Public Service at Surabaya - Sunday, May 20, 2007

CHURCH OF THE FLESH
Jude 1:8
8 Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries.
9 Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!"
Today we learn about the church of the flesh in connection with angel.
Lucifer, who was formerly praise music leader in heaven, has now become the angel of fleshly church due to his pride of intending to be like the Lord. He was accordingly cast down to the earth and now becomes Satan.

Isaiah 14:12-14
12 "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations!
13 For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north;
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.

The five “I will”s denote the top of pride, contrary to the five main wounds of Jesus Christ, which are the top of humility. Reaching the top of pride, Lucifer was cast down to the earth and now becomes Satan.

Isaiah 14:15
15 Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit.

In the present day Lucifer is provoking music ministers and church music leaders to emotion and pride, so that they are full of enthusiasm for praise songs but lack of interest in the word of God. Let us now sing and play musical instrument seriously in line with the word of God.

Unlike Lucifer, Michael is one of the angels of the true church.

Jude 1:9
9 Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!"

The angel Michael, in contending with the devil about the body of Moses, showed not his power, but the Lord’s (“The Lord rebuke you!”). Likewise is the true church; they have hope in God alone – even if they have power, intelligence, and riches. The great expectation is to be perfect and spotless at the time of Jesus’ second coming. Hoping in our own strength, we will not have the hope to become as glorious as Jesus is when He comes a second time.
There are two angels in the true church as follows:

1. Gabriel
   Luke 1:26-28
   26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,
   27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.
   28 And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"
   Gabriel is the messenger of God, bringing to Mary a good report of the birth of Jesus Christ. Gabriel is in our day manifested in the revelation of the word (teaching word), while Mary is to describe the true church.
   Let us now pray that we have the revelation of the word in every service we commit because it is the proof of the presence of Gabriel like Mary has experienced.
2. Michael
   Revelation 12:7-8
   7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought,
   8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer.
   Daniel 12:1
   1 "At that time Michael shall stand up, The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; And there shall be a time of trouble, Such as never was since there was a nation, Even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, Every one who is found written in the book.

Daniel 10:13
13 "But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty–one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.

Michael is the angel of war as well as the helper, which is the Holy Spirit, who will fight for us.

In conclusion, the both angels of the true church portray the true teaching word (Gabriel) in the anointing of Holy Spirit (Michael), which is termed the word sharper than any two-edged sword.

Hebrews 4:12-13
12 For the word of God is living 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.
13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

verse 12: sword = Thummim
verse 13: “no creature hidden” = light = Holy Spirit = Urim
Thus, the Urim and Thummim is the word sharper than any two-edged sword. This must be preached in the true church to absent Lucifer and present Gabriel and Michael (the true teaching word in anointing of Holy Spirit), that is to say to present the High Priest (since Urim and Thummim was over the heart of high priest).

In addition, the Urim and Thummim is called the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:3-4
3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,
4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

Actually, there are two sorts of the preaching of the word: (1) the gospel of salvation, which is about Jesus’ first coming, dying on the cross for the sake of sinners’ salvation. (2) the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, which is about Jesus’ second coming, appearing in glory for the sake of our perfection.

So many Christians, having received the gospel of salvation and been baptized, reject the true teaching word for the hardness of their heart, as they love to walk in the old way of life. It is written that Jesus entered into villages and cities to preach the gospel and to teach. It means everyone is capable of understanding the true teaching word. Difficulty understanding is just because of nothing else but the hardness of heart.

Below are the functions of the true teaching word:

• excellent power
  2 Corinthians 4:7-9
  7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
  8 We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
  9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed––
  The term “treasure” refers to the gospel of the glory of Christ (verse 3-4).
  Man is like an earthen vessel, which is apt to break. The excellence of the world, such as prudence, riches, and status, cannot give us strength to cope with troubles. Japanese, for example, are smart but they cannot endure temptations. Hara-kiri is the proof of that. Not only the prudent, many rich men also commit suicide due to unbreakable problems they have. It is all because their vessels are fragile. It is not forbidden to pursue education and earn money, but remember that they cannot restrain the destruction of our vessels from troubles and sins. Therefore, we must fill the true teaching word into our vessels much more than any worldly matter to endure troubles, temptations, harms, and death.
  “We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed”
  Such is because the power of teaching word (Urim and Thummim) that is the real power we get from the Lord. We really need it because problem and persecution will become bigger nowadays. Many pressures come and Christians will seek the teaching word whose abundant strength may enable us facing all temptations/problems. We will never become disappointed or hopeless even when we face death.
  Verse 9 “persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed” = we have eternal life, not death.
  Let us now do extra efforts to commit our service to the Lord so that we are filled with the word, more than our efforts to fill our vessel of life with money or intelligence or anything else. For example, you still go to school or office although the rain comes down or you have to wake up early in the morning and go home late at night. We have to do more efforts for our service, especially for teaching word because heavier pressures will happen until antichrist rules over the world. Now is the time to fill our vessel with the true teaching word.
• sanctification and perfection
  Ephesians 5:25-27
  25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,
  26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
  27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
  Sanctification and perfection come after these two stages:
  1. water baptism, being cleansed with the washing of water
     Everyone who wants to be perfect must be baptized with water.
     1 Peter 3:20-21
     20 who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.
     21 There is also an antitype which now saves us––baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
     Baptism of water changes wicked/disobedient heart becomes good/obedient. We were born by parents with wicked/disobedient heart because of the disobedience of Adam and Eve when they ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (as an inheritance of sin until in the days of Noah). The way out of that problem is only through renewal of life we may get from baptism of water. Nowadays, we are like in the days of Noah with great flood ready to drag and sink men into perdition. The great flood means the stream of the peak of sins hitting everybody, everywhere (seeing that there was no child saved at that time).
     Besides, the great flood means temptation in all aspects of life that peaks on the days of antichrist reigning in the world. None may solve such problems. Only those who have obedient hearts/good consciences may have salvation in facing the flood. We get the obedient heart from baptism of water. Let us and our whole families get into the one ark, referring to one baptism of water, to have the obedient heart.
  2. the true teaching word
     Matthew 5:27-28
     27 "You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.
     28 "But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
  The light of the gospel of the glory is like laser beam piercing the heart, the center of human spiritual life, which is portrayed as the Ark of Covenant (http://gptkk.org/tabut-en.php). Unless it becomes the throne of God, it will be the throne of Satan. For that reason, the heart must be sanctified by the light of the gospel of the glory from evil and unclean desires. There are actually many kinds of sin as written in Matthew 15:19 and Mark 7:21-22, but they are divided into two groups:
  1. Evilness, which is the love of money that leads men to filthiness and greediness.
  2. Uncleanness, which is sexual sins and eating-drinking.
  Before hearing the teaching word, I felt free to commit a sin, laughing and dreaming up sinful things. It was just like nothing to worry, but now not anymore after having the knowledge of teaching word. I have been always scared of and trembled in sin since then.
  Some time ago I ministered in youth service. There was a very clever youth not knowing the Lord. That was the first time of him hearing the word of God and he did not understand the word. Then he called me and said that he felt a difference. In the past, none had restrained him from sinning but he felt something restraining him from sinning after he heard the word of God. He asked me what had restrained him. I said that it was the power of God’s word.
  Let us, who have heard the word for many years, have the sanctification unto our hearts.
  The heart is sanctified and so is the whole life:
  • right eye
    Matthew 5:29
    29 "If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
    The right eye is a term to imply that we should only look upon Jesus the High Priest on the right hand of the Father, neither men nor worldly things. In Matthew 24, the Lord gives us a correction about our sight to the service. The disciples were proud of the glorious buildings of the temple but He said “not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down."
    Let us not see physical matters but Jesus on the right hand of the Father. In such a manner, we will never stumble and lose heart, for it is written in Hebrews 12:3 “For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.”
    Setting the eyes on men, we will become weary. As they are fervent in spirit, we will be also fervent, but as they lag in spirit, so will we do. Even as they fall into sin, we must fall on them.
  • right hand
    Matthew 5:30
    30 "And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
    The right hand signifies good works acceptable to the Lord (that is ministry) and the others (that is the works profitable to them).
  • character
    Matthew 5:31-32
    31 "Furthermore it has been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.
    32 "But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.
    Divorce is because of self-truth; the guilty makes him/herself righteous by blaming God and the others. “blaming” is not the appropriate word to form harmony, but to incite quarrels and divisions. Sin separates man from God as well as man from others. Unity is created only by the Cross. There we confess and forgive one another, being of one accord in marriage and the Body of Christ.
  • mouth
    Matthew 5:33-37
    33 "Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.
    34 "But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne;
    35 "nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
    36 "Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black.
    37 "But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No,‘ No.’ ’For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.
    No lie should come out of our mouth anymore until we do not stumble in word, that is, being a perfect man. Such is the work of the sanctification of the true teaching word in anointing of Holy Spirit.
    James 3:2
    2 For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.
    All parts of the body are mistaken often, such as hands, feet, and mind, but the mouth does a far more often. If the mouth, which is the most troubled, is renewed to say “yes” for “yes” and “no” for “no” (not stumbling in word), the others will be no longer troubled either. That is to say, we completely become perfect.
• renewal to the glory of God
  2 Corinthians 4:10-11
  10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
  11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
  What are inside of Jesus manifested in our body?
  Matthew 11:28-30
  28 "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
  29 "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
  30 "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
  • lowly in heart
    Jesus on the cross was made Himself of no reputation to confess the sins of the whole world. Why then do we sustain reputation to confess our own sins? Lowliness in heart is defined as an ability to confess sin to God and the others and not to repeat it after being forgiven. As long as a man can only blame the others and cannot confess his sins, he shall never be renewed nor transformed as perfect as Jesus is.
  • gentle
    Gentleness has four understandings as follows:
    1. ability to accept the word of God with joy and thanksgiving – even though it is hard, sharp, and contrary to our logic and intention. The harder word of God we receive shows the gentler heart we have. Not receiving the word even having a thought that the word hits us, the heart is still heart.
    2. ability to learn from failure.
       Matthew 24:32 “When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.” Stop blaming the others for your failure, since it makes no benefit. In the case of there are many churchgoers do not attend the service anymore, the pastor has to correct himself through praying and fasting much more, not blaming the churchgoers. Likewise, we who have failed in ministry or study have to learn from the failure, not blaming others.
    3. ability to accept us as we are
    4. ability to forgive and forget the others’ sin.
       These four abilities take effect consecutively; meaning the central point is number 1. The second capability is possible if we have the first one, the third comes after the second, and the fourth after the third.
  • patient
    Patience means ability to endure in suffering and wait for the time of God revealed. Jesus had shown His longsuffering on the cross as a pattern to us all. The death of Lazarus of Bethany is another example of being patient. Jesus let Lazarus died because He wanted to show them the greater power behind patience. If Jesus had come soon after Mary and Martha told Lazarus’ sickness, Lazarus would have only got health. By patience, however, Lazarus had the power of resurrection.
  If the life of Jesus is manifested in our body, we will be peaceful and all things become easy and light, as Jesus Himself bears our burden. On the contrary, if we feel that life is very hard, it indicates that the life of Jesus is not manifested yet in our body. It is easy to say but indeed so difficult to practice. Nevertheless, we will neither become hopeless nor suffer if we are willing to receive the true teaching word sharper than any two-edged sword (Urim and Thummim).
  To talk about the Urim and Thummim, we remember the holy garment of Aaron the high priest with a breastplate over his heart.
  Exodus 28:30
  30 "And you shall put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be over Aaron’s heart when he goes in before the LORD. So Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel over his heart before the LORD continually.
  To get a vivid picture of breastplate, imagine an apron usually used to cover and protect the front of the clothes during the cooking activities. In the breastplate were set twelve sorts of stone (according to the twelve tribes of Israel) as well as the Urim and Thummim whose substance is not recorded in the Bible. We just know their implications: Urim is the sword, the word sharper than any two-edged sword, and Thummim is light or Holy Spirit.

