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.
The fact found in the lukewarmnessis in verse 17= 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing' = being proud of and magnifying physical things or blessings, even one does not need the Lord or the Word in the service to Him. He is satisfied only with physical things, but the spirituality is wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.
Consequently, he is vomited by God. He becomes useless before God, disgusting, unclean, and cursed until perishes forever.
Therefore, God rebukes and advises with the Word to make the church of the Laodiceans or all of us buy the treasure of heaven. If the rebuke is ignored, God will chasten or whip in the economy, health, and so on.
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. 2. WHITE GARMENTS, 'that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed.'
We buy it through the cross of the Lord. He was willingly stripped until dead on the cross to give us His garments and cover our nakedness. Moreover, there was His robe that was cast lots. Not all people may get it. Only the people who get the mercy and trust of God may receive it.
Thus, the white garments refer to the garments of God's mercy and trust(it has been explained in General Service in Surabaya, July 19, 2015).
We learn one of the garments of God's mercy and trust written in the first epistle of Peter tonight, namely the garments of shepherding.
1 Peter 5: 3=> 'sheperd the flock'
5:3. nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examplesto the flock;
'entrusted'= the trust garments.
Not all people may become the pastor. If one forces himself to be a pastor without the trust of God, he will not be able to feed the sheep.
Not all people may be shepherded. It is written in the Bible that there are more fig trees planted by the road than the ones in the vineyard. It means there are many wandering sheep that are not shepherded.
'nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examplesto the flock'= a pastor must not rule over the sheep because the shepherding systemis not to be the lord but the system in giving examplesto the sheep. Being the lord is the monarchism.
The shepherded people must be the example, not stumbling-block.
How can we become the example for others?
1 Corinthians 11: 1
11:1. Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.
Paul imitated Christ's example and the congregation could imitate him.
We must imitate Jesusso that we can be examples for others.
The shepherding system is in the examples. We go to follow our shepherd wherever he walks.
There three kinds of Jesus' example as the Shepherd 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.
The fact found in the lukewarmnessis in verse 17= 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing' = being proud of and magnifying physical things or blessings, even one does not need the Lord or the Word in the service to Him. He is satisfied only with physical things, but the spirituality is wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.
Consequently, he is vomited by God. He becomes useless before God, disgusting, unclean, and cursed until perishes forever.
Therefore, God rebukes and advises with the Word to make the church of the Laodiceans or all of us buy the treasure of heaven. If the rebuke is ignored, God will chasten or whip in the economy, health, and so on.
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 and perfect one like Abraham's, namely the faith with the works that cannot be moved by anything.
- White garments (it has been explained from General Service in Surabaya, July 19, 2015).
- Eye salves to anoint the eyes.
AD. 2. WHITE GARMENTS, 'that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed.'
We buy it through the cross of the Lord. He was willingly stripped until dead on the cross to give us His garments and cover our nakedness. Moreover, there was His robe that was cast lots. Not all people may get it. Only the people who get the mercy and trust of God may receive it.
Thus, the white garments refer to the garments of God's mercy and trust(it has been explained in General Service in Surabaya, July 19, 2015).
We learn one of the garments of God's mercy and trust written in the first epistle of Peter tonight, namely the garments of shepherding.
1 Peter 5: 3=> 'sheperd the flock'
5:3. nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examplesto the flock;
'entrusted'= the trust garments.
Not all people may become the pastor. If one forces himself to be a pastor without the trust of God, he will not be able to feed the sheep.
Not all people may be shepherded. It is written in the Bible that there are more fig trees planted by the road than the ones in the vineyard. It means there are many wandering sheep that are not shepherded.
'nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examplesto the flock'= a pastor must not rule over the sheep because the shepherding systemis not to be the lord but the system in giving examplesto the sheep. Being the lord is the monarchism.
The shepherded people must be the example, not stumbling-block.
How can we become the example for others?
1 Corinthians 11: 1
11:1. Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.
Paul imitated Christ's example and the congregation could imitate him.
We must imitate Jesusso that we can be examples for others.
The shepherding system is in the examples. We go to follow our shepherd wherever he walks.
