General Service in Malang, November 09, 2014 (Sunday Morning)

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

Revelation 2-3 refers to the last sanctification to the seven churches of the Gentiles until they are perfect and blameless to become the Heavenly bride who is ready to welcome Jesus’ second coming as the Heavenly bridegroom on the glorious clouds. Jesus is the Head and we are His body that cannot be separated forever. We enter the marriage supper of the Lamb and sit together with Him on the throne of Heaven forever.
Therefore, we must watch over the physical marriage seriously. If the physical marriage is broken, it will not be able to enter the spiritual one.

The first church is the church of Ephesus.
Revelation 2:4-5
2:4 Nevertheless I have thisagainst you, that you have left your first love.
2:5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.

God admits what the church of Ephesus has done for His work, but He also reproaches them. It is a suffering for the flesh but it is as the last sanctification for the church of Ephesus so they are perfect and blameless.

The last sanctification for the church of Ephesus is because they have left the first love.
The first love is the love of God through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.
The consequences of losing the first love are as follows.

1. Falling in a deep pit, as one with a withered right hand in the synagogue.
   
2. The lampstand is removed, so one will live in darkness or be blind spiritually.
   

The practices of being blind spiritually are as follows.

1. Hardening the heart, so one cannot see but reject the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.
   2 Corinthians 4:3-4
   4:3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,
   4:4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.
   
   The gospel Word brings us to believe Jesus and be saved. It is as milk. If one drinks milk continually, the spiritual growth will be abnormal. Therefore, it must be continued with the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ or the solid food.
   
   Hardening the heart also means being willing to hear the teaching Word, but not practicing even opposing it.
   
   Thus, the servant of God who is blind spiritually serves without the true teaching Word or without faith and righteousness.
   The sign is being as Martha who serves with worry. A worrying person will not be able to live in righteousness. Living in unrighteousness equals to distressing himself and living in weariness as well as bearing heavy burden. His life is marked with tears and as living in the middle of thorns.
   
   
2. Forgetting the forgiveness of sins.
   2 Peter 1:9
   1:9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.
   
   It equals to falling and rising in sins, living in sins, or doing the sins purposely.
   
   Thus, the servant of God who is blind spiritually serves without holiness or without hope. It means having no hope to become perfect as Jesus and cannot be counted on.
   
   1 John 3:2-3
   3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
   3:3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
   
   We have many hopes and dreams in the world, but the highest one must be being perfect and holy as Jesus. The requirement is we must live in holiness by the work of the Word that is sharper than any two-edged sword starting from now.
   
   
3. Hating the others, even without any reasons.
   1 John 2:11
   2:11 But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
   
   Hatred without any reasons is hating righteous and good people.
   In marriage, if a husband hates his wife or a wife hates his husband although there is a reason, it is a hatred without any reasons because they are one body.
   
   1 John 4:20-21
   4:20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?
   4:21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God mustlove his brother also.
   
   Thus, being blind spiritually is ministry without the love of God.
   
   Colossians 3:14
   3:14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.
   

In conclusion, being blind spiritually is being without faith, hope, and love.
The consequences of ministering but being blind spiritually are as follows.

1. Being rejected by God.
   
2. Living in the ambience of curse and thorns.
   
3. Entering the darkest darkness in the hell.
   

Thus, we must be sanctified continually, so our ministry becomes the ministry of light, that is ministering in faith (righteousness), hope (holiness) and love (perfection).
Where can we be sanctified? In the true and good shepherding system.
The main task of a true and good pastor is feeding the congregation with the true shepherding Word. A pastor who does not want to feed the sheep is a thief and murderer.
The main task of a sheep is eating the true shepherding Word. Thus, he will get everything from God and be able to do everything for the glory of God. If a sheep does not want to eat, he is only as a dog and swine with evil and unclean words and deeds.

The shepherding Word that is preached by a pastor is the stick of a shepherd or the command stick. The usefulness is to lead the sheep to enter the shepherding pen.
In Tabernacle, the shepherding pen refers to the Holy Place. There are three types of equipment within it.

• The Golden Candlestick refers to perseverance in General Service. The sheep is drinking. We experience fellowship with Holy Spirit God in His gifts. Perseverance in the gifts of Holy Spirit will peak on the garland of twelve stars.
  
  
• The Table of Showbread refers to perseverance in Bible Study Service and Holy Communion. The sheep is eating. We experience fellowship with the Son of God in the teaching Word and the sacrifice of Christ that has redeemed us from sins. It is until we experience the perfect redemption and we are set free from all sins, as the moon under the feet.
  
  
• The Golden Altar of Incense refers to perseverance in Prayer Service. The sheep is breathing. We experience fellowship with Father God in His love. If we persevere in it, the love of God will illuminate us brighter and brighter, until it will peak as the cloth of sun.
  

If we are right and well shepherded, we will grow to spiritual maturity, until we become the light of the world as Jesus is.

Revelation 12:1
12:1 Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars.

Ministry with righteousness or faith refers to James (the letter of James).
Ministry with holiness or hope refers to Peter (the first and second letter of Peter).
Ministry with love refers to John the apostle (the gospel of John, the first, second, and third letter of John, the book of Revelation).
Thus, ministry with faith, hope, and love is shown by James, Peter, and John. God always invites these three apostles. If we minister with faith, hope, and love, God will always invite us to experience His power and miracle.
The results are as follows.

1. Experiencing the revival power from God to raise the dead.
   Mark 5:35-37,41-43
   5:35 While He was still speaking, somecame from the ruler of the synagogue’s housewho said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?”
   5:36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.”
   5:37 And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.
   5:41 Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, “Talitha, cumi,” which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.”
   5:42 Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age.And they were overcome with great amazement.
   5:43 But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that somethingshould be given her to eat.
   
   It is a physical miracle. Raising the dead means as follows.
   
   
   • We experience the miraculous care of God in the middle of our difficulties.
     
   • We experience God’s help to make possible the impossible things.
     
   • We experience the recovery of our marriage. The proof is we can eat the Word.
     
   • The resurrection power of God is also able to give us beautiful and successful future in His time.
     
     
2. There is the power of appointment from God.
   Galatians 2:9
   2:9 and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should goto the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.
   
   We are used in the revival of Holy Spirit in the last rain or the revival of building the perfect body of Christ. It is started from the marriage is united, the shepherding is united, inter-shepherding is united, until the Israelites and the Gentiles are united as one perfect body of Christ. We become the Heavenly bride who is ready to welcome His second coming. The requirement is being the pillars, meaning being strong and of good courage, not being desperate or disappointed, not being shaken any little, and keeping living in righteousness.
   
   
3. There is the renewal power.
   Matthew 17:1-2,4
   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.
   17:4 Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
   
   The peak of a ministry is worship prayer, so we experience renewal from flesh man to become spiritual one as Jesus. It is the spiritual miracle.
   Our ears can hear and obey the true teaching Word. Our lip can confess Jesus, say honest words, bear witness and worship Him. If our ears and lip are good, everything will be good.
   
   Mark 7:37
   7:37 And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”
   
   The more we are renewed, the more beautiful our life and marriage are. Until we are renewed as glorious as Jesus on His second coming. We will meet Him face to face.
   
   1 Corinthians 13:12-13
   13:12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
   13:13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these islove.
   

God blesses us.