Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We learn Revelation 3: 14-22 about the church of the Laodiceansor the last church in the book of Revelation. They refer to the church in the last days (It has been explained since General Service in Surabaya, June 14, 2015).
Revelation 3: 16-17
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--
THE SPIRITUALITYof the church of the Laodiceans or the church of God in the last days is in LUKEWARMNESSas follows.
Genesis 1: 1-2
1:1. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
1:2 The earth was without form, and void; and darknesswas on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
The lukewarmness is the same as the earth before it was created by God, namely being void and dark as well as without form.
Such earth cannot be the dwelling place of human.
Likewise, the sons or servants of God who are void, in darkness, and without form cannot be the dwelling place of God.
The proof is in verse 20 'Jesus knocks' that means that He is outside.
Jesus sighed 'Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.'
Revelation 18: 2
18:2. And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling placeof demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!
Tabernacle is the'dwelling place' of God. Satan wants to imitate it by reversing it.
'demons'= foxes.
'bird' = unclean spirit.
The sons or servants of God who are lukewarm spiritually will be the dwelling place of evil and unclean spirits that aim at the building of the body of Babylon or the bride of Satan, who is perfect in uncleanness and evil and will be destroyed forever.
All great things will be useless if Jesus is outside us.
The Lord longs for dwelling in the midst of His people by doing these things.
Tabernacle has three rooms as follows.
We can have the form of righteousness, holiness, and perfection by entering the Tabernacle.
The Bride Tidings in the light of Tabernacle teachings GIVES THE FORM to, FILLS UP, and ILLUMINATES the lukewarm church as follows.
Holy Communion is the source of the love of the sun.
God blesses you.
We learn Revelation 3: 14-22 about the church of the Laodiceansor the last church in the book of Revelation. They refer to the church in the last days (It has been explained since General Service in Surabaya, June 14, 2015).
Revelation 3: 16-17
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--
THE SPIRITUALITYof the church of the Laodiceans or the church of God in the last days is in LUKEWARMNESSas follows.
- verse 17= 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'= being proud of physical things. One follows God, but is satisfied only by the physical things.
The satisfaction of the world is put in the church also.
Consequently, one looks for the pseudo satisfaction in the world and falls in sins up to the peak, namely sins concerning eating-drinking and marrying-being given in marriage. - verse 17= 'you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked'= the spiritual condition.
- 'wretched, miserable, poor' => wretched= one is always sorrowful in many problems; miserable= there is no luck; poor= not having anything.
They mean being VOIDof the persona of God. - 'blind'= DARK; there are fears, anxieties, and distress without the future life. The fear and distress will be the main killer of human in the last days.
- 'naked'= being mixed with or wallowing in sin or NOT HAVING THE FORMof righteousness and holiness.
- 'wretched, miserable, poor' => wretched= one is always sorrowful in many problems; miserable= there is no luck; poor= not having anything.
Genesis 1: 1-2
1:1. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
1:2 The earth was without form, and void; and darknesswas on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
The lukewarmness is the same as the earth before it was created by God, namely being void and dark as well as without form.
Such earth cannot be the dwelling place of human.
Likewise, the sons or servants of God who are void, in darkness, and without form cannot be the dwelling place of God.
The proof is in verse 20 'Jesus knocks' that means that He is outside.
Jesus sighed 'Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.'
Revelation 18: 2
18:2. And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling placeof demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!
Tabernacle is the'dwelling place' of God. Satan wants to imitate it by reversing it.
'demons'= foxes.
'bird' = unclean spirit.
The sons or servants of God who are lukewarm spiritually will be the dwelling place of evil and unclean spirits that aim at the building of the body of Babylon or the bride of Satan, who is perfect in uncleanness and evil and will be destroyed forever.
All great things will be useless if Jesus is outside us.
The Lord longs for dwelling in the midst of His people by doing these things.
- (Old Testament)
God commanded Moses to build the physical Tabernacle according to the pattern of heavenly kingdom.
