Public Service at Surabaya - Sunday, September 23, 2007

We are going to read Jude which tells about badger skins/ the covering of condemnation. Badger skins/ the covering of condemnation now mean the protection and blessing from God to His true churches and the separation from the false churches. The separation is like the one between wheat and coarse grasses. We have to be careful because the coarse grasses grow faster than wheat, but they are full of falseness because they do not give priority to the word of God and they will be burnt. Nevertheless, wheat gives priority to the word of God and they will get into the barn of the kingdom of heaven. Hence, do not be easily deceived in the end of the world. Praise to God.

We are going to read Jude 1: 20, 21? The characteristics of true churches
20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,
21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

The characteristics of true churches are:

1. building themselves on the most holy/ perfect faith
   
2. praying in the ointment of Holy Spirit
   
3. keeping themselves in the love of God/ living in the love of God.
   

We are still discussing the third point that is keeping ourselves in the love of God The shelters to keep the love of God are:

• home/ marriage
  
• the shepherding service system
  

The process to keep ourselves in the love of God starts from the first love/ we are patience in the love of God until we have the perfect love.

Now, we are going to learn the practices of keeping ourselves in the love of God --> John 14: 15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments.

Keeping My commandments/ the word of God = obeying the word of God. The example of an obedient person is Jesus. To be an obedient person is not easy stuff because it needs sacrifice. Therefore, we learn to be an obedient person from Jesus by reading --> Philippians 2: 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross So, to be an obedient person, we need to sacrifice like Jesus who has sacrificed His all because He left the heaven and found in appearance as a man and gave His life. If we do not want to sacrifice anything, we will not become obedient. I hope we can understand it.

Processing to obey the word of God are:

1. Romans 10: 17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Hearing the word of God = we hear the word of God in the ointment of Holy Spirit/ hear the word of God wholeheartedly and in need.
   
   This is the first step if we want to be obedient. Hearing the word of God may not become a habit, but a need --> we consider two things:
   
   • what the word of God says to us
     
   • what should we do in the next time
     
     
2. Romans 10: 19 But I say, did Israel not know? First Moses says: "I will provoke you to jealousy by those who are not a nation, I will move you to anger by a foolish nation."
   
   People who are not a nation = Gentiles, but they get a chance to hear the word of God. So, the second process is giving response to the word of God. These are our thoughts and heart which are able to give response to the word of God. Giving response positively to the word of God with our thoughts means understanding the word of God. Giving positive response to the word of God with our heart is meant believing in the word of God so it becomes faith in our heart. In short, the word of God is totally different from mathematics with its formulas or history which has to be accepted with brain. The word of God is actually from our thought (we understand the word of God) and then to our heart which believes in the word of God so it becomes faith in our heart.
   
   There is a verse saying that faith without deeds is useless. Thus, we have to continue to the next process that is:
   
   
3. Romans 10: 21 But to Israel he says: "All day long I have stretched out My hands To a disobedient and contrary people."
   
   Israelites gave negative response to the word of God. Nevertheless, as Gentiles, we have to give positive response that is we obey the word of God. We may not fight against and criticize the word of God, yet we have to obey it by doing it.
   

In conclusion, there are three processes to obey the word of God as follows:

1. we hear the word of God wholeheartedly and in need like we eat for hunger and enjoy it
   
2. we give positive response to the word of God by understanding and believing in it so that it becomes faith
   
3. we may not fight against the word of God, but we do (obey) it.
   

In the previous verse, it is related to 'I have stretched out My hands' --> when the word of God is delivered, God is stretching out His hands to us and if we hear the word of God seriously, understand and believe in it so it becomes faith in our heart and we do it, we will stretch our hands to God --> God's hands meet ours and it makes an amazing miracle.

The fact is that our life is hard because of this difficult world, e.g. Pete and his friends tried to catch fish overnight, but they got nothing even though they were experts in fishing. This world is like waving ocean in which we find difficulties to stay alive although the ocean is still.

Based on the fact, it is absolutely clear for us that our life is in the hands of God --> Jesus said to Peter to throw his net at noon and it does not suit to the theory of fishing. However, Peter obeyed Him so that he got a multitude of fish. Although people say something is impossible, we will get miracle from God if we obey the word of God. I hope we can understand it.

Now, we will discuss the example and fruits of obedient people through eras:

1. Era of God Father --> era from Adam to Abraham. The example of an obedient person in this first era is Abraham.
   
   Abraham is a description of husband. In short, the practice Abraham's obedient is when he was called to go to a country he did not know. He had to sacrifice # his wealth. It is the fact that we have to sacrifice earthly things, e.g. money, wealth, etc to do the word of God
   
   Hebrews 11: 8, 17, 18
   8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.
   17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
   18 of whom it was said, "In Isaac your seed shall be called,"
   
   vs. 17 --> Abraham's obedience is to offered up his only begotten son Isaac although God said that Abraham's descendant came from Isaac. In contrast, Isaac had to be offered up to God and it means Abraham had to sacrifice # his feeling. A father must said it is better if he is sick than his son. How is his feeling if his son has to be sacrificed?
   
