Peace and grace in the love of Jesus Christ. Good evening, let us listen to the Word of God. May the peace and grace from God be within us.
We are still learning Revelation 2-3.
In the Tabernacle, these chapters refer to the seven sprinkles of blood in front of The Ark of The Covenant.
These also refer to the seven letters to the seven churches of the Gentiles, which is the final sanctificationthat Jesus does to make them perfect and unblemished like Him.
We will study them one by one, starting from the sanctification to the church of Ephesus(it has been explained since General Service in Surabaya, July 27, 2014).
Revelation 2:4
2:4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
The sanctification of the church of Ephesus is to RETURN TO THE FIRST LOVE.
The first love is God's love (the agape) through Christ's sacrifice on the cross.
On Philippians 2:8, Jesus was obedient up to the point of death on the cross to give God's love to us, the sinful men.
Therefore, returning to the first love means BEING OBEDIENTuntil our flesh speaks no more.
John 14:15
14:15 "If you loveMe, keepMy commandments.
If we love God (receive the agape), we will be obedient.
The truth is that from age to age, humans are not obedient. It is described as follows.
How can we be obedient? We have to be obedient to return to the first love, but the fact is human has been disobedient for ages.
1 Peter 3:20-21
3:20 who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.
3:21 There is also an antitype which now saves us--baptism(not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good consciencetoward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
We can be obedient through the water baptism.
The true water baptism is a renewal of the conscience, from a conscience that tends to do evil, into a good conscience, which is an obedient one.
We have to pray earnestly for an obedient conscience, because this is the basic need.
On the age of Noah, human drowned in the flood. Now, do not drown in the fire of God's punishment, but let us drown in the water baptism to receive a good conscience.
We only need to choose between drowning in the water baptism or in God's punishment.
Romans 10:17-21
10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
10:18 But I say, have they not heard? Yes indeed: "Their sound has gone out to all the earth, And their words to the ends of the world."
10:19 But I say, did Israel not know? First Moses says: "I will provoke you to jealousy by those who are not a nation, I will move you to anger by a foolish nation."
10:20 But Isaiah is very bold and says:"I was found by those who did not seek Me; I was made manifest to those who did not ask for Me."
10:21 But to Israel he says: "All day long I have stretched out My hands To a disobedientand contrary people."
The process or the steps to be obedientare as follows.
Acts 5:32
5:32 And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obeyHim."
This evening, let us return to the first love (or return to the obedience).
If we are obedient, The Holy Spirit or the Spirit of glory will be pouredupon us.
If we are obedient, we stretch our hands to God. The Holy Spirit is also God's stretching hands.
The resultis we live in God's hands (in the anointment of the Holy Spirit).
This evening, we really need the Holy Spirit. If we are not obedient, let us back to the obedience. If we have already been obedient, we just need to wait for God's time to help us, and even Satan cannot stop us.
Without the Holy Spirit, the carnal human is weak. We cannot do anything, we are broken like a wood. However great a wood is, it is destroyed by the heat and cold.
This evening, let us stretch our hands (being obedient) to God and He will stretch His hands (He will send the Holy Spirit) to us.
The usages of the Holy Spiritare as follows.
Tonight, let us return to the first love, that is being obedient. Let the Holy Spirit or God's hands be stretched upon us to give us strength, happiness, help, and to open our ways, to create spiritual miracles, until we are perfect and deserve to welcome Jesus' second coming.
God blesses us.
We are still learning Revelation 2-3.
In the Tabernacle, these chapters refer to the seven sprinkles of blood in front of The Ark of The Covenant.
These also refer to the seven letters to the seven churches of the Gentiles, which is the final sanctificationthat Jesus does to make them perfect and unblemished like Him.
We will study them one by one, starting from the sanctification to the church of Ephesus(it has been explained since General Service in Surabaya, July 27, 2014).
Revelation 2:4
2:4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
The sanctification of the church of Ephesus is to RETURN TO THE FIRST LOVE.
The first love is God's love (the agape) through Christ's sacrifice on the cross.
On Philippians 2:8, Jesus was obedient up to the point of death on the cross to give God's love to us, the sinful men.
Therefore, returning to the first love means BEING OBEDIENTuntil our flesh speaks no more.
John 14:15
14:15 "If you loveMe, keepMy commandments.
If we love God (receive the agape), we will be obedient.
The truth is that from age to age, humans are not obedient. It is described as follows.
- The age of God, the Father(the beginning of time)
An example is Adam and Eve.
The consequenceis being naked.
On the age of Noah, there were a lot of disobedient people, even the children were not obedient, that only 8 of them were saved.
