The Branch and the Fruit
(Jn15:1-19)
God is love (1Jn4:8).
Love comes from Him, and
He loves those who remain in His love.
Faith is the state of remaining in His love, and
The life of this faith is being supported by Him and bearing fruit, until one arrives in the kingdom for
the Son He loves (Col1:13).
An important characteristic of love is the desire to be close.
Though for men being close has a limit due to the flesh,
For God it is possible to "remain in me, I in you, and
This is like the relationship between a tree and its branches (Jn15:5):
When a branch is attached to its tree,
The gardener feels attached and takes care of the branch (Jn15:4, 6),
But if it is dried up or has no fruit, then he will cut it off and burn it up.
While Adam was blessed by God to live in the Garden of Eden (Ge2:15),
He was deceived by the devil and sinned, because of which
He was banished from there and a flaming sword was put around the Garden (Ge3:6, 24),
Indicating his broken relationship with God.
The Bible records a genealogy of men in whom God had shown interest,
Such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, and David (Mt1:1-16),
While the rest of the men faded away from God's interest.
The sanctuary where the name of the Lord God was
Reminded the Israelites of the Lord's love for their people.
When it was time, the Son of God, Jesus came as a descendant of David, and
He 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 Father's love for all men (Jn3:16).
When He began His public life, Jesus was supported by the Father as
He said, "This is my Son, whom I love (Mt3:17).
As such, Jesus willingly laid down His life as a ransom for
He obeyed the Father's command (Mt20:28; Jn10:17-18) and
Knew that He was loved by the Father (Jn15:9).
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1) Laid down His life and praised the Father's love that gave His one and only Son (Jn17:23; 1Jn4:10);
2) Condemned the devil who separated man from God (Ge3:5; 1Jn3:8); and
3) Loved the souls of men and redeemed them, becoming a tree to which they can be grafted on to (Is38:17; Jn15:5; Rm11:23).
His resurrection was the confirmation of the Father's love, and
The kingdom of heaven is the kingdom He rules with His love (Col1:13).
The Christian knows that
He is a branch of the tree of the blood of Jesus (Jn15:5), and
Keeps the command of Christ and remands in His love (Jn15:10) for:
1) He must absolutely hold on to the tree;
2) He has no appearance or glory of his own ” only depends on the fruit;
3) He is only interested in the work that bears fruit ” like the tree and the gardener;
4) He passes down the sap as-is ” not adding or taking away any;
5) He walks and lives with the tree ” receiving suffering and glory with Christ.
Therefore, the Holy Spirit helps him by:
1) Cleansing him ” through repentance, sanctification, surrender (Jn15:2);
2) Continually supplying him ” with answers to prayers, spiritual inspiration, life, the word (Jn15:16); and
3) Holding on to him until the end, until he is lifted up to the air (1Th4:17).
O Lord,
We cannot live without You, Jesus!
Let us never fade away from Your memory.
Rather, let us become the branches You love!
Amen.
The Fruit of the Spirit
(Gal5:22-24)
God is holy (Ps22:3).
His nature is holy and His person is holy, and
He reveals His holy nature through His person.
Faith is acknowledging Him and longing for Him, and
The life of this faith is putting death to one's character
And emulating the person of God, and bearing fruit.
The person of man is shaped by his nature and education.
His character is from his nature, and
His nature is from his flesh, which is from the dust of the ground.
This makes man's character like animals', which also come from dust.
Furthermore, because of their temper, many men have been destroyed.
Though God made man from the dust of the ground,
After Adam sinned and the ground was cursed,
Man's character became even more wicked.
The Bible records about those who
Destroyed themselves as well as others because of their character:
Because Cain could not control his anger, he killed his own brother (Ge4:8);
Because Noah got drunk, he cursed his own son (Ge9:20-25);
Because Moses took a concubine, his sister criticized and became leprous (Nu12:1-10);
Because David took the wife of his loyal servant as his own, he killed the servant (2Sa11:15).
This shows no man is a perfect person.
The Law restricted and condemned
The evil nature of man (Rm7:22-24), and
The sanctuary reminded Israel that the Lord God alone is holy.
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 that He is the Holy One of God, the only perfect person (Mk1:24; 1Co15:45-47), for
He is the incarnate Word who was before the creation of the world (Pr8:26).
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1) Though He knows no sin, united with sin for a moment and acknowledged that the Father alone is the eternally holy One (Rm8:3; 2Co5:21; He2:9);
2) Condemned the devil who sinned because he could not control his heart (Is14:12-15); and
3) Shed His blood, His holy nature, for men to be born again and to have His holy character (1Pe1:19; Eph2:1-5).
The Father raised Him and
His resurrection is the proof of His holy nature.
The Holy Spirit comes to those born again in His holy nature (1Pe1:23), and
Helps them to bear the fruit of the Spirit (Ps103:14; Gal5:22-24): Love, joy, peace, patience,
Kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
The man of the Spirit laments and even curses his own character (Ps51) and
Thus puts every effort to reveal the holy nature within him
Through the fruit of the Spirit and
Bears the fruit of the womb (2Ti2:22-26) for
He longs to see the Lord in that day.
O Lord,
If my character had been better,
If the fragrance of Christ had been given off more,
I would have had more disciples by now¦
O Father Holy Spirit,
I can only mourn and pray!
Help me!
Amen.
Loss and Gain
(Mt19:23-29; Php3:7-11)
God is the Lord of eternal life.
Eternal life is in Him (Rm6:23), and
He rewards those who follow Him with eternal life (Lk18:18, 22).
Faith is believing Him and longing for Him, and
The life of this faith is continually following Him even if one loses everything.
The world does not welcome Jesus because
Eternal life is impractical and
People fear that following Him will cause them to lose their family, materials etc.
Whether it is going to war or operating companies,
It is critical to assess loss and gain before continuing - for a sound decision.
More important, then, is for the Christian to
Examine what he has lost and what he has gained, and
Decide whether to continue following or not, since
If something is lost there will be something to be gained,
If something is gained there will be something to be lost.
When Adam listened to the devil
He lost the word of God (Ge3:4-6), and
When he ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,
He lost the fruit of the tree of life (Ge3:24).
After their exodus, the Israelites were delivered from their slavery under the pharaoh,
But lost the settled life in Egypt with the cucumbers, melons, leeks and onions (Nu11:5).
When they entered in the desert, they became servants of God,
But as wanderers they had to survive on manna.
And to build the sanctuary
They had to empty the treasures that they brought out from Egypt (Ex12:36).
However, when they put the ark of covenant before them
They crossed the river and won battles (Jos3:15-17, 6:12-21).
Thus when Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days (Jn2:19),
He angered the Jews who later put Him to death (Mt26:61, 27:40).
However, through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would empty His life and give life to souls for
He is the incarnate Word (Jn1:1, 4, 14) who came as the Son of Man to die (Mt20:28)
To lay down His life to take it up again (Jn10:17-18), and
To die like a kernel of wheat to gain many lives (Jn12:24).
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1) Returned His life to the Father, the Lord of eternal life (Lk23:46);
2) Condemned the devil the ruler of death (He2:14; 1Jn3:8); and
3) Sprinkled His blood as the seed of life on souls (Jn1:4; He12:24; 1Pe1:23).
