Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Revelation 1:9-20 is about the vision of John on Patmos island.
John the apostle was on Patmos island and experienced flesh suffering, not because of doing sins, but the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. As a result, he experienced some things as follows.
Likewise, if our life, marriage, and ministry are marked with flesh suffering because of Jesus now, we will be able to hear and see the loud voice of the trumpet, that is the shepherding Word which is true and hard. It is preached repetitively to sanctify and renew our life until we are perfect as Jesus and become the bride of God (the shining golden lampstand).
The task of the church of God is to testify and invite.
Revelation 22:17
22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.
We invite the congregation of God to enter the marriage supper of the Lamb of God on His second coming.
Who is invited?
By what can we invite?
Matthew 25:6
25:6 “And at midnight a cry was heard:‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’
We invite by Bride Tidings, the loud voice of the trumpet, the true teaching Word.
How can we invite?
Matthew 22:1-14 is the parable about the marriage of the king’s son. It prophesies about the marriage supper of the Lamb of God on the glorious clouds.
The requirements to accept the invitation are as follows.
God blesses us.
Revelation 1:9-20 is about the vision of John on Patmos island.
John the apostle was on Patmos island and experienced flesh suffering, not because of doing sins, but the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. As a result, he experienced some things as follows.
- He could enter the true fellowship with God and the others.
Revelation 1:9
1:9 I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. - He could hear and see a loud voice, as of a trumpet, that became two manifestations, that is seven golden lampstands and Jesus in glory as the King of kings and Heavenly Bridegroom.
Revelation 1:10-13
1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet,
1:11 saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send itto the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”
1:12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands,
1:13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands Onelike the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.
Likewise, if our life, marriage, and ministry are marked with flesh suffering because of Jesus now, we will be able to hear and see the loud voice of the trumpet, that is the shepherding Word which is true and hard. It is preached repetitively to sanctify and renew our life until we are perfect as Jesus and become the bride of God (the shining golden lampstand).
The task of the church of God is to testify and invite.
Revelation 22:17
22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.
We invite the congregation of God to enter the marriage supper of the Lamb of God on His second coming.
Who is invited?
- The congregation of God who labors and is heavy laden.
- The congregation of God who is thirsty, unsatisfied, and dry spiritually, so they look for satisfaction in this world and fall in sins up to the peak of sins, that is sins concerning eating-drinking (smoking, getting drunk, consuming drugs) and marrying-being given in marriage.
By what can we invite?
Matthew 25:6
25:6 “And at midnight a cry was heard:‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’
We invite by Bride Tidings, the loud voice of the trumpet, the true teaching Word.
How can we invite?
- By bringing the congregation of God to enter the shepherding system.
- Through church visit service or inter-shepherding fellowship of the body of Christ.
Matthew 22:1-14 is the parable about the marriage of the king’s son. It prophesies about the marriage supper of the Lamb of God on the glorious clouds.
The requirements to accept the invitation are as follows.
- Preparing the dinner, that is the true teaching Word and Holy Communion.
Matthew 22:4
22:4 Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle arekilled, and all things areready. Come to the wedding.”’
In Tabernacle, it refers to the Table of Showbread.
There are two attitudes to the invitation as follows.- Rejecting the invitations, that is rejecting the true teaching Word that is hard and points our sins.
The example is king Herod who gets angry and has bitter heart when the Word points his sins. It happens because of preserving the sins. The consequence is he sends John to prison and kills him. It means not experiencing sanctification and life renewal but becoming flesh man who is marked by antichrist. - Accepting the invitation from God, meaning using the chance from Him to always solemnly pay attention to the true teaching Word. It is continued with understanding the Word until it becomes faith in our heart, and then practicing it.
The results are as follows.- The Word is ingrained in our life, so we grow to spiritual maturity.
The sign of spiritual maturity is being silent more. - The true teaching Word and Holy Communion sanctify us from sins that are ingrained in our life.
1 Corinthians 5:11
5:11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is (1)sexually immoral, or (2)covetous, or (3)an idolater, or (4)a reviler, or (5)a drunkard, or (6)an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person.- Sexually immoral, including wrong marriage.
- Covetous means cannot give.
- An idolater.
