Bible Study Service in Surabaya, July 28, 2014 (Monday Evening)

Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

We still learn Revelation 2-3.
According to Tabernacle teachings, it refers to the seven sprinklings of blood in front of the Ark of the Covenant. It means the seven epistles for the seven churches of the Gentiles as it was written as follows.
Revelation 1: 11.
1:11. saying, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last," and, "What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churcheswhich are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea."

It means the last sanctificationdone by Jesus to the seven churches of the Gentiles to make them perfect and without blemish as Jesus is.

Wer discuss it one by one, beginning from the sanctification to the church of Ephesusthat has been explained from General Service in Surabaya, July 27, 2014.

Revelation 2: 1-4
2:1. "To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, 'These things says He who holds the seven starsin His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands:
2:2 "I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars;
2:3 "and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name's sake and have not become weary.
2:4 "Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.

verse 1= there are two kinds of Jesus' appearance tothe church of Ephesusas follows.

1. 'Jesuswalks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands'= Jesus wants to walk in the midst of the seven churches of the Gentiles who are not worthy.
   It meansthat Jesus pays attention to and cares the churches of the Gentiles in the last days very much.
   
   
2. 'Jesusholds the seven stars in His right hand '.
   It meansthat the Lord Jesus longs for the congregation of the Gentiles' not falling because of anything, but they become His and nothing may charge against.

It is a suffering in the flesh, but also the attention and longing of Godto sanctify us, so that we will not fall, but become His forever. There is no other way.

ay. 2-3= 'I know your works'= Jesus extremely pays attention to, confess, appreciate, and remembers what has been done by the church of the Gentiles in God's work, even He repays the wage. Jesus never belittlesall the works in God that have been done by the Gentiles.
Do not doubt or postpone doing the work in the field of God, regardless of any kind of ministry you do.

Revelation 22: 12
22:12. ""And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.

'My reward is with Me'= The Lord gives the wage for every worker in God's field, both for present life and eternal one. He never fools or gives disadvantage to us!

Nevetheless, He will reproach us if we do something that displeases Him. It is not about the great or small ministry. The purpose is to sanctify and correct us.
It is indeed a suffering to our flesh when we get the reproach after we worked, but it is the sanctification from our hidden sins to form our characteristics.

Revelation 2: 4
2:4. "Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.

The weakness of the Gentiles is leaving or losing the first love.

It means the love of God or Agape love thorugh the sacrifice or cross of Christ.
The condition of the church in Ephesus is without the lovelike Peter, one of the Isarelites, who was without love also.

The ministry is without love. It has no meaning and God reproaches it, although it seems to be great before God and men. Even it perishes.

John 21: 15-17
21:15.So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?⁽¹⁾" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Feed My lambs."
21:16 He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?⁽²⁾" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Tend My sheep."
21:17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?⁽³⁾" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Feed My sheep.

Thus, both Israelites and Gentiles are corrected by God whether their life and ministry are with love or not.
There are three times of Jesus' questioning to Peter as follows.

1. The Lord asked whether Peter loved Him with the love of God or agape, but Peter answered with the love of neighbors or phileo love.
2. The Lord asked whether Peter loved Him with the love of God or agape, but Peter answered with the love of neighbors or phileo love.
3. The Lord asked whether Peter loved Him with the love of neighbore or phileo, but Peter answered grievously because it was clear that he had no agape and phileo love or there was no love in him.

Petrus was grieved because he had denied Jesus three times, including denying Jesus as his friend.
Thus, the ministry of Peter is without the love.

The facts found in it are as follows.

1. Rejecting the cross of Christ or being the enemy of the cross.
   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 asideand 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."
   
   'be killed, and be raised the third day '= the cross.
   
   Philippians 3: 18-19
   3:18. For manywalk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
   3:19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame--who set their mind on earthly things.
   
   'often'= the Word has been preached repetitively many times, even with tears.
   
   'manywalk,they are the enemies of the cross of Christ' means that we must be careful.
   
   Rejecting the cross of Christ or being the enemy of the crossmeans as follows.
   
   
   • Not willingly suffering in the flesh for God  (not sacrificing for God).
   • Not repenting  but keeping the sins up to the peak, namely sins concerning eating-drinking and marrying-being given in marriage.
   • 'who set their mind on earthly things '= following the Lord only to get physical or worldly things. It is dangerous. Magnifying physical things means making Jesus king of the worldlike Satan. In such condition, one does not place Jesus as the King of all kings anymore, so he will be left when He comes a second time.
     