The Father raised Him back to life, and
Jesus ascended to heaven and sat on the throne,
Becoming the Lord of life for all those who follow Him (Ac3:15).
The Holy Spirit comes to
Those who received His name and life, and
Lets them willingly lay down for eternal life: their home, father, wife, brothers, sisters, land etc.
The true Christian constantly examines
What he has lost and what he has gained, for
When the Lord Jesus returns
He desires to be found as he who
Gained Christ and has lost all else (Php3:7-11).
O Lord,
Let us never be sad about what we have lost.
Let us never look back to what we have left.
Rather, let us clearly lose and clearly gain!
Amen.
The Fruit of the Womb
(Ps127:1-5)
God is the Father of glory (Eph1:6).
Glory comes from Him, and
By His glory He gives birth to His children, and
He brings to His glory those with glory (He2:10; 1Pe5:10; Rev22:24-26).
Faith is knowing Him and longing for Him, and
The life of this faith is working to receiving the fruit of glory, the reward.
The fruit of a tree is the evidence that the tree is alive,
The result of its toils and its glory.
The fruit of the womb, children, are the result of the parents' life,
Their crown, their glory.
As such, regardless of the toils and sacrifices involved
Parents do not resent or regret.
Because Adam ate the fruit that was forbidden by God (Ge3:4-5),
God added on to the woman the pains in childbearing, and
Warned that she will give birth with painful labor (Ge3:16), for
This is the fruit of sin.
Though the history of mankind continued to survive, thereafter, because
They gave birth to children,
The suffering because of them also continued:
A brother kills his brother (Ge2:8; 2Sa13:29);
A brother rapes his sister (2Sa13:13-14), and
A son covets his father's throne and sleeps with his concubines (2Sa16:22).
While the shame of childlessness was taken away for some (Ge16:2, 30:23),
Shame, sadness and concerns still continued.
The sanctuary where the name of the Lord God was,
Warranted their survival and offspring.
When it was time,
God sent His Son born of a woman (Lk1:31; Gal4:5),
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 not to the flesh but to the souls of all men, for
He is the glory of the One and Only Son who was
With the Father in the beginning (Jn1:1, 14, 18),
Born of a woman (Lk1:31; Gal4:5),
Coming in the likeness of man (Php2:6) to
Speak, work and die only according to the Father's will (Jn6:38, 10:18, 12:49).
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
Gave glory to the Father who gave birth to the glorious Son through the pains of childbearing (Jn8:50, 10:18; Php2:11);
Condemned the devil who without any toil made children of wrath with his lies (Ge3:4; Jn8:44; Eph2:3); and
Through the pains of tearing His flesh gave birth with His blood to the children of glory.
The Father raised Him up and
Jesus became the first fruit of resurrection,
His fruit of the womb, His glory (Lk24:51; 1Co15:20, 41).
The Holy Spirit came in the name Yeshua and
Brings many sons and daughters to glory (He2:10).
The man of the Holy Spirit is he who
Toils in pains of childbirth until Christ is formed
First within himself and then in those whom he gave birth to in Jesus (Gal4:19-20; 2Ti2:2):
Though it is not sin to marry or have children (1Co7:28-31),
Blessed is the man who toils for
The children in the gospel, the crown of his glory and is full of fruit (Ps127:5) for
He knows that the time is short.
O Lord,
For us to never face the eternal shame of childlessness,
Let us now pray to the point of crushing our knees and
Toil in the pains of childbirth and
Bear children of the Spirit, the fruit of the womb.
This is truly our desire!
Amen.
The Fruit of Our Lips
(He13:15)
God is the God of honor.
He works honorably for Himself, and
By that He receives glory.
For God referred to Himself as He who
Creates praise on the lips of the people (Is57:19),
Faith is receiving this as-is, and
The life of this faith is offering up the fruit of lips in His name, and eating the fruit with Him (Rev3:20).
For the staple food for humans is fruit
They eat the outcome of sowing seeds and reaping.
While the lips of men have the function of eating and speaking,
The lips of believers ought to eat, praise, pray and preach.
Adam did not obey God's word that said,
"If you eat of it, you will surely die (Ge2:17), and
Rather listened to the serpent's word that said,
"You will not surely die (Ge3:4), and ate the forbidden fruit.
Consequently, the serpent, the devil would later be consumed by his own lips (Ecc10:12).
The Law instructed the Israelites:
The first fruits of crops must be given to God each year (Neh10:35);
To leave the fallen grapes for the poor and the foreigner (Lev19:10); and
To not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain (Dt25:4).
The sanctuary where the name Jehovah was
Reminded them that as long as they kept the Law
God would let them eat fruit and live.
The prophet, on the other hand, said
To produce fruit in keeping with repentance (Mt3:8).
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 the Father's will by sowing seed and bearing fruit, for
He is the incarnate Word who came in the name Yeshua (Mt1:21; Jn1:1, 14), and
His food was to honor the One who sent Him (Jn 4:31-34).
As such, He daily opened His lips and prayed, taught and preached (Mt5:2; Mk1:35-39).
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn 19:30), declaring that He:
Willingly laid down His life to honor the word out of the Father's lips regarding Adam, and gave glory to the Father ((Ge2:17; Jn10:17; 1Co15:45);
Let the devil be consumed by the eternal fire as the result of misusing his lips (Ecc10:12; 1Jn3:8); and
Sprinkled His blood, the seed, so that men may bear fruit (He6:7, 12:24; 1Pe1:18-19. 23).
The Father raised Him, and
Jesus became the first fruit of resurrection (1Co15:20).
The Holy Spirit came to those who received the name Yeshua and
Lets them produce the fruit of their lips.
Worship is the day when believers offer the fruit of their lips (He13:15):
Praising the name Yeshua;
Giving thanks and testifying for receiving answers to prayers in the name Yeshua (Jn14:13; Jas5:17-18); and
Offering souls by testifying the name Yeshua.
The man of the Spirit is he who
Does not speak empty words (Mt12:36-37),
But rather puts effort to produce the fruit of his lips only in the name Yeshua for
He is either called righteous or condemned by his own words (Jn3:18; Rm10:8-13).
He believes that, when the harvesters come
Autumn trees without fruit will be burned (Jude 1:12),
While the first fruits of the Holy Spirit will be reaped (Rm8:23), and
The ox that is treading out the grain will not be muzzled.
O Lord,
Though we have been eating good food
We have been speaking careless, empty words¦
Thank You for revealing to us
The principle of producing the fruit of our lips and living by it.
Let us no longer live for the food that will perish
But rather use these lips to speak the name Yeshua and live!
Amen.
Grace and Gifts
(Rm8:32; He4:14-16)
God is the Lord of grace.
He gives birth to children through the word of grace, and
Gives to those who long for His gifts and nurtures them (Jas1:17)
Faith is believing Him, and
The life of this faith is seeking His gifts before the throne of grace and living by His grace.
Grace refers to the freely given gift of God:
The natural grace ” through the Creator ” given to all living things;
The special grace ” through the Only Begotten Son ” given to all men.
