Speaker: Rev. Mikha Sanda Toding
Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Matthew 12:38-42
12:38. Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.”
12:39 But He answered and said to them,“An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
12:40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
12:41 The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonahishere.
12:42 The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomonis here.
In our following to Jesus, we must not see the physical sign, but spiritual ones that is the sign of Jonah, the sign of death, resurrection, and renewal.
We become the spiritual men that are led to the New Jerusalem. There are three kinds of renewing as follows:
God blesses us.
Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Matthew 12:38-42
12:38. Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.”
12:39 But He answered and said to them,“An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
12:40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
12:41 The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonahishere.
12:42 The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomonis here.
In our following to Jesus, we must not see the physical sign, but spiritual ones that is the sign of Jonah, the sign of death, resurrection, and renewal.
- The renewing by Holy Spirit.
Titus 3:5
3:5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, - The renewing by the true teaching Word.
1 Corinthians 15:51-52
15:51. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed
15:52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. - The renewing by love.
Zephaniah 3:17
3:17 TheLordyour God in your midst,the Mighty One, will save;He will rejoice over you with gladness,He will quietyouwith His love,He will rejoice over you with singing.”
We become the spiritual men that are led to the New Jerusalem. There are three kinds of renewing as follows:
- The renewing through the true Baptism.
Romans 6:3-4
6:3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?
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.
To be ready entering in water Baptism, we must lay aside five sins.
1 Peter 2:1
2:1. Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking,
The implementation of the true baptism is being dived in the water grave and risen together with Jesus. The result is we experience the power of renewing. - The renewing through the true shepherding Word.
Deuteronomy 11:10-11
11:10 For the land which you go to possessisnot like the land of Egypt from which you have come, where you sowed your seed and watereditby foot, as a vegetable garden;
11:11 but the land which you cross over to possessisa land of hills and valleys, which drinks water from the rain of heaven,
It renews us from Egypt’s system that is labor and pursuing physical things. For example is Esau who looks for one morsel of food.
Hebrews 12:15-16
12:15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;
12:16 lest therebeany fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright.
Another example is Judas who looks for money. The result is perdition.
Matthew 26:14-15
26:14. Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests.
26:15 and said, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?” And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver.
The service in the system of Egypt is same as the service in the system of grave.
Matthew 8:21-22
8:21 Then another of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”
8:22 But Jesus said to him,“Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”
Our service is renewed to the system of Canaan that is the system of vineyard.
The sign is as follows:- Serving God without grumble, envy, et cetera, but we always give thanks and live in the mercy of God.
Matthew 20:11, 15
20:11 And when they had receivedit,they complained against the landowner,
20:15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’ - Serving God with all heart, faithfully, and fervently in spirit.
Romans 12:11
12:11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;
The result is the ambience of the court of God.
Daniel 7:9-10
7:9. “I watched till thrones were put in place,and the Ancient of Days was seated;His garmentwaswhite as snow,and the hair of His headwaslike pure wool.His thronewasa fiery flame,its wheels a burning fire;
7:10 A fiery stream issuedand came forth from before Him.A thousand thousands ministered to Him;ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him.The courtwas seated,and the books were opened. - Being strong and of good courage.
Joshua 1:6-7, 9, 18
1:6 Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.
1:7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.
1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for theLordyour Godiswith you wherever you go.”
1:18 Whoever rebels against your command and does not heed your words, in all that you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and of good courage.”
We keep living in righteousness and holiness and not disappointed facing problems. We keep holding fast to one true teaching Word and hoping fully to God. Until the last renewing, we will be changed to become as perfect as Jesus is.
Hebrews 4:16
4:16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
God’s hand helps us in due time and makes everything beautiful in time.
Ecclesiastes 3:11
3:11. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.
God opens the way like Jonah who is vomited from the fish’s belly.
Jonah 2:10
2:10. So theLordspoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dryland.
Genesis 1:10
1:10 And God called the drylandEarth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas. And God saw thatit wasgood.
The hands of God are able to care our life miraculously.
The hands of God are able to employ our life.
The hands of God change us from carnal men to spiritual ones like Jesus, so we are worthy to greet Him at His second coming. We are together with God forever. - Serving God without grumble, envy, et cetera, but we always give thanks and live in the mercy of God.
God blesses us.