Not As I Will, But As You Will
(Mt 26:36-46)
God has a will.
For His will He made all things, sent the Son and the Holy Spirit.
He dwells eternally with those who live according to His will.
Faith is knowing His will and honoring it, and
The life of this faith is doing according to His will whether you live or die.
Different from animals,
Man has person, which includes free will.
Thus, he overcomes challenges and adversity to achieve his will.
How much more, then, for the will of God who is from everlasting to everlasting?
When the will of God was in His bosom, it is called will.
When His will was made into an image, institutionalized, it is called righteousness.
The will of God fulfills from will to righteousness.
Satan, the devil, who misunderstood the will of God, is
The origin of sin (1Jn 3:8) who attempted to ascend
The throne in heaven prepared for the Son (Is 14:12-15), and
He caused Adam to sin in the Garden of Eden, leading him to death (Ge 2:17, Ge 3:4).
Hence, he was thrown into Hades until the great day of judgment (2Pe 2:4; Jude 1:6).
God gave the Law to the Israelites.
Though the Law is righteous, since the flesh is weak
It was impossible for them to keep (Rm 3:20, Rm 8:3).
Rather, it led all to confess that they are sinners (Rm 3:19).
The Tablets inside the Ark of
The sanctuary reminded them of God's righteousness.
Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days (Jn 2:19), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would fulfill the Father's will for
He is the incarnate Word who was with the Father in the beginning (Jn 1:1, Jn 1:14),
Sent to do according to the Father's will, according to what is written in the scrolls (Ps 40:7-8; Jn 6:38).
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn 19:30), declaring that He:
- Totally denied Himself on the cross and gave glory to the Father (Jn 10:17-18; Php 2:6-11);
- Condemned the devil (Jn 16:11); and
- With His blood redeemed men (Mt 20:28).
Jesus rose and ascended to heaven.
His resurrection proved His righteousness.
The Holy Spirit came to
Those who believe Jesus and are called righteous and
Have received the right to go to heaven (Rm 3:21-26).
He lets them do all things according to the Father's will.
The man of the Spirit knows that
The blood of Jesus is the only righteousness.
Therefore, to win and wear the crown of righteousness and enter eternal life,
He puts effort to deny himself and
Takes up his cross to follow Jesus (Mt 16:24; Lk 9:21-23) for
The cross is the form of ultimate self-denial,
Its completion and the deed of righteousness (Rm 5:19).
O Lord,
The cross is total self-denial where
We cannot eat all we want, sleep all we want, do all we want, have all we want...
For there is the crown after the cross
Let us all face it.
Let us all carry it and die!
Amen.
Jesus, My Healer
(Mt 4:23-25)
God is the Healer (Ex 15:26).
He heals the soul, and
He also heals the heart, the body and the circumstances.
Faith is welcoming His healing and
The life of this faith is being healed by His word until the end and also healing others.
Different from medicine in which man cures,
Healing is an exclusive word for God for
God brings the fundamental healing - for the soul.
While medicine sees the cause of disease as
Congenital, infectious, inflammatory, neoplastic, traumatic, mental etc.,
The Bible indicates that it comes from sin, the devil (Ge 3:14; Ac 10:38).
After Adam sinned, men's body, heart and soul became
The object of the devil's attack.
God materialized this state when the Israelites,
To whom God promised to not bring diseases if they obeyed His word (Ex 15:25),
Complained against Him in the desert and were bitten by venomous snakes (Nu 21:6-9).
Furthermore, when David sinned (2Sa 12:9-13),
Though he repented in tears and pleaded to God,
His soul was not healed (Ps 41:3), and
According to God's warning of the sword never departing his house,
His sons rebelled again him and were killed.
The sanctuary where the stone tablets were
Reminded them that if they obeyed the word of God, He would heal them.
Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days (Jn 2:19), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would heal not just the bodies but the broken souls of all men (Is 61:1-2; Lk 4:18-19) for
It was the purpose of the incarnation of the Word (Jn 1:1, Jn 1:14).
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn 19:30), declaring that He:
- Laid down His life and achieved the Father's will (Jn 10:17-18);
- Condemned the origin of sin, the devil (1Jn 3:8); and
- Suffered and shed His blood to pay the price of all men's sin, so healing can come through the forgiveness of sin (Is 53:5; Mt 9:2-8).
The Father raised Him and
Jesus sat on the heavenly throne.
The Holy Spirit comes to
Those who receive the blood of Jesus and have their souls healed, and
Delivers this news of grace.
Church is the place where
The souls that have become broken by the words of the world are
Healed and bound by the word of God (Mt 8:16).
The man of the Spirit is he who
In the name Y'shua receives healing
Also in his heart and in his body by the word of God.
Therefore, he worships successfully and
Gains new strength to go out to the world, and
Leads broken and hurt souls to church.
O Lord,
Though You were torn to heal and mend us,
We are still suffering in pain because of the wounds of our hearts and bodies.
Have mercy on us, our family, our church and heal us!
Y'shua, You alone are our Healer! Amen.
The Lord Needs It
(Lk 19:28-40)
God is the Lord of glory(Ac 7:2; 1Co 2:8; Jas 2:1).
For His glory, He made all things and is their Owner(Is 43:7), and
With glory He rewards those who are used for His glory(Rm 8:17).
Faith is knowing Him and
The life of this faith is putting effort in great fear and trembling to be used until the end(1Co 2:3, 1Co 9:27)
If people in the world consider it a great honor
To have their knowledge, talent, experience, materials etc.
Be used for those in higher places,
How much greater the honor if we are used
For the glorious God!
In spite of the fact that he was made as an archangel to glorify God,
He became proud and wanted glory to himself(Eze 28:12-13, Eze17-19), because of which
He was cast down into Hades until the great day of judgment(Is 14:12-15; Eze 28:17-19; Jude 1:6).
Deceived by the devil,
Adam sinned and
All men became bound for hell (Mt 25:41).
When God called Moses (Ex 3:1-12, Ex 4:1-17),
He was tending sheep in the desert at an old age and could not speak well,
Because of which he initially refused to go.
In the end, however,
He delivered the people of Israel out of their slavery of 430 years in Egypt for
God who promised to be with him and reveal Himself.
The sanctuary was where
The name of the Lord God, His glory was (Nu 16:19; 1Ki 5:5; 2Ch 5:14).
Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it in three days (Jn 2:19), and angered the Jews.
What He referred to, however, was the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
Through which He would reveal the glory of the One and Only Son for
He is the glory that was with the Father in the beginning (Jn 1:1, Jn 1:14, Jn 1:18, Jn 17:5),
The radiance of God's glory (He 1:3) who
Came in flesh to be used for the Father's glory.
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn 19:30), declaring that He:
- Laid down His life according to the Father's word and glorified Him, and the Father then gave Him glory (Jn 10:17-18; Php 2:8-11);
- Condemned the angel who attempted to steal God's glory (Is 14:12-15); and
- Sprinkled His blood and redeemed all men, preparing them to be used gloriously for His purpose (He 9:21-22).
