Rev. Jusak Widjaja Hendra - WR Supratman 4 Sby
We
have heard that the priest is:
A priest must have these three things.
Romans 3: 23, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Thus, all men in the world have sinned and fall short of the glory of God since Adam and Eve have sinned and been cast into the world. They are naked and separated from God.
After Adam and Eve sin, God comes to them, but they run and hide themselves. It means they are separated from God and naked. The naked human cannot minister to God.
Where does the garment of ministry come from? It comes from the cross. Jesus is willing to be naked on the cross to give us the garment of ministry.
There are seven parts of the ministry garment or the garment of the priest as follows.
The seven parts of the ministry garment can be divided into three groups as follows
click to see the picture
Now we will discuss the third group, namely SKILLFULLY WOVEN TUNIC. It is a white garment with many holes.
The white garment means holiness.
The garment with many holes means the garment in the anointing of Holy Spirit.
Combining both of them, the skillfully woven tunic or the white garment with many holes is the garment in the holiness and anointing of Holy Spirit we can get from the cross. Jesus has been stripped to give us His clothes.
The process of receiving the white garment with many holes or the garment of holiness and the anointing of Holy Spirit is as follows.
Leviticus 21: 12, 'nor shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is upon him: I am the LORD.
Do not transgress the holiness. It means we must live in holiness or dwell in the Holy Place or the sheepfold. We have to persevere in doing three main services to God or be well-shepherded.
Thus, the priests, including me, must be in the Holy Place or shepherded to persevere in doing three main services to God in order to get the white garment with many holes or the garment of holiness and the anointing of Holy Spirit. We will always live in holiness and have the anointing of Holy Spirit there.
Why do we have to dwell in the Holy Place? It is not according to my will. My will is I only come here once a week, but it is not according to the will of God. The minister who ministers not according to the will of God is naked, even He is disgraced and grieved.
Thus, Holy Spirit or the many holes gives us opened eye of spirituality, so we can see Jesus, High Priest or Great Shepherd, sitting at the right hand of God the Father through the revelation of the Word.
It is important! If there are open eyes, the servants of God or priests, including me, will not see others or turn to the right or to the left as Moses does. He kills after he sees that there is none there. In such condition, he does not minister to God, but kills or ministers with hatred. In addition, the wife of Lot looks behind or sees the world. She becomes useless pillar of salt. It means there is ministry but it is useless and there is rottenness in life.
Therefore, we must pray for the revelation of the Word of God. The more obvious we have the revelation of the Word, the more obvious we see Jesus as High Priest, Good Shepherd and Great Shepherd, through the revelation of the Word of God. Moreover, we will not be deceived by other people.
For example, Judas Iscariot seems to be the best disciple because the others run away when they are at Gethsemane, but he kisses Jesus. If we do not have the spiritual eyes, we will be deceived seeing such servant of God who seems to be good and employed by Him. He seems to love God very much, but actually he is a thief, liar, et cetera.
If we have the holiness and anointing of Holy Spirit, we will only look at God Himself, not any human, so we will never be deceived.
What is the fact found in having the opened spiritual eye?
Matthew 6: 25, 31 - 33,
25. "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
31 "Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
32 "For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Thus, if we have the open spiritual eye, we will have activity to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. We will not have anxiety that causes us to seek always the worldly things until there is no time to serve to God.
Seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness means we have the true consecration to minister to God in faithfulness, righteousness, and holiness.
As a result, all things will be added to us. It means all our needs for daily and future life will be added to us.
Being added means we have positive mark. It refers to the cross and means we live by Jesus’ cross and we will never experience deficiency but we always have surplus condition. It is enough when we have true consecration, service, and ministry. Let us focus on having the open spiritual eye nowadays by prioritizing the true consecration or seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness. On the contrary, one with closed spiritual eye will see the worldly things. Let us now be serious without nakedness but the white garment with many holes.
We can get the garment of holiness or the anointing of Holy Spirit in the sheepfold or Holy Place. We are sanctified to have the white garment and anointed by Holy Spirit to have the many holes, so we have the open spiritual eye to prioritize the true consecration or the service and ministry to God more than anything in the world. As a result, all things will be added to us. It means we live by Jesus’ cross without any deficiency.
Thus, our concern as the servant of God is to wear the white garment with many holes as follows.
