Peace and grace in the love of Jesus Christ. Good evening, let us listen to the Word of God. May the peace, grace, and joy from God be within us.
We are still in the theme in the book of Revelation 1:17-20(it has been explained since General Service in Surabaya, March 11, 2014), but we are still studying Revelation 1:17-18.
Revelation 1:17-18
1:17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.
1:18 I amHe who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am aliveforevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.
John the apostle fell at God’s feet, which means he worshipped with a crushed heart, and we feel the touch of God’s right hand.
Let us be able to worship God with a crushed heart and feel the touch of God’s hands. John the apostle received God’s touch and received three thingsas follows.
This evening, we are still studying the third part ‘I was dead and I am alive’.
‘I was dead, and behold, I am alive’. Jesus was dead and not alive to do the following things.
What is the key of the door of Heaven?
Acts 14:22
14:22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting themto continue in the faith, and saying,“We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.”
The key of the kingdom of Heaven is tribulation with Jesus, or the cross.
Why do we have to undergo tribulations with Jesus?
2 Corinthians 4:16-17
4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward manis perishing, yet the inward man is being renewedday by day.
4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding andeternal weight of glory,
Through the cross, we will have a life changeor a renewal from the fleshy human to the spiritual one like Jesus.
If Jesus had not been crucified, He would not have been able to enter the Kingdom of Heaven because of His blood and flesh body. This is why Jesus had to die on the cross and rose from death in the glorious body, and went into the Heaven. The same thing goes to us. We have to undergo the cross (tribulations with Jesus) so that we have a life change until we are as glorious as Jesus.
Why do we have to change?
1 Corinthians 15:50
15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.
We have to change because flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, but will die forever and ever.
What should be changed or renewed?
2 Corinthians 4:16
4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward manis perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.
The renewal starts from the heart.
If the heart is changed, the whole life will be changed.
If the heart is not changed, the whole life will not be changed.
Heart is the center of our spiritual life.
Now we will learn about the heart renewal.
James 3:11-12
3:11 Does a springsend forth fresh waterand bitterfrom the same opening?
3:12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt waterand fresh.
‘a spring’ refers to the heart, which is the source of our spiritual life.
There are several springs described on the verses. These refer to the heart, which is shown in speech. If our heart is a fresh water spring, it is impossible that bitter water shown from our speech.
The hearts that should be renewed are as follows.
These 3 hearts need to be renewed in order to have the key of the kingdom of Heaven and inherit the kingdom of Heaven (we are able to enter it).
If our heart is changed, it will be a strong and firm heart(not plain, bitter, nor salty). This is the obedient heart.
The obedient heart will be filled with the living water from Heaven, namely the Holy Spirit. Jesus went to Heaven and promised to anoint us with the Holy Spirit because human of flesh and blood cannot live without the Holy Spirit.
Jesus is the one who gives the Holy Spirit from Heaven to us. We have to provide the place through prayer.
The place is our heart. Do not have a tasteless, bitter, or salty heart, but let our heart be renewed to be strong and of good courage. We are not tasteless, bitter, or salty, but we are always obedient.
Our heart is filled with the water from Heaven, namely the Holy Spirit, which is poured upon us. All of us need Holy Spirit.
The usages of Holy Spirit are as follows.
God has defeated death and locked the door of the kingdom of death. If there are people who die, it happens because of their own faults.
God has locked the kingdom of death to prevent us from dying and given us the key of the kingdom of Heaven, that is the cross(the flesh sufferings), including this night. The worship is a form of flesh suffering to change us.
The most important thing is a heart changingfrom the tasteless, bitter, or salty heart, into the obedient oneand the Holy Spirit (the living water) will be poured, to flow(to testify) and to spring(to worship with the groaning which cannot be uttered). The Holy Spirit will make the mountains become a plain.
Whatever our difficulties are, God will help us until one day we will not stumble in word. We are perfect when Jesus comes to Earth again and we deserve to welcome His second coming.
God blesses us.
We are still in the theme in the book of Revelation 1:17-20(it has been explained since General Service in Surabaya, March 11, 2014), but we are still studying Revelation 1:17-18.
Revelation 1:17-18
1:17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.