There three kinds of Jesus' example as the Shepherd as follows.
- The example of the steps of Jesus as the Shepherd. It is the same as the example in righteousness.
1 Peter 2: 21-25
2:21. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:
2:22 "Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth";
2:23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;
2:24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed.
2:25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
It refers to the Court of Tabernacle.
The shepherding is all about the Tabernacle.
There were five thousand men sitting on the grass. The grass refers to the shepherding.
The five thousand men were in one hundred groups, fifty men in a group.
100 x 50 refers to the measure of Tabernacle, whose length is one hundred cubits and the width is fifty cubits.
The steps of Jesus are the death and resurrection.
The death stepmeans being dead to sin or repenting.
The resurrection stepmeans we are raised to live in righteousness.
The beginning of the death and resurrection step is in the water baptism.
Therefore, the water baptism must be right because it is the beginning in following the step of the Lord.
Romans 6: 4
6:4. Therefore we were buriedwith Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raisedfrom the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
'into death'= the death step.
'was raised'= the resurrection step.
The rightwater baptism happens when the people who have died to sin or repented are buried in water with Jesus to come up out of or be raised up from water with Jesus to get the new life, namely heavenly one as the heavens are opened.
1 John 3: 9
3:9.Whoever has been born of Goddoes not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.
'has been born of God'= being born spiritually through the water baptism.
The facts found in the new life are as follows.- Not sinning anymore although there are advantage, temptation, persecution, and threat. It means the life in righteousnessas follows.
- There is no more lie (1 Peter 2: 22: ...Nor was deceit found in His mouth).
- Not repaying evil for evil, but good for evil (1Peter 2: 23: who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;).
- Being the instruments of righteousness or serving and ministering to God faithfully and correctly.
- Holding fast the true teaching Word.
Living in righteousness means that we only choose the right things in all matters until we can hold fast the true teaching Word.
- We cannot sin nor be deceived by anyone or anything. We have been right as Jesus.
1 John 3: 7
3:7. Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.
Receiving the other teachings means there is no righteousness because one is deceived, although one has not sinned.
Be careful!The deception starts from the people who are close to ussuch as our husband, wife, and children.
- We experience the power of Jesus' stripesthat heal and make us healthy physically in our body, finance, marriage, children, and so on, and spiritually.
1 Peter 2: 24
2:24. who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed.
The healthy spirituality is not dry or dead. We do not get bored in hearing the Word. We are not weak in serving the Lord, but fervent in spirit in hearing the Word.
Hearing the Word lazily, the spirituality begins to be ill. If it is continued, it will die. - Jesus, the Great Shepherd, preserves us directly in our physical and spiritual life.
1 Peter 2: 25
2:25. For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Our spirituality is preserved and we can feel peaceful in serenity. All things become easy and light (Psalm 23: 2: He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters).
- Not sinning anymore although there are advantage, temptation, persecution, and threat. It means the life in righteousnessas follows.
- The example in washing the feet. It is the same as holiness.
John 13: 14-15
13:14."If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.
13:15 "For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.
It refers to the Holy Place of Tabernacle or shepherding pen. We must continue after we enter the Court.
In the shepherding pen, we are sanctified and our feet are washed because the feet are the dirtiest part of our life journey. There are three kinds of perseverance in doing the three main services in the shepherding pen as follows.- Golden Candlestick: perseverance in doing General Service; fellowship with Holy Spirit God in His gifts.
- Table of Showbread: perseverance in doing Bible Study Service with Holy Communion; fellowship with the Son of God in the teaching Word and Christ's sacrifice.
- Golden Altar of Incense: perseverance in doing Prayer Service; fellowship with Father God in His love.
Our body, soul, and spirit are attaching to the Trinity of God by the perseverance in doing the three main services to God in the shepherding pen like a branch that dwells in the True Vine. We get the sanctification intensively.
A branch cannot attach to the vine anymore after it has been released from it. The perseverance is similar to it. Let us try hard so that we are not hindered, like a branch that keeps on attaching to the vine.
John 15: 3
15:3. "You are already clean because of the word which Ihave spoken to you.
