General Service in Malang, June 03, 2018 (Sunday Morning)

Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ

Revelation 7 is divided into two big parts as follows:

1. [Revelation 7:1-8]
   Revelation 7:4
   7:4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed.
   
   One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed on their forehead through the promise of God. They are the core of the bride of God.
   
   
2. [Revelation 7:9-17]
   A great multitude which no one could number of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues refer to the Gentiles who receive the seal of God through His grace. They are to complete the bride of God.
   

The children of Israel and the Gentiles who have been sealed by the seal of God on their foreheads will be one perfect body of Christ or the heavenly bride who is ready to welcome His second coming on the glorious clouds and enter the marriage supper of the Lamb until the paradise or the One Thousand Years Kingdom of Peace and the eternal one or the New Jerusalem.

Revelation 7:9
7:9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands.

The multitude of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues stood before the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands.

The requirements to stand before the throne of heaven are as follows:

1. Wearing the white robe.
   It refers to the tunic of salvation, ministry, and the fine linen (it has been explained).
   
   
2. The palm branches in the hand.
   

ad. 2. The palm branches in the hand.
John 12:12-15
12:12 The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,
12:13 took branches of palm treesand went out to meet Him, and cried out: "Hosanna! 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!' The King of Israel!"
12:14 Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written:
12:15 "Fear not, daughter of Zion; Behold, your King is coming, Sitting on a donkey's colt."

The branches of the palm tree in the hand are related to the last journey of Christ to Jerusalem, namely the revival of the later rain or the edifying of the perfect body of Christ. The target is the Gentiles. 
So, the branches of the palm tree in the hand mean that the Gentiles must be used in the revival of the later rain or the edifying of the perfect body of Christ starting from the marriage, shepherding, inter-shepherding until Israel and Gentiles become one perfect body of Christ or the heavenly bride who is ready to welcome His second coming on the glorious clouds and we can stand before the heavenly throne.

Matthew 21:1-5 
21:1 Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,
21:2 saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me.
21:3 "And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord has need of them,' and immediately he will send them."
21:4 All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:
21:5 "Tell the daughter of Zion, 'Behold, your King is coming to you, Lowly, and sitting on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.

Jesus drew near Jerusalem. Actually, He did not need to ride a colt because he could walk. So, Jesus' willingness to ride the colt is the opportunity, mercy, and trust from God to the Gentiles to be involved in edifying the perfect body of Christ, because if the Gentiles do not serve in the edifying of the perfect body of Christ, they will serve the Babylon for sure and become the bride of Satan. Therefore, the Gentiles must not reject it, but must keep His mercy and trust. We must be faithful and fervent in spirit in the service and ministry which God has entrusted to us until the end line, namely we pass away or until He comes for the second time.

[Matthew 21:2-3] the owner of the colt must sacrifice it for God. So, the edifying of the perfect body of Christ needs sacrifices. Sacrificing starts from returning the thing which belongs to God or the tithe and the offering, then we can give to the work of God and other people who are in need. After that, we can give our whole life to God. Sacrificing must be done by the movement the word of God. Do not be afraid of sacrificing because everything we have sacrifice will not vanish away. He will return to us in due time. He never fools us and He is able to create something that does not exist yet because He is Jehovah Jireh.

The steps of the donkey to the New Jerusalem are as follows:

1. The step of sanctification (it has been explained last week)
   
2. The step of the submission of the whole life.
   

There are three kinds of the submission of life as follows:

1. The submission of the branches.
   Matthew 21:8
   21:8 And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
   
   The branch or wood refers to the fleshly man who is brittle. 
   So, the submission of the branch refers to the submission of life to God, but still often using the flesh or human logic like Peter.
   
   Matthew 16:21-23
   16:21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.
   16:22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him,saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!"
   16:23 But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.
   
   The fleshly mind, namely egoism or prioritizing own self and not being willing to sacrifice to God is the same as rejecting the cross.
   
   The facts found in rejecting the cross are as follows:
   
   
   • One does not want to be shepherded.
     In the true shepherding pen, Jesus as the Great Shepherd walks in front of the sheep and they follow His steps and His voice or the shepherding word, but Peter took Jesus aside.
     
     
   • If one is not shepherded, he will become a stumbling-block to other people for sure and easily stumble so he denies God. If a donkey is not bound, it will become wild and its life does not change. One keeps the sinful fleshly man. It begins from lie up to the peak of sin until being the same as Satan who will be destroyed.
     
     
   Peter was still helped by the crowing of a rooster, namely the shepherding word which is repeated and able to sanctify and renew us continually until we become as perfect as Jesus.
   
   
2. [Matthew 21:8]spreading the clothes on the road.
   It refers to the self-submission which is not full and serious. The clothes were spread on the road, but after Jesus passed the road, they were taken back. It means the self-submission to serve and minister to God, but only to look for self-interest or worldly one, namely the prosperity and physical entertainment.
   
