My Words are Spirit and Life
(Jn 6:63)
God is the origin of spirit(He 12:9).
He makes spirits and gives birth to spirits(He 1:5, He 1:14), and
He gives life to the spirit.
Faith is knowing that one is a spiritual being that lives by Him and
The life of this faith is, just as He put effort to give life to the soul, putting effort to give life to one's own soul.
Man is made of two beings, flesh and spirit.
While the flesh made of dust eats food from dust and finally returns to dust(Ge 3:19),
The spirit made by the breath of God eats food from heaven and must return to heaven.
Deceived by the serpent, however,
Adam ate the forbidden food and
Rejected the word of God, i.e., cut off the food that had to eat.
Consequently, the spirit died(Ge 2:17).
The word of God that gives life to the spirit came in two stages(He 8:7, He 10:9):
First, the Law through Moses(Jn 1:17) and
Second, the gospel through Jesus.
The Law was the letter inscribed on the stone tablets(Ex 32:15-16).
When the Israelites kept it, their flesh was considered righteous and clean,
Thus, they were given long life and blessing(Rm 2:12; Dt 30:20).
When they broke it, their flesh was considered unrighteous and unclean,
Thus, they were cursed or put to death(Lev 18:24-25).
Nevertheless, this was all regarding the flesh because
The spirit was already dead since Adam(Rm 5:12; He 9:10).
The tablets inside the Ark of the sanctuary reminded them of
These words of God that either blessed or cursed the flesh.
Jesus said, "Destroy the temple and I will raise it 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 Word, the Spirit that became flesh(Jn 1:1, Jn 1:14), and
His words are spirit and life(Jn 6:63).
Demons heard His words and submitted(Mk 1:26),
The dead Lazarus heard them and came out of the tomb(Jn 11:44), and
The paralytic heard them and picked up his mat and walked(Mt 9:7),
For they are the words that shock the spirit.
As He died, He said, "It is finished(Jn 19:30), declaring that He:
1. Died according to the will of the Father, eating His food(Jn 4:34, Jn 10:18);
2. Judged the devil, the origin of sin(1Jn 3:8); and
3. Tore His flesh and poured out His blood, giving true drink and true food for souls to eat and live(Jn 6:55-58).
Jesus resurrected and ascended to the heavenly throne.
The gospel is the life of Jesus and His words(Mk 1:1; Rm 1:17), and
The ears that hear it are blessed(Mt 13:8-9).
When one believes it,
His spirit is called righteous, cleansed, given life and blessed(Rm 3:22; Jn 5:25, Jn 15:3; Mt 5:3) “
All regarding the spirit.
While the letter kills, the Spirit gives life(2Co 3:3-6).
The Holy Spirit speaks to those with open ears(Rev2-3), and
The man of the Spirit has
The ears to discern and hear the words of Jesus and
Ultimately, his tongue is loosed and he preaches the gospel(Mk 7:35).
O Lord,
Thank You for giving me the ears to discern and hear Your words!
Let all You have given me
Also hear these words that are not sound but spirit.
Ephphatha!
Amen.
The Living Word of God
(He 4:12-13)
God is omniscient.
He knows the past, the present and the future, and
He knows the spiritual world and the material world(1Ki 8:35; Ps 103:14).
Faith is acknowledging Him and going under His supervision and
The life of this faith is being watched by His living word.
Generally, man has awe or fear of God for
He becomes conscious of God's eyes, which are
Like blazing fire that pierce the heart and see it(Rev 1:14),
That can even number the hairs of a head(Mt 10:30).
As such, the gospel begins with the cry of repentance(Mk 1:1-4) and
Faith departs from repentance and confession(Ac 2:38).
Though Adam, a living being(Ge 2:7), was created to hold
The lamp of God that searches it(Pr 20:27),
Deceived by the devil, he rejected the word and
His spirit became dark.
The Law of Moses commanded the Israelites to keep
The lamp inside the sanctuary burning with
Clear oil of pressed olives(Ex 27:20), as
It was the lamp to their feet that was very near(Ps 119:105; Dt 30:14).
Furthermore, the prophets were
A lamp that burned and gave light for a time(Jn 5:35).
Though they recited the word with words and kept the Law with their feet,
However, there was no way to light the soul for
It was the word that was delivered to outside the body through angel(Ac 7:35, Ac 7:53).
Thus, this inevitably led to the emergence of hypocrites.
Jesus said, "Destroy the 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 become the lamp that lights all souls for
He is the true light that gives light to every man(Jn 1:9),
The omniscient God, the Word in the beginning that became flesh(Jn 1:1, Jn 1:14).
Since the world was in darkness, however, it did not recognize Him(Jn 1:10).
Jesus forbid the righteousness, good works,
Prayers and fasting done to show others, and
Revealed the sins hidden deep in their hearts(Mt5-7).
Consequently, He was handed over to death by the hypocritical Pharisees(Mt 22:15).
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished(Jn 19:30), declaring that He:
1. Died according to the all-knowing Father's plan established before the creation of the world(Jn 10:18);
2. Judged the devil who challenged the omniscient God despite the fact that he is a creation(Is 14:12-15); and
3. Tore His flesh and poured out His blood, and redeemed and gave light to souls(Jn 6:56).
Jesus rose and ascended to the heavenly throne and
He is seated as the omniscient God(Rev 5:6).
The Holy Spirit comes to those who
Received His blood, the word(Jn 1:12, Jn 6:56) and have the eyes of God in them(2Co 2:10-14).
He continues to light with the oil of the word(Mt 25:4),
Penetrates to divide souls and spirit, joints and marrow with
The living word of God(He 4:12-13).
The man of the Spirit
Confesses that his sin is always before God(Ps51) and
Falls before Him with a broken and contrite heart, for
Blessed is he who mourns, for he will be comforted(Mt 5:4).
