Public Service at Surabaya - Sunday, March 18, 2007

The true Church is characterized with these three things:

1. (Jude 1:3) faith; contending earnestly for the faith.
2. (Jude 1:9) hope; having hope in God.
3. (Jude 1:20-25) love

All of which must be developed to perfection.

We have previously learned the growth of faith based on Tabernacle system as follows:

1. Gate (http://gptkk.org/gerbang-en.php) signifies that faith comes by hearing the word of God.
2. Table of Showbread (http://gptkk.org/mrs-en.php) refers to Bible Study Service in which the word is preached repetitively to strengthen the faith.
3. Golden Pot contained Manna refers to the perfect/permanent faith.

Now here is the growth of hope based on Tabernacle system:

1. Laver (http://gptkk.org/bejana-en.php) refers to baptism of water.
   We all were born several or many years ago to abide in the body of flesh and blood. Such life gives no hope; meaning man is born to die, as flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven - although he was born in a palace.
   1 Corinthians 15:50
   50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.
   So what to do? Hope comes first by baptism of water; thus, all men have to be baptized with water for regeneration.
   1 Peter 1:3-4
   3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
   4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
   Baptism of water is to die and raise with Jesus (Romans) to a living hope, that is:
   • to an incorruptible life, over which death has no power
   • to an undefiled life; we will not easily, even cannot be defiled just as a lily in mud is always white. We do live in the wicked world but we, by regeneration by baptism of water, will not easily be defiled.
   • to a life that does not fade away. The flesh is easy to fade away due to pride and frustration. By baptism of water, however, we will not easily become proud or frustrated until we are reserved in heaven / worthy of eternal life.
   Where do we rest our hope in times of trouble? This question is to testimony whether we have hope or not and the answer must be in God alone, just like a baby crying to his mother. In such a manner, we are under God’s coverings. On the contrary, hoping on others means there is no hope.
2. Door (http://gptkk.org/kemah-en.php) refers to the fullness of Holy Spirit, living in the Spirit.
   Romans 8:15
   15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."
   By the fullness of Holy Spirit, we will speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gives us utterance (Acts 2). On top of that, we are encouraged to cry out, “Abba, Father”, which means obedience to the will of the Father revealed by His word. Obedience is the beginning of success and the key of the kingdom of heaven.
   Matthew 7:21
   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.
   Only the obedient have hope of success and eternal life.
   A widow of Zarephath, for example, had nothing in famine, only a handful of flour and a little oil. She thought to prepare it for herself and her son, that they might eat it and die. Meaning she had failure for there is nothing but a handful of flour and a little oil. Nevertheless, she obeyed God’s will to make cake for Him/His servant first. It was an impossible thing that she had nothing according to the world but she could live in the days of famine 3.5 years when there was no rain (referring to the days of antichrist reigns over the world). We are saved from antichrist and we will be lifted up to enter into the kingdom of peace a thousand year until we reach the peak of success, that is to say entering New Jerusalem.
   Knowledge sometimes makes us proud and disobedient, so that we get nothing, but total failure.
   Matthew 7:22-23
   22 "Many will 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?’
   23 "And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
   Verse 22 shows people having spiritual potential in the world. Nevertheless, without obedience they practice lawlessness, not the will of God. For instance, they run business or work or serve the Lord not according to the word of God. Consequently, they are cast out by God to enter into total failure that is to say perdition forever. Thus, obedience is the key of success, not riches or potential someone has. Holy Spirit encourages us to say “Abba Father”.
   In short, the second hope is baptism of water – we have life even eternal life although in actual we do not have any hope to live – and baptism of Holy Spirit – we are encouraged to obey God until we have the peak of success that is to say entering the kingdom of heaven.
3. Golden Candlestick (http://gptkk.org/pelita-en.php) speaks of steadfastness in General Service to fill our lamps with the anointing oil of Holy Spirit, so that the lamps keep burning and the hope abides in us. But if we do not continue steadfastly, the lamps will go out – for there is no enough oil.
   What are the benefits of the burning lamp?
   1. To light the darkness of this age / to bear the light of witness
      Mark 4:21
      21 Also He said to them, "Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand?
      No matter how little the light is shining, it will light the darkness.
      Darkness refers to the sins below:
      1. Basket, pointing to sins concerning eating-drinking and economics. Famine will happen as in the days of Joseph in Egypt, until in the revival of black horse (Revelation). Only the light of witness may overcome sins concerning basket.
