Peace and grace in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Revelation 1:5
1:5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood,
The theme of our Christmas Service is the name of Jesus saves, sanctifies, and perfects us.
In Revelation 1:5 there are three kinds of Jesus’ name as follows.
The three names relate to three appearances of Jesus who was born in the world as follows.
God blesses you.
Revelation 1:5
1:5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood,
The theme of our Christmas Service is the name of Jesus saves, sanctifies, and perfects us.
In Revelation 1:5 there are three kinds of Jesus’ name as follows.
- The faithful witness.
- The firstborn from the dead.
- The ruler over the kings of the earth.
The three names relate to three appearances of Jesus who was born in the world as follows.
- Jesus as Savior.
Matthew 1:21
1:21 "And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins."
The name of Jesus is the faithful witness. It means that Jesus was born as human who does not sinful. He is faithful until He dies on the cross to save His sinful people.
Thus, the name of Jesus saves all of us.
Actually, the chosen people of God are Israel. The people who are not of Israel are the Gentiles and they do not receive any part of salvation.
Romans 11:25
11:25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
A part of Israel has hardened their heart and rejected Jesus. It is the chance and mercy of God to the Gentiles so that they can receive salvation.
How can the Gentiles receive salvation?
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,
By receiving the gospel of salvation, gospel Word, milk, or Good Tidings, namely gospel that preaches Jesus’ first coming in the world to die on the cross and save sinful people.
The signs are as follows.- Believing or having faith in Jesus as the Only Savior. According to Tabernacle teaching, it refers to entering the Gate.
- Repenting, namely confessing sin to God (vertical line) and other people (horizontal line). Being forgiven, we should not repeat the sin. According to Tabernacle teaching, it refers to the Altar of Burnt Offering.
- Being baptized of water and Holy Spirit (Brazen Laver and the Door of Tabernacle).
It means to be reborn by water and spirit, so we have new life, namely heavenly one.
We get heavenly life to pay attention especially to heavenly matters. We prioritize service and ministry to God more than anything.
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.
Heavenly life means that we do not sin anymore, but have deliverance from sin and live in righteousness. We do not sin although there is opportunity, threat, and advantage.
For example, Joseph was tested about marriage, money, and position by the wife of Potiphar. However, He kept on living in righteousness and not sinning.
We must be firm about physical and spiritual matters until we are as righteous as Jesus is. It is salvation that cannot be charged against at all.
Proverbs 10:2-3
10:2 Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, But righteousness delivers from death.
10:3 The LORD will not allow the righteous soul to famish, But He casts away the desire of the wicked.
Righteousness will save us from death or condemnation of God.
Righteous people will be preserved and blessed directly by God up to their descendants and they will be blessings for other people.
- Believing or having faith in Jesus as the Only Savior. According to Tabernacle teaching, it refers to entering the Gate.
- Jesus as Great Shepherd.
Matthew 2:6
2:6‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’
His name is the firstborn from the dead.
Revelation 1:5
1:5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood,
Hebrews 13:20-21
13:20 Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
13:21 make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Jesus has died as Savior saving sinful men. All sins can be forgiven as long as they are confessed. Only the sin of disbelief cannot be forgiven.
Jesus as Great Shepherd shepherds His people, namely Israel. The Gentiles are only as dogs. Nevertheless, the mercy and opportunity from God are opened for them to enter the shepherding because a part of Israel has hardened their heart.
Pastor is the main need of a sheep because it is powerless among wolves.
Where can we be shepherded?- Jesus was born in a sheepfold in Bethlehem. It means that we must be shepherded in sheepfoldphysically in church with its own organization and spiritually in Holy Place. There are three kinds of equipment in the Holy Place as follows.
- Golden Candlestick or perseverance in doing General Service as if the sheep is drinking.
- Table of Showbread or perseverance in doing Bible Study Service with Holy Communion as if the sheep is eating.
- Golden Altar of Incense or perseverance in doing Prayer Service as if the sheep is breathing.
The sheep experience physical and spiritual growth in the shepherding. - Golden Candlestick or perseverance in doing General Service as if the sheep is drinking.
- Bethlehem means the house of bread or solid food, namely teaching Word sharper than any two-edged sword.
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.
It means that we must be shepherded to the gospel of glory or Bride Tidings, namely gospel that preaches Jesus’ second coming in glory as King of all kings and Heavenly Bridegroom to sanctify and renew us until we are as perfect and glorious as He is.