O Lord,
Forgive us for being unconscious of Your eyes!
Pierce us, carve us out, with a sharp, double-edged sword and
Watch us until the end.
Let us never fall away from Your eyes! Amen.
This Treasure in Jars of Clay
(2Co 4:7)
God is the God of truth(Jer 10:10; 1Jn 5:20).
The truth is in Him alone and
The truth comes only from Him.
Faith is receiving Him(Jn 1:12) and
The life of this faith is, without adding or taking away anything from the truth,
Delivering it as-is(Rev 22:18-19).
While all things change,
Precious stone change the least in their essence, quantity or color(1Pe 1:18).
The truth never changes for
It is always true “
It is the word of God that stands forever(1Pe 1:24-25).
God contained in Hades the archangel, Satan who
Deceived himself and changed(Is 14:12-15).
God made man a living being(Ge 2:7),
A vessel to contain the truth, i.e., the perfect treasure.
In spite of that, Adam was deceived by the devil, i.e., Satan and sinned(1Jn 3:7-8) and
Consequently, his spirit became unclean and all men became unclean(Rm 5:12).
The Law of Moses commanded the Israelites to shed blood
To be cleansed of their sins(Lev 17:11).
Furthermore, every vessel used in the sanctuary was
Cleansed with the blood of animals for
Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness(He 9:21-22).
Nevertheless, this was only regarding the flesh(He 9:10)
Since the blood of animals cannot wash away sins of the spirit(He 10:3-4).
Jesus said, "Destroy the 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 cleanse the sin of all men, i.e., the first Adam, and
Contain the truth in them(Jn 15:7, Jn 17:17), for
He is the Word that was in the beginning, the unchanging God, who became flesh(Jn 1:1),
The Only Begotten Son, full of truth(Jn 1:14).
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished(Jn 19:30), declaring that He:
As the last Adam died according to what the Father said to the first Adam, testifying that the Father's word is true(Ge 2:17;1Co 15:45);
Condemned the devil, the liar, the father of lies(Ge 3:4; Jn 8:44; 1Jn 3:8); and
With His precious blood redeemed, cleansed the sin of the first Adam(Jn 13:8; 1Pe 1:18-19).
His resurrection testifies that Jesus is the truth, the true God(Jn 11:25, Jn 14:6; 1Jn 5:20).
Jesus sat on the heavenly throne and judges with the words that He spoke(Jn 12:48).
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth(Jn 16:13) who
Comes to those whose vessels are cleansed with His blood(2Ti 2:20), and
Lets them contain treasures “ His name, His word and spiritual inspiration.
The duties of a vessel are:
To contain “ it becomes whatever is contained;
To keep “ it must not change its content;
To carry “ it must deliver.
The people of the Spirit are those who
Know their appearances, education, character and strength, and
Thus, cherish the treasures inside such jars of clay more than life, as
They are grateful and proud of them(2Co 6:8).
Therefore, they put effort to not peddle the word of God(2Co 2:17, 2Co 4:2) and
Strive to deliver it(1Co 2:1) for
The vessels that are not used will be dashed in the last day(Rev 2:27).
O Lord,
Thank You for putting this treasure in rough, ugly jars of clay, such as us!
Let us never fall into despair because of the small jars that we are.
Instead, let us recognize the value of this treasure inside of us and
Use us to keep the truth, defend the truth and teach the truth until the end!
Amen.
Return to the Father
(Lk 15:11-32)
God is the Father of spirits(He 12:9).
He gives birth through the word of truth(Jas 1:18) and
He inherits all things to His children(He 1:2; Gal 4:7).
Faith is knowing and loving the Father of my soul and
The life of this faith is about, in order to become His heirs, enduring suffering and discipline, and returning to Him every moment(He 12:9).
Different from angels who minister to God(He 1:14),
God made man as a spiritual being with flesh(Ge 2:7) so that
He would give birth to him and be his Father(He 1:5, He 1:14).
Being deceived by the devil, however,
Adam sinned(Ge 2:17, Ge 3:4-7) and
All men became slaves of the devil(2Pe 2:19).
God gave the Israelites who were slaves of Egypt
The spirit of slave to fear, the Law delivered by angels(Rm 8:15; Ac 7:53).
When they disobeyed the Law,
The prophets cried out for them to return to God(Is 44:22; Jer 3:12; Zec 1:3; Mal 3:7).
The tablets inside the Testimony of the sanctuary
Reminded them that, as long as they returned to God, they would be His servants.
Jesus said, "Destroy the 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 make a way for them to return to the Father(Jn 14:6) for
He is the Word that was with the Father in the beginning that became flesh(Jn 1:1, Jn 1:14, Jn 1:18).
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished(Jn 19:30), declaring that He:
Laid down His life and returned to the Father, becoming the Heir(Jn 20:17; Lk 24:51; He 1:2);
Judged the devil who deceived Adam and led him to become his slave(2Pe 2:19; 1Jn 3:8); and
Redeemed the sins of men with His blood, the Spirit of sonship and full rights of sons(Rm 8:15; Eph 1:7; Gal 4:5).
Jesus rose, ascended to heaven and
He is our Father in heaven.
The Holy Spirit comes in the name of the Father, Yeshua(Jn 5:43, Jn 17:11),
Lets the souls with His blood know that they have Father in heaven(Rm 8:15-16) and
Nurtures them to become heirs(Rm 8:26; Gal 4:7)
The Gospel is the voice of the Holy Spirit crying out for souls to
Follow the way of His blood and return to the Father(Ac 6:10, Ac 11:12, Ac 21:11).
The people of the Holy Spirit are those who
Know that they were once lost but have returned to their heavenly Father.
Therefore,
Because the Father knows all, they do not worry about their breath(Mt 6:32);
Because He treats them as true sons, they endure discipline and suffering(Rm 8:19-21; He 12:5-10); and
They live for His name, His kingdom which they will inherit(Gal 4:7; Mt 6:33).
