Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Revelation 1:17-18
1:17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, "Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.
1:18 "I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.
John the apostle fell down at Jesus’ feet to worship with a contrite heart until the flesh did not speak anymore. It means a fully surrendering to God. As a result, he could get the touch of God’s hand and received these three things.
ad. 3. I was dead, and am alive.
Matthew 16:18-19
16:18 "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
16:19 "And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
We get the victory power over the death and the key of heavenly kingdom.
2 Peter 1:10-11
1:10Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble;
1:11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
The key of heavenly kingdom is the call and election of Godto lift us up as the priests and kings. A priest is a holy person who bears the priest’s office, serves and ministers to God according to the ministry God has given.
Revelation 1:19
1:19 "Writethe things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.
John got the key of heavenly kingdom and he was used by God for writing the epistles for the seven churches of the Gentiles to sanctify them until they are as perfect as Jesus is to become the perfect Bride of God or Christ’s body who is ready to welcome Jesus’ second coming.
As for us, receiving the key of heavenly kingdom means that we are used in the ministry for building the body of Christ according to the ministry God has given to us. It starts from the marriage, shepherding, inter-shepherding, up to the one perfect body of Christ between the Israelites and Gentiles, and we can welcome Jesus’ second coming.
2 Peter 1:10-11
1:10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble;
1:11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
The attitudes towards the call and election of God are as follows.
God blesses you.
Revelation 1:17-18
1:17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, "Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.
1:18 "I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.
John the apostle fell down at Jesus’ feet to worship with a contrite heart until the flesh did not speak anymore. It means a fully surrendering to God. As a result, he could get the touch of God’s hand and received these three things.
- Do not be afraid= the renewal to our feelings.
- I am the First and the Last= receiving the first love up to the perfect one.
- I was dead, and am alive = receiving the victory power over the death.
ad. 3. I was dead, and am alive.
Matthew 16:18-19
16:18 "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
16:19 "And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
We get the victory power over the death and the key of heavenly kingdom.
2 Peter 1:10-11
1:10Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble;
1:11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
The key of heavenly kingdom is the call and election of Godto lift us up as the priests and kings. A priest is a holy person who bears the priest’s office, serves and ministers to God according to the ministry God has given.
Revelation 1:19
1:19 "Writethe things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.
John got the key of heavenly kingdom and he was used by God for writing the epistles for the seven churches of the Gentiles to sanctify them until they are as perfect as Jesus is to become the perfect Bride of God or Christ’s body who is ready to welcome Jesus’ second coming.
As for us, receiving the key of heavenly kingdom means that we are used in the ministry for building the body of Christ according to the ministry God has given to us. It starts from the marriage, shepherding, inter-shepherding, up to the one perfect body of Christ between the Israelites and Gentiles, and we can welcome Jesus’ second coming.
2 Peter 1:10-11
1:10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble;
1:11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
The attitudes towards the call and election of God are as follows.
- We must try hard to be faithful in doing the service and ministry to God according to the ministry He has given to us up to the fullness or the end, namely we die or Jesus comes a second time. As a result, we have the full right to enter the kingdom of heaven.
- Do not stumble because of anything until you are unfaithful even leave the service and ministry!
Matthew 18:6
18:6 "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
The stumbling-block is related to the millstone.
Job 41:24
41:24 His heart is as hard as stone, Even as hard as the lower millstone.
The millstone refers to the hard heart as crocodile’s.
Ezekiel 29:3
29:3 "Speak, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I am against you, O Pharaoh king of Egypt, O great monster who lies in the midst of his rivers, Who has said, ‘My River is my own; I have made it for myself.’
Thus, the cause of the stumbling-block is the hard heart as the heart of crocodile, Satan, or Pharaoh.
The facts found in the hard heart as Satan’s are as follows.- Not repenting.
Exodus 9:27-28, 34-35
9:27 And Pharaoh sent and called for Moses and Aaron, and said to them, "I have sinned this time. The LORD is righteous, and my people and I are wicked.
9:28 "Entreat the LORD, that there may be no more mighty thundering and hail, for it is enough. I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer."
9:34 And when Pharaoh saw that the rain, the hail, and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet more; and he hardened his heart, he and his servants.
9:35 So the heart of Pharaoh was hard; neither would he let the children of Israel go, as the LORD had spoken by Moses.
Romans 2:5
2:5 But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring upfor yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,
It means keeping sins, starting from lie.
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.
The lie means not being willing, but lazy, to repent, even one does not want to repent although he has been rebuked by the sword of God’s Word and advised by the servant of God. If it continues, someday he will not be able to repent anymore and his heart becomes as hard as Satan’s. Such life will only receive the condemnations of God that are accumulated to the hell.
