Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We are in Revelation 2-3 (it has been explained from General Service in Surabaya, July 27, 2014).
We are learning Revelation 3: 14-22 about the church of the LAODICEANS. This is the last or the seventh church in the book of Revelation that shows the condition of the church in the last days (it has been explained from General Service in Surabaya, June 14, 2015).
Revelation 3: 16-19
3:16. "So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.
3:17 "Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing' --and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked--
3:18 "I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.
3:19 "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.
THE SPIRITUALITYof the church of the Laodiceans is in LUKEWARMNESS.
It means that they are rich physically and do not lack of anything, but the spirituality is wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.
Consequently, they are vomited by God. They are useless before God, disgusting, unclean, cursed, and separated from Him until they perish forever.
Therefore, in verse 18-19 God rebukes and advisesthe church of the Laodiceans with the teaching Word that is sharper than any two-edged sword to make them or all of us buy the treasure of heaven. If the rebuke and advice are ignored, God will chasten.
There are three kinds of heavenly treasurethat must be bought or possessed by the church of the Laodiceans or all of us as follows.
AD 3. EYE SALVES TO ANOINT THE EYES
The salves refer to the anointing oil of Holy Spiritto make us see these things.
AD. 2: Seeing HIS FIELD.
John 4: 35
4:35."Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!
The field of the Lord refers to the spiritual activities, namely the service and ministry to God.
1 Corinthians 3: 9
3:9. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building.
God's field is the same as His building or the ministry for building the body of Christ.
Thus, looking at God's field means that we actively minister to God in building the body of Christ as follows.
There are two kinds of fellowship as follows.
If our eyes are anointed by Holy Spirit, we must be able to see the true Vine or the true teaching Word. Not being anointed by Holy Spirit, one will only look at human or other things such as money, position, popularity, praise, and so on, not God.
THE PLACE OF MINISTRY
John 4: 5-6
4:5. So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
4:6 Now Jacob's wellwas there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
The place is by Jacob's well. A well is the place for the sheep to drink. Thus, the place of ministry for building the body of Christ is in the shepherding well.
All pastors, apostles, prophets, teachers, and servants of God must be shepherded.
How great a sheep is, it will be destroyed by the beast is it is not shepherded. The fatter it is, the more difficult for it to run away from the beast.
Physically, the shepherding pen is the legal church organizations. They may be different, but spiritually the shepherding must be same, namely the Holy Place of Tabernacle.
We have been saved (entering the Court), but not been perfected yet (not reaching the Most Holy Place yet). Therefore, we must be in the Holy Place. The three kinds of equipment there have been destroyed. They refer to the perseverance in doing three main services to Godnow.
Thus, the well of shepherding means as follows.
Jeremiah 2: 13
2:13."For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns--broken cisterns that can hold no water.
There are two fatal mistakes that often happen as follows.
Jeremiah 17: 13
17:13. O LORD, the hope of Israel, All who forsake You shall be ashamed. "Those who depart from Me Shall be written in the earth, Because they have forsaken the LORD, The fountain of living waters."
'Those who depart from Me' = being deceived.
Leaving the true well of shepherding and hewing the dry well will cause one to be ashamed, deceived, and destroyed from the world.
THE TIME OF MINISTRY
John 4: 35
4:35. "Do you not say, 'There are still four monthsand then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!
It is four months or one hundred and twenty days.
Numbers 14: 34
14:34. 'According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, for each day you shall bear your guilt one year, namely forty years, and you shall knowMy rejection.
One day is the same as one year.
Thus, one hundred and twenty days refer to one hundred and twenty years.
1 Jubilee refers to fifty years.
One hundred and twenty years of Jubilee refer to six thousand years. This is the time of ministry.
The six thousand years according the map of ages can be explained as follows.
The time has been so short, so we must fight forthe service and ministry more than all things in the world. This is the real purpose of our life.
THE FORM OF MINISTRY IN THE FIELD OF GOD
John 4: 36
4:36. "And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sowsand he who reapsmay rejoice together.
There are two kinds of form of the ministry as follows.
THE WAGE OF MINISTRY
John 4: 36
4:36. "And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.
Matthew 6: 25-26
6:25. "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
6:26 "Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
The servants of God are far of more value than the birds. God will guarantee our life if we take part in the sowing and reaping activity although we are powerless like a hair.
