Prayer Service in Surabaya, May 12, 2014 (Monday Evening)
Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Revelation 1:9-20
John the apostle was exiled to Patmos to undergo flesh tribulation, not because of sins, but the Word and Jesus’ testimony.
Because of this, John the apostle experienced 3 things as follows.
- Verse 9: he could enter the true fellowshipwith God (the fellowship of the body and the Head) and others (the fellowship of Christ’s body) (it has been explained since Bible Study Service in Surabaya, December 9th2013).
- Verse 10-16: he could listen and look at the sound of the trumpet, which manifested into 2 real forms as follows.
- The seven golden candlesticks or the perfect churches (it has been explained since Christmas Service in Surabaya, December 23rd2013).
- (verse 13-16) Jesus’ appearances in the glory as the High Priest, the King, the Just Judge, and the Bridegroom of Heaven (it has been explained since Bible Study Service in Surabaya, February 3rd2014).
- Verse 17-20: he could fall down at God’s feet(it has been explained since General Service in Surabaya, May 11th2014).
Revelation 1:17
1:17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feetas dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me,“Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.
‘fell at His feet as dead’ refers to worshipping God until our flesh speaks no more.
Why does God let this happen?
On verse 9, it was the spiritual condition of John the apostle.
Revelation 1:9
1:9 I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
John had the Word (the Table of Showbread) and the testimony of Jesus Christ (the Golden Candlestick), but he missed one thingnamely the prayer to God (the Golden Altar of Incense).
This is a dangerous condition!
Although he was a great apostle, if he had no worships or his worships did not reach the measurement (the flesh still speaks), he would be the target of antichrist.
Revelation 12:17
12:17 And the dragonwas enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of Godand have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
‘the dragon’ refers to the antichrist.
‘her offspring’ refers to God’s church.
‘keep the commandments of God’ refers to the Word (the Table of Showbread).
‘have the testimony of Jesus Christ’ refers to the Golden Candlestick.
On this verse, God’s church did not have the Golden Altar of Incense.
The consequenceis we will be the target of the antichrist and enter the torture of antichrist. We will be like antichrist and perish forever and ever.
Hence, if God lets something bad for our flesh happen in our lives(physical sufferings without sins), it is not because God wants to destroy us, but to elevate our spiritualityand we are able to be the true worshippers of God, we can worship Him until our flesh speaks no more (our prayer reaches the measurement), and the antichrist cannot touch us.
John 4:23-24
4:23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshiperswill worship the Father in spiritand truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.
4:24 God isSpirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
The true worshipis motivated by the righteousness (the true Word of God) and spirit (the Holy Spirit), the Word which is sharper than any two edged sword, the true Word, or the sanctifying Word.
God let John be cast away in Patmos and have sufferings to enter the true fellowship. There are a lot of wrong fellowships (the ones that do not put Jesus or the Word as the head).
John was able to listen and look at the Word that manifested into real forms, namely the perfected Christ’s body and God in perfection or glory.
Through the suffering without sins, John was able to fall down.
If we suffer because of sins, we have to ask for forgiveness and repent.
Suffering without sins will motivate us to fall down and worship God.
Hebrews 4:12-13
4:12 For the word of Godisliving and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
4:13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things arenaked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must giveaccount.
The Word sanctifies our lives starting from our heart.
Our hearts are filled with 7 evil and unclean luststhat are hidden and have to be pierced or sanctified.
Matthew 15:19
15:19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts(1), murders(2), adulteries(3), fornications(4), thefts(5), false witness(6), blasphemies(7).
‘false witness’ refers to lies.
‘blasphemies’ refer to maligning, blaspheming the Word or God.
Blasphemy starts from thinking bad things about other people.
The number 7 refers to 7 lamps on the golden candlestick.
If we hide these 7 evil and unclean lusts within our heart, our heart will be dark and the light is quenched, our lives are dark, we live without any control and lead to perfection in evil and uncleanness (the Babylon).
The number 7 refers to the number of perfection. It means that if we have 7 evil and unclean thoughts, we can be perfect in evil, or if we let our heart be sanctified, we will be perfect like God.
The bright heart can see or worship God. The key of worships is heart.
Matthew 5:8
5:8 Blessed arethe pure in heart, For they shall see God.
If our heart is sanctified, we can see and be seen by God.
Worship is not one sided. It is not that only we who see God, but that He also sees us, so there are actions and reactions.
Whoever we are, even we are an apostle or a great person, if we are not holy, God will not see us, He turns away from us.
Luke 22:60-62
22:60 But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are saying!”Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.
20:61 And the Lord turnedand looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”
20:62 So Peter went out and wept bitterly.
‘I do not know’ means Peter denied God. Denying is lying (one of the 7 sins within the heart).
Because Peter lied (his heart was not holy), God turned away and hid His face from Peter. God did not look at him even though he was an apostle.
Beware! If we keep our sins, God will neversee us.
If God turned away from Peter, who was a great man, even more He will turn away from us, who are not great.
We have to be serious!
Fortunately, there was a cock’s crowing, and God turned and looked at Peter. Cock’s crowing is needed to attract God’s attention (it is simple, but important).
It is useless if we are looking at God but He is not looking at us. Fortunately, there was a cock’s crowing (preached repeatedly and faithfully).
Cock’s crowingis the true Word that is entrusted by God to ashepherd to be preached to the congregation faithfully and cannot be disturbed by anyone, regularly and repeatedly, like a flaming swordthat repeatedly sanctifies us.
