2016.12.

25_I Came To Serve You

[Matthew 20:20-28]
God
is the Father.
He demonstrated
how much He loves His Son (Mt 3:16-17).
Since God appointed His Son for His own will,
the Son is at the center of the Father’s will (Jn 6:39-).
Hence,
God created all things by His Son (He 1:3),
established the Law for His Son (Gal 3:18),
and prepared the cross for His Son (Mt 16:21).
And in order to have mankind,
which are His creations,
live with God forever (Jn 3:16),
He gave them eternal life, that is, His grace (Ep 2:8).
God did not give us a religion
but Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God.
He came not to be served,
but to serve (Mt 20:28).
True faith is to accept His grace
and be served by Jesus.
○ If one feels burdened to believe in Jesus, that is unbelief.
One must regard it a blessing to believe in Jesus,
for that is true faith and the will of God.
○ Rely on the merits of Jesus.
The merits of Jesus are righteousness.
Fill your soul with the righteousness of Jesus.
○ Receive the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit helps us.
Our faith is about receiving the help of the Holy Spirit.
※ Have faith.
Be served by Jesus.
Receive the love of Jesus.
2016.12.18_Jesus Who Came to the Well
[John 4:1-14]
God is the self-existing One.
He sent His Son to the world
so that the world
may receive grace (2 Co 13:13).
Though the world is His (Ps 100:3),
the world does not know Him (Jn 1:10).
He comes to the well and seeks water.
Water belongs to the Creator (Ge 1:7)
but mankind possesses it temporarily.
Jesus was in the world yet the world did not accept Him.
He seeks water (Jn 4:7)
but the people of the world
blame their circumstances and reject Him (Jn 4:11).
Everything we give to the Lord are like water –
our bodies, possessions and time, they are all like water.
If we had understood the Lord’s request,
we would have sought something greater from Him.
For the Lord’s flesh and blood
are promises of everlasting life (Jn 6:53-55),
do not shun the Lord who has come to us.
Just as the Holy Spirit has come into our hearts,
the Lord Jesus abides in us also (1 Jn 4:13).
○ The world is like Samaria
and the Church is like the well He seeks.
What is Jesus seeking from the Church?
○ The family of the saint is the well He seeks;
the Lord Jesus is seeking water.
O saint, do not hesitate.
○ Each person is the well that the Lord has come to.
Thus we must not disappoint our Lord Jesus.
He will give us the living water that leads us to eternal life.
※ The Lord is crying out, “I am thirsty”.
Do not close your ears.
The Lord will surely repay those who give Him water (Mt 25:35)
2016.12.11_Your Neighbor As Yourself
[Matthew 22:34-40]
God
is our Father.
In the same way
that He loved His Son (Mt 3:17),
God loved the world, that is, the souls in the world (Jn 3:16).
Likewise, He gave the world a commandment,
upon which the Law hangs (Mt 22:40).
He commanded us, “Love your neighbor as yourself”.
To love as yourself is the same as how
parents love their children as their own selves;
it is all people’s nature (Mt 7:11).
Therefore if one does not love his neighbor as himself,
that is, as he loves his own child,
he breaks the commandment.
While the Law is fleshly ordinances (Mt 5:17),
the commandment is the foundation
and hence it is never abolished (Rev 12:17).
As Jesus gave up His own body,
the Holy Spirit abides deep within our souls (1 Jn 4:13)
and life is in our spirit.
A true faith life
must have life (Jn 14:6).
○ Love is not a saying of the lips;
it is maternal nature,
namely, God’s divine nature.
○ Where there is love, there are no lies.
There are no lies in maternal love.
It is the same as the love of God.
○ Those who received God’s grace, understand true love,
and hence they love.
Faith life involves love in action.
※ Let us love.
Let us love our neighbors as ourselves.
This will be our soul’s crown.
2016.12.04_Let Us Return to Father Together
[Luke 15:11-32]
God
is our true and everlasting Father,
full of maternal love.
He
not only created us (Ge 2:7)
but gave us birth to become His children (Ps 2:7).
God sent Jesus Christ
to the world
to save us and make us His children
and thus love us forever (Rm 5:8).
The Holy Spirit also bears witness
that we are children of God (Rm 8:16)
and helps us to discharge our duty.
At times, we unwittingly think and act
like the Prodigal Son (Gal 5:17-21).
Our life in the world makes us
forget about our spiritual status
and live away from God.
All of these things
hinder the work of God.
God is waiting for us,
wanting us to repent and return to Him (Lk 15:32).
The Lord’s church is one family who serve the one Father (Gal
4:6).
Let us return to the Father in accordance
with the guidance of the Lord Jesus.
○ Let us recognize how we have
become lost sons unwittingly
and repent.
○ Let us realize our lack of faith
and be changed to serve the church
○ Let us not cease visiting our fellow saints
or praying for the church.
※ Let us turn from where we are now,
and return to the Father
2016.11.27_God’s Chosen People
[1Corinthians 1:26-31]
God
is honorable.
He created
all things for His righteousness (He 1:3),
namely Jesus Christ.
For we, together with all things, are His (Ps 100:3),
we are of one mind with the Lord and do His works (Jn 14:12).
The men of Jesus
have all been purchased by God’s blood (Ac 20:28),
hence they must be holy
and be filled with God’s spiritual gifts and power (1 Co 12:7-11).
Though they may seem to be shunned by the world,
but God has deliberately chosen such people
in order to manifest Himself
through them (1 Co 12:7).
So who do we belong to?
Just as Elijah said,
we must not hesitate
but make a clear decision,
to either belong to God completely and stand upon the truth,
or follow man’s feelings and fall into mysticism (1 Ki 18:21-).
○ Now,
those who belong to God have to be baptized
and receive the Holy Spirit.
○ He who received the Holy Spirit should always be filled with
the Holy Spirit
so that the character of the Lord Jesus is displayed through him.
This is the testimony that he belongs to the Lord.
○ If we truly love the Lord who is invisible,
we ought to love the Church, His body we can see,
and recognize that we are all members of one body, the Church.
※ Consider God’s calling.
God has chosen according to His will,
not according to appearances.
2016.11.20_Beloved Us, the Fruit-bearing Church
[John 15:9-17]
God
gave His Son the command to save us,
and Jesus Christ
purchased us by His blood and established us as the Church
that obeys His commandment (Ac 20:28).
The Holy Spirit works
in order that we may obey the commandment of the Lord Jesus,
and nurtures us through the overseer and His servants (Ac 9:31).
The definite reason Jesus receives God’s love is
that He obeys God’s commandment (Jn 10:17-18)
and the commandment He was given
is about giving us His true love.
We also have to
absolutely obey the commandment of Jesus
in order to receive His love (Jn 15:10)
and finally bear everlasting fruits (Jn 15:5).
The commandment of Jesus
is about having the heart and faith
grounded on sincere love towards fellow saints (1 Jn 3:23).
This is the commandment of our Lord Jesus,
the spiritual food for our eternal life.
○ For the church’s growth and happiness,
let us empty ourselves
and be united in one spirit of love and perseverance (He 10:22-
23).
○ For the success of Berea Movement,
let us be united with one heart
for our church to gain strength.
○ Let us obey the pastor,
and encourage and compliment our fellow saints (He 10:24-25).
They will help you with all their heart.
※ Let our church
receive the greatest love
from our Lord Jesus.
2016.11.13_Bring Them Here to Me
[Matthew 14:18-21]
Godis the Creator.
He created all things by His word (He 11:1-3),
the word which is still at work today (He 11:8).
Our faith is to trust and rely on that word.
Finally, the Word became flesh and appeared in the world,
namely, Jesus Christ (Jn 1:14).
Jesus is the name of God
which we have received (Jn 1:12),
and Christ is His appointment, which is His righteousness (Mt
6:33).