O Lord,
Like the prodigal son,
We were once lost and broken-hearted but
We came to our senses and have returned to our heavenly Father.
Let us have the Father's heart and return those who are still lost.
Father, may Your name be glorified and Your kingdom advance! Amen.
The God of the Living
(Mk 12:18-27)
God is the living God(Jer 10:10; 2Ki 2:2; 1Sa 17:26).
He is living yesterday, today and forever(He 13:8) and
He lives with the living forever.
Faith is believing and longing for Him and
The life of this faith is, until living with Him, receiving His help and straining to stay alive at all times.
While men call those with alive fleshly senses the living,
God calls those with alive spiritual senses the living,
For the righteous will live by faith(Hab 2:4; Rm 1:17).
In spite of the fact that Adam was made a living being(Ge 2:7),
When he was deceived and sinned,
Death entered him and all men in him died(Rm 5:12).
The Israelites knew and loved the fact that their God is
The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob(Ex 3:6), and that
They were the children of Abraham(Mt 3:9).
All their fathers, however, were dead, thus they only had a past not a present.
Yet the testimony inside sanctuary
Reminded them of the living God and that they were His people.
Jesus said, "Destroy the 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 Himself is the living God for
He is the Word in the beginning that became the living flesh(Jn 1:1, Jn 1:14),
The Son of God who is living yesterday, today and forever(Mt 16:16) who
Met Abraham and is greater than him(Jn 8:56-58).
As He died, Jesus said, "It finished(Jn 19:30), declaring that He:
Laid down His life and fulfilled the Father's will, showing that He alone is the living God(Jn 10:17-18);
Condemned the devil who challenged the living God though he is just a creation(Is 14:12-15; Ez 28:15); and
With His living blood redeemed the sins of men and gave life to souls(Jn 6:54).
The Father raised Him and Jesus ascended to the heavenly throne and
He is the living Lord.
The Holy Spirit whom He sent
Comes to those who received the living blood of Jesus(Ac 2:33, Ac 5:32) and
Lets them testify that Jesus is the living Lord.
To keep the little faith alive,
He appointed the church, worship, pastors, teachers etc(Ac 20:28; 1Co 12:28)
The people of the Spirit are those
Devoted to not myths and genealogies, but the works of the living God(1Ti 1:4) and
Have the living hope of resurrection(1Pe 1:3-5).
Therefore, they live
Not by the fleshly senses but by spiritual inspiration,
Preaching the word in season or out of season,
Keeping their head in all situations, enduring hardship and
Doing the work of evangelists(2Ti 4:1-5) for
They hope to be judged as the living and be taken up to His kingdom
When the Lord Jesus returns.
O Lord,
Because of these fleshly senses are alive and tempt me,
My soul is dying though it wants to live!
A bruised reed You will not break and
A smoldering wick You will not snuff out(Is 42:3)¦
Lord, help me to stay alive! Amen.
The God of the Living
(Mk 12:18-27)
God is the living God(Jer 10:10; 2Ki 2:2; 1Sa 17:26).
He is living yesterday, today and forever(He 13:8) and
He lives with the living forever.
Faith is believing and longing for Him and
The life of this faith is, until living with Him, receiving His help and straining to stay alive at all times.
While men call those with alive fleshly senses the living,
God calls those with alive spiritual senses the living,
For the righteous will live by faith(Hab 2:4; Rm 1:17).
In spite of the fact that Adam was made a living being(Ge 2:7),
When he was deceived and sinned,
Death entered him and all men in him died(Rm 5:12).
The Israelites knew and loved the fact that their God is
The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob(Ex 3:6), and that
They were the children of Abraham(Mt 3:9).
All their fathers, however, were dead, thus they only had a past not a present.
Yet the testimony inside sanctuary
Reminded them of the living God and that they were His people.
Jesus said, "Destroy the 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 Himself is the living God for
He is the Word in the beginning that became the living flesh(Jn 1:1, Jn 1:14),
The Son of God who is living yesterday, today and forever(Mt 16:16) who
Met Abraham and is greater than him(Jn 8:56-58).
As He died, Jesus said, "It finished(Jn 19:30), declaring that He:
Laid down His life and fulfilled the Father's will, showing that He alone is the living God(Jn 10:17-18);
Condemned the devil who challenged the living God though he is just a creation(Is 14:12-15; Ez 28:15); and
With His living blood redeemed the sins of men and gave life to souls(Jn 6:54).
The Father raised Him and Jesus ascended to the heavenly throne and
He is the living Lord.
The Holy Spirit whom He sent
Comes to those who received the living blood of Jesus(Ac 2:33, Ac 5:32) and
Lets them testify that Jesus is the living Lord.
To keep the little faith alive,
He appointed the church, worship, pastors, teachers etc(Ac 20:28; 1Co 12:28)
The people of the Spirit are those
Devoted to not myths and genealogies, but the works of the living God(1Ti 1:4) and
Have the living hope of resurrection(1Pe 1:3-5).
Therefore, they live
Not by the fleshly senses but by spiritual inspiration,
Preaching the word in season or out of season,
Keeping their head in all situations, enduring hardship and
Doing the work of evangelists(2Ti 4:1-5) for
They hope to be judged as the living and be taken up to His kingdom
When the Lord Jesus returns.
O Lord,
Because of these fleshly senses are alive and tempt me,
My soul is dying though it wants to live!
A bruised reed You will not break and
A smoldering wick You will not snuff out(Is 42:3)¦
Lord, help me to stay alive! Amen.
Follow the Living
(Lk 9:57-62)
God is the Lord of eternal life.
He is the owner of eternal life and He reigns with eternal life.
To those who follow Him, He rewards with eternal life.
