Bible Study at Surabaya - Monday, November 12, 2007

Jude 1:24, 25
1:24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
1:25 To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.

We have heard the explanation of these verses with emphasis on verse 24, that is to say Jesus' appearance as Shepherd.
As a whole, verse 24 and verse 25 are about Jesus' seven appearances as follows:

1. He who is able to keep you from stumbling.
   
2. He who presents us faultless before the presence of His glory.
   
3. God who alone is wise.
   
4. God our Savior.
   
5. The Lord Jesus Christ.
   
6. Being worthy of glory and majesty, dominion and power.
   
7. Being eternal, both now and forever.
   

He is eternal now and forever as we can read in Hebrews 13:8
13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

It is related with teaching as it is written in Hebrews 13:9a
Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines.

In shorts, Jesus is eternal related to the teaching. The true teaching Word is eternal, it does not change at all as Jesus, the Eternal, and we have to keep it forever. I hope we can understand.

Those are the seven appearances of Jesus with seven lights of glory. The figure seven refers to perfection. Thus, Jesus shows Himself in the seven perfect lights.

John 8:12
8:12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."
Jesus appears as the light of the world or Heavenly Bridegroom in His glory, so the Church can also appear as the light of the world or Heavenly Bride in the light of glory.

Matthew 5:14
5:14 "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.

In shorts, Jesus is the light of the world and so are we.

Now we are learning the process of being the light.

2 Peter 1:19
1:19 And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;

The process of being the light is through heeding the Word preached by the prophets or prophetic Word.

The meaning of the prophetic Word is as follows:

• The Word which is revealed through a verse explaining another verse, or teaching Word.
  
• The Word showing all things which will happen, especially about Jesus' second coming in glory as King of kings and Heavenly Bridegroom. It has not happened yet but it must happen for sure.
  If they are united, the prophetic Word means Bride Tidings. It is not the possession of one church or one organization but all sons of God because it is written in Holy Bible. I hope we can understand.
  

The right attitude in heeding the prophetic Word or Bride Tidings is heeding it solemnly as heeding a light that shines in a dark place. We have experience when the lamp turns off and there is someone bringing burning match, that all people will see the light of the match.

Thus, heeding the Word is not common matter. We have to heed the Word not as common matter but as we heed a light that shines in a dark place. In such condition we heed it solemnly because it becomes our need, nothing may replace. We will feel something strange when we hear other doctrine. Do not be deceived! Do not say that all teachings are same but let us heed the light that shines in a dark place, nothing may replace. It must be our attitude now. I hope we can understand.

The meaning of heeding the Word solemnly as our need nothing may replace is as follows:

• Hearing the Word solemnly with our ears until we can
  
• Understand it with our mind,
  
• Believe in heart,
  
• Practice it, it is in our hands, and
  
• Hold fast one Word.
  

The result will be real as follows:

2 Peter 1:19
1:19 And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;

The more the Word shines in our heart until the morning star or the Lord Jesus, Heavenly Bridegroom, rises in our heart, the more we have no darkness in our life and our heart. As a result, we will become the light of the world or Heavenly Bride.

Matthew 5:14
5:14 "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.

If we practice the Word, we will become firmer in our belief until someday the morning star rises in our heart, meaning there is no more darkness.

"You are the light of the world" means we become God's Bride in the light of glory.

Revelation 12:1
12:1 Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars.

A woman refers to the Church of God with the sun, the moon, and the stars. Meaning all of the lights have become the possession of God's Church or God's Bride, and there is no darkness but the light as Heavenly Bridegroom has.

There are three stages of light as follows:

1. The light to all who are in the house
   Matthew 5:14-16
   5:14 "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
   5:15 "Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
   5:16 "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
   
   It is the least light.
   
   The requirements of having it are as follows:
   
   1. The lamp must be put on a lampstand.
      If the lamp is put under the bed, it will be useless. The lamp that is put on the lampstand refers to the right structure or position in marriage. It is good that a servant of God holds fast the teaching Word but there will be no meaning if the marriage structure is wrong because it means darkness. Therefore, holding fast one true teaching Word must be continued with having the light to all who are in the house or the marriage structure.
      
      1 Corinthians 11: 2, 3
      11:2 Now I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you.
      11:3 But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.
      
