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My Soul and Remembrance
(Lk23:39-43)
God is omniscient.
He knows all and remembers all (Ps139:2) and
Perceives man’s thoughts, heart, plan etc (Job21:27) and
He takes those whom He remembers to His house (Lk23:42).
Faith is my soul knowing Him (Ps92:5) and
Faith life is a life of remembering the word and the works of God (Ps143:5), and
Moreover, a life of leaving oneself in His memory (Lk23:42)
For those who believe in creation must also believe in God’s power to remember.
Memory is an extremely important function, and
It is said that the era of cutting-edge civilization hinges on memory functions,
Demonstrated by the exponential growth of artificial intelligence capabilities today.
Similarly, it is no exaggeration to say that success in life depends on whether or not
One leaves behind good memory within the nation, society, and family to which one belongs.
The Bible says that those whom God remembers are those who fear Him (Ps115:13) and
It illustrates how God remembered Abraham the father of faith (Ge18:2-8), and
Delivered his descendants from trouble:
God led Lot’s family out just before the destruction of Sodom (Ge19:29);
He raised Joseph from prison to the second-in-command under the king of Egypt (Ge41:9–15);
He enabled Moses, who had lived in the royal court for 40 years,
To lead the enslaved Israel out of Egypt (Ac7:23) — all these happened because
God remembered His covent with Abraham (Ge15:13; Ex2:24, 12:41).
The Law was a law that remembered: By making the suspect drink the biter water that
Brings a curse, it made it impossible for anyone to conceal their guilt (Nu5:12-31).
While those who did not remember the deeds of Jehovah in the wildness for 40 years,
His redemption (Ps28:5, 78:42), and rather tried to go back to Egypt,
All died in the wilderness (Nu11:5; Neh9:17),
God nevertheless remembered Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Dt9:27) and
Led Joshua, Caleb and the later generation of Israel born in the wildness into Canaan.
When Samson, the mighty warrior whom the LORD remembered, was captured and about to die
Because of his sin, God strengthened him to get revenge on the Philistines (Jdg16:28-30);
King Hezekiah, who was about to die from an illness, received a 15-year extension of his life
After appealing to the LORD that
He had walked before Him faithfully and with wholehearted devotion (2Ki20:3-6; Is38:3).
The prophet cried out to Israel, who had forgotten God, to return (Is55:7–8), and
The Temple ensured them to remember and observe the LORD’s feasts (Lev23:2):
(1) The Passover; (2) the Feast of Unleavened Bread; (3) the Feast of Weeks;
(4) the Feast of Tabernacles, and (5) the Sabbath.
Yeshua said, “Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days,” because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body (Jn2:19-21):
Jehovah—the Law—the feasts—remembrance—animal/ sacrifice—a long life—the land of Canaan;
Yeshua—the truth—the day of the Son of Man—remember—the body of the only begotten Son/ sacrifice—eternal life—the Father’s house (Ps40:6-8).
During His public life, for He only thought of the Father’s works,
The Father remembered Him (Ps42:6-7) for
He is the incarnate Word who was with the Father in the beginning (Jn1:1, 14, 18).
He reminded the disciples who were worried about food of
How He fed 1000s with two fish and five loaves of bread in the wilderness (Mk8:17-19).
Peter, who asserted boldly that he would die with the Lord, denied the Lord in the face of threat,
But later remembering the Lord's words, wept bitterly and turned back (Lk22:31-34, 56-62);
He praised the poor widow who offered all she had to live on (Lk21:1-4),
While to the foolish virgins who ran out of oil and failed to enter the wedding banquet,
He gave the ultimately warning, ”I do not know you” (Mt25:10-12).
One of the thieves crucified next to Him accurately defended Yeshua Christ, and
In response, Yeshua remembered him and granted him to enter paradise (Lk23:42-43).
As He died, He said, “It is finished” (Jn19:30),
For He carried out the work of the Son of Man faithfully and wholeheartedly (Lk22:43-47; He5:7):
1) He died according to the Father’s command (Jn10:18); 2) condemned the liar the devil; and
3) His death—redeemed all mankind and set them free;
His blood—souls—> lets them remember God—so they become those whom God remembers.
He resurrected and ascended to heaven, and He is the Lamb on the throne.