While the god of the world, the devil enslaves men with power of death(He 2:14-15) and
The kings of the world threaten life and reign by force(Mt 10:28),
God rewards with eternal life, i.e., the throne, and reigns(Mt 19:27-29).
Faith is knowing Him and willingly going under Him in submission(Jn 6:68) and
The life of this faith is leaving everything and only following the Living until the end.
From the time of birth, men follow other men, such as
Parents, teachers, religious figures, philosophers etc.
What they find, however, is that every man's end is death, his destination the grave.
Hence, they can no longer follow.
Though Adam was initially made a living being(Ge 2:7),
When he broke the word of God and sinned(Ge 3:16),
He died and all men died in him(Ge 2:17; Eph 2:1).
While the Israelites followed Moses and left Egypt(He 3:16-18),
Almost all of them died in the desert, including Moses.
While those who followed Joshua crossed the Jordan and entered the Canaan(He 4:8-9),
Without receiving rest, they died and so did Joshua for
They were the dead(Lk 9:60).
Nevertheless, the Ark inside the sanctuary that they were commanded to build
Reminded them that when they followed God, their life was preserved.
Jesus said, "Destroy the 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 not to the flesh but to the spirit for
He is the Word, the life in the bosom of the Father in the beginning(Jn 1:1, Jn 1:4, Jn 1:14),
The resurrection and the life(Jn 11:25).
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished(Jn 19:30), declaring that He:
Laid down His life according to the Father's command and received eternal life(Jn 10:17-18, Jn 12:50);
Condemned the ruler of death(Ge 3:15; He 2:14); and
Tore His flesh and poured out His blood, and gave life to souls for them to enter eternal life(Jn 6:53-57).
Jesus rose from the dead and ascended to the heavenly throne and
He is the Living who reigns with eternal life(Lk 24:5).
In order to give eternal life to men:
He gave through the suffering of the death of the Son(Mt 16:21-23, Mt 20:28);
He gave His blood carried in the name Yeshua(Jn 1:12, Jn 17:11);
Through faith He lets us accept His works(Jn 3:16); and
Through the Holy Spirit He lets us know this(1Co 2:9-10; 1Jn 3:24).
The Holy Spirit comes out from the throne with the name Yeshua(Ac 2:23) and
Lets those who have become the living by His name know
How great and glorious eternal life is(1Co 2:12).
The man of the Spirit is he who,
To strain toward what is ahead and take hold of it(Php 3:13),
Leaves his wife, children, parents, brothers or fields(Mk 10:29) and follows Jesus for
No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back,
No one who has double-minds is fit for the kingdom of God(Lk 9:62).
O Lord,
If our eyes can see the throne,
If our hands can take hold of eternal life,
We would not have any excuses or reasons in following You.
Holy Spirit, open our eyes!
Let not even one of us go back to the world. Amen.
The Resurrection of Jesus
(Lk 24:1-12, Lk 24:36-43)
God is the Lord of glory(Ps 3:3, Ps 24:8).
By glory, He is glorified and
He goes from glory to glory.
Faith is knowing Him and longing for Him and
The life of this faith is lowering oneself until the glorious day.
When Luciel(the bright angel), the archangel in heaven
Attempted to ascend above the angels(Is 14:12-15),
God brought him down to Hades, into the depths of the pit, i.e., the universe
Until the great day of judgment(2Pe 2:4).
Deceived by this fallen angel, the devil,
Adam sinned and all men subsequently became
Bound for the eternal lake of fire with the devil(Mt 25:41).
To the Israelites, the glory of God appeared like
A consuming fire on top of Mount Sinai(Ex 24:17) and
Cloud settling upon the Tent of Meeting(Ex 40:35), of which
They became afraid(Ex 34:30).
Jesus said, "Destroy the 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 directly the glory of God for
He is the glory of the Only Begotten Son,
The glory in the bosom of the Father that became flesh(Jn 1:1, Jn 1:14).
Though the devil tempted Him with the splendors of the world(Mt 4:8) and
The people pleaded Him to be their king, Jesus firmly refused(Jn 5:41) for
If one is glorified by someone inferior to him or by himself, that glory means nothing because
Glory is when he is glorified by the Most High, the glorious One(Jn 8:54).
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished(Jn 19:30), declaring that He:
Humbled Himself and became obedient to death, and glorified the Father(Jn 10:17-18; Php 2:6-11);
Judged the devil who wanted to be like God(Is 14:12-15; 1Jn 3:8); and
Redeemed the sins of men and gave them a chance to participate in His glory, i.e., the resurrection of believers(Mt 20:28).
Thus, God exalted Him to the highest place and raised Him up(Ac 2:32-33, Ac 3:15, Ac 5:36).
The Son was glorified by the Father the Most High and
The Father eternally receives glory through the glorified Son(Jn 17:5; Php 2:9).
The Holy Spirit comes with the glorious name, Yeshua, and
Testifies that Jesus rose and sat on the throne as Prince and Savior(Ac 2:36, Ac 5:30-31).
The people of the Spirit are those who
Hope to have their lowly bodies be transformed so
They will be like His glorious body(Php 3:21), i.e. the first resurrection(Rev 20:4-6), and
Be caught up in the air when the Lord Jesus comes back(1Th 4:17).
Therefore, they testify the resurrection of Jesus and
Share in His suffering in order to lower themselves to the point of death(Rm 8:17).
O Lord,
We want to sow the perishable and have it raised as the imperishable,
Sow the dishonor and have it raised in glory and
Sow the natural body and have it raised a spiritual body(1Co 15:42-44).
Help us to endlessly lower ourselves so that
In that day we would be lifted up into the air! Amen.
God is the ever-living God.
Life is in Him(Jn 1:4) and
To those who know Him He gives eternal life.
Eternal life is knowing the only true God and
The One whom He sent “ Jesus Christ(Jn 17:3).