When God banished Adam out of the Garden
After he was deceived by the devil and sinned (Ge3:21, 24),
God clothed Adam in the garment of skin, which was
A sign that God will restore him one day for
Different from angels, man was made to receive God's mercy (Ex33:19).
The Passover was the origin of their deliverance (Ex12:40-42), since
The Israelites lived by the blood of the lamb (Ex12:12-14), and
Had their beginning with God's grace.
As such, their entire history thereafter ” such as surviving the Red Sea, the desert life, manna,
The water from the rock, their victory in battles etc. ” was a continuous history of
The blood of the lamb, the grace of God.
To remind them of this
God instructed them to build the sanctuary as a visible model (Ex25:8; He9:23), and
The first object to be built was the ark of covenant, also called
The atonement cover or the mercy seat (Ex25:10; Lev16:14), for
The beginning and the heart of the sanctuary was also the grace of God.
There, two types of offerings that they gave with the blood of animals:
Once every year ” in the Most Holy Place ” by the high priest ” the blood was sprinkled before the atonement cover (Lev16:14; He10:3);
Frequently ” in the Holy Place ” by the priests ” the blood was sprinkled before the veil (Lev4:6, 17), For God gives and gives His grace.
However, 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 sacrifice and give the perfect grace of God to all souls of men, for
He came as the Lamb of God (Jn1:29), the Son of Man,
To give His life as a ransom for man7 (Mt20:28).
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
Gave glory to the Father who graciously prepared the heavenly sanctuary for the Son (He1:2; Php2:9-11);
Condemned the devil who forgot grace and also caused men to forget it (1Jn3:8); and
Sprinkled His blood on men and gave grace to the souls of men (Eph1:7).
The Father raised Him, and
Jesus sat on the heavenly throne, the throne of grace (He4:16, 8:1-2), which
The Father prepared for the Son before the creation as His grace.
The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of grace, was sent
To those who believe Him (Jn16:7; Ac2:33), and
Lets them understand what God has freely given them (1Co2:10-12).
The difference between grace and gifts are that:
Grace ” through the One and Only Son ” one-time ” the same blood ” to sinners ” for them to boast their weaknesses (Rm5:20);
Gifts ” through the Holy Spirit ” continuously ” various types ” to those who long ” for He understands their weaknesses (He4:15).
The Christian is he who
Boasts God's grace, and
Goes before the throne of grace in times of need and
Prays to seek the gifts (1Co12:4-11; 2Co1:11), for
He who did not spare His Son as grace will graciously give gifts (Mk7:7-11; Rm8:32).
O Lord,
We want to boast Your grace.
Give us the gift of the knowledge, the wisdom and the power of the word!
Give us the martyr's faith, the gift of faith!
Give us the gifts of healing!
We long for all gifts, so please give us!
Amen.
Access into His Grace
(Ex15:13; Rm5:1-2)
God is the Father of grace (2Th2:16).
By grace He gives birth to His children.
By grace, He prepares the best dwelling place for His children and
Opens the door for them to enter into His grace.
Faith is believing Him and longing for Him, and
The life of this faith is turning back to the Father's house and seeking the lost and also turn them back to the Father's house.
While all fathers on earth want to give the best to their children,
Those who wait for their newly adopted children have
A special heart to prepare the best place for them.
How much more, then, for the heavenly house which
God prepared for His children whom He gave birth in His own blood? (Jn14:20)
Because he defiled the heavenly place,
The archangel, the devil, was cast down to Hades (Is14:12-15; Eze28:13-18).
Deceived by him, Adam sinned and was
Banished from the earthly paradise, Eden (Ge3:4-6).
Consequently, all men thereafter became destined to face
The price of sin, death, in the spirit (Ge2:17), and
Bear the burden of sin, such as failure, pains, sicknesses etc., in this life.
Nevertheless, God promised Abraham
The inheritance of the land of Canaan for his offspring (Ge17:8).
After their slavery of 430 years, the Israelites left Egypt for
By grace God was guiding them to His holy dwelling (Ex15:13).
He let them pass through the dreadful desert where
Venomous snakes and scorpions are (Dt8:14-18), and
Finally led them back into the Promise Land (Ge20:15, 31:3; 2Ch30:9; Jer31:2).
The sanctuary where the mercy seat was
Led them to become obsessed with Canaan, the land which God promised them.
However, 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 lead his people not into Canaan but to the Father's house in heaven by
Becoming its gate, its access (Jn10:9, 14:1-6; Rm5:2).
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
With His blood cleansed and completed the heavenly sanctuary (He9:21-23);
Condemned the devil who defiled heaven (Is14:12-15; Eze28:18); and
Bore on His flesh the sins of all men, death and curse (Is53:4-6), and redeemed the captives of the devil (Eph1:7), making a way for them to return to the Father's house by grace (Ps85:1-2).
The Father raised Him, and
Jesus sat on the heavenly throne and
He is the Lamb who was slain (Rev5:9).
Heaven is the dwelling place which
The Father prepared for the Son by grace, and
The place which the Son prepared for the children born again through His blood:
It is the Father's house with no sadness, tears, suffering or death (Rev21:4-7, 18-27).
The Holy Spirit comes to those born again in His blood and
Lets them know the things He has freely given (1Co2:12) - that is,
The dream of the Father's house and the Father's welcoming (Lk15:11-32).
Therefore, the more the hardship
The greater the longing
The Christian has for the Father's house, as
He resolves to return there at all cost.
Furthermore, he goes out to
Lead the lost children to turn back to
The access road, the home-away-from-home, the church.
O Father!
We all desire to return to
The Father's house where there is
No weeping, no darkness, no hurt or pain, no death
But only joy, gladness and glory!
We so long for that day!
Amen.
The Good Seed
(Mt13:24-30, 36-43)
God is the true God (Jer10:10).
His nature does not change, and
The word and the Son who come from Him are also true (Jn15:1; 1Pe1:25).
Faith is receiving this fact as-is, and
The life of this faith is preserving the true word and multiply it.
A seed has a secret principle:
It has life; it does not change; its shape does not vary; and when it is sown it increases.
The fate of a seed is
Whether it will be eaten or sown.
Deceived by the serpent
Adam sinned (Ge3:4-5) and was banished from the Garden
To work the ground from which he was taken (Ge3:23),
Becoming familiar with the principle of the seed.
To Abram who believed God's promise to be true and left his home country (Ge12:1),
God gave the seed as a reward when he was childless and
Promised him descendants as many as the stars in the sky (Ge15:3-6, 17:14-16).
The Law commanded the Israelites to not plant two kinds of seeds in a vineyard (Dt22:9), and
God expected them to become a choice vine of sound and reliable stock (Jer2:21) for
They were the people who bore the seed of the true word of God.
The sanctuary where the stone tablets were
Reminded them this.
When it was time, the Son of God, Jesus came
Born of a woman, under the Law, the incarnate Word (Jn1:14; Gal4:5), and
He 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 fall to die to produce many seeds of souls (Jn12:24) and
Give His flesh as the true food and the His blood as the true drink for all souls (Jn6:55).
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that:
The Father alone is the true Gardener who sowed the good seed in His field (Mt13:24; Jn1:11, 15:1);
Condemned the father of lies, the devil, who sowed false seeds (Jn8:44; 1Jn3:8); and
Sprinkled His blood, the imperishable seed, so that men can be born again (Mt13:37; 1Pe1:23).