The Advocate Holy Spirit lets the souls with the blood of Yeshua remember Him (Jn14:26) so
The Christian, whether in word or deed, does it all faithfully and wholeheartedly (Col3:17),
In order to be inscribed in the Lord’s remembrance:
1) With tears prays and repents; 2) Gives all that he has to live on; 3) Cares for the least of these (Mt25:34–46); 4) Proclaims the gospel with all his might (like the thief on the cross); and
5) Fights and overcomes—to keep, defend and teach the truth.
O Lord,
In that critical, final moment!
When my soul departs from my body! When the Lord returns!
Please remember my soul. Amen.
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The Comforter of My Soul
(Is61:1-3; 2Co1:1-4)
God is the God of all comfort (2Co1:3).
He comforts His people (Is49:13) and
By His word He comforts those in distress (Ps119:52).
Faith is being comforted by the fact that God is my Comforter and by His word (Is51:3).
Faith life is a life of encouraging one another with words (1Th4:18).
As humans seek comfort, especially in suffering, sadness, poverty, illness etc,
They long to be comforted by the words of the king, of those in power (2Sa14:17).
However, since Adam broke the commandment regarding the forbidden fruit
The souls of all men became hell-bound with the devil (Mt25:41),
While the flesh toils all its life, only to return to dust in the end—nothing but futile labor (Ge3:16-19)—
The man now “became like one of us," that is, one of the Trinity, knowing good and evil—
To experience death and life, thus, done according to God’s plan (Ge3:22).
While the slavery of Israel was toil without gain, when they cried out,
God remembered His covenant with their ancestors and set them free (Ex2:23-25).
Jehovah is the God of Israel’s comfort.
He commanded them to not make for themselves an image in the form of anything (Ex20:4),
For idolatry is an act of comforting oneself, invoking a blessing on themselves (Dt29:19)—
The act of rejecting God’s comfort.
The history of Israel is a history of suffering as the story of Job illustrates:
Even Job—blameless, righteous and distinguished by his fear of God—was tested by God.
He comforted himself amidst his pain and took pride in not having denied God's word (Job6:10).
Although his suffering continued because he deemed himself righteous,
In response to God's word that revealed that he is merely a creature, a handful of dust
He repented and humbled himself—ultimately receiving God’s comfort (Job42:12-13).
Israel took pride in being God’s chosen people and their righteousness by the Law.
So God led them to look only to His comfort by
Commanding their neighbors on every side to become their foes (La1:17).
Yet the prophecy was that Jehovah would comfort His people by redeeming Jerusalem (Is52:9) and
That the Messiah on whom the Spirit of the LORD comes,
He who will comfort all those who mourn and grieve, will come to Jerusalem (Is61:1-3).
Yeshua said, “Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days,” because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body, He would reform (He7:12):
Jehovah—the God of Israel’s comfort—the Law—comfort—flesh/ prosperity and growth;
Yeshua—the God of all nations—the truth—comfort—souls/ the Son of Man’s redemption (Mt20:28).
The rich man—died—in Hades—in the flame—agony;
Lazarus—died—to Abraham’s bosom—comforted (Lk16:19-25).
Being rich or poor is not, in itself, the criteria for one's fate in the afterlife;
The rich man had already received comfort and did not seek God’s comfort (Lk6:24; 16:24–25),
Whereas those who mourn—contrite over their sins—are blessed
To meet Yeshua, the Comforter (Mt5:4).
With no one comforting Him, not even His disciples (Ps77:2; La1:2, 21),
He died but said, “It is finished” (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1) Died according to the Father’s command and received the Father’s comfort (Jn10:18);
2) Condemned the devil who attempted to comfort himself (Is14:12-15); and
3) Death—redeemed all mankind—comforted Adam’s descendants used for God’s plan (Is63:16)
Blood—for souls—eternal comfort—the forgiveness of sin and God’s children (Jn1:12; Eph1:7).
He resurrected and ascended to heaven.
He is the Lamb on the throne who is eternally comforted for His suffering and work.
The Holy Spirit is the Comforter (paraklatos) who came
To comfort the Church and the saints (Jn14:16), and speaks the words of encouragement (Ac20:2).
The letters of the apostles greatly comforted the saints (Ac15:30-32; Rm15:4-5; 2Co7:4-10),
While the pastor encourages, comforts and urges the saints (1Th2:11-12).
The Christian knows that Yeshua alone is the Comforter of his soul:
He is the broken-hearted and contrite who confesses and mourns (Ps51:17; Mt5:4; 1Jn1:8-9);
He gave up the dreams, pleasures and hopes in the world because of Yeshua (Mk10:29-30); and
Comforts those in trouble with the words of encouragement (2Co1:3-4; 1Th4:18).