      These are the right structure in marriage:
      
      1. Husband, the head of his wife, is the physical and spiritual flow to his wife and children.
         The wife is the body and the children are the limbs. If the stomach feels hungry, the husband will give it food because the mouth is in the head.
         
         Physical flow means daily life needs are provided by the husband. It is good that the wife works even has bigger salary or higher diploma, but it is still the husband who takes the responsibility in providing the daily life needs.
         Spiritual flow means as follows:
         
         1. Flow of service to the Lord, lest the wife who invites the husband to commit service to the Lord. It is serious because the household can be in darkness. Husbands, including I, must be serious.
            
         2. Flow of truth, living in the truth.
            For example, we should not blame our stomach when we have stomachache. There is stomachache because the mouth consumes chili all the time. Thus, the head is guilty. The head or the husband must first live in the truth to make the wife and the children live in the truth also. The wife and the children will consume poison if the husband consumes it first.
            
            
         The physical flow and spiritual flow come from the husband as the head besides he considers and decides all matters in the household not with cruelness but based on God's Word. There is God above the husband, so he cannot do cruelly but consider and decide all matters based on the Word of God. The wife may say her idea but she cannot decide anything lest she becomes as Eve deciding what the serpent or Satan had said. She thought to be same as God to get great household. Not great household she got but the destroyed one. In shorts, the household will be destroyed if the wife decides something.
         
         
      2. Wife as the body comes from the ribs of man, meaning being useful to cover the weakness of his husband and children through worship prayer. It is not covering through lying, for example by saying that the husband is not at home (the fact is that he is at home) when debt collector comes to look for him. The real meaning of covering the weakness of the husband is praying for him who has weakness such as his emotion at work place or his laziness to go to the church.
         
         
      3. Children as the limbs must lighten the burden of the parents. Seeing that the head and the body cannot drink without the limbs. The children should not become burden for the parents by saying that the parents have to give new shoes or else they will not go to school. The children have not been in the right positions when they still become burden for their parents.
         
         
   2. The lamp has to have wick.
      The wick must be burnt, referring to doing duty or sacrificing. The example is Jesus Himself, who has done His duty to the point of death on the cross as a burning wick. There must be example in the marriage besides the structure, and the example comes from Jesus, not from any man making us disappointed. We have to take the example by doing our duty in the household although we have to sacrifice something as Jesus has done. As a result, the lamp in our household will be burnt as follows:
      
      
      1. Beginning with the wife, she has to do her duty, not insisting the right or else the marriage will be dark and destroyed. She has to do the duty although there must be sacrifice as Jesus has done.
         
         Ephesians 5:22
         5:22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
         
         The main duty of a wife is not cooking or washing because a chef may cook more delicious food. She may have an ability to cook but it is not the main duty. The main duty of a wife is to obey her husband in all matters. There are many grumbling wives because of supposing that they have obeyed the husbands. There will be neither wife nor lamp but butting wife if she has not been obedient yet.
         
         On the contrary, the marriage will be saved if the wife obeys her husband in all things although she has to sacrifice her feeling even her soul. There is Jesus as the Head saving the marriage. Obeying the husband in all things is as Sarah obeying Abraham although she was given to another man. It seemed that the marriage was destroyed but God pleaded the marriage because Sarah obeyed Abraham or had the example of Jesus. There was the Lord Jesus, who is able to save the body or the marriage to go toward the harbor of peace.
         
         The marriage is in danger because suddenly (as the term in Matthew) wind can hit the ark of the marriage until it was drowned if the wife does not obey her husband, although the marriage seems to be peaceful and blessed. It is a serious matter for the wives because it is the key in the marriage.
         
         
      2. Husband must love his wife as his own body (it is added with what that is written in Colossians) and not do bitterly toward her.
         
         Ephesians 5:25
         5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,
         
         He has a duty to seek money but there will be darkness if he does bitterly toward his wife because it means he does not love his wife.
         I always repeat it especially to myself. Snapping the wife, the vessel cracks but the crack can be healed still. Beating the wife, the vessel is really destroyed. Therefore, husband, does not do bitterly toward your wife. If the husband loves his wife and does not do bitterly toward her, there will be the example of Jesus, who will bring the marriage to reach perfection.
         
         In shorts, the husband and the wife must cooperate. The marriage will not be perfect if it cannot reach the harbor of peace because of being drowned.
         