The Father raised Him, and
His resurrection was God's first harvest that would go into the eternal barn (1Co15:20).
The Holy Spirit came to
Deliver the true gospel, the name Yeshua, the good seed (Ac1:3), and
Lets those who received the good seed reap many fruits.
At the end of the world,
The wheat will enter the barn (Mt3:12)
While the weeds, those who received altered gospel (Mt13:40), and
The chaff, those who lost the word (Mt3:12), will
Be thrown into the eternal lake of fire with the devil (Mt13:42, 25:41).
The man of the Spirit is he who
Hears the word and receives it as-is, and
Only testifies the name Yeshua, the gospel of blood,
Trusting that those who sow will receive seed and food together (Is55:10; 2Co9:10), for
He longs to enter the eternal barn as wheat
When the Lord returns.
O Lord,
Have I received the good seed?
Or am I chaff?
O Lord,
Let me and all You have given me
Not fall to the ground
But rather be found as wheat and go before You in that day!
Amen.
The Principle of Reaping What You Sow
(Jn12:24; Gal6:7-10)
God is upright (Dt32:4).
He works honestly for Himself, and
He lets those who trust in Him and work honestly reap many folds.
Faith is accepting this as-is and
The life of this faith is trusting Him and investing.
While businessmen, investors and farmers all make investments,
Farmers are the most upright investors since
Farming does not expect fakes or flukes, for one reaps what he sows.
There is a principle in farming:
1. The seed and the field are necessary;
2. The seed must be sowed at the right time in the right field;
3. Harvest is reaping many folds of what was sowed;
4. It involves continuous care; and
5. One must patiently wait.
While God is the Owner of what He toiled for,
The devil is someone who attempts to be the owner of things that he did not toil for.
Deceived by the devil, Adam sinned and became a slave to him (Ge3:4-6; 2Pe2:19).
Thus, he was banished from the Garden where he did not have to toil
To work the ground from which he was taken (Ge3:23) for
This was for man to learn the principle of reaping what he sows.
At the command to give his only son as a burnt offering,
Abraham willingly obeyed (Ge22:1-2) for he knew that:
1. God had given him the seed when he was childless (Ge15:4-5); and
2. A seed must be sown to reap an offspring.
While the Israelites longed in the desert to farm and eat its fruit,
The Law instructed them the principle of reaping abundant fruit after entering Canaan (Lev19:23-25):
1. To not eat the fruit for three years;
2. To give all the fruit as an offering to the Lord in the fourth year; and then
3. To reap an increased harvest in the fifth year.
Though the sanctuary where they gave sacrifices and offerings
Reminded them that if they trust God He would let them reap harvest,
They became cursed thereafter for
They did not sow their best for their first fruit and tithes, and
Rather gave flawed offerings (Mal1:8, 14, 3:6-12).
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 the Father's principle of sowing to reap as
He is the One and Only Son who was with the Father in the beginning (Jn1:18),
The most precious, the best Seed whom the Father sent (Mt3:17, 13:24)
To be sown to reap a multiple fold (Jn12:24).
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1. Willingly sowed His life and testified that the Father alone is upright for He sowed the best Seed in the right field (Mt13:24; Jn10:17-18);
2. Condemned the devil who never sowed but stole by lies (Jn8:44, 10:8); and
3. Sowed His blood to reap the souls of all men as His fruit.
The Father raised Him, and
Jesus sat on the heavenly throne.
The Holy Spirit is the upright Spirit of God who
Does not deceive (2Co2:10-11l; Gal6:7-8) and
Lets those who received the good seed, the blood of Jesus,
Be upright and honestly sow.
The Christian, therefore, is he who
Honestly sows his time, talent and treasures through
Worship, praise, tithes, offering and dedication, and
Patiently waits until the day when he will reap with songs of joy (Ps126:25)
Multiple folds of what he sowed in this life and
Eternal life in the age to come (Mk10:29-31).
O Lord,
Let us no longer waste our time and
Rather honestly sow for ourselves and
Reap in that day!
Amen.
Give Yourself First of All to the Lord
(2Co8:1-5)
God is the Redeemer.
He made all things by His word and is their Creator, and
He paid the highest price to purchase souls and is their Redeemer.
A savior refers to someone who rescues from a dire situation,
While a redeemer is someone who pays a price and becomes an owner.
Faith is knowing one's worth, and
The life of this faith is willingly giving oneself that has the greatest worth to the Owner.
Deceived by the serpent, Adam sinned and
Thus all men fell and became slaves to the devil,
The children of wrath, bound for hell with the devil (Ge3:4-6; Mt25:41; Eph2:2; 2Pe2:19).
Nevertheless, God's work of paying a great price and making men His possession,
His redeeming work began when
He paid the price of the blood of the Passover lamb and
Made Israel His people who had been slaves of Egypt (Ex3:8, 19:6).
The Law that He gave them was about redeeming possessions:
1. The first crop, the firstborn livestock, the firstborn males, tithes ” all belonged to God (Ex13:12; Lev27:26);
2. Nothing that a person devotes to the Lord may be sold or redeemed ” no person devoted to destruction may be ransomed for they are to put both to death (Lev27:1, 28-29; Jos11:30-31);
3. A person may redeem any of his tithe when he adds a fifth of its value to it (Lev27:31).
The sanctuary was where the priests gave sacrifice and
The priesthood was limited to the sons of Aaron (Ex29:44),
Though if anyone had any defect or flaw he was eliminated (Lev21:17-23).
As time passed, however, the priests insulted God
By giving defiled sacrifice and
God considered this contemptible and cursed them for it (Mal1:10).
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 give Himself first to the Father perfectly for once for
He is the One and Only God who was with the Father in the beginning (Jn1:1, 14, 18), who
Came in the flesh as the Son of Man (Mt20:28).
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1. Willingly laid down His life to acknowledge that the Father alone is the Redeemer who paid the highest price of the blood of the Son to make an eternal possession of all men (Jn10:17; He9:25-26; Rev5:9-10);
2. Condemned the devil who stole men (Ge3:4; Jn10:8; 1Jn3:8); and
3. Paid the price of His own blood and purchased the souls of all men to become their eternal Owner (1Pe1:18-19).
The Father raised Him and Jesus ascended to the heavenly sanctuary, and He is the Redeemer.
The Holy Spirit comes to those who received the blood of Jesus and
Lets them know that they are souls purchased by His blood
Thus there is nothing worth more in this world than their souls.
The Christian is he who
Cherishes his soul more than anything in this world.
He can neither return to the world nor take his own life for
He was sold at the highest price of the blood of Jesus so
He has nothing to ransom himself with.
Therefore, he puts every effort to give himself for of all to the Lord ”
The flawed, unclean, incapable and ill self.
O Lord,
You purchased us,
The children of wrath bound for hell, worth less than some properties
At the price of the flesh of the Only and Only Son!
Yeshua,
You are our Owner, our Redeemer!
Let us no longer mistreat our souls, ourselves and
Though we are lowly, foolish and incompetent
Let us give ourselves to You just as we are,
So receive us!
Amen.
