Our Father
(Mt6:9, 18:18-20)
God is our Father.
He gives birth to His children in His blood (1Pe1:23), and
Nurtures them all inside one sheep pen (Ac20:28).
Faith is believing Him, and
The life of this faith is experiencing this fact.
The concept of "we or "our includes
A sense of likeness and of community:
"Our country, "our people, "our company, "our house, "our church, "our Lord Jesus Christ etc.
Consequently, it allows one to even sacrifice his life for it.
"Our Father in heaven?
We who are born on earth and will return to the dust of the earth, and
He who is in heaven have
Nothing in common in terms of our essence and conditions.
However, for God to be our Father,
His dispensation of having the sense of likeness and of community with us began
By making man a living being (Ge2:7).
Then, through one man's sin
All men died, becoming one in the fate of death (Rm5:12; 1Co15:21).
God sent Moses who once was a prince of Egypt
To lead the people of Israel out of Egypt and into the desert where
They would eat the same manna and drink the same water from the rock ”
Making a model of community.
In the sanctuary which God commanded them to build was
Jehovah, the name of the Lord God who brought them out of Egypt (2Ch6:5).
Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days (Jn2:19), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would give birth to the souls of men for
He came as the Son of God, the Son of Man (Mt16:16, 20:28):
While "the Son of God refers to His essence of holiness, indicating the sense of difference from men.
"The Son of Man refers to His duty of coming as man, the sense of likeness with men.
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1) Became the Mediator between God and man, fulfilling the Father's will from the beginning (1Ti2:5);
2) Condemned the devil the divider (1Jn3:8); and
3) Tasted death for Adam's sin sharing in humanity, and sprinkled His blood giving birth to His children (Ge2:17; He2:9, 14-18; 1Pe1:23).
Jesus rose and ascended to the heavenly throne, and
He is the Father of all souls.
The Holy Spirit comes to those who
Received His name Yeshua (Jn1:12) and
Lets them call Him, "our Father (Rm8:14-16) for:
1) His blood is in them ” the sense of likeness; and
2) He was tempted like them ” the sense of community (He4:15).
The church gathered in His name (Mt18:18-20) has
The sense of community of
Christ Jesus in heaven and the brothers on earth.
Thus when one member is suffering the others feel the same suffering, and
When one member is in sorrow, the others are also in the same sorrow (Eph5:30).
Together they loose on earth and
It is loosed in heaven.
Our Father in heaven!
Our Father!
The more we call, the more our hearts fill up with tears.
Let us always call on You, Father, and
Be one with one another.
Take hold of us, our Father! Amen.
To Share in the Blessings of the Gospel
(1Co9:16-27)
God is the beginning of blessings.
Blessings come from Him and the Son comes from Him.
He lets those who long for Him share in the blessings of the gospel.
Faith is believing Him and longing for Him, and
The life of this faith is not blindly seeking blessing but rather running the race to share in the blessings
of the gospel.
Gospel refers to "good news and
It is the life and the words of Jesus Christ.
While those who have the ears to hear it are blessed and receive it freely,
It does not mean, however, that it is worthless or irresponsible.
The content of the gospel is
What the Son of God suffered in His flesh as the price of sin (Is53:5; Mt20:28; 1Pe1:18), and
It also includes being justified by faith (Rm1:17, 3:26-37),
The sinner being forgiven and saved from hell (Mk9:47-48; Jn3:16; Rev20:14),
The child of the devil being born again as the child of God (Jn1:12; 1Pe1:23; 2Pe2:19) and
Being set from the curse (Is53:5).
This is because all men, since Adam sinned (Ge2:17, 3:6), became
Under curse and death (Ge3:16-19).
God sent the Law before sending the gospel so that
Men would be under the tutor and be led (Gal3:24) for
The Law is holy, righteous, good, spiritual and has love.
Yet there is no forgiveness (He10:28).
The sanctuary where the atonement cover was above the Testimony
Visualized this first covenant to the Israelites.
Led by the prophet (Mt11:13),
The good news about the Son of God Jesus Christ began (Mk1:1-4).
Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days (Jn2:19), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would tear down the first covenant and
Make a new covenant, the gospel, with all souls of men (Jer31:31; He10:9).
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1) Gave the best gift that the Father wanted to give since the beginning (Eph1:3);
2) Destroyed the devil who tried to destroy mankind (1Jn3:8); and
3) Carried all men's sins and curse onto His body giving them freedom, and poured out His blood for the forgiveness of sins (Mt26:27-28; 1Pe2:24).
After He resurrected and ascended to heaven,
Jesus sat on the throne as the Lord of the gospel.
The Holy Spirit came and
The gospel began to be proclaimed ” the name Yeshua (Ac1:8).
Although there is no difference for those who receive the gospel (Rm1:16),
It is most welcomed by the poor, the sick, and the sinner (Lk4:18-19).
Thus there is nothing to boast or be ashamed of (Rm1:16; Eph2:9).
They only boast Jesus (1Co1:26-31) as
They are compelled to preach (1Co9:16).
While under the Law
It is by deeds one is declared righteous and can escape from the curse (Rm2:13),
Under the gospel
It is by preaching that one can receive the crown and escape from the woe forever.
The man of the Spirit is he who
Willingly becomes a slave, and
To share in the blessings of the gospel (1Co9:19-23),
Lays down his home, brothers, sisters, mother, father, wife and children, and
Follows Jesus ” that is, to receive up to a hundred fold in this life and
Eternal life in the age to come (Mk10:29-30).
O Lord,
Though we paid no price for receiving the gospel
We must pay a price to share in its blessings.
So let us not worry about what to eat, what to wear
But rather let us put on the sandals of the gospel and run!
Let us win souls! Amen.
The Disciples of Jesus
(Mt28:16-20)
God is the Lord of glory.
Glory comes from Him, and
He rewards those who know His glory with glory.
Faith is knowing who the glorious One is and
The life of this faith is about loving Him and doing His work honorably.
The reason why Adam sinned was that
He forgot that all the things that he freely enjoyed in the Garden
Actually came from God (Ge2:16-17, 3:5).
This was because he was deceived by
The devil who sinned the same way in heaven and was cast down (Is14:12-15; Eze28:12-19).
Though when He was called by God at the age of 80
Moses was not in the pharaoh's palace but a lowly shepherd,
Because by nature he was loyal and humble (Ex2:11-12; Nu12:3)
He was able to accomplish the exodus of Israel
As he was faithful in all God's house (Ex3:2).
However, because he made the mistake of
Not honoring God as holy
He could not enter Canaan (Nu20:12).
Nevertheless, as the temple where the tablets of glory were inside the Testimony (Ex34:30; 2Co3:7)
Reminded them that the Lord God delivered them from their slavery in Egypt,
They also never forgot Moses.
But Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days (Jn2:19) because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body
He would deliver the souls of all men from sin and death, and reveal His glory for
He is the glory of the One and Only Son (Jn1:14) as
Testified by the Father (Mt17:2-8; Jn8:18).
