Bible Study at Surabaya - Monday, October 15, 2007

Jude 1:24, 25
24Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present youfaultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
25To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Beglory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.

Vs 24 -->If we do not stumble, God will present us faultless.

We have learned the causes of stumbling, those are:
There are two kinds of stumbling namely:
  1. Outside stumbling:in the form of earthly wealth/ gold and silver. They cause spiritual lameness that is you fall and cannot stand anymore (you are similar to a beggar who sat in front of the Beautiful Gate of the temple of God). The beggar only expected on gold and silver which made him lame for years. Now, we will learn:

  2. Inside stumblingby reading Mark 9: 43-48
    43"If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched--
    44"where 'Their worm does not die, And the fire is not quenched.'
    45"And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched--
    46"where 'Their worm does not die, And the fire is not quenched.'
    47"And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire--
    48"where 'Their worm does not die, And the fire is not quenched.'
The worm will not die and keep on gnawing on men who get into it. This is the inside stumbling which comes from ourselves that is our eye, foot and hand become stumbling-block. These three things are out of the heart.

We are going to talk about heart first -->Mark 7:21"For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
This is heart which contains worm that never dies. If our heart, leg and hand contain of the worm, they will be stumbling-block. So, they depend on heart because out of the heart proceed the lusts of evil and filthiness that are like worms.

How can eye be stumbling-block? There are two things from our eye that can be stumbling-blocks; they are:
  1. Matthew 5:28"But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

    Filthy eyeis eye that sees filthy things through movies or anything else. Thus, we have to be careful because it becomes stumbling-block in our obedience to God.

  2. Matthew 6:22, 23
    22"The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.
    23"But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great isthat darkness!

    As it is written in vs.19, eye is related to collecting wealth/ money. So, the second practice is evil eye = sight which is only for earthly things.The root of evil is the love of money. Loving money makes you only look at earthly things in your service.
This is filthy and evil eye that comes from heart. If the two kinds of eye are combined, they will be dark eye which leads you live in darkness/ living blindly and it is very dangerous. If it is related to money, that person will take money and do not care about who the owner is. If it is related to filthiness -->one will not care about a woman's husband and he will take her like Herod who took Philip's wife. This is inside stumbling and I hope we can understand it.

Then, foot also has relationship with heart and has potential to be stumbling block.

Psalms 139:23, 24
23Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties;
24And see if there is anywicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.

The practice of foot that becomes stumbling-block is wicked way.The wicked way starts from-->Isaiah 59:8 The way of peace they have not known, And there isno justice in their ways; They have made themselves crooked paths; Whoever takes that way shall not know peace.

Being crooked = being wicked/ unfair.
So, the wicked way means:
  1. There is no peace and there is only strife, bitter heart, etc.
  2. The wrong journey of life. Everything must be right, starting from marriage, work, and education.
  3. You lose the direction to the lasting way = you lose the everlasting life/ you cannot go to heaven.
Hence, we have to be alert. First, we have to live in peace and righteousness. If we are not in peace and righteousness, we will lose our direction to heaven and it means we will go to hell where the worm does not die but keeps on gnawing on one who gets in. I hope we can understand it.

Furthermore, hand also has relationship to heart and can be stumbling-block.

Hebrews 9:14how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Hand = works. So, the practice of hand that becomes stumbling-block is dead works.

The definitions of dead works are:
  1. Deeds which do not have relationship with service to God. We work hard and also study hard in this world, yet they will be only dead works if they are not related to the service to God.

  2. The works of the flesh -->Galatians 5:19-21
    19Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,
    20idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,
    21envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told youin time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
It is clear that dead works which are not related to the service to God will be stumbling-blocks in our obedience to God. If our eye, foot and hand stumble because of inside stumbling, our spirituality will be lame (= our life will not be beautiful). I hope we can understand it.

What is the meaning of eye, foot and hand that become stumbling-blocks?
Mark 9: 49, 50
49"For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.
50"Salt isgood, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another."

It is clearly stated that salt is good, but if it loses its flavor, how will you season it? So, the person who stumbles by eye, foot and hand will become plain salt. Thus, we have to notice it seriously.