Your Faith Saves You
(Lk7:44-50, 17:11-19)
God is the God of salvation.
Salvation comes from Him (Ps62:1-2; He5:9), and He
Finally saves those who make Him their salvation and consider salvation as the most important thing (He2:3, 9:28).
Faith is knowing the necessity and the priority of salvation, and
The life of this faith is growing until one's salvation is achieved.
While salvation is not so important in times of peace and safety,
When disaster hits there is nothing more important than salvation (1Pe2:2, Php2:12).
Though the devil causes men to be
Uninterested about salvation, and focus on the salvation from material reality,
The Bible indicates that salvation is from hell because
The sin committed by Adam is the sin of the living being, and
The price of sin, death (Ge2:17), is
Hell in the age to come (Mk9:48-49), Hades (Is14:12-15),
The eternal fire (Mt25:41), and the lake of fire (1Pe3:7-13; Rev20:14-15), where
The Spirit of God (Ge1:2), the everlasting chains contain the angels who sinned (2Pe2:4; Jude1:6).
The exodus of Israel was a shadow of God's salvation of men (He10:1)
When the Passover lamb died in place of every firstborn (Ex12:7, 12-13).
Furthermore, they were saved from the Red Sea so they gave praise to God (Ex15:2), and
In the desert they found God's salvation daily through manna (Ps68:19-20).
The sanctuary where the name of the Lord God Jehovah was
Reminded them that salvation came from God (Is14:5-6), and that
Salvation was also to come from Zion (Ps14:7, 28:8).
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 save the souls of all men from their sins for
His name Yeshua means salvation (Mt1:21) and
He came to seek and save the lost (Lk19:10).
When He died, the thief and the people mocked Him and told Him to save Himself (Mt27:42-43),
But Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
Laid down His life and acknowledged that the Father alone is the Savior (Jn10:18; He5:7);
Condemned the devil who deceived men and made them slaves to sin, the children of hell (1Jn3:8); and
Redeemed the sins of men and paid the price of their sin, opening a way to salvation (He10:20).
The Father saved Him from death, and took Him up to heaven and
Jesus became the source of eternal salvation (He5:9).
The Holy Spirit came to
Those who received His name and are saved (Ac4:12, 16:30-31), and
Lets them know how great this salvation is and grow in their faith.
The Christian is he who
Puts every effort to grow in his salvation, the result of his faith (2Th1:3; 1Pe1:9, 2:2).
Therefore, he lives by the word for his deeds of faith (Jas2:14-24),
Gathers into the church (He10:24-25),
Daily seeks salvation through prayer (Ps68:19-20), and
Saves others by snatching them from the fire (Jude1:23), for
He longs to escape the burning universe and
Receive such a great salvation in the end (He9:28; 2Pe3:7-18).
O Lord,
Let us see less of the world and more of this great salvation!
Give us the faith that will ultimately save our souls!
Amen.
Living by Grace
(Eph1:7, 2:1-9)
God is the God of grace (1Pe5:10).
Grace comes from Him, and
He gives greater grace to those who know His grace (Ex33:19; Jas4:6).
Faith is knowing His grace and receiving it, and
The life of this faith is knowing all things as His grace and testifying to the gospel of His grace (Ac20:24).
Grace refers to the gift of God that He freely gives:
The natural grace given to all living things and
The One and Only Son given to those who believe (Jn1:16).
Deceived by the devil, Adam took for granted what God granted him (Ge2:16-17, 3:4-6), and
Ate the forbidden fruit, because of which he was
Banished from the Garden and all men became slaves of the devil (Ge3:24; 2Pe2:19).
Nevertheless, Noah, Abraham, and Lot knew that
They had found favor in God's eyes and
Thus received even greater grace (Ge6:18, 18:3, 19:19).
The people of Israel were the chosen people who found favor in God's eyes.
On the night of Passover, by the blood of the lamb, they were redeemed and
Escaped the death of their firstborns (Ex12:13, 27-29).
Furthermore, they were led into the holy dwelling, the land of Canaan (Ex15:13).
The heart of the sanctuary was
The atonement cover above the Testimony, the mercy seat (Ex25:21), which was
For them to remember for generations the grace of God for their people (1Ki8:23), and
That He spoke to them from above it.
While there was the promise that
If they kept the commandments they would be shown His grace (Dt5:10),
The more they knew about the Law the more they became conscious of their sins (Rm3:20).
Thus, they longed for grace from His prolonging anger (Ps85:5).
However, Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days (Jn2:19-20),
Because through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would show grace above another (Jn1:16), for
He is the Lamb of God who came to give His life as a ransom for men (Mt20:28; Jn1:29).
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1. Humbly laid down His life and committed His Spirit to the Father who alone would lead Him to the heavenly, holy dwelling place by His grace (Ex15:13; Jn10:17-18; Php2:6-8);
2. Condemned the devil the ungrateful one (1Jn3:8); and
3. Redeemed the souls of all men with His blood (Eph1:7).
He rose and ascended to the heavenly throne, the throne of grace (He4:12).
The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of grace, whom He sent
Comes to those who received His grace, His blood and
Lets them know the things they have freely received (1Co2:12):
That they have redemption through His blood,
The forgiveness of sins, and justified freely by His grace (Rm3:24, 5:2; Eph1:7).
The Christian is he who
Knows that he can only live by His grace and
Considers as grace
All things such as His calling, the gifts, what he is etc. (Rm12:6; 1Co12:4, 15:10; Gal1:15).
Therefore, considering his life worth nothing to him,
He testifies the gospel of His grace (Ac20:24) and
To find grace to help him in his time of need
Daily falls before His throne of grace (He4:16), for
He longs to receive grace when Christ appears again.
O Lord,
Whether sickness, poverty or suffering, It is all grace.
Let me never forget that
I bear the marks of Jesus deep in my soul, and
Let me diligently and joyfully
Testify the gospel of grace and
Daily fall before Your throne and pray!
Amen.
We Are Co-Workers of God
(1Co3:5-9)
God is the God of honor.
He works for His honor, for His name's sake (Ps23:3), and
Rewards those who work honorably as His co-workers (Rm8:17).
Faith is knowing Him and His honor, and
The life of this faith is considering His work as the most honorable work until receiving the reward.
A "co-worker or "partner refers to
A colleague of the same rank and status.
If God has treated man so greatly in such a way,
Then would we not have pride and commitment to do whatever to work with Him?
Being yoked with Him is light (Mt11:30).
While during the creation God worked alone,
He let man work thereafter, and
He always worked with man (Ge1:28).
After Adam was banished from the Garden where
He took for granted the work of guarding it (Ge3:6, 24),
The toils of his descendants became all in vain for
God did not support them (Ge4:12).
Nevertheless, Noah honored the fact that God warned him of the flood (Ge6:13; He11:7),
Because of which he did the same work of building the ark for decades.
Thus, when the flood finally came he was rewarded for his labor and was saved.
According to God's instructions,
The Israelites built the Tabernacle in the desert
With possessions they were brought out of Egypt (Ex35:20-29), and
When that work was completed, clouds covered the Tabernacle and
They were rewarded by seeing the fullness of the glory of the Lord (Ex40:34).