Therefore we believe and receive His name by the Holy Spirit
to forever serve that name (Jn 14:16),
and are empowered by His righteousness,
that is, the meritorious works of Christ.
We have salvation and attain victory
by relying on His name and His merits, namely, His righteousness
which are the same yesterday, today and forever.
Even today, His compassionate voice commands us saying (He
3:15),
“What is impossible for you, bring that to Me”.
Our faith is not only about sacrificing ourselves through service,
but to live by His power which comes down from heaven.
○ Let us understand the Lord’s words,
“I did not come to be served,
but to serve” (Mt 20:28).
○ Jesus Christ gave His own body and still gives.
The body of Jesus Christ is the source of blessing.
Let us have that blessing come in and manifest in our souls.
○ To live by the Holy Spirit
means true obedience and true blessing
by allowing Jesus Christ to manifest Himself in us.
※ We must worship without being in doubt,
obey without having doubts,
and receive blessings without any doubts.
2016.11.06_Drink the Precious Blood of Jesus
[John 6:52-59]
God is the Holy Trinity.
For He revealed
the Word to the world (Jn 1:14),
the Word came to the world in flesh,
and gave His word and blood (Jn 6:53-54).
He desires holiness and righteousness,
which cannot be attained by the things of the world
but only by the spiritual bread and drink
that came down from heaven.
Though we can wash our bodies, we cannot wash our own sins;
even if we end our own lives, we cannot end our ties with sin (Mt
27:3-10).
Our sin is death which our spirit must bear.
We were forsaken because of our sin.
The reason for our misfortune is also sin.
Thus God so loved the world
that He sent Jesus Christ, who shed His blood.
Without His blood, we have neither holiness nor righteousness
(He 9:22).
Christianity is not a religion;
it is the faith where one must drink the blood of Jesus to live.
○ The Holy Spirit comes inside us
to make our spirit drink that blood
Only that blood saves us.
○ For our faith and our confession are
nothing but the blood of Jesus,
let us be born again through the Holy Spirit,
the word, and the blood.
○ Our lips must have testimony,
that is, the testimony of the blood of Jesus
which we ought to testify with all our life.
※ Let us be holy.
Let us become righteous by the blood of Jesus.
His blood is the same yesterday, today and forever.
2016.10.30_Jesus the Sinless One and Us the Sinners
[Matthew 3:1-17]
God
revealed His righteousness to the world
by sending His only begotten Son to the world,
and through Him
desired to take away the sin of the world (Mt 20:28).
However the world did not recognize Him
who appeared as a man.
John the Baptist preached that the kingdom of heaven was near
(Mt 3:2)
and baptized the people for repentance (Mt 3:11).
The purpose of John the Baptist’ ministry
was to introduce to the world
Jesus Christ, the Son of God
who is without sin (Jn 1:29),
while at the same time
confirm that every man is a sinner.
Though our sins have been
washed away
by the merits of the blood of Jesus Christ,
our sinful nature cannot be hidden before God.
We should repent not only when we first believed (Ac 3:19),
but continuously until the day our lives end (1 Pe 1:13-15).
We must remember that
we constantly need to be empowered by the Lord’s blood
which never runs dry.
○ Let us repent daily
and cleanse our souls.
○ Let us bear witness to the grace we received
by loving one another always.
○ Let us fully repent
in deep contrition and prayer of confession.
※ Let us become the church
that lives through repentance,
a church where the Lord’s blood is powerfully at work.
2016.10.23_Understand the Holy Day
[Mark 2:23-28]
God
is only one.
He
created the world for His Son (He 1:2)
and set their appointed seasons and times,
so that mankind might search for Him and find Him (Ac 17:26-
27).
God appointed the seventh day as the Sabbath (Ge 2:1-3)
when He created the world,
for on that day He rested from all His work of creation.
The way for man to live is
to be with God just as He commanded (Ge 2:17).
However, the Lord’s Day is not a day of rest.
If we were to call the Sabbath a day for the flesh,
then the Lord’s Day is a divine and spiritual day (Re 1:10).
It is a day we rest from physical labor, and instead
work diligently for our spirit; a day to focus on our spiritual life.
If we believe God and obey this,
God will truly love us.
Jesus is the Lord of both the Sabbath
and the Lord’s Day (Mk 2:28).
Since we have been born again into a spiritual body,
it is life and blessing for us to be with Jesus.
○The man of the Holy Spirit
should live by the Holy Spirit.
○The Sabbath is a fleshly ordinance;
the Lord’s Day is a spiritual ordinance.
Thus every Lord’s Day ought to be like the Day of Pentecost.
○The person who longs for the kingdom of God
observes the Lord’s Day (He 10:25).
So be holy in the flesh and spiritually filled.
※For keeping the Lord’s Day is like
the commandment of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,
let us not ignore it but obey,
and walk with Jesus Christ.
2016.10.16_The Lord’s Flesh and Blood
[John 6:52-59]
God
gave us His word as a blessing,
in order that we may be well.
Jesus Christ gave His own flesh and blood
to save us from death and despair,
and embraces us in His arms (Jn 6:54-56).
The Holy Spirit
dwells in each one of us,
testifying to the power of Christ’s flesh and blood (Jn 15:26)
and advocating His sovereignty (1 Co 6:19),
and helps us to overcome the world.
In this way, He is leading us
so that we may enter the glorious kingdom of heaven
after we, the church of Christ,
have fulfilled the will of the merciful God
as one body (1 Pet 3:18).
We have God’s word
in our hearts, minds and lives,
and thus, as one, we are the body of the great Lord Jesus
and God’s holy temples (1 Co 3:16).
We are the holy members of God’s body
who rescue our neighbors from sin, death and destruction,
and lead them to the kingdom of heaven (Eph 4:15-16).
○ Let us cherish and obey
the words God gave us.
○ Let us receive the message preached during worship
as the word of God.
○ Let us honor and confess
the power of the Lord’s blood within us.
※ Let us remember that God’s word
is the power that brings victory
and together rejoice and give thanks.
2016.10.09_Receive the Comfort of the Holy Spirit
[Acts 9:26-31]
God
does not rest.
He
created the world and governs it,
sent the Word to the world and commanded His blessing
to fulfill it, and hence His blessing cannot be rejected (Nu 23:20).
He keeps those saved by the blood of Jesus (Ac 20:28),
and sent them the Paraclete Holy Spirit
to keep them forever (2 Co 1:21-22).
Thus
individuals, families, and the Church are edified
when they receive the encouragement of the Holy Spirit (Ac
9:31).
The Holy Spirit never leaves us (Jn 14:16).
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth (Jn 16:13).
He is not man but spirit.
He does not die nor ever change.
The Church of Jesus Christ
started through the Holy Spirit (Ac 1:8).
The Holy Spirit
is a great gift of God (Ac 2:38).
We need to receive the support of the Holy Spirit.
○ God’s great gift to us
is Jesus Christ,
our Savior.
○ Jesus’ great gift to us
is the Holy Spirit,
the Paraclete who comforts us.
○ Heavenly power is a great gift;
the Holy Spirit gives us various gifts.
Power refers to heavenly spirits.
※ He who receives God’s love
will receive His gift;
the Church and families must have a revival.
2016.10.02_Be Saved From Sin
[John 16:1-9]
God is holy.
He
sanctified us (Ac 10:15)
and bestowed His great grace upon us to make us righteous (Eph
2:8),
that is, God sent His beloved Son who was in His bosom
to the world (Jn 1:18).
He came to the world as a man
and appeared as an accursed sinner (Ph 2:6-8),
for He carried our iniquities (Jn 1:36).
Hence,
we are made holy
when we acknowledge His merits,
that His suffering was the result of our sin,
and lay ourselves down and confess Him only as our Lord (He
10:19-25).
