Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Revelation 22:20
22:20 He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming quickly." Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
"Surely I am coming quickly" refers to the readiness of Jesus, the Head, the King of all kings, and the Heavenly Bridegroom, to come again soon on the glorious clouds.
"Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!" refers to the readiness of the perfect church as the Heavenly Bride to welcome Jesus' second coming on the glorious clouds. It is called as the marriage supper of the Lamb.
Revelation 19:9
19:9 Then he said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!'"And he said to me, "These are the true sayings of God."
The entrance of human to the world is the physical marriage. Therefore, we must keep the righteousness, holiness, and unity of marriage. The exit is the spiritual marriage, namely the marriage supper of the Lamb. Afterward, we will enter the One Thousand Years Kingdom of peace or the Future Paradise [Revelation 20], and the New Jerusalem or the eternal heavenly kingdom [Revelation 21-22].
Revelation 22:20 is between Revelation 22:18-19 that refers to the prophetic Word and Revelation 22:21 that is about the grace. Thus, the readiness of the church to welcome Jesus' second coming must be related to two things, namely the prophetic Word and the grace. The Church must experience the prophetic Word and the grace of God already.
We learn about the prophetic Word.
There are two kinds of the preaching of the Word which Paul has taught as the example of Jesus as follows.
The attitudes to the prophetic Word or Bride Tidings may be as follows.
God blesses you.
Revelation 22:20
22:20 He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming quickly." Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
"Surely I am coming quickly" refers to the readiness of Jesus, the Head, the King of all kings, and the Heavenly Bridegroom, to come again soon on the glorious clouds.
"Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!" refers to the readiness of the perfect church as the Heavenly Bride to welcome Jesus' second coming on the glorious clouds. It is called as the marriage supper of the Lamb.
Revelation 19:9
19:9 Then he said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!'"And he said to me, "These are the true sayings of God."
The entrance of human to the world is the physical marriage. Therefore, we must keep the righteousness, holiness, and unity of marriage. The exit is the spiritual marriage, namely the marriage supper of the Lamb. Afterward, we will enter the One Thousand Years Kingdom of peace or the Future Paradise [Revelation 20], and the New Jerusalem or the eternal heavenly kingdom [Revelation 21-22].
Revelation 22:20 is between Revelation 22:18-19 that refers to the prophetic Word and Revelation 22:21 that is about the grace. Thus, the readiness of the church to welcome Jesus' second coming must be related to two things, namely the prophetic Word and the grace. The Church must experience the prophetic Word and the grace of God already.
We learn about the prophetic Word.
There are two kinds of the preaching of the Word which Paul has taught as the example of Jesus as follows.
- The gospel of salvation = Gospel Word = milk = good news.
Luke 4:43
4:43 but He said to them, "I must preachthe kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent."
Ephesians 1:13
1:13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
Proverbs 25:25
25:25 As cold water to a weary soul, So is good newsfrom a far country.
It preaches Jesus' first coming to the world to die on the cross and call the sinful to believe in Jesus and get the salvation. The process is as follows.- Believing or having faith in Jesus as the only one Savior.
- Repenting or stopping sinning to return to God or die to sin. It begins from not lying or hating.
- Bing reborn of water and spirit.
The true water baptism happens when the people who have died to sin or repented are buried in water with Jesus and raised with Him to get the new life, namely the heavenly one in the anointing of Holy Spirit. We can live in righteousness. As a result, we are saved and blessed by God.
The righteousness is the same as the salvation. One who is not righteous cannot be saved.
- Believing or having faith in Jesus as the only one Savior.
- The light of the gospel of the glory of Christ = the true teaching Word which is sharper than any two-edged sword = prophetic Word = solid food = the Bride Tidings.
Luke 13:10
13:10 Now He was teachingin one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4
4:3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,
4:4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.
Matthew 25:6
25:6 "And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!'
The prophetic Word means the one which is revealed through a verse that explains other verses in the Bible. It is the same as the Revelationfrom God.
The prophetic Word reveals the hidden sins in the church, so they can be sanctified. The prophetic Word is the same as the true teaching Word which is sharper than any two-edged sword. It reveals all things which will happen and must happen on the last days, especially about Jesus' second coming in the glory as the King of all kings or the Heavenly Bridegroom on the glorious clouds. It is the same as the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.
Thus, the prophetic Word is the gospel that preaches Jesus' second coming in the glory as the King or the Heavenly Bridegroom to choose the saved people so that they can be sanctified continually to be as perfect as Jesus is. They can be the bride of God who is ready to welcome Jesus' second coming on the glorious clouds.
The attitudes to the prophetic Word or Bride Tidings may be as follows.
- Negative attitudes as follows.
- Rejecting the prophetic Word.
Acts 5:33
5:33 When they heard this, they were furious and plotted to kill them.
They were furious means that the prophetic Word showed the hidden sins in heart. Nevertheless, the priests and council or the people who have high position in the church kept their sins, so they got angry. Their hearts were painful and there was hatred without a cause, so they caused the difficulties to the work of the true teaching Word.
Acts 5:40
5:40 And they agreed with him, and when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
Matthew 14:3-5
14:3 For Herod had laid hold of John and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife.
14:4 Because John had said to him, "It is not lawful for you to have her."
14:5 And although he wanted to put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.