Though they became rebellious and complained about the work (Mal1:6, 12),
The Temple where the name Jehovah was gave them comfort.
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 complete the Father's work for
He is the incarnate Word who was with the Father in the beginning (Jn1:1, 14, 18),
The Son of God who came to do the work of the Father (Jn4:34-38).
As such, for His time in the flesh was only for the Father's work (Jn9:4-5),
He went to Jerusalem well knowing that death awaited Him there (Lk13:31-33).
As He hung shameful on the tree and died,
Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1. Exalted the name of the Father for the promised reward (Php2:10-11);
2. Condemned the devil who challenged the honor of God (Is14:12-15); and
3. Redeemed all men who worked with Him by preparing the condition and the function for Him to die, making a way for them to become His eternal co-workers (He2:10-13).
The Father raised Him among the dead and restored His honor, and
He sat Him on the heavenly throne, making Him the eternal King (Mk16:19).
The Holy Spirit came to those who
Welcomed the name Yeshua and
Makes them His co-workers (Mk16:17-20).
The man of the Spirit is he who
Considers it the greatest honor to know Christ and becomes His co-worker (1Co3:9; Php3:7-11).
Therefore, he puts every effort to plant the seed and water it in the souls given to him (1Co3:6-8), and
Willingly shares in the suffering and the work of Christ
For he longs to be rewarded as an heir of God, a co-heir with Christ
When the Lord returns (Mt25:23; Rm8:17-18; Rev22:1-5).
O Lord,
It is our greatest honor
To know You
To do Your work and
To be Your co-workers!
Let us work faithfully and truthfully until we receive the reward!
Amen.
The Spiritual Man
(Jn6:67-69; Rm8:5-11)
God is Spirit (Jn4:24).
He is the beginning of all spirits, and
He gives life to the spirit through His word (Jn6:63).
Faith is knowing that one is spirit and thus desires for the spirit to live, and
The life of this faith is being led by the Spirit of God in order to become a spiritual man.
The fleshly man lives following his five senses,
While the "soulful man lives prioritizing honor, morals and ethics, and controls himself.
Accordingly, rather than physics, which examines the revealed beings,
Philosophy, which examines the origin of beings, may be more soulful.
Yet, even this is referred to as "basic principles in the Bible (Col2:8) for
What is seen was not made by what was visible but by the word of God (He11:3).
And he who knows that he is a spiritual man has the most surpassing knowledge (Php3:8), because
The Bible differentiates man into the carnal and the spiritual.
God breathed the breath of life into the man made from dust and
Made him a living being, Adam (Ge2:7),
A spiritual being with flesh, which lives by the life-giving Spirit (1Co15:45-46).
Adam, however, was deceived by the devil and sinned (Ge2:17, 3:4-6).
Thus, his spirit died (1Co15:22) and
All men became destined to enter the second death, hell (Rev22:14).
All men but Noah and his family were wiped out by water,
Since they were men of only the flesh (Ge6:3).
While the Israelites were a chosen people of God (Ex19:6),
The sacrifice and the Tabernacle instructed to them were all external regulations (He9:10), and
The blessings, the curse, the life and the death, and the circumcision they received were
All regarding the flesh as they were only men of the flesh (Col2:11) since
Their spirits were all dead (1Co15:22).
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 spirit for He came as the life-giving Spirit (1Co15:45),
The incarnate Word, the last Adam (Jn1:1, 14).
Because in Him all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form (Co2:9),
Even demons recognized Him and exposed their own identity (Mk1:21).
Jesus also rebuked the winds and the fever (Mk4:39; Lk4:39) for
Behind them were spiritual beings.
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1. Laid down His life to take it up again (Jn10:17-18);
2. Judged the devil the origin of sin (He2:14; 1Jn3:8); and
3. Redeemed the first Adam's sin and sprinkled His blood on all men for He is the life-giving Spirit (1Pe1:18-23).
He rose and ascended to the heavenly throne, where
He is seated as the Lamb who was slain (Rev5:9).
The Holy Spirit came
To lead the soul who lives because of the Spirit of Christ (Rm8:9, 14) and
Lets him become Spirit-minded, following only the Spirit.
The man of the Spirit is he who
Longs for the home in heaven,
Speaks with the Father in heaven,
Listens only the words of the King in heaven,
Speaks in tongues which men cannot understand (1Co14:2),
Rebukes and drives out demons who are invisible, and
Though uneducated, has the ears to hear the word of God (He4:12-13).
Finally, he becomes a spiritual man for
All joy, peace, and life are in the Spirit.
O Lord,
Am I a carnal man? A soulful man? Or a spiritual man?
Even if the world calls us crazy,
Let us all become spiritual men whom You will acknowledge in that day!
Amen.
The Treasure Hidden In My Soul
(Mt13:44)
God is rich.
He made all things and His works are many (Ps104:24), and
He purchases souls with His own blood and makes them His eternal treasure (1Pe1:18).
Faith is knowing the worth and the wealth of my soul and thus rejoicing, and
The life of this faith is to never lose the treasure that one bought by selling his
possessions, and sharing it with others (Mt13:44; Ac3:6).
Treasure refers to something valuable that is hidden, such as
Money, jewels, property, skills, knowledge, family etc., and
It varies by person.
Nonetheless, when man leaves his flesh it cannot give him any benefits.
The treasure hidden in his soul, however, is eternally precious.
After the ancestor of mankind, Adam, was deceived by the devil and sinned,
He was banished from the abundant Garden of Eden (Ge3:4-6, 24).
Consequently, all men were robbed by the devil (Jn10:8).
Israel is the name acquired by Jacob who,
After working as a servant for 20 years became wealthy
But surrendered all and wrestled against an angel (Ge32:28).
When his descendants left Egypt after 400 years of their slavery having no possessions
They seized all the treasures of Egypt (Ex12:35).
God made them walk in the desert for 40 years (Dt8:13-15), and
Fill with treasures the Temple which was made with expensive materials (1Ki7:51) so that
They would not forget the fact that God gave them the ability to produce wealth (Dt8:18).
However, the Temple was destroyed and all its treasures stolen (2Ki24:13; 2Ch12:9).
Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days (Jn2:19-20), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
Though He was poor He would make others rich (2Co8:9) and
Hide in the souls of all men the treasure that can never be stolen, for
In Him was knowledge, wisdom and treasure (Col2:3).
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1. Purchased the spiritual heaven with joy, fulfilling the Father's will (Jn10:17-18; He1:2);
2. Judged the thief the devil (Jn10:8; 1Jn3:8); and
3. With His precious blood purchased souls (1Pe1:18-19; Rev5:9).
He rose and was lifted up to the heavenly throne where
He receives power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honor, glory and praise forever (Rev5:12).
The Holy Spirit whom He sent comes
To the souls purchased by His precious blood and
Fills in them the treasure that the world knows not of ” the name Yeshua (Jn14:16).
The true Christian is he who is
Sorrowful yet always rejoicing,
Poor yet making many rich
Having nothing and yet possessing everything (Ac3:6; 2Co6:10; Jas2:5), for
He discovered a hidden treasure and thus
Sold all his possessions to purchase it (Mt13:44).
O Lord,
I am the richest person in the world for
I have discovered the greatest treasure!
