General Service in Malang, February 02, 2020 (Sunday Morning)

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

Revelation 11:1-2
11:1 Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, "Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there.
11:2 "But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months
.

The measuring rod refers to the rod of the shepherd, the shepherding word, or the true teaching word which is entrusted by God to a pastor to be preached to the congregation faithfully, sequentially, continually, and repetitively, so it becomes food for them to make them strong and command which rules the things which they can and cannot do. It is also to measure and increase their spirituality until it reaches the measurement of God, namely the perfection or until the Veil is torn.

If the spirituality of men reaches the measurement of the shepherding word, they will experience the covering of reconciliation or the one of preservation and protection of God until the eternal life.
But, if it does not reach the measurement, they will enter the age of Antichrist until they are beheaded to reach the measurement or the flesh does not speak anymore.

There are two things which are measured by the shepherding word as follows:
  1. The temple of God.
  2. The altar and those who worship there or the Golden Altar of Incense.
Ad.1 The temple of God.
The temple of God is our life.

2 Corinthians 6:16

6:16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people."

The measurement of the temple of God is having no idol.

Exodus 32:4

32:4 And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf. Then they said, "This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!"

There was an idol or the golden calf in the house of Israel. It increased to become the two golden calves in the age of kings.

1 Kings 12:28

12:28 Therefore the king asked advice, made two calves of gold, and said to the people, "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!"

2 Kings 10:29

10:29 However Jehu did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin, that is, from the golden calves that were at Bethel and Dan.

The calf is an idol which stands fast.

Exodus 32:9

32:9 And the LORD said to Moses, "I have seen this people, and indeed it is a stiff-necked people!

The calf refers to the hard heart which increases and stands fast until the last days.

The facts found in it are as follows:
  1. Men cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, the true teaching word which is sharper than any two-edged sword, or the Bride Tidings. It means that they do not have the word of God.
    2 Corinthians 4:3-4
    4:3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.
    4:4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them
    .

    So, they do not want to understand; even they reject the Bride Tidings.

    2 Corinthians 4:7-9

    4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
    4:8 We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
    4:9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed


    How great men in the world are, they are only like a clay vessel which is brittle or easily disappointed and proud. They also easily commit sins until they perish. Men cannot stand The most when they are stricken down by the marriage and children problems.

    If the clay vessel is only filled with riches, intelligence, position, et cetera, it will become an alabaster vessel which is still brittle, broken, and destroyed.

    Therefore, the clay vessel must be filled by the true teaching word through hearing it until we understand, trust, and do it. The results are as follows:

    • We get the abundant power to make us endure, strong, and courageous. We are not brittle anymore, namely we are neither disappointed, hopeless, nor broken. We do not commit sins, but live in righteousness and holiness. We do not perish, but can live in eternal life.

    • We experience the life renewal.
      2 Corinthians 4:10
      4:10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.

      Having mind and feeling of Jesus who was obedient to the point of death on the cross [Philippians 2:6-10] means being obedient until the flesh does not speak anymore and only doing the will of Father God although it is not in line with our will, regardless of any risk we must take.

      Matthew 7:21

      7:21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

      When we are obedient, the door of heaven and the ones in the world will be open for us.

      2 Timothy 3:1-5

      3:1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:
      3:2 For men will be (1) lovers of themselves, (2) lovers of money, (3) boasters,(4) proud, (5) blasphemers,(6) disobedient to parents, (7) unthankful, (8) unholy,
      3:3 (9) unloving, (10) unforgiving, (11) slanderers, (12) without self-control, (13) brutal, (14) despisers of good,

      3:4 (15) traitors, (16) headstrong, (17) haughty (18), lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
      3:5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

      Be watchful! Although men have served and ministered to God, if they are still hard-hearted and reject the power of the service and ministry, namely the cross and the true teaching word, they cannot experience the life renewal, but still still keep the eighteen characteristics of the flesh, so they have the form of godliness, but they keep the calf. Consequently, they are stamped with 666 and become the same as the Antichrist who will be destroyed forever.

      Jeremiah 13:23

      13:23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Then may you also do good who are accustomed to do evil.


  2. Being thirsty or empty of Holy Spirit.
    Exodus 17:3-4
    17:3 And the people thirsted there for water, and the people complained against Moses, and said, "Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?"
    17:4 So Moses cried out to the LORD, saying, "What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me!"

    It means being dry in spirituality. The signs are complaining, grumbling, judging other people, and liking quarreling quarrel, et cetera. They are not satisfied, so they look for the satisfaction in the world until they fall in sins.

    1 Corinthians 10:10
    10:10 nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer

    In consequence, they are destroyed.

    Exodus 17:6

    17:6 "Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink." And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.

    Men who are thirsty or not satisfied cannot be satisfied by the worldly things such as riches, intelligence, et cetera. The only way is that the rock must be beaten.

    Psalms 19:15

    19:15 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.

    The rock refers to Jesus as the redeemer who must die on the cross to pour Holy Spirit or the source of the true satisfaction.

    John 16:7

    16:7 "Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.

    Psalms 114:7-8

    114:7 Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, At the presence of the God of Jacob,
    114:8 Who turned the rock into a pool of water, The flint into a fountain of waters
    .

    Jesus as the rock has been beaten or dead on the cross, so we are not beaten or condemned. The Gentiles who are hard-hearted must receive the drops of the blood of Jesus so that they can experience the life renewal from the hard rock to a fountain of waters through confessing sins to God and other people. After being forgiven, do not do sins anymore, so the living water of Holy Spirit will be poured. Without Holy Spirit, we are thirsty, only like an orphan who is weak, powerless, and without hope, until being the same as the Antichrist and perishing.

    The functions of Holy Spirit are as follows:

    • Holy Spirit makes us able to face the atmosphere of the dry wilderness of the world [Exodus 17:1-7].

      • We are not dry physically and spiritually.
        Holy Spirit is able to give the physical satisfaction, so we are preserved or not in deficiency and the spiritual satisfaction, namely we are peaceful.

      • We are not destroyed with the world or we do not commit sins.

    • Holy Spirit gives us victory over Amalek [Exodus 17:8-16].
      It is the same as being victorious over the flesh with all of its lusts and desires, so we can be obedient.
      After the sins are finished, all problems will be finished by God.

    • Holy Spirit brings us to the unity of the marriage, so we are not scattered [Exodus 18:1-8].
      Exodus 18:7
      18:7 So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, bowed down, and kissed him. And they asked each other about their well-being, and they went into the tent.

      Exodus 18:2
      18:2 Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her back.

      It continues until we enter the marriage supper of the Lamb.

    • Holy Spirit gives the gifts of Holy Spirit and ministry [Exodus 18:13-21].
      We are used in the ministry of the edification of the body of Christ, so our life becomes beautiful.

    • Holy Spirit brings us to climb the mountain [Exodus 19] or worship God.
      Romans 8:26-28
      8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
      8:27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
      8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

      Holy Spirit helps us to worship God with a broken heart or confess all of our weaknesses physically and spiritually. So, Holy Spirit is able to make all things good. The broken things become good, the failed ones become successful and beautiful, the rottenness becomes sweet-smelling aroma, and the impossible things become possible. He is able to make something from nothing until we are perfect.
God blesses you.