General Service in Malang, March 14, 2021 (Sunday Morning)

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

Revelation 12:3
12:3. And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads.

Revelation 12: 3-18 is about the clear and complete appearance of Satan or dragon with his activities on the last days as follows:
  1. [Revelation 12:4a] His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven.
  2. [Revelation 12:4b] Devouring.
  3. [Revelation 12:7] Fighting.
    [Revelation 12: 3-12] It happens when Satan is still able to go to heaven to accuse men and do his three activities.

  4. [Revelation 12:13] Persecuting or catching up fast.
  5. [Revelation 12:15] Causing the woman or the church of God to be carried away by the flood.
  6. [Revelation 12:17] Making war or persecuting.
    [Revelation 12:13-18] It happens when Satan has been defeated and cast to the earth. He has no place in heaven forever, so he uses his short time before he is bound and destroyed to come down to men, having great wrath in his three activities.
Ad.6. Making war or persecuting.
Revelation 12:17-18
12:17 And 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.
12:18 Then I stood on the sand of the sea.


Revelation 13:1[New International Version]
13:1 And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea.

The dragon or Satan makes war or tramples, persecutes, and beheads the church or God's servants who are not evacuated to the wilderness for three and a half years. They are "the rest of her offspring", not the godly descent like Jesus.
Who are they?
  1. The brood of viper.
  2. [Revelation 12:18] The dragon on the shore of the sea or sand.
    The church or God's servants who are like the sand on the shore of the sea will be trampled by the dragon for three and a half years.
The church or God's servants who are like the shore of the sea refers to those who do not want to go to the other side to the harbor of peace, namely Paradise, the One-Thousand-Year Kingdom of Peace, and the New Jerusalem.

Going to the other side means being active in the revival of Holy Spirit at the latter rain or the edification of the perfect body of Christ that is ready for welcoming Jesus' second coming on the glorious clouds and entering Paradise, the One-Thousand-Year Kingdom of Peace, and the New Jerusalem or the everlasting heavenly kingdom forever.

The ministry of the edification of the body of Christ or going to the other side begins from the ministry in the marriage or household, the shepherding, inter-shepherding (fellowship), and international or Israel and Gentiles become one perfect body of Christ.
Thus, the church or God's servant's being like the shore of the sea that does not want to go to the other side is the same as not being active in the ministry of the edification of the perfect body of Christ.

Matthew 14:22
14:22 Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away.

The Lord Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side. It means that He commands us, the church, or His servants, to be active in the ministry of the edification of Christ's perfect body that is led by the true teaching Word or the Lord Himself.

How can God command us to go to the other side or be active in the ministry for the edification of Christ's body?

John 2:19-21
2:19 Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."
2:20 Then the Jews said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?"
2:21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body.

Jesus has sacrificed His soul for obeying the command of Father God in heaven for the edification of the perfect body of Christ. Therefore, He can or He is worthy to command us too for being active in the ministry of the edification of the perfect Christ's body.

Why does Jesus command us for going to the other side or being active in the ministry of the edification of the perfect Christ's body?
  1. So that we do not become the target of the dragon that tramples or persecutes for three and a half years until beheading the church.

  2. So that we do not enter the edification of Babylon.
  3. Because going to the other side needs the sacrifice with the sincerity of heart and also faces the challenges and hindrances.
    Matthew 14:24
    14:24 But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.

There are two kinds of challenges or hindrances in going to the other side as follows
:
  1. From outside, namely the wind and waves as follows:

    • False teachings. The direction to the harbor of peace is turned.
    • Sins up to the peak until there are falls.
    • Temptations or impossible problems in all aspects which cause disappointment, hopelessness, and leaving God.

  2. From inside:

    • The hard heart that rejects the true teaching Word.
      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.

      Many Christians who have been called by God through the Gospel Word or the Good News, saved, and blessed by Him reject the true teaching Word or the Bride Tidings that points the sins up to the peak, so they do not want to go to the other side. They do not want to be active in the ministry of the edification of the perfect body of Christ that is led by the true teaching Word.
      Consequently, they are like the shore of the sea. It means being trampled or returning to the old life, committing sins up to the peak, and perishing forever.