Concerning sin,
it is that we do not believe Him (Jn 16:9).
The Holy Spirit works
in order that we may believe in Jesus and Him alone (2 Co 1:20-
21).
He who truly believes Jesus and receives His love
will receive the love of God (Jn 15:10).
○ Let us love Jesus truly.
Then,
we will receive the love of Jesus.
○ If we receive the true love of Jesus
we will receive the love of God
and become God’s children.
○ Since he who does not receive the love of God
cannot become a child of God,
the Holy Spirit does not acknowledge him.
※By believing in Jesus,
let us receive the love of God
and be filled with the Holy Spirit.
2016.09.25_Testimony for the Children of God
[1John 5:1-12]
God
sent His Son to the world
to save mankind from destruction (1 Jn 4:14).
Jesus embraced us into His arms
and thereby gave us life,
made us children of God,
and leads us to eternal life (Jn 5:24).
That which bears witness to the legitimacy of our faith
is the historical fact that Jesus came to the earth
by water and blood,
while the most powerful testimony is
the testimony of the Holy Spirit
who confirms this through the Church (1 Jn 5:5-8).
The apparent evidence of those who are perishing,
that is, still under sin,
is their acts of evil towards others (Ep 4:31-32).
The Lord Jesus
commanded God’s children
to put love into action,
in order that the fact they belong to God
is made evident through outward acts
as well as the internal testimony of the Holy Spirit.
The new commandment
is the most important commandment
which the Spirit-led church must obey (1 Jn 3:23-24).
○ Let us constantly train ourselves to have
a loving heart and attitude towards our fellow members.
○ Let us be of one heart and mind in loving the church,
in order that our hearts and minds do not fall into temptation.
○ Let us pray continuously
for our church.
※ Let us receive the testimony that we are God’s children
by loving the Church
in our faith life before God.
2016.09.18_The Gospel Which Overcomes Despair
[Luke 7:11-17]
God
is eternally the source of blessedness.
God shares His blessedness to
all who are in Him (Gen 22:18).
He sent His Son to the world
so that the world may have His blessedness
through His Son (1 Jn 4:9).
However, despair and hopelessness is always lurking,
for a shadow of misfortunes hangs over the world,
and people are weary.
Jesus Christ
has compassion for this world
and thus desires to heal the world
and give God’s happiness.
The Lord who met with the widow of Nain in the path of despair,
is the Lord of us all (Lk 7:16).
The Lord who is with us by the Holy Spirit (1 Co 3:16)
does not only save us
from the misfortunes of this world
but wants us to live happily in His eternal kingdom (Jn 14:2-3).
There is no despair in the gospel.
○Let us remember that the gospel
which overcomes despair
is made alive through our action.
○Let us repent and restore our soul
and change our hearts and actions
in order to overcome despair and hopelessness.
○Let us remember that
God’s blessedness is a privilege
given to those who proclaim the gospel.
※ The gospel is the power of the merciful God
which puts an end to all despair and hopelessness.
2016.09.11_Commit Your Spirit to the Lord
[Acts 7:54-60]
God
created and gave a spirit to man, as well as a body.
Man’s flesh is a finite existence
which returns to dust after death (Ge 3:19).
However man’s spirit never fades away
though the flesh dies.
Hence
we would need to act with prudence and resolution
regarding the life which will continue
after death (He 9:27-28).
The spirit of the man who have been saved
will be in Paradise when his flesh dies,
and resurrect into an eternal body
when the Lord Jesus returns (1 Co 15:51-52),
to go to heaven.
However for the unbeliever’s spirit,
a terrible punishment that lasts for eternity
will be waiting for them (2 Th 1:8-9).
For this reason,
we must commit our spirits to Jesus Christ (Ac 7:59)
whilst we are still living in the flesh
so that He may lead us by His word.
The works of the Lord Jesus and His words
are power and the only way to heaven and eternal life (Jn 6:68).
○ Let us use up our flesh in order to fulfill
the duty and charge given by our Lord (1 Co 15:58).
○ Let us live in closeness to the Spirit of the Lord
who will later resurrect us.
○ For the work of saving souls is a privilege of those
who have entrusted their spirits to the Lord,
let us prepare our hearts to evangelize.
※ Let us become a receptive church
to the word
which the Lord is giving to our church.
2016.09.04_The Self-Existent One
[Exodus 3:13-14]
God
is the one and only, self-existing One (Ex 3:14)
who is from eternity to eternity.
He is the Creator
who upholds,
governs and cares for all creations
by His word (He 1:3).
However, mankind strayed from God
and committed a great sin of trying to live on his own.
Since then, man has a chronic habit of
taking charge of his life without God,
and thus could not escape the bondage of sin.
Christ, God’s word incarnate
who came to the earth (Jn 1:14),
not only forgave us our weighty sin
of taking charge of our own lives (Eph 1:7),
but embraces us in His arms
and leads us by His word
in order that we may now overcome
the force of such a sin (Jn 16:13-14).
We are the glorious body of the Lord
charged with the duty to guide the souls from the world
into the grace of God (Mt 28:19-20).
○ Through tithes,
let us take the right first step
of our faith life.
○ Let become one body
by relying on God’s grace and favor
in our minds and actions.
○ Let us consider the saints with love and care
and exert ourselves to be a church of remarkable strength.
※ Let us focus our lives
on Jesus Christ.
2016.08.28_The Work of God
[John 6:22-33]
God
is the Lord of life,
whereas man carries a fatal and critical weakness
of the absence of life.
Nothing in this world can give us life (1 Jn 5:12).
Thus we are in desperate need of
God’s life.
God sent Jesus Christ into the world,
to give life to all men (Jn 10:10).
Therefore, what we must seek from God
are not the trifling things that satisfy the flesh (Jn 6:26).
God’s work is about giving life (Jn 20:31),
and He continues His life-giving ministry
through those who have received His life
until the end of this world.
God
commissioned us to do His work (Jn 6:29).
We who are the church of Christ
ought to fulfill His work
with all our strength and heart full of thanksgiving.
This means that the way to eternal life which once was impossible
has now been opened for us (Jn 6:40).
○ Let us regard the life we have
as our greatest joy
and give thanks.
○ Through strong and loyal teamwork,
let us faithfully carry out
the work of life which God is giving us.
○ Let us zealously learn and practice the virtues of
love, kindness, care and respect in our church life,
and become the church that successfully achieves God’s work.
※ In this way, let us attain eternal life
by eating and drinking of Jesus.
2016.08.21_God’s Pain and the Church
[Matthew 26:36-46]
God,
our eternal father
sacrificed His Son who is forever one with Him (Jn 10:30).
to save us,
who are lowly, full of sin and mere creations.
God had to suffer the great pain (Ge 3:15)
of giving His Son over to death,
while the Son also had to bear the great pain (Mt 26:38)
of the way of the cross,
giving His life to save us.
God’s suffering
gave us a future and an identity (Jn 1:12)
so that we may never
suffer pain again.
We who are the church of Jesus Christ
must not lose our gratitude and reverence
towards the Lord for a single moment
while we are on the earth
where the Lord was afflicted,
that is, until these times of crisis all pass away.
Moreover, we ought to make sure
His pains result in great salvation
and the power of eternal life in our church (Jn 3:16).
For that, we also ought to carry the cross (Lk 9:23).
○ Love and sacrifice for the saints
are our duty.
○ Let us overcome this material world
and unite as one
for the success of the Lord’s church.
○ Let us have the faith to
overcome the hardships we encounter.
※ Let us together give glory and thanks
for the pain the Lord suffered.
2016.08.14_Christ Who Came in the Flesh
[1John 4:1-12]
God
is spirit,
yet through His Son, He met with mankind.