Exodus 25: 8-9
25:8."And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwellamong them.
25:9 "According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it.
'sanctuary'= Tabernacle.
God may dwell in the world if there is heaven in it.
Our service must take the example of heavenly kingdom, not the world, and God will dwell in us.
As a result, Satan with evil and unclean spirits cannot have any place in the midst of the house of Israel. This happened in the Old Testament, but how are the Gentiles like the church of the Laodiceans? God continues with the second. - (New Testament):The Lord knocks the door of the hearts of the Gentiles.
Revelation 3: 18-20
3:18. "I counselyou 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.
3:20 "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
'dine with him'= The Lord dwells in the midst of us.
The Lord knocks the door of the hearts of the Gentiles by these two ways.- verse 18, 19: by rebuking and exhorting.
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.
'Convince' = revealing the sins.
The Lord rebukes and exhorts means that He preaches the true teaching Wordor Bride Tidings in the light of Tabernacle teachings that has been revealed to Rev. Van Gessel by God. Such teachings are based on the Bible (the physical Tabernacle in Exodus 25) and there is no deception.
We must hear and obey it and throw away our sin or the evil and unclean spirits and the Lord will dwell in us. On the contrary, keeping sins means that the Lord is outside. - There is an opportunity when the teaching Word is rejected, namely by the chastening or the whip.
Job was chastened totally to make him return to the holiness because he had kept the sin he did not realize, namely self-truth.
Opening the door of heart means receiving the chastening of God without murmuring, but correcting our life by the sharpness of the sword of the Word until we can return to the holiness. As a result, God is with us.
- verse 18, 19: by rebuking and exhorting.
Tabernacle has three rooms as follows.
- The Court = righteousness/salvation.
- The Holy Place = holiness.
- The Most Holy Place = perfection.
We can have the form of righteousness, holiness, and perfection by entering the Tabernacle.
The Bride Tidings in the light of Tabernacle teachings GIVES THE FORM to, FILLS UP, and ILLUMINATES the lukewarm church as follows.
- Giving the form of RIGHTEOUSNESSuntil we can be as righteous as Jesus or we enter the Court of Tabernacle.
1 John 3: 7
3:7. Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousnessis righteous, just as He is righteous.
1 John 1: 7, 9
1:7. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgiveus our sins and to cleanseus from all unrighteousness.
The processis through our confession of sin to God and others honestly after the Word shows us our sins (2 Timothy 4: 2). As a result, the blood of Jesus will actively do these things.- Verse 9= forgiving all our sinsuntil there is no remnant of them anymore as if we never do them. We are justified by the blood of Jesus.
- Sanctifying us or pulling out the roots of sin, so we do not sin anymore, but live in righteousness. WE HAVE THE FORM OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.
1:10. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
Not confessing sin, even blaming others, one is in spiritual hunger because there is no revelation of God's Word. He suffers because of the fear and distress, falls, and cannot rise anymore, but perishes.
The real crying happens when there is no revelation of the Word or spiritual food.
God will fill us after we have the form of righteousness. Tabernacle teachings fill us with FAITH. We live by faith. The faith is more than anything. It is able to create all things.
Romans 1: 17
1:17. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."
The facts found in having the faith are as follows.- We rely on the Lord or the Word of God.
The proofis returning the tithes to God.
The tithes mean our confession that we live by the Word of God and have been blessed by Him. We obey the Word, the heavens are opened, and we are preserved continually. - Not sinning anymore; we cannot sin, but live in righteousness.
1 John 3: 9
3:9. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.
'His seed remains in him' = the Word of God dwells in him.
Faith is all about righteousness. We are as righteous as Jesus is. - We hold fast the true teaching Wordand none can deceive us. We are as righteous as Jesus is.
1 John 3: 7
3:7. Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.
37:25. I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread.
37:26 He is ever merciful, and lends; And his descendants are blessed.
'I have not seen the righteous forsaken'= The Lord dwells in the righteous. He never leaves the righteous, but blesses them up to the descendants and they can be blessings for others. - Giving the form of HOLINESS= entering the Holy Place.
