Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
There are four appearances of Jesus in the glory in Revelation 1:13-16 as follows.
Thus, the aim of four appearances of Jesus is so that we will not be separated anymore with Him forever.
ad. 4. The appearance of Jesus in the glory as the Heavenly Bridegroom.
Revelation 1:16
1:16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance waslike the sun shining in its strength.
Jesus appears in the glory as the Heavenly Bridegroom with the signs as follows.
We learn the third sign.
The sun shining in its strength refers to the never-ending love or the perfect love.
Where can we see the countenance of Jesus that shines like the sun shining in its strength?
Matthew 17:1-2
17:1 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves;
17:2 and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.
We can see the countenance of Jesus that shines like the sun shining in its strength on a high mountain. Now, the spiritual meaning is in worship prayer.
Worship prayer is the process of crucifying or tearing the flesh, so we can see the countenance of Jesus that shines as the sun and emits the perfect love. Thus, we will experience life renewal from flesh man to spiritual one as Jesus.
What must be crucified/ torn from the flesh?
If the flesh is torn, we will be able to see the countenance of Jesus that shines as the sun shining in its strength and emits the never-ending love. Thus, we will experience life renewal from flesh man to spiritual one as Jesus.
What must be renewed through worship prayer? It is started from the countenance, which equals to the heart. We can have gentle heart that radiates God’s love. If the heart radiates love, our countenance will be cheerful. There is no more sad or pale countenance.
If our heart radiates God’s love, we will experience two things as follows.
God blesses us.
There are four appearances of Jesus in the glory in Revelation 1:13-16 as follows.
- [verse 13] the appearance of Jesus in the glory as the High Priest.
- [verse 14] the appearance of Jesus in the glory as the King of all kings.
- [verse 15] the appearance of Jesus in the glory as the Just Judge.
- [verse 16] the appearance of Jesus in the glory as the Heavenly Bridegroom.
Jesus the Heavenly Bridegroom is the Head. We are the Heavenly bride or the body. He appears in glory as the Heavenly Bridegroom to unite with us so we will not be separated anymore with Him forever.
Thus, the aim of four appearances of Jesus is so that we will not be separated anymore with Him forever.
ad. 4. The appearance of Jesus in the glory as the Heavenly Bridegroom.
Revelation 1:16
1:16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance waslike the sun shining in its strength.
Jesus appears in the glory as the Heavenly Bridegroom with the signs as follows.
- He had in His right hand seven stars.
- Out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword.
- His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.
We learn the third sign.
The sun shining in its strength refers to the never-ending love or the perfect love.
Where can we see the countenance of Jesus that shines like the sun shining in its strength?
Matthew 17:1-2
17:1 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves;
17:2 and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.
We can see the countenance of Jesus that shines like the sun shining in its strength on a high mountain. Now, the spiritual meaning is in worship prayer.
Worship prayer is the process of crucifying or tearing the flesh, so we can see the countenance of Jesus that shines as the sun and emits the perfect love. Thus, we will experience life renewal from flesh man to spiritual one as Jesus.
What must be crucified/ torn from the flesh?
- The fleshly/ earthly mind.
Philippians 3:18-19
3:18 For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they arethe enemies of the cross of Christ:
3:19 whose end isdestruction, whose god is theirbelly, and whoseglory isin their shame—who set their mind on earthly things.
It is the mind that is only set on earthly and sinful matters, without thinking about spiritual ones at all. One with fleshly mind will become the enemy of the cross of Christ, meaning being unwilling to experience flesh suffering because of Jesus.
Flesh mind must be torn to become spiritual mind that thinks spiritual matters more than everything. - Flesh desire.
Romans 8:7
8:7 Because the carnal mind isenmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.
The desire of the flesh makes us disobedient to the will of God. - Flesh characters.
- Being afraid of something until having no fear of the Lord.
Luke 12:4-5
12:4 “And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.
12:5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!
The flesh must be torn so we only have the fear of God and are afraid to do sins. - Hypocrisy.
Luke 12:1
12:1 In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all,“Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
It means pretending doing good things to cover hidden sins.
