Bible Study at Surabaya - Monday, May 21, 2007

We are going to continue our lesson in the epistle of Jude, which is in Tabernacle referred to the covering of badgers’ skin. The term “covering” here points to the protection and attention of God toward the true church as well as separation from the false one. We must be extra careful for the growth of both churches is like tares and wheat. It turns out that the tares (the false) seem to be more conspicuous than the wheat (the true). Nonetheless, a complete separation will be sometime revealed. The wheat will be gathered into the barn, but the tares will be burnt in the fire. Let us learn to know the true one by God Himself, lest we judge any church.

CHURCH OF THE FLESH

Jude 1:10
10 But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves.

One of the signs of the fleshly church is to follow God by their nature or instinct like animals; meaning they follow God only with the purpose of gaining worldly matters and satisfying their flesh (seeing that animal instinct is to seek food and drink and to have sex). Such Christians are corrupt-minded and faithless; they have neither mind nor faith/truth.

2 Timothy 3:8
8 Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith;

What are these faithless men like to be?

• money hunters
  1 Timothy 6:10
  10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
  They are driven to money hunt regardless of faith or truth, for example, doing corruption for being instant millionaires, supplying false goods for fast-track sales, cheating for a better grade, and so on. They treat brutally to get all they want, just as animals being ready to kill their own species to satisfy their hunger.
• the falling away
  Luke 8:13
  13 “But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away.
  They depart from the faith and deny the Lord because they cannot endure temptations, enticements, and pressures.
• false prophet followers
  1 Timothy 4:1
  1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,
  They forsake the true doctrine and give heed to heresies. Following Jesus, they have no faith and righteousness. A scribe said "Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go." but Jesus showed the following of an animal "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests” that is without faith and righteousness. When temptations come, they will no longer believe and serve God.

What are corrupt-minded men like to be?
Unlike animals, men are people who have wisdom and understanding. If they corrupt their mind, however, they will lead an outrageous life (without holiness and glory) and remain in the old way of life.

Job 32:8
8 But there is a spirit in man, And the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding.

God gives us wisdom and understanding, both of which are the advantage of man over animals, that we may understand and obey the word of God. This is the upright mind, which brings divine results as follows:

1. pure life and sincere love of the brethren
   1 Peter 1:22
   22 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,
   In many cases, youths are plunged into false and empty love by pre-marriage intimacy. Lest you make a fool of yourself, a sincere love comes from pure soul as well as for husbands and wives.
   1 Peter 1:13-16
   13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
   14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance;
   15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
   16 because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy."
   We are purified to love each other with a sincere love and a healthy mind until we all become as holy as Jesus is.
   Everyone who has corrupt mind must be unholy, no matter how brilliant and prestigious he is. Such a man is as an animal neither understands nor practices the word of God; he is unholy.
   Proverbs 7:7-10
   7 And saw among the simple, I perceived among the youths, A young man devoid of understanding,
   8 Passing along the street near her corner; And he took the path to her house
   9 In the twilight, in the evening, In the black and dark night.
   10 And there a woman met him, With the attire of a harlot, and a crafty heart.
   Take heed lest you be corrupt-minded; or else, the harlot of Babylon will catch you up, especially youths. Youths here refer to young people and lustful people.
   Proverbs 7:21-23
   21 With her enticing speech she caused him to yield, With her flattering lips she seduced him.
   22 Immediately he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, Or as a fool to the correction of the stocks,
   23 Till an arrow struck his liver. As a bird hastens to the snare, He did not know it would cost his life.
   The youths devoid of understanding refuse the word of God and live without holiness. They are entangled in the perdition of Babylon’s sin (sex and eating-drinking) just like an ox goes to the slaughter.
2. renewal of life, from fleshly to heavenly men as perfect as Jesus Christ is.
   1 Peter 1:23
   23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,
   Jesus, who had died, was raised and taken up in the glorious body, but He will come back again in like manner He went into heaven. Indeed, He had once taken up into heaven and the gravitation of the earth could not hold Him back, and so will we be taken up by the renewal of our lives.
   1 Peter 1:24-25
   24 because "All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls away,
   25 But the word of the LORD endures forever." Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.
   The grass that we eat (such as rice and wheat) will become flesh and blood in our mortal body and profit nothing for the eternal life. Besides eating grass, therefore, we must also eat the word: hearing, understanding, and practicing the word that it shall be our flesh and blood in our spiritual body, which is as glorious as Jesus is.
   Even though we have a form of godliness and do the work of ministry, we will not be renewed if we refuse the word of God. Moreover, we will become a people of wickedness with a corrupt mind, fleshly men who will come into perdition.
   2 Timothy 3:1-5
   1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:
   2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
   3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self–control, brutal, despisers of good,
   4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
   5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
   The power of godliness is the word of God.
   Denying the power of godliness = Many have a form of godliness but they neither prioritize the word nor seek spiritual miracles. They only concern with physical wonders, such as health and riches, which Satan can imitate, but not the spiritual ones, such as renewal of life. Satan cannot make himself honest as the renewal of life springs originally from God. In fact, many Christians serve God but ignore the word of God; they stay in the eighteen fleshly characters. Eighteen (666) is the mark of antichrist. So, it means they will be possessed by antichrist.
   In Revelation 13, antichrist is described as a beast; a man without mind. Beasts are indeed wild because they eat their young. Let us now pray to God that we do not become fleshly church, which follows God/seeks job or spouse only with instinct like animal. Animal is without faith, righteousness, holiness, and renewal of life. Thus people in the characteristics of beasts will go toward Babel/antichrist with the stamp 6.6.6 to enter into perdition.
   2 Timothy 3:8
   8 Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith;
   There will come up faithless and corrupt-minded Christians like Jannes and Jambres. They go to church and serve God, but follow the error of Jannes and Jambres.
   Exodus 7:11-13
   11 But Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers; so the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.
   12 For every man threw down his rod, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.
   13 And Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as the LORD had said
   Jannes and Jambres were sorcerers. Seeing that, we must be careful with physical wonders, since sorcerers (Satan) can imitate them. The error of Janes and Jambres was to resist Moses’ rod, which implies these two things:
   1. the cross of Christ
      Many resist the cross in their services to the Lord by saying “We live a hard life in the world, why then should we make it harder at church? Take it easy and have fun!” This statement is logically acceptable to people such as Jannes and Jambres, who were devoid of understanding and wisdom. They indeed resist the Cross.
      Philippians 3:18-19
      18 For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
      19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame––who set their mind on earthly things.
      Paul wept. It is so sad that many Christians become the enemies of God; they resist the Cross and serve God with carnal mind to obtain worldly matters. Their god is their belly as animal thinking only about food (verse 19). They never think it is a particularly enjoyable experience to crucify the flesh.
      So what should we do? We give ourselves to enter the narrow gate, that is, crucifying the flesh to stop sinning and find the glory of God.
      Let us take these two examples:
      • smokers: It is hard to stop smoking but they really do it.
      • corruptors: Money is lacking to supply their life needs but they dare to stop their corrupt acts.
        Such is called the Cross; suffering in the flesh to stop sinning.
      1 Peter 4:1
      1 Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,
      We formerly committed sin but let us now bear the cross of Christ and suffer in the flesh (entering the narrow gate) to stop sinning. Afterward, we still have to bear the cross to find the glory of God.
      1 Peter 4:12-13
      12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;
      13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.
      That is, sufferings because of committing no sin to find the Shekinah Glory, the glory of God. Formerly, Aaron sprinkled blood and there was Shekinah Glory. Now many want to remove the suffering as Jannes and Jambres through resisting cross/righteousness. Students of Lempin-El, a servant of God is indeed in glory but it begins with the process of cross firstly, or else the glory will end with fall.
   2. the rod of shepherding
      Whoever does not enter the narrow gate will not come into shepherding either, since both the cross and shepherding are inseparable.
      Ezekiel 20:37
      37 "I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant;
      God always works by the shepherding system from age to age (as written in the Old and New Testaments). That Jesus Christ was born in a stable does not mean “poverty” but the heavenly system, which is shepherding. Everyone must enter the shepherding by the door (John 10), that is, Jesus / the narrow gate / the Cross. And the bad news, Satan wants to crush both the cross and shepherding.
   Resisting Satan’s effort to break these two inseparable connections, we must enter the shepherding, which is portrayed by the holy place with three objects:
   • Golden Candlestick (http://gptkk.org/pelita-en.php) = Sunday Service to build an association with the Holy Spirit as if we drank water.
   • Table of Showbread (http://gptkk.org/mrs-en.php) = Bible Study Service followed by Holy Communion to build an association with the Son as if we ate bread.
   • Golden Altar of Incense (http://gptkk.org/dupa-en.php) = Worship Service to build an association with Father God as if we breathed air.
     If we reject the cross and shepherding service system, we will be punished just like the Egyptian people were plagued ten times.
     Exodus 7:14, 17
     14 So the LORD said to Moses: "Pharaoh’s heart is hard; he refuses to let the people go.
     17 ‘Thus says the LORD: "By this you shall know that I am the LORD. Behold, I will strike the waters which are in the river with the rod that is in my hand, and they shall be turned to blood.
     Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses’ rod. The rod stroke waters of the river of Egypt, which refers to the world, and the waters turned into blood. It means as follows:
     • no satisfaction or freshness
     • no life care (none may cook because the water had become blood)
       The plague continued to the tenth plague, i.e. the death of the firstborn, meaning a spiritual death bringing the second death/hell forever. In short, there is no life outside the cross. We have to be in shepherding seriously, seeing that Satan wants to destroy the cross and the shepherding to make flesh comfortable even the service and ministry are made comfortable to the flesh.
   Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” (Matthew 16:24). In the service and ministry, we must take the cross and not fleshly pleasure. Satan, however, wants to crush the cross and shepherding and make it all easy.
   The late Rev. Pong Dongalemba has said that it is righteous if students of Lempin-El begin their ministry in suffering/death to flesh and they have to continue it. The late Rev. In Juwono has said that it is the grace of the Lord. Do not run from suffering. Fleshly pleasure is the sign of animal, without faith and mind but instinct only. Such is not the right following to God.