1 Peter 1: 15-16
1:15. but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
1:16 because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy."
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.
Tabernacle teachings sharper than any two-edged sword sanctify us. It begins from our heart.
Matthew 15: 19
15:19. 15:19 "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts(1), murders(2), adulteries(3), fornications(4), thefts(5), false witness(6), blasphemies(7).
= the seven evil and unclean desires. The figure seven refers to perfection.
If the heart is filled with the seven evil and unclean desires, the saying and deeds will be evil and unclean also, even perfect in the evil and uncleanness. One becomes the bride of Satan or Babylon that will be destroyed.
On the contrary, the saying and deeds will be sanctified as well as the whole life if the heart is sanctified from the seven evil and unclean desires. We can live in holiness or THERE IS THE FORM OF HOLINESSand we can be filled with HOPE.
1 John 3: 2-3
3:2. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
3:3 And everyone who has this hopein Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
Romans 8: 25
8:25. But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.
It is especially the hope to welcome Jesus' second coming or the highest one. If we cannot get it, all hopes in the world will be useless.
We will eagerly wait for something with perseverance if we have the hope.
The fact found in having the hopeis the perseverance in shepherding pen.
Acts 2: 41-42
2:41. Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.
2:42 And they continued steadfastlyin the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
The three kinds of equipment in the Holy Place in the days of Moses refer to the three kinds of perseverance in the days of the apostles of the early rain church two thousand years ago. Now it means the perseverance in doing three main services to God in the days of the latter rain church.
- Golden Candlestick (the days of Moses) = perseverance in fellowship (the days of the early rain church) = perseverance in doing General Service (the days of the latter rain church); fellowship with Holy Spirit God in His gifts.
- Table of Showbread (the days of Moses) = perseverance in apostle's doctrine and the breaking of bread (the days of the early rain church) = perseverance in doing Bible Study Service with Holy Communion (the days of the latter rain church); fellowship with the Son of God in the teaching Word and the sacrifice of Christ.
- Golden Altar of Incense (the days of Moses) = perseverance in prayers (the days of the early rain church) = perseverance in doing Prayer Service (the days of the latter rain church); fellowship with Father God in His love.
Our body, soul, and spirit attach to the Trinity of God in the shepherding pen, like a branch that dwells in the true Vine and a donkey that is bound to the true Vine.
The target of Jesus in His last journey to Jerusalem or the revival of the latter rain to aim at New Jerusalem is the donkey or Gentiles that is bound. Not being bound, it becomes wild and God cannot sit on it. God will let it go.
A donkey that is bound to the true Vine means that the Gentiles must be shepherded to the true teachings or Jesus Himself.
As a result, God will ride it. It means that God dwells in us and we are with Him, even we can dine with Him.
A pastor must be shepherded first.
Genesis 49: 11-12
49:11. Binding his donkey to the vine, And his donkey's colt to the choice vine, He washed his garmentsin wine, And his clothes in the blood of grapes.
49:12 His eyes are darker than wine, And his teeth whiter than milk.
'washed'= there is holiness.
We are sanctified intensively by the perseverance in the shepherding pen, until we are perfect or without blemish.
John 15: 3
15:3. "You are already clean because of the word which Ihave spoken to you.
We are sanctified by the Word spoken by Jesus or revealed by God through a verse that explains other verse in the Bible. This is the true teaching Word or the Bride Tidings in the light of Tabernacle teachings.
The characteristics of the Gentiles are not only like a donkey, but also like dog and swine as follows.- A swine is washed, but then it returns to the wallowing in the mire. It is the same as the onager in the book of Job. It means repeating the sins up to the peak, namely sins concerning eating-drinking such as smoking, getting drunk, and drugs abuse as well as the ones concerning marrying-being given in marriage, including the wrong marriage.
- A dog vomits and licks its vomit. It means the idle or wild words, including lies.