If the congregation understands the revelation of God’s Word, the food, drink, clothes, and daily and future needs will become God’s concern. He is the Good Shepherd and High Priest who will give us all things through the cross.
Romans 8: 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?
“With Him” means we are together with Jesus who is crucified. It is similar to the verse in Matthew 6 --> ‘all these things shall be added to you.’ He gives all things to us together with Jesus who is crucified. As a result, all our needs will be given to us as long as we have the white garment.
Our concern must be as follows:
All of those things are enough and all things will be added to us from the cross together with the sacrifice of Christ. He is able to give us all things through the cross, even the thing we never think. God never fools us, His servants, as long as we have the white garment.
Being in nakedness while we are ministering to God means we fool Him. Therefore, we must wear the white garment and God will never fool us.
On the contrary, as it is written in Matthew chapter 6 verse 31, we must be careful because if we do not have the white garment with many holes, we will be blind. Be careful because there are many servants of God who are blind because of these things.
If the pastor is blind, the servants of God and the congregation will be too. Consequently, they enter a deep pit.
What is the practice of the blind servant of God who has no white garment but nakedness?
Therefore, we must be serious. Let God check our garment now, whether we serve in nakedness and blindness or with the garment with many holes or holiness and the anointing of Holy Spirit. If we have the second condition, we will only see Jesus, the High Priest, through the revelation of the Word. We can clearly see Him to get the true consecration. All our needs for our present and future life are the concerning of God. He will add or send them through the cross together with the sacrifice of Christ. God does not fool us.
If we wear the white garment with many holes or have the opened eyes only to see Jesus, the High priest, His eyes will always be on us with His mercy.
In such condition, Jesus the High Priest always cares and understands us to struggle for us.
Do not think that you are left alone. No!! JESUS’ eyes are always on us.
Let us check our white garment with many holes or our eyes. Whom do we want to see? Let us live in holiness in the anointing of Holy Spirit and have the opened eyes only to see Jesus. It is proven by our priority to the revelation of the Word, the service and ministry, and the true consecration. There is no anxiety anymore. It is enough. God the Father does not spare His own Son but gives Him to us. How can He not give all things together with Jesus who has died? He will give us all things for sure. We do not need to look for them but have the white garment. All other things are the concerning of God.
The result is as follows.
I have explained about ‘turning’. Actually, one who denies Jesus is not seen by Him. Thus, the term “the Lord turned’ means that He does not look at Peter anymore. Peter has been behind Him or He does not heed him anymore.
The one who has denied Jesus or the servant of God who has fallen in sin and leaved the ministry or become unfaithful is far away from the sight of Jesus. The Shepherding Word God trusted to a pastor is useful although it is simple as the crowing of a rooster.
If a pastor does not want to preach the Shepherding Word, the congregation will be in disaster. Moreover, there will be everlasting perdition to the people who have fallen because there is no merciful sight of the High Priest.
Therefore, I say that I am not great. I come from Malang to Surabaya by passing through long distance journey although only there are some people here, maybe eight or ten. It does not matter because I believe that there is God’s presence where there is the crowing of the rooster or Shepherding Word. Although it is simple, but there is the sight of High Priest in it. Therefore, please pray for us, the pastors, to be responsible for the people who have fallen. There is attention of God as long as there is Shepherding Word.
The proof of having the sight of the High Priest is as follows.
Let all of us, especially me, ask for the sight of God. Who never falls or stumbles? Do not plead your life or live in your fall but solve the failure, sorrow, and destruction with the power and sight of God.
Eye to eye means JESUS turns to see us. We experience His sight until we realize and regret to confess our sins. After being forgiven, we should not repeat the sins.
John 21: 15-17,
15. So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Feed My lambs."
16 He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Tend My sheep."
17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Feed My sheep..
“Heart to heart” means we feel the love of God helping us to be shepherded. He asks to Peter three times "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" "Tend My sheep."
Afterwards, Peter lifts up his hands, so his hands meet Jesus’.
John 21: 18, 19,
18. "Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish."
19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me."
In the beginning, he was afraid of being dead, but finally he can lift up his hand. It means as follows.
Likewise, God is able to exalt us from our failures, heal, and use us again to minister to Him. He is able to exalt us on glorious clouds. He perfects us and we meet him to be with Him forever.
Do not doubt it. If we minister to Him seriously, His eyes will do these things.
