Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We are still discussing Revelation 3.
According to Tabernacle Teaching, Revelation 2-3 refers to the seven sprinklings of blood before the Ark of the Covenant.
It means the seven epistlesfor the seven churches of the Gentiles or the last sanctificationdone by Jesus for the seven churches of the Gentilesor the congregation in the last days to make them perfect or without blemish like Jesus. They become the perfect Bride of heaven who is ready to welcome Jesus' second coming on the glorious clouds to meet Him, the Heavenly Bridegroom, forever.
There are seven churches of the Gentilesthat experience the sprinkling of blood as follows.
We learn the seventh church, namely the church of the Laodiceans.
Revelation 3: 14-17
3:14. "And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, 'These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God:
3:15 "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.
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 church of the Laodiceans is the seventh or last church. It refers to the condition of the church in the last days as follows.
The spirituality of the church of the Laodiceans is the same as the one of the church that is going out of the world in the last days and the house of Israel going out of Egypt when they were at the foot of Mount Sinai.
There was a spiritual decrease at the foot of Mount Sinai while Moses was going up the mountain to receive the two tablets of stone and command to build Tabernacle (the Bride Tidings in the light of Tabernacle).
Exodus 32: 17-18
32:17. And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, "There is a noise of war in the camp."
32:18 But he said: "It is not the noise of the shout of victory, Nor the noise of the cry of defeat, But the sound of singing I hear."
The spirituality of the church of the Laodiceans is neither hot nor cold. The spirituality of the house of Israel is 'It is not the noise of the shout of victory, Nor the noise of the cry of defeat'.
'not the noise of the shout of victory' = not being dead.
'Nor the noise of the cry of defeat' = not being resurrected.
It means the spiritual lukewarmnesswhose facts are as follows.
Therefore, let us keep good appearance in our clothings and good conducts in the church or anywhere so that there is no opportunity for sexuality sin to come or ensnare.
The consequences of the spiritual lukewarmness are as follows.
The results of the redemption are as follows.
God blesses you.
We are still discussing Revelation 3.
According to Tabernacle Teaching, Revelation 2-3 refers to the seven sprinklings of blood before the Ark of the Covenant.
It means the seven epistlesfor the seven churches of the Gentiles or the last sanctificationdone by Jesus for the seven churches of the Gentilesor the congregation in the last days to make them perfect or without blemish like Jesus. They become the perfect Bride of heaven who is ready to welcome Jesus' second coming on the glorious clouds to meet Him, the Heavenly Bridegroom, forever.
There are seven churches of the Gentilesthat experience the sprinkling of blood as follows.
- The church of EPHESUS(Revelation 2: 1-7) (it has been explained in General Service in Surabaya, July 27, 2014up to General Service in Surabaya, September 7, 2014). The church in Ephesus must return to the first loveto return to Paradise.
- The church of SMYRNA(Revelation 2: 8-11) that had to suffer. God said to them not to be afraid in the suffering, but faithful until death(it has been explained in General Service in Surabaya, September 14, 2014up to General Service in Surabaya, November 9, 2014).
- The church of PERGAMOS(Revelation 2: 12-17) that must leave the false teachings(it has been explained in Bible Study Service in Surabaya, November 17, 2014).
- The church of THYATIRA(Revelation 2:18-19) thatmust have the sanctification to the heart and deepest mind(it has been explained in General Service in Surabaya, January 4, 2015up to General Service in Surabaya, January 18, 2015).
- The church in SARDIS(Revelation 3: 1-6) that experiences spiritual revival and their spirituality is strong= being watchful(it has been explained in Prayer Service in Surabaya, January 21, 2015).
- The church in PHILADELPHIA(Revelation 3: 7-13) (it has been explained in General Service in Surabaya, March 8, 2015).
- The church of the LAODICEANS(Revelation 3: 14-22) (it has been explained in General Service in Surabaya, June 14, 2015).
We learn the seventh church, namely the church of the Laodiceans.
Revelation 3: 14-17
3:14. "And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, 'These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God:
3:15 "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.
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 church of the Laodiceans is the seventh or last church. It refers to the condition of the church in the last days as follows.
- Revelation 3: 17
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--
Physically, there is an abundant physical blessing that is exaggerated. - Spiritually, there is a decrease, namely LUKEWARMNESSbecause of the hardness of heart.
The spirituality of the church of the Laodiceans is the same as the one of the church that is going out of the world in the last days and the house of Israel going out of Egypt when they were at the foot of Mount Sinai.