His public life began by calling His disciples so that they might be with Him (Mk3:13), and
The secrets of the kingdom of heaven be revealed to them (Mt13:10-11).
Furthermore, it was for them to become His witnesses (Ac1:8; 1Jn1:1).
As He hung on the tree and died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1) Willingly laid down His life and confessed that glory is with the Father alone forever (Php2:11);
2) Condemned the devil who challenged His glory (1Jn3:8); and
3) Set free all men who had become slaves of the devil, making a way for them to enter the Holy City in crowns (2Pe2:19; Rev22:14).
He rose and sat on the heavenly throne where
He is the Lord of glory.
The Holy Spirit came and
The gospel began to be preached to all nations (Ac1:8),
By making them disciples of Jesus.
The foundations of the city wall of the Holy City are
The 12 apostles of the Lamb (Rev21:19-21) and
They are the measuring-stick of those who can enter there:
Those who are simple as little children (Mt18:3), attentive to the word (Mt5:1-2),
Very active (Mt14:28), do not tolerate evil (Lk9:53-54),
Confess mistakes (Mk9:28) and mourn for their sins (Mk14:72).
They are those who love the Lord very much until the end, and
Ultimately tend the sheep of Jesus (Jn21:16).
O Lord,
How You must have loved Your disciples!
They were all ordinary men¦yet their love for You was extraordinary.
Let us all becomes disciples who love You until the end! Amen.
Build Yourself Up in Your Most Holy Faith
(Mt16:16-19; Jude1:20)
God is holy.
His nature is holy, and
The Word, the Son and the Holy Spirit all who come from Him are holy (Jn17:17; Mk1:24; Lk1:35).
Faith is believing that one has been sanctified by Him, and
The life of this faith is building oneself up in ones' most holy faith.
Many people are interested in architecture because
It has both theory and ideology.
While everyone has a dream of building his own home,
It is difficult to provide all elements of architecture, such as a field, design, materials and labor.
The important function of a home is
Isolating its temperature, noise and sights from outside -
In other words, it is making a space set apart from the world.
God made the Garden of Eden beautiful but did not say, "It is holy! (Ge2:9), because
The origin of sin, the devil who was cast down from heaven was there (Is14:12-15; Rev12:9).
Deceived by him, Adam sinned and because of which
He was banished from the Garden and a flaming sword was placed around it (Ge3:24),
Visualizing the fact that the sinner cannot hear the voice of the holy God.
After the exodus of Israel
God led them into the desert (Dt8:12-15) for
It was the beginning of His work to set them apart from the world.
He commanded them to build the sanctuary (Ex25:1, 8-9):
For God and for Him to be in their midst, and
They were to build it
According to the measurements He gave them (the tent, the tools, the materials) and
They were to volunteer for it.
Yet they had to sprinkle the oil and blood on
All of the tent and the vessels inside (Ex40:9-11; Lev16:14-16) for
Without the shedding of blood there is no cleaning, no sanctification (He9:21-22), and
Without sanctification God would not dwell there.
Looking at the Temple which the Jews practically worshipped (Mt24:1),
Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days (Jn2:19), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would become the holy foundation for the holy, eternal temple.
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1) Sprinkled His blood and sanctified the spiritual heaven which the Father made (He9:11-12, 23-24);
2) Destroyed the devil, the origin of sin (1Jn3:8); and
3) Prepared a field upon which all men can build a home in the holy heavenly place (Jn14:2).
He rose and ascended to heaven where
He entered as the eternal High Priest to serve the Father forever.
The Holy Spirit came
To fulfill the dream of Jesus on earth (Mt16:18):
Building inside the souls He purchased with His blood (1Pe1:18-19)
The temple overseen by His word (Ac20:28; 1Co3:16) ” that is
The church gathered in His name (Mt18:20).
The Christian is a builder (1Co3:10-15), who
Builds on his most holy faith that does not make compromise with the world
His eternal home in heaven to dwell with the Lord,
By building up the church on earth.
Therefore, even if he pours out all his life on building it,
He has no regrets.
O Lord,
What a blessing we have
To build our eternal home to live with You in heaven!
Let us willingly pour our time, talent and treasure and
On our most holy faith
Build Your church here on earth! Amen.
The Right to Worship
(Jn1:12, 4:23-26)
God is the God of revelation.
He reveals Himself according to His way, and
He reveals Himself in His time.
Faith is longing to seek Him, and
The life of this faith is living with a right seeking to worship.
Worship means "to see the face of God.
The presence or absence, or the success or failure of faith is determined by
Whether one longs for worship or finds it burdensome.
And the Lord will meet in the air only with those who seek His face.
A right is either recognized by law or given by those in power.
However, if one does not carry out his responsibility there is no guarantee for his right, and
If one does not exercise his right there is no gain for him.
After he sinned, Adam hid from the face of God (Ge3:8),
Willingly surrendering his right to seek God.
Consequently, God banished him from the garden and
Put a flaming sword around it (Ge3:24).
The common trait of the sinner thereafter is fearing the face of God:
Cain who killed his brother (Ge4:14);
Moses who was called by God (Ex3:6);
Even those who saw an angel of the Lord (Jdg13:22); and
(Fifty thousand) seventy people were put to death
Because of those who looked inside the ark of the Lord (1Sa6:19).
Nevertheless, God showed His favor on them by
Commanding them to build the sanctuary and promised that
He would meet with them and speak to them from
The atonement cover above the ark of covenant (Ex25:8, 22).
Yet this was only for the high priest ”
Selected among the Israelites, the Levites and the priests ”
To enter the Most Holy Place
Once every year, only with the blood of animals (He9:25).
Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days (Jn2:19), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would reveal the face of God and meet with all men for
He is one with the Father and seeing Him was seeing the Father (Jn10:30, 14:9).
He is the exact representation of God's being (He1:3),
The image of the invisible God (Co1l:15), the image of God (2Co4:4),
The incarnate of Word who was with the Father in the beginning (Jn1:1, 14, 18).
When He died, the veil in the Temple tore (Mt27:51), and
He said, "It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1) Revealed completely in the last days what the Father decided in the beginning (He1:1-2);
2) Condemned the devil who surrendered to worship in heaven (Eze28:13; 1Jn3:8); and
3) Tore His flesh, the wall of sin, and with His blood redeemed the sins of all men, making a way for them to come before God (Mt20:28; He10:19-20).
With His blood He sanctified the heavenly sanctuary (Lev16:14; He9:21-25), and
Resurrected and became the eternal high priest who for men appeared before God.
The Holy Spirit comes to
The church, the gathering in the name Yeshua (Mt18:19; Eph1:22), and
He lets them know that the Father seeks those who worship in spirit and in truth (Jn4:23).