The Father finally lifted Him up to the heavenly throne and
Jesus became the Lord of glory.
The Holy Spirit came in the name Y'shua
To those born of His blood and
Lets them see the glory of the Lord Y'shua.
At times in the Bible, God used those who were young and weak,
Such as Isaac, Samuel, Jeremiah etc. because
They did not rely on themselves but
Humbly trusted and feared God.
The man of the Spirit is he who
Puts every effort to have a child's heart, a humble heart and
Be used for the glory of the Lord Y'shua until the end,
Confessing his weaknesses and inabilities and
Relying on demonstrations of the Spirit's power( 1Co 2:1-5).
O Lord,
While some were used from the day they were weaned,
Only now we are called to be used.
Nevertheless, we are grateful that You use such useless sinners like us - what an honor!
Let us humbly rely on demonstrations of the Spirit's power.
Lord, use us for Your glory until the end! Amen.
The Passion to Save Souls
(2Co 11:1-6)
God is zealous.
He speaks with zeal (Eze 5:13),
He works with zeal (Is 9:7) and
He loves with zeal (Jn 3:16).
He even calls Himself "a jealous God (Ex 20:5) for
There is no other God who loves with such zeal as He does.
Faith is being moved by this and
The life of this faith is being zealous with the zeal of God (2Co 11:1-2).
All cultures and civilizations were developed by those with zeal, and
The gospel has been spread by those with zeal.
Though he was made to be loved by God,
Adam was deceived by the devil and
He sinned and became the devil's slave (2Pe 2:19).
Nevertheless, the zeal of God did not give up on him, as
God warned that He would find Adam at whatever the cost (Ge 3:15).
As such, God zealously convinced Moses and
Brought the Israelites out of Egypt (Ex 4:10-17).
This was a preview of how God would reclaim all men from the hands of the devil.
Subsequently, the Israelites became the most zealous people on earth for:
- The holy name of the Lord God (Eze 39:25);
- The temple (Ps 69:9; Jn 2:17);
- The Law, the traditions of their fathers (Gal 1:14); and
- Their own people (2Sa 21:2).
However, Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days (Jn 2:19),
Because through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would reveal God's zealous love for all men (1Jn 4:9) for
He is the Only Begotten Son of God, having nothing to do with flesh and blood (Jn 1:13).
Though the zeal of the Jews consumed Jesus (Jn 2:17; Mt 27:23-25),
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn 19:30), declaring that He:
- Laid down His life and accomplished the Father's zeal to rescue souls from the hands of the devil (Is 9:7);
- Condemned the thief, the devil; and
- With His blood bought all men back and revealed the Father's zealous love for them (1Jn 4:9).
The Father raised Him and
Jesus ascended to heaven.
The Holy Spirit came to the souls born of His blood and
Lets them be zealous and passionate with the passion of Christ (Rev 3:19):
- For Y'shua's name;
- For the church (He 10:25);
- For the gospel (Ac 20:7); and
- For all nations, i.e., souls.
The man filled with the Holy Spirit is
He who has the passion to save souls (Jn 3:16) for
The work of saving souls before they fall into the fire of hell is:
- The most important work (He 2:3);
- The most urgent work to be done (2Pe 3:10); and
- The most valuable work (1Pe 1:19).
O Lord,
As You loved us with such a passion,
Let us also love with a great passion!
Let us go out to
Save one more soul from the fire of hell! Amen.
Feed My Lambs
(Jn 21:15-19)
God is the Lord of life (Ps 42:8; Ac 3:15).
In Him is life (Jn 1:4) and
He loves those who love life and wants to have them live with Him.
In hell there is no life for
It is the lake of fire where death is burned: the second death (Rev 21:15).
Heaven, however, is a place where all things, such as
Its river, trees, fruits, spring, are related to life (Rev 2:7, Rev 7:17, Rev 21:6, Rev 22:1).
It is where only those whose names are written in the book of life can enter (Rev 21:27), and
Only those who fought for life and won enter in crowns of life and are seated on thrones (Rev 2:10).
Faith is knowing the value of life and
The life of this faith is sharing life with souls.
Though it is a challenge to define life in unequivocal terms,
Organisms can be observed to
Undergo metabolism, maintain homeostasis, possess a capacity to grow,
Respond to stimuli, reproduce and adapt to their environment.
Notably, the common trait for all organisms is that
Their cells are constantly breaking down for
Death is in all organisms.
The first man Adam, the living being is composed of
The flesh that needs to eat vegetation and
The spirit that needs to eat the word.
Though God allowed him to eat everything in the Garden,
He forbid Adam from eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Ge 2:7, Ge 2:17), for
The life of God(zoe) is in the word (Jn 1:4).
On the night of the exodus of Israel,
Those who put blood on their door frames lived (Ex 12:13), because
Though death comes from all organisms
Life comes from death - that is, blood.
As such, the high priest entered the sanctuary once every year with blood (He 9:7),
Because life is in the blood and the blood redeems the sins of men (Lev 17:11; He 9:9).
Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days (Jn 2:19), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would give life to all souls for
He is the incarnate Word, the Son of God,
The resurrection and the life who had
Life in Him since the beginning (Jn 1:1, Jn 1:4, Jn 1:14, Jn 11:25).
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn 19:30), declaring that He:
- Laid down His life and fulfilled the Father's will (Jn 10:17-18);
- Condemned the devil, the ruler of death (He 2:14); and
- With His blood redeemed the sins of men and gave life, since life(zoe) comes out from death (Mt 20:28; Jn 6:53-57).
He rose from the dead and Sat on the heavenly throne as the Lord of life (Ac 3:15).
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of life who
Comes in the name Y'shua, in which is life.
He sets those in Christ free from the law of sin and death (Rm 8:1-2).
Christians are those who received life
By the name Y'shua, His blood (Jn 20:31).
Therefore:
- Their thoughts are filled with life - destroying arguments, knowledge and distractions by the truth(1Co 15:55-57; 2Co 10:4-6);
- Their hearts are filled with life - pride, harden hearts, jealousy and broken relationships die, and bear the fruit of life(Gal 5:19-23);
- Their words are filled with life - feeding lambs with the words of Christ(Jn 20:15-19); and
- Their deeds are filled with life - running to raise souls,
For when the Lord Jesus returns,
They long to have
What is mortal be swallowed by life(2Co 5:4).
O Lord,
Though we received life through Your name, Your blood,
Why do we still fall in despair because of this life?
The Father of life,
Fill us with Your life and
Let us think only Jesus, only life! Amen
The Truthfulness of Man
(Jn 21:15-23)
God is love (1Jn 4:8).
His love does not change.
His love is everlasting (Jer 31:3).
Faith is receiving Him and
The life of this faith is loving Him truthfully.
Different from animals,
Men confess, express, promise and vow their love.
As circumstances change, however,
Their feelings, even their love, change because
God alone is truthful and
His love alone is everlasting (1Jn 4:10).
Though Adam was in the Garden of Eden, an abundant place,
He was deceived by the enemy of God, the devil, and
Turned his back against God.
