General Service in Malang, August 07, 2016 (Sunday Morning)

CHILD SUBMISSION SERVICE

Psalm 144:12
144:12 That our sons may beas plants grown up in their youth; Thatour daughters may beas pillars, Sculptured in palace style;

A child is submited to God so he or she experiences physical and spiritual growth up to perfection as Jesus and is worthy to welcome His second coming on the glorious clouds.

Psalm 92:12-15
92:12 The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
92:13 Those who are planted in the house of the LordShall flourish in the courts of our God.
92:14 They shall still bear fruit in old age;They shall be fresh and flourishing,
92:15 To declare that the Lord is upright;He ismy rock, and there isno unrighteousness in Him.

The requirement is being planted in the house of the Lord. It means as follows.

1. Being well and right shepherded.
   
2. Being faithful in ministering God.
   

Thus, we will live within the faithful hands of God. The results are as follows.

1. A palm tree bears sweet fruit, meaning we are cared and joyful in God although we have to face the situation of this world as the wilderness that is cursed, dry, full of labor and heavy burden.
   
   
2. A cedar refers to strength in facing the storm in this world as the wilderness.
   

We survive until the old days, even until we sit on the throne of Heaven forever.

God blesses us.

GENERAL SERVICE
Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Revelation 4:4
4:4Around the throne weretwenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads.

We are still learning about the twenty-four elders around the throne who are divided into two groups as follows.

1. Twelve elders = twelve apostles of the revival of the first rain.
   
2. Twelve elders = twelve apostles of the revival of the last rain.
   

In the Tabernacle, it refers to the twelve cakes on the Table of Showbread.

Leviticus 24:5-6
24:5 "And you shall take fine flour and bake twelve cakes with it. Two-tenths of an ephahshall be in each cake.
24:6 You shall set them in two rows, six in a row, on the pure goldtable before the Lord.

The twelve cakes are set in two rows, six in a row (66) that refers to 66 books in the Holy Bible, that is the Bread of Life or the true teaching Word that is sharper than any two-edged sword.
The table refers to our heart and mind, or our whole life.

Thus, the apostles are the servants of God whose whole hearts and minds are filled with the true teaching Word, so they are worthy to sit around the throne of Heaven. Likewise, our whole life must be filled with the true teaching Word, so we can sit on the throne of Heaven forever.

Figure twelve also refers to fellowship. Thus, the true teaching Word encourages us to enter the true fellowship or the ministry of building the body of Christ. We become as a branch that abides on the true vine.
The ministry of building the body of Christ is started from within marriage, shepherding, inter-shepherding, up to the perfect body of Christ.

Thus, the apostles are the servants of God who are active in the ministry of building the perfect body of Christ until they sit on the throne of Heaven. Likewise, we must also be active in the ministry of building the perfect body of Christ until we sit on the throne of Heaven.

In conclusion, the apostles are the servants of God whose hearts and minds are filled with the true teaching Word so they are encouraged to be active in the ministry of building the perfect body of Christ. Likewise, our whole life must be filled with the true teaching Word, so we are encouraged to be active in the ministry of building the perfect body of Christ.

John 15:6
15:6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw theminto the fire, and they are burned.

Be watchful, there is another fellowship, that is fellowship without the true teaching Word. This kind of fellowship is as a branch that is separated from the true vine so ones who join it will wither spiritually.

Proverbs 7:2
7:2 Keep my commands and live, And my law as the apple of your eye.

The true teaching Word is as the apple of the eye. Fellowship without the true teaching Word is as having no apple of the eye, so ones who join it are blind and will not go to the New Jerusalem. This kind of fellowship will only go to the hell.

John 15:6
15:6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw theminto the fire, and they are burned.

The signs of a blind fellowship are as follows.

1. Sitting by the road, meaning not being shepherded or having no vine.
   Mark 10:46
   10:46 Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging.
   
   If a pastor is not faithful to feed the congregation, it equals to walking around. The consequence is not meeting Jesus, but lion. It means that this kind of life has no peaceful life. He lives in fear, doubt, et cetera. It is until being pounced by the lion, meaning leaving the true teaching Word to go to the false teaching. He also falls in sins until being destroyed forever.
   
   Sitting by the road also means having a heart as the road, meaning being unserious in hearing the true teaching Word so the seeds of the Word are eaten by the birds. The consequences are as follows.
   
   
   • Never being satisfied in life, so one always looks for satisfaction in the world until falling in sins.
     
   • Not understanding nor believing the Word, so one loses the salvation.
     
     
2. Begging, meaning as follows.
   
   
   • Always asking and becoming a burden to the others.
     
   • Being unwilling to sacrifice time, energy, and money for God. The consequence is only looking for physical benefits in many ways.
     
     
   • Keeping living in sin up to its peak. It is as preserving the old garment.
     Mark 10:50
     10:50 And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.
     
     
     
   • In suffering, weariness, bearing heavy burden, tears, and impossibilities.
     

God does not want that His servants, whom He has redeemed by His blood, become blind, live in in suffering, until being destroyed forever. Therefore, Jesus walks to the place of Bartimaeus. Now, He walks in the midst of us to recover our marriage, ministry, and life. It is a great mercy and grace of God. If the marriage and ministry are recovered, all the other things will be recovered by God.

The process of God's recovering our life is as follows.

1. Lord Jesus comes near to us through the preaching of the true teaching Word.
   Mark 10:47
   10:47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"
   
   Our attitude is coming near to God, meaning opening our heart widely to receive the true teaching Word. We do not give any chances to hear strange voice, that is false teaching or gossips. We solemnly hear the true teaching Word.
   
   
2. Lord Jesus calls us who are blind and suffer.
   Mark 10:49
   10:49 So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called.Then they called the blind man, saying to him, "Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you."
   
   We are called by Jesus when we are touched by the Word or when the Word points our sins. It is a chance for us to confess honestly to God. We pour our heart to Him. It is the closest private relation with God.
   
   
3. Jesus asks "What do you want Me to do for you?". Our answer is to see God. It equals to seeing the true teaching Word.
   Mark 10:51
   10:51 So Jesus answered and said to him, "What do you want Me to do for you?"The blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, that I may receive my sight."
   
   The process is as follows.
   
   
   • Hearing the true teaching Word solemnly with a need, as a dog licking the bread crumbs.
     
   • Holy Spirit helps us to understand, believe and have faith to the Word. The Word becomes faith in our heart.
     
   • Practicing the Word.
     
     
   Psalm 119:18
   119:18 Open my eyes, that I may seeWondrous things from Your law.
   
   Thus, miracle happens. The greatest miracle is the spiritual miracle, that is life renewal from the flesh man to the spiritual one as Jesus. There is no more lies. We only say right and honest words. There is no more hatred. There is no more stealing.
   
   Ephesians 4:24-26,28
   4:24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
   4:25 Therefore, putting away lying, "Leteach one of youspeak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another.
   4:26 "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath,
   4:28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with hishands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.
   
   We become as a newborn baby. Our lives are small and powerless, but we live within the embrace of His great merciful hands.
   Thus, physical miracle will also happen. The merciful hands of God are able to care our lives in the middle of difficulties in the world. The merciful hands of God are able to give us beautiful and successful future and make possible the impossible things.
   The merciful hands of God also sanctify our lives until we are perfect as Him and worthy to sit on the throne of Heaven forever.
   
   Mark 10:52
   10:52 Then Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well." And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.
   

God blesses us.