         
      3. Children also determine. The marriage has been saved then it must be brought to the harbor of peace to get joy.
         
         Ephesians 6:1-3
         6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
         6:2 "Honor your father and mother," which is the first commandment with promise:
         6:3 "that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth."
         
         
   There is joy in the marriage whose lamp is on the lampstand, meaning we are sanctified by Bride Tidings to have right position in marriage (not the wife who decides all matters but the husband), and the wife must do her duty although she has to sacrifice as the burning wick. There are two kinds of darkness in the marriage, namely darkness of basket or economy, and darkness of bed or sexual sin. The darkness cannot hit the marriage if there is burning lamp. I hope we can understand.
   
   
2. The light shining before men.
   Matthew 5:16
   5:16 "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
   
   The husband, wife, and children have become the light to all who are in the house. Afterward, the light is outside the house, namely the light shining before men.
   
   Ephesians 5:8-9
   5:8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light
   5:9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth),
   
   It is said in Ephesians that the light has three kinds of fruit, namely goodness, righteousness, and truth. We have to shine those fruits wherever we are.
   
   1. The light of goodness.
      The fact found in the light of goodness is doing something good to other people, not giving disadvantage to them, including with saying/slandering. We have to do good to other people, not giving disadvantage to them until we can repay good for evil. We have the light by not causing disadvantage for other people.
      
      This light will be brighter whenever we do good works until the brightest light or the Light of Jesus when we repay good for evil. We can repay good for evil at least with praying for our enemy that God helps and forgives him (Matthew 5). This is the light of goodness we have to shine anywhere.
      
      
   2. The light of righteousness.
      It means honesty and being impartial. We say false to the false, and we say righteous to the righteous. We are just anywhere. It begins in household that we are just to our children. Do not always blame the first son who is naughty although it is the second son, who is clever and becomes the hope of the parents, who makes the mistake. It is not good but we have to be just and honest.
      
      
   3. The light of truth.
      Meaning we live in the truth wherever we are, whether on the road, in the shop, about finance, et cetera. Now is the time to shine the light.
      How can God shine us? He is the light of the world, so we have to become the light of the world through His Word, beginning in the household, and the light shining before men.
      
      Living in the truth, we can become the instruments of righteousness to God.
      
      Romans 6:13
      6:13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
      
      Being the instruments of righteousness to God, He will plead and preserve us. He will never leave us.
      
      There is a testimony of King David in Psalm 37 that the righteous will never be forsaken, and it is not because he was a king.
      
      Psalms 37:25-26
      37:25 I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread.
      37:26 He is ever merciful, and lends; And his descendants are blessed.
      
      We will be blessed as long as we live in righteousness or truth.
      Youth, the term "I have been young, and now am old" means there is beautiful future life. Having the light equals to having beautiful future life. Having education certificate is not the guarantee of having beautiful future life because we have to face darkness in our future way. I always pray for you that you can pass your post-graduate study, but neither intelligence nor money can be used to counter the darkness. Only the light can counter the darkness.
      
      The world is facing the darkness as Egypt has faced the darkness, and there was darkness at the time of Jesus' death.
      
      The darkness we will face is the darkness we can touch or feel, namely the darkness of antichrist. Can we counter antichrist with education certificate? It cannot. Therefore, we have to become the light to all who are in the house first. Then we have to become the light shining before men.
      
      
3. The light of the world.
   Matthew 5:14
   5:14 "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
   
   After being the light to all who are in the house and the light shining before men, we become the light of the world.
   
   Revelation 12:1
   12:1 Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars.
   
   This is our condition until we become the light of the world. We reach it little by little. There will be the light of glory whenever the Word is preached. We have no sin and spot anymore when we become the light of the world, so we appear as the bride of God with the sun, moon, and stars.
   
   How can we get the light of the sun, moon, and stars? The Church is described as a woman, even a naked woman as Eve, but in Revelation the woman has had the light of the sun, moon, and stars. The answer is in shepherding system or our perseverance in committing three main services to the Lord. We have been redeemed and shepherded by God so we are shined with the light of the sun, moon, and stars.
   
   There are three instruments in Tabernacle as follows:
   
   1. Golden Candlestick (http://www.gptkk.org/tabernacle_golden+candlestick.html), referring to perseverance in committing General Service to have fellowship with Holy Spirit God in His anointing and gifts. If we are patient in it, we will someday become the rod of Aaron in the Most Holy Place. The rod will become the garland of twelve stars, namely the holiest anointing or the gifts that have been the permanent or perfect.
      