   For example, Judas Iscariot only looked for money, so he stole the possession that belonged to God until he became a traitor by selling Jesus.
   1 John 2:18-19
   2:18 Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.
   2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.
   
   Antichrist goes out from us, but they are not of us in the service and ministry.
   
   
3. Submitting the clothes and laid them on the donkey to be ridden by Jesus to enter Jerusalem.
   Matthew 21:6-7
   21:6 So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them.
   21:7 They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them.
   
   It refers to the full-submission to God like the submission of the two disciples. The two disciples represent the word of God and the anointing of Holy Spirit. So, the full-submission happens when it is encouraged by the word of sanctification or the word which is sharper than any two-edged sword.
   
   Romans 12:1-3
   12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice,holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
   12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
   12:3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think,but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.
   
   The full-submission to God means as follows:
   
   
   • Physical or bodily submission. The requirements are as follows:
     
     
     1. The living body.
        John 6:63
        6:63 "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.
        
        The living body is powered by Holy Spirit through the perseverance in doing General Service or the Golden Candlestick. We experience the fellowship with Holy Spirit God in the anointing and the gifts of Holy Spirit. The proof is that we can serve and minister to God faithfully and fervently in spirit.
        
        
     2. The holy body which is powered by the word through the perseverance in doing Bible Study Service and Holy Communion or the Table of Showbread. We experience the fellowship with Son of God in the true teaching word and sacrifice of Christ. The proof is that we live in holiness and we do not do sins.
        
        
     3. The acceptable body which is powered by the love of God through the perseverance in doing Prayer Service or the Golden Altar of Incense. We experience the fellowship with Father God in His love. The proof is that we can love Him more than everything and other people like our self, even our enemy until we can repay good for evil.
        
        
     So, in the shepherding pen, we sacrifice the living, holy, and acceptable body to God.
     
     
   • The inward submission or the one of the soul and spirit.
     In the shepherding pen, we can offer our soul and spirit which have been renewed by God.
     
     The facts found in it as follows:
     
     
     1. We can differentiate between the true teaching word, service and ministry, marriage, as well as all things and the false ones.
        
     2. Being humble and having the simple thought. It means that we do not become in our opinion, so we can be of the same mind.
        Romans 12:16-18
        12:16 Be of the same mindtoward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.
        12:17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.
        12:18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.
        
        
     3. Repaying no one evil for evil, but we can repay good for evil.
        
     4. Living peaceably with all men as well as confessing and forgiving to one another, so the blood of Jesus cleanses all sins and we are joyful.
        
        
   So, in the shepherding pen, we can offer our body, soul, and spirit to God. It is the same as offering our whole life to God. We become the same as the donkey which is ridden by Jesus and bears the burden from Him. It means experiencing the cross or the sprinkling of blood, but we become the throne of God on earth.
   Revelation 22:1
   22:1 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
   
   If we become the throne of God, out of which flows the river of water of life, we will get the rain of Holy Spirit and extra power from God.
   The results are as follows:
   
   
   • Holy Spirit Wets the dry ground.
     Isaiah 44:3
     44:3 For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, And floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, And My blessing on your offspring.
     
     Holy Spirit is able to preserve and bless us who are small and powerless in the midst of dryness in the world, until the age when the Antichrist rules over the world for three and a half years.
     
     Spiritually, Holy Spirit gives the satisfaction, so we can give thanks, testify, and worship God with a broken heart and we get the joy. 
     
     Ezekiel 34:29
     34:29 "I will raise up for them a garden of renown, and they shall no longer be consumed with hunger in the land, nor bear the shame of the Gentiles anymore.
     
     The atmosphere of the wilderness becomes the garden of joy.
     
     
   • Like willows by the watercourses.
     Isaiah 44:4
     44:4 They will spring up among the grass Like willows by the watercourses.
     
     The willows refer to the servants of God who are small, weak, powerless, and often being dragged by Babylon until stopping ministering to God.
     
     Psalms 137:1-2
     137:1 By the rivers of Babylon, There we sat down, yea, we wept When we remembered Zion.
     137:2 We hung our harps Upon the willowsin the midst of it.
     
     Consequently, one hangs himself like Judas Iscariot. The life is uncertain until perishing forever.
     
     But, if there is Holy Spirit, we can be faithful and fervent in Spirit until the end line and bearing sweet fruits, namely the fruit of the bride.
     
     
   • Holy Spirit is able to sanctify and renew us from Jacob or liar to Israel or winner.
     Isaiah 44:5
     44:5 One will say, 'I am the LORD'S';Another will call himself by the name of Jacob; Another will write with his hand, 'The LORD'S,' And name himself by the name of Israel.
     
     The life renewal happens until we become as clear as crystal, namely being honest and trusting. So, the impossible thing becomes possible. If the spiritual miracle happens, the physical one will happen too. It continues until the time when Jesus comes for the second time that we are changed to be as perfect as Him to be worthy to welcome His second coming and we can stand before the heavenly throne.
     

God blesses you.