Luke 2:4-7
2:4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,
2:5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.
2:6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.
2:7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Formerly, Jesus was born and the people of Bethlehem rejected Him. Now, Jesus will come a second time. Hard-hearted and egoistic sons or servants of God will reject Him because of prioritizing their self interest and keeping sins up to the peak, namely sins concerning eating-drinking and marrying-being given in marriage.
Ruth 1:1-2
1:1 Now it came to pass, in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a faminein the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem, Judah, went to dwell in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons.
1:2 The name of the man was Elimelech, the name of his wife was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion -- Ephrathites of Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to the country of Moab and remained there.
The consequence is as follows.- Spiritual famine, murmur, grumble, and seeking for worldly satisfaction. Moreover the worldly satisfaction is put in church.
- There is no growth in spiritual life, so one keeps on being child.
Matthew 2:16
2:16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.
Spiritual child will be easily deceived.
15:21Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon.
15:22 And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon–possessed."
15:24 But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
15:25 Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, help me!"
15:26 But He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs."
15:27 And she said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table."
15:28 Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
If a gentile rejects the hard teaching Word, he will suffer and his marriage and children will be destroyed.
On the contrary, if the Gentiles receive the teaching Word seriously as a dog licking crumbs, they will get tongue sanctification.
The tongue of dog is used only to lick vomit, namely vain or corrupt words. Let us tonight be changed to have tongue licking the loaf of God’s Word. We are sanctified by the Word sharper than any two-edged sword to produce righteous good words and become blessings for other people.
1 Peter 3:10
3:10 For "He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit.
As a result, our future life will be good and sweet in His time.
Hebrews 13:21
13:21 make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Great Shepherd will also give ministry to ones who want to be sanctified.
Ephesians 4:11-12
4:11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
4:12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, - Jesus was born in a sheepfold in Bethlehem. It means that we must be shepherded in sheepfoldphysically in church with its own organization and spiritually in Holy Place. There are three kinds of equipment in the Holy Place as follows.
- Jesus as the King of all kings.
Matthew 2:1-2
2:1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem,
2:2 saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him."
The name of Jesus is the ruler over the kings of the earth.
Revelation 1:5
1:5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood,
Our attitude toward the King of all kings is worshiping Him in true worship. We worship Him saying “Alleluia.”
Revelation 19:1,3,4,6
19:1 After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, "Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God!
19:3 Again they said, "Alleluia! Her smoke rises up forever and ever!"
19:4 And the twenty–four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, "Amen! Alleluia!"
19:6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, "Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!
The true worship saying "Alleluia" continues until we have the tearing of flesh or the Veil is torn. It means that we experience life renewal from fleshy man to spiritual one as Jesus is. We become spiritual men who are worthy to be offered to Jesus as the offering of the wise men.
Matthew 2:11
2:11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
There are three kinds offering as follows.- Gold, namely godly characteristics or obedience until our flesh does not sound anymore.
- Frankincense that is white and holy. It means that we can give and bear witness to others.
- Myrrh that refers to the blood of Jesus redeeming us until we are without blemish and lie anymore or we do not stumble in word.
14:5And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God.
Matthew 2:12
2:12 Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.
If want to be changed until we are obedient and holy to become blessings for others, God will open new way for us. The result is as follows.- The King opens a way in the sea.
Isaiah 43:15-16
43:15 I am the LORD, your Holy One, The Creator of Israel, your King."
43:16 Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the seaAnd a path through the mighty waters,
Jesus as King is able to open a way for us in the midst of impossibilities. - The King opens a way to Canaan, namely spiritual way. We are used in ministry for building the body of Christ.
Joshua 3:4
3:4 "Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you must go, for you have not passed this way before."
Joshua 7:5
7:5 And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six men, for they chased them from before the gate as far as Shebarim, and struck them down on the descent; therefore the hearts of the people melted and became like water.
Joshua is hopeless because there is sin of Achan. After the sin is thrown away, Joshua can defeat the enemies. - The King opens way to paradise or heavenly kingdom.
Hebrews 10:19-20
10:19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus,
10:20 by a new and living waywhich He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh,
Luke 23:39-41
23:39 Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, "If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us."
23:40 But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, "Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?
23:41 "And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong."
Broken reed and smoking flax will be upright and burnt again if we want to change.
Matthew 27:54
27:54 So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, "Truly this was the Son of God!"
- Gold, namely godly characteristics or obedience until our flesh does not sound anymore.
God blesses you.