The Son of God came to the earth in flesh
and shed His blood for our deliverance (He 10:19-20).
He is the Father’s love,
who came to us from the Father
as Truth.
Our faith is guaranteed of a more potent power (1 Jn 5:4-5)
than any powers in heaven or on earth,
and worth more than anything of this world.
The reason for this is
found in the wonderful truth of how
Christ came in the flesh to give us the love of God.
By loving one another in our life of faith (1 Jn 4:11-12),
we ought to acknowledge how we received God’s love,
and thereby
perfect the love of God.
This is a sign of faith which one who received grace
must have first and foremost,
and is an act of obedience to Christ’s commandment (1 Jn 3:23).
○ Let us surely acknowledge
the grace the Lord has given
by loving the Church.
○ Let us be the Church
where God’s promised gifts are manifested
on account of the Lord’s coming in the flesh.
○ Let us become the church
that reveals God’s love by loving
and thus bear great fruits of evangelism.
※ Let us serve the saints
with a grateful heart while humbling ourselves
every time we remember the Lord’s grace.
2016.08.07_The Church with the Key of Heaven
[Matthew 16:13-20]
God
is our Lord who saves and helps us.
The Church
is a gathering of those that have faith
in Jesus Christ, the Son of God;
God brings them together by the Holy Spirit
and protects (1 Co 1:2).
The devil is God’s enemy and our enemy.
With the world under his power,
the devil tries leads mankind to destruction through deception.
The Lord who already condemned the devil (Jn 16:11)
commissioned us, His church to work
and we uphold and obey His will with all of our might.
The Lord gave us the key of heaven (Mt 16:19)
to support us with His authority and power
and help us overcome the power of the devil.
Through faith
founded on strong team work,
love and encouragement (Rm 12:5-8),
the Lord’s church must be able to deliver souls,
heal the sick, fight against poverty,
and overcome hardships.
○ Let us join together in prayer
to fully achieve the work
the Lord entrusted to His church (Rm 12:11-12).
○ Let us always share
our love to and encourage to other saints
so they may have the strength to overcome the world.
○ Let us fully trust the Lord
who helps us in our life of faith.
※ For the key of heaven
is with us,
let us fight together with all of our strength.
2016.07.31_The Precious Blood and Life
[John 6:52-59]
God
sent His Son to the world
to shed His blood in order to save mankind.
Though God must punish man
when He sees sin in him,
He gives grace
when He sees His Son’s blood (He 13:12).
Sin leads to death and destruction,
however
blood can do away sins (Lev 17:11).
The power to wash away man’s sins forever
is only found
in the blood of God’s Son (Rm 3:25).
Christ calls those who have been washed by His blood
as His church,
and commissions them with the duty to proclaim His blood.
This is so that
we may be without shame before the Father
as those who will share in His glory later (Rm 8:17).
○ Let us not forget that the Lord’s precious blood
covers our sins from the eyes of the Father
who watches us.
○ For us who proclaim the Lord’s blood,
emptying ourselves, sacrifice, consideration for the Church,
and obedience to the pastor are absolute and fundamental (He
13:17).
○ In order to share in the Lord’s glory in heaven,
let us bear the suffering together
even if there is no glory on earth.
※ Let us grow our church together
and bring joy to the Lord who leads us.
2016.07.24_A True Heart and in Full Assurance of Faith
[Hebrews 10:19-25]
God
earnestly desires those who sincerely repent.
Though Jesus Christ came to the world
to show the will and nature of God
who is full of love,
He will later return as a fearsome, righteous Judge
who will execute punishment for sins (Jn 5:22, 27).
Those who have repented
belong to Christ
and thus must not return to
the deeds and ways of their old selves (Ep 4:22-24, Col 3:8-10).
They must continue with a true heart and in full assurance of faith
as the ones who received the remission of sins (He 10:22).
Our church
is the fruit of the blood of the Lord (Ac 20:28)
who laid down His own life to serve;
and as our church is a glorious inheritance (Ep 1:18-23)
which He entrusted us to take care of,
we ought to serve with great love.
By doing so,
we are able to bear spiritual fruits,
prepare for the kingdom of heaven,
and receive the great grace of the Lord.
○ For God wants us to
take after His nature,
let us discard the nature of our old selves.
○ Let us remember that
the duty to serve the Church is
the inheritance given us, the children of God.
○ Let us continue in repentance and thanksgiving.
※ Let us lead our life of faith
with a heart of repentance, that is,
with a true heart and in full assurance of faith.
2016.07.17_Saints Who Do the Will of the Father
[Matthew 12:46-50]
God
sent His Son to the world and showed His great mercy
for all mankind according to His will (1 Jn 4:14).
He seeks
sinners who repent (Lk 5:32).
The will of God is to forever love
those who obey the Lord
by humbly serving the Church
with a heart of repentance (He 5:9).
He
loves and helps those who offer to Him
their lives of repentance and obedience.
The Holy Spirit came
to guide the Church
to fulfill that will daily (1 Co 12:11).
God gave His will to the Church
and the Church fulfils His will.
Hence,
the Church is like God’s courts
where we must uphold God’s will (1 Ti 3:15).
The new commandment is the foundation of our faith
which fulfills God’s will (1 Jn 3:23).
○ Let us trust the Church and
become a more trustworthy congregation.
○ Let us build a life
of absolute obedience
to God’s will.
○ Let us all become
the Church’s brother, sister
and mother.
※ Until the end of this world,
let us not forget how we used to be sinners,
and together completely fulfill God’s will.
2016.07.10_Faith and Patience that Overcomes Temptations
[James 1:12-18]
God
is forever immutable (Jas 1:17).
Jesus Christ
who is God’s unchanging truth and faithful
is our Lord who leads us to heaven.
He came as man and endured temptations
through patience (Mt 4:1-11),
and kept His faith by obeying God (Rm 5:19).
Thus He Himself demonstrated the reality of faith,
that we cannot overcome temptations
nor keep our faith without patience (Jas 1:12).
As God begot us
by the word of truth (Jas 1:18),
we are the ones who must take after
Christ’s nature of patience.
Patience
is an essential virtue
which the Lord demands us to have
in order to receive God’s guidance.
For faith is complete through obedience to God’s word,
and obedience requires patience.
◎ Let us not forget
How the Lord demands from us
a faith life of patience.
◎Let us overcome our carnal lusts
through patience
and thus endure temptations.
◎ Let us remember that
we can only fulfill the new commandment
when we are equipped with the virtue of patience.
※ Let us grow our faith
upon the foundations of patience and hope
to overcome all temptations and challenges
2016.07.03_Christ’s Grains of Wheat
[John 12:20-28]
God
is He who is to be glorified (Rm 11:36),
and glorified through the Son.
Christ’s life of suffering and death
glorified God (Jn 17:4).
Christ said
He laid down His life to take it up again (Jn 10:17),
and just as a grain of wheat falls into the ground
and dies to bear fruit,
He saved us and gave us the kingdom of heaven (Jn 14:2-3)
by sacrificing Himself.
Christians are the ones
who do not spare themselves
but give all their love
for the Lord’s church,
for only when they do so,
can they glorify God the Father.
The Lord’s saints
are members of His body
who must bear fruits through evangelism (2 Ti 4:2),
and thereby bring glory to God
as Christ’s only grains of wheat in this world.
○ Let us train ourselves
to be the Christians
who give their lives in service to the Church
like a grain of wheat.
○ Let us train ourselves
in order to humble ourselves
and respect the saints of the church.
○ Let us all be the church that evangelizes
and together bear fruits
of Christ’s sacrificial life.
※ Let us bring glory to God
by becoming the Lord’s grains of wheat
that serve Christ’s church
2016.06.26_Do You Love Me
[John 21:15-17]
God
is love.