There was a spiritual decrease at the foot of Mount Sinai while Moses was going up the mountain to receive the two tablets of stone and command to build Tabernacle (the Bride Tidings in the light of Tabernacle).
Exodus 32: 17-18
32:17. And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, "There is a noise of war in the camp."
32:18 But he said: "It is not the noise of the shout of victory, Nor the noise of the cry of defeat, But the sound of singing I hear."
The spirituality of the church of the Laodiceans is neither hot nor cold. The spirituality of the house of Israel is 'It is not the noise of the shout of victory, Nor the noise of the cry of defeat'.
'not the noise of the shout of victory' = not being dead.
'Nor the noise of the cry of defeat' = not being resurrected.
It means the spiritual lukewarmnesswhose facts are as follows.
- Neither being hot nor coldlike the church of the Laodiceans.
Not being coldmeans there is no peace, but jealousy, hatred without any cause, revenge, slander, and gossips.
Not being hotmeans being unfaithful and not fervent in spiritanymore in the service and ministry to the Lord.
Such lukewarm person is like vomit. - Neither being dead nor resurrected.
It means there is no life renewal.
Being deadmeans to die to the old life.
Being resurrectedmeans to rise to the new life.
The death and resurrection experience with the Lord or life renewal begins from the right water baptism.
The water baptism must be right because it determines our destiny, whether we are defeated or victorious, or not (lukewarm).
The right water baptismhappens when the people who have died to sin or repented are buried in water and raised from water with Jesus to get the new or heavenly life. After that, we can have the death and resurrection experience in the right service and ministry to God. Like the ark of Noah that can guarantee the life of Noah, only the right water baptism as well as service and ministry to God can guarantee our life, not the false ones.
2 Timothy 3: 1-5
3:1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:
3:2 For men will be lovers of themselves(1), lovers of money(2), boasters(3), proud(4), blasphemers(5), disobedient to parents(6), unthankful(7), unholy(8),
3:3 unloving(9), unforgiving(10), slanderers(11), without self-control(12), brutal(13), despisers of good(14),
3:4 traitors(15), headstrong(16), haughty(17), lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God(18),
3:5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
'perilous times' = the people difficultly change although they have served and ministered to God.
'unholy' = not about atheism, but not honoring Godby learning the other religions and comparing them with ours.
'lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God' = the eighteenth characteristic, namely disobedience.
Such condition happens in the last days when manyservants of God serve and minister to Him without the righteousness and life renewal because of rejecting the power of godliness.
The power of godlinessis in the true teaching Word or the Word sharper than any two-edged sword that is able to put to death and revive. The first sharpnessis to put the sin to death and the secondone is to revive us in new life.
'denying its power' = rejecting the Word sharper than any two-edged sword.
Consequently, the service is only about the form, but there is no life renewal. One keeps the fleshly man with the eighteen fleshly characteristics.
The figure eighteen can be described as 666 or a woman who was bent over for eighteen years in the synagogue. This is so ironic because one is in the synagogue, but has 666 or the stamp of the antichrist and becomes the same as him. - Idolatryor worship to the gold calf like the house of Israel did (Exodus 32).
Generally, an idolmeans all things that are prioritizedmore than the Word of God or the true teaching Word sharper than any two-edged sword.
Luke 5: 1
5:1. So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret,
'the multitude pressed about Him' = the right purpose of serving and ministering to Godis 'to hear the word of God' or prioritizing the Word of Godmore than all things.
We are pressing about Jesusin our service to Him, so there is His presence that is powerful to sanctify and change us.
Exodus 32: 1
32:1. Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, "Come, make us godsthat shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him."
'gathered together to Aaron' means an idolatry.
The false servicedoes not prioritize the revelation of God's Word. They gathered together to Aaron means that the priority is only human, family, finance, seeking for marriage partner, position, physical blessings, and so on.
Such service surelyaims at the idolatry to the gold calf, namely the worship to money, human, and so on. Consequently, God jealously condemns with the fire up to the one of the hell. - The lust of the flesh causing the joy, singing, and dancing without the holiness.
Exodus 32: 19, 6
32:19. So it was, as soon as he came near the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing. So Moses' anger became hot, and he cast the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain.
32:6. Then they rose early on the next day, offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
Such things aim at the sinful deeds up to the peak.
The people only think about bad things, up to the sins and the peak, namely the sins concerning eating-drinking and marrying-being given in marriage, in the service and ministry to God.
Therefore, let us keep good appearance in our clothings and good conducts in the church or anywhere so that there is no opportunity for sexuality sin to come or ensnare.