Herod refers to the people who have position in the world. John the Baptist preached the Bride Tidings to sanctify the marriage of Herod. Nevertheless, he kept the false marriage, so he got angry, hated, had revenge, and killed John the Baptist. His marriage did not experience the renewal, so he was destroyed.
On the contrary, Noah and his family could receive the hard Word, so they were saved. - Avoiding the prophetic Word.
Matthew 26:23, 25
26:23 He answered and said, "He who dipped his hand with Me in the dish will betray Me.
26:25 Then Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, "Rabbi, is it I?" He said to him, "You have said it."
Judas was an apostle as well as a treasurer. He refers to the people who have spiritual offices such as pastor, musician, and so on. Nevertheless, he always avoided the Word. He did not want to be pierced with the Word which was sharper than any two-edged sword. Consequently, his sins were hidden in the stomach of his heart. He liked blaming others and God, so his sins were accumulated until his entrails gushed out. The hidden sins will be revealed by God and such person is ashamed, but there is no more forgiveness. He perishes forever.
Nevertheless, if we willingly get the piercing of the sword of the Word and confess our sins, we will be forgiven and sanctified. - Changing or adding and taking away the prophetic Word.
Revelation 22:18-19
22:18 For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone addsto these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book;
22:19 and if anyone takes awayfrom the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
For example, Eve took away the word 'freely'. It means that the preaching of the Word is limited because there is no freedom from Holy Spirit.
Eve also added the word 'touch'. The preaching of the Word is added with joke and other things to touch the emotion of the congregation, so the hearts are never touched by God.
Proverbs 30:5-6
30:5 Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.
30:6 Do not add to His words, Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.
It is the same as the liars or false prophets who will be destroyed in the hell.
- Rejecting the prophetic Word.
- Positive attitude.
Revelation 1:3
1:3 Blessed is he who readsand those who hearthe words of this prophecy, and keepthose things which are written in it; for the time is near.
Holy Spirit helps us, so we can joyfully read and hear the Word. He helps us, so we can understand, believe, and obey the true teaching Word in our daily life.
1 Corinthians 14:3
14:3 But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfortto men.
The results are as follows.- Comfort.
The Bride Tidings is able to comfort us.
2 Corinthians 1:3-6
1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
1:4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
1:5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ.
1:6 Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.
The Bride Tidings gives us extra power so that we can be patient in facing the suffering or the cross with Jesus.
Be careful, many people deny Jesus in the sufferings.
Being patient means not murmuring or being disappointed or hopeless. We do not leave God in facing all things, but give thanks.
It also means that we patiently wait for the time of God, namely doing self-correction through introspection by the sharpness of the sword of the Word. Finding a sin, we must confess it to God and others. We must not repeat it after being forgiven. We must surrender, believe, and hope in God. As a result, the time of God will come to help us. - Exhortation.
2 Timothy 4:2
4:2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
The teaching Word contains three things as follows.- Convincing, meaning that it shows our sin so that we can confess it and get the forgiveness.
- Rebuking so that we do not repeat the sin, but stop sinning and repent.
- Exhorting. It is the same as the guidance of God's hands to us so that we can keep on living in righteousness and holiness.
Psalm 73:24
73:24 You will guide me with Your counsel, And afterward receive me to glory.
The guidance of God's hands also gives us solution of all problems, lifts us up from fall and failure, and gives us beautiful and successful future life.
- Convincing, meaning that it shows our sin so that we can confess it and get the forgiveness.
- Edification.
The Bride Tidings brings us to enter the ministry for the edifying of perfect Christ's body. It begins from within the marriage or household, shepherding, inter-shepherding, until the Gentiles and Israelites become one perfect body.
All things such as time, energy, thought, money, and so on, must be sacrificed for the edifying of Christ's body, except the true teaching Word or Jesus.
We are putting Jesus as the Head in the ministry for the edifying of Christ's body. He is responsible for our life. The relationship between the Head and the body is in the neck. It refers to worship prayer. The worship prayer is a process to tear or press the flesh with all of its wills or lusts, so we can be obedient.
Romans 8:15
8:15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."
It is the same as being anointed and filled up by Holy Spirit until He overflows in us.
Titus 3:5
3:5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,
Holy Spirit performs the miracles. The greatest miracle is the life renewal from the fleshly men to the spiritual ones like Jesus is. Being renewed is the same as bearing fruits, namely the nine fruits of Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-23
5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is (1)love, (2)joy, (3)peace, (4)longsuffering, (5)kindness, (6)goodness, (7)faithfulness,
5:23 (8)gentleness, (9)self-control. Against such there is no law.
Love, joy, peace = the image of Father God.
Longsuffering, kindness, goodness = the image of the Son of God.
Faithfulness, gentleness, self-control = the image of Holy Spirit God.
The face can be cheerful and our heart can be peaceful. If the spiritual miracle happens, the physical one will happen too.
Zechariah 4:6-7
4:6 So he answered and said to me: "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' Says the LORD of hosts.
4:7 'Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone With shouts of "Grace, grace to it!"'"
Holy Spirit is able to solve all problems that mount up; even the impossible ones. He is able to give us beautiful successful future life.
It continues until we are changed to be as perfect as Jesus is when He comes a second time on the glorious clouds.
- Comfort.
God blesses you.