   It could be happened if Abraham bargained to God --> God, please don't take my son. It is better if I change his place with a thousand cows and goats, yet Abraham did not do that. He sacrificed his feeling. So, Abraham sacrificed two things: wealth and feeling. If we want to be obedient, we have to sacrifice anything like Jesus did.
   
   What are the results/ aims of Abraham's obedience?
   
   • Genesis 22: 1, 2
     1 Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am."
     2 Then He said, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you."
     
     The result of Abraham's obedience is the land where he offered Isaac is the foundation of the building of the temple of Solomon. Now, it aims to the edifying of the perfect body of Christ. The edifying of the body of Christ does not need intelligence or other earthly things, but it needs obedience and sacrifice (wealth and feeling).
     
     
   • there was a ram to take Isaac's place. Thus, Abraham called the place 'The-LORD-Will-Provide/ Jehovah Jireh'. It is a wonderful result --> we stretch our hands to God like Abraham and God stretches His hands as Jehovah Jireh in our life.
     
   
   Genesis 22: 10- 14
   10 And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
   11 But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" So he said, "Here I am."
   12 And He said, "Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me."
   13 Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.
   14 And Abraham called the name of the place, The-LORD-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, "In the Mount of The LORD it shall be provided."
   
   There was not a ram at first, but then there was a ram --> wonderful. If God stretches his hands and gives command and we also stretch our hands to God/ being obedient whatever the risks and we will meet Jehovah Jireh.
   
   In conclusion, obedience gives wonderful results; they are:
   
   • God employs us in the edifying of the perfect body of Christ (the bride of heaven)
     
   • we meet Jehovah Jireh/ The-LORD-Will-Provide from nothing to something to bless our life amazingly in this difficult world/ desert.
     
   
   In the antichrist era, what we have is nothing. One thing we can do is worshiping God --> we have to depend on God who is able to create nothing to something and make impossibility into possibility and help us from problems in this world. I hope we can understand it.
   
   
2. Era of Son of God --> era from Abraham to Jesus' first coming. The example of obedient person is a widow in Zarephath. She is a description of a wife who has to sacrifice to be obedient. What should she sacrifice?
   
   1 Kings 17: 7, 8, 11- 13
   7 And it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.
   8 Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying,
   11 And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, "Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand."
   12 So she said, "As the LORD your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die."
   13 And Elijah said to her, "Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son.
   
   vs. 7 and 8 --> the condition of dried land.
   vs. 13 --> the widow only had a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar for her and her son, but Elijah asked her to make a small cake for him first. It does not seem humane.
   
   For students of Lempin-El, you have to be ready for the education because people say that Lempin-El is not humane. It is not like people think since you are trained to have the experience of death in order to get the experience of resurrection and glorified.
   
   The widow said that she only had a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar --> 'I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.' because her land is dried up. However, Elijah/ servant of God said to her that she had to make a small cake for him first = for God first. If the widow said that the cake was for her and her son, both of them would die. On the other hand, they gave it for God first and they were alive.
   
   What are sacrificed by the widow in Zarephath for Elijah? * sacrifice of selfishness --> for me, my children, my grandchildren --> 'me' and 'my' have to be nailed on the cross. Therefore, we have to give priority to God because selfish person will be in a dried spirituality. Dried spirituality causes dried earthly things, starts from marriage.
   
   Maybe we have holidays and recreation to spend our time with family (it is good and a must), yet we have to give priority to God. It is the service of the widow in Zeraphath/ wife.
   
   Sacrificing our own business is to serve and do our duty to God = without right --> we only glorify and exalt God. Insisting on our rights in serving God is only like protester.
   
   There are two things we get from glorifying and exalting God as follows:
   
   • our rewards and work will not disappear because they are with the Lord -> Isaiah 49: 3, 4 3 "And He said to me, 'You are My servant, O Israel, In whom I will be glorified.' 4 Then I said, 'I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and in vain; Yet surely my just reward is with the LORD, And my work with my God.'" I will be glorified = ministry without insisting on rights --> doing duties to glorify and exalt God.
     
     
   • 1 Kings 17: 15, 16 15 So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days.16 The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke by Elijah. In this verse, for many days is not explained, but it is clear in James 5 that it is 3, 5 years there were no rain.
     
   
   What happened to the widow in Zarephath is the past event in which she was nourished only with a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar and it is a miracle. However, now God is able to do a greater miracle that is He blesses and protects us in the era of antichrist during its power for 3, 5 years.
   
   If we are selfish, antichrist will rule over our life. In contrast, if we are willing to sacrifice our own rights, God will bless and protect us in the era of antichrist because we will be escaped by the two wings of great eagle -> Revelation 12: 14 But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.
   
   We will eat the word of God and Holy Communion for a time and times and half a time. Hence, the Bible Study devotion is very essential because we are trained to face antichrist and fly into the wilderness. I hope we can understand it.
   