There is God’s merciful sight when we fall as long as we are still shepherded to hear the shepherding Word or the crowing of cock. The function of His merciful sight is as follows.
- holy,
- to
have the ministry he has gotten from God,
- to serve
and minister to God.
A priest must have these three things.
- Good
characteristics.
- Potential
from God, namely the gifts or wonderful abilities of Holy Spirit.
- True
ministry or consecration which cannot be separated one another.
Romans 3: 23, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Thus, all men in the world have sinned and fall short of the glory of God since Adam and Eve have sinned and been cast into the world. They are naked and separated from God.
After Adam and Eve sin, God comes to them, but they run and hide themselves. It means they are separated from God and naked. The naked human cannot minister to God.
Where does the garment of ministry come from? It comes from the cross. Jesus is willing to be naked on the cross to give us the garment of ministry.
There are seven parts of the ministry garment or the garment of the priest as follows.
- Ephod
- Sash
- Breastplate
- Robe
- Skillfully
woven tunic
- Turban
- Plate
of pure gold (it
is as the plate with the picture of coconut fruit on the hat of
scout)
The seven parts of the ministry garment can be divided into three groups as follows
click to see the picture
Now we will discuss the third group, namely SKILLFULLY WOVEN TUNIC. It is a white garment with many holes.
The white garment means holiness.
The garment with many holes means the garment in the anointing of Holy Spirit.
Combining both of them, the skillfully woven tunic or the white garment with many holes is the garment in the holiness and anointing of Holy Spirit we can get from the cross. Jesus has been stripped to give us His clothes.
The process of receiving the white garment with many holes or the garment of holiness and the anointing of Holy Spirit is as follows.
Leviticus 21: 12, 'nor shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is upon him: I am the LORD.
Do not transgress the holiness. It means we must live in holiness or dwell in the Holy Place or the sheepfold. We have to persevere in doing three main services to God or be well-shepherded.
Thus, the priests, including me, must be in the Holy Place or shepherded to persevere in doing three main services to God in order to get the white garment with many holes or the garment of holiness and the anointing of Holy Spirit. We will always live in holiness and have the anointing of Holy Spirit there.
Why do we have to dwell in the Holy Place? It is not according to my will. My will is I only come here once a week, but it is not according to the will of God. The minister who ministers not according to the will of God is naked, even He is disgraced and grieved.
Thus, Holy Spirit or the many holes gives us opened eye of spirituality, so we can see Jesus, High Priest or Great Shepherd, sitting at the right hand of God the Father through the revelation of the Word.
It is important! If there are open eyes, the servants of God or priests, including me, will not see others or turn to the right or to the left as Moses does. He kills after he sees that there is none there. In such condition, he does not minister to God, but kills or ministers with hatred. In addition, the wife of Lot looks behind or sees the world. She becomes useless pillar of salt. It means there is ministry but it is useless and there is rottenness in life.
Therefore, we must pray for the revelation of the Word of God. The more obvious we have the revelation of the Word, the more obvious we see Jesus as High Priest, Good Shepherd and Great Shepherd, through the revelation of the Word of God. Moreover, we will not be deceived by other people.
For example, Judas Iscariot seems to be the best disciple because the others run away when they are at Gethsemane, but he kisses Jesus. If we do not have the spiritual eyes, we will be deceived seeing such servant of God who seems to be good and employed by Him. He seems to love God very much, but actually he is a thief, liar, et cetera.
If we have the holiness and anointing of Holy Spirit, we will only look at God Himself, not any human, so we will never be deceived.
What is the fact found in having the opened spiritual eye?
Matthew 6: 25, 31 - 33,
25. "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
31 "Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
32 "For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Thus, if we have the open spiritual eye, we will have activity to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. We will not have anxiety that causes us to seek always the worldly things until there is no time to serve to God.
Seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness means we have the true consecration to minister to God in faithfulness, righteousness, and holiness.
As a result, all things will be added to us. It means all our needs for daily and future life will be added to us.
Being added means we have positive mark. It refers to the cross and means we live by Jesus’ cross and we will never experience deficiency but we always have surplus condition. It is enough when we have true consecration, service, and ministry. Let us focus on having the open spiritual eye nowadays by prioritizing the true consecration or seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness. On the contrary, one with closed spiritual eye will see the worldly things. Let us now be serious without nakedness but the white garment with many holes.
