Bible Study at Surabaya - Monday, April 02, 2007

The epistle Jude refers to the covering of badger skins of Tabernacle. The term “covering” shows the protection and attention of God toward the true Church as well as separation from the false one. Today the true and the false are inseparable just like wheat and tares, even the false looks more pleasant. Nonetheless, God will someday separate them; the tares will be burned while the wheat will be stored in the barn.

There are four kinds of false church as follows:

1. verse 4 ? unshepherded church: those who reject shepherding service system.
2. verse 5 ? law-based church
3. verse 6-7 ? satanic church as Sodom and Gomorrah
4. verse 8 ? fleshly church: dreamers who defile the flesh and intrude into visions, but not of the word of God. Pastors must be selective to teachings and visions, do not be defiled!

Now we still confer around the first part: unshepherded church.
Jude 1:4
4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Unshepherded church are those who creep in unnoticed, that is to say, those who are not serious about, even reject the shepherding service system. Judas, for instance, seemed to be shepherded as he always followed Jesus. In reality, he was not serious and finally forsook Jesus at the feast to see his own death.

The unshepherded lead their life in these manners:

1. Living ungodly
   The ungodly are like chaff; they are only to pursue and proud of blessings, but empty inside. Their end is to be burned. Besides, the ungodly are like the waves of the sea and oppressed by Babylon, that is, evil and unclean spirits.
2. Turning the grace of God
   They are those who have the root of bitterness/hatred like Esau, quick to stumble in godliness and count the grace of God a futility. Lest we be partakers of their error, but of the grace of God, which is to suffer because of committing no sin / due to the will of God.
3. Denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ
   to deny the Lord Jesus Christ = to deny Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit.
   1 John 2:22
   22 Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son.
   He who denies the Lord Jesus Christ (Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit) is a liar and an antichrist. A liar will be an antichrist at last.
   It is written twice in the book of Revelation that a liar cannot enter into New Jerusalem, but into the lake of fire and brimstone.
   Revelation 21:27
   27 But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
   Revelation 22:15
   15 But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.

Here are the implications of lying:

1. Speaking of untrue matters to hide something, for example:
   • In a case of a husband who has a debt; when the creditor calls on phone at home to ask the payment , his wife says that her husband is not at home whereas his husband is there.
   • A merchant says that he has loss whereas he has profit.
   • A pastor hides something because of his priest’ office.
     Lying is counted a trivial thing, but exactly to deny the Lord.
   Jeremiah 9:5-6
   5 Everyone will deceive his neighbor, And will not speak the truth; They have taught their tongue to speak lies; They weary themselves to commit iniquity.
   6 Your dwelling place is in the midst of deceit; Through deceit they refuse to know Me," says the LORD.
   “They have taught their tongue …” (taught = habituated).
   A liar who habituates his tongue to speak lies, even on purpose, hesitates to repent. Such a man will find no more place for repentance sometime; he will be like antichrist and Satan, and cast into hell. Knowing this, we must be honest/straight: “yes” means “yes” and “no” means “no”.
   Matthew 5:37
   37 "But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.
   Being honest/straight will reject sins until one cannot sin at all because serpent (the wicked) cannot walk straightly. Lying means cannot stop sinning even one will find no more place for repentance sometime.
   God delights to answer the prayer of the upright.
   Proverbs 15:8
   8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, But the prayer of the upright is His delight.
   We must limit our words by saying “yes” to “yes” and “no” to “no”, for whatever is more than these is from the evil one. We need to sacrifice to let our “yes” be “yes”, for instance, removed from office, but it is not a big thing since God delights in our prayer.
2. Standing in hatred against the others = having no love toward the others as well as toward God.
   1 John 4:20-21
   20 If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?
   21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.
   Love is embodied in two tablets of stone (http://gptkk.org/tabut/php): the first stone is to love God and the second to love others. These stones adhere to one another; implying we must love God as much as the others. Without love, man becomes egoist.
   Don’t let hatred rule over marriage (among households) and church (among congregation and pastors)!
   In holy bible, the egoist is described as goat. Egoist Christian = goat.
   Ezekiel 34:17-19
   17 ‘And as for you, O My flock, thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I shall judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and goats.
   18 "Is it too little for you to have eaten up the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the residue of your pasture––and to have drunk of the clear waters, that you must foul the residue with your feet?
   19 "And as for My flock, they eat what you have trampled with your feet, and they drink what you have fouled with your feet."
   goats have eaten up the good pasture = liars pretend to delight in the true teaching word.
   Sheep and goats are separated for their natures. A goat symbolizes an egoist with the following conducts:
   • To foul or reproach the true and pure teaching word with bad conducts. Such a man must give account to God. He despises teaching word. Ones who have desires to hear the teaching word become discouraged because of seeing the preacher’s bad conducts. Such condition gives others disadvantage as treaded down pasture. Likewise, one of congregation whose debt is not paid, or a student who cheats in his examination, fouls the teaching word as the egoistic goat does.
     On the contrary, we must adorn the teaching word with good works according to the word of God. Preachers of teaching word should be the first to practice this.
     Titus 2:6-10
     6 Likewise exhort the young men to be sober–minded,
     7 in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility,
     8 sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you.
     9 Exhort bondservants to be obedient to their own masters, to be well pleasing in all things, not answering back,
     10 not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.
     “in doctrine showing integrity, reverence” = not being fickle in doctrine
     It shall be foul all around if we are fickle in doctrine. On the other hand, we must adorn the teaching word by practicing good works – which are according to the word of God – and being a pattern in everything.
   • Neither visiting nor sharing with the needy (to whom he must give account)
     Matthew 25:33, 40-41
     33 "And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.
     40 "And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
     41 "Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:
     Such a man brings a curse on himself and tastes sweat, sorrows, and tears. And its wailing to hell evermore.
     We must visit and share with the needy such as:
     • Households
       Children must remember and not neglect their parents.
     • Brothers and sisters at church
   Seeing the above facts of an egoist, we should pray to have love towards God and the others. That is to say, two tablets of stone “He who loves God must love his brother also.” Man under no circumstances has no love but emotion and lusts. The Holy Communion, which is the Sacrifice of Christ on the cross, is the source of love.
   This is about the two tablets of stone.
   Exodus 20:3-11
   3 "You shall have no other gods before Me.
   4 "You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;
   5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,
   6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
   7 "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
   8 "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
   9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work,
   10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates.
   11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
   1. The first stone consists of four commandments in our relation with God.
      Exodus 20:3, 4, 7, 8-11
      3 "You shall have no other gods before Me.
      4 "You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;
      7 "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
      8 "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
      9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work,
      10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates.
      11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
      verse 3 = first ; verse 4 = second ; verse 7 = third ; verse 8-11 = fourth.
      A good relation with God (shown by our faithfulness in godliness) brings to us the first joy. We will however walk in curse if we are not faithful.
   2. The second stone consists of six commandments in our relation with the others.
      Exodus 20:12-17
      12 "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.
      13 "You shall not murder.
      14 "You shall not commit adultery.
      15 "You shall not steal.
      16 "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
      17 "You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s."
   verse 12 = fifth
   A good relationship between children and parents, son/daughter-in-law and parent-in-law brings the second joy. Thus, young men should realize that happiness does not depend on high education or excellent fate, but on good relations with God and parents, lest they be cursed.
   verse 13 = sixth
   A good relationship among siblings and with brother/sister-in-law brings the third joy. Love brings joy. Egoism results in a curse, however.
   verse 14 = seventh
   A good relationship between a man and his wife (no adultery) brings the fourth joy.
   verse 15 = eighth (“You shall not steal”)
   verse 16 = ninth (“You shall not lie”)
   verse 17 = tenth (“You shall not covet”)
   A good relationship with the community (for example, neighbors) brings the fifth joy.
   In short, if we have the two tablets of stone (loving God through seriousness and faithfulness in committing service and ministry to the Lord and loving others through good relationship with parents, siblings, and society), we will get five main joys coming from Jesus’ five wounds on the cross out of which the love to God and to others come.
   The Holy Communion will change a curse into joy. Therefore, we should not remain in a curse by keeping an unbalanced relationship. Come to God and beg for His forgiveness to direct our fellowship with God, and come to the others and settle the wrong to make straight the relationship with them. Thus feel and taste the joy!
   Mark 12:30-34
   30 ‘And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.
   31 "And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these."
   32 So the scribe said to Him, "Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He.
   33 "And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."
   34 Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." But after that no one dared question Him.
   Verse 30 points to the first stone and verse 31 to the second.
   Many questioned but not anymore after Jesus told them about love. It means that the love of God is to finish everything and present heavenly atmosphere (“You are not far from the kingdom of God”); meaning: we do live in earth but feel like in heaven. Meanwhile, goats live in earth but feel like in hell. This is a curse; there shall be tears and sorrows without end. Lest this come upon us, better now we come to the cross (the five wounds) and beg for His love, so that we will rejoice for all troubles are settled and the heavenly atmosphere is put on us. What a sweet pleasure!
   In short, do not become liar, who denies God because of saying that we love God but hating others. We must be honest – saying “yes” to “yes” and “no” to “no” – that God delights in our prayers. Never we lie and hate anymore that everything goes well.
3. Disobeying the commandments of God
   1 John 2:4-5
   4 He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
   5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.
   Liars are the disobedient.
   How to become obedient?
   1. Hearing the word of God by the anointing of Holy Spirit.
      Romans 10:17
      17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Indonesian: firman Kristus the word of Christ).
      Nothing can fix a limit for the Holy Spirit in helping us understand the word of God. This will enable us to hear the word seriously and with a hunger – so we will never be bored with the word of God.
      Romans 10:18
      18 But I say, have they not heard? Yes indeed: "Their sound has gone out to all the earth, And their words to the ends of the world."
      The Lord at the beginning let His words be heard by the Israelites only. Because they had rejected, however, God speaks in the hearing of Gentiles. Thus, the Gentiles have to know how great the grace of God is granted to them to hear His words.
      Acts 13:46
      46 Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, "It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.
      Gentiles have to appreciate the mercy and grace of God through hearing the word of God seriously. No gift that is greater than His mercy and no judgment that is greater than judgment for those who reject God’s mercy.
   2. Responding the word of God by mind and heart.
      Romans 10:19
      19 But I say, did Israel not know? First Moses says: "I will provoke you to jealousy by those who are not a nation, I will move you to anger by a foolish nation."
      The mind responds with understanding that the word is written on forehead and the heart responds with conviction that the word becomes faith. The Gentiles provoke the Israeli to jealousy with their positive responses toward the word of God, and they who believe in Jesus Christ will be saved and blessed as Abraham was. The Israeli will also believe in Jesus Christ and accept the teaching word and be saved in the latter end, so that both the Israeli and the Gentiles will be united in one perfect body.
      Now it is our perfect time to accept the teaching word, which we actually do not know how long it will last, seeing in Revelation that it takes 7 years diminish 3.5 years of the time of Antichrist reigning over the world. Thus, the time of the last rain is so fast and unpredictable. While the Israeli is still rejecting, the Gentiles obtain a great chance to hear and absorb, also understand and believe in the word of God that the Lord may save and bless us.
      Romans 10:20-21
      20 But Isaiah is very bold and says: "I was found by those who did not seek Me; I was made manifest to those who did not ask for Me."
      21 But to Israel he says: "All day long I have stretched out My hands To a disobedient and contrary people."
      verse 20: the Gentiles will find the Lord only in His word. In the beginning was the word and where the word is, there must be Holy Spirit and love. Lest anyone say that he has Holy Spirit but not need the word. This is unreasonable. In the beginning was the word. If the word is preached, there must be Holy Spirit and if the word is practiced, there must be love.
   3. Obeying the word of God = stretching out our hands to the Lord.
      The Israelites show a negative response by disobedience (verse 21), but the Gentiles do not because of the positive response, i.e. understanding, believing, and obeying the word. In the preaching of the word, God is stretching out His hands “All day long I have stretched out My hands.” By hearing the word carefully, understanding, believing, and obeying it, we stretch our hands to God.
      If we stretch out our hands to God, God will also stretch out His hands and we live in His hands. But if we speak lies, we live in Satan’s hands, for Satan is the father of liars.