Both the Urim and the Thummim were put over the heart of the high priest. Likewise are those who accept the work of the teaching word; they will be put over the heart of High Priest Jesus just as a baby carried by his/her mother. There the baby feels the mother’s heartbeats, that is, love (the flowing blood) and faithfulness (the heart does not stop beating). The more we are sanctified, the more we feel the love and faithfulness of God in His embrace.

Isaiah 49:14-15
14 But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me, And my Lord has forgotten me."
15 "Can a woman forget her nursing child, And not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you.

Today ten thousands mothers give their babies away; even kill them. This is to manifest that a mother’s strong love is moving away. Nonetheless, the love of God will never depart from us.

• God will always walk with us and never forsake us.
  Apostle Paul declared that none could be against us if God is for us.
  Romans 8:31-32
  31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
  32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
  The more we are sanctified, the more we are renewed and the more we feel the loving kindness of God. All things that we cannot think and reach will be given freely as long as we surrender as crying babies.
• God by His loving kindness will not forget us day and night even until His second coming.
  Luke 23:42
  42 Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom."
  Jesus Christ will come the second time as the heavenly Groom and King of kings. He will take us up into heaven.
  The late Rev. Totaijs in his night prayer always said, “Jesus, remember me when You come back again.”

In conclusion, we should give ourselves sanctified by the Urim and Thummim that the loving kindness of God does all things and God Himself remembers us till His second coming. We will become the perfect Bride, the absolute possession of God.
God bless you!