Peace and grace in the love of 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 that He is with us from now on in the midst of many difficult things in the world, when the antichrist reigns over the world, and until Jesus comes a second time on glorious clouds and we sit together with Him on the throne of heavenly kingdom forever.
If we are accompanied by God, we will feel all things are easy and light although other people say that they are difficult.
We are set free from the persecution of the antichrist even we will not be left when Jesus comes a second time on the glorious clouds.
All things we get will be meaningless if God is not with us. Therefore, we need His accompaniment until we can sit together with Him on the throne of heaven forever.
We can conclude that we need the accompaniment of God absolutely and nothing in the world may replace it.
Riches and other things cannot set us free from the antichrist and exalt us to the throne of heaven.
Revelation 3:21
3:21."To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
Who may get the accompaniment of God from now on until they may sit together with Jesus on the throne of heaven?
They are the people who overcome together with Jesus.
Philippians 2:8-10
2:8. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
2:9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,
2:10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
Jesus gets the name above all names to defeat the trinity of Satan because of His obedience to the point of death. He is exalted and glorified to sit on the throne of heaven.
Thus, the requirement to overcome together with Jesus is obedience until our flesh does not sound anymore.
We have heard the example of Abraham who offers Isaac his only son without the sound of his flesh.
Nevertheless, we have to be alert because the fact we face now is there are many servants or sons of God who are disobedient, so they are defeated by the trinity of Satan and dead forever.
The spirit of disobedience works from age to age as follows.
Maybe our condition tonight is as the naked Eve who is in shame and fear, or as the man of Israel who sinks in a pit, even until the children get the consequence, or as the church in Sardis that becomes as bruised reed. God wants to help us as long as we return to the sacrifice of Christ and the true teaching Word. He performs miracle in the midst of us whatever condition happens in our life.
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 that He is with us from now on in the midst of many difficult things in the world, when the antichrist reigns over the world, and until Jesus comes a second time on glorious clouds and we sit together with Him on the throne of heavenly kingdom forever.
If we are accompanied by God, we will feel all things are easy and light although other people say that they are difficult.
We are set free from the persecution of the antichrist even we will not be left when Jesus comes a second time on the glorious clouds.
All things we get will be meaningless if God is not with us. Therefore, we need His accompaniment until we can sit together with Him on the throne of heaven forever.
We can conclude that we need the accompaniment of God absolutely and nothing in the world may replace it.
Riches and other things cannot set us free from the antichrist and exalt us to the throne of heaven.
Revelation 3:21
3:21."To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
Who may get the accompaniment of God from now on until they may sit together with Jesus on the throne of heaven?
They are the people who overcome together with Jesus.
Philippians 2:8-10
2:8. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
2:9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,
2:10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
Jesus gets the name above all names to defeat the trinity of Satan because of His obedience to the point of death. He is exalted and glorified to sit on the throne of heaven.
Thus, the requirement to overcome together with Jesus is obedience until our flesh does not sound anymore.
We have heard the example of Abraham who offers Isaac his only son without the sound of his flesh.
Nevertheless, we have to be alert because the fact we face now is there are many servants or sons of God who are disobedient, so they are defeated by the trinity of Satan and dead forever.
The spirit of disobedience works from age to age as follows.
- The age of Father God, from Adam to Abraham. The representative is Eve.
Genesis 3:6-7
3:6. So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.
3:7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.
Her disobedience to the true teaching Word that has been her life experience for a long time happens when she eats the forbidden fruit.
It means that she does not place the Lord as the Head. She does not place the husband as the head.
We are placing Jesus as the Head when we are obedient.
Eve refers to the wife or Church of God. All decisions should be in the hand of the husband because the he is the head of the wife. Eve makes her own decision after talking to the serpent and takes the forbidden fruit, even she commands Adam to eat the fruit.
It is the disobedience in marriage. It will increase to the disobedience in shepherding, namely all decisions rely on the congregation or the congregation influences the pastor much more in making a decision. For example, the house of Israel at the foot of the mountain influences Aaron to make the golden calf while Moses is going up to the mountain. Actually, the decisions should rely on the pastor, not on the congregation.
The disobedience will increase to the disobedience to God or the true teaching Word that has been the life experience.
Consequently, there is nakedness or sinful life, fear, shame, even fear and shame when Jesus comes a second time. It means that one is left at that time.
1 John 2:28
2:28. And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.
If we are obedient, we will get the clean and bright fine linen and not fear when Jesus comes a second time.
Genesis 3:7
3:7. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.
To sew fig leaves to be made coverings means a self-truth, namely blaming others to hide the sins. It will make the nakedness increase and one is separated from God to perish forever.
Genesis 3:21
3:21. Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.
The solution when one is stripped by Satan because of disobedience in marriage, shepherding, and to God is as follows.- To slay the animal. It means that we must return to the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.
Jesus is willing to be naked on the cross to cover our nakedness.
We must receive the garments of Jesus to cover our nakedness. It means that we must make peace by confessing and forgiving one another as well as forgetting the sins of other people. We are not naked anymore at that time because the blood of Jesus has covered it. - Afterwards, we must place Jesus as our Head and be obedient to the true teaching Word. Whatever we do must be in line with the true teaching Word.
- We must return to the right structure of marriage, namely the husband becomes the head to decide all things in the marriage according to the true Word of God, the wife as the body to protect the weak parts of the husband and children through worship prayer to God, and the children as the limbs to lighten the burden.