In summary, these are the meanings of lying:

• Speaking of untrue matters to hide something
• Standing in hatred
• Holding egoism
• Being disobedient

We live in the hands of God, in His purposes.

Jeremiah 29:11
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

What are the purposes of God?

• peace
• future and hope, bright and the brightest one in New Jerusalem, whose street is pure gold and whose wall is of precious stones.

“I am a pastor but have such miserable future, why?” Nothing but a liar. It is all because of his goat’s conducts and sayings such as egoism, hatred, and lies. He has not become a sheep obeying the word of God. Nevertheless, none may obey the word of God while boring hearing it.
Let us check ourselves now. You are in sorrow, there is neither peace nor beauty in life, saying that you are in God’s hands, in his purpose, check yourselves whether you have lies or not. Having lies, remove them away and just wait the time of God while you are in His hands because you will see the beauty. You just need to set aside your being a liar and:

• speaking honestly; “yes” is “yes”
• loving God and the others
• obeying the word of God – in order that we live in His hands and wait for His time.

Ecclesiastes 3:11
11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.

God will make everything beautiful in its time and we have to wait patiently.
God allows us to suffer but not as of the world, whose end is death and destruction. Certainly not! To the upright who walk in love and obey the word of God, God lets them to suffer labor pains like upon a pregnant woman. The more our sorrow is stirred up, the nearer the time of God comes to make everything beautiful. Yet, death draws near as sorrow of the world chokes.

Jesus on the cross had been so marred and His form more than the sons of men to make everything beautiful in its time. This is the guarantee of the Sacrifice of Christ. We perhaps look so bad to make peace, but Jesus had been marred more than any man.

Isaiah 52:13-14
13 Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently; He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high.
14 Just as many were astonished at you, So His visage was marred more than any man, And His form more than the sons of men;

Jesus was actually succeeded, exalted, extolled, and very high, but He was willing to be marred for our being beautiful, successful, and glorious.
Many Christians have become liars and conformed to antichrist. Jesus was willing to be marred more than any man and His form more than the sons of men, just as a beast/antichrist to save such Christians – only if they come to His Sacrifice.
God bless you!