Faith is knowing about the death of Jesus and having a relationship with Him(Jn 13:8) and
The life of this faith is living on His behalf, whether one lives or dies.
Men grieve death and are weak before it since it is
The end of an existence, the end of emotion, sensation, function, authority and duty.
As one matures, he becomes conscious of death for
Man is destined to die once and no one can escape such(He 9:27).
While the world considers the death of Jesus as no different and
Prefers to not remember such an untimely and gruesome death(Mt 27:39),
His death, however, was not an individual's death but
An event that is relevant to all men in Adam(1Co 15:22-23).
Deceived by the devil, Adam, a living being, sinned and
Death entered all men(Rm 5:12), destined for the second death(Rev 20:4).
The history of Israel has a deep relationship with death.
On the night of Passover, they witnessed the death of the Egyptians' firstborns and
The death of animals in their place(Ex 12:12-13).
Furthermore, under the Law of Moses, the law of sin and death(Rm 8:2),
They saw sinners die and animals die in their place.
The sanctuary where the tablets of the Law were and the sacrifices took place was
Thus, the reminder of sin and death.
Jesus said, "Destroy the temple and I will raise it in three days(Jn 2:19), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would redeem sins of all men for
He is the Son whom God sent born of a woman, born under law(Gal 4:4-5),
The Word in the beginning that became flesh to die(Jn 1:1, Jn 1:14, Jn 2:19).
As He died, the veil in the temple tore and
He said, "It is finished(Jn 19:30), declaring that He:
Laid down His life according to the Father's command and fulfilled all deaths and received eternal life(Jn 10:17-18, Jn 12:50);
Condemned the origin of sin(Ge 3:15; 1Jn 3:8); and
Tore His flesh and shed His blood, and redeemed the sins of men(Mt 20:28; 1Pe 1:19-20).
Jesus overcame death and rose, and
He ascended to the heavenly throne.
The cross is where sin, the price of sin and the power of death ends(Col 1:14-15; He 10:17) and
Faith is connecting the death of the first Adam and the death of the last Adam(1Co 15:22, 1Co 15:48):
Because when Jesus died I also died,
In His death is my own death(Gal 2:20).
Therefore, I am forever set free from my sins, the price of my sins and the ruler of death.
The Holy Spirit lets Christians live the second public-life of Jesus Christ(2Co 5:14-17; Col 1:24).
For their life, i.e., their authority, duty, dreams etc, died at the cross,
They no longer live for themselves and instead
Whether they live or die, they do it for the Lord(Rm 14:7-8),
Proclaiming His death until He comes back(Ac 5:30; 1Co 11:26) “
When they will receive eternal life.
O Lord,
I say, "Lord, Lord,
Yet I live as an ungrateful betrayer.
For You died in my place,
Let me live in Your place! Amen.
God is the King of glory(Ps 24:8).
He fights for glory(Is 42:8) and wins gloriously(Ps 24:8; 1Ch 29:11) and
Reigns on the glorious throne(Zec 6:13; Mt 19:28).
Faith is knowing Him and becoming His soldiers and
The life of this faith is fighting to win until one enters triumphantly before Him.
The Bible is a record of holy wars(Nu 21:14).
1. In the Garden: the verbal war between Eve and the serpent(Ge 3:3-4);
2. The Old Testament era: the battles between Israel and its neighboring tribes;
3. The New Testament era: the battle between Jesus(the kingdom of heaven) and the devil(the prince of the world)(Jn 12:31;Rev 12:7);
4. The Holy Spirit era: the apocalyptic war between the soldiers of Christ and the servants of the devil(Eph 6:10-12).
These wars are all
According to the schedule of God determined before the creation(Eph 1:4).
After his fall in the spiritual heaven(Is 14:12-15; Ez 28:12-17),
Satan and a third of heaven fell to Hades, i.e., the universe,
Contained until the great day of judgment(2Pe 2:4; Jude6).
Because Adam was defeated by the serpent(Ge 3:4-6),
All men became slaves of the devil(2Pe 2:19), and the devil the ruler of death(He 2:14).
Nevertheless, for His glorious victory,
God fought for the Israelites(Ex 14:13, 17:14).
The sanctuary stood as a war memorial that contained the name of the Lord God(2Ch 6:20) and
The Israelites longed for the appearance of a king who is mighty in battle(2Ch 20:5-6; Ps 24:8).
Jesus said, "Destroy the temple and I will raise it in three days(Jn 2:19), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He was going to defeat the enemy and triumph gloriously for
He came as the kingdom of heaven to destroy the prince of the world(Jn 12:31-32) by
Using His flesh as a weapon(Jn 1:1, 14).
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished(Jn 19:30), declaring that He:
1. Died according to the Father's command and brought glorious victory to the Father(Jn 10:17; Php 2:11);
2. Disarmed the ruler of death(Col 2:15; He 2:15; 1Jn 3:8); and
3. Set free those under death and gave them second chance to fight and win gloriously(He 2:14-15).
Jesus rose and gloriously received all authorities of heaven and earth(Mt 28:18).
He ascended to heaven and sat down at the right of the Majesty in heaven(He 1:3).
The Holy Spirit whom He sent(Ac 2:33)
Came with the name Yeshua, the glorious and victorious name, and
Drafted those who believe that Jesus is the Christ into the church(Mt 16:16-18).
The church is the army that fights for the advancement of the kingdom of Christ and
Saints are soldiers of Christ who must please their commanding officer(2Ti 2:4).
As those who received grace, they pledge their faithfulness(2Ti 2:1-13),
Endure hardship until they receive the crown(Rm 8:18; Php 3:21) and
Fight against their enemies until death.