The consequences of the spiritual lukewarmness are as follows.
- Being vomited out of the mouth of God like the church of the Laodiceans.
Revelation 3: 16
3:16. "So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.
It means being digusting and making God's heart grieved, ashamed, and dissatisfied. The life is the same as the vomitthat is useless in uncleanness and repugnance. - There is God's wrath like what has happened to the house of Israel up to eternal perdition in the hell.
Exodus 32: 10
32:10. "Now therefore, let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hotagainst them and I may consume them. And I will make of you a great nation."
Exodus 32: 19
32:19. So it was, as soon as he came near the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing. So Moses' anger became hot, and he cast the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain.
If the physical pastor grieves because of the congregation, the wrath of God will come to destroy the congregation like what has happened to Korah who murmured against Aaron and Moses. God said that the complaint was not against Moses and Aaron, but Him.
Moses had to break the two tablets of stone when he was going down the mountain so that there were no condemnation and perdition for the house of Israel who had transgressed the Ten Commandments written in the two tablets of stone.
The two tablets of stone must be broken means the redemptiondone by Jesus on the cross for the sinful people of Israel and Gentiles.
The first two tablets of stone came from and were written by God Himself. They refer to the love of God through Jesus.
John 19: 32-34
19:32. Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him.
19:33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs.
19:34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.
Thus, Jesus has died on the cross with four main wounds, namely two in hands and two in feet, for redeeming the house of Israelthat transgressed the Law.
The fifth wound, namely the biggest and deepest one that was caused by a Gentile who pierced the side of Jesus, produces the blood and water for redeeming the Gentilesfrom the sins up to the peak.
The blood refers to repentance.
The water refers to water baptism.
We must repent and get the water baptism seriously so that we have the new life or heavenly one, namely the righteous life. It means that we have the salvation.
The results of the redemption are as follows.
- THE CALF IS DESTROYED.
Exodus 32: 20
32:20. Then he took the calf which they had made, burned it in the fire, and ground it to powder; and he scattered it on the water and made the children of Israel drink it.
It means as follows.- The hard heart is destroyed or renewed to be meek.
James 1: 21
1:21. Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meeknessthe implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
The hard heart cannot receive the hard Word, but the meek one is able to receive the Word no matter how hard or sharp it is through these steps.- Hearing the Word seriously.
- Understanding it.
- Believing in the Word in the heart.
- Obeying it.
The obedience is the beginning of success.
Therefore, the youth must be brought to hear the Word because their power is in the Word. - The power of sin is destroyed.
We are set free from the sins and the peak we often do not realize.
Therefore, the golden calf was ground to powder. It means that the work of the Word sets us free from the soft sins that are often not realizedas follows.- Not serving to the Lord.
Hebrews 10: 25-27
10:25. not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the mannerof some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
10:26 For if we sin willfullyafter we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
10:27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.
It begins from a habit or there is no regret, up to the intentional sin. Consequently, there is no more offering to remove the sin. - Getting angry easily.
Proverbs 22: 24-25
22:24. Make no friendship with an angry man, And with a furious man do not go,
22:25 Lest you learn his ways And set a snare for your soul.
Especially the anger without any love. - The sins received by inheritance or tradition that is not in line with the Word.
1 Peter 1: 18-19
1:18. knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers,
1:19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
If we have the sword of the Word, we will always be sensitive in our heartto know the wrong thing in our life although it is little or common before all people.
- Not serving to the Lord.
- The curse of sin is removed.
Exodus 32: 20
32:20. Then he took the calf which they had made, burned it in the fire, and ground it to powder; and he scattered it on the water and made the children of Israel drink it.
The water mixed with gold powder is tasted bitter. This is the curse of sin.
Thus, every sin has the curse, namely sorrow, heavy burden, thorns, bitterness, tears, and perdition. Such sinful person is flesh and blood human that will return to be the dust.There is no life renewal, but forever perdition. One becomes the food of the serpent.
Jesus redeems the sin and the curse on the cross.
Galatians 3: 11-14
3:11. But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for "the just shall live by faith."
3:12 Yet the law is not of faith, but "the man who does them shall live by them."
3:13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"),
3:14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentilesin Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
'the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles' means that actually the blessings of Abraham are only for him and his descendants, namely the house of Israel. Nevertheless, Jesus has born the curses by His death on the cross and the blessings of Abraham can reach us, the Gentiles.
There are two parts of the blessings of Abrahamas follows.- Physical blessingsin the midst of difficulties and sorrows in the world.
Do not make your life more difficult by keeping your sin!