Nevertheless, God's unchanging love for man began to be revealed
When God called through Moses the Israelites out of their slavery in Egypt (Ex 3:4).
Because their fathers received God's love,
They were delivered from Egypt, saved from death and chosen as a holy people,
They gladly received the Law, the commandment to love God (Dt 6:5).
However, as time passed,
They gave sacrifices and offerings only out of formality (Mal 1:8, Mal 1:13), and
There emerged hypocrites and self-righteous men (Mt 3:7, Mt 23:13).
Yet the sanctuary where the stone tablets were placed
Remained as God's love for them, and
Their love itself.
Hence, Jesus angered the Jews when He said,
"Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days (Jn 2:19).
However, He was referring to the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
Through which He would reveal the true love of the Father.
Jesus rebuked the Jews for
Not having love for God in their hearts (Jn 5:42), and
Angered them further by saying that
The tax collectors and the prostitutes will go to the kingdom of heaven before them (Mt 21:31).
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn 19:30), declaring that He:
- Died according to the Father's plan made in the beginning and revealed His true love for the Father (Jn 17:23; Eph 1:4-9);
- Condemned the devil, the separator (Ge 3:4); and
- Died as an atoning sacrifice and revealed the Father's love for men (1Jn 4:10).
The Father raised Him
To the kingdom of the Son He loves (Col 1:13).
The Holy Spirit comes to those who
Received the love of God through the blood of Jesus and
Lets them love the Lord.
The man of the Spirit
Confesses his truth: that he is a sinner and that he truly loves the Lord (Jn 21:15-17).
This is because the measure of his love for Him is
The measure of the forgiveness he received (Lk 7:36-47).
Therefore, he follows the Lord,
Taking up his own cross (Jn 21:17-19) and
Goes out to feed the Lord's lambs.
O Lord,
Thank You for asking us something that we can answer.
Even if you ask 10 times or even 100 times, I will say,
I love You! I love You for I have sinned much...
This my truth! Amen.
The Truthfulness of Jesus Christ
(Jn 8:21-30)
God is truthful(Jn 3:33).
His will does not change (He 6:17) and
He does not lie (Nu 23:19).
Faith is believing Him and
The life of this faith is knowing Him as life and betting one's life on Him.
Everyone wants to know truth and believe in truth.
Courts decide what is true and what is false through testimonies,
By which men can build their society on truth.
Discovering the truthfulness of man and believing in it,
However, is not so important because
All men die and return to dust, after which
No one remembers or cares for it.
Believing in the truthfulness of God, on the other hand, is important because
Adam did not believe His word and
Subsequently he was bound to die eternally (Ge 2:17, Ge 3:14).
Abraham was called as a witness to the truthfulness of God (He 11:8-10), and
Bet his son's life to testify it, becoming the father of faith (Rm 4:17-22).
His offspring, the Israelites were also chosen to be witnesses as
They returned to the land which was promised to Abraham 400 years previously (Ge 15:16).
The sanctuary that they were commanded to build
Reminded that God alone is truthful.
Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days (Jn 2:19), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would reveal that He is the truthfulness of God, for
He is the incarnate Word who was with the Father in the beginning (Jn 1:1, Jn 1:14),
The God who spoke to their fathers all along since the beginning,
The Son of God who speaks what He heard from the Father (Jn 8:25-30).
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn 19:30), declaring that He:
- Laid down His life and revealed the Father's truthfulness to the world (Ge 2:17; Jn 10:18, Jn 12:50);
- Condemned the father of lies (Jn 8:44); and
- Shed His blood and became a ransom for all men (Mt 20:28).
The Father raised Him and
Testified the truthfulness of Jesus Christ (Jn 8:18).
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth who came to the world
To testify the truthfulness of Jesus Christ (Jn 16:13).
- He lets us believe what He "truly, truly said that:
- He is the Son of God born above (Jn 8:23);
- He is Christ who came to judge the prince of the world (Jn 12:31);
- He laid down His life as a ransom for all mankind (Mt 20:28; Jn 12:24-25);
- One can receive life by eating His flesh and drinking His blood (Jn 6:52-58);
- He resurrected (Mt 16:21); and
- He will return (Jn 14:3).
The true Christian knows
The truthfulness of Christ as his life.
Therefore, in testifying it he considers his life worth nothing to him (Ac 20:24) for
He believes that when He returns,
He will take him to be where He is.
O Lord,
I expected truth from others in the past and was hurt instead.
I resented them for not believing in my truthfulness.
But now, I only believe in You and Your truthfulness, and
I will bet my life on it alone! Amen.
Set Your Mind on Things Above
(Col 3:1-4)
God is above.
He made all things and is above them (Job 31:28), and
He rules above all (Eph 4:6).
Faith is knowing Him and
The life of this faith is setting one's mind on things above and overcoming by the power that
comes from above.
"Above in heaven refers to the heaven of heavens, which is
Above the mountains, above the sky, above the heaven of the universe, where
God is - that is, the spiritual heaven (2Ch 6:18; Eph 4:10).
Deceived by the devil.
Adam sinned and death entered all men (Rm 5:12).
Abraham was called by God and
He was promised of an offspring as many as the stars in the sky and
The land of Canaan as inheritance (Ge 15:1-7).
400 years after, God sent Moses (Ex 4:17) and
He brought the Israelites from their slavery in Egypt,
Letting them return to the land that God promised to their father Abraham.
Though God is above the heavens and cannot be contained,
He promised that His name would be (1Ki 8:16; 2Ch 2:6, 2Ch 6:18).
The last prophet John the Baptist said that,
Coming after him was whose sandals he was not worthy of carrying (Mt 3:12) for
He comes from above and speaks of what He saw and heard in heaven (Jn 3:31).
Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days (Jn 2:19), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would make a ways for souls to go above where the Father is, for
He is the incarnate Word who came from above to return there (Jn 1:1, Jn 1:14, Jn 8:21-23).
However, the Jews, who were obsessed with earthly things,
Considered Jesus to be blasphemous, and thus put Him to death (Jn 8:58-59, Jn 10:30).
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn 19:30), declaring that He:
- Laid down His life to do the Father's will (Mt 26:39, Mt 26:42; Jn 10:17);
- Condemned the angel who attempted to ascend above (Is 14:12-15); and
- Shed His blood to redeem and gave life to souls (Lev 17:11; Jn 6:63).
He rose and ascended to heaven as the disciples watched (Mk 16:19; Ac 1:11), for
He descended to the lower, earthly regions and
Ascended higher than all heavens (Eph 4:9-10).
The Holy Spirit came from on high according to the promise (Lk 24:49) to
Those who thought of Him (Ac 1:15),
Those born of the blood of Jesus, born above (Jn 3:8).
He lets them set their minds on heaven.
The man of the Spirit always sets his mind
On things above for that is where Christ is seated at the right hand of God (Col 3:1-3), and
On the blood of Jesus that is in him.
Therefore, he overcomes the world because he knows that
When Christ appears in glory
The life that is hidden in him will also appear in glory(Col 3:4).