The enemies of soldiers of Christ are:
1. The devil who uses as weapons thoughts, arguments and knowledge that set up against the knowledge of God(1Pe 5:8; 2Co 10:4-5);
2. Household members who use sympathy and morality to disturb(Mt 10:36); and
3. Fleshly desires that provoke self-destruction(Rm 8:6-7).
The good soldiers of Christ are those who
Deeply think about Jesus who went before them(2Ti 2:8; He 3:1) and
Like Him fight gloriously and overcome.
They fight do-or-die in order to
Unite with Him in the air on the day the glorious trumpet sounds(1Th 4:16-17) and
Return to the kingdom of heaven(Rev 21:24).
O Lord,
Thank You for calling us to fight this glorious battle!
Let us be resolved to fight and defeat the enemies until death and
Let every member of this platoon overcome and finally enter the glorious kingdom!
Amen.
God is sincere(Jn 3:33).
For it is impossible for Him to lie(He 6:18),
He surely acts according to what He speaks(Nu 23:19).
Faith is believing in the sincerity of God and
The life of this faith is having one's soul soaked in such and revealing Him.
In order for someone's sincerity to be acknowledged,
His words and his actions must be proven the same “ over a period of time.
As such, in order for God to reveal His sincerity,
The Bible was written(Jn 5:39) and
Many times had to pass(He 1:1-2).
The Bible consists of the Old Testament and the New Testament, or
The first covenant and the new covenant(He 9:15-18), and
Like a will(testament), they contain the sincere words of God.
The Old Testament is comprised of the Law and the Prophets until John(Mt 11:13).
The Law is the visible revelation, copies(He 9:23) and
The Prophets heard prophecies, parables.
According to the Law, the sanctuary was where
The shedding of the blood of animals was(He 9:18-22),
While the prophet prophesied that God would send
A lamb to the slaughter to be oppressed and killed(Is 53:4)
Jesus said, "Destroy the temple and I will raise it in three days(Jn 2:19), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He was going to fulfill the Law and the Prophets(Mt 5:17-18) for
He the Word in the beginning that became flesh and blood(Jn 1:1, 14),
The Lamb of God who came to lay down His life as a ransom for sinners(Jn 1:29, Mt 20:28).
As such, His life on earth was filled with sorrow, agony and indignity(Mt 26:38; Lk 12:49), and
His death on the cross was the height of His suffering(Ps 22:14-15; Jn 19:29).
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished(Jn 19:30), declaring that He:
1. By laying down His life according to the Father's word proved the sincerity of the Father(Mt 5:17-18; Jn 10:17-18);
2. Condemned the liar devil(Jn 8:44; 1Jn 3:8); and
3. Tore His flesh and shed His blood for souls to drink and eat for life and be risen at the last day(Jn 6:53-57).
Jesus rose, ascended to heaven.
He is the Lamb who sits on the throne who forever bears the marks of suffering(Rev 5:12-13).
The gospel is the price of His suffering that He bore in His body(1Pe 2:24) and
The Holy Spirit came to souls who ate His flesh and drank His blood and
He lets them re-live the life of Christ(Jn 14:26, 15:26).
Communion is commemorating His death and remembering His pains(1Co 11:26):
Every piece of bread bears the pains of carving out His skin(Lev 1:6) and
Every cup of wine contains the outcries of His agony.
The people of the Spirit are those who are moved by
The love of the Father who kept silent before the painful outcries of the Son(Mt 27:46) and
The sincerity of the Son who took the bitter cup of suffering(Mt 26:39).
Therefore, when they come together, they love each other(1Co 11:33) and
When they scatter, they proclaim the Lord's death until He comes(1Co 11:26).
O Lord,
Like foolish children,
We were indifferent to Your agony and inconsiderate of Your pains.
Let us remember that,
Before resurrection was death,
Before peace was punishment and
Before glory is shame.
Let Your sorrow, agony, outcries and petition soak my soul and
Let those whom I meet also drink and eat the Lord! Amen.
Those Whom the Lord Wants
(Mk 3:13-19)
God is the God of revelation(Eph 1:7).
He reveals Himself according to His ways and
He reveals Himself to those whom He wants(Mt 11:15).
Faith is receiving His revelation and longing for it, and
The life of this faith is obeying His command
In order to see Him when he appears a second time(Jn 14:21; He 9:28).
While religions originate from men and their efforts to seek the divine,
Christianity is the faith by revelation that began with God and
It is obedience according to God's ways.
There are three stages of the revelation of God:
1. Jesus Christ;
2. The Bible; and
3. Sermons, witnessing and testimonies.
In the beginning, God gave the general revelation to all, where
He revealed His eternal power and divine nature through all things(Rm 1:18-20).
Deceived by the devil, Adam sinned(Ge 3:4-6) and
He was banished from the Garden and
God became hidden from all men thereafter(Ge 3:24).
Nevertheless, God revealed His schedule to those who found favor in Him:
Noah who was warned of the judgment by flood(Ge 6:17);
Abraham who was warned of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah(Ge 18:17-21); and
Moses who was informed of the exodus of Israel(Ex 3:2, Ex 3:7-8).
The tablets on which God Himself wrote the Law twice(Ex 31:18, Ex 34:28) were
In the ark of the sanctuary, which was a visible revelation to the Israelites.
Furthermore, the prophets foresaw and heard revelation “ until John the Baptist(Mt 11:13).
Jesus said, "Destroy the 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 make the mystery of God be known(Col 1:26-27) for
He is the Word, the self-manifestation of God, that became flesh(Jn 1:1, Jn 1:14), who was
In the Father's bosom in the beginning(Jn 1:18).
Accordingly, He never spoke of His own accord(Jn 12:49-50); rather,
He only spoke the words of the Father “ the words of eternal life(Jn 6:68).