The formula of the blessings of Abrahamis we are blessed to become blessings for others. If we do not become blessings for others, the blessings we have will stop and not flow, but become a marsh up to Babylon.
There are two kinds of mistake causing the curse or sorrow although Jesus has born all of them as follows.- Keeping the sin in which there are the curses.
- Not being the cannal of blessings. One does not become blessings for others, even gives disadvantage to them.
- Spiritual blessing, namely the fullness or anointing of Holy Spirit, the revelation of God's Word, and His love.
Galatians 3: 14
3:14. that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentilesin Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spiritthrough faith.
As a result, we are not dry in spirituality, but satisfied in the joy of heaven in the Lord.
Being dry, one is living in the curse, weariness, and heavy burden, although he is rich.
The fullness of Holy Spirit in our life is the proof that we have been set free from the curse of sin and saved.
- Physical blessingsin the midst of difficulties and sorrows in the world.
There are only two choices we can choose as follows.- The heart is filled with the Word and there is no filthiness anymore.
- The filthiness and the curses of sin will enter the heart if it is not be filled with the Word.
- The hard heart is destroyed or renewed to be meek.
- The new two tablets of stone are formed that are like the first ones.
Exodus 34: 1
34:1. And the LORD said to Moses, "Cut two tablets of stone like the first ones, and I will write on these tablets the wordsthat were on the first tablets which you broke.
The first two tablets of stone contained the Law.
The new ones contain the love.
The new ones must be like the first ones, or else there is no perfection or one is left when Jesus comes a second time. It also means that we still get the opportunity and mercy of Godthat the hard-hearted or stony human can be made as perfect as Jesus is.
We are formed by God through hearing the Word (for congregation) or sitting at Jesus' foot and preaching the Word (for the pastor).
The process is as follows.- Being cut.
It means that we are sanctifiedby the Word sharper than any two-edged sword to throw away the things that are not the same as Jesus.
It begins from the heart and mindor the center of life.
All things will be the same if the heart and mind are same. There will be one heart and one mind between the husband and his wife.
Mark 7:21-22
7:21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries(1), fornications(2), murders(3),
7:22 thefts(4), covetousness(5), wickedness(6), deceit(7), lewdness(8), an evil eye(9), blasphemy(10), pride(11), foolishness(12).
'murders' = hatred.
'foolishness' = one cannot be advised.
The sanctification done by the sword of the Word begins from the twelve evil and unclean desires in the heart and mindthat cause disobedience.
It is different from Jesus' mind and heart, namely obedience to the point of death of the cross (Philippians 2).
We must be sanctified to be obedient until the flesh does not speak anymore. All things are the same as Jesus after our heart and mind are the same as His and we can be written. - Being written with the ten commandments of Godorthe great love of God.
We must be sanctified first and then we can be written. Bumpy stone cannot be written by God.
Paul said that we were the open epistle that could be read. Others will difficultly read the writing on a bumpy stone. On the contrary, the writing of God can be read clearly on the flat stone. The flat stone refers to one who has been sanctified.
God can cut the stone of our life and write "I love you." in every chance we have when we hear the true teaching Word. We will not be vomited.
Zephaniah 3: 16-18a
3:16. In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: "Do not fear; Zion, let not your hands be weak.
3:17 The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing."
3:18 "I will gather those who sorrow over the appointed assembly,
'the appointed assembly' will happen when Jesus comes a second time on the glorious clouds.
The results of being written by the love of God are as follows.- 'let not your hands be weak'= faithfulness and fervency in spiritin serving and ministering to God regardless of anything that may happen.
We only believe, hope, and worship the Lord, not others. If we hope in others, God will be jealous. - 'The Mighty One, will save'= the merciful hand of God is able to give us victoryor solve all problems, even the impossible one, and make all things beautiful and successful in time of need. We are like a baby in the embrace of the mother's hands.
- 'He will quiet you with His love'= the love of God renewsour life from carnal men to spiritual ones.
This is the greatest miracle that we can love God more than anything and obeyHim until the flesh does not speak anymore. There are no fears, jealousy, and so on, but only peace. We do not feel anything that our flesh felt anymore, but only the love of God.
Our life and death are in the merciful hands of God.
We may try hard but the merciful hands of God will determine the success until we are changed to be as perfect as Jesus is. We are with Him in the meeting on the glorious clouds, saying 'Alleluia' forever.
- 'let not your hands be weak'= faithfulness and fervency in spiritin serving and ministering to God regardless of anything that may happen.
- Being cut.
God blesses you.