Matthew 10: 29-30
10:29. "Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will.
10:30 "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
He counts us or pays attention to and struggles for us.
He was not esteemed willingly to make us, the Gentiles, be counted. This is His sacrifice. He is willingly crucified and cursed on the crossto bear our sins until His face is worse than human, but like dog and swine; even Satan, to number us, the Gentiles who are like the woman of Samaria in her uncleanness, destruction in marriage and children, dissatisfaction, sadness, and perdition.
Isaiah 53: 2-3
53:2. For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him.
53:3 He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
The results are as follows.
God blesses you.
We are in Revelation 2-3 (it has been explained from General Service in Surabaya, July 27, 2014).
We are learning Revelation 3: 14-22 about the church of the LAODICEANS. This is the last or the seventh church in the book of Revelation that shows the condition of the church in the last days (it has been explained from General Service in Surabaya, June 14, 2015).
Revelation 3: 16-19
3:16. "So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.
3:17 "Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing' --and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked--
3:18 "I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.
3:19 "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.
THE SPIRITUALITYof the church of the Laodiceans is in LUKEWARMNESS.
It means that they are rich physically and do not lack of anything, but the spirituality is wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.
Consequently, they are vomited by God. They are useless before God, disgusting, unclean, cursed, and separated from Him until they perish forever.
Therefore, in verse 18-19 God rebukes and advisesthe church of the Laodiceans with the teaching Word that is sharper than any two-edged sword to make them or all of us buy the treasure of heaven. If the rebuke and advice are ignored, God will chasten.
There are three kinds of heavenly treasurethat must be bought or possessed by the church of the Laodiceans or all of us as follows.
- Gold refined in the fire (it has been explained from General Service in Surabaya, July 12, 2015to Prayer Service in Surabaya, July 15, 2015). It refers to the pure faithor permanent, tested, and perfect one that is ready to welcome Jesus' second coming.
- White garments (it has been explained from General Service in Surabaya, July 19, 2015) to Bible Study Service in Surabaya, August 17, 2015) that refer to the garments of mercy and trust of God.
- Shepherding garments (it has been explained from Bible Study Service in Surabaya, July 20, 2015to General Service in Surabaya, July 26, 2015).
- Ministry garments (it has been explained from Prayer Service in Surabaya, August 5, 2015to Bible Study Service in Surabaya, August 17, 2015).
- Eye salves to anoint the eyes (it has been explained since Prayer Service in Surabaya, August 19, 2015).
AD 3. EYE SALVES TO ANOINT THE EYES
The salves refer to the anointing oil of Holy Spiritto make us see these things.
- The Lord Himself. We will never be disappointed (it has been explained in General Service in Surabaya, August 23, 2015). Looking at human, we will be disappointed someday.
- The field of the Lord (it has been explained in Bible Study Service in Surabaya, August 24, 2015).
AD. 2: Seeing HIS FIELD.
John 4: 35
4:35."Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!
The field of the Lord refers to the spiritual activities, namely the service and ministry to God.
1 Corinthians 3: 9
3:9. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building.
God's field is the same as His building or the ministry for building the body of Christ.
Thus, looking at God's field means that we actively minister to God in building the body of Christ as follows.
- It begins from actively ministering as the husband, wife, and children in the marriage.
- It becomes greater in the shepherding that we minister to God according to our ministry.
- It becomes greater in the inter-shepherding fellowship service.
- Finally, the Israelites and Gentiles become one perfect body or the Bride of God that is ready to welcome Jesus' second coming on the glorious clouds.
There are two kinds of fellowship as follows.
- The true fellowship
John 15: 1, 5
15:1. "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.
15:5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
It has the true Vine or Jesus Himself and the true teaching Word.
We are the branches that must abide in the true Vine.
The relationship between the branches and the Vine is in faithfulnessthat the branch must not leave the Vine and holinessthat the branch must be cleansed (verse 3).
The branch will bear sweet fruitsup to the perfection as the bride of God although it is small. - The false fellowship
John 15: 6
15:6. "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
'If anyone does not abide in Me' = there is no Vine.
'they gather them'= a fellowship.
