Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Revelation 13:11
13:11. Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon.
A beast coming up out of the earth refers to the false prophet. He has two horns like a lamb and speaks like a dragon.
It refers to falsity.
The source of falsity in the world is the voice of the dragon or the false teaching which caused Eve to be cast out of Eden to enter into the world.
On the last days, the voice of the dragon will be more intense, so the church of God is cast out of the world to enter into the hell forever and unable to return to Eden.
Having two horns like a lamb and speaking like a dragon also refers to hypocrisy.
The false teaching including gossip just causes the hypocrisy. It looks good but it is actually a beast.
The hypocrisy happens in everyday life and ministry.
Matthew 15:1-9
15:1. Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying,
15:2. "Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread."
15:3. He answered and said to them, "Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?
15:4. "For God commanded, saying, 'Honor your father and your mother';and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.'
15:5. "But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God" -
15:6. 'then he need not honor his father or mother.' Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.
15:7. "Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:
15:8. 'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.
15:9. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'"
The example of the hypocrisy is the ministry of the scribes and Pharisees, so it becomes in vain. They physically ministered to God, but not up to their heart.
Why? Because their ministry just prioritized the tradition and other physical things that contradicted the Word of God, so they did not prioritize the true teaching Word.
Only the true teaching Word that is sharper than any two-edged sword can purify our heart.
The facts found in the hypocritical ministry are as follows:
If one does not bear the fruits, he will not experience satisfaction, but the spiritual dryness.
On the contrary, if we bear the spiritual fruit, we will experience the true satisfaction.
We can bear the fruits and have satisfaction just in the working of the true teaching Word.
1 Timothy 6:6
6:6. Now godliness with contentment is great gain.
The true ministry is prioritizing the Word.
The purpose of our ministry is hearing and obeying the Word.
The results are as follows:
Revelation 12:4
12:4. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born.
The two wings of a great eagle will evacuate us to the wilderness where we are taken care of directly by God through the Word and Holy Communion. We experience the increasing renewal of life and satisfaction up to the peak, namely we are changed to become as glorious as God when He comes a second time. The two wings of a great eagle will lift us up to the glorious clouds to enter into the marriage supper of the Lamb. We return to the Paradise and the heavenly kingdom forever.
The spiritual conditions of the church of God whose ministry is hypocritical as well as rejecting the true teaching Word are as follows:
The fact found in one who does not experience the renewal of life and satisfaction is detected from the dry tongue.
James 3:6
3:6. And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.
The dry tongue means slandering, gossiping, and blaspheming God or the true teaching Word.
We often trust to one who is not faithful more than the true shepherd.
The dry words destroy the body of Christ, so one cannot become perfect.
The tongue is a rudder that determines our life. The tongue reflects the things in the heart.
We must run the true ministry without hypocrisy, namely the one that prioritizes the true teaching Word.
The main purpose of the true ministry is hearing and obeying the true teaching Word, so we become the branch that abides in the true vine. As a result, we will be surely changed as well as bear the fruits sooner or later. It is the true satisfaction.
There are three kinds of relationship of the branch in John 15 as follows:
God blesses us.
Revelation 13:11
13:11. Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon.
A beast coming up out of the earth refers to the false prophet. He has two horns like a lamb and speaks like a dragon.
It refers to falsity.
The source of falsity in the world is the voice of the dragon or the false teaching which caused Eve to be cast out of Eden to enter into the world.
On the last days, the voice of the dragon will be more intense, so the church of God is cast out of the world to enter into the hell forever and unable to return to Eden.
Having two horns like a lamb and speaking like a dragon also refers to hypocrisy.
The false teaching including gossip just causes the hypocrisy. It looks good but it is actually a beast.
The hypocrisy happens in everyday life and ministry.
Matthew 15:1-9
15:1. Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying,
15:2. "Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread."
15:3. He answered and said to them, "Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?
15:4. "For God commanded, saying, 'Honor your father and your mother';and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.'
15:5. "But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God" -
15:6. 'then he need not honor his father or mother.' Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.
15:7. "Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:
15:8. 'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.
15:9. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'"
The example of the hypocrisy is the ministry of the scribes and Pharisees, so it becomes in vain. They physically ministered to God, but not up to their heart.
Why? Because their ministry just prioritized the tradition and other physical things that contradicted the Word of God, so they did not prioritize the true teaching Word.
Only the true teaching Word that is sharper than any two-edged sword can purify our heart.
The facts found in the hypocritical ministry are as follows:
- One does neither experience the renewal of life nor bear the fruits. It is the same as experiencing the spiritual dryness.
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, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3:3. unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,
3:4. traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
3:5. having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
Not experiencing the renewal of life means that one is never touched by God, so he does not have Holy Spirit and the love of God, because he rejects the power of the true teaching Word. - One does not experience the true satisfaction. It is the same as experiencing the spiritual dryness.
Consequently, the worldly satisfaction is brought into the church of God. They create the ministry to satisfy the fleshly men. It is not the heavenly satisfaction, so it does not give any satisfaction.
On the contrary, they just pursue the worldly satisfaction until they fall into the peak of sin, namely the sins of eating-drinking and marrying-giving in marriage.