Hypocrisy also means difference between what is inside the heart and what is done outside, or difference of attitude when one is inside or outside the church. - Stinginess and greediness.
Lukas 12:15
12:15 And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”
Stinginess is being unable to give for the work of God and the other members of the body of Christ who are in need.
Greediness is grabbing the right of the others and God, that is the tithe and special offering. - [Luke 12:22-34] Worry about daily life and future.
If one is worried, he will not be able to prioritize God and live in righteousness. - [Luke 12:35] Idleness, meaning being unfaithful in ministry.
- Being afraid of something until having no fear of the Lord.
- Flesh deed.
Galatians 5:19-21
5:19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,
5:20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,
5:21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told youin time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Flesh with all its mind, desire, character, and deed cannot inherit the kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, we must crucify the flesh through worship prayer.
If the flesh is torn, we will be able to see the countenance of Jesus that shines as the sun shining in its strength and emits the never-ending love. Thus, we will experience life renewal from flesh man to spiritual one as Jesus.
What must be renewed through worship prayer? It is started from the countenance, which equals to the heart. We can have gentle heart that radiates God’s love. If the heart radiates love, our countenance will be cheerful. There is no more sad or pale countenance.
If our heart radiates God’s love, we will experience two things as follows.
- We can love God more than everything with all our body, soul, and spirit.
The practices are as follows.- Prioritizing the ministry more than anything; being faithful and fervent in spirit in ministering God.
1 Timothy 4:8-10
4:8 For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.
4:9 This isa faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance.
4:10 For to this endwe both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is theSavior of all men, especially of those who believe.
Let us struggle for the ministry more than anything. - Being obedient to the Word, whatever the risks are.
John 14:15
14:15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments.
Abraham was obedient to sacrifice his son. As the result, God pleaded him.
Matthew 7:21
7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
Being obedient equals to opening the door of Heaven. If the door of Heaven is opened, all the doors in the world and the door of our future will be opened.
- Prioritizing the ministry more than anything; being faithful and fervent in spirit in ministering God.
- We can love the others as loving ourselves, even loving our enemy.
The practices are as follows.- Giving and visiting the others who are in need, either physically or moreover spiritually.
1 John 3:17
3:17 But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? - Doing good and right deeds.
Matthew 7:12
7:12 Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
Those are the deeds that bless the others and do not harm them. We do not repay evil for evil, but good for evil. - Not owing anything, starting from owing money up to owing sins.
Romans 13:8
13:8 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.
Let us clear up all the debt of sins. Actually all the debt of sins have been reconciled by Jesus on the cross, except the sin of unbelieving and unwillingness to confess the sin.
The process to clear up the debt of sins is through reconciliation, meaning as follows.- We confess to God (vertical) and the others (horizontal). If we are forgiven, we must not do the sin anymore. It equals to offering the sour wine to Jesus to drink. We surrender all the bitterness, suffering, and uncleanness of our life to Him.
- We forgive the sin of the others and forget it.
1 John 3:21-22
3:21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.
3:22 And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.
If our heart is cleared up, we can pray and have confidence toward God with faith. We can cry out His name, believe and surrender our life to Him. The result is everything will be tidied.
Matthew 4:21
4:21 Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the sonof Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them,
The net refers to ministry, daily profession, study, financial matter, et cetera. Let us ask God this morning to mend the ripped net.
Acts 9:33-34
9:33There he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden eight years and was paralyzed.
9:34 And Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus the Christ heals you. Arise and make your bed.” Then he arose immediately.
Aeneas means an honorable one. This kind of life usually becomes the target of Satan.
Let us this morning clear up our heart first, and God will be able to tidy up our life and future. We will be renewed little by little until we become as glorious as Him on His second coming. We will be lifted up to the glorious clouds to be with Him forever and there will be no more tears. - We confess to God (vertical) and the others (horizontal). If we are forgiven, we must not do the sin anymore. It equals to offering the sour wine to Jesus to drink. We surrender all the bitterness, suffering, and uncleanness of our life to Him.
- Giving and visiting the others who are in need, either physically or moreover spiritually.
God blesses us.