The Christian therefore
In order to practice his right to worship
Carries out his right by seeking the face of the Lord
Daily in prayer alone and in gatherings (Mt18:10),
Until the day when he can see His face before the throne in heaven (Rev22:3-4).
O Lord,
What sacrifice You made just to meet with us!
Let us never surrender this right and responsibility and
Let none of us treat worship carelessly.
Rather, let our souls yearn and even faint to seek Your face (Ps84:1-4)! Amen.
Prayer is My Possession
(Mk11:20-25)
God is the Owner.
By His word He made all things and is their Owner (Ps100:3; He11:3), and
By His blood He purchased all souls and is their Owner (Re5:9).
Faith is surrendering one's possession before Him, and
The life of this faith is putting effort to pray in order to secure the right that He gave.
"Ownership refers to the act, the state or the right of possessing ”
The right to possess not just wealth but also
Health, family, happiness, breath etc., and
The Bible indicates that it comes from God (Lk9:25).
Although all things belong to God for He made them in the beginning,
He has no regrets to burn them all at the end (2Pe3:7) because
His plan was to take the Son whom He would raise and make Him the heir of all things (He1:2), and
Also those made sons through Him (He2:10).
According to His plan He seized what He planned to seize:
He raised the Son whom He made the heir of all things (He1:2), and
Also pulls out those who became sons through Him.
Adam was tempted to be like God and sinned because
He became unmindful of the Owner (Ge3:5).
Thus he was banished from the Garden and lost ownership over things (Ge2:16, 3:24).
However, the Israelites who were owned by the pharaoh 430 years
Left Egypt with silver, gold and treasures (Ex12:35-36) for
God gave them the power to possess wealth (Dt8:18).
Furthermore whenever they faced battles and cried out to God (Nu21:2-3; Dt2:31; Jos6:16),
No nation or fighter could withstand them (Jos10:8) for
God had given them to the hands of Israel.
The sanctuary where the name of the Lord God was
Reminded them that when God gave them the promise of possession and they fought for it
They finally took possession.
Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days (Jn2:19), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would become the Owner of all souls.
Though He is the incarnate Word from the beginning, the Son of God (Jn1:1, 14),
When He was in the flesh (He5:7),
He began each day by praying early in the morning (Mk1:35) because
He would use His ownership and possess all things for they were His (Jn17:6, 11-12).
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1) Returned His life to the Father and confessed that the Father alone is the Owner (Lk23:46; Jn10:17-18; Php2:11);
2) Condemned the devil who with lies made Adam his possession (Ge3:4; 1Jn3:8); and
3) With His blood purchased the souls who had belonged to the devil and offered them to the Father (He2:15; Rev5:9).
The Father raised Him among the dead (Ac2:32), and
Gave Him all authorities of heaven and earth (Mt28:18), and
Sent the Holy Spirit and gave the name Yeshua to those who believe (Jn1:12, 14:26).
The believer is he who
Receives prayer as his possession (Mk11:24).
For whatever he believes and seeks will be received,
He fights until it comes true and
Finally conquerors answers.
O Lord,
What a great right we have!
By prayer
Let us leave this world with all those You have given us ”
Our family, souls, wealth etc.! Amen.
Prayer is My Asset
(Jn14:12-14)
God is abundant.
There is nothing that He lacks and
There is nothing He cannot do.
Faith is totally being dependent on Him, and
The life of this faith is managing according to His ways and reaping abundant fruit to give Him glory.
An asset or a capital is what one needs
In order to start his studies, marriage or even business.
If he manages well he can reap good fruit or surplus,
But if he does not it is a failure and it would be difficult to rebound.
Tempted by Eve who was deceived by the devil (Ge3:4-5),
Without asking God, Adam ate the forbidden fruit and sinned.
Consequently, he was banished from the Garden and
Lost all abundant things (Ge3:24).
When Moses was called by God (Ex3:4-12)
He was 80 years old and a murderer.
Though he initially hesitated
When God commanded him to bring the Israelites out of Egypt (Ex4:10-17),
He left once experiencing the signs with his staff (Ex4:1-9).
After he delivered the people out of their slavery of 430 years (Ex12:41),
He parted the Sea and led them to walk through it like dry land (Ex14:15-6, 21-22), and
Also led them in the desert for 40 years
Not because he depended on his staff but
He constantly spoke with God and received instructions from Him (Ex4:15).
In the sanctuary God commanded him to place Aaron's staff (Nu17:3-4) because
Even after Moses is gone God would continue to speak with
The high priests throughout generations (Nu18:2).
Furthermore, the golden vase with manna inside the ark
Reminded them that for 40 years in the desert no one died of hunger.
Meanwhile, there were kings in Israel who, when they were ill
Rather than consulting with God
Consulted with physicians or gentile gods, because of which they died (2Ki1:1-4, 17; 2Ch16:11-13).
Thus, when Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it in three days (Jn2:19),
The Jews became angry for the temple was the asset of Israel.
However, through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
Jesus would give the greatest asset, the name Yeshua, to the souls of all men.
During His public life, Jesus preached, healed, drove out demons,
Performed miracles of multiplying food in the field and filling up the empty boat (Mk1:35-59),
All possible because He always prayed ” early in the morning to late at night (Lk22:39-44).
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1) Gave glory to the Father who prepared a place for Him and all those given to Him (Jn5:21, 14:2; Php2:11);
2) Condemned the devil who caused Adam to sin (1Jn3:8); and
3) Redeemed the sins of all men and gave them abundant life through His flesh and blood (Mt20:28; Jn6:32-35; 10:10).
He rose and ascended to the heavenly throne.
The Holy Spirit came with the name Yeshua (Ac1:8), and
Lets the believer pray in His name and do the work that He did (Jn14:12-14).
The believer knows that
His asset is prayer alone (Mk9:29)
Therefore, whatever it is
By praying he receives His support and
Whatever he does
He reaps abundant fruit and gives glory to the Father.
O Lord,
Prayer in the name Yeshua ” what a great asset we have!
Let us manage our asset well and bear abundant fruit.
Even if we do not have the fruit right now
Let our prayers stay alive! Amen.
Grace and Ministry
(Ac20:22-24)
God is the Lord of grace (1Pe5:10).
Grace comes from Him, and
He makes His grace even greater for those who know it.
Faith is knowing Him, and being moved by His grace, and
The life of this faith is never drying out of this grace and considering paying back as one's ministry.
While "grace, which refers to what is given freely,
Requires no works, toils, burden or repayment from the receiver,
"Ministry, which refers to duty, involves
Works, toils, burden, responsibility and sacrifice from the receiver.
Just because the gift of God is given without a price,
It does not mean that it is worthless but rather
Because it is so costly that God gave it without a price.
Thus, he who knows this and receives it
Considers his lifetime ministry to willingly pay back.
Deceived by the devil.
Adam sinned and was then banished from the Garden (Ge3:6, 24) for
He received grace which was all the things God made by His Word without a sacrifice.