1:18 I amHe who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am aliveforevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.
John the apostle fell at God’s feet, which means he worshipped with a crushed heart, and we feel the touch of God’s right hand.
Let us be able to worship God with a crushed heart and feel the touch of God’s hands. John the apostle received God’s touch and received three thingsas follows.
- ‘Do not be afraid’, means there is no more fear(it has been explained since General Service in Surabaya, May 11, 2014).
- ‘I am the First and the Last’ (it has been explained since Bible Study Service in Surabaya, May 19, 2014).
‘The First’ means the initial love.
‘The Last’ means the love of the Bridegroom (the peak of love). ‘I am the First and the Last’ means we receive God’s love. - ‘I was dead and I am alive’, means we receive the winning power against death(it has been explained since General Service in Surabaya, May 25, 2014).
This evening, we are still studying the third part ‘I was dead and I am alive’.
‘I was dead, and behold, I am alive’. Jesus was dead and not alive to do the following things.
- Defeating death, or gaining triumph over death, so He holds the key of the kingdom of death and closed the door of the kingdom of deathfor all of us, so we are not dead forever.
- Matthew 16:18-19
16:18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
16:19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
If we have triumphed over death, Jesus will give us the key of the kingdom of Heaven to let us enter the door of Heavenand live eternally forever and ever.
What is the key of the door of Heaven?
Acts 14:22
14:22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting themto continue in the faith, and saying,“We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.”
The key of the kingdom of Heaven is tribulation with Jesus, or the cross.
Why do we have to undergo tribulations with Jesus?
2 Corinthians 4:16-17
4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward manis perishing, yet the inward man is being renewedday by day.
4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding andeternal weight of glory,
Through the cross, we will have a life changeor a renewal from the fleshy human to the spiritual one like Jesus.
If Jesus had not been crucified, He would not have been able to enter the Kingdom of Heaven because of His blood and flesh body. This is why Jesus had to die on the cross and rose from death in the glorious body, and went into the Heaven. The same thing goes to us. We have to undergo the cross (tribulations with Jesus) so that we have a life change until we are as glorious as Jesus.
Why do we have to change?
1 Corinthians 15:50
15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.
We have to change because flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, but will die forever and ever.
What should be changed or renewed?
2 Corinthians 4:16
4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward manis perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.
The renewal starts from the heart.
If the heart is changed, the whole life will be changed.
If the heart is not changed, the whole life will not be changed.
Heart is the center of our spiritual life.
Now we will learn about the heart renewal.
James 3:11-12
3:11 Does a springsend forth fresh waterand bitterfrom the same opening?
3:12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt waterand fresh.
‘a spring’ refers to the heart, which is the source of our spiritual life.
There are several springs described on the verses. These refer to the heart, which is shown in speech. If our heart is a fresh water spring, it is impossible that bitter water shown from our speech.
The hearts that should be renewed are as follows.
- The fresh waterspring, or a tasteless heart. It refers to being easily disappointed, downhearted,or being proud when facing anything in this world.
- The bitter waterspring, or a bitter heart. It refers to envy, hatred.
- The salt-waterspring, like the Dead Sea, where the salinity is very high that nothing lives in there. It refers to the dead heart, because it is possessed by sins until the peak of sins.
These 3 hearts need to be renewed in order to have the key of the kingdom of Heaven and inherit the kingdom of Heaven (we are able to enter it).
If our heart is changed, it will be a strong and firm heart(not plain, bitter, nor salty). This is the obedient heart.
The obedient heart will be filled with the living water from Heaven, namely the Holy Spirit. Jesus went to Heaven and promised to anoint us with the Holy Spirit because human of flesh and blood cannot live without the Holy Spirit.
Jesus is the one who gives the Holy Spirit from Heaven to us. We have to provide the place through prayer.
The place is our heart. Do not have a tasteless, bitter, or salty heart, but let our heart be renewed to be strong and of good courage. We are not tasteless, bitter, or salty, but we are always obedient.
Our heart is filled with the water from Heaven, namely the Holy Spirit, which is poured upon us. All of us need Holy Spirit.
The usages of Holy Spirit are as follows.