- To slay the animal. It means that we must return to the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.
- The days of the Son of God, from Abraham to Jesus’ first coming. The representative is a man of Israel whose right hand is dry.
Luke 6:6-8
6:6. Now it happened on another Sabbath, also, that He entered the synagogue and taught. And a man was there whose right hand was withered.
6:7 So the scribes and Pharisees watched Him closely, whether He would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against Him.
6:8 But He knew their thoughts, and said to the man who had the withered hand, "Arise and stand here." And he arose and stood.
If the right hand is withered, there will be no contact anymore with the head. The head cannot give any command to it anymore. It means there is no obedience to the true teaching Word.
The meaning of dry hand is as follows.- One cannot give to:
- Other people who are in need. It is egoism and he is owing to God. Consequently, God will insist him to be under curse.
- God. He cannot return the possession of God, namely the tithes and offerings. It means that he becomes a thief and curses will come.
Malachi 3:8-9
3:8."Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings.
3:9 You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation.
- Other people who are in need. It is egoism and he is owing to God. Consequently, God will insist him to be under curse.
- There is no perfectionin the ministry because one does it a half, not with the whole heart.
In such condition, there is disobedience spirit. - There is no Sabbath or peace. The more one ministers to God, the more he feels heavy, sorrowful, and worried like Martha.
12:9. Now when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue.
12:10 And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" ––that they might accuse Him.
12:11 Then He said to them, "What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out?
The one whose right hand is dry sinks in the pit of sin, the world, and flesh, so he never feels satisfaction and peace, but sorrow and suffering.
There is solution in such condition.
Matthew 15:21-28
15:21. Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon.
15:22 And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon–possessed."
15:23 But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, "Send her away, for she cries out after us."
15:24 But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
15:25 Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, help me!"
15:26 But He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs."
15:27 And she said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table."
15:28 Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
Jesus as the Shepherd must die on the cross to give His soul for the sheep. It is the solution.
Jesus gives His body and blood to become real food and drink for the sheep, so that they can be satisfied. God gives the satisfaction not only for the house of Israel, but also for the Gentiles, seeing that the woman is one of the Gentiles.
We will not enter the deep pit of the sins concerning eating-drinking and marrying-being given in marriage if we are satisfied.
Thus, it is important for us to persevere doing Bible Study Service.
Only the sacrifice of Christ is able to give us satisfaction about food and sexuality.
One who has no satisfaction will fall in sins concerning eating-drinking and marrying-being given in marriage. - One cannot give to:
- The age of Holy Spirit God, from Jesus’ first coming to the second. The representative is the congregation of the Gentiles, namely the church in Sardis.
Revelation 3:1-2
3:1. "And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, ‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: "I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.
3:2 "Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God.
'for I have not found your works perfect before God'= the dry right hand (disobedience spirit).
It is the condition of the Gentiles on the last days. It has happened to the house of Israel and now it happens to the Gentiles.
God longs for our ministry that reaches the perfection. If we are obedient, we can reach the perfection. On the contrary, we cannot reach it if we are not obedient.
The condition of the church in Sardis is as smoking flax and bruised reed, there is no hope.
The solution is as follows.- We have to return to the sacrifice of Christ, the Good Shepherd.
- There must be the true teaching Word to help and perfect us.
Luke 6:6
6:6. Now it happened on another Sabbath, also, that He entered the synagogue and taught. And a man was there whose right hand was withered.
Luke 6: 8
6:8. But He knew their thoughts, and said to the man who had the withered hand, "Arise and stand here." And he arose and stood.
Our attitude must be as follows. - We have to return to the sacrifice of Christ, the Good Shepherd.
- To stand in the middle. It means to stand between God and the congregation or confess our sins and faults honestly to God and other people. We do not hide our sins by pretending to do good things.
The sin makes us separated from God and other people. We will not experience the stretching of God’s hand as long as we are not obedient.
- To stand in the middle means to return to our position as the priest. A priest is someone who stands between God and the congregation to take part in the ministry of reconciliation.
God refers to the Most Holy Place and the congregation refers to the Court.
Thus, the priests stand in the Holy Place or return to the true and holy shepherding pen.
Afterwards, the priests may get the spiritual revival to revive the congregation.
Whatever ministry we have, we must be in spiritual revival. - To be obedient.
Luke 6: 10
6:10. And when He had looked around at them all, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And he did so, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.
The person is commanded to stretch his withered hand. It refers to being strong and of good courage, obedience, and full surrendering to God or worship to Him although the Word is not in line with our logic. We are able to receive whatever God lets happen in our life.
As a result, God will stretch His hand to perform miracle for us.
Physically, He makes impossible problems possible. He is able to do all things in our life.
Spiritually, the withered hand is healed and the dead marriage and ministry are too. It continues until someday we are as perfect as Jesus is and worthy of welcoming His second coming on glorious clouds, so we can sit on the throne of heaven.
Maybe our condition tonight is as the naked Eve who is in shame and fear, or as the man of Israel who sinks in a pit, even until the children get the consequence, or as the church in Sardis that becomes as bruised reed. God wants to help us as long as we return to the sacrifice of Christ and the true teaching Word. He performs miracle in the midst of us whatever condition happens in our life.
God blesses you.