God first gave the Law through Moses
For men to know and receive the grace to be given in the future (Jn1:17; Gal3:24).
Since it is not those who hear the Law but those who keep it who were declared righteous (Rm2:13),
Those who broke it could not escape punishment and
Thus they were always fearful (Rm8:15).
Nevertheless, God promised to show His mercy on the people
From the atonement cover above the ark of covenant inside the sanctuary (Ex25:17).
Though it was by His grace that
They made atonement for their sins with the blood of animals,
It was only a shadow of the good things to come for
It is impossible for the blood of animals to take away sins( He10:1-4).
Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days (Jn2:19), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would show God's grace for the souls of all men for
He is the One and Only Son (Jn1:14), the Lamb of God (Jn1:29), who
Came to call sinners to repentance (Lk5:31-32)
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1) Gave glory to the Father who showed His grace to the Son (Php2:11; He1:2);
2) Condemned the devil who caused Adam to be ungrateful (Ge3:4; 1Jn3:8); and
3) With His blood redeemed the sins of all men, showing grace to them (Mt20:28).
The Father raised Him up and
Jesus ascended to heaven and sat on the throne of grace (He4:16).
The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of grace (He10:29), came in the name Yeshua and
The gospel of forgiveness began to spread (Ac2:38),
Giving life to whom the Son is pleased to give it (Jn5:21).
The man of the Spirit is he who,
As grace becomes greater,
Knows all the more how many are his sins (Lk7:47; 1Co2:12), and
Considers what he is ” that is, his experiences, knowledge, passion, service, and faith ”
As the grace of God (1Co15:10; Gal1:15).
Therefore, he preaches without boasting (1Co9:16) and
Gives his life without holding back for
It is what he is obligated to do (Ac20:24; Rm1:14).
O Lord,
Let the Spirit of grace water our hearts with Your grace and
Let us always overflow with tears from the deepest place of our souls.
Let us go out and testify the gospel of Your grace!
Amen.
The Authority of the Believer
(Jn14:7-14)
God is the Lord of glory (Jas2:1).
Glory comes from Him and from glory to glory He is, and
He brings those who give Him into glory (Rm8:21; Rev21:26).
Faith is seeing Him, His glory and
The life of this faith is giving Him glory and enjoying that glory.
While the attribute of the believer is weakness,
The authority of the believer is boldness.
Though they are opposites
The origin of his faith is the Bible and God ” thus his power is great.
Though since Adam had the freedom to eat any fruit in the Garden (Ge2:16),
He probably felt like a god himself,
By receiving the commandment regarding the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil
He was to know that he was not god.
Deceived by the serpent, the devil, Adam doubted God's word and sinned (Ge3:5),
Because of which he was banished from the Garden,
Facing the price of sin also in his life (Ge3:24, 4:12).
God called Moses at the age of 80 (Ex3:4), when his flesh was old and weak, and
Poured on to him spiritual authority.
Thus, with a rod, Moses went into Egypt to set the Israelites free from their slavery.
In the desert God commanded them to build the sanctuary where
The name of the Lord God was and His glory filled (Ex40:34-35).
Furthermore, a staff was placed before the Ark (Ex25:8) ”
Not of Moses' but of Aaron's (Nu17:1-7) for
The spiritual authority had now transferred from Moses to the sanctuary:
Wherever the Ark went
The Sea parted, the city collapsed and miracles took place (Jos3:15-17, 6:1-27).
Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days (Jn2:19), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would reveal His glory, the glory of the One and Only Son (Jn1:14).
As such, in His name He drove out demons (Mt4:24; Mk1:22) and
Even His disciples did the same work (Mk3:13-15; Lk10:17-18).
Without resting for a day
He continued to do His work until He would be made perfect on the "third day (Lk13:31-32).
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1) Submitted before the Father and gave glory to Him, the origin of all authorities (Php2:6-11);
2) Condemned the devil who challenged God's authority and also caused man to do the same (Ge3:5; 1Jn3:8); and
3) Set all men free from their slavery to the devil (He2:15; 2Pe2:19).
The Father raised Him and
Seated Him at the right-hand of the Majesty in heaven (He1:3).
The Holy Spirit came with name Yeshua and
Gives authority to the believer (Ac1:8).
The believer is he who
Acknowledges the authority of the Bible, and
Knows that the work that Jesus did is the work he also must do (Jn14:11-12).
Therefore, though he is weak
He uses the authority of the name Yeshua and
Prays, drives out demons from the sick (Mk16:17), and
Boldly preaches the Word (Ac4:29-31).
O Lord,
Though we are weak, the name Yeshua is strong.
We fall before the authority of Your name and pray ”
So let us boldly use our authority!
In the New Year, let us do new work and
Let demons tremble and leave from us,
From our church, our home groups and our families! Amen.
The Authority of the Bible
(Lk4:16-30)
God is the Head of all authorities (Rm13:1).
All authorities come from Him, and
He acknowledges the authority of he who acknowledges His authority.
Faith is completely falling before His authority, and
The life of this faith is accepting His Word as-is even if it costs one's life.
The extent of one's power is determined by the origin of his authority, and
In today's society that would be the highest court, whose authority one cannot defy.
The Bible has the greatest authority over all the books in the world (Jn10:35) for
It contains the Word of God.
As such, in awe men made its copies in the past and
In awe they read it to this day.
The authority of the Bible is:
1) Its origin ” God, the Holy Spirit (2TI3:15);
2) Its record of how the Word was fulfilled ” the past ” the prophecies and their fulfillment (Mt11:13; Jn19:30);
3) The fact the Word is still being fulfilled ” the present ” signs, the Truth (Mk16:20); and
4) It applies to all men ” whether they know or not, believe or not, no one is irrelevant (Jn3:16).
Through one man Adam, the ancestor all mankind, came
Sin to all and death ruled over them (Rm5:12) for
Deceived by the devil who challenged the authority of God in heaven (Is4:12-15; Ge3:4-5),
Adam broke the Word of God, challenging His authority.
The Bible nevertheless illustrates how the Word of God is surely fulfilled:
Rebekah was ready to be cursed for the Word to be fulfilled (Ge25:23, 27:13);
In addition to the conquest of Canaan. Joshua wrote about
How every Word of God was fulfilled (Jos1:1. 21:43-45); and
Even the word regarding gentile kings like
Cyrus and Nebuchadnezzar was all fulfilled (2Ch36:22; Da4:33).
The sanctuary where the name of the Lord God was
Reminded the Israelites that the Word of God is surely fulfilled.
But Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days (Jn2:19), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would fulfill what the prophets wrote and give authority to the Old Testament, and
Also fulfill what He Himself would say at the time and prove the authority of His Word.
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1) Completely submitted to the authority of the Father (Jn10:18; Php2:6-8);
2) Condemned the devil who as a creature challenged the authority of God; and
3) Redeemed men who sinned because of their ignorance.
Then the Father raised Him from the dead and
Gave the greatest authority to His Word.