For the world to know the truth (Jn 14:6)
He sent Jesus Christ,
who is truth.
The new commandment which the Lord Jesus commanded is,
“Love one another” (Jn 13:34).
To love one another is to love the Lord,
When the Lord Jesus asks,
“Do you love me?”
we must have a true confession of our faith.
Whoever does not love the Lord
does not love God;
whoever loves the Lord
loves his neighbors truly (1 Jn 4:18).
He who loves his neighbor saves, teaches and nurtures his soul
to become a true saint.
To makes excuses not to work,
is an act of betraying the Lord Jesus.
Hence let us humbly obey.
The Holy Spirit watches us.
○If you love Jesus
then feed His lambs
and win souls.
○If you truly love Jesus,
do not dishearten saints
but love and nurture them.
○If you truly love Jesus,
the Lord says you must take care of His sheep.
This is the Lord’s command.
※Our faith is truth.
It is true and without deceit.
It is love
2016.06.19_The Day the Christian Church was Born
[Acts 2:1-13]
God
so loved the world
that for the world, He made atonement for sin,
and had His Son shed His blood (Jn 3:14-16).
He gathered everyone who believe in that blood in the Upper
room
and moved them by the Holy Spirit
and had them speak in tongues (Ac 2:2-4).
This is the beginning of the Christian Church.
The Holy Spirit
enables everyone in the Church to speak in tongues
so that the old man becomes a new person,
that is, one who belongs to Him.
He who speaks in tongues speaks the mysteries of the spirit
to God in the spirit (1 Co 14:2).
Speaking in tongues is a testimony
that he has become a child of God
and a way to show God
that he exists for Christ.
Though man’s tongue is hard to tame (Jas 3:8),
from the time one begins to speak in tongues,
his words, mind and actions begin to change
and finally, he receives
the guidance of the Holy Spirit within the Lord’s church.
○Let us be filled by the Holy Spirit
and commit our tongues
to God (Jas 3:6).
○Let us be filled by the Holy Spirit
and transform our
whole personality.
○Love and care toward saints are fundamental obligations
of all saints who speak in tongues.
※Let us be filled by the Holy Spirit
and be faithful to the Lord
who raises the Church.
2016.06.12_Our Souls which are the Children of God
[John 1:1-18]
God
is one and only.
He
self-existed with the Son from eternity past,
and all things were created through and for His Son (Jn 1:1-3).
This truth is made known to us
by the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth (Jn 16:13-14).
The truth is the Word (Jn 14:6);
the Word is light and life,
and His name is Jesus.
Those who have the name Jesus,
have received the right to become children of God (Jn 1:12)
and see the glory of God the Father (Jn 1:14).
God’s children are first class people.
They received such great love for the first time,
which is faith (Rev 1:4).
Faith is not a religion.
Though religion, ethics and morality
can make one a great person,
he is in absence of the glory to be a child of God.
Hence one must not forsake his first love to attain eternal life.
○Let us be first class people.
Let us receive the name Jesus and have everlasting life.
Let that name be the light that shines in our life.
○Since we received an everlasting first love,
let us love God truly
and love our neighbors according to His commandment.
○Let us enjoy our rights as children of God
and follow the Lord,
knowing that we are a first class people.
※We are first class citizens.
We are citizens of heaven,
the children of God
2016.06.05_Commemorate the Lord Jesus
[1Corinthians 11:23-29]
God
found us who were lost.
Now
He uses us
to seek others who are lost.
Though we are clothed with flesh,
we who are spiritual beings in essence,
are glorious vessels
who serve God’s ministry of salvation (2 Co 4:7).
The Lord Jesus commanded us to take the Lord’s Supper
to commemorate His death (1 Co 11:24-26).
By taking the Lord’s Supper,
we remember and give thanks for His love and grace,
and thereby undergo a real transformation
as those commissioned to save the souls in the world.
We are fellow workers who love and encourage one another (Jn
13:34)
to overcome the power of the world (Jn 16:33)
and fulfill our duty to save souls.
The new commandment was given by the Lord
as a commandment which we must take the initiative to keep
with all our heart and body
in order to build up and strengthen Christ’s church.
○Let us never forget
that we are those who proclaim of
the Lord’s flesh and blood (Lk 22:19-20).
○ Let us demonstrate our thanks for God’s love
by showing love and kindness
toward one another.
○Let us keep the new commandment always
and become the church that saves souls.
※We who proclaim of
the Lord’s flesh and blood
are the Church of Christ
2016.05.29_Be Salt and Light
[Matthew 5:13-16]
God
is the Father.
He revealed to the world
the Word which is the foundation of creation (He 11:3),
that is, Jesus Christ who is God’s righteousness.
For a person to have righteousness (Mt 5:20),
means He has Jesus Christ.
Hence without Jesus, one does not have righteousness (Jn 16:10),
meaning he is unrighteous;
whoever has Jesus, is loved by God as the righteous one.
Though men repay based on works
as a measure of righteousness (Rm 8:33-34),
God desires for us to receive grace (Ep 2:8).
God’s grace is salt and light; it is forever immutable.
Therefore,
whoever received grace becomes light (Mt 5:14),
and seasoning that flavors the world.
This is the testimony of the righteous.
This testimony does not mean we ourselves boast
about having received grace;
rather, others should be able to acknowledge it (Mt 5:16).
The Holy Spirit operates for us to become salt and light,
and Jesus is the foundation of salt and light.
○Let us be the light of the world.
Since Jesus came to the world as light,
those who believe in Jesus must become light.
○Let us be the salt of the world.
For Jesus became the hope of the world,
those who believe in Jesus must demonstrate their hope.
○Because believers do not have light,
there is none that follow them;
because they have no flavor, there is none that follow them.
※Let us shine our light.
Let us give off our flavor.
Let us become the righteous ones as those who received grace.
2016.05.22_Amen Church
[2Corinthians 1:18-20]
God
gave us the Gospel
and thus saved us.
He
entrusted us with the Gospel
and wants us to proclaim it to the peoples of the world (Rm
10:14-15).
hough it is our soul which received in Gospel ,
it is with our heart and body that we spread the Gospel.
However, if we do not train our heart and body,
through which the Gospel is spread (1 Th 2:10),
to be of good use,
our soul cannot fulfill its duty of proclaiming the Gospel.
In particular, our sincere heart and lips
should cry out “Amen!” to the Gospel
which contains God’s everlasting love (Rm 10:9-10)
and receive it in (2 Co 1:20).
In doing so,
the saints’ souls are awakened,
their hearts are set,
they are driven to move their bodies
and the Church will have the energy to spread the Gospel.
○Each of us
ought to be trained to shout out “Amen!”
every time we hear the truth about grace.
○As we shout “Amen!”
let us do so together with the saints
as if we are praising together.
○Let us
not forget that we have a calling
as mediators of the Gospel every day.
※The Amen Church
is the only vessel on the earth
that displays the authority of the kingdom of the Lord Jesus.
2016.05.15_What the Lord Wrote With His Finger
[John 8:1-11]
God
is the Word of eternal life.
By His word
He saved mankind who was doomed to perish (Jn 5:24).
The Son of God came to the world
to fulfill the Law with the Gospel
through His word (Mt 5:17-19).
The Law is
the word which God gave through an angel (Gal 3:19)
whereas the Gospel is
the word which the Lord gave Himself (He 2:3-4).
While the world was condemned by the word
which was delivered by an angel,
it is saved by the word of the Lord.
In this world where there is no one righteous,
the Lord wrote something for the sinners:
“Whoever believes he is without sin
must be condemned after reading this,
but sinners must be saved from reading this.”
Though this writing is forever invisible,
it is that which only sinners can read, the word of salvation.
Even now the Lord stoops down and speaks in our defense.
