to get the judgment of God.
If the congregation receives it, they will be saved. On the contrary, they will get the condemnation of God as they own responsibility if they reject it.
If the pastor does not want to blow the trumpet because of his will to please the congregation, and then the congregation sins and gets the condemnation of God, He will insist the responsibility of the pastor.
Thus, the fact found in hearing and seeing the voice of the trumpet is being well shepherded as follows.
- Having perseverance in the sheepfold or the Holy Place of Tabernacle. There are three kinds of equipment inside it which refer to the perseverance in doing three kinds of service to God as follows.
- Golden Candlestick or perseverance in doing General Service. It is as the drink for the sheep.
- Table of Showbread or perseverance in doing Bible Study Service with Holy Communion. It is as food for the sheep.
- Golden Altar of Incense or perseverance in doing Prayer Service. It is as the breath of the sheep.
- Golden Candlestick or perseverance in doing General Service. It is as the drink for the sheep.
- Obedienceto the voice of the shepherd or the trumpet.
The result of being well shepherded is as follows.
- The shepherding Word becomes the Word of life determining our life.
1 John 1:1
1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerningthe Word of life––
The Word guarantees our physical life in the midst of many difficulties in the world and our beautiful successful future life. The Word will never fail.
Moreover, it guarantees our spiritual life. The shepherding Word is ingrained in our life, so we can grow to the spiritual maturity, namely we can live in righteousness and holiness to reach perfection. - We can see the countenance of Jesus.
Revelation 1:12-13,16
1:12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands,
1:13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.
1:16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two–edged sword, and His countenancewas like the sun shining in its strength.
The steps to see His countenance are as follows.- To see His mouth.
Revelation 1:16a
1:16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouthwent a sharp two–edged sword,...
Hebrews 4:12-13
4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two–edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
4:13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
It means we have the sanctification done by the teaching Word sharper than any two-edged sword. It begins from our heart, the storehouse or source of sin.
Matthew 15:19
15:19 "For out of the heart proceed (1) evil thoughts, (2) murders, (3) adulteries, (4) fornications, (5) thefts,(6) false witness, (7) blasphemies.
Our heart is sanctified from the seven unclean and wicked lusts.
Proverbs 4:23
4:23 Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.
As a result, we have the satisfaction of heaven, so we will not fall in the worldly satisfaction and sins up to the peak.
Then, our mouth can bear witness about the Good Tidings or gospel word and Bride Tidings or the teaching Word.
If our heart is sanctified, our whole life will also be sanctified until we are perfect.
Proverbs 4:24-27
4:24 Put away from you a deceitful mouth, And put perverse lips far from you.
4:25 Let your eyeslook straight ahead, And your eyelids look right before you.
4:26 Ponder the path of your feet, And let all your ways be established.
4:27 Do not turn to the right or the left; Remove your foot from evil.
Our mouth is sanctifiedso that we do not lie but say righteous and good words.
Our eyes are sanctifiedso that we have spiritual sight. Do not become like Esau with his physical sight that sacrifices spiritual things in order to hunt the physical ones. Finally, Esau cries in his whole life until forever. On the contrary, Jacob has spiritual sight that he is willing to sacrifice the physical things in order to get the spiritual ones. It seems foolish with many tears, but he gets all things from God and there is no more tear.
Our feet or life journey are sanctified, so we can live in righteousness and holiness.
The last sanctification happens until we are perfect, namely we do not stumble in words, but we always worship God.
James 3:2
3:2 For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. - To see His eyes.
Revelation 1:14
1:14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire;
His eyes are like a flame of fire. It refers to the power of Holy Spirit.
Revelation 5:6
5:6 And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
To see Jesus’ eyes means we experience the work of Holy Spirit making us faithful and fervent in spirit doing our service and ministry to God. The age or health does not determine the faithfulness and fervency in spirit, but the holiness and work of Holy Spirit.
Romans 12:11
12:11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;
Do not lag , be negligent, or unfaithful doing the service and ministry.