- A reviler who says wrong the right matter and says right the wrong one.
- A drunkard, smoker, drugs consumer.
- An extortioner.
- Sexually immoral, including wrong marriage.
- Rejecting the invitations, that is rejecting the true teaching Word that is hard and points our sins.
- Wearing a wedding garment.
Matthew 22:11-12
22:11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment.
22:12 So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless.
In Tabernacle, it refers to the Golden Candlestick, that is perseverance in General Service.
Sinful man is a naked one. Therefore, we must receive garment from Jesus who has died on the cross.
John 19:23-24
19:23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece.
19:24 They said therefore among themselves, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be,” that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says:“They divided My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.” Therefore the soldiers did these things.
From the cross, we receive two kinds of garment as follows.- The garment of righteousness and salvation that is intended to all men in four corners of the world (it is torn into four parts).
Accepting the invitation or receiving the garment of righteousness and salvation means as follows.- Believing and accepting Jesus as the only Savior.
- Repenting, meaning stopping sinning to return to God.
- Water baptism.
The true water baptism is according to the Bible and we must be baptized as Jesus is baptized.
Romans 6:4
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. - Holy Spirit baptism that results in new life or Heavenly life, that is living in righteousness.
Living in righteousness means being saved. Being unrighteous means being unsaved.
- Believing and accepting Jesus as the only Savior.
- The garment of holiness and ministry.
The garment of ministry equals to the gifts of Holy Spirit and ministry. It is our place in the body of Christ, or our place in the Heaven.
Accepting the invitation means receiving the gifts of Holy Spirit and ministry. The right attitude to the gifts of Holy Spirit and ministry is being faithful and trustworthy, also faithful and fervent in spirit in true ministry.
The true ministry is encouraged by the true teaching Word as the command. The true ministry is also in the anointing of Holy Spirit, so it is in order and well-organized.
2 Corinthians 6:3-5
6:3 We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed.
6:4 But in all thingswe commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses,
6:5 in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings;
We also minister God in blood sign, meaning flesh suffering together with Jesus as a burnt flax. The result is the lamp will keep shining until Jesus’ second coming. The garment will become the clean and bright linen that is the wedding garment. We are ready to welcome Jesus’ second coming on the glorious clouds.
Revelation 19:8
19:8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. - The garment of righteousness and salvation that is intended to all men in four corners of the world (it is torn into four parts).
- Mouth or lip must be right.
Matthew 22:12
22:12 So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless.
From all the part of the body, the tongue is small but it decides the directions of our life to the hell or the Heaven.
God asks means He gives chance and mercy to us to receive forgiveness and the wedding garment. It is as God asked Adam when he was naked.
But unfortunately he is speechless, meaning hardening his heart and not willing to confess his sin. He does not want to testify and invite, nor worship God. The consequence is being bound and cast into outer darkness in the hell.
Only the power of the true teaching Word is able to open our heart and mouth to confess our sin to God and the others. If we are forgiven, we must not do the sin anymore. If we are firm in faith, we can testify and invite. It is until our mouth can worship God and cry out His name. We can believe and fully entrust our life to Him. We stretch out our hands to God and obey Him.
But if we do not want to stretch out our hands to God, nor cry out and worship Him, He will let extraordinary thing happen. The example is Peter is let be sunk so he can stretch out his hands to God. Thus, He will lift us up from all deteriorations and recover our life in His time.
Mark 5:25-29
5:25 Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years,
5:26 and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.
5:27 When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Himin the crowd and touched His garment.
5:28 For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”
5:29 Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in herbody that she was healed of the affliction.
God also lets the woman who has a flow of blood for twelve years, so she can stretch out her hands to Jesus. Thus, she experiences the healing power and help from God. The impossible problem becomes possible, the decayed one becomes good, and the broken one is united.
1 Peter 5:5-6
5:5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to yourelders. Yes, all of yoube submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for“God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”
5:6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,
Young people are let be humiliated and experience total failure. But if we are obedient, confess our sins and obey God, He will stretch out His hands to lift us up in His time. The failure becomes success and everything is beautiful in His time. We are used by God. We are sanctified and renewed until we are perfect as Him. We are lifted up on the glorious clouds on His second coming.
God blesses us.