We can get the garment of holiness or the anointing of Holy Spirit in the sheepfold or Holy Place. We are sanctified to have the white garment and anointed by Holy Spirit to have the many holes, so we have the open spiritual eye to prioritize the true consecration or the service and ministry to God more than anything in the world. As a result, all things will be added to us. It means we live by Jesus’ cross without any deficiency.
Thus, our concern as the servant of God is to wear the white garment with many holes as follows.
- To
receive the revelation of the Word of God.
- To
have the right consecration.
If the congregation understands the revelation of God’s Word, the food, drink, clothes, and daily and future needs will become God’s concern. He is the Good Shepherd and High Priest who will give us all things through the cross.
Romans 8: 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?
“With Him” means we are together with Jesus who is crucified. It is similar to the verse in Matthew 6 --> ‘all these things shall be added to you.’ He gives all things to us together with Jesus who is crucified. As a result, all our needs will be given to us as long as we have the white garment.
Our concern must be as follows:
- to
keep our white garment with many holes,
- to
understand the revelation of the Word and obey it to sanctify us,
- to
have the true consecration.
All of those things are enough and all things will be added to us from the cross together with the sacrifice of Christ. He is able to give us all things through the cross, even the thing we never think. God never fools us, His servants, as long as we have the white garment.
Being in nakedness while we are ministering to God means we fool Him. Therefore, we must wear the white garment and God will never fool us.
On the contrary, as it is written in Matthew chapter 6 verse 31, we must be careful because if we do not have the white garment with many holes, we will be blind. Be careful because there are many servants of God who are blind because of these things.
- Not
having the white garment with many holes or holiness.
- Not
having the anointing of Holy Spirit.
If the pastor is blind, the servants of God and the congregation will be too. Consequently, they enter a deep pit.
What is the practice of the blind servant of God who has no white garment but nakedness?
- Living
in anxiety as
follows:
- anxiety
about what to eat, drink, and wear or daily needs,
- anxiety
about the future life, so one cannot minister to God or prioritize
the service and ministry,
- not
having the true consecration.
- anxiety
about what to eat, drink, and wear or daily needs,
- Matthew
6: 26, Look
at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather
into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more
value than they?
Not sowing nor reaping but we are preserved by Father in heaven. It means one is only as bird when he has been blessed by God but does neither build the body of Christ actively nor sow nor reap. The bird does not sow or reap but keeps on eating and being happy. It means Christian who has been blessed by God, bur does not want to sow and reap or minister for building the body of Christ. Consequently, his destiny is as the bird or Satan that will perish forever in the hell fire.
Therefore, we must be serious. Let God check our garment now, whether we serve in nakedness and blindness or with the garment with many holes or holiness and the anointing of Holy Spirit. If we have the second condition, we will only see Jesus, the High Priest, through the revelation of the Word. We can clearly see Him to get the true consecration. All our needs for our present and future life are the concerning of God. He will add or send them through the cross together with the sacrifice of Christ. God does not fool us.
If we wear the white garment with many holes or have the opened eyes only to see Jesus, the High priest, His eyes will always be on us with His mercy.
In such condition, Jesus the High Priest always cares and understands us to struggle for us.
Do not think that you are left alone. No!! JESUS’ eyes are always on us.
Let us check our white garment with many holes or our eyes. Whom do we want to see? Let us live in holiness in the anointing of Holy Spirit and have the opened eyes only to see Jesus. It is proven by our priority to the revelation of the Word, the service and ministry, and the true consecration. There is no anxiety anymore. It is enough. God the Father does not spare His own Son but gives Him to us. How can He not give all things together with Jesus who has died? He will give us all things for sure. We do not need to look for them but have the white garment. All other things are the concerning of God.
The result is as follows.
- 2
Chronicles 16: 9, For
the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to
show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.
In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall
have wars."
We must be serious in the true consecration, listening to the Word until we can understand, and do our ministry to God.
King Asa does foolishly. He always won over strong enemies because of the help of God by leaning on Him, but then he does not want to make war again. He joins to the kings of Aram to get their power. God rebukes him.
God’s eyes are not to the greatness, weakness, or problem, but seriousness in our ministering to God with the white garment with many holes. God pays attention to the people who seriously serve and minister to Him. He gives us extra power as follows.
- To
keep on enduring.
