Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Revelation 2-3 is about the seven times of the sprinkling of blood in front of the Ark of Covenant. It refers to the last sanctification to the seven churches of the Gentiles or the church in the last days, until they are perfect and blameless as Jesus, and worthy to welcome His second coming.
Revelation 2:9-10
2:9 “I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I knowthe blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but area synagogue of Satan.
2:10 Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw someof you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
The church in Smyrna is in tribulation, poverty, and being blasphemed. They experience suffering together with Jesus.
The right attitudes in facing suffering with Him are as follows.
ad. 1. We must not fear any of the things which we are about to suffer.
Mark 14:50-52,70-71
14:50 Then they all forsook Him and fled.
14:51 Now a certain young man followed Him, having a linen cloth thrown around hisnaked body.And the young men laid hold of him,
14:52 and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked.
14:70 But he denied it again. And a little later those who stood by said to Peter again, “Surely you are oneof them; for you are a Galilean, and your speech shows it.”
14:71 Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this Man of whom you speak!”
If one is afraid of suffering because of Jesus, he will forsake Him until being naked and denying Him or the true teaching Word.
Therefore, we must not be afraid in facing the cross with Jesus.
The practices of being unafraid in facing the suffering or the cross with Jesus are as follows.
God blesses us.
Revelation 2-3 is about the seven times of the sprinkling of blood in front of the Ark of Covenant. It refers to the last sanctification to the seven churches of the Gentiles or the church in the last days, until they are perfect and blameless as Jesus, and worthy to welcome His second coming.
Revelation 2:9-10
2:9 “I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I knowthe blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but area synagogue of Satan.
2:10 Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw someof you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
The church in Smyrna is in tribulation, poverty, and being blasphemed. They experience suffering together with Jesus.
The right attitudes in facing suffering with Him are as follows.
- We must not fear any of the things which we are about to suffer.
- We must be faithful until death.
ad. 1. We must not fear any of the things which we are about to suffer.
Mark 14:50-52,70-71
14:50 Then they all forsook Him and fled.
14:51 Now a certain young man followed Him, having a linen cloth thrown around hisnaked body.And the young men laid hold of him,
14:52 and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked.
14:70 But he denied it again. And a little later those who stood by said to Peter again, “Surely you are oneof them; for you are a Galilean, and your speech shows it.”
14:71 Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this Man of whom you speak!”
If one is afraid of suffering because of Jesus, he will forsake Him until being naked and denying Him or the true teaching Word.
Therefore, we must not be afraid in facing the cross with Jesus.
The practices of being unafraid in facing the suffering or the cross with Jesus are as follows.
- Arming ourselves with the suffering with Jesus or the cross.
1 Peter 4:1-2
4:1 Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,
4:2 that he no longer should live the rest of histime in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.
It is used for two things as follows.- Repenting, meaning stopping sinning to return to God, dying to sin.
- Living according to the will of God, as Noah entered the ark.
Now it means we enter the true water baptism according to the will of God. During the days of Noah, there were many other arks but all of them sank. Now, there are many types of water baptism, but only one is right and able to save.
1 Peter 3:20-21
3:20 who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while theark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.
3:21 There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
Romans 6:4
6:4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
The true water baptism is one who has repented and died to sins must be buried in water together with Jesus. Thereafter, he is raised with Him in new life, that is Heavenly life.
Genesis 6:9
6:9 This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.
A new life has a good conscience, so we can live in righteousness in every matter and not agree the wrong things. We become the instrument of righteousness and minister Him faithfully and sincerely.
Genesis 6:8
6:8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.
Thus, we will receive the grace from God. The results are as follows.- The grace is able to care and protect our life physically in the middle of difficulties and impossibilities in the world.
The grace is also able to care and protect us spiritually in the middle of sins up to the peak of sins. - The grace is able to care and protect our marriage (there were four married couples who entered the ark of Noah) so it is not destroyed but it can enter the spiritual marriage in the marriage supper of the Lamb of God.