○Let us fill our hearts with
what the Lord wrote with His finger
and repent together.
○Let us love the church,
the Lord’s body.
○Let us discharge our duty
to preach the Gospel.
※Though the writings of the world may all be erased,
what the Lord wrote with His finger
will never be violated.
What the Lord wrote,
has everlasting salvation for us.
2016.05.08_Holy Spirit Who Perfects Our Faith
[Acts 19:1-7]
God
is He who does His work,
who fulfills His own will (Jer 33:2).
For He
does not accomplish His great will alone
but does so through His Son (He 1:2),
nothing is fulfilled without the Son (Jn 1:3)
Just as God knew
how the world needs His Son,
the Lord Jesus knew also
that we must receive the Holy Spirit.
Hence God commanded His Son what to do (Jn 10:17-18),
Jesus fulfilled God’s will (Jn 6:38-40)
and sends the Holy Spirit
to the saints
to help them in accordance with God’s will (Rm 8:27).
The works of Jesus which fulfilled God’s will
is being testified to
in the hearts of the saints by the Holy Spirit (2 Pe 1:19-21),
and finally,
fruits of the Gospel are borne
through the deeds of the saints.
○Saints ought to
eagerly obey the inspiration of the Holy Spirit
and bear witness to the greatness of the power of the blood.
○Saints are the members of the Lord’s body,
commissioned with the duty to proclaim the Gospel
by the Holy Spirit as Jesus has willed.
○The new commandment is
absolutely imperative for the ministry of the Lord
in guiding the saints.
※We cannot have faith
without the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Let us be moved by the Holy Spirit and perfect our faith.
2016.05.01_The Flesh and Blood of Jesus
[John 6:41-59]
God is alive.
For He
sent His only begotten Son to the world
to give everlasting life (Jn 3:16),
Jesus is the everlasting life that came down from heaven (Jn
6:48).
Though man’s flesh was given a natural lifespan,
God desired to give his soul everlasting life (Jn 6:63).
Our faith is about encountering God
and having everlasting life
through His flesh and blood (Jn 6:53-55).
Anyone who has seen Jesus has seen the Father;
anyone who has seen the Father has God’s life (Jn 14:10)
and His power to be His witness (Jn 14:17).
Whereas religious and superstitious people cannot
show what they believe,
those who believe in God
are able to demonstrate their faith (Mk 16:20).
For our faith is a reality,
it has the power of the Holy Spirit, God’s word and His blood.
We are the temples of God (1 Co 3:16-17).
○We must meet God and receive Him in.
Jesus is the image of the Father,
the commandment of God.
○Whoever believes in Jesus will do the works He has done,
and even greater works than them,
that is, be His witness to the ends of the earth.
○Taking the Lord’s Supper
is about commemorating the works of the truth.
The blood of Jesus is at work starting from the cross,
in the present, and forevermore.
※One should not be dismayed because he cannot see God,
but look upon Jesus and receive Him in.
Jesus abides in him who belongs to Jesus.
2016.04.24_Be Blessed with God’s Happiness
[Matthew 5:1-12]
God
is the maker of blessings,
and One who commands those blessings (Num 23:20).
He commanded two kinds of blessings;
one is for the physical life in the world,
while the other is spiritual, namely an everlasting blessing (Ps
133:3).
Though every man has received the physical blessing (Ge 1:28),
the spiritual blessing is only for those
who rejoice with God’s blessing.
To have God’s happiness
is truly a great blessing
that is incomparable to the pleasures of this world.
To work for Christ
is greater riches than the treasures in Egypt (He 11:25).
Hence God’s blessedness is
a privilege enjoyed only by the souls
who dedicate themselves for His church.
God dwells where there is His blessedness (Ge 2:3),
and by His blessedness,
He abides with those
who serve His church with love, humility and perseverance.
○Through repentance and change,
we must be resolved to be joyful
with God’s blessedness alone.
We have to remember that
God’s blessedness remains within souls
who demonstrate their ardent love for the Lord’s church.
○The new commandment
is the greatest commandment the Lord gave us
in order to keep us by the blessedness of God.
※Let us actualize our love for the Church, the Lord’s body,
so that we do not reject God’s happiness
which He commanded for our sake.
2016.04.17_Do Not Blaspheme Against the Holy Spirit
[Matthew 12:31-37]
Christ suffered
even to the point of death
in order to fulfill God’s will,
for God’s will is as great and precious.
He ascended to heaven
and sent the Paraclete Holy Spirit (Jn 15:26),
which was also for
the fulfillment of God’s will.
God does the works of heaven.
Christ accomplished God’s works to the point of death,
and so does the Holy Spirit
to the end of the age (Mt 28:19-20).
However the ministry of the Holy Spirit
within saints is not coercive but restrained.
Therefore if they obey the Holy Spirit,
the will of God would be fulfilled;
However, it will be limited
if they oppose the Holy Spirit.
Saints must be
inspired by the Holy Spirit.
○Through constant humility and repentance,
we ought to maintain a grateful heart
for the grace they received.
○We must give our best effort
at every worship and official meetings in the church,
in order for the church to be moved by the Holy Spirit.
○We should be moved by the Holy Spirit
to become the church that serves
to save souls and grow the church.
※All of us must be united as one
to partake in the work of the Holy Spirit,
for which everyone needs to submit his own will before the Holy
Spirit.
Let us become one and obey the Holy Spirit.
2016.04.10_The Reality of Faith
[John 14:1-17]
God
is living.
He revealed Himself to the world
and gave us faith (Jn 3:16).
through Jesus Christ.
No one has ever seen God (Jn 1:18),
but we have seen the One who came from His bosom.
Jesus ascended to heaven after the resurrection
and is seated at the right hand of God (Ac 7:56),
where He is preparing our dwelling place.
He will surely return to take us at the appointed time.
This is our faith and hope (Mt 24:37).
Our faith is not a religion but a reality.
Jesus has the power of God, for He is in the Father (Jn 14:11);
similarly, whoever believes in the Lord
will do what the Lord has done (Jn 14:12).
And for this He said,
“Receive the Holy Spirit” (Ac 1:8).
True faith must not lack in God’s power (1 Co 4:20).
Whoever has faith must do what Jesus has done.
The Holy Spirit guarantees this forever (Jn 14:16).
○We must believe how Jesus who is in the Father
has done the Father’s works.
Our faith is a reality.
○Whoever believes in Jesus and abides in Him
will do what Jesus has done.
Our faith is not a religion but a reality.
○Those who believe in Jesus
have the power of Jesus,
for Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever.
※Why do you boast of your lack of power
as though it indicates a sound faith?
Repent of it and receive God’s power.
2016.04.03_The Key of Heaven
[Matthew 16:13-20]
God
is the creator.
For He created all things for His Son,
the Son is the Lord of all creations (He 1:2-3).
He gave His saints a key,
namely the authority to acquire heaven and earth
and all creations (Mt 16:19).
They received it
through the Holy Spirit;
it is the key of heaven (Jn 3:5-8).
This is also called faith,
which must be accompanied by obedience;
faith without obedience cannot receive anything (Jas 2:26).
One cannot acquire the key of heaven even if he is a Christian
unless he puts his faith to work;
but he will be given it if he obeys in faith,
for this is the power of Jesus Christ and His promise (Mt 28:18).
The name of Jesus and faith are one and the same (Jn 1:12).
The name of Jesus is the key of heaven.
This is the right of the children of God.
The Holy Spirit guarantees this.
○Let us have faith.
Let us trust in the name of Jesus.
Our faith becomes the key of heaven when it is sealed.
○We are able to see the glory of God’s kingdom
and receive God’s power and blessings
while we are on earth.
○Do not ignore the key of heaven God gave us,
but use it for everything,
and it will be opened in heaven.