One advantage of salt is preventing decomposition as the worm loves decomposition. Where there is decomposition, there will be worm which is ready to gnaw on and rot that person. The plain salt does not have ability to prevent decomposition. This is plain salt.

The sin of stumbling is like worm which defames and gnaws on a person starts from this world until in hell.
Stumbled person = being gnawed by worm which starts from this world until in hell. I hope we can understand it.

Matthew 5:13
13"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.

Plain salt is one who is good for nothing and only trampled underfoot by men/ antichrist. Therefore, don't be similar to stumbled person and stumbling-block because if so, you will be plain salt which is good for nothing and only trampled underfoot by antichrist. Being trampled underfoot by antichrist is still under the mercy of God since you still have an opportunity to be seasoned.

Plain salt will get into the era of antichrist/ being trampled underfoot by antichrist during 3.5 years.

Revelation 12:17
17And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

This is the person who is trampled underfoot by antichrist. Even though he has the word of God, he will be plain salt if he stumbles.
The plain salt which is trampled underfoot by antichrist has two alternatives as following:
  1. The person will not refuse Jesus,but he keeps on worshipping Jesus although he has to be tortured by great torturing until his head is cut off = being seasoned by his owned blood. He will die, yet he will be resurrected in the glorified body at the time of Jesus' second coming for he has been seasoned by his own blood. For this case, there are only few people who are able to bear the great torturing.

  2. The person will reject Jesusin the era of antichrist and he will worship antichrist so that he will be destroyed by God until he gets into the hell where the worm does not die. Rejecting Jesus = worshipping antichrist. This person will become plain salt forever and cannot be seasoned = Satan.
In the beginning Satan was Lucifer/ salt, yet he fell and became plain salt so he could not repent anymore and would be destroyed forever/ being gnawed by worm in hell. I hope we can understand it.

To keep away from the inside stumbling, we have to be salt as it is written in Mark 9:49, 50
49"For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.
50"Salt isgood, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another."

Salt = one who is seasoned by the fire of Holy Spirit/ one who is in the ointment of Holy Spirit. If our life has salt/ fire, the worm/ bacteria will not enter our life. Thus, nowadays, servants/ children of God have to be salt that is being in the ointment of Holy Spirit. A person will be plain salt without Holy Spirit.

If we sing, listen to the word of God and preach the word of God without the ointment of Holy Spirit, we will be plain salt. Everything will become plain without Holy Spirit. Let us beg to God to be salt/ in the ointment of Holy Spirit!

What are the processes of being salt/ in the ointment of Holy Spirit?
  1. having peace one another = confessing and forgiving sins each other.
    vs. 50b -->'Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another."'

    Confessing sins is from two sides as follows:
    1. Confessing sins wholeheartedly that it is I who am wrong. We may not add nor decrease our confession = we have to confess our sins wholeheartedly and be willing to bear the risks. If we have been forgiven, do not do the sins again. This is the correct confession if we want to be salt. Our confession is often caused by wrong motivation that is because we do not want to generate strife or our confession is followed by blaming others. For example, a husband confesses his sins, but he blames his wife by saying that he did the sins because his wife was wrong. So, another person/ wife is wrong and himself/ husband is right, yet it is not the right confession since confession means that you are wrong, not other people. I hope we can understand it.

    2. Forgiving sins each other = forgiving other people's sins willingly and sincerely. It is easy to say, but if we face a great sin, e.g. love affair sin, we have to be strong/ willing and sincere to forgive the sin for if we are not sincere in forgiving the sin, it will be pried up again. If we forgive others sincerely, we are able to forget his sins as he never sins to us and it is the same as we confess our sins to God. God forgives and forgets our sins as if we never sin. I often bear witness that if God does not forget my sins since I was a little boy, I will die now. If the sins are lifted before God, He will punish us. Fortunately, God forgets our sins. So, we also have to forget others' sins.
    If we have confessed and forgiven each other, our heart will be in peace and become the place of Holy Spirit,not the place of the worm.

    Keeping peaceful heart is Jesus' message to his disciples before He was lifted to heaven. He said that they might not depart from Jerusalem which was the city of peace. This is Jesus' message. If we want to receive Holy Spirit/ become salt/ be in the ointment of Holy Spirit, our heart will be in peace.

    Acts 1:4, 5
    4And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me;
    5"for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."

