Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Luke 18:9-14
18:9 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
18:10 "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Phariseeand the other a tax collector.
18:11 "The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men--extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.
18:12 'I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'
18:13 "And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'
18:14 "I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
There are two kinds of prayeras follows:
If we have admitted that we arethe dust, the results areas follows:
God blesses us.
Luke 18:9-14
18:9 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
18:10 "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Phariseeand the other a tax collector.
18:11 "The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men--extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.
18:12 'I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'
18:13 "And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'
18:14 "I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
There are two kinds of prayeras follows:
- The prayer of Pharisee with pride or arrogance.
The signs are as follows:- One feels proud with what he has done for God. Such life is easily disappointed.
- One always declares that he is right or never wrong. He feels sinless, so he is never touched by the word of God. It happens because of the self-truth that is opposite to the word of God.
- One always blames others even God.
- One feels proud with what he has done for God. Such life is easily disappointed.
- The prayer of a tax collector which is signified with lowering himself.
Luke 18:13
18:13 "And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'
The signs are as follows:- 'beathis breast'.
The breast refers to the heart.
Beating the breast refers to the broken heart.
If we humble ourselves in prayer, we can worship God with the broken heart. - 'would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven'= looking down to ground.
It means confessing that we are only the dust.
The meanings are as follows:- We feel unworthy with a lot of weakness and sin, so we will not condemn or judge others.
- We feel unable to do anything.
- We feel worthless and deserve to be stepped, slandered, and gossiped. If we are angry when we are slandered, we are not the dust.
We must admit if the slander or gossip is true. If it is not true, we must be silent. - We only depend on the lovingkindness of God.
Luke 18: 13
18:13 "And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'
- 'beathis breast'.
If we have admitted that we arethe dust, the results areas follows:
- We are justified by God and we live in righteousness. We experience the forgiveness of sins, so we feel peaceful. All things become easy and light.
Luke 18:14a
18:14 "I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other. - The dust is in the hands of the Creator. God breathes the Holy Spirit. Without Holy Spirit, the man of the dust of the ground will die and perish.
Genesis 2:7
2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
The results of being breathed by Holy Spiritareas follows:- Holy Spirit is able to give life our mortal body.
Romans 8:11
8:11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
The meanings are as follows:- Holy Spirit is able to care our physical life in the midst of difficulties in the world until the days when the Antichrist reigns on earth for three and a half years.
- Holy Spirit cares our spiritual life, namely we live in righteousness and holiness until eternal life forever.
- Holy Spirit is able to care our physical life in the midst of difficulties in the world until the days when the Antichrist reigns on earth for three and a half years.
- Holy Spirit renews our life from carnal man to spiritual one like Jesus. This is the greatest miracle.
Titus 3: 5
3:5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,
'the washing of regeneration'= The water baptism.
What is the new man?
Ephesians 4: 24-25
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, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another.
The new man refers to one who does not lie, but says righteous, good, and honest words. Say 'yes' if yes and 'no' if no. It starts from being honest about the teaching. If it is true, we must practice, support, and pray for it. If it is not true, we must avoid it.
The tongue is changed to become honest until it speaks with other tongues, as the Spirit gives us utterance; it is not taught by man. - Holy Spirit is able to make the mountains a plain.
Zechariah 4: 6-9
4:6 So he answered and said to me: "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD of hosts.
4:7 'Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone with shouts of "Grace, grace to it!"'"
4:8 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying:
4:9 "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; His hands shall also finish it. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you.
The meanings are as follows:- Making the proud heart plain, so it becomes humble and obedient.
- Finishing all the impossible problems in our life.
- Giving the successful and beautiful future.
- Making the proud heart plain, so it becomes humble and obedient.
- Holy Spirit is able to give life our mortal body.
God blesses us.