General Service in Malang, August 05, 2018 (Sunday Morning)

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

Revelation 7:15b-16
7:15 "Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them.
7:16 "They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat.

The activity of God on the throne of heaven is dwelling, spreading His wings, or giving His covering for us from now in the wilderness of the world to the eternal one in heaven.

Psalms 68:5-6
68:5 A father of the fatherless,a defender of widows,Is God in His holy habitation.
68:6 God sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound into prosperity; But the rebellious dwell in a dry land.

Who are the people who deserve to get the covering from God?

1. The fatherless (spiritually).
   
2. The widows (spiritually).
   
3. The strangers (spiritually).
   

ad. 2. The widows.
The widows refer to women who have no relationship anymore with their husband physically.
Spiritually, the widows refer to men who have no relationship with the flesh and all of its lusts and wills.  

Romans 8:7-8
8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God,nor indeed can be.
8:8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

After we do not have any relationship with the flesh with all of its lusts and wills, we can be obedient to God or His word until the flesh does not speak anymore like Abraham when he was told to give Isaac his son.

The process of having no relationship with the flesh with all of its lusts and wills until we can be obedient is as follows:

1. Through the true water baptism.
   Romans 6:2,4
   6:2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?
   6:4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death,that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
   
   The requirement to enter the true water baptism is believing Jesus and repenting.
   
   The implementation of the true water baptism is that one who has died to sin must be buried in water with Jesus, so he comes out of water with Him and get a new life or the heavenly one.
   
   1 Peter 3:20-21
   3:20 who formerly were disobedient,when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah,while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.
   3:21 There is also an antitype which now saves us--baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
   
   The new life means experiencing the renewal from the bad conscience to the good one, namely being obedient to God.
   
   
2. Through the worship prayer. 
   The worship prayer is the process to tear the flesh with all of its lusts and wills, so we can receive the will of God although it is not in line with the will of the flesh or we can be obedient.
   
   The level of the obedience is being obedient to God, the true teaching word or Bible, pastor who preaches the true teaching word and lives according to it, and parents as well.
   

The example of man who gets the covering of God is the widow of Zarephath who belongs to the Gentiles.
1 Kings 17:7-12
17:7 And it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.
17:8 Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying,
17:9 "Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you."
17:10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, "Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink."
17:11 And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, "Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand."
17:12 So she said, "As the LORD your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die."

At the end of age, the world will face great crisis, namely the double famine physically and spiritually. 

Why did the physical famine happen?
Because the brook dried up. It means that everything in the world such as intelligence, position, riches, et cetera will not be ble to guarantee the need of men someday. The economy of the world will be powered by Antichrist until the time when he rules over the world for three and a half years. He makes the world more difficult so that men do not believe God anymore, but worship him.

Why does God permit it to be more difficult? 
So that men believe God more and do not rely on the world, but only hope to Him.

Amos 8:11-14
8:11 "Behold, the days are coming," says the Lord GOD, "That I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine of bread, Nor a thirst for water, But of hearing the words of the LORD.
8:12 They shall wander from sea to sea, And from north to east; They shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the LORD, But shall not find it.
8:13 "In that day the fair virgins And strong young men Shall faint from thirst.
8:14 Those who swear by the sin of Samaria, Who say, 'As your god lives, O Dan!' And, 'As the way of Beersheba lives!' They shall fall and never rise again."

The spiritual famine will happen also, especially of hearing the word of God. Men shall not find it in the world.

• The pastor cannot provide the spiritual food for the sheep or congregation.
  
• There is food or the word, but the sheep or congregation do not want to eat it because of keeping the sins or wrong thing.
  

Consequently, they shall fall and never rise again.

How great a man in the world is, if he does not want to hear, obey, or eat the word of God, he shall fall and never rise again. It means falling and enjoying in sins or not feeling guilty, but blaming other people and God until perishing forever.  
But, how wicked, unclean, and failed someone is, if he wants to hear the word of God, he will experience the power of resurrection in the word, so he will be justified, sanctified, and perfected like Jesus. The physical life will be raised or helped too.

Why does God permit the double famine to happen?
In the Old Testament, He permits it so that the twelve sons of Jacob or Israel unite.
In the New testament, He permits it so that the Israelites and the Gentiles become one perfect body of Christ.

So, the end of the edifying of the perfect body of Christ is when the Gentiles and Israelites become one perfect body of Christ or the heavenly bride who is ready to welcome His second coming on the glorious clouds. It happens when the great crisis attacks the world.

How is the way to face the crisis or the double famine?

1. [1 Kings 17:11-12] Many times the Gentiles use their own way, namely hoping to the flour and oil or the ability from the world to face the great crisis. It is too small to face the great crisis in the world, so it cannot help them to finish their problem, but makes death and destruction.
   
   To face the great crisis, the Gentiles must use the way of God or hope God and faith.
   1 Kings 17:13-16
   17:13 And Elijah said to her, "Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son.
   17:14 "For thus says the LORD God of Israel: 'The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry,until the day the LORD sends rain on the earth.'"
   17:15 So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days.
   17:16 The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke by Elijah.
   