    So, it is only Holy Spirit which is able to fight the worm for where there is Holy Spirit/ peaceful heart, there is no worm/ bacteria/ virus of sins. We have to be careful because if our heart is not in peace (we keep on being annoyed, jealous, filthy, etc as it is written in Mark 7), there will be worm. Hence, if we go home after serving God wholeheartedly in church, we are like in Jerusalem/ city of peace in our heart as the place of Holy Spirit. I hope we can understand it.

  2. the fiery trial/ suffering with Jesus/ suffering without sins/ tearing of flesh/ temptation.
    1 Peter 4:12-14
    12Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;
    13but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.
    14If 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

    If we are willing to undergo sufferings without sins, we will get the spirit of glory. If there is the spirit of glory, the worm will not live. Hence, do not be in doubt if we have to undergo sufferings, started from our service because it is right. Do not look for what is pleasant for our flesh because there are a lot of worms. On the other hand, if there are sufferings for flesh, there will not be worm. Let us undergo the tearing of flesh/ fiery trial/ suffering without sins and we will get the spirit of glory/ the glory of the Lord. I hope we can understand it.

  3. we have to be patient in worshipping God.
    Acts 1:12, 14
    12Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey.
    14These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

    The second and third process cannot be separated. In the past time, Aaron, the High Priest got into the Most Holy Place and he brought blood and also incense/ prayer. These two processes cannot be separated since they are in the same place that is in the Most Holy Place/ glory.

    Jerusalem = peaceful heart, there is sprinkling of blood and incense = being patient in worshipping God. Worshipping God can be done individually at home and in the shepherding service system.

    I remind you that being patient is an activity which is done continually and cannot be hindered by anything. If we are easily hindered, we are not patient.

    The fullness of Holy Spirit (=being patient) is similar to a pregnant woman who is going to give birth and if she has given birth, she would be happy and forgot her pain. We cannot insist on Holy Spirit to fulfill our life. Therefore, if we have not received Holy Spirit yet, we would have to be patient. It is like a baby in womb who cannot be insisted on being born, yet it also cannot be prohibited if it is the time to be born. Let God know our desire to be in the ointment of Holy Spirit. Our focus is how to be patient in worshipping God. I hope we can understand it.
Besides being patient, Holy Spirit loves to be in low places. Thus, we have to worship God.

Genesis 1:2
2The earth was without form, and void; and darkness wason the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

Being over the face of the waters = being in the zero point = Hovering over the face of the waters and it is the target of Holy Spirit. Now, it is measured by how many meter over the face of the waters = being in the low place (except for the Death Sea/ Sodom and Gomorrah which is in some meters below the face of the waters). However, in the other places, their heights are measured from zero point/ over the face of the waters.

So, we have to do these things:
  1. Being patient in worshipping God and do not be hindered by anything. We have to be like a pregnant woman who is patient in waiting for her baby.

  2. Humbling ourselves under God's foot. It means we empty ourselves under God's foot by professing that I am only clay and filthy person who is not worthy and able to receive Holy Spirit and also cannot do anything. Then Holy Spirit that is the spirit of glory is poured in our life and we will be able to confront the worm.
In short, the processes to become salt are:
  1. We have to make reconciliation so we have peaceful heart/ Jerusalem and become the place for Holy Spirit.
  2. We have to get the sprinkling of blood -->we have to be ready to face the fiery trial/ sufferings without sins, so we get Holy Spirit and the spirit of glory.
  3. We have to be patient in worshipping God
  4. We have to humble ourselves/ empty ourselves until we get Holy Spirit and the spirit of glory is in our life so we are able to face worm. I hope we can understand it.
One example in Holy Bible is Mary when she faced Lazarus who had died for four days and it means she confronted worm.

John 11:5, 31, 32
5Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
31Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, "She is going to the tomb to weep there."
32Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died."

Jesus loved Mary and vice versa, but she was permitted to face died Lazarus who became carcass for four days.

Maybe you question in your heart: "I have served God, but why do I have to face problems?" These are tests/ sprinkling of blood. In the previous part, the word of God says that Aaron, the high priest, got into the Most Holy Place/ the place of glory which had the shining of the spirit of glory. He had to bring blood and incense -->where there was the sprinkling of blood, there would be incense.