      2. Bed, pointing to sexual sins / marrying and giving in marriage. Only the light of witness, we have through our patience in committing General Service in which the oil of Holy Spirit fills us, may overcome these sins. With the anointing oil of Holy Spirit, we have a hope to overcome the darkness because only light my overcome it.
         Intelligence cannot overcome the sins concerning eating-drinking and sexuality. Manny intelligent persons do such sins.
         I got a call from a churchgoer in Malang city. He knows a rich woman who is very busy with all of her activities. She goes outside her house even outside Malang city every day until her son becomes very naughty and sinful. She cannot settle such condition and she have taken a decision to give her son poison and then she will hit him with car until he dies. She thinks it does not matter to be in prison or to face God’s judgment. Such shows the darkness which nothing may settle except the light of witness. I do not know the woman but I think she is a Christian because her name is the name written in Holy Bible. I help her through my prayer.
      3. hatred
         John 15:18, 25-27
         18 "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.
         25 "But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’
         26 "But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.
         27 "And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.
      The world hates Jesus, and Christians must face many difficulties. Students of Lempin-el, you may find it is difficult to build a church. Do not marvel since hatred comes together with the difficulties. We will face persecution and difficulty besides the sins concerning eating-drinking and sexuality. There are seven times those verses say about hatred until the hatred without any reason. You will see that an intelligent student or a smart officer face hatred in the world. Such is strange but we will face it. Nevertheless, if we have the anointing oil of Holy Spirit, we have a burning lamp and we have to bear witness in order to defeat the darkness/hatred without any reason and many difficulties. Therefore, let us use the time to bear witness in our church now.
   2. to have seven burning lamps of fire.
      We may have the seven burning lamps of fire through General Service in which Holy Spirit anoints us.
      Revelation 4:5
      5 And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
      The seven Spirits of God do not have meaning that there are seven kinds of the Spirit of God like seven colors of rainbow. Do not interpret Holy Bible for we need the opening of its secret. The seven Spirits of God shows the Holy Spirit with its seven activities/manifestations.
      Isaiah 11:1-3
      1 There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.
      2 The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.
      3 His delight is in the fear of the LORD, …
      They are:
      1. the Spirit of the Lord (not the spirit of the flesh / the spirit of antichrist)
      2. the Spirit of wisdom
      3. the Spirit of understanding
      4. the Spirit of counsel
      5. the Spirit of might
      6. the Spirit of knowledge
      7. the Spirit of the fear of the Lord
      In the former translation Indonesian Bible, it is mentioned “bernafas dengan takut akan Tuhan”, which is translated “to breathe with the fear of the Lord.” Only if we have the light of Holy Spirit, we must delight in the fear of the Lord. Lucifer was once the archangel and had all of the spirits, but not the spirit of the fear of the Lord, and he now becomes Satan accordingly. Jesus excels Lucifer in the fear of the Lord. Wisdom, understanding, and might that we have for the work of ministry are nothing without the fear of the Lord, even drive us into hell. But those who fear the Lord are accompanied and used for the work of ministry.
   Proverbs 8:13
   13 The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate.
   The fear of the Lord is to hate evil as much as lie. A liar preserves his prestige with lies and he thinks to succeed, but he is against the Lord, in fact. Satan is the father of lies who does not fear God. Beware of lies, for they are the most challenging sin; speaking a lie means going up against the Lord. It is twice written in the book of Revelation that a liar may not enter into New Jerusalem, but into the lake of fire and brimstone.
   Now we know the significances of hope by continuing steadfastly in General; the light of witness to drive darkness into light and the seven lamps to the fear of the Lord to hate evil and lies.
4. The rod of Aaron, which sprouted, blossomed, and yielded ripe almonds. This is the image of the perfect/permanent faith.
   Man is simply like a rod – a piece of withered wood. If a tree has root, it will live continuously. Nevertheless, a man is as a rod (a piece of withered wood) which will die. Likewise, the rod of Aaron is dead if it does not sprout, blossom, and yield ripe almond.
   Man is just like a withered rod of wood and wasting away. Yet now there is hope and life if he is faithful before God – as the rod of Aaron placed before God and sprouted, put forth buds, produced blossoms and yielded ripe almonds.
   Number 17:7
   7 And Moses placed the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle of witness.