- The grace is able to protect us from the upcoming God’s judgment, that is the fire that will destroy the world with all its content up to the fire of the hell.
- The grace is able to care and protect our life physically in the middle of difficulties and impossibilities in the world.
- Repenting, meaning stopping sinning to return to God, dying to sin.
- Being patient and persevering in suffering with Him.
James 5:8-11
5:8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
5:9 Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!
5:10 My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience.
5:11 Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended bythe Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.
Job 1:1-3
1:1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name wasJob; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil.
1:2 And seven sons and three daughters were born to him.
1:3 Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East.
The condition of the church in the last days is as Job who lives in righteousness and holiness, and is blessed by God. But he must experience suffering with Jesus. The right attitude is being patient and persevering.
Patience is the ability to wait for His time, meaning we do not grumble in suffering and do not blame the others. We do not look for our own way outside the Word of God, since there is only a deadlock and perdition. The right attitude is we correct ourselves, give thanks, and worship Him.
Perseverance means persevering in faith and the true teaching Word. We also persevere in the Holy Place. There are three types of equipment that refer to the perseverance in three main services as follows.- Golden Candlestick refers to perseverance in General Service. We have fellowship with Holy Spirit God in His gifts.
- Table of Showbread refers to perseverance in Bible Study Service with Holy Communion. We have fellowship with the Son of God in the true teaching Word and the sacrifice of Christ.
- Golden Altar of Incense refers to perseverance in Prayer Service. We have fellowship with Father God in His love.
Being patient and persevering equals to stretching out both our hands to God and He will stretch out His hands to us. The result is Job experiences double recovery.- Spiritual recovery, that is sanctification from sins.
Job 32:1-2
32:1 So these three men ceased answering Job, because he wasrighteous in his own eyes.
32:2 Then the wrath of Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, was aroused against Job; his wrath was aroused because he justified himself rather than God.
It is the sanctification from self-truth, that is the truth outside the Bible. It is the truth obtained by covering sins with blaming the others, and even blaming God and the true teaching Word.
Self-truth also means talking a lot of wrong matters and being unable to see God.
Job 42:5-6
42:5 “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, But now my eye sees You.
42:6 Therefore I abhor myself, And repent in dust and ashes.”
Through a complete test, Job can revoke his words and see God as the High Priest who is gracious and full of compassion.
James 3:2
3:2 For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he isa perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. - Physical recovery also happens.
Job 42:10
42:10 And the Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.
- Golden Candlestick refers to perseverance in General Service. We have fellowship with Holy Spirit God in His gifts.
- Not losing our heart.
2 Corinthians 4:16-17
4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward manis perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.
4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding andeternal weight of glory,
Not losing our heart means not being desperate or disappointed, but being joyful when we can suffer together with Jesus.
1 Peter 4:14
4:14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you,for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.
Thus the Spirit of glory will be poured. The results are as follows.- Holy Spirit has the power to divide the Kolsom Sea, meaning there is a way out from every problem.
Exodus 14:16,21
14:16 But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry groundthrough the midst of the sea.
14:21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go backby a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land,and the waters were divided. - Holy Spirit is able to create sweetness from bitterness.
Exodus 15:25
15:25 So he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. When he cast itinto the waters, the waters were made sweet.There He made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there He tested them, - Holy Spirit renews our life from the flesh man to become the spiritual one as Jesus, starting from being obedient until the flesh does not sound anymore.
Exodus 15:26
15:26 and said, “If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I amthe Lord who heals you.”
Thus, Jesus appears as Jehovah Rapha who is able to heal us from any physical and marriage diseases, until we are perfect on His second coming. We become the bride of God who is worthy to welcome His second coming on the glorious clouds.
- Holy Spirit has the power to divide the Kolsom Sea, meaning there is a way out from every problem.
God blesses us.