Bible Study Service in Malang, November 12, 2015 (Thursday Evening)

Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Revelation 3:14-22 is about the church of the Laodiceans or the one in the last days.
Revelation 3:16-17
3:16 "So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.
3:17 "Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing' --and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked--


They are lukewarm. It means that physically they are rich or do not need of anything, but spiritually, they are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked or do not have anything. They are empty. They only prioritize physical things, but without being filled with the spiritual ones. They are the same as the chaff.

Isaiah 29:5-6
29:5 "Moreover the multitude of your foes Shall be like fine dust, And the multitude of the terrible ones Like chaff that passes away; Yes, it shall be in an instant, suddenly.
29:6 You will be punished by the LORD of hosts With thunder and earthquake and great noise, With storm and tempest And the flame of devouring fire.

The chaff refers to the arrogant servant of God. Arrogance is the character of Satan. It is contradictory to the character of Jesus.

Philippians 2:8-9
2:8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
2:9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,

Jesus humbles Himself as low as possible and becomes obedient to the point of death of the cross with the five main wounds. This is the peak of Jesus' lowliness in heart. As a result, He is exalted as high as possible on the heavenly throne.

Isaiah 14:12-15
14:12 "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations!
14:13 For you have said in your heart: '
I willascend into heaven, I willexalt my throne above the stars of God; I willalso sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north;
14:14
I willascend above the heights of the clouds, I willbe like the Most High.'
14:15 Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit.


Satan exalts himself as high as possible by saying "I will" until five times. It resists against the five wound of Jesus, so he is cast to the lowest depths of the Pit forever.

Unfortunately, the arrogance attacks the Church or the servants of God who are like the chaff as follows.
  1. The Church at the early rain. The representative is Peter.
    Matthew 16:21-23
    16:21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.
    16:22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!"
    16:23 But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."


    Peter was arrogant. He rejected the cross or the suffering in the flesh with Jesus. Consequently, he denied Jesus three times or his body, soul, and spirit denied the Trinity of God. It is the same as being stamped with 666 and the same as the antichrist, even the trinity of Satan.
    Peter only thought the comfortable things for his flesh although resisting against the will of God. He always used his logic and fleshly will.

    Titus 1:16
    1:16 They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.

    The facts found in denying the Lord are as follows.

    • Being abominable or evil, namely not being shepherded.
      Genesis 46:34
      46:34 "that you shall say, 'Your servants' occupation has been with livestock from our youth even till now, both we and also our fathers,' that you may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians."

      Not being shepherded means as follows.

      1. Not being quiet, but wandering to fulfill the lust of the ears.
      2. Being in the shepherding pen like Judas Iscariot, but not being able to eat the shepherding Word. Judas Iscariot always said "is it I?" or judging others. He never received the Word.

      3. Not loving the Lord like Peter. Peter could understand the shepherding after Jesus asked three times "Do you love me?"

    • Being disobedient, namely unfaithfulness, even leaving the service and ministry to God.
      Hebrews 10:25-27
      10:25not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
      10:26 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
      10:27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.

      It begins from habitual sin, namely there is no regret when one does not serve to God. It will continue to intentionally not serving to God.

      We must be more zealous in serving and ministering to God when Jesus will come a second time. We must fight for it more than anything.
      The highest advice in the last days is that we keep faithful and fervent in spirit in serving and ministering to God.

      John 21:1-3
      21:1 After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this way He showed Himself:
      21:2 Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together.
      21:3 Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We are going with you also." They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing.


    • Being disqualified for every good work.
      One cannot say good words. He lies, gossips, slanders, and ridicules the true teaching Word. He also cannot do good deeds. He only harms others like Peter that cut the ear of Malchus. Moreover, he makes other people not hear the true teaching Word. Peter became like Satan, namely repaying evil for good. He denied Jesus who had been so good to him.

  2. The Church at the latter rain. The representative is the church of the Laodiceans.
    Revelation 3:17
    3:17 "Because you say, (1)'I am rich, (2)have become wealthy, (3)and have need of nothing' --and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked--

    Their arrogance happens by relying on the physical riches (saying "I ..." three times). It means being the enemy of the cross of Christ.

    Philippians 3:18-19
    3:18 For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
    3:19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame--who set their mind on earthly things.

    They set their mind on earthly things. The important thing for them is getting the worldly things although they sin.
    Consequently, their spirituality is destroyed as follows.

    • They are wretched or always sorrowful. They are also poor or have nothing. They are miserable or never lucky.
      It means that they are empty.

    • They are blind or in the darkness.
    • They are naked or mixed with sins. They have no form of righteousness and holiness.

    The condition is the same as the earth before it was created. It was without form, and void and dark.