If you are in distress and feel dying, you need to be faithful to serve, minister, and worship God, that the Holy Spirit will revive you God – as the rod of Aaron (dead wood which is powerless and will perish) placed before God and sprouted, put forth buds, produced blossoms and yielded ripe almonds.

to sprout = to be alive
If we are faithful before God, the Holy Spirit gives us life both physically and spiritually.

Romans 8:11
11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

The Holy Spirit, which is the manifestation of God’s Hands, provides our life needs marvelously. Let us prepare our heart to be faithful before God, even going through unresolved troubles. In addition, the Holy Spirit cares and leads our spiritual life to righteousness and holiness. As long as we do not walk in righteousness and holiness, we are hopeless even in abundant riches.

to blossom = to have the gifts of Holy Spirit and priest’s offices.
Holy Spirit gives us gifts or wonderful capabilities beyond our ability to do the work of ministry. Life is nothing without ministry. The ministers of God are profitable men; they have expectation and can be expected. Soon after a plant produces blossoms, it will yield fruits to consume by others, being blessings for others. Thus, we should not be satisfied with all that we have, for they are nothing without our ministry. A smart boy is not always the place of his parents to rest their hope on; even he tends to forget them after being prosperous. But if he becomes a minister of God, he can be expected and surely remember his parents; and as he yield fruits, they will also enjoy the fruits.

to yield fruits = to have the fruit of the Spirit as the manifestation of the permanent hope.
We need to be faithful in the service, ministry, and worship that the Holy Spirit helps us to sprout, blossom, and yield fruits.

Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self–control. Against such there is no law.

The nine fruits of the Spirit are divided into three groups as follows:

1. love, joy, and peace, which are in the Father / the Lord.
2. longsuffering, kindness, and goodness, which are in the Son / Jesus.
3. faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, which are in Holy Spirit / Christ.

These nine fruits are the image of God the Trinity. Man was made in the image of the Lord, but the image faded away soon after they committed sin and now man is simply like a withered rod. Only if they become faithful, they will revive – sprout, blossom, and yield fruits – according to the image of God. We will come to perfection after having the nine fruits of the Spirit.

Genesis 1:26
26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."

“Us” refers to the Trinity.
coming back to the image of God = becoming as perfect and glorious as the Lord is. Jesus Christ is the heavenly Groom and we are His Bride.
That is how Holy Spirit works to renew us, who were once wicked but now are kind, who were hateful but now full of love, and were unfaithful but now faithful. Such continues until we get the perfect image of God back.

To conclude, the Holy Spirit is able to do the things below:

• recreate us according to the image of God – even though we are simply a rod.
• revive us
• make us profitable for the work of ministry
• return us to the image of God.

The Holy Spirit creates us both physically and spiritually to make all beautiful and perfect provided we are faithful before God.
In short, we have the hope as follows:

• Baptism of water – we have undefiled life reserved in heaven.
• The door – we live obediently until we have success
• Golden Candlestick – we have the light of witness and the fear of the Lord.
• We become the rod, which sprouts, blossoms, and yields fruits. We may live although we are powerless.

God bless you!