He called disciples, those whom He wanted and called(Mk 3:13-15):
1. To be with Him, like friends(Jn 15:15);
2. To preach; and
3. To give them the authority to drive out demons.
Thus, the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven was given to them(Mt 13:10-15),
While to the multitudes, Jesus spoke in parables(Mt 13:10-15) because,
Though the grace of redemption is for everyone(Jn 3:16; Rm 1:16),
Revealing Himself is not for everyone, as He is the God of revelation.
As He died, He said, "It is finished(Jn 19:30), declaring that He:
1. Laid down His life and obeyed the Father's command, revealing the Father's will(Jn 10:17-18; Eph 1:9);
2. Condemned the divider who wanted to be like God(Is 14:13-14; 1Jn 3:8); and
3. Tore His flesh and shed His blood, giving life to souls(Mt 20:28; Jn 6:63).
Jesus rose, ascended to heaven and sat on the throne.
He sent the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of revelation(Eph 1:17), who
Comes to those who received the special revelation, i.e., the blood of Jesus, and
Makes the mystery of Christ known to them(Col 4:3; Eph 6:9).
Those whom the Lord wants:
1) Have the heart of little children, i.e., good soil(Mt 18:2; Mk 4:8; Php 3:8);
2) Have zeal(2Co 5:13); and
3) Sustain to the end(Mt 24:13).
He loves those who
Have His commands and obey them(Jn 14:20-21) and
Continues to reveal Himself to them, and
They will see His face when He appears a second time(He 9:28).
O Lord,
Let me restore my first love, first passion for You.
Let us all find favor in Your eyes and
Let Your revelation continue without ceasing
Until our last breath! Amen.
Save Your Household
(Ac 16:19-24)
God is the God of salvation(Ps 51:14, Ps 68:20).
Salvation comes from Him(Jnh 2:9) and
Salvation is in Him alone(Ps 3:8).
Faith is knowing such a great salvation and receiving it(He 2:3) and
The life of this faith is working out salvation in fear(Php 2:12) and putting every effort to save one's own household(Ac 16:30).
The Bible indicates that salvation is
The spiritual body being saved from the price of sin, hell “ i.e., the burning universe
(Mk 9:44; Rm 6:23; 1Co 15:44; 2Pe 3:7).
There are two types of created spiritual beings: angel and man.
Because God never planned to save angels(He 2:16),
The angels who sinned once must face judgment(2Pe 2:4; Jude 1:6),
Man, on the other hand, was made to inherit salvation(He 1:14).
Thus, even though he sinned, God redeems and saves him(He 2:14).
Deceived by the devil,
Adam, the living being, sinned and death entered, and
All men became destined for hell(Rm 5:12).
The exodus of Israel is a sign of the great salvation.
When the hardship of Israel reached its height,
God sent Moses(Ex 2:23) and delivered them
From the authority of the pharaoh(Ex 5:1),
From the pursuing army of pharaoh and from Egypt.
The sanctuary was a model of the salvation to come.
The altar was where the blood of the sacrifice was poured and its meat burned(Lev 4:7, Lev 4:10), and sin punished and its price paid.
Hence, sinners could hold on to the horns of the altar and be spared(1Ki 1:50);
Yet it was neither perfect nor eternal(He 10:11-14).
Jesus said, "Destroy the temple and I will raise it in three days, because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body(Jn 2:19-21),
He was going to save souls from the fire of hell for He is
The eternal horns of salvation who came according to the prophecies(Lk 1:69-72; Jn 4:22),
In the name Yeshua, the name of the God of salvation(M 1:21).
As He died, He said, "It is finished(Jn 19:30), declaring that:
1. The One who could save Him from Hades is the Father God of salvation alone(He 5:7-9);
2. He condemned the devil, the origin of sin(1Jn 3:8); and
3. By tearing His flesh and shedding His blood, He redeemed the sins of men and set them from the slavery of the devil(Rm 8:2;2Co 5:14; He 2:15).
Jesus rose, ascended to heaven and sat on the throne.
He is the eternal source of salvation(He 5:9).
The Holy Spirit comes to souls who received the blood of Jesus and
Preaches the good news that saves those who believe and call on the name Yeshua
(Ac 4:12; Ac 16:31).
The faith that arrives at salvation(Rm 10:10; He 10:12):
1. Confesses with mouth and the heart is sprinkled with His blood;
2. Confesses through baptism(deed) and set free from the pursue of the devil and demons(Rm 6:6-12); and
3. Testifies through the Holy Spirit and achieving salvation for oneself and household.
The people of the Spirit are those who
Know such a great salvation(He 2:2-4) and
Therefore preach and admonish even if they are beaten, harshly treated, and
Finally save their own souls, the souls of their household and of those given to them.
O Lord,
How terrifying hell must be that
For such a great salvation You sent the Son to die!
Though we say we believe,
We do not even lose sleep over the souls of our unbelieving family...
Give us the heart of saving souls.
And surely save me, my family and all those You have given me! Amen.
O My Soul!
(Ps 42:1-5)
God is the Father of spirits(He 12:9).
He gives birth to spirits(Jas 1:18), and
He loves them, nurtures them and gives life to them.
Faith is believing that with spirit one has become His child(Rm 8:16; Gal 4:6).
The life of this faith is loving one's own soul with the heart of the Father and
Putting effort to give it life.
For God loves souls
He sent the Son, the Holy Spirit and even angels(Jn 3:16, Jn 14:16; He 1:14).
Thus, He considers those who are uninterested in their own souls as
Being hostile to Him(Rm 8:7).
God made man from the dust of the ground and
Breathed into him the breath of life, making him a living being(Ge 2:7).
Accordingly, man is made of the flesh that eats green plant from the ground(Ge 1:30), and
The soul that must eat the food that comes from heaven(Mt 4:4).
By eating the forbidden fruit(Ge 2:17), however,
Adam(living being) spat out the word and the living being died.
Consequently, all men since Adam despise discipline, the word of God
For they ignore their souls(Pr 15:32).
