Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Luke 8 refers to the Golden Candlestick. In Luke 8, there are seven stories that refer to seven lamps on the Golden Candlestick and they are as follows:
We discuss the fourth story, namely Jesus’ Mother and Brothers Come to Him.
Luke 8:19-21
8:19. Then His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd.
8:20. And it was told Him by some, who said, "Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You."
8:21. But He answered and said to them, "My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it."
Jesus teaches us to do the Word of God, including honoring our parents, respecting family and others.
Exodus 20:12-17
20:12. " Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.
20:13. " You shall not murder.
20:14. " You shall not commit adultery.
20:15. " You shall not steal.
20:16. " You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
20:17. " You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's."
Jesus does not mean that we must not respect parents, family and others, but He does not want that our Christianity is based on generation or flesh family only.
Ephesians 3:14-17
3:14. For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
3:15. from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
3:16. that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,
3:17. that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
God wants our Christianity (our ministry) is because of our faith in the heartor Jesus in our heart and we are rooted in love, so we really believe and love God more than anything, which means that we have the right root.
The root is very important because it determines its fruit.
There are two kinds of fruitas follows.
Beware! The growth of flesh is faster than the spiritual one!
We must always try hard to crucify our flesh, so we grow spiritually to yield the fruits of Holy Spirit and become God's.
The process of hearing up to obeying the Word is a process of flesh crucifixion as follows:
The results of obeying the Word are as follows:
1 Peter 1:22
1:22. Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truththrough the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,
The usefulness of Holy Spirit is as follows:
God blesses us.
Luke 8 refers to the Golden Candlestick. In Luke 8, there are seven stories that refer to seven lamps on the Golden Candlestick and they are as follows:
- Many Women Minister to Jesus (Luke 8:1-3).
- The Parable of the Sower (Luke 8:4-15).
- The Parable of the Revealed Light (Luke 8:16-18).
- Jesus’ Mother and Brothers Come to Him (Luke 8:19-21).
- Wind and Wave Obey Jesus (Luke 8:22-25).
- A Demon-Possessed Man Healed (Luke 8:26-39).
- A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed (Luke 8:40-56).
We discuss the fourth story, namely Jesus’ Mother and Brothers Come to Him.
Luke 8:19-21
8:19. Then His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd.
8:20. And it was told Him by some, who said, "Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You."
8:21. But He answered and said to them, "My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it."
Jesus teaches us to do the Word of God, including honoring our parents, respecting family and others.
Exodus 20:12-17
20:12. " Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.
20:13. " You shall not murder.
20:14. " You shall not commit adultery.
20:15. " You shall not steal.
20:16. " You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
20:17. " You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's."
Jesus does not mean that we must not respect parents, family and others, but He does not want that our Christianity is based on generation or flesh family only.
Ephesians 3:14-17
3:14. For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
3:15. from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
3:16. that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,
3:17. that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
God wants our Christianity (our ministry) is because of our faith in the heartor Jesus in our heart and we are rooted in love, so we really believe and love God more than anything, which means that we have the right root.
The root is very important because it determines its fruit.
There are two kinds of fruitas follows.
- If the root is not strong enough, namely our Christianity depends on flesh family or others, it will result flesh fruits.
Galatians 5:19-21
5:19. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,
5:20. idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,
5:21. envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. - If the root is strong and true, namely our ministry is because of believing and loving God, it will result the fruits of Holy Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-23
5:22. But the fruit of the Spiritis love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
5:23. gentleness, self–control. Against such there is no law.
Beware! The growth of flesh is faster than the spiritual one!
We must always try hard to crucify our flesh, so we grow spiritually to yield the fruits of Holy Spirit and become God's.
The process of hearing up to obeying the Word is a process of flesh crucifixion as follows:
- To hear the Word of God, we have to crucify our flesh that likes to be sleepy, make joke, daydream and speak.
- To believe the Word of God, we have to crucify our flesh that doubts and uses the logic that makes us unable to receive the impossible Word of God.
If our flesh is crucified, we can believe to the Word of God, so it becomes faith in our heart. - To do the Word of God or obey it, we have to fight against flesh desire that contradicts the Word.
Actually, the Word of God is easy to do, but flesh desire makes it hard. If flesh desire has been crucified, we can obey God whatever the risk may come. It is like Abraham who must sacrifice Isaac.
The results of obeying the Word are as follows:
1 Peter 1:22
1:22. Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truththrough the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,
- We experience purification by the Word of God, so we are holy.
What must be sanctified?
Revelation 21:8
21:8. "But the cowardly(1), unbelieving(2), abominable(3), murderers(4), sexually immoral(5), sorcerers(6), idolaters(7), and all liars(8)shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
We have to be purified from eight sins up to there is no more lie that brings us to the death. If one still has the lie, the other seven sins still exist.
No more lie means as follows:- Nothing is hidden or we confess all of our sins.
- Saying true and good words.
- One does not stumble in word.
3:2. For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. - Loving others up to enemy.
We love enemy up to there is no more enemy.
We do not sin and have enemy anymore. It means that we enter in the oneness of the perfect body of Christ. - We are equipped with ministry and the gifts of Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 4:11-12
4:11. And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
4:12. for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
We are used in the revival of Holy Spirit in the last rain, namely the revival of the building of the perfect body of Christ.
The youth who is used in the revival of Holy Spirit in the last rain is the same as a colt that is ridden by Jesus to Jerusalem.
Being ridden means one is trusted or used.
When we are trusted, we are ridden. It means there is a burden that surely hurts the flesh. But, we receive Jesus as the Head. He is responsible for our life now, in the future up to eternal life in New Jerusalem.
Ephesians 6:10-12, 18
6:10. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
6:11. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
6:12. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
6:18. praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints––
For us, who have ministered, do not be negligent! Because, Judas could fall even he was an apostle and trusted as a treasurer. That is why; we are equipped with the armor of God that we may able to stand against Satan with wicked and unclean spirit by worshipping God.
Luke 22:42-43
22:42. saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done."
22:43. Then an angel appeared to Himfrom heaven, strengthening Him.
In the past time, when Jesus worshiped, an angel appeared to Him to strengthen Him.
For us now, we worship God and experience crucifixion of flesh with all its characteristics and we will experience the power of Holy Spirit as the extra power from the Heaven.
The usefulness of Holy Spirit is as follows:
- Holy Spirit makes us faithful and fervent in spirit in ministry to God until the last line.
Romans 12:11
12:11. not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; - Holy Spirit helps us to live in righteousness and be well pleasing for God.
We can be blessing and witness for others. - Holy Spirit renews our life from carnal men to spiritual ones like Jesus.
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,
We can totally surrender to God until our flesh does not sound anymore and we can say 'Abba, Father', we lift up our hand to God and He stretches out His hand to make miracle, finish our problems up to the impossible ones, create something that does not exist yet and nothing is impossible for Him.
When Jesus comes a second time, we are changed to become as glorious as Him in the twinkling of an eye and we are ready to greet His coming on the glorious clouds.
God blesses us.