O Lord,
Since I have been comforted by Yeshua Christ, the King of kings,
Enable me to comfort those in distress and speak words of encouragement. Amen.
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My Soul and So Great A Salvation
(He2:1-3)
God is the God of salvation (Ps68:19).
Salvation belongs to Him (Ps3:8; Rev7:10) and He sends the Savior (Is19:20) and
Finally brings salvation to those who live for it (He9:28).
Faith is knowing that I am a soul that must be saved and that Yeshua Christ is my Savior (Mi7:7).
Faith life is pressing on until salvation is completed (2Ti4:7), working out my salvation with fear and trembling (Php2:12), and preaching the gospel of salvation (Rm10:13-15).
If being saved from natural disasters, battlefields, catastrophic events such as 9/11 is a big deal,
How much more the salvation from burning hell — so great a salvation (He2:3)!
In spite of this, liberal Christian theologies focus on material salvation from poverty, injustice etc.
However, the Bible warns that salvation is from the price of sin, from hell (Mk9:44; Rm6:23; 2Pe3:7);
The end result of faith is the salvation of my soul (1Pe1:9).
The Bible clearly says that Hades, the pit, darkness (Is14:15; 2Pe2:4), the universe,
“The first heaven and the first earth” (Ge1:1-2; Rev21:1), is reserved for the fire — hell (2Pe3:7-13);
Hell is the unquenchable fire, the lake of fire (Rev20:14), where
The resurrected spiritual bodies do not die (Mk9:43-49; Jn5:28-29; 1Co15:44).
Deceived by the devil, Adam, the ancestor of mankind, sinned (Ge2:17, 3:4-5) and
All men became bound for hell, prepared for the devil and his angels (Mt25:41; 2Pe2:4; Jude1:6).
The Bible is the history of God’s salvation:
Noah and his family built an ark and were saved from the deluge (He11:7);
Lot and his family fled Sodom and were saved from the brimstone fire (Ge19:29);
After the exodus, Israel was saved from disasters, distress, enemies etc (2Sa22:3; 2Ch20:9).
While the sanctuary reminded them that Jehovah is
The God of salvation who daily saves them (Ps68:19-20),
They forgot Him (1Sa10:19; Ps106:21; Is17:10) and
Rather asked the Egyptians to save them (Is31:1-3).
For such, they were repeatedly defeated and eventually lost their sovereignty.
Nevertheless, the prophecy said God will send a savior (Is19:20),
The Messiah who will proclaim salvation coming to Zion (Is52:7, 62:11).
Accordingly, virgin Mary conceived a son and
He was given the name Yeshua for He will save His people from their sins (Mt1:21).
Yeshua said, “Destroy the temple and I will raise it in three days,” because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body (Jn2:19-21), He will fulfill:
Jehovah—the God of the flesh of Israel—daily— saved bodies from reality (Jer32:27; Ps68:9);
Yeshua—the God of all spirits (He12:9)— forever—save souls from hell (Jn3:17, 12:47).
The miracles and the wonders that He displayed during His public life were
The signs that He is the Savior (Mt8:16, 25, 9:20-22) for
He is the Word from the beginning who became flesh (Jn1:1, 14),
To give salvation through the forgiveness of sins by giving His life as a ransom (Lk1:77; Mt20:28).
As He died on Zion (Ps14:7), His flesh tore to make a way out of hell (Jn10:9; He10:20), and
He said, “It is finished” (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1) Laid down His life according to the Father’s command for He revered the Father who alone could save Him from death (Jn10:18; He5:7-9);
2) Condemned the devil, the origin of sin (1Jn3:8); and
3) His death—redeemed—all mankind—delivered from sin and death;
His blood—souls who believe/ justified—to be saved from God’s wrath (Rm5:9).
He resurrected and ascended to the heavenly throne and
He became the source of eternal salvation, the Savior (Ac5:31; He5:9; Rev7:10).
The Holy Spirit who came in the name of Yeshua, the name of salvation (Ac4:12),
Proclaims the good news that saves those who believe in His name (Jn1:12; Ac16:31) and
Gathers believers into the church (Jn14:26), an assembly of salvation, the rock of salvation.
The Christian is he who praises and worships the name of salvation Yeshua (2Ch20:22-23),
Cries out the name of Yeshua to also be saved in his reality (Ps68:19; 3Jn1:2), and
Sees all men as souls and preaches the gospel of salvation (Rm10:13-15)
To save them by snatching them from the fire (Jude1:22).