Let all those You have given me also discover this and
Let them trade it with their most precious treasures! Amen.
He Who Lives For Ever and Ever
(Rev4:8-11, 11:14-17)
God lives for ever and ever.
His existence, His glory and His authority is forever and
His word also endures forever (1Pe1:25).
Faith is knowing the One who was and is and is to come, and
The life of this faith is always listening to His word and obeying before Him.
Although tenses such as past, present and future, are
Irrelevant to God who lives for ever and ever,
It lets creation know about the dispensation following the will of God.
The entire Bible describes about time and the dispensation of God:
He is the Owner of all things in the past,
The Redeemer in the present, and
The Judge in the future - He is Jesus (Jn5:39).
In the Old Testament times,
There were three anointed positions in the kingdom of Israel:
1. The priest ” for the sins of the past ” served with the blood of animals (He10:3-4);
2. The king ” the greatest ruler at the time ” ruled with words; and
3. The prophet ” prophesied things of the future ” warned and rebuked.
And this was reminded through the sanctuary.
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 that He is the One who was and is and is to come, for
He is the incarnate Word who was with the Father in the past, who
Came as the Son of Man in the present, and
Would resurrect and reign forever as the King.
Although men wanted to make Him their king,
Jesus rejected their plea and did not reveal that He is the Christ (Mt2:4, 16:20) for
It was not His time yet.
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that
He fulfilled all dispensation of the Bible by becoming:
1. The High Priest ” with His blood ” sprinkled it on men and redeemed their sins (He9:11-14) ” past;
2. The King ” through His deed ” condemned the devil, the ruler at the time (He2:14) ” present;
3. The Prophet ” according to the prophecy ”prophesied His death, resurrection, return and judgment (Mt16:21; Jn16:11) ” future.
Jesus rose and ascended the heavenly throne, where
He is seated on the throne as the King.
The Holy Spirit came in the name Yeshua as His counselor (Jn15:26):
1. The Counselor ” past ”the innocent blood He shed (Jn14:26; He10:10-18);
2. The Comforter ” present ” the King of kings (Ac2:36, 5:30);
3. The Advocate ” future ” warns of His judgment and reward, and rebukes (Mt22:33-43; Jn16:8).
Therefore, the man of the Spirit is he who
Lives before the eyes of God who lives for ever and ever:
1. Past ” sinner ” grace overflows for him;
2. Present ” servant ” has nothing but humility and obedience (Lk17:10; Rm1:1);
3. Future ” heir ” looks for the glory of reigning forever and thus overcomes (Rm8:16-17).
O Lord,
Even though I say I live before God, who lives for ever and ever,
Grace has become a thing of the past and my soul has become numb today.
For if I have past but no present,
There will be no future for me!
Wash away this impurity with the water from the river of the living water and
Wash my eyes so I can open my eyes to see Your eyes!
Amen
Praise and Rebuke
(He12:1-13; 1Pe1:7)
God is the true Father (He12:7-8).
He gives birth to His children through the word of truth (He1:18), and
He nurtures them with the true word (Jn17:17).
Faith is receiving this, and
The life of this faith is hearing the true word and being disciplined so that one may become mature to
be praised (He5:12-14).
While everyone wants to be praised, no one wants to be rebuked.
Though to be praised, one must first be rebuked many times,
It is hard to fine true discipline and rebuke in today's families and schools.
However, because God is the true Father,
He probes wrongdoings, rebukes, disciplines, and chastises
In order to lift up His children
Having them made a spectacle to the whole universe and to angels (1Co4:9).
While after Adam and Eve sinned, God probed them each (Ge3:9, 11),
After the serpent, that is, the devil, sinned,
God only sentenced the price of his sin (Ge3:14; Is14:15) for
To the angel there is no forgiveness, salvation, expectation or promise (He1:5, 2:15).
After David committed a grave sin and was probed by God,
He mourned for his sin and thus his life was spared
Albeit his household faced disasters thereafter (2Sa12:9-18).
As such, the history of Israel was
God disciplining them through diseases, disasters and defeats.
But the sanctuary was where the name of Jehovah was, and it was
Where they returned in repentance to seek God's forgiveness.
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 that He is the true Son of God who alone
Does not need any teaching, discipline or rebuke, for
He is the incarnate Word who was with the Father in the beginning (Jn1:1, 14, 18), who
Alone can satisfy the heart of the Father (Mt3:17, 17:5).
However, He was despised by men, and
Received pain, suffering, sorrow, and punishment (Is53:3-6), and
Finally put to death.
However, as He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1. Acknowledged that the Father alone is the true Father who disciplines even the Only Begotten Son (He12:7);
2. Condemned the devil who deceived Adam with lies that are sweet to the ear (Ge3:5; Jn8:44); and
3. Through His blood gave birth to those deceived by the devil, not knowing true words, so that they may hear the true words of the Father.
Jesus rose and ascended to the heavenly throne, and
He is the Father of all souls (He12:9).
The Holy Spirit who comes in the name Yeshua
Gathers the children of God born again in the blood of Jesus
Into the flock of the church (Ac20:28-31), and
Nurtures them with the true word by
Teaching, scolding and disciplining them (2Ti3:16).
The illegitimate son runs away when he is disciplined, and
The young child loses his heart when he is rebuked (He12:5-8).
But the true son repents when he is rebuked, and
Rather gives thanks when he is disciplined for
He knows that the Father is treating him as a true son who will not run away.
The mature son is he who,
Whether he faces sickness, poverty or disaster,
Understands the heart of the Father who still rebukes with a rod his immature son, and
Therefore, puts every effort to become a good son to be praised
When the Lord is revealed (1Pe1:7).
O Lord,
Thank You for giving birth to
Such an immature child like me and nurturing me.
Now I know that all the pains, the despair and the sadness of the past were
Your love disciplining me.
Father!
For us to all be praised as Your beloved children in that day,
Rebuke us more now!
Discipline us more now!
Amen.
Pride and Praise
(Lk6:20-26; Gal6:14)
God is worthy to be praised (1Ch16:4).
He is exalted above all (Ps21:13), and
For His acts are mighty He is worthy of pride (Ps145:4).
Faith is acknowledging Him and boasting Him, and
The life of this faith is surrendering to be praised and rather boasting one's weaknesses.
Everyone wants to be praised by others, and
Considers the amount of compensation as the measure of success, since
The purpose of education and socialization in the family, school, society, and nation is
To make reasons to be praised by others.
The Bible, however, says that people are tested by praise (Pr27:21), and
The name of the righteous is used in blessings (Pr10:7).
The first man Adam was deceived by the devil who
Tempted him that he would be like God (Ge3:5), for
In the spiritual heaven he was the angel
Cast down to the universe for wanting to ascend above the stars of God (Is14:12-15).
God called Israel and chose them, making them
A holy people of pride and praise chosen out of all the people (Dt7:6, 26:19) so that
They may praise His holy name (1Ch16:10).
Their pride was in knowing the name of the Lord God, Jehovah,
Receiving the Law (Rm2:23), their bloodline (Mt3:9), and
Being a circumcised people (2Co5:12; Gal6:13).
The sanctuary was the reminder for
All these sources of their pride and praise.