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

    Such earth could not have been the dwelling place of human. Men who are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked cannot become the dwelling place of God, but the evil and unclean spirits for the building of Babylon that will be destroyed forever.

    Revelation 18:1-2
    18:1 After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory.
    18:2 And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!


    Isaiah 29:6
    29:6 You will be punished by the LORD of hosts With thunder and earthquake and great noise, With storm and tempest And the flame of devouring fire.

    The arrogant servant of God like the chaff will be burnt by the fire of condemnation forever.

    How can God help?
    Revelation 3:18-20
    3:18 "I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.
    3:19 "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.
    3:20 "Behold, I stand at the door and
    knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

    He helps us by knocking the door of our heart or going near us until there is only a cubit between Him and us. He touches our life.
    By what does God knock the door of our heart?

    • By the teaching Word that is sharper than any two-edged sword.
      2 Timothy 4:2
      4:2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.

      The contents of the teaching Word are as follows.

      1. Showing us our mistakes and hidden sins to make us realize, regret, and confess our sins.
      2. Rebuking us so that we stop sinning and return to God or repent.
      3. Advising us or leading us to make us return to the righteousness, holiness, and perfection.
        The advice is also the guidance of God's hand to give us solution from all problems, even the way to the heavenly kingdom.

      Preaching the teaching Word must be with longsuffering. The pastor uses the time to preach the Word and the congregation also uses the time to hear it.
      Preaching the teaching Word must be also with the willingness of heart. The pastor willingly takes the risk in preaching the Word. The congregation also willingly hears the teaching Word.

    • By the chastening.
      How hard the teaching Word is, it is the stretching out of the cord of God's love. If it is rejected, the cords are kept. They will be the whip to chasten someday. The chastening is still the stretching out of the cord of God's love to make us return to the righteousness and holiness.
      God will let one get the condemnation when he rejects the chastening.

    • By the Holy Communion.
      1 Corinthians 11:28
      11:28But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

      The requirement of consuming the Holy Communion is examining our life by the sharpness of the sword of God's Word. We confess our sin and mistake to God and other people or repent. We must be silent when we get the sprinkling of blood.

      John 13:23
      13:23 Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved.

      There are two possibilities in the preaching of the teaching Word with the Holy Communion as follows.

      1. Being like Judas Iscariotwho was separated from the Lord forever. He was hard-hearted by closing the door of his heart to the knocking of the Lord. He kept his sins.
        John 13:26-27
        13:26 Jesus answered, "It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it." And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.
        13:27 Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, "What you do, do quickly."


      2. Being like Johnwho leaned on Jesus' bosom.
        It happens when we open the door of our heart or examine ourselves by the sharpness of the sword of God's Word.

        Leaning on Jesus' bosom means as follows.

        • Being shepherded well and correctly to the true teaching Word like a branch that dwells in the True Vine. It means the perseverance in doing three main services to God as follows.
        • Golden Candlestick or perseverance in doing General Serviceto have the fellowship with Holy Spirit God in the gifts = buying the oil or eye salve [Revelation 3:18].
        • Table of Showbread or perseverance in doing Bible Study Service with Holy Communionto get the fellowship with the Son of God in the Word and the sacrifice of Christ = buying the gold.
        • Golden Altar of Incense or perseverance in doing Worship Prayer Serviceto get the fellowship with Father God in the love = buying the white garments.
          Our body, soul, and spirit attach to the Trinity of God in the shepherding pen, so we cannot be stamped with 666 by the antichrist.

        • Loving God more than anything.

        Leaning on Jesus' bosom means that we can lift up our two hands to Him.
        John 21:18
        21:18 "Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish."

        We can be obedient until our flesh does not speak anymore. We humble ourselves like Jesus. We trust and fully surrender to God. We also cry out to Him.
        As a result, God also stretches out His two hands to us. We are like a sleeping baby in His embrace. He pays attention to, cares and struggles for us.
        The results are as follows.

        • The merciful hand of God lifts us up to dine with Jesus.
          Revelation 3:20
          3:20 "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

          It means that the merciful hand of God is able to preserve and protect us in the midst impossibilities of the world in the last days, until we get the eternal life.
          The merciful hand of God provides the beautiful and successful future life until we enter the marriage supper of the Lamb on the glorious clouds.

        • The merciful hand of God gives us victory over the trinity of Satan. All problems are solved.
          Revelation 3:21
          3:21 "To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

          We can defeat the lukewarmness, so we can live in holiness, faithfulness, and fervency in spirit in serving and ministering to God until the end. We become the apple of God's eye. Our life and death are in the hand of God.
          We are sanctified continually until we are perfect and sit with Jesus on the throne of the heavenly kingdom forever.
God blesses you.