     John 6: 15
     6:15. Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by forceto make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.
     
     Jesus as the King of all kings must die first, and then He ascends to heaven to become the King. This is often rejected by many servants of God.
     'take Him by force'= there are many servants of God who force Jesus become the king of the world. They forcein order to get and magnify the physical things. In such condition, they are the same as Satan.
     
     Matthew 4: 8-10
     4:8. Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the worldand their glory.
     4:9 And he said to Him, "All these things I will give Youif You will fall down and worship me."
     4:10 Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.'"
     
     The servants of God like Satan will fool the congregation and bring them towards perdition.
     It is better for us to be brought by Jesus to go up to the mountain although we must suffer in the flesh for serving and ministering to God because we will find the glory or life renewal than be brought by Satan to get destruction and perdition.
     
     
2. Not loving others.
   John 18: 10
   18:10. Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus.
   
   It means as follows.
   
   
   • Giving disadvantage to others.
     It is especially for the servant of God. Do not use the sword of God's word with emotion, but the anointing of Holy Spirit, so that the congregation can keep on hearing the Word and getting the sanctification. The Word is sharper than any two-edged sword. It works for the preacher first, and then to the hearers.
     
     
   • Being stumbling-block for others, so they do not want to hear the true Teaching Word that is sharper than any two-edged sword anymore.
     
     The stumbling-block happens through these things.
     
     
     1. Deeds that are not in line to the true Teaching Word.
     2. Marriage  that is not in line to the true Teaching Word.
     3. Wordsthat are not in line to the true Teaching Word, including gossips whose truth cannot be accounted for.
        
        Matthew 16: 23
        16:23. But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offenseto Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."
        
        Being the stumbling-block means BEING THE SAME AS SATANbecause Satan likes to set the stumbling-block.
        
        
3. Denying Jesus.
   Luke 22: 54-60
   22:54. Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest's house. But Peter followed at a distance.
   22:55 Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them.
   22:56 And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, "This man was also with Him."
   22:57 But he denied Him, saying, "Woman, I do not know Him.⁽¹⁾"
   22:58 And after a little while another saw him and said, "You also are of them." But Peter said, "Man, I am not!⁽²⁾"
   22:59 Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, "Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean."
   22:60 But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are saying!⁽³⁾" Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.
   
   'Peter followed at a distance'= one follows Jesus at a distance when he faces the cross.
   If we have the love, we will never do it whether we are blessed or we must face the cross.
   
   verse 55= being cold in spirituality because of following Jesus at a distance. In such condition, one is near the fire of the world.
   
   Peter denied Jesus three times. It means as follows.
   
   
   • Following Jesus at a distance and being near the fire of the world.
     It meansnot being faithful and fervent in spirit in serving and ministering to God until one looks for the pseudo satisfactions of the world and falls in sins up to the peak.
     The psedo satisfaction of the world is the trap of Satanto make us fall in sins up to the peak.
     
     
   • Denying Jesus with words or not confessing Jesus. It also means leaving the service and ministry even leaving Jesus. One does not confess the sin, but blames others.
     
     
   • Departing from the faith.
     
     
   • Denying Jesus through bad deeds.
     Titus 1: 15-16
     1:15. To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled.
     1:16 They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him,being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.
     
     Bad deeds mean the evil ones, even repaying evil for good. In such condition, one becomes THE SAME AS SATANwhereas Jesus repays good for evil.
     
     
   If one starts to be neither faithful nor fervent in spirit in the service to God, even follows Jesus at a distance, it will be dangerous. He must return to God soon, or else, he will run to the fire of the world or pseudo satisfaction and fall in sin up to the peak. Finally, the marriage will be in chaos.

All of the facts found in rejecting the cross make human the same as Satan.
Peter denied Jesus three times. It means that his body, soul, and spirit denied God. Peter must have perished without any help, but God did not want it.

Matthew 10: 32-33
10:32. "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
10:33 "But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.

'deny before My Father who is in heaven'= one cannot enter heavenly kingdom, even he is driven out of it when he has denied God ('I never knew you, depart from me!'), and then he perishes forever.