Jeremiah 48:10
48:10 Cursed is he who does the work of the LORD deceitfully, And cursed is he who keeps back his sword from blood.
If one rejects the word of the sanctification or does not want to be sanctified, he will be negligent, unfaithful, and not fervent in spirit doing the service and ministry to God. Consequently, there will be fervency in rage, hatred, revenge, and lust or uncleanness, so he lives in curse with sorrow and tears up to perdition.
Hebrews 1:7
1:7 And of the angels He says: "Who makes His angels spirits And His ministers a flame of fire."
If we are holy, faithful, and fervent in spirit doing our service and ministry, we will become the servants of God as the flame of fire. The eyes of God are a flame of fire. Thus, the servants of God who are holy, faithful, and fervent in spirit are the apple of God’s eye.
Psalm 17:8
17:8 Keep me as the apple of Your eye; Hide me under the shadow of Your wings,
As a result, we are preserved and protected by God. It starts from now on in the world which is full of many difficulties until the time when the antichrist reigns over the world. We are fled to the wilderness for three years and six months where we are preserved directly by God with the Word and Holy Communion. - To see his face.
Revelation 1:16
1:16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two–edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.
His countenance shines as the sun shining in its strength. It refers to the warmth of the love and kindness of God.
If we can see the mouth of Jesus or have the Word, see His eyes or have the Holy Spirit, the Word and Holy Spirit will encourage us to worship God in the true worship. It means we see Jesus’ countenance and feel the warmth of the sun.
John 4:24
4:24 "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
The function of the sunlight of Jesus’ face is as follows.- To face the condition of the world in the last dayswhich is as Sodom and Gomorrah.
Genesis 19:21-23
19:21 And he said to him, "See, I have favored you concerning this thing also, in that I will not overthrow this city for which you have spoken.
19:22 "Hurry, escape there. For I cannot do anything until you arrive there." Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.
19:23 The sun had risenupon the earth when Lot entered Zoar.
The sunlight of God’s love and kindness is able to preserve our physical life wonderfully in the midst of many impossible things. The love and kindness God are also able to preserve our spiritual life with peace in the midst of many shakings in the world.
The sunlight of God’s love is able to face sins up to the peak, namely the sins concerning eating-drinking such as smoking, getting drunk, gambling, and drugs abuse as well as marrying-being given in marriage that is sexuality sin with all its kinds. As a result, we can live in righteousness and holiness.
The sunlight of God’s love is also able to protect us from disasters and the condemnation of God. - To face struggle as Jacob has experienced.
Genesis 32:24, 28, 30-31
32:24 Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day.
32:28 And He said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed."
32:30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: "For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved."
32:31 Just as he crossed over Penuel the sun rose on him, and he limped on his hip.
The sunlight of Jesus’ face gives us victory over all fear and worries, so we can live in righteousness and peace, and prioritize or love God more than anything.
We need the sunlight of Jesus’ countenance to face the struggle in marriage and about the children, in order to be in the righteousness, holiness, and unity to reach the perfect marriage.
The sunlight of Jesus’ face is able to give us beautiful successful future life although we must face struggle about our future life. - The struggle to get new name.
Jacob means a liar. He gets new name, namely Israel whose meaning is a hero who has victory. We have life renewalfrom carnal men to spiritual ones as Jesus is. Our bad face can be changed into bright one. It means we have peace until the second coming of Jesus when we are changed to be as glorious as He is.
We do not struggle alone because Jesus is struggling with us.
Isaiah 52:13-14
52:13 Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently; He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high.
52:14 Just as many were astonished at you, So His visage was marred more than any man, And His form more than the sons of men;
Jesus has struggled alone on the cross. He is willing to be bad, not as human anymore, in order to light us with His glory. As a result, our countenance can be bright and we are renewed to become as glorious as Jesus is.
- To face the condition of the world in the last dayswhich is as Sodom and Gomorrah.
- To see His mouth.
God blesses you.