- John 7:37-39
7:37 On the last day, that great dayof the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.
7:38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
7:39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believingin Himwould receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given,because Jesus was not yet glorified.
Jesus had to die, rose and went to Heaven and let the Holy Spirit be poured upon us.
The first usage of the Holy Spirit is “the water will flow(horizontally) to those in need”.
It meansthat we are able to have a truthful and good speech, or a speech that can bless others. We have to testify to those in need and to those who have not believed to Jesus. We have to testify the good news (the gospel).
To those who have been saved, we have to testify about the Bride Tidings (the Word) to bring them into the building of the perfect body of Christ.
If our heart is tasteless, we will murmur. If our heat is bitter or salty, we will gossip and do other things.
This night, we are God’s target.
God will never deny His promises. He promised to pour the Holy Spirit upon us. It is now on us to provide the place. If we don’t provide a good place, we cannot accept the Holy Spirit.
Get the place ready, which is the renewed (an obedient heart) and fervent heart. This kind of hearts will be the place of the Holy Spirit.
If our heart is renewed, it is not hard for us to have a righteous and good speech, and to testify, starting from marriage (our marriage becomes peaceful), in church, and anywhere else. - John 4:14
4:14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”
The second usage of the Holy Spirit is as a springing(vertical) living water (after the water flows horizontally, it can spring upwards) to push us to worship God.
Romans 8:26
8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
This night, let the Word and the Holy Spirit motivate our prayer.
The Holy Spirit motivates us to worship God with groaning which cannot be uttered, which means as follows.- Worshipping with other tongues.
If we are fulfilled with the Holy Spirit, the other tongue should be trained to be under control (it is not forced and mimicking, but we have to ask from God), so that the fire of the Holy Spirit keeps on kindling within us.
When Aaron, the Great Priest, entered the Holy of Holiest with the ephod robe and bells of gold, there was a beautiful voice. That was the worship with the other tongues. - Worshipping God with a broken heartlike a baby crying to his mother. The baby Moses was in the hand of the daughter of Pharaoh. He should have been dead. However, because of his cry, God’s mercy was upon him.
Whatever our condition is, let’s confess that we are only baby and we can do nothing. We can only cry until God has mercy upon usand Holy Spirit will do physical miracles.
If our cries reach God and attract His mercy, His hand (the Holy Spirit) will do physical miracles for us.
God will not leave us alone. God will pay attention to a crying baby.
Zechariah 4:6-7
4:6 So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts.
4:7 ‘Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabelyou shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone With shouts of “Grace, grace to it!” ’ ”
There will be physical miracles, as God’s hands (the Holy Spirit) are able to make great mountains become plain lands. God is able to solve every problem, even the impossible ones, and to give us a futurethat is full of hope, a good beautiful, and successful future for us (if the mountains become a plain, we can look forward).
We have to use our mouth to testifyand to worship. The Holy Spirit will work to create physical miracles to help us until one day we will not stumble in word (the last miracle).
James 3:2
3:2For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he isa perfectman, able also to bridle the whole body.
We do not stumble in word means that we only say ‘Alleluia’ to welcome Jesus’ second coming in the glorious clouds and we will be able to enter the Kingdom of Heaven forever and ever.
Revelation 19:6-7
19:6And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!
19:7Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.”
We are raised up to the clouds and enter the marriage supper of the Lamb of God, the Kingdom of 1000 years of peace, and the eternal Kingdom of Heaven. We will be with Him forever and ever. - Worshipping with other tongues.
God has defeated death and locked the door of the kingdom of death. If there are people who die, it happens because of their own faults.
God has locked the kingdom of death to prevent us from dying and given us the key of the kingdom of Heaven, that is the cross(the flesh sufferings), including this night. The worship is a form of flesh suffering to change us.
The most important thing is a heart changingfrom the tasteless, bitter, or salty heart, into the obedient oneand the Holy Spirit (the living water) will be poured, to flow(to testify) and to spring(to worship with the groaning which cannot be uttered). The Holy Spirit will make the mountains become a plain.
Whatever our difficulties are, God will help us until one day we will not stumble in word. We are perfect when Jesus comes to Earth again and we deserve to welcome His second coming.
God blesses us.