To coincide with Blessing of Marriage Service
Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Luke 9:57-62 is about the Cost of Discipleship.
John 15:16
15:16. "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.
Because of the mercy of God that is worth the sacrifice of Christ, we can go and follow Jesus. We must live in the mercy of God, so we do not fall on the way, but we can follow Jesus up to we bear permanent fruit or eternal life.
Likewise, being called into marriage is because of the mercy of God that is worth of sacrifice of Christ. That is why, we have to appreciate God's mercy and live in it, so we do not fall on the way, but we keep following Jesus up to we bear permanent fruit, namely the one of perfection, that is becoming the bride of God to enter the marriage supper of the Lamb when Jesus comes a second time on the glorious clouds.
Revelation 19:9
19:9. Then he said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!'"And he said to me, "These are the true sayings of God."
Christian's marriage is not in the world only (the tomb), but up to entering the marriage supper of the Lamb when Jesus comes a second time. Then, we enter A Thousand Years Kingdom of Peace or upcoming Paradise (Revelation 20), and New Jerusalem or eternal kingdom of Heaven (Revelation 21-22).
The practices of appreciating God's mercy that is worth of the sacrifice of Christ and living in it are as follows:
God blesses us.
Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Luke 9:57-62 is about the Cost of Discipleship.
John 15:16
15:16. "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.
Because of the mercy of God that is worth the sacrifice of Christ, we can go and follow Jesus. We must live in the mercy of God, so we do not fall on the way, but we can follow Jesus up to we bear permanent fruit or eternal life.
Likewise, being called into marriage is because of the mercy of God that is worth of sacrifice of Christ. That is why, we have to appreciate God's mercy and live in it, so we do not fall on the way, but we keep following Jesus up to we bear permanent fruit, namely the one of perfection, that is becoming the bride of God to enter the marriage supper of the Lamb when Jesus comes a second time on the glorious clouds.
Revelation 19:9
19:9. Then he said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!'"And he said to me, "These are the true sayings of God."
Christian's marriage is not in the world only (the tomb), but up to entering the marriage supper of the Lamb when Jesus comes a second time. Then, we enter A Thousand Years Kingdom of Peace or upcoming Paradise (Revelation 20), and New Jerusalem or eternal kingdom of Heaven (Revelation 21-22).
The practices of appreciating God's mercy that is worth of the sacrifice of Christ and living in it are as follows:
- Repenting or stopping sinning and returning to God.
Romans 2:4
2:4. Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?
We must repent and be set free from sin. It starts from sin of hatred and lie, because Satan is the father of killer and liar.
If there is hatred or lie, one is outside the mercy of God.
The process of repenting is confessing and forgiving one another. We confess our sin earnestly to God and others. If we are forgiven, do not sin anymore. We forgive others' sin and forget it.
The result is the blood of Jesus takes away all of our sins, so we experience peace. All things become easy, light and happy. We are in oneness and we will not be scattered until we become one with Jesus when He comes a second time. - Experiencing the renewal of life.
Titus 3:4-5
3:4. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared,
3:5. not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regenerationand renewing of the Holy Spirit,
We experience the renewal of life by two things as follows:- The washing of regeneration: water baptism.
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 according to the bible, namely one who has died to sin or repented must be buried in the water with Jesus and come out or rise from water with Him to receive new life or heavenly one, namely life in righteousness. We experience freedom from sin. We do not want to sin although there are threats, advantages, chances, et cetera. - The renewing of the Holy Spirit: Holy Spirit baptism.
Matthew 3:16
3:16. When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.
1 Timothy 4:1
4:1. Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,
The renewing of the Holy Spirit makes us firmly hold fast the true teaching word and reject the false one, especially the one of marrying after divorce.
Proverbs 12:26
12:26. The righteous should choose his friends carefully, For the way of the wicked leads them astray.
The righteous can be shepherded well and truly, so he can be in the sheepfold (the holy place), namely perseverance in committing three kinds of main service.
Psalms 37:25-26
37:25. I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread.
37:26. He is ever merciful, and lends; And his descendants are blessed.
The result is God blesses us up to our descendants and becoming blessing to the others. - The washing of regeneration: water baptism.
- Being strong and of good courage.
2 Corinthians 4:1
4:1. Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart.
Being strong and of good courage means as follows:- Keeping faithful and fervent in spirit in serving and ministering the building of the body of Christ whatever risk may come.
The ministry of the body of Christ is started from marriage, sheepfold, inter-shepherding until the Israelites and the Gentiles become one perfect body. - Keep believing and hoping God, whatever risk may come. We keep worshipping God and become the house of prayer.
The example is Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. We keep worshipping God although God does not help us.
Daniel 3:16-18
3:16. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.
3:17. "If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king.
3:18. "But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up."
The result is God is with us, so the miracles happen.
Daniel 3:24-25
3:24. Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, "Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?" They answered and said to the king, "True, O king."
3:25. "Look!" he answered, "I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God."
The spiritual miracle happens, namely the renewal of life. It starts from being honest, and light, and having beaming face.
Physical miracle happens, namely the impossible problem is finished.
God lifts us up, and gives beautiful and successful future to us. We are used to become the witness of God.
Our steps are the miracle ones.
Until the last miracle, we are changed up to perfection to greet Jesus' second coming on the glorious clouds.
- Keeping faithful and fervent in spirit in serving and ministering the building of the body of Christ whatever risk may come.
God blesses us.