God still remembers the Gentiles, moreover He remembers Peter, one of the house of Israel. He also remembers all of us.
Therefore, He wants to give the agape love through the crowing of a roosteror something that is very simple.
It meansthat God uses all things just the way they are, even the rooster and donkey can be used by Him. He will use us just the way we are.

Luke 22: 60-62
22:60. But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are saying!" Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.
22:61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times."
22:62 So Peter went out and wept bitterly.

The crowing of a rooster is always same, about the time and the sound. It refers to the Shepherding Word, namely the true teaching Word God trusts to a pastor, like the house of Israel was led by one pastor, to preach to the congregation in these manners.

1. Faithfully, like a rooster that crows faithfully,
2. Continually or in order or sequence because the Shepherding Word is a food dan it is for building the spiritual house.
   
   
3. Repetitively, because a sheep is an animal that chews the grass for many times. One who does not like the repetitive Word cannot become a sheep, but a serpent.
   
   The Word is preached repetitively for these purposes.
   
   
   • To become the food.
   • To warn us. The Shepherding Word is as the sound of trumpet to make us realize, sanctify, and perfect the congregation.
     
     
   The Word must be repeated because the sins are repeated and heaped also. We need the repeated Word to finish our sins.

Peter could weep because of the crowing of the rooster. The crowing of a rooster is very simple, even a child can understand. It means that the Shepherding Word is so simple and everyone can understand it, even a baby through the pores can understand it. For that reason, it is because of the hardness of heartwhen an adult cannot understand the Word although the verses have been explained.

verse 61= 'the Lord turned and looked at Peter '= the Shepherding Word is the merciful sight of God.
''the Lord turned' means that Jesus had not looked Peter.
It meansthat God does not look at us when we are sinning or keeping the sins. Peter could not see Jesus and Jesus could not either.

Nevertheless, the Shepherding Word is the merciful sight of God, The High Priest and Great Shepherd, or His great attention to us, the Gentiles, so that He can hold us ('He walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands').
At that time, He poured out the loveand Peter could be helped. He did not get the condemnation because he realized his sin, regeretted, confessed, and left it.

Proverbs 28: 13
28:13. He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.

If we can receive the agape love, we can realize, regret, and confess our sins to God and other people. After being forgiven, we must not repeat the sins. As a result, we are not condemned, but get the help of God.
The shepherding Word becomes the stretching out of God's merciful hand.

The merciful hand of God leads us to enter the shepherding pen as follows.

1. Golden Candlestick  = perseverance in doing General Service = fellowship with Holy Spirit God in His gifts.
2. Table of Showbread= perseverance in doing Bible Study Service with Holy Communion = fellowship with the Son of God in the Teaching Word and sacrifice of Christ.
   
   
3. Golden Altar of Incense= perseverance in doing Prayer Service = fellowship with Father God in His love.

The three kinds of main service to God equal to the three times of Jesus' questioning Peter.
Let us be inside the shepherding penand we are not tormented because God is paying attention to and helping us. We have the love from the trinity of God to our body, soul, and spirit and we get all things inside the shepherding pen. God, The High Priest and Great Shepherd, is stretching His merciful hands to us.

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 what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me."

We also stretch out the hands that means as follows.

•   Being obedient.
• Willingly sacrificing all things for God like Peter who sacrificed his soul for God.
• Worshiping God only or trusting and entrusting our life to Him. We only say 'It is up to You, Lord').

We live in the merciful hand of God by stretching out our hands to Him.
The results are as follows.

• The merciful hand of God gives us guarantee of assurance for presevering our present life up to the beautiful successful future and eternal one.
  John 10: 27-28
  10:27."My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
  10:28 "And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.
  
  'neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand '= the merciful hand of God gives us victory and solves all our problems, even the impossible one.
  
  
• The hand of God leads us out
  John 10: 3
  10:3. "To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
  
  It means that there must not be an egoism because of being inside the pen always.
  
  John 10: 16
  10:16. "And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.
  
  We are used by God in the revival of Holy Spirit at the latter rain for building the perfect body of Christ, so that we can be in one flock with one Shepherd or one body with one Head.
  
  
• The hand of God leads us to the last shepherding.
  Revelation 7: 17
  7:17. "for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
  
  Our tears are wiped away, we are sanctified and renewed little by little until we can be as perfect as Jesus is. We are in New Jerusalem.

God blesses you.