O Lord,
I lift up my eyes to the hills and where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, from above!
Until my eyes see You coming in glory above,
Let me set my mind on things above and overcome the world!
Amen.
The Blessedness of the Christian
(Rm 4:1-8)
God is the source of blessedness.
He is blessedly happy on His own, and
He makes blessedly happy those who seek to be happy through Him.
Faith is being happy with the blessedness of God, and
The life of faith is about being filled with His blessedness and making others blessedly happy.
Blessedness refers to a state of supreme happiness,
A state of being absolutely satisfied, and
It is human nature to desire such.
As such, the individual, the family, the society and the nation all pursue it.
Though there are moments when men feel happiness,
Because of circumstances or the environment, it does not last forever.
Rather, it is brief because
Adam sinned and he was banished from the Garden as
The blessedness in the Garden was just for a moment(Ge 3:24).
While the Israelites found joy when they miraculously left Egypt(Ex 15:19-21),
As the desert life continued they complained and died(1Co 10:5, 1Co 10:10).
In spite of this, Moses called them blessed(Dt 33:29) for They were a people saved by God and
Received the Law - the commands and the decrees - for their own good(Dt 10:13).
The more they knew the Law,
The more they tried to keep the Law(Rm 7:9), however,
The more hypocritical and fearful, and
Furtherer away from happiness they became.
Nevertheless, the sanctuary where the tablets were placed was
A reminder of the blessedness of God.
Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days (Jn 2:19), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would give the true blessedness of God to all souls, for
He is the Son of God who was in the bosom of the Father (Jn 1:1, Jn 1:14, Jn 1:18), who
Came to fulfill the Law (Mt 5:17).
Though He was in no circumstance to be happy (Is 53:2),
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn 19:30), expressing His contentment and declaring that He:
- Willingly laid down His life, for the Father knows Him and loves Him, and made the Father blessedly happy (Jn 10:15-17);
- Condemned the origin of sin (1Jn 3:8); and
- Shed His blood and added forgiveness to the Law (Mt 5:17, Mt 20:28), making a way to eternal blessedness for all those who were unhappy because of sin (Jn 14:6; He 10:19).
The Father raised Him and
Jesus sat on the heavenly throne where it is filled with eternal blessedness.
The Holy Spirit came to those who
Come to Jesus to find blessed happiness by receiving His blood, and
He makes them blessedly happy.
The blessedness of the Christian is for the poor in spirit because
They confess having nothing of their own(Mt 5:3):
- Having no value - thus happy with the fact that Christ bought such useless beings at the price of His blood(1Pe 1:18);
- Having no works - thus happy with the fact that God considers them righteous though they had done nothing(Rm 4:6);
- Having no credence - thus happy with the fact that the Lord trusts such unreliable beings(Jn 14:20, Jn 15:15);
- Having no self-confidence - thus happy with the fact that they can pray and He helps them(Jn 14:14); and
- Having no qualification - thus happy with the fact that they are given the lifetime duty to serve the living God(1Co 4:1; He 9:14).
The man of the Spirit is
Absolutely content because of such.
Therefore, he boasts his blessedness and testifies, and
Brings the blessedness of God to those who have given up on blessedness.
O Lord,
Though we found true happiness in Christ,
We still have been resentful, and blaming others and our circumstances for our unhappiness.
We had forgotten the fact that
The true happiness is possessed by those who have nothing of their own.
Lord, I will absolutely be content knowing that You know me and that You love me.
I am blessedly happy! Amen.
What Shall We Do?
(Ac 2:37-42)
God is upright (Dt 32:4; Ps 25:8).
His judgment and His teaching are upright (Ps 19:8, Ps 119:137).
He reveals His uprightness (Ps 92:15) and
He dwells forever with those who are upright (Ps 140:13).
Faith is trusting Him and
The life of this faith is resolving to live uprightly before Him (Ac 2:37).
Everyone in society wants to be upright,
Being same on the inside and the outside.
While both homes and schools want to teach this to children,
In reality it is the children who are the most honest and upright because
They say what they see and hear.
Although God said to him, "If you eat of it you will surely die (Ge 3:5-6),
Referring to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,
Adam listened to Eve who was deceived by the devil, that
They would "not surely die.
Subsequently, no man could hear the word of God.
Thus, God taught His uprightness to men through the prophets (Is 45:19), and
Gave the regulations and laws that are just and right, for
God alone is upright (Neh 9:13).
In spite of this, the people of Israel made an idol and bowed down to it.
Thus, Moses commanded them to kill
Their brothers, friends and neighbors who did such and
Turn back to God (Ex 32:25-29).
The tablets inside the Most Holy Place warns
Israel against being dishonest, worshipping other gods etc.
Jesus said, Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days, (Jn 2:19),
Because through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would reveal the true uprightness of God, for
He is the incarnate Word who was with the upright Father in the beginning (Jn 1:1, Jn 1:14, Jn 1:18).
As such, His words, deeds and even death were
All according to what He heard from the Father (Jn 10:18, Jn 12:49, Jn 14:10), for
He was the most upright man in history.
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn 19:30), declaring that He:
- Obeyed the Father's command (Jn 10:18);
- Condemned the father of lies, the origin of sin (Jn 8:44; 1Jn 3:8); and
- Shed His blood and redeemed the sins of men, so they can hear the word of God again (Mt 20:28).
The Father raised Him from the dead and
Seated Him on the throne to have Him live before Him (Ps 140:13).
According to His promise, the Holy Spirit came (Ac 1:3, Ac 2:33), and
He is the upright Spirit who speaks
What He heard from the Father and what He saw in heaven (Jn 16:13).
After the men heard the testimony of
The apostles who were filled with the Spirit (Ac 2:33-42) - which said that
God raised Jesus whom they killed and He became Lord and Christ over Israel -
They were cut to the heart and asked, "What shall we do?
Then, they were baptized and became disciples of Jesus.
The same is true this day:
Those who hear preaching and yet are not cut to the heart
Have heard words of men,
While those who hear it and are cut to the heart and struggle
Have heard the word of God(He 4:11-13).
The man of the Spirit has
The blessed heart like a young child(Mt 18:2) who
Both fears and admires God.
When he hears the word, he is cut to the heart and makes a resolution, and
With a broken and contrite heart he repents.
Therefore, he obeys and receives the Holy Spirit, and
Finally becomes an upright witness.
O Lord,
We rather hear words of men than hear Your word.
Maybe we have our conscience seared with a hot iron so
We are no longer shocked and moved by the preaching.
Lord, we want our hearts to become like little children!
Help us. Amen.
My Dream, My Hope!
(Rev 22:1-5)
Hope is in Him, and
He fulfills the dreams of those who put their hope in Him.
Faith is having the dream of God, and
The life of this faith is being obsessed with His dream to finally fulfill it.
As dreams occur having nothing to do with one's will,
Hopes arise suddenly and
People make all kinds of sacrifice to fulfill them.
Because of dreams, improvements can be made,
Though a family or a couple having different dreams will face arguments and breakups.
Nevertheless, God wants to give His dream
To men and fulfill it.