The Law is a law that revives(converts) souls(Ps 19:7, Ps 23:3-4)
In order to save them from the grace, death(Ps 30:3, Ps 33:19),
While the prophet cried out for the Israelites to repent, i.e., change their orientation,
To flee from the coming wrath(Mt 3:2-10).
The sanctuary that they were commanded to build was
The dwelling place of God where their souls were restored(1Ki 8:30; 2Ch 6:21).
As such, they cherished it and yearned for it(Ps 42:1-5).
Jesus said, "Destroy the 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 was going to give life to souls of all men for
He is the Word that became flesh(Jn 1:1, 14),
The last Adam who came to die in place of the first Adam,
Pay the price of his sin and rescue all men from death and Hades(Rm 5:12-14; 1Co 15:45).
Jesus exposed the reality of souls of the dead, i.e., demons(Mk 1:25) and
Uncovered the reality of eternal death, i.e., hell(Mk 9:45-49)
For men to not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul(Mt 10:28).
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished(Jn 19:30), declaring that He:
1. Laid down His life and obeyed the command of the Father who could save Him from death(Jn 10:17-18; He 5:7);
2. Condemned the devil, the origin of sin(Ge 3:4-6; 1Jn 3:8); and
3. Tore His flesh and poured out His blood for souls to drink and eat(Jn 6:54).
Jesus rose, ascended to heaven and sat on the throne and
He is the Father of our souls(He 12:9).
The Holy Spirit comes to
Those born-again with the Spirit of Christ, the blood of Jesus(Rm 8:9), and
Lets them know that they are souls loved by the Father in heaven.
Faith is:
1. Knowing how much the Father God loves my soul(Is 38:17), thus, cherishing and loving my soul like the blood of the Only Begotten Son;
2. Dearly yearning for the dwelling place of the Lord(Ps 84:1-10), thus, yearning for His temple on earth, the church and worship(Ps 42:1-4); and
3. For He gave life to souls even to the point of putting the Son to death(Jn 6:63) putting every effort to give life to one's soul by fleeing the devil, demons and the false prophet who hunt souls(Ez 13:8), and abstaining from sinful desires which war against their souls(1Pe 2:11).
Those moved by the Spirit(Rev 3:16) are
Those who weep and weep
Before the hardship, sickness, nakedness and starvation of their souls.
O Lord,
We have poured out all efforts and hearts to give life to the flesh but
It is dying anyway.
The greatest betrayer and opposition for my soul is my flesh!
O my soul, do not be downcast.
Be strengthened.
Seek the face of the Lord.
Live! Live! Live! Amen.
Meet Jesus
(Jn 1:43-51)
God is the Lord of grace.
Grace comes from Him alone(Jn 1:14) and
He meets to give grace.
Faith is longing to meet with God.
The life of this faith is testifying the meeting with Him.
The Bible is the book that suggests meeting with God.
The universe is the space for meeting with God.
Worship is the moment of meeting with God.
The flesh is the opportunity for meeting with God.
After Adam sinned, he was banished from the Garden(Ge 3:24), and
After Cain murdered, he was driven out of the land(Ge 4:14) for
Sinners cannot seek the face of God(Pr 1:28).
Though Moses spoke with God on the holy mountain(Ex 3:2, Ex 3:5),
He only heard the voice of the angel of the Lord.
Though once every year, the high priest carried
The blood of animals to the atonement cover
Inside the sanctuary(Ex 25:21-22; Lev 16:14-15; He 9:25, He 10:1),
It was only seeing the promise to be fulfilled from a distance(He 11:13),
Not seeing God directly.
The prophets cried out to Israel
To prepare to meet with their God(Am 4:12),
Through repentance(Mt 3:2).
Jesus said, "Destroy the 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 was going to meet with all men directly for
He is the Only Begotten Son, the God who came in flesh to meet with them(Jn 1:1, Jn 1:14).
Yet, the Israelites only waited for
The man that God would send as the Messiah, the Christ(Jn 1:40-45, Jn 4:25), and
They never expected God Himself to come(Jn 10:33).
And when Jesus refused to be their king,
Their disappointments lead to His death(Mt 27:23) and even all of the disciples fled(Mk 14:50).
As Jesus died, He said, "It is finished(Jn 19:30), declaring that He:
1. Laid down His life and sprinkled His blood on the heavenly sanctuary, receiving the Father's grace prepare for him(Jn 10:17-18; He 9:24);
2. Condemned the devil, the origin of sin(Ge 3:4-6; 1Jn 3:8); and
3. Sprinkled His blood and sanctified souls so they prepare to meet with God(He 10:19-21).
He rose, ascended, entered the heavenly sanctuary and
Sat on the throne of grace as the Lord of grace(He 4:16).
The Holy Spirit whom He sent
Comes inside the souls made holy with His blood(Jn 14:16, Jn 16:5-7; 1Co 3:16) and
Meets with them exclusively, deep inside their souls.
Each must have his own experience of meeting Him through(Jn 8:2-11):
1. Repenting with a broken and contrite heart before the Law confessing he is a sinner 100%(Ps 51:17; Ac 2:38); and
2. Confessing that the death of Jesus alone is his salvation 100%(Rm 10:10).
There are different forms of faith:
1. Those who want to believe Jesus "just in case;
2. Those who want to use Jesus to solve their problems; and
3. Those who meet Jesus and believe.
Those who met Jesus are:
1. Those who changed completely(the sick to the healed; the persecutor to the martyr), living a sanctified life(Lk 17:12-14; Mt 8:28); and
2. Those who testify, even risking life(Ac 20:24),
For they long to meet with Him
When He appears for a second time in the air(He 9:28; 1Th 4:17).
O Lord,
Have I truly met You?
Or am I fooling myself to think that?
Let me examine myself and go back to that moment when I first believed.
Lord, meet with me and with my family! Amen.