We are sanctified by the word Jesus has spoken, namely the revelation of the Word through a verse that explains other verses in the Bible or the Word that is sharper than any two-edged sword.
The intensive sanctification means that the true teaching Word that is sharper than any two-edged sword is preached repetitively like a flaming sword.
The way to enter paradise is guarded by two cherubim with the flaming sword. Entering the paradise, one will be pierced by it or it becomes the sword of judgment. Jesus has been pierced by it.We must also be pierced by the flaming sword, namely the intensive sanctification.
The Word is preached repetitively to cleanse us.
There will be two alternatives only in the vineyard, namely the branch is cleansed or cut. The branch that bears fruit will be cleansed and the one that does not bear fruit will be cut.
Getting angry when the Word is being preached, God will not speak anymore and we are cut to become the dry branch that is cut and burnt.
The matter about being the dry branch can be detected from the dry saying that is without love. It will be so difficult for the cut branch to return to the vine, except by the mercy and trust of God.
What must be cleansed?We must have the sanctification from the feet of Judas Iscariot.
John 13: 10-11
13:10. Jesus said to him, "He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you."
13:11 For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, "You are not all clean."
'He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet'= we do not need to be baptized again after we are baptized of water, but we need the sanctification from the sins of Judas Iscariot or the dirtiest feet.
The sins of Judas Iscariot mean as follows.- Evil sins or the love of money.
Proverbs 4: 27
4:27. Do not turn to the right or the left; Remove your footfrom evil.
It is the bond of money or there is no love to God.
It does not mean that we cannot have much money, but we must not love it.
The consequences of having the love of money are as follows.- Stinginess or one cannot give for the work of God and others who are in need.
- Greediness or one robs the right of others, especially God's, namely the tithes and offerings.
If we follow the steps of Jesus, we will be righteous as Him. We must be preserved.
On the contrary, following the steps of Judas Iscariotwill cause destruction. The garments are torn and the entrails gush out. It means being cursed and perishing forever. - Uncleanness sin or the sins concerning eating-drinking and marrying-being given in marriage.
Proverbs 5: 3, 5-9 => about the woman of Babylon.
5:3. For the lips of an immoral womandrip honey, And her mouth is smoother than oil;
5:5 Her feetgo down to death, Her steps lay hold of hell.
5:6 Lest you ponder her path of life--Her ways are unstable; You do not know them.
5:7 Therefore hear me now, my children, And do not depart from the words of my mouth.
5:8 Remove your way far from her, And do not go near the door of her house,
5:9 Lest you give your honor to others, And your years to the cruel one;
'Lest you give your honor to others'= therefore, teenagers must be brought in the shepherding like Joseph who was seventeen years old and Jesus who was twelve years old because the age of seventeen and twelve years is the risky time. - The sin of quarrel.
Romans 3: 15-17
3:15. "Their feetare swift to shed blood;
3:16 Destruction and misery are in their ways;
3:17 And the way of peace they have not known."
It happens because of the self-truth, namely sinning, but covering the sin by blaming God, the true teaching Word, and the righteous people.
If we are sanctifiedintensively in the shepherding pen up to our dirty feet, soon or later we will bear sweet fruit. It is painful for our flesh when we are being sanctified, but we will bear sweet fruits and get these results.- God preserves and pleads us directly.
John 15: 1
15:1. "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser."
He preserves us until we do not lack of anything.
He pleads us until our whole life, household, and ministry are not destroyed. - We are used by God to testify the Good News and Bride Tidings, so our life journey is successful, sweet, joyful, and beautiful.
Romans 10: 15
10:15. And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!"
When we must experience bad things after we follow the steps of the Lord that we live in righteousness, shepherding, and sanctification from the evil, we are in the test. We have born fruits, but the small ones.
Being victorious over the test, the fruits will be ripe and sweet. Just endurea little while and the fruits will be sweet. We must keep on persevering to keep our fruits. - Our body, soul, and spirit are as holy as Jesus is. We become the example for others.
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."
This is like the saying of Paul 'Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.'
- The example in glory.