The Holy Spirit who came in the name Yeshua
Lets those who witnessed and experienced recall what He said and
Recorded them ” that is, the New Testament, and
Lets believers submit before the authority of His Word (Mt28:18-20).
The Christian is he who
Gives the greatest authority to the Bible, and
Thus prostrates his life before Him for
He believes that whether he knows or not, whether he believes or not (Jn3:16-18),
The Word of the Bible is surely to be fulfilled, and so
He longs for not the Word regarding curse
But the Word regarding blessing would be fulfilled in him.
O Lord,
Let not even one of us be destroyed
Because of our ignorance.
Let us all fall flat before the authority of the Bible! Amen.
Let Us Know the Bible
(Jn5:39; 2Ti3:12-17)
God is the God of revelation.
He reveals Himself according to His ways, and
He teaches and guarantees according to His revealed Word.
Faith is knowing Him and believing Him, and
The life of this faith is completely trusting the revealed Word.
"The Holy Scriptures refers to the holy book as
It is different from all the books in the world for
It contains the Word of God and
Thus it is only beneficial when read with the lens of faith.
The structure of the Bible is
The Pentateuch, the chronicles, the psalms, and the prophetic books of the Old Testament and
The records of the life of Jesus and the testaments of the apostles of the New Testament.
The theme of the Bible is Jesus and
Its application is to equip the men of God to do good work
So they may receive eternal life (Jn5:39; 2Ti3:16-17).
Because of Adam all men inherited sin and death:
The flesh that comes from dust would return to dust (Ge3:19),
While the spirit that came from God died because of sin (Ge2:7, 17; Eph2:1).
The Old Testament contains
The revelation through the Law and the prophecies of the prophets
Continuing through the history of Israel and being fulfilled until John the Baptist (Mt11:13).
The sanctuary where the stone tablets and the name of the Lord God were
Reminded the Israelites that God revealed Himself to them and that
He keeps His promises.
Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it in three days (Jn2:19), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would fulfill what was yet to be fulfilled and reveal Himself to all men.
As such He did all, such as His birth, His public life's beginning,
Teaching, healing, and even the betrayal of His disciple,
All according to what was written in the Scriptures (Is7:14; Lk4:16-21; Mt4:4-10, 8:16; Jn13:18).
Even by saying, "I am thirsty (Jn19:18)
He fulfilled the Scriptures and gave it authority.
As He died, He finally said, "It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1) Traded and trusted His life with the Father's word (Jn10:18; He5:7);
2) Condemned the origin of sin (1Jn3:8); and
3) Redeemed the sins of men and made a way for them to know Him and receive eternal life (Mt20:28; Jn6:40).
According to His prophecy, He resurrected (Mt16:21; Jn20:19), and
According to His promise, He sent the Holy Spirit (Ac1:4, 2:4).
The Holy Spirit who came in the name Yeshua
Let witnesses recall even after decades and
Record the facts of what He did and said (Jn16:26; Lk1:1-4).
The Bible was written by those who were inspired by the Holy Spirit (2Ti3:15) and
To this day those who are inspired by the Spirit
Find treasure in the Bible (Mt13:44-45) and
Thus willingly trade it with their whole life.
Furthermore, they firmly believe that
The one prophecy of the New Testament that is yet to be fulfilled,
The return of the Lord Jesus, will surely be fulfilled (Rev22:20).
O Lord,
Let the Holy Spirit who
Inspired those who because of this one book
Tossed away their life and willingly faced suffering and death
Inspire all of us today.
Let our inheritance and will for our offspring
Be the life that clings only unto the Bible! Amen.
Let Us Do a New Work
(Is43:18-21; Jn6:38-40)
God is to be honored.
His status itself is to be honored, and
For His works He is worthy to be honored.
Faith is knowing Him and honoring Him, and
The life of this faith is to do a new work in order to be honored.
Man works for food and once he eats his food he works.
Since people would like to find work that is honorable
They spend a great deal of time acquiring good knowledge and skill.
While the most valuable work in this world may be saving lives,
Such can never be eternal.
Because Adam ate the forbidden fruit, his spirit died (Ge2:17, 3:6; Eph2:1) and
Further his flesh would work all his life, only to return to dust in the end (Ge3:18-19).
Nevertheless God did an honorable work (Is43:20):
He saved the people of Israel from death
On the night of their exodus from Egypt (Ex11:4-5, 12:13), and
By making a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters (Is43:16-17).
The sanctuary where the name of the Lord was
Reminded them that because of God's work
They lived albeit it was only for their flesh.
Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days (Jn2:19), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would complete the Father's work and give life to all souls of men, for which
He came as the last Adam, the life-giving spirit (1Co15:45),
The Word, the Spirit became flesh (Jn1:1, 14) and
Do a new thing according to the prophecy (Is43:19).
His food was doing the will of the Father who sent Him (Jn4:34).
Just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life,
Even so the Son gives life to whom He is pleased to give it (Jn5:19-21).
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1) Honored the Father who does the most valuable work (Php2:11);
2) Condemned the devil who did the worst work of killing (Jn10:10; He2:14; 1Jn3:8); and
3) Redeemed Adam's sin and by sprinkling His blood raised souls to life, a new work (Mt20:28; He12:24).
The Father raised Him up and
Jesus sat on the heavenly throne receiving honor forever (Rev3:21).
The Holy Spirit whom He sent
Comes to those who received the name Yeshua (Jn1:12), and
Lets them testify His name (Ac2:32, 4:12).
The Christian knows that
By the blood of Christ his dead soul received life and
Therefore no longer works for food that spoils (Jb6:37-38) but
Puts every effort to do a new work, the most honorable work, that is
Opening his mouth and raising the dead souls to life
Until the Lord honors him when He returns.
O Lord,
What an honorable work I have!
Let me work not for food that spoils but for my soul to live.
Let me open up my mouth and testify what You did, and raise souls to life!
Let us all do a new work in the New Year!
Amen.
At The Last Day
(Jn6:39-40; 1Pe4:7-11)
God is the first and the last (Is44:6; Rev1:8, 17).
He is before the first and after the last, and
By Him all things began and by Him they will end.
Faith is knowing the timetable of God, and
The life of this faith is about living for the last day.
The word, "last, is quite meaningful since
As a warning it is shocking and
It is also a decisive moment for all things.
The Bible tells us about what is to come after:
"I will raise them up at the last day (Jn6:39).
In spite of the fact that Adam lived comfortably in the Garden of Eden (Ge2:15),
He was deceived by the devil who had sinned in heaven and was cast down (Is14:12-15),
He sinned and was consequently banished from the Garden (Ge3:24).
God destroyed the first earth by a deluge,
A sign that He would destroy the first heaven and the first earth by fire in the last day (2Pe3:6-7).
God instructed the Israelites to build the sanctuary where
The name of the Lord reminded them that
Those who obeyed God's covenant, though humble in the beginning,
Became prosperous in the end (Job8:7).
