Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Luke 8:19-21
8:19. Then His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd.
8:20. And it was told Him by some, who said, "Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You."
8:21. But He answered and said to them, "My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it."
Jesus teaches us to do the will of God, including honoring our parents, family and respecting others as it is written from the law to the books of New Testament. God wants to show His will as follows:
We learn the second point.
Why does our relationship have to reach the family of God, not only the flesh family?
Ephesians 2:19-22
2:19. Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,
2:20. having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,
2:21. in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,
2:22. in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
The household of God is the spiritual temple of God or the eternal members of the body of Christ.
The household of God means the people who hear the Word of God and obey it to experience the power or the miracle from God.
Matthew 21:23
21:23. Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, "By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?"
Experience, cleverness, position, et ceteraare not the guarantee to experience renewal of life. Pharisees, chief priests and scribes do not receive the power of God because of hardening their heart, so they keep their flesh and do not obey the word of God.
Consequently, they will perish forever.
Luke 1:26-27,31,34,38
1:26. Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,
1:27. to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.
1:31. "And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.
1:34. Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"
1:38. Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.
On the contrary, Mary, a young girl, does not have any experience and knowledge (she does not know the meaning of greeting), but she can obey the Word of God, so she experiences miracle, becomes the family of God and experiences His power to conceive in her womb and brings forth a Son.
Actually, Israel is the one who is worthy to become the family of God and receive His power.
But, the part of Israel has rejected Jesus, so the Gentiles can come in.
The process to receive the power of God and become the family of God is as follows:
The results are as follows:
God blesses us.
Luke 8:19-21
8:19. Then His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd.
8:20. And it was told Him by some, who said, "Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You."
8:21. But He answered and said to them, "My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it."
Jesus teaches us to do the will of God, including honoring our parents, family and respecting others as it is written from the law to the books of New Testament. God wants to show His will as follows:
- Our Christianity or ministry is not based on generation or flesh family, but faith that roots in the heart.
- Our relationship with others must not be only in the flesh family, but until we are in the family of God.
We learn the second point.
Why does our relationship have to reach the family of God, not only the flesh family?
- The flesh family is not eternal.
- The flesh family can be obstacle in spirituality, namely ministry.
- The flesh family can result in the destroying fruits of flesh.
Ephesians 2:19-22
2:19. Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,
2:20. having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,
2:21. in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,
2:22. in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
The household of God is the spiritual temple of God or the eternal members of the body of Christ.
The household of God means the people who hear the Word of God and obey it to experience the power or the miracle from God.
Matthew 21:23
21:23. Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, "By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?"
Experience, cleverness, position, et ceteraare not the guarantee to experience renewal of life. Pharisees, chief priests and scribes do not receive the power of God because of hardening their heart, so they keep their flesh and do not obey the word of God.
Consequently, they will perish forever.
Luke 1:26-27,31,34,38
1:26. Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,
1:27. to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.
1:31. "And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.
1:34. Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"
1:38. Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.
On the contrary, Mary, a young girl, does not have any experience and knowledge (she does not know the meaning of greeting), but she can obey the Word of God, so she experiences miracle, becomes the family of God and experiences His power to conceive in her womb and brings forth a Son.
Actually, Israel is the one who is worthy to become the family of God and receive His power.
But, the part of Israel has rejected Jesus, so the Gentiles can come in.
The process to receive the power of God and become the family of God is as follows:
- Believing on Jesus.
Acts 19:1-6
19:1. And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples
19:2. he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" So they said to him, "We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit."
19:3. And he said to them, "Into what then were you baptized?" So they said, "Into John’s baptism."
19:4. Then Paul said, "John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Himwho would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus."
19:5. When they heard this, they were baptizedin the name of the Lord Jesus.
19:6. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.
By hearing the Word, we can believe on Jesus. In the arrangement of Tabernacle, it means that we enter The Gate. - To repent.
It means that one stops doing sin and returns to God. In the arrangement of Tabernacle, it refers to The Altar of Burnt Offerings. - Water baptism.
One who has died to sin must be buried in the water with Jesus and come out from water to receive new life or the opened Heaven. In the arrangement of Tabernacle, it refers to The Brazen Laver. - Holy Spirit baptism.
We experience fullness of Holy Spirit and one of its signs is tongues, as the Spirit gives us utterance.
Acts 2:4
2:4. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
In the era of the law, there was anointing oil that was used to anoint the king and priest.
For us now, the anointing of Holy Spirit is poured out by God directly to us and not by anointing oil anymore.
The results are as follows:
- The power of redemption.
Proverbs 10:2-3
10:2. Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, But righteousness delivers from death.
10:3. The LORD will not allow the righteous soul to famish, But He casts away the desire of the wicked.
We can live in righteousness and be saved.
We can live in righteousness in the middle of the perverse generation. It is the miracle from God.
We are taken care of and blessed by God until we give thanks. - The power of purification.
Matthew 2:6
2:6. 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’"
Jesus was born in Bethlehem and it refers to the power of purification.
Bethlehem means house of bread.
Bread refers to true teaching Word that is sharper than any two-edged sword.
It means that we must be shepherded in true teaching Word as the branch that abides in the true vine, namely God Himself.
We must be always in the sheepfold and do not walk about. If we walk about, the wolf has been waiting to catch through false teaching and sins up to the peak of sin.
In the sheepfold, our body, soul and spirit firmly attach or have fellowship with God the Trinity.
In the sheepfold, we experience purification by the Word which is like the sword which turns every way.
John 15:3
15:3. "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
John 13:10-11
13:10. Jesus said to him, "He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you."
13:11. For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, "You are not all clean."
We must experience the purification from dirty foot, namely life's journey.
The most dirty foot happens when we walk on Judas' path or sin as follows:- The thief (the root of wickedness) which coincides with the root of uncleanness.
- The betrayer, one is not faithful in ministry.
- The liar.
On the contrary, if the sword turns every way and purifies us from Judas' sin, our life's journey will follow the path of Jesus, the Good Shepherd. Our life's journey will be used by God to bring good news or gospel for those who do not believe Jesus and bride tidings to bring saved people to be perfect.
Romans 10:15
10:15. And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!" - The power of renewing.
Matthew 2:2, 11
2:2. saying, "Where is He who has been born Kingof the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him."
2:11. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Jesus appears as the King of kings with the power of renewing.
Matthew 17:1-2
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.
We experience the power of renewing from our face. Our face is changed by God as follows:- Being changed from fallen countenance.
Genesis 4:5-7
4:5. but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.
4:6. So the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?
4:7. "If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it."
Beaming face means that we can love others, even enemy.
Luke 24:17-21
24:17. And He said to them, "What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?"
24:18. Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, "Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?"
24:19. And He said to them, "What things?" So they said to Him, "The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people,
24:20. "and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him.
24:21. "But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. - Being changed from the face that is drained of color.
Nahum 2:10
2:10. She is empty, desolate, and waste! The heart melts, and the knees shake; Much pain is in every side, And all their faces are drained of color.
The face that is drained of color means one lives in fearfulness and worry about future.
If we look God's face, we can experience peace and do not feel anything that flesh feels, but we can surrender all to God. - Bad face.
- Being changed from fallen countenance.
God blesses us.