Genesis 1: 26
1:26. Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."
'the fish of the sea'= the beast coming out of the sea in the book of Revelation= the antichrist.
'the birds of the air'= the fiery red dragon in the book of of Revelation= Satan.
'the cattle'= the beast on earth in the book of Revelation= false prophet.
Formerly human was created according to the image and pattern of the Trinity of God to be as glorious as He is, having dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle. This is the power of the glory of the Lord.
Unfortunately, human sinned and disobeyed God because of one fruit or little thing.
Lot's wife looked back and perished.
Do not belittle God!
Adam and Eve got naked and lost the glory of God because of the disobedience. They lost the image and pattern of God the Trinity, so they were driven out of Eden and cast into the world.
Romans 3: 23
3:23. for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Afterwards, their condition got worse like a woman with the flow of blood for twelve years, namely they wallowed in the mire of sins up to the peak and became like dog and swine. They were naked, but not ashamed.
Morever, they got worse to be like Satan.
Matthew 16: 21-23
16:21.From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.
16:22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!"
16:23 But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."
Peter, a great servant of God had a face like Satan because of not willingly suffering with Jesus until denying Him or the true teaching Word.
We will have the face of the Lord if we support the right and avoid the false.
Human had dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle because of having the glory of God. Nevertheless, after being conquered by sins, human was conquered by thre kinds of beast and destroyed forever.- Being ruled over by Satan= being ruled by the evil and uncleanness spirit.
- Being ruled by the antichrist= being ruled by the spirit of selling and buying. One only looks for physical advantages without considering the true teaching Word.
- Being conquered by false prophets= lie and false teachings.
How can God help?The book of Revelation refers to the sprinkling of blood.- As for God, Jesus must willingly experience the seven sprinklings of blood upon the Ark of the Covenant. He must suffer in the flesh without any sin until be obedient to the point of death of the crossto defeat Satan the trinity conquering human, including the servants of God.
Jesus willingly has marred visageto radiate His glorious face to all of us.
Isaiah 52: 13-14
52:13. Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently; He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high.
52:14 Just as many were astonished at you, So His visage was marred more than any man, And His form more than the sons of men;
'more than the sons of men'= being like dog, swine, and Satan to help Peter. - As for us, we must experience the seven sprinklings of blood before the Ark of the Covenant.
It meansthat we must suffer in the fleshwith Jesus or the cross, namely the suffering in the service and ministry, fasting, praying all-night long, being slandered and gossiped, and so on, including the offerings we give that is according to what God has stirred our heart to give.
2 Corinthians 4: 16-17
4:16. Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewedday by day.
4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,
'light affliction' => Do not exaggerate the suffering!Remember the cross and the glory of the Lordso that the suffering will be little because it cannot be compared with the one of Jesus on the cross and the glory we will receive.
Murmuring in the suffering will make the burden heavier. On the contrary, all things have been born by the Lord on the cross and we feel so light when we cry out the name of Jesus.
The time we are suffering is the opportunity to see the cross. We must be near the cross in suffering and look at His glorious face. He has been so marred on the cross so that our bad condition can be changed into glorious one. It begins from obedienceor lifting up our two hands to God to surrender to Him. We return to the glorious image of God.
Peter denied Jesus when there was a test. Finally, after Jesus rose, He asked three times to him 'Simon, do you love Me?..feed My sheep ...'--the three main services to God--and Peter could stretch out his hands to die because of Jesus.
John 21: 18-19
21:18."Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish."
21:19 This He spoke, signifying by whspan style=Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, at death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me."
We may lift up our two hands when we cannot endure anymore. Nevertheless, it is not enough. We must be tested until we can stretch out our hands because of loving God more than anything. We can offer anything for Him. This is a spiritual miracle. Peter did not need anything, but he stretched his hands because of loving God more than anything.
If the spiritual miracle happens, the physical ones will also happen for sure.
The name of Peter is written in New Jerusalem. We are changed to be as perfect and glorious as Jesus is when He comes a second time. We return to the first creature to welcome His second coming. We are with Him forever. We enter New Jerusalem and will not go out of it forever.
God blesses you.