The moment when the cock is crowing or the sword is striking us is when God turns to see us.
When we are sinful, God will not see us. We hear the cock’s crowing (the repeated Word) because we still keep the sins. God still does not see us therefore the Word is repeated.
The proof that God is looking at us is we have sanctificationnamely we can realize, regret, and confess our sins to God and others. If we are forgiven, do not commit sins anymore. We are sanctified and we can see God.
In Luke 22:61-62, when the cock crew, Jesus turned to see Peter and Peter also saw Him.
‘wept bitterly’ (Luke 22:62) means Peter got a crushed heart and he repented from his sins. When the Word is preached, our heart can get crushed and God turns His face to see us. We are sanctified and able to see God.
Ezekiel 39:29
39:29 And I will not hide My facefrom them anymore; for I shall have poured out My Spiriton the house of Israel,’ says the Lord God.”
‘I will not hide My facemeans that if there are cock’s crowing, our lives will be easy. As long as we are not set free from sins, the Word will always show our sins, because God wants to turn His face to us. If God hides His face, woe to us!
Don’t get God wrong if the Word is keep on repeated, because He wants to see us.
The proof that we have seen God and He has turned His face to see us is The Holy Spirit is poured upon us.
In a deputation, we need the Holy Spirit. Without Holy Spirit, our flesh ministry benefits nothing to the Kingdom of Heaven.
If the Holy Spirit is poured upon us, the living water from the Heavenis also poured upon us, even though we have been dry. This is our chance. Peter was also dry. The moment we tell lies, our lives get dry. When the Word comes, we can realize, regret, and confess our sins and God will see us and we see Him. If we are earnest, the Holy Spirit from Heaven will be poured upon us, even though we are like a dry land (disappointed, dismayed, sad, and so on).
The results are as follows.
- Ezekiel 47:8-9
47:8 Then he said to me: “This water flows toward the eastern region, goes down into the valley, and enters the sea. When itreaches the sea, itswaters are healed.
47:9 And it shall be thatevery living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and everything will livewherever the river goes.
Dead Sea has a very high salinity, and not a single creature can live there. If the water from the sanctuary flows to it, the salty water can turn into the plain water.
The first result is the living water of the Holy Spirit is able to give livesboth physically and spiritually in the middle of impossibilities (in Dead Sea, it is impossible to live, even not a single bacterium can).
Physically: Holy Spirit is able to nurture our lives miraculously in the middle of difficulty and impossibility in every aspect.
Spiritually: we can live in righteousness and holiness in the middle of sins and peak of sins. The Holy Spirit is able to nurture our lives when antichrist reigns for 3.5 years until forever and ever.
- John 4:10-11, 13-14
4:10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
4:11 The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water?
4:13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again,
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.”
‘Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again’ means that if we drink water from the worldly well (intelligence, wealth, power, or sins), we will always be in thirst.
The second result is the living water of Holy Spirit can give us happiness or heavenly satisfactionin abundance, so that we can flowit to others who need it (we testify and invite people), and springupward to an eternal life.
Without the Holy Spirit, we cannot testify, but only gossiping and bad-mouthing, and we get really dry.
- Revelation 22:1
22:1 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
The third result is ‘a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal’. We get the living water that sanctifies and changes our livesfrom the carnal human to the spiritual one like Jesus (the greatest miracle). The beginning of a life change is from being clear like a crystal or being honest.
We have to be honest in finance, marriage, and in everything, especially about God or teaching.
If we are doubtful and have a lot of questions, we will shed many tears. Be honest! Say yes for yes and no for no. If we do not tell the truth, we will be dry.
A testimony:
“This is what I am afraid of. I am not challenging God. I have been through hunger, and everything. But I hope I will not get dry. If I am dry, there is no benefit of being a God’s servant. It has no meaning.”
We have to watch our honesty. Honesty decides whether we are dry or not!
If we are honest, it is the greatest miracle.
“I taught to Lempin-El, ‘never look at people’. Even a great person (like Peter), if he commits wrong, he is wrong. Who are we compared to Peter? Never say ‘yes it is, but … ‘. It is dishonesty and we will get dry. The ministry and everything get dry, both physically and spiritually. This is what I am afraid of most in the congregation. I don’t care about hunger, but being dry is a great problem.”
This evening, if we are dry, we have to beg to God. There are still chances to be honest and confess our faults. In a twinkling of an eye, the heavy rain will come. God is merciful. We are dry but corrected by the Word. We have to be grateful.
If we are honest, God will answer our prayers and we will be the house of prayer.
Proverbs 15:8
15:8 The sacrifice of the wicked isan abomination to the Lord,
But the prayer of the upright isHis delight.
If we become the house of prayer, in every cry and tear, God is able to create miracles, and change the impossible to be possible.
He will create miracles both spiritually and physically, every step or heart beat is a step of miracle.
Until the last step, if Jesus comes to earth again, we are changed to be as glorious as Him, we are raised up and able to see Him face to face forever and ever.
Whatever our conditions are, in guilt, deficiency, or we spiritually dry, as long as we hear the cock’s crowing or the flaming sword, it may hurts the flesh, but God is looking at us and we are looking at Him. God longs to see us face to face. If God hides Himself, it is dangerous for us. We have to see Him face to face and let the rain of Holy Spirit pour upon us.
God blesses us.