※ Let us have the confidence
that Jesus is the Son of God
and the Christ.
2016.03.27_Our Goal is the Resurrection
[1 Corinthians 15:1-11]
God
is the Father of life.
He has given faith to the world,
namely the resurrection (Jn 11:25-26).
Our faith is not a religion,
but God-given faith (Jn 20:27).
Jesus is the resurrection,
and whoever believes this will be saved (Jn 20:29).
Just as He foretold His resurrection (Mt 16:21),
Jesus rose again from the dead (Mt 28:5-10).
He preached concerning this faith and power,
which is the Gospel and truth (1 Co 15:15).
In order for us to be resurrected like the Lord,
we must be united to the Lord Jesus (Rm 6:5).
For this,
we first have to receive the remission of sins (Ac 2:32),
receive baptism as an experience of faith,
and receive the Holy Spirit by grace (Jn 3:5).
The Holy Spirit will give life to our mortal bodies (Rm 8:11).
We must have the marks of Jesus
to partake in the resurrection of Jesus.
○All flesh will die eventually.
However the spirit will be resurrected.
There will surely be the resurrection of the dead and the living.
○No one can see God
without the resurrection.
Resurrection means eternal life.
○We must overcome the world
as we head for the goal of resurrection.
We must be victorious with Jesus Christ.
※Be holy.
Await the resurrection with perseverance.
The Lord Jesus is truth.
2016.03.20_Love is to Forgive
[Matthew 18:21-35]
God
is love.
He loved the world
with everlasting love (Jn 3:16)
and demonstrated His love on the cross,
even to the point of shedding His blood (1 Co 1:18).
The world is filled with suffering, for it is in absence of love;
it is filled with resentment because there is no love.
The world is devoid of forgiveness,
and hence devoid of freedom,
and filled with worldly religions and superstitions.
The Law was found weak,
for it is devoid of forgiveness (Rm 8:3);
but life is found in the Gospel
because there is the forgiveness of love (Jn 10:10).
While the world is teeming with people
who have not been forgiven,
we have received forgiveness (Ep 2:8);
we have received the love of God (Mt 3:17).
Jesus is the Savior of love,
and the Holy Spirit is the Paraclete of love (Gal 5:22).
Love means to forgive one another (Mt 5:7).
○One day, we will all depart from this earth.
And we will leave behind everything
that cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven.
○Love we will take with us,
but everything devoid of love will be left behind.
If we do not receive God’s love, we will be left behind.
○To forgive is to love.
We ought to forgive even seventy times seven,
and love, just as Jesus shed His blood
※Jesus Christ is love.
His blood is love,
and His grace is everlasting love.
2016.03.13_The Good and Faithful Servant
[Matthew 24:37-51]
God
is the Lord of heaven and earth.
He
created the heavens and the earth
and placed His servants there (Ge 2:1-17);
angels in heaven (Eze 28:14-15)
and His stewards on earth (Mt 20:1-6).
The Lord Jesus will surely return
just as He ascended to heaven (Jn 14:1-3).
Until then, those who have been entrusted with His work
are the archangels in heaven
and His stewards on earth.
The anointed ones are His stewards
who have been put in charge in place of the Master.
Hence
they must be on guard while the Master is away
and look after the Master’s household and possessions.
When the archangel anointed in heaven fell,
he became Satan (2 Pe 2:4);
when a steward anointed by God falls away,
he will be cast out as a hypocrite (2 Pe 2:5-8).
○God is living.
His servants whom He has put in charge with His work
must prove faithful with a sense of ownership.
○A day of punishment will surely come
to whoever disobeys God’s will.
Thus let us be the servants who are praised on that day.
○The servants that act with a sense of ownership
will be faithful and pleasing to God,
and God will certainly reward them
※Saints!
Let us all be faithful stewards,
and take care of God’s work as our own.
2016.03.06_We are Baptists
[Matthew 3:13-17]
God is the only true Father.
We have to be baptized (Ac 1:4-)
in order to become His children.
Baptism is not a ritual but an actual experience.
It did not originate from man;
it is the will of God, and His command (Mt 3:13-15).
Though the Man from Nazareth
was born through the Holy Spirit, He was from David’s roots;
He fulfilled righteousness when He was baptized,
and was declared the Son of God (Rm 1:3-4).
As Jesus Christ commanded us(Ac 1:4-)
to be baptized with water and the Holy Spirit,
whoever is baptized
is finally called a child of God,
and the Holy Spirit seals and guarantees this (2 Co 1:21-22).
Our faith is a reality which we experience (Ac 19:1-5),
and it must be guaranteed by the Holy Spirit.
We ought to bury our old self in water
and be born again into a new person by the Holy Spirit.
That is a true Baptist.
○Through baptism, though our flesh remains unchanged,
our status is changed;
we are sanctified.
○Baptism without repentance is nothing more than a ritual,
by which we cannot draw God’s attention
nor receive the forgiveness of sins.
○The person who is baptized
belongs to Jesus Christ
and calls God as his Father.
※The ordinances of the Christian Church are experiences,
not ceremonial rituals.
Let us have God-given faith.
2016.02.28_Be Ready
[Hebrews 11:17-40]
God is He who rewards.
He gave faith
to the world
and commanded man to live by this faith,
which is the true righteousness of God (Jn 3:16, 16:10).
While religious perfection can be achieved without faith
and through moral cultivation alone (Mt 5:17-20),
the righteousness of God is the truth
which cannot be attained apart from faith (Gal 3:11).
•Consider the faith of Abraham (He 11:17-19).
•Consider the faith of Isaac (He 11:20).
•Consider the faith of Jacob (He 11:21).
God said He is their God (Ac 7:32).
Consider Moses (He 11:27-30).
He chose to suffer affliction with the people of God
than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin,
and esteemed suffering disgrace for the sake of Christ greater
riches
than the treasures in Egypt, for he looked to the reward.
People cannot see this glory
because they fail to demonstrate their faith before God.
The Holy Spirit comes only to help those who are ready (Rm 8:9).
○What have you offered to God in faith?
God is disappointed,
for you do not even heed His words.
○What have you done in faith?
Your love for the world is greater,
that you reject the matters of the kingdom of God.
○How will you live by faith?
Should we not sacrifice even our lives first for His kingdom and
His righteousness
to be ready to receive His blessings?
※Do not deceive God.
Do not worry about what to eat, or drink, or wear,
but seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.
2016.02.21_The Weightier Matters of the Law
[Matthew 23:23-24]
God is love.
His concern for the world
is on account of His great will (Mt 6:10).
The will of God is that He loves His Son (Jn 6:39-40),
for whom He created all things (Heb 1:3).
Therefore
when God sent His Son to the world,
He sent Him as the word of God (Jn 1:14).
The Word is the will of God which was in His bosom (Jn 1:18),
and man has to receive His words as His commandments (Jn
10:17-18).
The Law is God’s word,
and so is the truth,
both of which the foundation is love.
Hence
there must be love in righteousness;
love in mercy;
and love in faith.
Though we know the Law and believe the Gospel, if we have not
love,
then we have neglected the great will of God.
○Woe to him who understands the Law perfectly
but has not love,
which is the foundation of righteousness.
○Woe to him who fully accepts the Gospel
but has not love,
which is the foundation of mercy.
○Woe to him who has faith
but has not love,
which is the foundation of faith.
※As warned by Jesus Christ,
let us not neglect the weightier matters of
the Law, the Gospel and faith.
2016.02.14_Before the Door is Shut
[Matthew 25:1-13]
God
is absolutely infallible.
The years and time
of the world He created are perfect,
in accordance with
the Creator’s will and nature (Ecc 3:1-8).
Hence
the day and hour for all things
are in God’s authority (Mt 24:36-37).
We must observe the time in order to know God.