      
   2. Table of Showbread (http://www.gptkk.org/tabernacle_table+of+showbread.html), referring to perseverance in committing Bible Study Service with Holy Communion to have fellowship with the Son of God in the teaching Word and His sacrifice. Having perseverance in it, we someday will become the golden pot that had manna or permanent faith. We have the moon under the feet of the bride, meaning we are in the full redemption so we will not stumble anymore.
      
      
   3. Golden Altar of Incense (http://www.gptkk.org/tabernacle_the+golden+altar+of+incense.html), pointing to the perseverance in committing Prayer Service to have fellowship with Father God in His love. Persevering in it, we will be in His love continually and someday we will become as the two tablets of stone, referring to the perfect love or the sun.
      
   
   In such condition, we become the light of the world or the bride of God with the light of the sun, moon, and stars or the light of glory we receive in the shepherding.
   
   Who must be shepherded? Beginning with I, as pastor, must be shepherded, and all apostles, prophets, teachers, evangelists, and priests must be shepherded. Therefore, we have to be solemn nowadays.
   

We have become the light of the world or God's bride but God lets us have the sprinkling of blood or suffering without any sins.

Revelation 12:2
12:2 Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth.

God lets the Church suffer without any sins. The suffering will increase until it is as a pregnant mother from the first month, the second one, up to the peak on the ninth month.

There is term "a little while" in John 16 at the peak of suffering, and it is the important time. We can endure in the beginning of suffering but then we may not endure it until we are disappointed and leave God. Consequently, the baby will not be born. On the other hand, we may become a mother weeping and lamenting to give birth, and then the baby will be born.

John 16:19-21
16:19 Now Jesus knew that they desired to ask Him, and He said to them, "Are you inquiring among yourselves about what I said, 'A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me'?
16:20 "Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy.
16:21 "A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.

The term "a little while" means the suffering will increase to the peak as God lets it happen.

There are two ways in the term as follows:

• Being failed. One becomes disappointed, and hopeless until s/he leaves the ministry.
  
• Crying or lamenting, referring to worshiping God and surrendering totally to Him as a mother weeping and lamenting to give birth.
  

The results of crying or lamenting are as follows:

1. The baby is born, meaning life renewal.
   We will endure in suffering if we understand that it can hasten the life renewal. On the other hand, if there is murmuring in suffering, the baby will never be born. The life renewal is from carnal man to spiritual man as Jesus is.
   
   The meaning of life renewal of the pregnant mother is as follows:
   
   • At least we have patience waiting the time of God. We have to train ourselves to be patient when God has not helped yet.
     
   • Not being egoistic but being willing to sacrifice our soul. Giving birth equals to sacrificing the soul. The baby can die and the mother can too.
     
   • Being strong. A mother cannot give birth if she is weak. I hope we can understand.
     
     
2. Joy.
   Life renewal cannot be separated with joy. Carnal man who is renewed to spiritual one will be joyful for sure. The more we are renewed, the more joy we have.
   
   Why do we often feel sorrowful without any joy? It is because of keeping the flesh with all its lusts. Our flesh is burnt or renewed to become spiritual men more and more, and we are more joyful. It continues until we are changed to become as Jesus at the time of His second coming, and we have the peak of joy entering into the marriage supper of the Lamb.
   
   God lets us suffer although we have already been in the light, so we have the chance to worship God besides we have the life renewal and joy. On the contrary, there will be destruction in the darkness.
   

Philippians 3:20-21
3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
3:21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.

"Transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body" means the more we are changed the more joy we have up to the peak of joy in the marriage supper of the lamb. We return to paradise or the kingdom of peace a thousand years up to the eternal heavenly kingdom or New Jerusalem, a city on the mountain, together with Jesus forever in eternal joy.
In conclusion, the key of our life is through being the light to all who are in the house, the light shining before men, until we become the light of the world. Being in suffering, do not be desperate but you have to cry/groan or to worship God or to call the name of Jesus. There will be life renewal and joy, not only because a baby is born but great problem about life and death has been solved.

You may have great problem about life and death, referring to impossible problem, now. God is able to settle all of them if we cry as a mother who will give birth. Whatever problems you have now, only cry to the Lord and He will help us.

God blesses you.1