They live in the false marriage because they are never touched by the sword of the Word.
Consequently, they are used to build Babylon, the bride of Satan who will be destroyed forever.
If one does not bear the fruits, he will not experience satisfaction, but the spiritual dryness.
On the contrary, if we bear the spiritual fruit, we will experience the true satisfaction.
We can bear the fruits and have satisfaction just in the working of the true teaching Word.
1 Timothy 6:6
6:6. Now godliness with contentment is great gain.
The true ministry is prioritizing the Word.
The purpose of our ministry is hearing and obeying the Word.
The results are as follows:
- Experiencing the renewal of life and satisfaction.
- We receive the great gain, namely the two wings of a great eagle to evacuate us from the Antichrist.
Revelation 12:4
12:4. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born.
The two wings of a great eagle will evacuate us to the wilderness where we are taken care of directly by God through the Word and Holy Communion. We experience the increasing renewal of life and satisfaction up to the peak, namely we are changed to become as glorious as God when He comes a second time. The two wings of a great eagle will lift us up to the glorious clouds to enter into the marriage supper of the Lamb. We return to the Paradise and the heavenly kingdom forever.
The spiritual conditions of the church of God whose ministry is hypocritical as well as rejecting the true teaching Word are as follows:
- Becoming the same as dry bones.
Ezekiel 37:1-2
37:1. The hand of the LORD came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones.
37:2. Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry.
The true teaching is Jesus as the Head.
Proverbs 17:22
17:22. A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones.
Becoming the dry bone means as follows:- A broken spirit, so one easily grumbles, doubts, gets disappointed and desperate as well as leaves God when he faces the impossible problem.
The dry bone also means that one is easily proud because of the blessing.
We must hear the Word to become our strength. - Not ministering to God faithfully and fervently.
For example, the ten virgins slumbered and slept.
We need the Bride Tidings to awaken our spirituality.
Do not get sleepy when hearing the Word or ministering! We must be careful when we are not excited anymore in the spiritual thing. - Deep pain, sorrow, and sadnessuntil there is no hope, but scowl.
Proverbs 15:13
15:13. A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, But by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.
One who is like dry bone is in the valley of tears up to the one of death (perdition).
37:4. Again He said to me, "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, 'O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!
Isaiah 50:4
50:4. "The Lord GOD has given Me The tongue of the learned, That I should know how to speak A word in season to him who is weary. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear To hear as the learned.
If we can hear and obey the prophetic Word, we will be purified, so we receive a new spirit to follow and minister to God.
A new spirit is a merry heart. We totally surrender to God and He will do the good things for us.
As a result, God gives the marvelous healing for us, namely physical healing, economic recovery, et cetera. - A broken spirit, so one easily grumbles, doubts, gets disappointed and desperate as well as leaves God when he faces the impossible problem.
- Becoming as the branch that does not abide in the true vine.
John 15:5-6
15:5. "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
15:6. "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
It means as follows:- Not being shepherded, but rejecting the Word, so one does not want to hear and obey it.
On the contrary, he is in the sheepfold but not obeying the Word.
For example, Judas Iscariot heard the Word but did not obey it. - Not being holy and faithful.
If we are not faithful, our holiness will decrease.
John 15:3-4
15:3. "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
15:4. "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. - We can do nothing if we are not shepherded. It is the same as neither bearing the fruits nor experiencing the renewal of life, but keeping the flesh man.
John 15:5
15:5. "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
He is not satisfied. He experiences the spiritual dryness, so he looks for the worldly satisfaction, and falls into sins up to the peak.
He is easily deceived by the false prophet with the false teaching and gossip. He enters into the fellowship of dry branch that is without the true vine. It starts from marriage. It is the false fellowship.
Be careful! The false fellowship often looks more beautiful than the true one, but the dry branch will be burnt and destroyed forever.
- Not being shepherded, but rejecting the Word, so one does not want to hear and obey it.
The fact found in one who does not experience the renewal of life and satisfaction is detected from the dry tongue.
James 3:6
3:6. And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.
The dry tongue means slandering, gossiping, and blaspheming God or the true teaching Word.
We often trust to one who is not faithful more than the true shepherd.
The dry words destroy the body of Christ, so one cannot become perfect.
The tongue is a rudder that determines our life. The tongue reflects the things in the heart.
We must run the true ministry without hypocrisy, namely the one that prioritizes the true teaching Word.
The main purpose of the true ministry is hearing and obeying the true teaching Word, so we become the branch that abides in the true vine. As a result, we will be surely changed as well as bear the fruits sooner or later. It is the true satisfaction.
There are three kinds of relationship of the branch in John 15 as follows:
- The relationship between branch and the true vine, namely the one of holiness and faithfulness.
John 15:3-4
15:3. "You are already cleanbecause of the word which I have spoken to you.
15:4. "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
Verse 3 is about the relationship of holiness.
A branch must always abide in the true vine. It means that we must be shepherded to the true teaching Word. We hear and obey it delightfully, so we experience the purification by the Word whose secret is revealed. We are purified, starting from the heart as the center of our life.