We may not do wrong attitude toward the sprinkling of blood/ sufferings without sins.

John 11:39, 40
39Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been deadfour days."
40Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?"

Mary and Martha loved Jesus and vice versa, yet they were permitted to face the carcass / Lazarus who had died four days and worm-eaten, but they had wrong attitude toward this condition, namely:
  1. Mary cried and blamed Jesus and others/ dead person. Crying also means that you are disappointed and hopeless. I once experienced it although I did not face the carcass, but I once had not had rice and drink water. I cried and it is not a good example. I hope it does not happen to the students of Lempin-El.

  2. Martha did not believe in Jesus
The right attitude in confronting the sprinkling of blood is lifting incense and we can get into the Most Holy Place where there is Shekinah glory. I once again say that Aaron, the high priest, got into the Most Holy Place and brought blood and incense once a year. When the blood was sprinkled and the incense was lifted, there was the shine of glory/ the spirit of glory/ Holy Spirit.

Now, let us have the right attitude like Mary who fell under Jesus' foot when she faced the carcass / underwent the sprinkling of blood. Thus, we have to fall under Jesus' foot = worship God and profess that I am only clay who is not worthy and able to do anything. We only believe and trust in God.

It is like what Mary said -->"Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died." -->She did not demand God, but she believed and was sure and trusted in God even though Lazarus had died = worshipping God. The result of worshipping God is the spirit of glory/ the shine of glory/ Holy Spirit in our life to heal the carcass.

There are two meanings of the carcass as following:
  1. Physical carcass, namely:
    1. one who is not worthy and failed (in education or anything else), but Holy Spirit/ the spirit of glory/ God wants to help him.

    2. impossible things -->the spirit of glory/ Holy Spirit will heal us like Lazarus who had been resurrected -->Lazarus! Get out!

  2. Spiritual carcassthat is:
    1. one whose spirituality is dry, but he will be healed by God. We are only touched by Holy Spirit and we will be able to worship God and feel happiness/ satisfaction.

    2. one who is wicked and being gnawed by worm. Maybe we are easy to stumble and become stumbling-blocks so we do not become blessings for others.
Maybe our spirituality is wicked because of being gnawed by worm of sins -->there is no other way but making reconciliation and being willing to suffer/ worshipping God so the spirit of glory heals our life and we become one who is justified, sanctified and perfected by God.

In conclusion, the healings from God are:
This is salt/ one who is righteous so he has power to fight the worm. Then he becomes holy and even perfect so the salt becomes the salt of the world. Jesus said "I am the light of the world; you are the light of the world." The light of the world = the salt of the world = one who is as perfect as Jesus. I hope we can understand it.

It is not easy to help the carcass which has been gnawed by worm because the reward of sins is death/ destruction. To help the carcass which has been gnawed by worm, Jesus had to die on the cross/ became the carcass and be buried on three days. He was not sinful, but he had to be the carcass. I hope we can understand it.

Matthew 24:28
28"For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.

The carcass refers to Jesus who was crossed between traitors/ sinners = Jesus was being equal to sinners and died on the cross to be the carcass to endure the worm of sins of men and to heal/ resurrect men who are carcass.

Now, the carcass points to the Holy Communion. The eagles are children of God. Jesus had to die, but He was resurrected to send Holy Spirit. If Jesus did not go -->Jesus said "It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you". Jesus was willing to go = die on the cross and become the carcass so He was resurrected and went to heaven to pour Holy Spirit to us.

Now, the carcass is the Holy Communion and we are the eagles. The eagles have to eat the carcass/ Holy Communion seriously where we can get the ointment of Holy Spirit. I wrote what the late Rev. Totaijs said that in Holy Communion, we get the ointment of Holy Spirit to resurrect the carcass.
The spirit of glory does not only resurrect the carcass, yet Holy Spirit also gives us a new power so we will not stumble, be weak or fall in following Jesus until His second coming.

Isaiah 40:29, 30, 31
29He gives power to the weak, And to those who haveno might He increases strength.
30Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall,
31But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew theirstrength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

The weak -->Maybe you do not stumble, but you are weak in following Jesus.
The powers from Holy Communion are:
God blesses us!