   These are the examples of obedience through eras, those are:
   
   • The obedience of Abraham. If we are obedient like Abraham by sacrificing wealth and feeling for the edifying of the body of Christ, there will be Jehovah Jireh (God makes nothing to something). God blesses us from now on (in the difficult world) and creates impossibility into possibility in our problems.
     
     
   • The obedience of the widow in Zarephath who sacrificed her own business/ egoism to give priority to the body of Christ so that our rewards and work are in the hands of God and God will reveal that everything from this world are nothing in the era of antichrist. They cannot bless and protect us in the 3.5 years era of antichrist and we will fly to the wilderness. Only the hands of God are able to help and protect us and flee us to the wilderness. I hope we can understand it. Hence, do not be in doubt if God gives His commands although they are often illogical, yet they are the realization of the hands of God. The right attitude toward His commandments is only stretching our hands to God so that we get miracle. I hope we can understand it.
     
     
3. Era of Holy Spirit/ the end of the world. It starts from Jesus' first coming when He died on the cross to His second coming. The example of obedient person in this era is young people --> 1 Peter 5: 1, 2, 5
   1 The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed:
   2 Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly;
   5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble."
   
   Vs. 1 --> glory = the second coming of Jesus
   Vs. 5 --> we need obedience in the shepherding service system in the end of the world. Submit = obedient.
   
   In the previous part, it is clear that Abraham represents husband, the widow in Zarephath refers to wife and now young people point to children.
   

What is the practice of the obedience of young people/ children? They have to be shepherded --> vs. 2. Shepherd the flock of God = young people have to be shepherded nowadays.

To be shepherded, young people need to * sacrifice their own will. Their own will = wild. It has to be sacrificed, and then young people can be shepherded. If young people live in their own will and head for their lusts, they will be wild Christians and not shepherded.

The requirements of being shepherded are:

1. getting into the pen (it needs sacrifice of flesh). I always say that young people have strong/ wild flesh. Thus, in the shepherding service system, the flesh is sacrificed by getting into Holy Place --> the patience in three kinds of devotion; they are:
   
   • the golden candlestick (http://www.gptkk.org/tabernacle_golden+candlestick.html) = the patience in public service.
   • the table of Showbread (http://www.gptkk.org/tabernacle_table+of+showbread.html) = the patience in Bible Study devotion and Holy Communion
   • the Altar of Burnt Incense (http://www.gptkk.org/tabernacle_the+golden+altar+of+incense.html) = the patience in Pray and worship devotion.
     
   These are the forms of sacrificing our own will.
   
   
2. being able to eat the shepherding word of God. The life and death of young people depend on whether you are able to eat the shepherding word of God or not --> Mark 5: 35, 42, 43 35 While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue's house who said, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?" 42 Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age. And they were overcome with great amazement. 43 But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.
   

The life and death of our spirituality does not depend on our service, but our attitude toward the shepherding word of God -whether or not we can eat it-. Being shepherded means that we have to stay in the pen and eat the shepherding word of God so that our spirituality is alive and grows into the perfection.

These are the requirements of being shepherded and we need to sacrifice our own will. I am sorry to say that people who are not shepherded = wild horse because it is out of the cage = living to fulfill the desires/ lusts of evil. I hope we can understand it.

For parents who have teen or small children, bring them to the shepherding service system because it determines our life and death. If our children are too busy to serve God but they do not eat, they will soon die. It means that the life and death of their spirituality does not come from ministry, but from eating the word of God. If we have eaten, we would be able to do anything. On the other hand, if we are not patient and do not eat the word of God, we will be wild horse (not sheep anymore) which lives according to its desires and is near to spiritual death = we live in sins and it heads for lasting death. Hence, we have to be seriously shepherded and sacrifice our own will so that we are able to be shepherded.

The result of being shepherded --> 1 Peter 5: 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, God stretches out His hands so that we get the power of exalting --> the hands of the Great Shepherd exalt us in glory in due time. We are exalted from this world (earthly things) --> maybe we are sinking nowadays, but God is able to exalt, bless and give us glory.

Therefore, the students of Lempin-El are trained to have death experience first because Jesus went down first to be able to go up. If we are obedient in the experience of death, He will help and exalt us in due time. If God exalts us first, we will fall immediately. I hope we can understand it.

In the shepherding service system, the Shepherd is in front of us and we only follow Him. We will not be afraid although we have to pass a variety of barriers because God leads us.

Young people, maybe you find difficulties in looking for jobs. Do not be desperate! You have to sacrifice your own will first and give what God asks from you since God never deceives us. He will exalt us in due time, earthly and spiritually, even He exalts us in the throne of heaven when He returns.

Now, let us practice the love of God by:

• keeping His commandments
  
• sacrificing everything for the glory of God's name
  
• stretching our hands to God so that He touches us from the above/ He will exalt and help us.
  

God blesses us!1