O Lord,
Even after 25 years, the events of 9/11 are still vivid in our memory…
May we never forget salvation is not a concept but a reality and
Let us seek souls and rescue them out of this burning universe.
Like Lot’s family who escaped Sodom,
Without looking back or hesitating, let us all run until the end (Mt24:13; 2Ti4:7)! Amen.
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My Soul and Costly Grace
(Rm3:24)
God is the Lord of grace.
Grace comes from Him and
To show His grace He created man and
He lets those who know His grace come and live before the throne of grace (He4:16).
Faith is believing that by the grace of Yeshua Christ one has been saved (Ac15:11) and
Faith life is knowing the value of grace and living worthy of His calling.
Grace refers to a freely-given gift not because it is worthless but because
It is too precious to put a price — that is, it is costly grace.
The general grace—all things made by the word—> given to all mankind;
The special grace—the incarnate Word, the only begotten Son—> to those who believe—> grace upon grace (Jn1:16).
God’s dispensation is the process of making His grace be known:
Noah and his family were saved after being warned of the great deluge (Ge6:8);
Lot and his family were saved after being warned of
The destruction of Sodom by brimstone fire (Ge19:19).
They all received the grace of narrowly escaping death.
Anyone violating the Law was put to death without mercy regardless of who (Lev10:1; 1Sa28:7-8).
Yet the Law was good for it allowed an animal sacrifice to die at the altar in sinner's place (Rm7:16).
The temple reminded Israel all the good that God had done for Israel (1Ki8:66).
Yeshua said, “Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days,” and angered the Jews
But through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body (Jn2:19-21),
He would give grace upon grace (Jn1:16):
The temple—the name of Jehovah—animal sacrifice—flesh and blood of a specific people;
His body—the name of Yeshua—His life as a ransom (Mt20:28)—souls of all nations.
Dismissing the disciple who, unaware of God’s purpose, tried to dissuade Him (Mt16:22-23),
He went up to Jerusalem, where death awaited Him, and as He hung on the cross and died,
He said, "It is finished” (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1) Laid down His life according to the Father’s command, looking toward the greater grace the Father would give Him (Jnh2:2-3; Jn10:17-18);
2) Condemned the devil the ungrateful one (Ge3:4-6; Is14:12-15; Jnh2:8; 1Jn3:8); and
3) As the last Adam paid the price of the first Adam (all men)’s sin—redemption (1Co15:45),
With His precious blood bought all mankind from the devil—redemption (1Pe1:18-20).
He resurrected and ascended to heaven; He is the Lamb seated on the throne of grace (He4:16).
The Holy Spirit whom He sent comes to believers and
Lets them understand what God has freely given them (1Co2:12)
So grace may be grace (Rm4:16).
The grace Israel received—miracles and signs—> for the flesh;
The grace that Christians received—the incarnate Word—> for souls.
The souls bought with His precious blood!
He lets them know that they are souls as precious as jewels.
When God set a valuation for different bodies of Israel (Lev27:2–7),
He demonstrated that the value of an animal and that of human differ from one another
To reveal that the body of the Word in the beginning, that is God, who came as man, is
Costly grace!
A Christian is he who received a holy calling by grace (Gal1:6; 2Ti1:9):
1) He is indebted to grace—there is no time to think about anything other than paying off the debt; expects no praise, no matter the effort put in (Lk17:10; Rm1:14; 1Co9:16);
2) For the Lord died for me, I live for Him (2Co5:15)—living the second public life of Yeshua Christ;
3) Where sin increased, grace increased all the more; where grace increases, the love for the Lord increases—thus, freely offering everything to the Lord, holding nothing back (Lk7:47); and
4) Testifying the gospel of His grace, not sparing life (Ac20:23-24).
O Lord!
A sinner like me—worse than a dog, a pig, or even an insect—the worst of sinners!
How did I get to be called and hear the gospel?
It is all by grace!
I have to come to understand that, receiving answer to prayer and healing was all grace
But the incarnation of the Word is the greatest grace.
This costly grace! Grace beyond repayment!
Let us never turn this costly grace into cheap grace.
Let us never forget that we are all debtors to grace! Amen.
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My Soul and This Day
(Mt6:25-34)
God is everlasting (Neh9:5).
