Youth Service in Malang, September 05, 2015 (Saturday Evening)
Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In Luke 9:22-27is about our following to Jesus.
Luke 9:22
9:22. saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day."
Jesus willingly suffers up to the death on the cross, but He is risen on the third day.
John 2:19-21
2:19. Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."
2:20. Then the Jews said, "It has taken forty–six yearsto build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?"
2:21. But He was speaking of the temple of His body.
Jesus does not object to die on the cross and He is risen on the third day, so the building of the perfect body of Christ happens and the Gentiles can enter it.
The perfect body of Christ is the same as the bride of Heaven who is ready to greet when Jesus comes a second time on the glorious clouds. Then, we enter marriage supper of the Lamb of God, upcoming Paradise or a Thousand Years Kingdom of Peace until New Jerusalem forever.
So, the direction of our following to Jesus is New Jerusalem through the way of the cross (the journey for three days).
The journey to New Jerusalem is the same as the one of Israelites to Canaan.
Exodus 15:22-25
15:22. So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the Wilderness of Shur. And they went three daysin the wilderness and found no water.
15:23. Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah.
15:24. And the people complained against Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?"
15:25. So he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There He made a statute and an ordinance for them. And there He tested them,
The way of the cross is signified with three things as follows:
- The Wilderness of Shur.
Shur is the same as fort. It refers to the things as follows:
- The dead end.
- The problems that cannot be finished by cleverness, wealth, and position.
- The impossible thing.
- Finding no water.
It means suffering in the flesh, thirst, and the flesh is not satisfied.
If we are not satisfied, we often look for other satisfaction in the world by smoking, drugs abuse, a spectacle that is not good, and evil company.
Even, the worldly satisfaction is often brought in the church.
The direction is falling into sin up to the peak of sin, namely the sin of eating-drinking and marrying-giving in marriage.
- Bitter waters.
It means bitterness for flesh.
There are two attitudesto face the way of the cross as follows:
- Complainingbecause of using carnal mind.
Exodus 15:24
15:24. And the people complainedagainst Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?"
1 Corinthians 10:5-6, 10
10:5. But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
10:6. Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.
10:10. nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer.
In the last days, a lot of God's followers complain when they face the way of the cross, so they will face the destroyer.
The destroyer brings death, both physical and spiritual one/spiritual dryness, namely one is not fervent in spiritual things.
It will bring to the second death in the hell forever.
- Crying out to the Lord. It is the same as worshipping God.
Exodus 15:25
15:25. So he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There He made a statute and an ordinance for them. And there He tested them,
When Moses worshipped God, He showed him a tree (the cross).
It means we just look at the cross of Christ/Christ's sacrifice in our prayer, especially the fifth injury that is the biggest and the deepest one. Blood and water come out from the fifth injury.
The sign of blood is the same as repenting or being dead to sin, especially from eight sins that bring us to the hell.
Revelation 21:8
21:8. "But the cowardly(1), unbelieving(2), abominable(3), murderers(4), sexually immoral(5), sorcerers(6), idolaters(7), and all liars(8)shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
- The cowardly. It means one fears of something until he does not fear of God, but being against God and the word.
- Unbelieving which is the same as doubtful or anxious heart.
- Abominable which means evil.
- Murderers which means hatred up to hatred without a cause.
- Sexually immoral. It refers to uncleanness or sexual sin with all its kinds.
- Sorcerers, including amulets, fortune-telling and shaman.
- Idolaters, including stinginess and greediness.
Colossians 3:5
3:5. Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
Being stingy means one cannot give for God's work (time, power, and money) and others who are in need.
Being greedy means one steals others' and God's (the tithes and special offerings).
The idolatry is everything that hinders us to love or prioritize God.
- Liars.
Lying is the journey to the hell. It is contradictory to the one to new Jerusalem.
The sign of water refers to water baptism.
One who has died to sin or repented must be buried in the water with Jesus and come out or rise from water with Him to receive new life or heavenly one, namely experiencing the anointing of Holy Spirit.
John 16:7
16:7. "Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helperwill not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
Jesus goes away to pour out Holy Spirit for us. The Baptist with Holy Spirit is Jesus Himself.
The usefulness of Holy Spiritis He pours out love of God, so we become strong and of good courage.
Romans 5:5
5:5. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spiritwho was given to us.
It means as follows:
- One is neither disappointed nor desperate and he does not leave God in facing anything.
- One keeps ministering to God faithfully and fervently.
- One keeps holding fast to true teaching word.
- One keeps worshipping God.
The resultis miracle happens.
Exodus 15:25
15:25. So he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There He made a statute and an ordinance for them. And there He tested them,
The waters were made sweet. It means spiritual miracle happens. Bitter tongue becomes sweet .There is no more vain word, but only good and true word or the words that become blessing to others.
True word means being honest. We do not lie, but say yes if yes and no if no until we do not stumble in word.
The physical miracle happens too. Bitterness becomes sweet, failure becomes success, bad thing becomes beautiful one, and impossible thing becomes possible.
Our tongue determines everything.
Revelation 19:6-7
19:6. And 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!
19:7. "Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready."
When Jesus comes a second time, we will be changed to become as perfect as Him. The tongue does not stumble in word anymore, but just worships 'Alleluia'. We are lifted up to the glorious clouds and with God forever.
God blesses us.