There is no true Vine. It means there is no true teaching Word. This is the fellowship of the dry branches. The proof is the dry mouth with lies, gossips, vilifying others, and blasphemy to God or the true teaching Word as well as supporting the false one.
Consequently, the end is in the fire or everlasting perdition.
If our eyes are anointed by Holy Spirit, we must be able to see the true Vine or the true teaching Word. Not being anointed by Holy Spirit, one will only look at human or other things such as money, position, popularity, praise, and so on, not God.
THE PLACE OF MINISTRY
John 4: 5-6
4:5. So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
4:6 Now Jacob's wellwas there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
The place is by Jacob's well. A well is the place for the sheep to drink. Thus, the place of ministry for building the body of Christ is in the shepherding well.
All pastors, apostles, prophets, teachers, and servants of God must be shepherded.
How great a sheep is, it will be destroyed by the beast is it is not shepherded. The fatter it is, the more difficult for it to run away from the beast.
Physically, the shepherding pen is the legal church organizations. They may be different, but spiritually the shepherding must be same, namely the Holy Place of Tabernacle.
We have been saved (entering the Court), but not been perfected yet (not reaching the Most Holy Place yet). Therefore, we must be in the Holy Place. The three kinds of equipment there have been destroyed. They refer to the perseverance in doing three main services to Godnow.
- Golden Candlestick or perseverance in doing General Service to have fellowship with Holy Spirit God in His gifts. We have the fellowship with the living waterof Holy Spirit from heaven.
- Table of Showbread or perseverance in doing Bible Study Service with Holy Communion to have fellowship with the Son of God in the true teaching Word and the sacrifice of Christ. We have the fellowship with the living waterof the Word from heaven.
- Golden Altar of Incense or perseverance in doing Prayer Service to have fellowship with Father God in His love. We have the fellowship with the living waterof God's love.
Thus, the well of shepherding means as follows.
- The source of living water, namely the Word, Holy Spirit, and God's love, to face the sun heat at the sixth hour or 12 noon or the temptations in all aspects of life up to the peak when the antichrist reigns over the world.
- The meeting place of the bridegroom and the bride.
For example, between Jacob and Rachel, Moses and Zipporah, and Jesus with the woman of Samaria or the Gentiles.
John 4: 7
4:7. A woman of Samaria cameto draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink."
'to draw water' refers to a need, namely the thirsty woman of Samaria met Jesus by the well.
Samaritans belong to the Gentiles.
The woman had remarried for five times, but there was no satisfaction. This is the consequence of not sitting by the well.
On the contrary, if the unclean and destroyed Gentiles can be shepherded well and correctly, they can be formed by the living water of the Word, Holy Spirit, and God's love to be the perfect bride of God who is ready to welcome Jesus' second coming on the glorious clouds.
Jeremiah 2: 13
2:13."For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns--broken cisterns that can hold no water.
There are two fatal mistakes that often happen as follows.
- The servants of God, especially of the Gentiles, forsake the well of the shepherdingor the source of living water, namely Jesus Himself. It means not being shepherded; even leaving the true teaching Word.
- Hewing broken cisternsor dry well as follows.
- Envy, hatred without a cause, bitterness, and so on until the life and spirituality are dry.
Genesis 37: 24
37:24. Then they took him and cast him into a pit. And the pit was empty; there was no water in it.
Joseph was cast into a pit because his brothers envied and hated him without a cause.
The dry spirituality will cause all things in life to be dry.
The brothers of Joseph shepherded at the far place. It means that one begins to be far away from the true shepherding when he is dry because of the jealousy.
Being far away from Jacob means one is far away from the anointing of Holy Spirit.
Being far away from Joseph means that one is far away from the true teachings. - False teachers with false teachings.
2 Peter 2: 17
2:17. These are wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.
False teachings will scatter and destroy.
- Envy, hatred without a cause, bitterness, and so on until the life and spirituality are dry.
Jeremiah 17: 13
17:13. O LORD, the hope of Israel, All who forsake You shall be ashamed. "Those who depart from Me Shall be written in the earth, Because they have forsaken the LORD, The fountain of living waters."
'Those who depart from Me' = being deceived.
Leaving the true well of shepherding and hewing the dry well will cause one to be ashamed, deceived, and destroyed from the world.