This is a lesson for us.
The consequenceis being naked, which means falling into sins concerning eating-drinking and the sins of marrying-giving in marriage.
Do not take it easy, many people said 'how would that be possible that a whole church doesn't go to heaven'. In fact, on the age of Noah, only 8 persons out of everyone in the whole world were saved. - The age of God, the Son(the middle age)
An example is Peter, who turned to be a fisherman, although God had commanded him to be a fisher of men.
The consequenceis facing failure and being naked. - The age of God, the Holy Spirit(the end of time), especially is represented by God's servants.
We have to be aware, including us, who are God's servants, because in the end of time, God will be very honest to His servants.
Matthew 7:21-23
7:21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
7:22 Manywill say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?'
7:23 And then I will declareto them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'
'Practicing lawlessness'means being disobedient.
As it is stated 'many' here, we have to remember the age of Noah, where there were a lot of disobedient people, only few were obedient.
We have to be careful although many people may mock us. The important thing is to be obedient to the bible, whatever people may say.
The resultis the door of Heaven and a lot of doors in this world are opened for us.
In the end of time, there are also a lot ofGod's servants who are not obedient and sent away by God, which also happened in the Paradise, and they died forever and ever.
How can we be obedient? We have to be obedient to return to the first love, but the fact is human has been disobedient for ages.
1 Peter 3:20-21
3:20 who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.
3:21 There is also an antitype which now saves us--baptism(not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good consciencetoward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
We can be obedient through the water baptism.
The true water baptism is a renewal of the conscience, from a conscience that tends to do evil, into a good conscience, which is an obedient one.
We have to pray earnestly for an obedient conscience, because this is the basic need.
On the age of Noah, human drowned in the flood. Now, do not drown in the fire of God's punishment, but let us drown in the water baptism to receive a good conscience.
We only need to choose between drowning in the water baptism or in God's punishment.
Romans 10:17-21
10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
10:18 But I say, have they not heard? Yes indeed: "Their sound has gone out to all the earth, And their words to the ends of the world."
10:19 But I say, did Israel not know? First Moses says: "I will provoke you to jealousy by those who are not a nation, I will move you to anger by a foolish nation."
10:20 But Isaiah is very bold and says:"I was found by those who did not seek Me; I was made manifest to those who did not ask for Me."
10:21 But to Israel he says: "All day long I have stretched out My hands To a disobedientand contrary people."
The process or the steps to be obedientare as follows.
- [Verse 17] 'hearing by the word of God', we listen to God's Word(the Word which is anointed by the Holy Spirit).
The Holy Spirit is not limited by anything.
The Holy Spirit pushesus to enjoy God's Word. This is the difference if we listen to God's Word in the anointment of the Holy Spirit.
In the anointment, we will enjoy the Word, like when Jesus gave the fish as He broke the bread. If He only gave the bread, it would not be that good. It was good because He also gave the fish.
Fish refers to the Holy Spirit.
The bread refers to the Word.
Psalms 119:92
119:92 Unless Your law had been my delight, I would then have perished in my affliction.
Beware! If we don't enjoy listening to God's Word, we will have miseries, spiritual death (we are spiritually drying) until we perish. - [Verse 19] We have to respond to the Word in a positive way.
When we give a positive response, the Holy Spirit will anoint our mind, and we will understand the Word (the Word is written on the forehead).
The Holy Spirit will also anoint our heart, and we will be sure of the Word (the Word is written on the heart and it turns into faith).
Romans 10:19
10:19 But I say, did Israel not know? First Moses says: "I will provoke you to jealousy by those who are not a nation, I will move you to anger by a foolish nation."
'not a nation' refers to the Gentiles.
Actually, only the Israelites are allowed to listen to the Word. The Gentiles don't deserve to receive the Word (as what God said to the Samaritan woman, 'for it is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs').
The children refer to the Israelites, while the little dogs refer to the Gentiles.
However, because the Israelites gave a negative response (by having a hard or dirty heart), the Gentiles get the chance and God's mercy, even to those on the end of the earth, to listen and to believe in God's Word and be saved.
Acts 13:46-47
13:46 Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, "It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.
13:47 For so the Lord has commanded us: 'I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.'"
'the ends of the earth' refers to the Gentiles.
If the Gentiles ignore the Word, it means that they reject God's mercy.
The consequenceis misery and death, there is no excuse for such people.
A testimony:
"I saw it with my own eyes. While we were on patrol during the preach on the parking spot in Johor, when the church in Lemah Putro was in construction, there was a member of the youth choir went outside to the store, he laughed and drank.