- To
keep faithful and fervent in spirit doing our ministry until the
end, namely we pass away or Jesus comes a second time.
- To
defeat enemies or problems, even the impossible one.
There will always be a war like King Asa’s experience if we hope in others when we face a problem. In such condition, tear will be always in our life. If the problem is solved, the tears are wiped away and the joy happens. Thus, the time we start to be serious is the time when our tears are wiped away. We must believe in it.
Formerly, we faced many problems or tears and became weak and bored of ministering to God. Let us now be serious to keep our white garment with many holes or the opened eyes only to see the Lord, the revelation of God’s Word to understand, and the true consecration.
If we are serious, God will start to wipe away our tears. Our problems are solved one by one and we feel the joy as a swallow of sweet wine. Maybe your life is as drinking a bottle of bitter drug, but now we can taste the sweet life although only a little. God continues to work and we must believe that He never fools us or makes us sorrowful if we minister to Him. He will make our life beautiful and sweet.
- To
keep on enduring.
- God
will also never let His servant stumble or fall because of sin. He
still wants to see him --> Luke
22: 60 – 62,
60. But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are saying!" Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.
61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times."
62 So Peter went out and wept bitterly.
It is great!! Peter, a great servant of God, can walk on water, but he can stumble or fall because of the sin of denial to Jesus.
The eyes of the Lord pay attention or look at the servant of God who has denied Him.
I have explained about ‘turning’. Actually, one who denies Jesus is not seen by Him. Thus, the term “the Lord turned’ means that He does not look at Peter anymore. Peter has been behind Him or He does not heed him anymore.
The one who has denied Jesus or the servant of God who has fallen in sin and leaved the ministry or become unfaithful is far away from the sight of Jesus. The Shepherding Word God trusted to a pastor is useful although it is simple as the crowing of a rooster.
If a pastor does not want to preach the Shepherding Word, the congregation will be in disaster. Moreover, there will be everlasting perdition to the people who have fallen because there is no merciful sight of the High Priest.
Therefore, I say that I am not great. I come from Malang to Surabaya by passing through long distance journey although only there are some people here, maybe eight or ten. It does not matter because I believe that there is God’s presence where there is the crowing of the rooster or Shepherding Word. Although it is simple, but there is the sight of High Priest in it. Therefore, please pray for us, the pastors, to be responsible for the people who have fallen. There is attention of God as long as there is Shepherding Word.
The proof of having the sight of the High Priest is as follows.
- We
can weep bitterly, namely we can realize our sins up to the peak.
- We
can regret the sinful deeds, not laugh, get angry, or challenge
other people. It
happens because of the work of the eyes of the High Priest or the
Shepherding Word.
- We
can confess to God and
other people. After being forgiven, do not sin anymore. In such
condition, we truly experience the sight of the High Priest.
Let all of us, especially me, ask for the sight of God. Who never falls or stumbles? Do not plead your life or live in your fall but solve the failure, sorrow, and destruction with the power and sight of God.
Eye to eye means JESUS turns to see us. We experience His sight until we realize and regret to confess our sins. After being forgiven, we should not repeat the sins.
John 21: 15-17,
15. So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Feed My lambs."
16 He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Tend My sheep."
17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Feed My sheep..
“Heart to heart” means we feel the love of God helping us to be shepherded. He asks to Peter three times "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" "Tend My sheep."
Afterwards, Peter lifts up his hands, so his hands meet Jesus’.
John 21: 18, 19,
18. "Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish."
19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me."
In the beginning, he was afraid of being dead, but finally he can lift up his hand. It means as follows.
- Being
obedient in the ministry to God, whatever risk we have to face.
- Being
willing to sacrifice all things for God and the ministry to Him.
Likewise, God is able to exalt us from our failures, heal, and use us again to minister to Him. He is able to exalt us on glorious clouds. He perfects us and we meet him to be with Him forever.
Do not doubt it. If we minister to Him seriously, His eyes will do these things.
- Look
at us.
- Understand
us.
- Struggle
for us.
There is God’s merciful sight when we fall as long as we are still shepherded to hear the shepherding Word or the crowing of cock. The function of His merciful sight is as follows.
- To
exalt us.
- To
make our life successful and beautiful.
- To
heal us, so we can
live in righteousness and be used by God again.
- To
sanctify and perfect us, so that we are exalted on glorious clouds.