Deceived by the devil,
Adam, the living being, sinned and
All men became hidden from the face of God (Ge 4:14).
The Bible describes men who were
Obsessed with their dreams and succeeded.
Jacob saw God in his dream (Ge 28:12-17) and,
Accordingly he returned to his father's land after 20 years and
Wrestled against an angel, seeing the face of God (Ge 32:30).
Because of his dream, Joseph was sold and
Lived as a slave and even was imprisoned (Ge 37:5, Ge 44:14).
But after he became the governor of Egypt and his brothers bowed to him
His dream came true after 27 years (Ge 42:6).
The Israelites who were slaves of Egypt began to have
A new dream, unlike those of other peoples', which was
To be led into the land where milk and honey flowed and
Worship God (Ex 3:12).
God commanded Moses, who saw the back of God, to
Build the sanctuary (Ex 33:23) so that
God would shine His face on it (Dan 9:17).
Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days, because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body (Jn 2:19),
He would reveal the Father's face to those who see Him (Jn 14:9) for
He is the face of God, the glory of the Only Begotten Son(Jn 1:1 Jn 1:14 Php 2:6).
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished(Jn 19:30), declaring that He:
- Fulfilled the Father's dream(Jn 10:18);
- Condemned the devil;
- Tore His flesh and made a way for whosoever to come by the confidence gained through His blood before the name Jesus to see the face of God (He 10:19-20).
He rose and He is the Lamb on
The throne by the river of water of life (Rev 21:1-5).
The Holy Spirit comes to
Those sprinkled with the blood of Jesus and
Gives them the dream of seeing the face of Jesus.
The man of the Spirit has
The dream of seeing the face of the Lord Jesus in the air when He returns.
Therefore, he puts every effort to
Worship successfully (Mt 18:20; Jn 4:24) and
Pray (Mt 18:18; Rev 8:3), and
Lives with such obsession for 20 years, 30 years - until it is fulfilled.
O Lord,
We have a dream today - to see Your face when You return!
This is our dream, our hope.
Let us, our family and our church be united by this dream.
Amen.
Our Savior Who Daily Bears Our Burdens
(Ps 68:19; Mt 1:21)
God is righteous and merciful(1Ch 16:41; Is 42:21).
Because He is righteous He seeks the price of sin, and
Because He is merciful He bears the burden of sin.
Faith is believing this and laying one's burden on Him, and
The life of this faith is daily laying one's burdens on Him and experiencing salvation.
Though those who have never had burdens
Do not know the weight of burdens,
Those who bear heavy burdens are truly grateful
When someone else bears them.
Deceived by the devil, Adam sinned and
When asked by God, he imputed his sin to Eve and
Eve to the serpent(Ge 3:13).
God did not, however, give a chance to the serpent to impute.
Instead, He only declared his punishment(Ge 3:14) for
It is not angles God helps but Adam(He 2:16) by
Bearing his burdens.
Following God's instruction,
Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt and walked in the desert
But he resented the fact that God put the burden of all the people on him(Nu 11:11).
However, through the Law God revealed about
The Lamb that will bear their burdens(Lev 16:22),
Carry all their sins and go into the desert.
As such, the sanctuary reminded them about
God's righteousness and mercy.
Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days(Jn 2:19), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body
He would carry the burdens of all men, for
He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world(Is 53:4-7; Jn 1:29),
The incarnate Word who He came in flesh to bear the burdens of men(Is 7:4; Mt 1:21; Jn 1:1, Jn 1:14).
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished, declaring that He:
1. Laid down His life and fulfilled the Father's will(Jn 10:18);
2. Condemned the origin of sin; and
3. Shed His blood and He Himself bore the burdens of men in His body(1Pe 2:24) - sins, infirmities(Mt 8:17), poverty(2Co 8:9), shame(Eze 16:25; He 12:2), and sorrow(Is 53:4).
He rose and ascended to the heavenly mercyseat.
The Holy Spirit comes to those who have been saved from sin and death
Through the blood of Jesus, and
He lets them praise the God of salvation who daily bears their burdens(Ps 68:19).
The man of the Spirit knows that
The Savior bore the burden of his sins in His body, and
Thus, daily lays his burden of his soul, flesh, family and even livelihood
On the shoulders of Jesus(Is 9:6) for
He longs for the eternal rest with Him(Mt 11:28-30).
O Lord,
What is man that You are mindful of him(Ps 8:4)?
For we are foolish
We have been struggling to bear our burdens on our own.
We welcome Your coming in flesh!
Until the last moment we are in our flesh
Carry our burdens, Lord! Amen.
Church is Immanuel
(Mt 1:18-25, Mt 18:20)
God is living(Neh 9:5).
His existence is surely living and
He dwells with the living for He is the God of the living(Mt 22:32).
Faith is knowing and longing for Him, and
The life of this faith is dwelling with the living in order to be found as the living in the last day.
During wars or disasters,
The most important news is about casualties.
Anyone pronounced as living will be taken,
While anyone pronounced as dead will be left behind.
In the last day, those whose souls are found to be dead will
Be thrown into the eternal fire with the devil(Mt 25:41; Rev 20:13-15).
Although Adam, the living being, was made
To live eternally with God(Ge 2:7),
He was deceived by the devil and sinned,
Thus banished from the Garden
Never to return as the flaming sword shielded it(Ge 3:4-6, Ge 3:24).
The Bible says, "The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob(Ex 3:6),
Since though Abraham, Isaac and Jacob all died
God is living(Ge 26:24, Ge 28:13-14).
For God was with Moses,
He delivered the Israelites from Egypt(Ex 4:12), and
As a sign, the pillars of fire and clouds led them(Ex 13:21-22).
While the sanctuary reminded them of God who dwelled among them(Ex 25:8),
They lived in fear because of their sin and death that came through the commandment(Rm 7:9, Rm 7:24).
Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days(Jn 2:19), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would dwell with the living forever.
His birth was by the Spirit(Mt 1:18, Mt 1:20) for
He is the Word who was with the Father in the beginning(Jn 1:1), who
Came in flesh through man to dwell with men(Mt 1:23; Php 2:7).
He promised to send the Counselor who would come
To dwell with the living forever(Jn 14:16, Jn 16:7).
As He died among sinners, Jesus said, "It is finished(Lk 23:33; Jn 19:30), declaring that He:
1. Finished the work that He came to do by coming as man according to the Father's command(Jn 10:18);
2. Judged the origin of sin, the ruler of death(He 2:14; 1Jn 3:8); and
3. Died like a sinner and redeemed the sins of men(Mt 20:28).
After He rose from the dead, He ascended to the throne from where
He judges the living and the dead(2Ti 4:1; Rev 1:17-18).
The Holy Spirit came to be with the church,
The gathering of those made alive by the blood of Jesus(Ac 2:1-4)
To the very end of the age.
It is the site of God's presence, Immanuel.
In order for him to be lifted up with the church
When the Lord returns,
The man of the Spirit boldly goes out and
Preaches the gospel, and
Whether he is sad, suffering or in hardship
He runs to the church because
Being with the church is his greatest happiness.