The prophet, on the other hand, warned of the coming wrath and that
If they did not repent they would be thrown into the fire (Mt3:7-10).
Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days (Jn2:19), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would put end to all things and make a way for a new beginning as
His appearance marked the last days and
It was by Him all things were made and
It will be by Him all things will end (Jn1:2; He1:1-2).
Furthermore, by coming as the Son of Man
He was given the authority to judge (Jn5:29),
While by His word He will judge in the last day (Jn12:48).
As He breathed His last Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1) Put to end His own flesh and revealed that the Father alone has no beginning or end and glorified Him (Php2:11);
2) Condemned the devil who changed (1Jn3:8); and
3) Redeemed the sins of men and made a way for them to begin again in Him.
The Father raised Him up and
Jesus ascended to the heavenly throne.
The Holy Spirit comes to those who received the blood of Jesus and
He urges the churches in the last days
To repent and return to the first love and the first deeds (Rev2:1-7).
The Christian sees the end of all things.
Therefore, he hears the warning of the Holy Spirit and
Beats his chest and repents for
He longs to stand before the Lord's glorious presence
Without fault and with great joy at the last day (Jude1:24).
O Lord,
The longer I live in this world,
It becomes clearer that I love You.
Yet compared to my first deeds
I have grown dull and cool.
So I beat my chest and repent!
Let the Holy Spirit inspire me so that
I may return to my first love and first deeds and prepare for the last day!
Amen.
The Birth of Jesus Christ
(Is9:6; Mt1:18-23)
God is the holy King.
His essence is holy, and
He triumphs and rules with life.
Faith is recognizing and welcoming Him, and
The life of this faith is willingly laying down one's treasures before His feet and worshipping Him, and testifying His name.
While there has never been a time without war, whether small or big,
The kings with the superior strategy and valor have changed history.
With the development of the human civilization came that of weapons,
As the fight for supremacy has never ceased.
Though religions imagine the transcendent being and force men to bow before him,
God, unlike religions and the kings of the world, reigns as
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace (Is9:6).
The Old Testament records the prophecies regarding Him that:
The virgin will give birth to a son (Is7:14), and
The government will be on His shoulders (Is9:6).
When it was time, Jesus Christ was born (Mt1:18), and
He was different since His birth because:
1) His essence is holy ” through the Holy Spirit the Word became flesh, conceived in a virgin and born the Son of God (Lk1:25, 34-38; Jn1:1, 14);
2) He came to fulfill the prophecies ” what the Lord had said through the prophets before His birth (Ge3:15; Mt1:22-23);
3) His name ” He came with the name of God since before the creation (Mt1:21; Jn17:11);
4) Salvation ” He set men free from the law of sin and death (Mt20:28; Rm8:2);
5) Enemy ” He condemned the prince of the world, the ruler of death, the devil (Jn14:31; He2:14-15; 1Jn3:8);
6) Weapon ” He did not harm anyone but rather put to death His own body (Jn10:17-18; He2:14);
7) Victory ” He overcame by the power of resurrection (Jn10:18; 1Co15:54-57); and
8) His kingdom ” the kingdom over which Jesus reigns as Christ is the kingdom of life and love (Ac3:15; Col1:13; Rev11:15, 22:1).
He who received the testimony of the name Yeshua by the Holy Spirit (Ac1:8)
Sincerely welcomes the birth of Jesus Christ,
Willingly kneels before His name and worships Him, and
Lays his own treasure before Him, for
While countless babies were born in the history of mankind
The birth of one baby is the most shocking event in history and
It is the moment his own life turns upside down.
O Lord,
If that one baby was not born at that time,
If His birth was no different from others',
It would have meant complete despair!
Yeshua, my King!
I sincerely welcome Your birth!
I kneel before Your name today and
I long for the coming of Your kingdom in that day!
Amen.
My Soul's Masterpiece
(Mt16:18; Col1:24-29)
Our God works (Ps104:24).
For Himself He works (Ge22:8), and
He makes the greatest masterpiece.
Faith is knowing Him and longing for Him, and
The life of this faith is producing one's masterpiece to leave behind while his soul is in the flesh.
Human civilization was developed by the painstaking efforts of men who
For the sake of their names left behind masterpieces such as
Architecture, arts, music, literature and all types of inventions.
To this day their descendants benefit from them.
Nevertheless, all things are the result of God's work in the beginning (Ps104:24; Pr8:22), and
They reveal His eternal power and divine nature (Rm1:20).
Furthermore, the Bible is the story of those who left behind great masterpieces:
By building an ark Noah saved his household and condemned the world,
Becoming an heir of faith (He11:7);
Though his and his wife's bodies were as good as dead
By faith Abraham gave birth to a son at the age of 100 (Rm4:19);
After making history through the exodus of Israel from Egypt,
Moses built the sanctuary in the desert (Ex40:33; He11:27-29);
Joshua held the sun in its place and led Israel to conquer Canaan (Jos10:13); and
With the best material and craftsman,
King Solomon built the Temple of Jerusalem, the pride of Israel (1Ki7:51; Mt24:1).
However, Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days (Jn2:19-21),
Because through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would tear down the masterpiece made by the hands of men and
Build His church that the gates of Hades cannot prevail (Mt16:16-18).
He left the work He was doing and even greater things with His disciples (Jn14:12).
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1) Laid down His life according to the Father's plan from the beginning (Jn10:17-18);
2) Judged the devil who attempted to steal the throne without any work (Is14:12-14; 1Jn3:8); and
3) With His blood redeemed the sins of all men in Adam (1Co15:22; 1Pe1:19).
The resurrection of Jesus is the Father's greatest masterpiece (Ac2:32; 1Co15:20).
He sat on the heavenly throne.
The Holy Spirit comes to those who know that
They are souls and have received the works of Jesus that is His blood, and
Lets them do the work that Jesus did ” preaching, making disciples, and
Doing even greater things, such as building His church (Eph4:11-12).
The Christians is he who,
Following the apostles who wrote the Bible and built the church,
Pours out his heart with a sense of craftsmanship in
Worship, praise, prayer, preaching, group activities, service etc., and
Ultimately builds the corporate masterpiece, His church,
To pass it down to the next generation.
O Lord,
Thank You for
Giving me a chance to leave behind a trace
While my soul remains briefly in the flesh.
Let me leave behind
My soul's great masterpiece ”
The church built on the foundation and the pillars of the Truth!
Amen.
The Spiritual Leader
(Mt23:1-12)
God is the Leader, the Teacher.
For He is omniscient, He know the way (Job23:10), and
For He is true, He leads to the true way (Ps25:5).
Faith is acknowledging Him at all times and being taught by Him (Pr3:6).
The life of this faith is following Him and leading others to Him.
Despite the fact that people ought to be led by their king,
Disciples instructed by their teachers, and
Children taught by their parents,
Because people nowadays are proud
They reject character development and only want to learn technology and information.