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 the reason for pride and praise for the souls of all men, for
His coming as the Son of Man was
God lowering Himself and surrendering praise (Mt20:28; Php2:8).
Thus, rather than boasting Himself,
Jesus boasted the Father: His word (Jn12:49), His name (Jn17:11), and His house (Jn14:2).
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1. By coming as man who has none of pride and praise, and dying in shame acknowledged that the Father alone is worthy to be praised (Zep3:19; Php2:11);
2. Judged the devil who deceived himself to think highly of himself (Jude1:6; 1Jn3:8); and
3. Redeemed men who were in shame because of sin, making a way for them to praise God and also be praised (Lk1:68).
The Father exalted Him to the highest place and
Jesus receives praises forever (Php2:9-11).
The Holy Spirit comes in the name Yeshua
To those who received His blood and
Lets them praise Him and boast Him.
The Christian is he who
Surrenders to be praised for his own things, and
Rather finds things in Christ to boast - that is, His cross (Gal6:14).
Therefore, he boasts
Receiving the name of God, the name Yeshua (He1:5),
The gospel (Rm1:16), the Father's house,
His body the church, and
His own weaknesses (2Co11:30, 12:9) for
He longs to receive praise
When the Lord Jesus is revealed (1Pe1:7).
O Lord,
Thank You for giving such shameful ones such as us the reason to freely boast.
Let us boast You alone while we are in this world, and
Let us receive praise when we go to that world!
Amen.
The Church that is Above All Things
(Eph1:22-23)
God is the Owner of all things (Is44:24).
All things come from Him, they are made by Him and they return to Him (Rm11:36).
Furthermore, He is above all and rules over all (Rm9:5).
Faith is acknowledging Him, and
The life of this faith is being above all things in order to possess them and rule over them.
For man needs all things to live,
His success is determined by how much he has and how good they are, and
Thus, he puts effort to secure and expand them.
Man cannot, however, surpass his limit, that is, death and
In the end all things will be useless.
Adam sinned because he listened to his wife who was deceived by the serpent (Ge3:6).
As a result, he was banished from
The Garden of Eden which was abundant with all things for
He could not rule over it (Ge2:15, 3:24), and
All men lost their authority to rule over all things (Ge3:17-18).
God's work of teaching men how to rule over all things began
When Moses with his rod delivered
The Israelites from their slavery in Egypt (Ex4:17).
After then, God gave them food and drink in the desert for 40 years (Ps105:40-41) for
He is the One who makes all things abundant.
The prophet performed the miracle of filing up
The empty jar with oil and the empty sack with flour (1Ki17:8-16; 2Ki4:1-7),
While the sanctuary reminded them of
The vase with manna inside the ark of covenant, because of which
They prayed towards the sanctuary whenever they faced famine or drought (1Ki8:39).
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 souls abundant for He is the incarnate Word in the beginning and
All things are by Him, all things come from Him and all things return to Him (Jn1:1-3, 14).
While He multiplied two fish and five loaves of bread (Mt14:20),
Filled empty boat with fish (Lk5:6), and raised the dead (Jn11:44),
For Himself, however, He did not seek any miracle (Mt26:42; Mk11:13-14) because
He is above all things and rules over them.
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
By coming as the Son of Man and entering all things, absorbed all, that is, death into His body, and acknowledged that the Father alone is above all things (Rm8:38-39, 11:36);
Condemned the ruler of death (He2:14-15); and
Sprinkled His blood and made new the souls among all things, and made them abundant (2Co5:17; Rev21:5).
The Father raised Him, and
His resurrection proved that He is not within all things (1Co15:27).
The Holy Spirit came in the name Yeshua to those who
Received His blood and have their souls above all things, above death, and
He gathered them into the church.
Jesus is the Head of the church, and
The church is above all things and
The fullness of Him who fills everything in every way (Eph1:22-23).
The Christian is he who has
Become a member of His body the church (Eph5:30).
Therefore, though he lives in the world, he does not live for all things or under them.
Rather, he lives in the church, which is above all things and rules over them, for
He longs to be lifted up out of all things on the day the Lord returns - that is, rapture (1Th4:17).
O Lord,
Still I have been holding on to my net!
Let me not be tangled with all things and perish with them.
Rather, let me lay down the net and live with the fullness of Him who fills everything and
On the day the first heaven and the first earth fade away
Let me depart from all things forever!
Amen.
The Will of the Son of Man Coming to the World
(Mt20:26-28; 1Pe5:5-8)
God is the exalted God (Mi6:6).
He dwells on high (Is33:5), and He alone is exalted (Is2:11), and
He finally lifts up those who exalt Him (1Pe5:6)
Faith is knowing Him and exalting Him, and
The life of faith is lowering oneself until the end.
Adam, the ancestor of all men, sinned by wanting to be like God, and
He was consequently banished from the Garden (Ge3:5, 24), since
He was deceived by the devil, who was
The archangel cast down to Hades after
Attempting to be like the exalted God in the spiritual heaven (Is14:12-15).
All men thereafter faced
Endless temptations and battles to exalt themselves:
Being proud because of their physical beauty or appearance,
Risking their life to ascend the tallest mountain, and
Building high towers.
During the time of Noah, however, God covered with water
All mountains, buildings and even men under the heavens and the earth (Ge7:19),
To demonstrate that such efforts of men are all in vain.
God called the Israelites who had been slaves in Egypt for 430 years, and
Led them into the desert to teach them the reality of men,
To lower them, test them and finally bless them (Dt8:14-18).
While He gave them the Law for them to know that they are lowly sinners (Rm3:19-20),
They would rather become broods of viper because of their pride in
Being the chosen people and their deeds of the Law (Mt3:7-8).
Nevertheless, on the one hand, there was
The sanctuary where the name of the Lord God was and where they served Him, and
In the sanctuary there were the prophecies of the exalted One dwelling with the lowly (Is57:14), and
The lowly being exalted and the exalted brought low (Eze21:26).
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 serve and exalt the Father God for
He is the incarnate Word, the very nature God who came as
The Son of Man, the lowest point for God, to the lowed place, Hades.
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
Lowered Himself by coming in the likeness of man, of a servant, to the point of death on a cross, and acknowledged that the Father alone is exalted forever (Php2:5-8);
Condemned the devil who attempted to exalt himself (1Jn3:8); and
Gave His life as a ransom for sinners whom He called to exalt (Mt9:13, 20:28).
The Father raised Him, seated Him at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven (He1:2, 7:26), and
Gave Him the name above all names (Php2:9-11).
The Holy Spirit came in the name Yeshua
To those who heard His calling and have confessed to be sinners, the lowest, and
Gathered them into the church.
The church is the gateway to heaven where
Only those who lower themselves can enter (Mt16:19).
To transform his lowly body into the glorious body
When the Lord Jesus returns (Php3:21),
The Christian, therefore, puts every effort to lower himself until the end
Through worship, praise, service, prayer, repentance, duties, suffering, curses etc., since
The devil to this day tempts believers to become proud (1Pe5:5-8).
O Lord,
We are so self-centered, egotistical and selfish!
Even though we have laid down the world, our career, money, family etc.,
We still have not laid down our pride.
Lord, break us!
Break us more!
Amen.