General Service in Malang, May 15, 2011 (Sunday Morning)

Matthew 26:14-16
26:14. Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests
26:15 and said, "What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?" And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver.
26:16 So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him.

The betrayal to Passover Lamb.
Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus, the Lamb of God or Passover Lamb.

Why did Judas betray Jesus, the Lamb of God?
Because he joined false fellowship with the chief priests who were contrary to Jesus' teaching clearly.

Be alert!
The fellowship begins in marriage, shepherding, inter-shepherding, up to the perfect body of Christ.
All fellowships must be based on the true teaching Word, or else all of them will be led toward perdition.

Judas had known that the chief priests were false or not in line with Jesus, but why did he keep going to them?
Because he kept his flesh will and lust in the mortar vessel of his life.

In shorts, Judas kept his flesh will and self-interest so he betrayed Jesus or the true teaching Word.
Consequently, the mortar pot is destroyed, referring to perdition.

Look at the true teaching Word before joining any fellowship!
Do not look at other things such as human, money, et cetera!

John 5:2-3
5:2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gatea pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches.
5:3 In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water.

Bethesda means the house of mercy.
It has five porches, referring to five continents in the earth.
Meaning: It is the mercy of God if Jesus has come into the earth which has five continents.
All things in the earth such as riches or greatness would have become meaningless if Jesus had not come into it.

Be alert! The false fellowshipor the fellowship without the true teaching Word or the fellowship of sick people in spiritual meaning has happened all over the world. The false ones are many more than the true ones.

Be alert!
The quantity of congregation is not the guarantee that the fellowship is true. The true teaching Word is the guarantee of the true fellowship.

The false fellowship only leads to the building of Babel's body or the bride of Satan, which will be destroyed forever.

Who can enter the false fellowship?
People who are not willing to enter the Sheep Gate as follows:
  1. People who do not want to be shepherded(wandering Christian people).
  2. People who are in shepherding but not appreciating the shepherding.
    For example, Judas Iscariot became intruder in shepherding.
    Such people hear strange voice more than the shepherding Word.
Not entering the Sheep Gate, one will enter the Horse Gate to be killed or perished.
Worshiping golden calf, the Israelites were as an unrestrained horse.

II Chronicles 23:15
23:15 So they seized her; and she went by way of the entrance of the Horse Gateinto the king's house, and they killed her there.

Be alert!
The next example is Athaliah. Wives and women must be alert, do not become head!

People who do not want to be shepherded must live in the will and lust of flesh. Such people will go toward the building of Babel's body to be perished forever.

John 5:3
5:3 In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water.

The false fellowship seems to be in unity in the beginning but it will be scattered when there is shaking.

There are three main diseases in the false fellowship as follows:
  1. Blindness, meaning disability to see the true teaching Word. One only sees dimly without any assurance.
  2. Lameness, meaning being doubt supposing that all teachings are true. It does not matter to have a liitle difference with the true one, there is no assurance.
  3. Paralysis.
Ad 3. SPIRITUAL PARALYSIS
Acts 3:1-6
3:1. Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.
3:2 And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple;
3:3 who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms.
3:4 And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, "Look at us."
3:5 So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them.
3:6 Then Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk."

The Beautiful Gate is on the same way with the Sheep Gate.

The meaning of spiritual paralysis is as follows:
  1. Being non-active = being unfaithful and not fervent in spirit doing service and ministry to the Lord, not being shepherded.
    We have to check ourselves although we seem to be faithful already. Are we still fervent in spirit? Have the service and ministry become habits?

  2. The paralyzed must be carried by other people = hoping in human.
    Consequently, one will suppose that the false person is righteous because of hoping in him/her.

    The spiritual paralyzed never sees God as well as the true teaching Word.

  3. Hoping in gold and silver in the world = hoping in "something" in the worldsuch as intelligence, education certificate, riches, and high position.
    Such person cannot prioritize God because of hoping others in the world more than God.