One generation passes away and another comes,
but God is forever immutable (Ecc 1:4-11)
There is a time when God opens the door
and a time when He shuts (Mt 25:13).
Wise is the Christian that discerns this,
but anyone that ignores this and acts on his own
will fail to enter through the door.
Fleshly ordinances ought to become spiritual discipline
that profit our spiritual life.
Man is under the restraint of time.
The one born of the Spirit must observe the time (Jn 3:8).
○When the time came, the Lord came up out of the Jordan;
when the time came, He preached the Gospel;
when the time came, He foretold of His resurrection.
○Do not be as the foolish virgins
who regret after the door is shut,
but enter in before it is shut.
○Do not think about the persons in the grave;
save souls before they are gone;
save your own soul.
※Worship time is a model that symbolizes
that hour in heaven.
Enter in before the door is shut.
2016.02.07_Receive Power
[Acts 1:6-11]
God is living.
Since all the worlds
were made according to the word of God (Heb 11:3),
God is the one and only true god (Jn 17:3).
God made a covenant with us
in order to give us eternal life (Jn 3:16),
and to reward
those who obey His will (Ac 5:32).
The Lord Jesus desires
that we receive power (Ac 1:8).
To give us power,
He gave the Holy Spirit into our hearts, and for that
He said we must receive the forgiveness of sins (Ac 2:38).
Only then can we be witnesses of Jesus
in this world.
He shed His blood on the cross
to fulfill all these things;
this is the truth (Jn 14:6).
He who loves God
must love his neighbors as a witness of Jesus.
○Put your trust in God’s word.
Jesus is the Word and the truth.
The Bible is His words.
○Jesus Christ is the same
yesterday, today, and forever.
Every word of God is effective.
○We must receive power.
This is an earnest request of the Lord Jesus
who died on the cross and resurrected.
※It is our duty
to become a witness of Jesus.
This is all that we must do in this world.
2016.01.31_Abstain From Idols
[1 Corinthians 10:14-22]
God
is holy.
He demands holiness
for He is holy (1 Pet 1:16).
Hence,
it is impossible to meet God
without holiness.
Everything in this world
is under the prince of the power of the air (Eph 2:2-3).
The way to redemption is no other
but the blood of Jesus Christ (Heb 9:22).
For this reason,
Jesus shed His blood on the cross (1 Co 1:18).
Now that we drank His blood (Jn 6:53-55),
we should not drink what is unclean.
The sacrifices of the Gentiles are offered to idols,
and idols are spiritually unclean (1 Co 10:19-20).
Whoever loves God
must flee from idolatry (Ex 20:4-6).
Idolaters and their children will be cursed,
down to the third and fourth generations.
We have to keep holiness by the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
○We are
the body of Jesus Christ,
His holy members.
○The members of His body ought to please Him.
Idols are images of demons,
and to worship demons will result in curses.
○Let us receive God’s love.
Let us be loved by keeping holiness
and abstaining from idols.
※God is the living ruler.
We must forever give our heart, will and soul to God.
2016.01.24_Be Chosen
[Matthew 22:1-14]
God
is the ruler.
He is
the Lord of all creations (Heb 1:3),
the King who governs man’s life and death.
God called us (Jn 1:39)
to give us life and blessing (Jn 6:65).
Whoever ignores God’s will and follows his own ways
will be without hope,
for he does not have the holy gift of heaven(Jn 6:66-67).
God’s word is a commandment, the power that sanctifies (Mt
8:8).
The Law was given (Jn 1:17)
to guide man to Jesus Christ.
God gave us Jesus (Jn 3:16)
so that we might have faith.
He gave us the Paraclete Holy Spirit (2 Co 1:21-22).
in order to seal us.
Hence
the one who has been sealed is the chosen,
and the chosen (Mt 22:14)
is the man of heaven (Mt 25:34).
○Those who have the seal of the Holy Spirit
belong to the Holy Spirit;
they are the Lord’s.
○The man of the Lord
must put on the Lord Jesus.
He must put on the wedding garment of heaven.
○Grace does not mean we are pardoned infinitely;
it means we are sanctified without our own merits
and abide within the love of God.
※Let us be chosen.
Let us put on the Lord Jesus
and become His beloved ones.
2016.01.17_Render to God What is God’s
[Matthew 22:15-22]
God is the creator.
To Him belongs
heaven and earth and all things which He created (Heb 1:3).
All things that belong to God exist for Him alone (Ps 100:3),
and anything not used by God has no relationship with Him.
He has given over to the devil what is prepared for him (Mt
25:41);
they are the unbelieving, the disobedient, and the unrighteous.
Those that are for God and those for the world are different;
the former is spiritual and everlasting (Mt 5:10-12),
while the latter is necessary but not spiritual.
Hence, it cannot inherit the kingdom of God (1 Co 15:50).
Just as we must render to Caesar what is Caesar’s
and to God what is God’s
and thereby glorify Him,
if He commanded us to truly love God (Mt 22:37),
we must love Him wholly.
If He commanded us to love our neighbors,
we must love them wholly (1 Co 13:1-13).
We ought to prove faithful to our heavenly duties,
as well as to those of this world.
?He who lives by the Holy Spirit
will do the works of the Holy Spirit.
So be filled by the Holy Spirit.
?Whoever endeavors to live by God’s words
will obey His words.
May the word become his rich spiritual food.
?The righteous person
will love God.
Therefore, seek His kingdom and His righteousness.
?We have two separate responsibilities:
one for the kingdom of God
and another towards our neighbors.
2016.01.10_The Greatest Commandment
[Matthew 22:34-40]
God is righteous.
He gave faith to mankind (Jn 3:16),
and thereby revealed
His righteousness (Mt 23:23).
God’s purpose of creation is for His righteousness (He 1:2-3).
Thus to know the righteousness of God
is equivalent to knowing God (Jn 17:3);
to abide in His word means
to be the righteous man (Gal 3:11).
Since He sanctified us from our past sins,
now we must put on the Lord Jesus, who is God’s righteousness
(Rm 13:14)
God’s righteousness is not about a philosophy,
but a commandment that needs to be put into action (Mt 22:37-
38).
The greatest of all the commandments is that of love (1 Co 13:2).
To obey the commandment
is the way to seek God’s righteousness.
Jesus Christ is the righteous one,
so too is the man of the Holy Spirit.
○He who has faith has righteousness,
and such is the one who fulfills righteousness.
He is the man counted as righteous.
○Faith overcomes a multitude of sins and prevails,
and true love
is to abide within God.
○Only the one who loves God
and loves his neighbors in truth
fulfills righteousness.
※Let us put on righteousness.
Let us put on Jesus.
Let us become God’s holy saints.
2016.01.03_Let Us Keep the New Commandment
[John 13:31-35]
God
is the Father of Jesus Christ.
For He
placed mankind
within Jesus Christ (Jn 14:20),
faith means
to abide in Jesus Christ.
Jesus is our Lord (Mt 16:16-18)
and we are His true disciples (Jn 13:35).
His disciples
do what He commands (Jn 14:10-12);
they ought to obey His commandments.
Though mankind was put to death by the Law,
he received new life through Jesus (Rm 8:1-2).
Thus man must give all of his might to become a disciple of Jesus
and keep the new commandment
which is greater than the Law.
Though we died according to the Law,
we must testify before God
that we are made alive through the new commandment.
The Holy Spirit helps those who keep the new commandment.
○For the new commandment is more fearsome than the Law,
if one does not accept the new commandment,
he does not have life.
○Whoever does not keep the new commandment
cannot become a disciple of Jesus,
but a messenger of unbelief.
○Let us love one another.
Let us console one another
and bless the redeemed souls.
※To keep the new commandment is not the Gospel
but the duty of those who believe in the Gospel.
Let us love and love one another.