O Lord,
Though we have never seen God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit
We can see the church!
Whatever the persecution or test we may face,
Let us never leave church.
Let us dwell with our brothers and sisters, living souls! Amen.
The Lord's Patience
(2Pe 3:8-13)
God is the loving Father of spirits(He 12:9).
He gives birth to children and provides for them, and
He patiently waits for them to mature.
Faith is knowing this as grace, and
The life of this faith is hastily doing the Father's will until the end.
Though being patient does not refer to eternity,
It requires a great deal of waiting and endurance, and
Those with the most patience are parents for
They are loving.
God's patience was revealed since the beginning.
Though He could have created all things in a moment,
He patiently did it in six days to prepare for His plan.
After warning Noah of the flood,
God waited 70 years for him to prepare the ark(1Pe 3:20).
Furthermore, the Law, the basic principles, was put in charge(Gal 3:24; Col 2:8),
To teach Israel about God and
He was patient with them for 1500 years.
As such, the sanctuary was a reminder for
God's patience and love for Israel.
Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days(Jn 2:19-21), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would truly reveal the love of the Father, for
He is the incarnate Word who was at the Father's side in the beginning(Jn 1:1-3, Jn 1:14, Jn 1:18),
Already decided to be revealed, who waited until His time(1Pe 1:19-20).
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished(Jn 19:30), declaring that He:
1. Fulfilled the Father's will established before the creation and glorified Him(Jn 10:17-18; Eph 1:3; Php 2:8-11);
2. Condemned the devil the origin of sin(1Jn 3:8); and
3. Shed His blood as an atoning sacrifice, redeeming men, and revealed the Father's love(Jn 3:16; 1Jn 4:9-10).
He rose and entered the kingdom of the Son He loves(Col 1:13).
The Holy Spirit comes to those born-again by the blood of Jesus and
Reveals the Father's patience.
The man of the Spirit knows that
God's patience is grace to him(1Co 2:12) and
To not be destroyed he repents and is saved(2Pe 3:9-13).
In order for him to arrive in the home of righteousness
When the day of the Lord comes like a thief,
He diligently uses the time that
The Lord graciously extended for him as
The time Moses' arm was raised(Ex 17:12) and
The time sun was held in place(Jos 10:12-13).
O Lord,
I am grateful that You did not return
While I was still lost in the world.
I am grateful that You did not return
While I walked away from Your grace.
I am grateful for the Father's love that waited for me patiently.
If You give me another year, I will do better. So help me!
Amen.
For the Name of the Lord
(Php 2:5-12)
God is the Lord.
All things comes from Him and return to Him(Rm 11:36), and
He lets the servants who revere His name(Neh 1:11)
See His face and serve Him eternally(Rev 22:3-5).
Faith is longing for the name of the Lord(Is 26:8) and
The life of this faith is living for the name of the Lord(2Th 1:12).
The fact that God has a name is
On the premise that there exist other persons for
His honor, relationship and authority is
All by HIs name.
The Lord(Adonai) God is the Creator.
While all things obeyed according to His word(Ge 1:3-30),
Adam was deceived by the devil and disobeyed(Ge 2:17, Ge 3:4-6).
As a result, all men became slaves of the devil following him to hell(Mt 25:41).
Once Moses revealed the Lord's name to the pharaoh(Ex 3:13, Ex 5:23),
God punished the nation the Israelites served as slaves and
Made them His servants(Ge 15:13; Ac 7:7).
For the Lord's people(Ex 6:6) followed
Moses, the pillar of clouds, and the ark of covenant,
God endured even their rebellion(Ex 32:11-13; Nu 14:1-16) and
When they returned to
The sanctuary where the name of the Lord was and
Asked for forgiveness, they were forgiven(1Ki 8:33).
Thus, they confessed that there is no one like the Lord(1Ki 8:23).
However, the priests gradually showed contempt for the name of the Lord(Mal 1:6), and
The people defiled the name of the Lord(Mal 1:12; Ac 7:42), because which
The Temple of Jerusalem repeatedly became desolate(Da 9:18).
Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days(Jn 2:19), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would reveal the name of the Lord, not Jehovah but Y'shua for
God came as the Son of Man, taking the very nature of a servant(Php 2:6-7).
Though the winds, the fig tree and demons submitted to His command(Mk 1:25-26, Mk 4:41, Mk 11:21),
According to the prophecy, Jesus was sold for 30 silver coins(Mt 26:15).
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished(Jn 19:30), declaring that He:
1. Willingly kneeled before the name of the Father and became His servant(La 3:55; Jn 10:18);
2. Judged the devil, a servant who left his proper position(Is 14:12-15; Jude 1:6); and
3. With His blood redeemed all men who were enslaved by the devil(Eph 1:7; 1Pe 1:18).
He rose and sat on the heavenly throne, and
At the name Y'shua, the name above all names
Every knee bows and every tongue confesses that
He is Lord, to the glory of the Father(Php 2:10-11).
The Holy Spirit comes to those who
Received the name Y'shua and
Testifies that the name of the Lord is Y'shua(Mk 16:17; Lk 10:17; Ac 2:34-36; Ac 4:30).
The men of the Spirit know that
They are servants of the Lord, and
Do all things, whether speaking or doing, in the name Y'shua.
On the Lord's Day, they return to the place where the Lord's name is and
Submit to the Lord's command,
Not as slaves but as loving servants(Ex 21:2-6).
They put every effort to bring
One more man to confess that the name Y'shua is Lord and
One more man to his knees before the name Y'shua.
O my Lord, Y'shua,
I truly love You(Ex 21:2-6)!
Even a dead dog like me(2Sa 9:8; Mt 15:26-27) longs to
See the face of the Lord and serve.
Lord, command us all for we are here to listen to You.
We want to return to where You are! Amen.
A Steward of God's Grace
(1Pe 4:7-11)
God is the Lord of grace(2Ch 30:9).
Grace comes from Him(Jn 1:16) and
Those who know grace He puts in charge of more things(Mt 25:21; Lk 19:16).
Faith is receiving grace, and
The life of this faith is knowing the things that one is in charge of as grace, and putting effort to carry them out until he receives greater things to be put in charge of.
When one confers his belonging to someone else,
Be it his clothes, money, children, national matters or even life,
The more precious it is the more thought he gives in trusting that person.
God made all things and
Put man in charge of them(Ge 1:28).
God made the Garden of Eden and
Put Adam in charge of it(Ge 2:8).
However, he ate the forbidden fruit and
God banished him from the Garden(Ge 3:23).
The will of God to put man in charge of better things
Began to be fulfilled when God called Moses.
Moses was in charge of the people of God, Israel(Ex 3:9-10), and
He brought them out of Egypt.
Furthermore, he built the sanctuary and
Taught them the Law to serve God(Ex 35:1-Ex 40:33).
While he was a faithful servant in all God's house(He 3:5),
He could not enter the Promised Land for he was just a servant.