As such, it is difficult for a true leader to emerge today.
Nevertheless, the Bible shows that since the creation until the times reach their fulfillment,
He reveals His plan to lead men out of darkness and death, the universe (Ps107:14).
Deceived by the devil,
Adam sinned and death entered all men,
All becoming slaves of the devil (2Pe2:19), destined to follow him to the eternal fire (Mt24:41).
The significant leaders of the Old Testament were Moses and Joshua:
While Moses led his people out of Egypt and led them to the Jordan,
He died without crossing the Jordan (Ex3:10; Dt34:6);
While Joshua crossed the Jordan and led Israel into Canaan,
He could neither give them rest nor continue to lead them for he died (He4:8).
The sanctuary where the ark and the name of the Lord God were
Reminded them that God was their Leader and that
He would lead them through the valley of the shadow of death and finally to the green pasture.
Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it in three days (Jn2:19), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would become the new Leader, the Christ
Leading souls of all men to a new heaven and a new earth (Mt23:10).
As such, He came in the name Yeshua for
He came to save His people from their sins, death and the world (Mt1:21).
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1) Willingly laid down His life and followed the Father's command, acknowledging that He alone is the true Leader (Jn10:18; Php2:6-11);
2) Condemned the devil, the origin of sin, the father of lies (Jn8:44; 1Jn3:8); and
3) Tore His flesh and shed His blood, making a new and living way for souls to follow Him to the new heaven and the new earth (He10:19-20).
He rose and sat down on the heavenly throne,
Now leading those who follow Him to the throne across the river of life (Rev3:21, 22:1-5).
The Holy Spirit comes to those received His blood
Makes them overseers of the church and
Leaders of the souls whom He purchased (Ac20:28; 1Pe5:1-3).
The Christian is he who
Willingly decided to follow Christ, His teaching, and
Therefore puts every effort to lead others given to him to Christ.
The requirements of becoming a spiritual leader are:
1) Truthfulness ” does not lie but is sincere (1Ti3:8);
2) Faithfulness ” does not betray the one who has given him the trust (1Co4:2; Rev3:14);
3) Purity ” not pursuing dishonest gain (1Pe5:2);
4) Optimism ” nothing is impossible for him who believes (Mk9:23);
5) Eagerness ” not forced but willingly does all with passion (Lk22:44; Jn10:17; 1Pe5:1);
6) Diligent ” not lazy (Mk1:35);
7) Responsibility ” fulfills until the end (Jn19:30; 2Ti4:5);
8) Gentleness ” in humility and patience forgives the mistakes of those who follow (2Ti4:2); and
9) Self-sacrifice ” risks his life to take the lead (Mt20:28).
The leadership or charisma of a leader is
Not gained by demanding it but rather
Given by those who follow him, for
He sets an example for the flock to follow.
O Lord,
Let us all become spiritual leaders in
Our families, workplaces and the church.
Use us as leaders!
Amen.
My Soul Holds Treasure
(2Co4:1-15)
God is worthy (Ps76:4).
His thoughts (Ps137:7), His promise (2Pe1:4), His blood (1Pe1:19) and
His name (Php2:9) are all precious, and
He considers as His treasure the vessel that holds His precious things.
Faith is knowing Him and receiving Him, and
The life of this faith is emptying oneself in order to be filled with His treasure.
The duty of a vessel is to hold, and
Its value depends on the content it holds, and for that:
1) It must be emptied;
2) It must not change; and
3) It must carry.
For God breathed into him the breath of life,
Adam became a living being (Ge2:7),
A vessel to hold the word of God (Ge1:27).
However, sin entered him and
He became a vessel of God's wrath, prepared for destruction (Rm9:22).
The people of Israel were called God's treasured possession (Dt26:17-19) for
The Almighty chose them among all the peoples to become His holy people (Job22:25).
Inside the sanctuary was
The ark of covenant overlaid with pure gold, inside of which were
The stone tables of His covenant, as well as the name of the Lord God (Ex25:10-16; He9:4).
It reminded them that, to fear the Lord was the key to His treasure (Is33:6).
The gentile king who drank wine out of the gold goblets of the Temple and
Praised the gods of the gentiles was struck dead on the same day (Da5:3-4, 30),
While the precious children of Zion, once worth their weight in gold, ignored such, for which
They were broken in pieces like pottery (Is30:14; La4:2).
Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days (Jn2:19), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would be broken to scoop out His treasure and place it into
The precious vessels which He would form.
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1) Emptied Himself and held the Father's will in Him, giving glory to the Father and receiving the name above all names (Jn10:18; Php2:6-11);
2) Judged the devil whose heart was full of pride (Is14:13; Eze28:17); and
3) Redeemed the sins of all men and sprinkled His precious blood on them (1Pe1:18-19).
He rose and was crowned with glory and honor, and
Sat on the heavenly throne (He2:9).
The Holy Spirit comes to the souls who are
Overlaid with the precious blood of Jesus, and
Lets them be filled with His treasures: the name of Yeshua and the Truth.
The man whose soul holds treasure is he who:
1) Keeps the Truth ” considers as rubbish his own argument, knowledge, thoughts, plans, will, dreams, treasures, and lays them down (2Co10:4-6; Php3:7-9);
2) Defends the Truth ” in order to not distort the word of God, risks his own life to defend it (2Co4:2); and
3) Teaches the Truth ” delivers it to all nations and to the next generation,
All to be raptured when the Lord returns.
O Lord,
My soul is overlaid with the blood of Jesus, more precious than finest gold, and
Holds the treasure of Yeshua and the Truth.
How precious is my soul!
Like the space shuttle orbiter that shoots up to the sky and flies into orbit
Let me rid myself of all the things that I once considered gain and
Scoop out the gospel, and
On the day the Lord returns
Let me be lifted up to heaven!
Amen.
Father, Thank You!
(Jn11:41-42; He12:5-11)
God is the gracious Father (Ps111:4).
Grace comes from Him, and
He gives greater grace to those who know His grace.
Faith is knowing His grace, and
The life of this faith is considering all things as grace and giving thanks.
If a king were to give a chance for the voice of the people to be heard
That itself would be a great mercy and a reason for thanksgiving.
How much greater the grace and thanksgiving, then, when God hears the voices of men!
In spite of this, however, men do not want to receive what God has graciously given.
Instead, they seek others to hear them.
After Adam sinned and he was banished from the Garden,
The communication between God and man became cut off (Ge3:5-6, 24).
Nevertheless, God called Moses (Ex3:2) for
God heard the groaning and cry of Israel and
Remembered the covenant He made with Abraham (Ex2:23-25).
After He brought them out of Egypt,
God commanded them to build the sanctuary (Ex25:8) so that
When the incense filled the atonement cover (Ex25:22, 30:1, 6-10; He9:4)
He would hear their prayer from the mercy seat inside the Most Holy Place (Rev8:3).