   Hoping God means that the flour and oil must be related to God. The spiritual flour and oil refer to the word of God and Holy Spirit. The true teaching word become our only hope to face the great crisis in the world.
   
   We must remember that God blesses us with health, strength, riches, intelligence, et cetera to courage us to look for the word of God and Holy Spirit or the true teaching word. It is because of the things as follows:
   
   
   • There is no more the true teaching word in the world someday.
     
   • How great we are in the world, we are only like the clay bin which is easily brittle, cracked, broken, and destroyed forever. If it only filled with the worldly things, it is still brittle, cracked, and broken. Therefore, it must be filled with the true teaching word or the one in the anointing of Holy Spirit. The time we serve to God is the right time to fill the bin with the true teaching word.
     
     
   Romans 10:17-21
   10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
   10:18 But I say, have they not heard? Yes indeed: "Their sound has gone out to all the earth, And their words to the ends of the world."
   10:19 But I say, did Israel not know?First Moses says: "I will provoke you to jealousy by those who are not a nation, I will move you to anger by a foolish nation."
   10:20 But Isaiah is very bold and says: "I was found by those who did not seek Me; I was made manifest to those who did not ask for Me."
   10:21 But to Israel he says: "All day long I have stretched out My hands To a disobedient and contrary people."
   
   The process of the bin's being filled by the true teaching word as follows:
   
   
   • The Gentiles must hear the word of Christ, the one which is anointed by Holy Spirit, or the true teaching word, namely hearing it seriously with a need like a dog licking the crumbs.
     
     
   • Responding to the true teaching word positively, namely understanding the word or it is written on the forehead. The proof is that we do not speak or comment much, but keep silent more and do not defend our self.
     
     
   • Believing and trusting the true teaching word. It means that the true teaching word is written in our heart.
     
     
   • Being obedient to the true teaching word or doing it. It means that the true teaching word is written on the hand or we hold it. So, God holds us. It means that every beat of our heart is in His hand.
     
     
   Ecclesiastes 4:4-6
   4:4 Again, I saw that for all toil and every skillful work a man is envied by his neighbor. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind.
   4:5 The fool folds his hands And consumes his own flesh.
   4:6 Better a handful with quietnessThan both hands full, together with toil and grasping for the wind.
   
   The sign of being in the hand of God is that we do not have any envy, hatred without any cause, or revenge, but love the enemy. Also, we are not lazy physically or spiritually, but being faithful in the service and ministry to God. We are in quietness, peace, and not exhausted or heavy-laden, but everything is easy and light.
   
   Romans 16:20
   16:20 And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen!
   
   If we have the calm or peace, we can pray and God of peace comes immediately, so every source of problem or temptation is destroyed and we are helped.
   
   
2. Offering a small cake.
   1 Kings 17:13
   17:13 And Elijah said to her, "Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son.
   
   Round means there is no end or beginning. It is eternal.
   
   John 8:51
   8:51 "Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death."
   
   We are obedient to the true teaching word until the flesh does not speak anymore, so we experience the power to defeat the death and we have eternal life forever.
   
   Being small means being obedient. It begins from the small thing like returning the tithe and special offering.
   
   A small cake must be burnt until it is well-done. It means that after being obedient, we must face the sprinkling of blood, cross, or suffering in flesh because of Jesus to burn the characteristic of the flesh which is not in line to God as follows:
   
   
   • Egoism or being selfish. It means that one cannot give his time and energy until he does not want to serve in the edifying of the perfect body of Christ the starts from the marriage, shepherding, inter-shepherding, until the Gentiles and Israelites become one perfect body of Christ.
     
     
   • Being afraid of something in the world until resisting against God.
     
   • Hoping to other people.
     
     
   Egoism, fear, and hoping to other people refer to the uncooked cake. But, if is willingly burnt, it will fill up, please, and satisfy God although it is small. 
   
   1 Timothy 6:6
   6:6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain.
   
   If our service and ministry give the cooked small cake we will get the great gain, namely the two wings of a great eagle.
   
   Revelation 12:14
   12:14 But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.
   
   The results are as follows:
   
   
   • Crossing the storm of the sea of the world. It means that He protects and preserves us physically in the midst of disasters, so we are saved and live in abundance. We always give thanks to God. We are protected and preserved in the midst of the darkness of the world and sins up to the peak, so we can live in righteousness and holiness. We feel the calm and peace. All things are easy and light. We fly to the wilderness which is far away from the eye of Antichrist who rules over the world for three and a half years. We are preserved by the word and Holy Communion.
     
     
   • The two wings of a great eagle lift us up. It means changing us from the fleshly man to the spiritual one like Jesus is. It starts from being honest, not being on the side of anyone, but God, and being strong and courageous. We are not disappointed and hopeless. We do not leave God, but keep faithful and trust Him whatever we face.
     
     Being honest, faithful, and believing are the same as stretching our hand to God and He stretches out His hand to lift us up and make all things beautiful and successful in due time. His hand is able to finish all of our impossible problems. When He comes for the second time, we are changed to be perfect and worthy to welcome His second coming on the glorious clouds.
     

God blesses you.