(Bible Study Service has been diverted to Service on Tuesday, April 17, 2012)
Matthew 26:69-75is about Peter denied Jesus.
Peter denied Jesus three times as follows.
Matthew 26:71-72
26:71 And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, "This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth."
26:72 But again he denied with an oath, "I do not know the Man!"
[Luke 1:26-27, 31]Nazareth is the place where Jesus began to become flesh in the womb of Mary.
[Luke 2:51-52]Nazareth is the place where Jesus grew physically.
In shorts, Nazareth is the place where Jesus began to become flesh in womb until He was mature.
[John 1:1, 14]Jesus is teaching Word (Logos) that is born as flesh.
Thus, Nazareth means the teaching Word that becomes flesh to grow our spirituality to reach maturity and perfection.
Peter denied Jesus of Nazareth means he denied the true teaching Word.
Be alert! Peter who was great could deny the calling and election of God and the true teaching Word.
2 Peter 3:3-6
3:3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts,
3:4 and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation."
3:5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water,
3:6 by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water.
The denial to the true teaching Word can happen through mocking it and living in the lust of flesh as in the days of Noah and Lot.
Luke 17:26-30
17:26 "And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man:
17:27 "They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.
17:28 "Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built;
17:29 "but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.
17:30 "Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.
The practice of returning to the days of Noah and Lot is as follows.
Revelation 1:3
1:3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.
The true attitude is we have to read, hear, and obey the Word of God much more so we have the sanctification and we are delivered from the judgment of God. Moreover, we can be joyful in the world until we enter heavenly kingdom.
There are three kinds of sanctification done by the true teaching Word to deliver us from the judgment of God as the judgment to Sodom and Gomorrah as follows.
Matthew 26:69-75is about Peter denied Jesus.
Peter denied Jesus three times as follows.
- Verse 69-70: Peter denied Jesus of Galilee = denial to the calling and election of God.
- Verse 71-72: Peter denied Jesus of Nazareth.
- Verse 73-75: Peter denied Jesus with swearing and cursing.
Matthew 26:71-72
26:71 And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, "This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth."
26:72 But again he denied with an oath, "I do not know the Man!"
[Luke 1:26-27, 31]Nazareth is the place where Jesus began to become flesh in the womb of Mary.
[Luke 2:51-52]Nazareth is the place where Jesus grew physically.
In shorts, Nazareth is the place where Jesus began to become flesh in womb until He was mature.
[John 1:1, 14]Jesus is teaching Word (Logos) that is born as flesh.
Thus, Nazareth means the teaching Word that becomes flesh to grow our spirituality to reach maturity and perfection.
Peter denied Jesus of Nazareth means he denied the true teaching Word.
Be alert! Peter who was great could deny the calling and election of God and the true teaching Word.
2 Peter 3:3-6
3:3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts,
3:4 and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation."
3:5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water,
3:6 by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water.
The denial to the true teaching Word can happen through mocking it and living in the lust of flesh as in the days of Noah and Lot.
Luke 17:26-30
17:26 "And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man:
17:27 "They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.
17:28 "Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built;
17:29 "but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.
17:30 "Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.
The practice of returning to the days of Noah and Lot is as follows.
- Eating-drinking and marrying-being given in marriage or living in the peak of sin.
- Buying-selling physically until there is no opportunity to trade the talent. It means there is no faithfulness in doing service and ministry to God.
- Planting-building, meaning one enters the building of Babel.
Revelation 1:3
1:3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.
The true attitude is we have to read, hear, and obey the Word of God much more so we have the sanctification and we are delivered from the judgment of God. Moreover, we can be joyful in the world until we enter heavenly kingdom.
There are three kinds of sanctification done by the true teaching Word to deliver us from the judgment of God as the judgment to Sodom and Gomorrah as follows.
- Keep being on the housetop. It means sanctification to our heart and mind.
Luke 17:31
17:31 "In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back.
The housetop is a cool place, referring to peaceful heart.
2 Peter 2:7-8
2:7 and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked
2:8 (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soulfrom day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds) ––
Lot was tormented in his soul because he was righteous seeing the sins of other people. Moreover, the heart which keeps sin will be tormented in life.
Mark 7:20-23
7:20 And He said, "What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.
7:21 "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
7:22 "thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.
7:23 "All these evil things come from within and defile a man."
There are many times the hearts of the sons of God are filled with sins of Sodom and Gomorrah, wickedness and uncleanness sins. It makes such life suffer up to enter the judgment of God. The peak is in foolishness, that one sins but he cannot be advised and his life suffers much more.
Therefore, we need the true teaching Word to sanctify us from all wickedness and uncleanness sins, so we have the peaceful heart and all things become easy and light. - Keep being in the field of God. It equals to the sanctification to our sight.
Luke 17:31b
17:31b And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back.
John 4:35
4:35 "Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!
The teaching Word sanctifies our sight until we can see the field of God. It refers to our priority to service and ministry to God more than other activities in the world. We can be faithful and fervent in spirit doing our service and ministry to God.
Romans 12:11
12:11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;
Do not lag because it is dangerous. The time we are unfaithful is the time when our sight is directed to Sodom and Gomorrah, meaning being fervent in lust of flesh.
Romans 1:27
1:27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.
One will see other things when he no longer sees the field of God. Consequently, he falls in sin up to the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah. We have to be alert!
We have to keep faithful and fervent in spirit doing our service and ministry to God, so the fire of Sodom and Gomorrah cannot touch us. - “Remember Lot’s wife” means “Do not look back.” It refers to sanctification to our neck.
Luke 17: 32
17:32 "Remember Lot’s wife.
The wife or woman refers to physical meaning but it also refers to the Church of God.
The woman often turns the head to right side or left one, not looking down even she often shakes her head, referring to disobedience.
The neck should be used only to look down, referring to worship.
Worshiping God equals to submission and lifting up our two hands crying “It is up to You Lord.” If we do not want to submit, God will say “It is all up to you.”
If we want to lift up our hands to God, He will stretch His merciful hand to hold and embrace our life. There is guarantee of the assurance of life none may charge against.
Zephaniah 3:16-18
3:16 In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: "Do not fear; Zion, let not your hands be weak.
3:17 The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing."
3:18 "I will gather those who sorrow over the appointed assembly,
The result is as follows.- The merciful hand of God strengthens the weak hand as follows.
- We can be strong and of good courage to hold fast the true teaching Word.
- We can be strong and of good courage to serve and minister God up to the end line.
- We can be strong and of good courage to keep believing and hoping in God, we do not become disappointed or hopeless.
- We can be strong and of good courage to hold fast the true teaching Word.
- The merciful hand of God gives us victory over sins up to the peak of sins.
The sins increase up to the peak, so we have to become more righteous and holier now until we become righteous and holy as Jesus is.
The merciful hand of God also gives us victory over temptations even the impossible one. All problems are solved by Him in due time. - The merciful hand of God renews us or changes us from carnal man to spiritual one as Jesus, or from clay pot to golden one. It begins from sincere heart that loves God more than all things and loves other people as we love ourselves. We are changed continually until we become the Bride of God and we enter the marriage supper of the Lamb of God to meet the Lord on glorious clouds.
- The merciful hand of God strengthens the weak hand as follows.