We can be sad when the Word reproves us. For example, Peter was reproved, and then he was shepherded.
If our heart and deed are purified from wickedness and uncleanness, our mouth will be purified too, namely saying yes if yes and no if no. It is the same as being honest.
Verse 4 is about the relationship of faithfulness.
John 15:1,8
15:1. "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.
15:8. "By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
A branch is small and powerless. But, if we are holy and faithful, we will surely bear many fruits that God wants, namely the ones of faith, hope, and love.
The results are as follows:- Verse 1, namely God is able to protect and take care of our life up to the age when the Antichrist reigns over the world although we are powerless in the midst of shocks and disasters in the world.
- Verse 8, namely we become God's disciples. It means that we are used by God in the revival of Holy Spirit at the last rain.
- Verse 1, namely God is able to protect and take care of our life up to the age when the Antichrist reigns over the world although we are powerless in the midst of shocks and disasters in the world.
- The relationship between branches, namely loving one another.
John 15:12
15:12. "This is My commandment, that you love one anotheras I have loved you.
1 Peter 1:22
1:22. Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,
In the relationship of holiness and faithfulness with the true vine, we can love one another.
Romans 13:8
13:8. Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.
The fact found in loving one another is owing no one anything, namely money especially sin. Do not harm others!
Do not repay evil for evil but good!
We love God more than anything, and we love others as we love ourselves.
John 15:13-14,16
15:13. "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.
15:14. "You are My friendsif you do whatever I command you.
15:16. "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.
If we have good relationship with God and others, we will bear many permanent fruits, and there is hope to bear sweet fruits.
By loving one another, our relationship will increase from God's disciples to His friends. - The relationship between branch and the world that hates us.
John 15:25-27
15:25. "But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, 'They hated Me without a cause.'
15:26. "But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.
15:27. "And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.
In the verse 18-27, the matter of the world that hates us is written up to seven times up to the hatred without any cause. It is the perfect hatred in the form of the Antichrist who reigns over the world for three and a half years.
We are living in the midst of the difficulties, sorrow, tears, impossibilities, hatred, and killing in the world. It is the same as experiencing the seven sprinklings of blood.
We face the seven hatreds with the seven sprinklings of blood, namely suffering in flesh with Jesus (the cross).
Only the cross is able to fight against the hatred of the world.
Why do we have to experience the cross or fiery trial? We are increasing from the Holy Place to the Most Holy Place.
The purpose of the sprinkle of blood is that we can experience the renewal of life up to perfection like Jesus. The fact found in it is that we experience the perfect love of God, namely we can love our enemy. We have the perfect love like the sun.
Matthew 5:43-48
5:43. "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'
5:44. "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,
5:45. "that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
5:46. "For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
5:47. "And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?
5:48. "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
We need the sun or the perfect love to fight against the struggles on the last days.
If there is sunlight in the midst of dark clouds, rainbow will appear. We can love our enemy, namely repaying good for evil. There are no more revenge and hatred.
The results are as follows:- The sun rose at Zoar when Lot went out from Sodom and Gomorrah.
Genesis 19:22-23
19:22. "Hurry, escape there. For I cannot do anything until you arrive there." Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.
19:23. The sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered Zoar.
We just need the love of God in the struggles to fight against destruction and punishment in the world on the last days.
God is able to protect and take care of us physically in the midst of difficulties and impossibilities in the world until the Antichrist reigns over the world for three and a half years.
As long as a branch abides in the true vine and loves one another, the sunlight will help and set us free from Sodom and Gomorrah.
We are also set free from Sodom and Gomorrah spiritually, namely we are set free from sins up to the peak. We can live in righteousness and holiness. The destroyed marriage can be true, holy, and one by the love of God on the cross.
The sunlight refers to the perfect love of God on the cross. On the cross, Jesus' visage is marred to radiate the sunlight for us. - The sun rose on Jacob just as he crossed over Penuel in his struggle with Esau.
Genesis 32:30-31,24,28
32:30. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: "For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved."
32:31. Just as he crossed over Penuel the sun rose on him, and he limped on his hip.
32:24. Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day.
32:28. And He said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed."
Jacob's struggle with Esau refers to impossibility and the problem of life and death.
God is able to finish all of our struggles if we live in His merciful hand.
The love of the sun can finish our struggle in the marriage and save all of our family.
At least, a man in the family must become a branch that abides in the true vine, loves one another, and struggles for the salvation of his family.
The love of the sun is also able to help us to fight against threat (scowl). Let us see His face! We always give thanks to God. We confess that all things are because of God's mercy.
We keep believing and hoping God regardless of any threat that happens.
God will help all of us.
Jacob also struggles to receive the new name. Jacob that means a liar can become Israel that means a winner.
It means the renewal of life from fleshly man to spiritual one, starting from mouth.
We do not lie or gossip anymore, so we do not become the dry branch.
We just produce good words. We testify and worship God. We struggle and cry out Jesus' name. As a result, the miracle happens.
- The sun rose at Zoar when Lot went out from Sodom and Gomorrah.
God blesses us.