Jesus, on the other hand, came as the son over God's house,
Worthy of greater honor than Moses(He 3:3-4).
He said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it in three days(Jn 2:19-21),
Because through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would build God's house for
The Temple of Jerusalem was just a copy of the true one to come(He 9:23-24).
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished(Jn 19:30), declaring that He:
1. Laid down His life and was faithful to the Father(Jn 10:18; He 3:2-6);
2. Condemned the devil who was unfaithful(Is 14:12-15; Eze 28:14-17); and
3. With His blood redeemed men, of whom He was put in charge(Mt 1:21; Jn 3:16), so they can serve Him.
Jesus died and rose, and ascended to heaven where
He is receiving glory on the throne since
The builder of the house has greater honor than the house itself(He 3:3-4).
The Holy Spirit comes to those who
Received the works of Jesus as grace and have become God's temple(1Co 3:16), and
He lets them know the things that God freely gave(1Co 2:12).
The man of the Spirit is
A steward put in charge of God's grace(1Pe 4:10), and
He is conferred a kingdom from Jesus as
Jesus was conferred a kingdom from the Father(Lk 22:29).
Therefore, he is in charge of feeding the Lord's lambs(Mt 24:45; Jn 21:15),
Carrying out his duties(1Ti 1:12), and
Using his time, materials and talents(Mt 25:14-21),
Doing them all by being faithful to the One who appointed him for
He longs for the greater heavenly throne.
O Lord,
We say, "Grace, grace but
We did not cherish the souls You cherish.
We neglected our duties.
We were greedy about using our time, materials and talents as though they were ours.
Let us deeply think about You for
You trusted us and put us in charge of all these things.
Let us be faithful until death! Amen.
Always Give Thanks
(Ps 139:14; 1Th 5:18)
God is merciful(Ps 136:1).
He has compassion on whom He has compassion(Rm 9:15) and
He finally saves those who give thanks for His compassion(Lk 17:12-19).
Faith is knowing thanksgiving and
The life according to this faith is always giving thanks(1Co 1:4; 1Th 5:18; Phl 1:4) for
The things that He fearfully and wonderfully made, and His wonderful works(Ps 139:14).
Different from animals,
Humans express their gratitude for the favor and the blessing they received:
Parents, teachers, bosses, physicians, rescuers etc.
Those who are ungrateful, however, are not even considered humans.
How much more, then, for those who forget the boundless mercy of God?
Since Satan forgot that he was created as an archangel and
Attempted to be like God(Eze 28:12-17),
He was contained in Hades until the great day of judgment(Is 14:12-15; Jude 1:6).
He deceived Adam to commit the same sin(Ge 3:4-6) and
All men became slaves of the devil, not knowing thanksgiving, being resentful(Ex 16:7).
While all men were wiped out from the earth by the flood(Ge 6:8-19),
Noah, however, gave thanks for God's mercy by giving a burnt offering and
God promised to never destroy creatures by water(Ge 8:20-21).
God especially had mercy on the people of Israel(Ps136).
He delivered them from their slavery in Egypt,
Let them pass through the desert, destroy many kings and
Led them to inherit the Promised Land.
The sanctuary that God commanded them to built(Ex 25:8)
Reminded them to always give thanks for
God's mercy and great wonders(Ps 100:4-5, Ps 136:4, Ps 138:2).
Yet there were priests who considered Him as burden(Mal 1:13).
Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days(Jn 2:19-20), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would let not the flesh but the soul know thanksgiving for
He Himself gave thanks to the Father for hearing Him(Jn 11:41).
Without any resentment,
Jesus died and said, "It is finished(Is 53:7; Jn 19:30), declaring that He:
1. Gave thanks for the works of the Father who fearfully and wonderfully made an environment in which Jesus could be conceived, die and be resurrected, and He committed His soul to the Father(Ps 139:13-14; Jnh 2:9; Lk 23:46); and
2. Condemned the devil the ungrateful one(Eze 28:12-17; 1Jn 3:8); and
3. Had compassion on souls and sprinkled His blood of redemption, giving them another chance to give thanks(Mt 20:28; Rm 9:15).
He rose and sat on the mercyseat in heaven(He 4:16).
The Holy Spirit entered the souls who are forgiven by the blood of Jesus and
Lets them know what God has freely given them(1Co 2:10-12).
The man who has thanksgiving rising from his soul
Considers all the negative circumstances of the past,
Such as his family background, physical conditions etc.,
As rather the condition for God's compassion for him(sinner, humility), and
Knows the poverty, the wounds, the punishment,
The death and the resurrection of Jesus(Is 53:5; 2Co 8:9) as
The wonderful works of the Son of God for him.
Therefore, he always gives thanks for
The gifts of the Spirit(2Co 9:15), the given duties(1Ti 1:12), the word of revelation(Mt 11:25),
Answers to prayers(Jn 11:41), and the church of the truth(1Ti 3:15), for
He longs to finally give thanks for committing his soul in that day.
O Lord,
Thank You for receiving my soul!
Let those be my only last words.
Let me never be ungrateful,
But rather give You thanks always and forever! Amen.
Grow, My Soul!
(Eph 4:11-16)
God is the Father of spirits(He 12:9).
He gives birth to children through the word of truth(Jas 1:18), and
He makes the matured children His heirs.
Faith is knowing and longing to become an heir of God, and
The life of this faith is putting every effort to become mature, to attain to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ(Eph 4:13).
It takes a very long time for humans to mature
In terms of their body, function, character etc.
If growth stops in any of those aspects
They become concerns of their parents for
They cannot become heirs.
The Bible is a guideline for the heirs of God,
For the men of God to grow
Through training, such as teaching, rebuking etc(2Ti 3:15-17), and
This is because Adam, the ancestor of mankind was
Deceived by the devil and sinned(Ge 3:4-6) for
He only thought of himself.
Consequently, all men became slaves of the devil(2Pe 2:19).
God delivered the slaves of Egypt, the Israelites, and
Made them His servants by giving them
The spirit of slave to fear, the Law(Rm 8:15).
The commandment to love the One God(Dt 6:4-7) was
For them to control their human nature, since
While the heir is still a child(Gal 4:1-3)
The Law was put in charge to train him(Gal 3:24).
The sanctuary, the teaching, their history etc were all physical because
They were still under the basic principles of the world(Gal 4:3).
However, misunderstanding this,
There emerged many hypocrites, who were different inside and out(Mal 1:6; Mt 23:28).
Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days(Jn 2:19-20), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would tear down the spirit of slave to fear and
Give the spirit of the Son and make them heirs of God by
Putting His law and covenant not in the physical but in souls(He 8:8-10).
They would become mature children honoring the Father,
Not out of fear but out of love(Lk 7:37-47).
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished(Jn 19:30) for
It was the moment He attained to the whole measure of His fullness(Eph 4:13), and declared that He:
1. Gladly sacrificed Himself for the Father(Jn 10:17-18);
2. Condemned the devil who only knew himself(Is 14:12-15); and
3. Sacrificed for mankind(1Co 5:7).
As the firstfruit of resurrection,
Jesus ascended to the heavenly throne, the heavenly storage(1Co 15:20; He 1:6).