THE TIME OF MINISTRY
John 4: 35
4:35. "Do you not say, 'There are still four monthsand then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!
It is four months or one hundred and twenty days.
Numbers 14: 34
14:34. 'According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, for each day you shall bear your guilt one year, namely forty years, and you shall knowMy rejection.
One day is the same as one year.
Thus, one hundred and twenty days refer to one hundred and twenty years.
1 Jubilee refers to fifty years.
One hundred and twenty years of Jubilee refer to six thousand years. This is the time of ministry.
The six thousand years according the map of ages can be explained as follows.
- From Adam to Abraham or the first age/ the age of Father God for approximately two thousand years.
- From Abraham to Jesus' first coming or the age of the Son for approximately two thousand years.
- From Jesus' first coming to His second coming or the last age for approximately two thousand years.
We are in 2015 now. Thus, we get the longsuffering of Godwhen Jesus has not come the second time yet.
2 Peter 3: 9
3:9. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
The purposeis we can repent, serve and minister to God in the building of the perfect body of Christ.
We must use our long age not for physical things only, but for repenting. Our life purpose if repenting. All things must be added with repenting.
The time has been so short, so we must fight forthe service and ministry more than all things in the world. This is the real purpose of our life.
THE FORM OF MINISTRY IN THE FIELD OF GOD
John 4: 36
4:36. "And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sowsand he who reapsmay rejoice together.
There are two kinds of form of the ministry as follows.
- Sowingmeans the revival of Holy Spirit at the early rain in the gospel of salvation (Gospel of Salvation or Good News).
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,
The gospel of salvation preaches the first coming of Jesus to the world to die on the cross to save the sinners. The salvation is in Jesus only because He is the only one sinless man who can redeem the sinners by His blood.
The target of the revival of Holy Spirit at the early rain is calling the sinners who have not believed in Jesus yet so that they can believe in Jesus and be saved. This is our duty.
The process of salvation is as follows.- Believing in Jesus (Ephesians 1: 13).
- Repenting or stopping sinning to return to God or to die to sin.
- Being baptized of water.
- Being baptized of Holy Spirit. We get the new life, namely heavenly life or the one in righteousness.
- Reapingmeans the revival of Holy Spirit at the latter rain in the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.
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.
The light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, Bride Tidings, or the true teaching Word sharper than any two edged sword preaches Jesus' second coming in the glory as the King and Heavenly Bridegroom to sanctify and perfect us. His second coming has nothing to do with sin.
The target is choosing the saved and blessed people to be sanctified and perfected like Jesus to become the bride of heaven who is ready to welcome His second coming on the glorious clouds. This is the field that is already white for harvest and we enter the barn of heavenly kingdom.
Reaping the souls must use the sickle or the sword of God's Word.
Be careful! Many are called, but few are chosen!
THE WAGE OF MINISTRY
John 4: 36
4:36. "And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.
Matthew 6: 25-26
6:25. "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
6:26 "Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
The servants of God are far of more value than the birds. God will guarantee our life if we take part in the sowing and reaping activity although we are powerless like a hair.
Matthew 10: 29-30
10:29. "Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will.
10:30 "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
He counts us or pays attention to and struggles for us.
He was not esteemed willingly to make us, the Gentiles, be counted. This is His sacrifice. He is willingly crucified and cursed on the crossto bear our sins until His face is worse than human, but like dog and swine; even Satan, to number us, the Gentiles who are like the woman of Samaria in her uncleanness, destruction in marriage and children, dissatisfaction, sadness, and perdition.
Isaiah 53: 2-3
53:2. For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him.
53:3 He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
The results are as follows.
- The Lord is able to protect and preserveour life although we are powerless like a hair in the midst of difficulties in the world until the time when the antichrist reigns over the world.
- The Lord is able to help and solve all of our problems; even the impossible ones, although we are powerless.
- The Lord is able to give heavenly joy('both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.')
- A hair will not fall. It means that we are perfect. The Lord is able to sanctify and changeus until we are as perfect as Jesus is until we do not stumble in words (James 3: 2) when He comes a second time on the glorious clouds. We only say 'Alleluia' to welcome Him. We see Him face to face to be with Him forever on the throne of God.
God blesses you.