    • The doubtful heart.
      Matthew 14:31
      14:31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"

      The doubtful heart means doubting the true teaching Word because of being driven to and fro by the false teaching and not holding fast or not obeying the true teaching Word. It also happens because of not firmly rejecting the other doctrines such as gossip and the voice or lust of the flesh, but giving chance for hearing them. Opening the ears for the strange voice is the same as closing the eyes for God or not being able to see Him until He is said ghost and ghost is said God.
      Consequently, there is no serenity, but worry, fear, and distress, until Peter almost drowned.

      Matthew 14:30
      14:30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!"

      There is physical deterioration too; even there is failure. The spirituality also decreases. It begins from not being able to distinguish between God and ghost or the true teaching Word and the false one. There is fall in sins up to the peak.

How can God help?
  1. Through preaching the teaching Word which is sharper than any two-edged sword or the words spoken by Jesus.
    Matthew 14:25,27-29,31
    14:25 Now in the fourth watch of the nightJesus went to them, walking on the sea.
    14:27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid."
    14:28 And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water."
    14:29 So He said, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.
    14:31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"

    "the fourth watch of the night"refers to the perseverance in doing the three kinds of main service to God or the shepherding Word which gives power in the middle of the storm, serenity, comfort, solution from all problems, and rebuke.
    It also refers to the three days of Jesus' death and resurrection. The power of death is useful for putting the flesh to death or defeating the Antichrist. The power of resurrection is useful for defeating the death or Satan who rules over the death. The power of glory is to fight against the gravity or the influences of the world which make men unfaithful.

    Romans 10:16,21
    10:16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our report?"
    10:21 But to Israel he says: "All day long I have stretched out My hands To a disobedient and contrary people."

    Every preaching of the true teaching Word refers to the repeated stretching out of the hands of God that has power for defeating the trinity of Satan, namely the source of temptations, wind and waves, and false teachings. If the trinity of Satan can be defeated, the wind and waves can be made calm.

    Matthew 14:32
    14:32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.

    We must appreciate the stretched hands of God, namely hearing and obeying the repeated true teaching Word or stretching out the hands to God.

  2. Through the intercession prayer of the Great Shepherd. Jesus prays that we do not fall and drown. Nevertheless, He keeps on praying for helping us when we are doubtful until we fall and almost drown.
    Matthew 14:23
    14:23 And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there.

    What must we do?

    • Matthew 14:30
      14:30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!"

      We must praywith a broken heart and feel that we are not worthy or we are not able. We only need the grace of God, so we only cry out the name of Jesus and stretch out our hands to Him. As a result, God will stretch out His merciful hands to us and miracles happen. The raging sea can be made calm. All impossible problems can be finished. There is peace and all things become easy and light. Failures are changed into success. The destruction can be healed, including in the destroyed marriage.

    • Mark 5:25-28
      5:25 Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years,
      5:26 and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.
      5:27 When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.
      5:28 For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well."

      Facing any problem, let us come to hear the Word. The prayer and Word are able to heal the flowing of blood for twelve years. It means that the physical diseases can be healed. The diseases in the marriage can also be healed. The rotten can be made fragrant. The disunity can be made one. Impossible problems can be possible.

    • 2 Kings 4:32-37
      4:32 When Elisha came into the house, there was the child, lying dead on his bed.
      4:33 He went in therefore, shut the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the LORD.
      4:34 And he went up and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands; and he stretched himself out on the child, and the flesh of the child became warm.
      4:35 He returned and walked back and forth in the house, and again went up and stretched himself out on him; then the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.
      4:36 And he called Gehazi and said, "Call this Shunammite woman." So he called her. And when she came in to him, he said, "Pick up your son."
      4:37 So she went in, fell at his feet, and bowed to the ground; then she picked up her son and went out.

      The prayer and Word are able to revive the child who dies physically and spiritually. We are used for glorifying God until we are changed to be perfect or we do not stumble in words when Jesus comes a second time. We are glorified with Him on the glorious clouds and enter the Paradise, the One-Thousand-Year Kingdom of Peace, and the eternal harbor of the New Jerusalem forever.
God blesses you.