Going back to the past, we know that the Israel people dwelt in the land of Goshen, in which there was no plague. They were safe and prosperous by the hands of the Lord. Let us therefore follow Jesus Christ by taking the cross and being shepherded regardless our flesh uncomfortable.

Zechariah 11:4, 7
4 Thus says the LORD my God, "Feed the flock for slaughter,
7 So I fed the flock for slaughter, in particular the poor of the flock. I took for myself two staffs: the one I called Beauty (Indonesian: Mercy), and the other I called Bonds; and I fed the flock.

We are called the flock for slaughter, that is, the flock of the Christ that enter narrow way/the way of cross/sheepfold because of having the sign of blood. Do not become wild sheep because they have no owner. Being the sheep for slaughter, we are Jesus’ property because Jesus is the Lamb of God who has been killed. We have to be careful because in Zechariah we find “the poor of the flock” (sheep merchant) meaning the system of trade in shepherding. In the system of trade, the pastor seeks physical advantage while he is not feeding the sheep because feeding discomforts the flesh. Besides, the sheep (congregation) goes to the Church not to eat the word of God but to seek physical advantages such as looking for many friends, much money, positions, business chance, etc. because eating the word of God discomforts the flesh. Let God corrects us, beginning with me as a pastor.
These are the two shepherding rods mentioned in verse 7:

• the rod of beauty = the rod of mercy
  This rod is especially intended for the Gentiles whom God considers as dogs. The woman of Canaan whose daughter was severely demon-possessed begged for mercy, but the Lord said that it was not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs. The children are Israelis and the little dogs are Gentiles. For that reason, the Gentiles need the rod of mercy.
  John 19:32-34
  32 Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him.
  33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs.
  34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.
  Jesus had died with four main wounds – two at hands and two at feet – to redeem the people of Israel from breaking the law (Matthew 15:24 “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”) In spite of this, one of the Roman soldiers, who are Gentiles, pierced Jesus’ side and made the fifth wound, out of which blood and water came. This is the mercy of the Lord to make Gentiles (dogs) the sheep under His Shepherd.
  The blood symbolizes repentance: stopping sinning and returning to God and the water symbolizes water baptism for a good conscience called obedience.
  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,
  Thus, the blood and water beget us to be the obedient sheep of God. This is a miracle as Eve was born from Adam when he slept. Jesus also slept through His death on the cross to give birth to His Church through the blood and water coming out of His side. Such is especially for the Gentiles. We have to be born miraculously through the baptism of water if we want to become the sheep of God. The proof is obedience.
• the rod of bonds
  Bonds here are to show God’s possession. People can kill wild sheep, which have no shepherd, but not bounded ones since they are under the care of a shepherd. The bond points to an ownership. Rejecting the cross, one does not want to be bound because he will have no freedom. In such a manner, there is no ownership upon him. A bound animal has a cord and none may bring it away except its owner. Many people want the freedom but it will bring them toward destruction. Let us understand that sheep need to be bound.

In the shepherding we must be bound with no other thing than food, which points to the shepherding word. It is a big mistake to stay in shepherding only with bonds of worldly matters, such as, money, rice, and social status.

Hosea 11:4
4 I drew them with gentle (Indonesian: faithful) cords, With bands of love, And I was to them as those who take the yoke from their neck. I stooped and fed them.

There are two bonds: faithfulness and love.

1. faithful cords
   We are counted faithful to the Lord and in all things only if we are faithful to the shepherding word / the true teaching word.
   “I stooped and fed them.” The term “stoop” shows respectful esteem for the shepherding word. Therefore, we must be respectful to the word of God, just as the late Rev. Totaijs wrote in his book, saying “No excuse to hear the word of God!” It means there is no excuse for us to fall asleep when hearing the word of God – even if being sick and tired of working hard all day long.
   2 Corinthians 11:3-4
   3 But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
   4 For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted––you may well put up with it!
   “You may well put up with it” = “You cannot reject it” owing to no boldness and anointing. Eve, for instance, had lived for many years by the true teaching word, which the Lord had spoken by Himself, that she might freely eat of every tree of the garden, but NOT of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Indeed, she had lived by this commandment for many years, but she could in a moment turn to voice of the serpent. Be extra careful, therefore!
2. bands of love
   Love means practicing the word of God.
   John 14:15
   15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments.
   Those who practice the word are the sheep of God; they are sanctified and renewed to be as holy and glorious as Jesus Christ is.

By being shepherded, God will number us.

Ezekiel 20:37
37 "I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant; (Indonesian: I will bring you into the sheepfold by numbering you.)

Matthew 10:30
30 "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

A hair is even numbered; meaning we are numbered by God even though we are as weak as a hair. Nothing can be done with a hair although it is the most beautiful one. We probably have no qualification in the sight of men, but God by our being shepherded will number us; meaning as follows:

• God thinks upon us.
• God knows us much deeper than our husband/wife, parents, and shepherds can do (John 10:14 "I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.”)
• God leads us.

Revelation 7:15-17
15 "Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them.
16 "They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat;
17 "for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

The Good Shepherd will lead us all, so that:

• “they shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore”; meaning we are cared by God Himself. It is true as I have experienced; I was in hunger but I just prayed and begged for nothing to the others. As a result, God sent me a help. I cannot draw this testimony back – even if some are against me. Indeed, never will I draw it back.
• “the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat”; meaning we are protected from dangers and temptations, even from antichrist’s persecution. It had been proved as the people of Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt. Egypt was plagued and destroyed with its all power and greatness, but the Lord covered and protected Goshen.
• “for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters”; meaning we live in satisfaction and joy.
• “and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”; meaning all sins and problems are finished. As you have probably known, tears drops because of sins, but God will wipe away every tear until we enter the New Jerusalem.

Just because the Good Shepherd has given His life for the sheep and descended into the lower parts of the earth (the lake of tears), He is now able to feed and protect us, settle all problems, and give us joy until we come into the New Jerusalem, the highest place. God promised with His own life and He will never break it.
God bless you.