Yet not just anyone could enter there (Nu16:1-31), for
It was limited from the Levites to the priests to the high priest,
Only once every year (He10:1), and
Anyone who disobeyed was put to death.
Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days (Jn2:19), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would make a way for the voices of all men to be heard, for
He is the incarnate Word who was with the Father in the beginning (Jn1:1, 14, 18), and
Thus, always in communication with the Father (Jn17:5),
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1) Tore His flesh like a veil and committed His spirit into the Father's hands, giving thanks to the Father for being heard (Lk23:46; He5:7, 9:23-24, 10:19);
2) Condemned the ungrateful devil who caused men to forget grace (Ge3:5-6, 14; 1Jn3:8); and
3) Shed His blood and showed the mercy of redemption to all men (He10:10).
The Father raised Him and
Jesus ascended to the throne of His grace in heaven (He4:16).
The Holy Spirit comes in the name Yeshua to
Those who receive His name and:
1) Receive forgiveness of sins (Lk42:47; Eph1:7)
2) Are born again as children of God (1Pe1:23); and
3) Receive the right to call God, Father (Jn1:12; Rm8:14-16).
The Christian knows that he is a child of God.
Therefore, to God who gave His One and Only Son,
He can only say, "Father, Thank You! for:
1) He is forgiven of all his sins;
2) He does not complain or resent in any situation but rather gives thanks for being treated as a son (He12:5-13); and
3) The Father always hears him (Jn11:42).
O Lord,
What can I say to give thanks for all Your grace?
The only thing I can say is¦.
Father, thank You!!!
Amen.
The Secret of Being Content
(Php4:10-13)
God is omniscient and omnipotent.
He knows all things, and
He can do all things.
Faith is believing this as fact, and
The life of this faith is having the secret to do all things through Him who gives strength.
Those who are successful in the world have the secret for success,
While religions discuss the secret to emptying oneself to be freed.
The Christian, on the other hand, possesses the secret to being content, for
Faith is seeing two worlds, the visible and the invisible, the reality and the substance, and
Believing that they were all made by God (He11:1-3).
The moment Adam rejected God's word regarding the forbidden fruit (Ge2:17, 3:6),
He lost the abundance of the visible world of the Garden of Eden (Ge3:24).
Because of the word of God
Abraham, by contrast, left his father's house, his homeland and
Became a blessing and increased to become a great nation (Ge12:1-3).
When God led his descendants, Israel, to leave Egypt (Dt8:11-17),
He let them pass through the desert
To humble them and finally bless them (Nu21:4-5).
Later God instructed them to build the sanctuary and
Placed the ark of covenant in it (Ex25:8, 10; He9:4)
For them to remember for generations that
God delivered them from their slavery of 430 years and that
He fed them in the desert for 40 years.
Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days (Jn2:19), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would give life to the souls of all men, for
Though He came as a son of a poor carpenter,
He is the Son of God, the incarnate Word (Jn1:1, 14), who has
All that the Father has - the power of His name Yeshua (Jn17:10-11).
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1) Through His own limits due to His death, acknowledged that the Father alone is omnipotent (Jn10:18; Php2:11; He5:7);
2) Destroyed the devil who attempted to be like God (Is14:12-15; 1Jn3:8); and
3) With His blood redeemed the ignorant and incompetent sinners and made a way for them to be born again as God's children (1Pe1:18-19, 23).
The Father raised Him, and
Jesus sat on the heavenly throne and received the name above all names (Php2:9-11).
The Holy Spirit whom He sent
Comes to those who received His name Yeshua and
Reminds them the power of His name (Jn14:26, 17:11):
The name that seems poor but makes one rich,
The name that seems to have nothing but has everything (2Co4:7-10).
The Christian is he who
Whether he is in need or has plenty or is lowly (Php4:11-13)
Knows the secret to being content, and
Thus, he is able to do all things
By praying in the name Yeshua.
O Lord,
Open our eyes so that
We may see the path beyond the Red Sea,
The Promised Land beyond the desert,
The fish beyond the empty net, and
The open doors beyond the prison.
Let us not become proud because we have plenty, and
Let us not become cowards because we are in need.
Rather let us be content and be bold for
We have the name Yeshua ”
The secret to being content in all situations,
The power to overcome in all situations!
Amen.
According to the Gift You Received
(Eph4:7-16)
God is the Owner (Rm11:16).
He manages His possession as He wishes, and
Lets those who have used the gifts He gave also become eternal owners (Mt25:14-15, 21).
Faith is receiving God's gift as grace, and
The life of this faith is putting effort to do the best according to the gift one received (Eph4:16), for
The giver has more interest than the receiver.
Adam forgot about God's grace (Ge2:16) and was deceived by
The devil, the angel who though was made as a servant
Attempted to ascend the throne and was cast down to Hades (Is14:12-15; He1:14).
Consequently, Adam was banished from the Garden and
All men became slaves of the devil (Ge3:24; 2Pe2:19).
For God's gifts and calls are irrevocable (Rm11:29),
As the Potter He forms some pottery for special purposes and others for common use.
He also gives or takes away as He wishes (Rm9:20-21; 2Ti2:20).
Before there were any deeds of good or evil,
God gave the providence of the older serving the younger (Ge25:23; Rm9:11-12).
He also blessed each of the 12 tribes of Israel according to their measure (G49:28),
Making them a kingdom of priests (Ex19:6).
He also gave the Levites as gifts (Nu8:19), and
Aaron and his sons served Him as priests (Nu18:7).
Aaron's budded rod in front of the Ark inside the sanctuary was
A sign to the rebellious for generations (Nu16:1-33, 17:3-5).
Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days (Jn2:19), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would give God's gift to not flesh and blood but for all souls (Jn3:16, 4:10).
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1) According to the Father's will used His life which He received from the Father as gift, and fulfilled His measure (Jn10:18; He3:6; Php2:6-8);
2) Condemned the devil the ungrateful one (1Jn3:8); and
3) Purchased souls with His blood and gave them as gifts to the Father (Rev5:9).
He resurrected and sat on the heavenly throne,
The gift which the Father prepared for the Son (He1:2).
The Holy Spirit who comes as gift to believers (Ac2:38)
Lets them know what He has freely given (1Co2:12),
The measure of their gifts (Rm12:3-11).
The Christian knows the measure of the gift he received, and
Puts every effort to mature, attaining the whole measure of the fullness of Christ, by
Building up the body of Christ (Eph4:13-16), and
Fulfilling his duty, his measure (Eph3:7), for
He knows that
There is not even one member that is not important (1Co12:4-31), and that
God gives more gifts to those who are willing (Mt25:14-29), and
Believes that the Lord will finally give the heavenly throne as gift to him in the end (Lk22:30).
O Lord,
Let each of us follow the measure of the gifts we received
Successfully worship and
Build a great church, and
Give it to the Father!
Amen.