There will be no hope if there is lie because Satan is the father of liars. Moreover, God cannot do anything. On the contrary, there is still a hope if we are honest although we have been unclean and in failure or destruction.
Being sanctified from lying, we have a hope and can be hoped. - Anxiety.
Matthew 6: 31-34
6:31. "Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'
6:32 "For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
6:34 "Therefore do not worryabout tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
The Gentiles worry about daily life and the future.
Consequently, there is no faithfulness in serving and ministering to God. The life cannot be righteous, not even holy.
If we are sanctified from the anxiety, we will be able to seek first the kingdom of heaven or serve and minister to God faithfully and prioritize heavenly kingdom more than anything. We can live in righteousness and holiness.
- Golden Candlestick (the days of Moses) = perseverance in fellowship (the days of the early rain church) = perseverance in doing General Service (the days of the latter rain church); fellowship with Holy Spirit God in His gifts.
- Giving the form ofPERFECTION= entering the Most Holy Place.
Matthew 5: 48
5:48. "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
We are as perfect as Jesus.
There are only incense and the sprinklings of blood in the Most Holy Place.
Tabernacle teachings give us extra power that we can endure in the sprinklings of blood.
The sprinklings of blood mean the suffering in the flesh with Jesus. It may happen through suffering because of obeying the Word, serving and ministering to God, fasting, praying all-night long, being slandered, and so on.
1 Peter 4: 12-14
4:12. Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trialwhich is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;
4:13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.
4:14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of gloryand of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.
God permits us to experience the sprinkling of blood with Jesus so that we get the shekinah gloryor the light or Spirit of glory. We ARE ILLUMINATED, so there is no darkness anymore. It will be useless if we are only formed and filled with faith and hope, but without the light.
The Spirit of glory performs the greatest miracle, namely the life renewalfrom carnal men to the spiritual ones like Jesus.
The fact found in itis we are joyful or strong and of good courage in the sufferings ('If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessedare you').
The physical miracle will happen for sure after the spiritual one happens. We only need to wait for the time of God.
Matthew 5: 43-45, 48
5:43. "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall loveyour neighbor and hate your enemy.'
5:44 "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,
5:45 "that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
5:48 "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
The Tabernacle teachings will fill us with THE LOVE OF THE SUNor the perfect love after we have the form of perfection.
We can love others like ourselves, even our enemy. We can pray for our enemy. We become like a baby who does not have any enemy. We only cry or pray to God and look at Jesus' face that is like the sun. The love of the sun will be radiated to us.
Psalm 84: 11
84:11. For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly.
'uprightly'= honesty and sincerity like a baby.
The results of having the love of the sun of Jesus' face are as follows.- The perfect love of the sun becomes the shieldin our life. It means as follows.
- Protecting us from the fiery dart of the evil, namely sins up to the peak, so we can keep on living in righteousness and holiness.
- Protecting us from the false teachings, so we can keep on holding fast the true teaching Word.
- Protecting us from temptations and impossible problems, so we do not go back, but keep on believing and hoping in the Lord. Do not hope in others, or else you are disappointed.
- Protecting us from the days of the antichrist that will reign over the world for three years and six months and from the judgment of God.
- The goodness and mercy of Godgives us life. There is life as long as there is the sun. It means as follows.
- The mercy and goodness of God preserves our life physically and spiritually in the midst of darkness, difficulties, and impossibilities in the world.
- The mercy and goodness of God helps and solves our problems, even the impossible ones.
- The mercy and goodness of God lifts us upas follows.
- From fall, like David who was lifted up by God after he had fallen in adultery with Bathsheba.
- From failure. We have successful and beautiful life in time of need.
- The glory of Godchanges our life from carnal men to spiritual ones like Jesus. We are changed to be as glorious and perfect as Jesus is when He comes a second time. We shine like the sun to welcome Jesus' second coming on the glorious clouds and we are with Him forever.
- The perfect love of the sun becomes the shieldin our life. It means as follows.
Holy Communion is the source of the love of the sun.
God blesses you.