On the contrary, if the heart is meek, we will be able to receive the rebuke of God’s Word and the advice, so that we can confess our sin to God and other people. After being forgiven, we must not repeat the sin until someday we cannot sin anymore. The sin is thrown away and God pours out His blessings. - Pharaoh did not let the house of Israel go to serve to God.
Exodus 7:14,16
7:14 So the LORD said to Moses: "Pharaoh's heart is hard; he refuses to let the people go.
7:16 "And you shall say to him, 'The LORD God of the Hebrews has sent me to you, saying, "Let My people go, that they may serve Me in the wilderness"; but indeed, until now you would not hear!
It means unfaithfulness in doing the service and ministry to God. One is always hindered to do the service and ministry to God, even he leaves them.
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.
How great a priest or servant of God is, he will be the same as useless stubble if he is not faithful in the service and ministry to God, even leaves them. He has no hope and cannot be hoped. God does not see the form of the ministry, but the faithfulness. The stubble will only be burnt forever in the hell.
1 Timothy 4:8-10
4:8 For 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.
All worldly things profit a little because they only reach the tomb, but godliness is profitable for all things because it has the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come, namely the eternal life forever in heaven. Therefore, we must labor and suffer reproach for serving and ministering to God more than anything in the world.
Hebrews 10:25
10:25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
When Jesus’ second coming is drawing near, many people are unfaithful more and more, even they leave the service and ministry and lose the key of heavenly kingdom.
Let us now give advice one another with the highest advice, namely inviting other people to faithfully serve and minister to God. - Disobedience.
Exodus 7:16
7:16 "And you shall say to him, 'The LORD God of the Hebrews has sent me to you, saying, "Let My people go, that they may serve Me in the wilderness"; but indeed, until nowyou would not hear!
We must be obedient to our physical parents (the Court of Tabernacle), spiritual ones (the Holy Place), and God (the Most Holy Place).
Matthew 7:26-27
7:26 "But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:
7:27 "and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall."
The priests or servants of God who are not obedient are like a foolish man who builds his house on the sand. It cannot endure these things.- Heavy rain, namely Satan with evil and unclean spirit. One who is not obedient must fall in uncleanness and evil sins.
- Winds, namely false teachings and gossip that make one leave the true teaching Word.
- Floods, namely the antichrist with the power of Mammon that causes stinginess and greediness.
Matthew 7:24-25
7:24 "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:
7:25 "and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
The priests or servants of God who are obedient will be the same as a wise man who builds his house on the rock. As a result, it can endure the floods, heavy rain, and the winds. Moreover, he can get the key of heavenly kingdom.
18:6 "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
The consequence of the hardness of heart or fall in sins because of the stumbling-block is as if a millstone were hung around the neck and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. It spiritually means as follows.- Stumbling or having difficulty in economy or physical matters.
- Inability to consume the true teaching Word. It means that the life is empty, dissatisfied, and not joyful.
- Losing the beauty in life. The life is heavy laden, weary, sorrowful, and full of tears.
- Being drowned in the sea. One cannot worship God, but has spiritual dryness and death until he falls in the sin of Babylon, namely sins concerning eating-drinking and marrying-being given in marriage.
Revelation 18:21
18:21 Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, "Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall not be found anymore.
The spiritual death will bring the second one in the hell forever.
Proverbs 3:3
3:3 Let not mercyand truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart,
A priest who has the necklace of the mercy is the same as a baby in the embrace of God’s hand.
Isaiah 49:14-15
49:14 But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me, And my Lord has forgotten me."
49:15 "Can a woman forget her nursing child, And not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you.
It means that God never forgets us. He always remembers, cares, and struggles for us. The results are as follows.- The merciful hand of God is able to protect and preserve us who are powerless in the midst of difficulties and impossibilities. He preserves and protects us until the time when the antichrist reigns over the world, up to our eternal life.
- The merciful hand of God makes all things successful and beautiful in His time although we are powerless.
Genesis 39:21,23
39:21 But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
39:23 The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph's authority, because the LORD was with him; and whatever he did, the LORD made it prosper. - The merciful hand of God sanctifies and changes us until we are perfect as the bride of God.
Psalm 103:4
103:4 Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
The crown starts from submission or deep obedience. It is like Sarah who obeyed Abraham when he gave her to other man.
1 Peter 3:5-6
3:5 For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissiveto their own husbands,
3:6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror.
Sarah had a permanent weakness, namely she was barren and in menopause. Nevertheless, the merciful hand of God opened the door of Sarah’s womb because of her submission. It means that the doors in the world will be opened and so is the door of heaven.
- Not repenting.
God blesses you.