The Holy Spirit came as the nurturing Father to
The souls born-again through the blood of Jesus(Jn 14:18).
Men of the Spirit are those who
Keep the Law not out of fear but out of love(Gal 4:9; Col 2:8) and
They are willingly trained physically, financially or socially
By the word of righteousness(Mt 5:10-12).
They are considerate not of themselves but of others,
Sacrificing themselves(Mt 5:39-44) and
Carry out their duties and do the work of edifying the church(Eph 4:12-16).
They long to finally become those elders seated on the heavenly thrones(Rev 4:4, Rev 11:16), for
They know that quitting spiritual growth is
Degeneration and destruction(He 10:39), and
Its result burning up chaffs(Mt 3:12).
O Lord,
My soul is an heir of heaven!
Since I am still a selfish child in the way I think, understand and speak,
Strike me if You have to but
Let me grow and do the work of edifying the church! Amen.
Work for the Spirit!
(Is 28:21; Rm 8:5-6)
God does His work(Is 28:21).
For Himself He works(Ge 22:8) and
He surely accomplishes His work.
Whether a student, a business man, a laborer, an artist, a solider, a politician etc.
Everyone knows what is his work, while
Christians know that their work is
The work of God, the work of the Lord, the work of the church, the work of the Spirit.
Faith is having the work of my soul and
The life of this faith is prioritizing the work of the spirit and surely completing it.
After he sinned,
Adam was banished from the Garden and had to toil -
Its outcome in meaninglessness(Ge 2:17, Ge 3:4-6, Ge 3:16-9).
Noah, however, built an ark and he and his family were saved(He 11:7)
According to the word which said that
God would comfort him in labor(Ge 5:29).
Since Abraham did not withhold his only son but
Gave him as a burnt offering(Ge 22:12),
God let him give instead the ram which He Himself provided(Ge 22:8, Ge 22:13).
Because God worked with Moses the Israelites left Egypt(Ge 4:5), and
Through His great works, they began to fear God and put their trust in Moses(Ex 14:31).
Subsequently, God made them
A kingdom of holy people and a holy nation(Ex 19:6)
To do the work of God by building the sanctuary and serving Him there:
Moses built the Tabernacle in the desert and
Solomon the Temple of Jerusalem(Ex 40:33),
While Zerubbabel, Nehemiah etc risked their lives to rebuild the destroyed Temple, and
The sons of Levi, the priest served in the work of the Tent of Meeting(Nu 4:3).
Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days(Jn 2:19-20), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body
He would do a new work(Is 43:19) for
He is the Son of God in whom was the Father doing His work(Jn 5:17, Jn 14:10).
As such, His food was to fulfill the Father's work(Jn 4:34, Jn 6:26-29).
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished(Jn 19:30), declaring that He:
1. Worked according to the command of the One who sent Him and submitted His soul to the Father(Jn 10:18);
2. Judged the devil who attempted to ascend the throne without work(Is 14:13; 1Jn 3:8); and
3. Sprinkled His blood and redeemed the sins of all souls, and began a new work(Lev 17:11; Is 28:21; 1Pe 2:24).
He rose and sat at the right hand of God where He still works as
The eternal high priest who serves the Father(He 9:24), and
To this day intercedes for the souls born-again in His blood(Rm 8:34),
Speaking in their defense(1Jn 2:1).
The Holy Spirit comes to the souls made new creation by His blood and works with them.
He lets them stop doing the meaningless work of the flesh(Gal 5:19-21) and
Do the work of the Spirit(Rm 8:5-6).
God's fellow worker(2Co 6:1; Col 1:24) has
He who began a good work working with him until the end(Mk 16:20; Php 1:6).
Therefore, he does not worry what to eat or what to do(Mt 6:31, Mt 6:33).
Instead, he puts every effort to work for
The name Y'shua, the gospel, the truth, His kingdom
According to his measure edifying His body the church(Eph 4:16), and
To look after the souls committed to him until the end(Jn 6:39; Jas 2:22), as
He longs for the last day when
According to what is recorded in the book of life(Ne3; 2Co 5:10; Rev 20:12)
He would be comforted with the authority to rule over all nations(Rev 2:26).
O Lord,
Though history may forget us
Let all our works, be they small, be recorded and
Let us be rewarded with life and peace(Rm 8:6)!
Regardless of the barrier
Let none of us abandon the work and leave.
Let us all complete it! Amen.
Be Strong and Courageous
(Jn 16:25-33; He 10:19-20)
God is living.
His existence is living and
His word is living(He 4:12; 1Pe 1:25).
Faith is believing Him and
The life of this faith is having boldness by faith and breaking through poverty, sickness, persecution and even tribulation.
Men who accomplish great things in the world are
Those who are courageous, those who have strong faith in themselves.
The Bible, however, demonstrates men who were bold by faith.
At the old age of 80, Moses held on to his rod(Ex 4:1-17) and
Led Israel out of their slavery of 430 years in Egypt.
Putting the ark of God before them,
Joshua led Israel to conquer Canaan for
He was strong and courageous(Dt 31:23-26).
The boy David was fearless and
Defeated the enemy who defiled the living God,
Becoming the king of Israel(1Sa 17:32-37).
While prophets were bold men(1Ki 21:20-23),
The boldest of them all was Elijah who
Exposed the wicked deeds of kings and cursed them.
Solomon fulfilled the dream that his father David could not:
For he was strong and courageous,
He was able to build the Temple of Jerusalem(1Ch 28:20).
Looking at this boldness and courage of Israel,
Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days, because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body(Jn 2:19-21),
He would become the courage of all men.
As such, He confidently rebuked the Pharisees and the Scribes(Mt 23:13-29) and
He was bold even before the ruler Pilate(Jn 19:8-11).
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished(Jn 19:30), declaring that He:
1. Obeyed the Father's command and broke through the greatest power, death(Jn 10:18; He 2:14-15);
2. Condemned the devil, the ruler of death(1Jn 3:8); and
3. With His blood redeemed all men who were held in slavery under fear of death and gave them a second chance to overcome(He 2:15).
He rose and sat on the heavenly throne.
He is the Lamb who has the scars of breaking through death, and
All creation worships Him forever(Rev 5:12-13).
The Holy Spirit comes to believers and
Gives them courage(Ac2)
The man of the Spirit is he who
Does not fear persecution, tribulation or even death for
He believes that he will live even though he dies(Jn 11:25).
Therefore, he never ceases to testify Jesus(Ac 4:8-13), and
Even if he falls because of poverty, sickness, despair or mistakes,
He gets up over and over, for
Only the blood of Jesus is his strength(He 10:19-20) and
Only the name Jesus is his courage(He 4:16; 1Jn 5:14).
With confidence he breaks through whatever wall is before him and
Finally receives the great reward(He 10:35).
O Lord,
Though we were weak and timid in the past,
By the blood of Jesus we gained boldness and strength.
With the name Jesus, let us be strong and courageous, and press on!
Amen.