    It does not mean that we cannot work or study. We have to work or study seriously but they should not make us not prioritize God.

  4. Not increasing in spirituality. The paralyzed could not go to the temple whereas Peter and John could.
    Meaning as follows:
    • Keeping sins up to the peak, namely sins concerning eating-drinking such as smoking, being drunk, and drugs abuse, as well as sins concerning marrying-being given in marriage such as sexual sin and false marriage.
      Keeping sins, a servant of God will never go forward or enter through the Beautiful Gate although s/he seems great doing the ministry.

    • Being unable to give physically but only begging or asking, and being unable to worship God or being dry in spirituality.
      Such person will calculate too much giving to God, even considering it as a waste.
      Consequently, there is spiritual dryness, one cannot worship God.

      Judas Iscariot really calculated about the Lord until he himself was not counted.

      All things depend on our longing. There is nothing impossible as long as we have the longing. God will open the way so we can enter the righteous service and ministry as well as righteous fellowship.

  5. Being paralyzed from birth = impossibility.
Being spiritual paralyzed, one will never enter through the Beautiful Gate, meaning there is no beauty in life but suffering and tears up to perdition.

Fortunately, God still helps.
The way God helps is as follows:
Acts3:3-6
3:3 who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms.
3:4 And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, "Look at us."
3:5 So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them.
3:6 Then Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk."

The Lord sent Peter and John. They entered the temple passing the paralyzed.
There must be one more, namely James, referring to FAITH.
The meaning is as follows:
To get help, the paralyzed must have FAITH, must believe and entrust totally to God.

Romans10:17
10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

God is waiting for our faith at the time we are paralyzed, in suffering, and destruction.

The faith comes by hearing the Word of Christ, the Word in the anointing of Holy Spirit that is revealed by Jesus Himself or the true teaching Word.

The attention of one who has the faithis not to worldly gold and silver, but to the spiritual ones.
Paying attention to the physical matters, riches, et cetera, the spirituality is as an aircraft parking on the ground, meaning one will be left when Jesus comes a second time.
On the contrary, the physical matters will seem unclear if our spirituality has been increased.

The facts found in one who has the faith to Jesus or looks at the spiritual silver and gold are as follows:
  1. Being redeemed by Jesus' blood from sins up to the peak= being able to live in righteousness and holiness.
    I Peter 1:18-19
    1:18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers,
    1:19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

    Ranting about physical blessings, we are worthy of being ashamed because people in the world have much more riches and greatness.

    On the contrary, we must be joyful (as if we enter through the Beautiful Gate) as long as we can live in righteousness and holiness, although our life in the world is not in great riches.

  2. Being obedient to the true teaching Word, whatever risk may come.
    Psalm 12:7
    12:7 The words of the LORD are pure words, Like silver tried in a furnace of earth, Purified seven times.

    Psalm 19:10-11
    19:10 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
    19:11 More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

    Being obedient is the beginning of success and eternal life.

  3. Calling the name of Jesus.
    Acts 3:6
    3:6 Then Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk."

    It is not in careless manner because only the people who have been redeemed by Jesus' blood and obedientmay call the name of Jesus.

    The seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, tried to call the name of Jesus. Consequently, the evil spirit overpowered them and prevailed against them. Not being redeemed by Jesus' blood but keeping sins, one will become in more destruction if s/he calls Jesus' name more.

    Acts 19:13-16
    19:13. Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, "We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches."
    19:14 Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so.
    19:15 And the evil spirit answered and said, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?"
    19:16 Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

    The fact of saying the name of Jesus not in righteous manner is keeping sin although one has realized it, even supposing that all things are alright.
Do not blame other people or grumble when we are suffering but we have to correct ourselves. 

If we are redeemed by Jesus' blood and obedient to the true teaching Word as well as call the name of Jesus, we will have the power of resurrection in the name of Jesus to perform these miracles:
God blesses you.