Deep within my heart, I said 'it would be better if he were in the patrol and we were inside', but pastor Yo didn't let it. I'm not judging, but his life was bad, even when he became a God's servant. Ignoring the Word will give us misery and death indeed. If God does not help us, we will surely die. We should be serious." - Practicing the Word, which means BEING OBEDIENT.
The Holy Spirit anoints us to be able to do God's Word, even though it is against the logic, whatever the risks are.
Being obedient is stretching our hands to God (it is like saying 'it is up to You, God').
Acts 5:32
5:32 And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obeyHim."
This evening, let us return to the first love (or return to the obedience).
If we are obedient, The Holy Spirit or the Spirit of glory will be pouredupon us.
If we are obedient, we stretch our hands to God. The Holy Spirit is also God's stretching hands.
The resultis we live in God's hands (in the anointment of the Holy Spirit).
This evening, we really need the Holy Spirit. If we are not obedient, let us back to the obedience. If we have already been obedient, we just need to wait for God's time to help us, and even Satan cannot stop us.
Without the Holy Spirit, the carnal human is weak. We cannot do anything, we are broken like a wood. However great a wood is, it is destroyed by the heat and cold.
This evening, let us stretch our hands (being obedient) to God and He will stretch His hands (He will send the Holy Spirit) to us.
The usages of the Holy Spiritare as follows.
- 1 Peter 4:14
4:14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessedare you, for the Spiritof glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.
The first usage is to give us extra power, that we are not disappointed nor dismayed, and do not leave God, in any situation, but we are happy and faithful in the middle of sufferings, we do not move backward even for one step.
This is a test for us. If we can be happy in the middle of sufferings, it means that we have the Spirit of glory and we will not be broken like a weak wood. If we are disappointed or dismayed, the wood is broken. - The second usage: The Holy Spirit is the Helping Spirit who creates physical miracles.Several examples are as follows.
- Exodus 16:3, 7-8
16:3 And the children of Israel said to them, "Oh, that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger."
16:7 And in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord; for He hears your complaints against the Lord. But what are we, that you complain against us?"
16:8 Also Moses said, "This shall be seen when the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening, and in the morning bread to the full; for the Lord hears your complaints which you make against Him. And what are we? Your complaints are not against us but against the Lord."
The Holy Spirit will help us through the crisis, both physically (the hunger) and spiritually (murmuring).
The Holy Spirit is able to give us physical food (to nurture us physically) in the middle of crises or impossibilities.
This is a miracle that God brought the quails and manna.
The Holy Spirit will also satisfy us (nurture our spiritual life) that we can always give thanks instead of murmuring. - Exodus 14:21-22
14:21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east windall that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided.
14:22 So the children of Israel wentinto the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
'east wind'refers to the Holy Spirit.
When we face the Red sea(a dead end), everything is impossible, the Holy Spirit can give us a way outof all problems, even the impossible ones, and give us a beautiful future, we will be successful right on its time (the waters were divided, so that the Israelites were able to move forward).
We should testify God's helps on our life, because we believe on God's helps, and our testimonies get bigger and bigger and He will use us for the revival of the last rain. - Matthew 17:14-18
17:14 And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying,
17:15 "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epilepticand suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water.
17:16 So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him."17 Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me."
17:18 And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.
Jesus was on a mountain and His face shone like a sun (the Spirit of glory), but there was an epileptic.When Jesus came with the Spirit of glory, the epileptic was healed.
It means that the Holy Spirit is able to heal us, both physical diseases and spiritual epilepsy, which refers to sins until the peak of sins, including the destroyed marriage and children).
If there is the Spirit of glory, we can stop committing sins, the destroyed marriage and children can be healed and reunited, there will be happiness in God.
- Exodus 16:3, 7-8
- 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 washing of regeneration' refers to the water baptism.
The third result is the Holy Spirit renews us(this is a spiritual miracle).
We are renewed little by little from the carnal human to a spiritual one like Jesus, until we are perfect.
The renewal starts from the mouth, that we are able to shout 'Yes Abba, yes Father' which means we are obedient until the flesh speaks no more. Until one day, we will only shout 'Alleluia' to welcome Jesus' second coming on the glorious cloud. We will not be wrong in our speech and we are perfect like Jesus.
Tonight, let us return to the first love, that is being obedient. Let the Holy Spirit or God's hands be stretched upon us to give us strength, happiness, help, and to open our ways, to create spiritual miracles, until we are perfect and deserve to welcome Jesus' second coming.
God blesses us.