His existence is everlasting and
His Word is also everlasting (Is40:5; 1Pe1:25).
Faith is longing for Him, for eternity and
Faith life is living this day before the presentness of God for that day (Mt24:36; 2Ti1:12).
While “everlasting” is an attribute of the only true God for
He alone is the same yesterday and day and forever (He13:8),
Man only has yesterday and day, for tomorrow is unknown and not guaranteed for him.
Thus, before the presentness of God, man can only live “this day,” which is
The day “I” a being am certainly existing,
The day “I” a being can do things, the only day of activity.
As such, the choice I made yesterday made who I am today and
The choice I make today determines who I will be tomorrow — and eternity.
Yet mad man foolishly dwells in the past and presumptuously speaks of the future (Jas4:13-16).
The Bible is the wisdom to live fully this day (Ps90:12) as
The six-day creation illustrates how yesterday differs from today (Ge1).
One day, Adam, a living being, the ancestor of all mankind (Ge2:7), was deceived and sinned.
As a result, he was driven out of the Garden (Ge3:4-6, 24) and
Had to toil to find food, only to return to dust in the end (Ge3:17-19).
Moreover, because of the sin that entered the spirit,
All men became destined to bear the burden of eternal death (Rm5:12; Rev20:14).
Not missing the opportunity of this day,
Jacob bought with a single meal the birthright from his brother Esau (Ge25:31-34),
While Esau could not bring about any change even after he repented (He12:16).
At the end of 430 years, on that very day, Israel was delivered from their slavery in Egypt (Ex12:41).
After seeing God’s deliverance for them that day, they never saw the Egyptians again (Ex14:13).
Despite the fact that they ate their daily bread manna which God sent from heaven
Everyday for 40 years in the desert (Ex16:3-6, 13-36), however,
Because they longed for their past, they were struck with a severe plague (Nu11:33).
Nevertheless, before entering the promised land tomorrow,
Israel was told to choose this day to obey the commandments and choose life (Dt30:19-20), and
Choose for themselves this day whom they will serve (Jos24:15).
Referring to the temple where the ark with the golden vase of manna was (He9:1-5),
Yeshua said, “Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days” (Jn2:19), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
Not in the name Jehovah but in the Father’s name Yeshua (Jn5:43),
He would give not perishable food for the flesh but the imperishable food of eternal life (Jn6:31-35),
To not just Israel but the souls of all men for
He is the bread from heaven, the incarnate Word, life (Jn1:1, 4, 14).
As such, throughout the three years of His public life,
He lived each day fully in the present for the Father’s will (Lk13:31-33).
As He died, He said, “It is finished” (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1) Finished the day of the Son of Man and commended His soul to the Father (Lk26:46);
2) Destroyed the works of the devil (1Jn3:8); and
3) His death—paid the price of sin—set them free
His redeeming blood—to give life—souls (Eph1:7).
He resurrected and ascended to the heavenly throne.
He is the Lamb who is the same yesterday, today and forever (He13:8).
The Holy Spirit who came from there in the name of Yeshua
Lets those who have been born again as His children (1Pe1:23-25) and
Ate the bread from heaven, His flesh (Jn6:51), now live this one day.
The Christian does not worry about what to eat or about tomorrow (Mt6:31),
But rather thinks about what to do this day,
Knowing that our heavenly Father will provide daily bread (Pr30:8; Mt6:33).
He does not dwell on yesterday (Mt6:34) and
He does not put off until tomorrow the work that must be done today.
On this day, he makes the best decision for his soul (Lk19:5-9; Eph5:15-16; He3:13), and
Works for the kingdom of Christ, His body the church (Mt6:33), and the souls given to him, for
On that day (Mt24:36; 2Ti1:12), the day of Christ (Php1:6; 2Ti5:2),
He longs to go before His presentness and enter His eternity.
O Lord,
On this day, let me make the best decision for my soul and
Live fully for Your work, for my soul so
On that day, I may go before You! Amen.
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The Church Where the Holy Spirit Speaks
(Rev1:1-3, 2:7)
God is the God of revelation (Mt11:25).
He reveals Himself in His time and in His way, and
He blesses those who obey according to the revealed word (Rev1:3).
Faith is, different from religions that originate naturally from humans,
Possessing the faith in the Word that comes from heaven, that is, the faith by revelation.
Faith life is hearing the word and continuously obeying (Rm10:4; Php2:12).
Hearing is the process where sound waves in the air are collected by the outer ear, turned into
Physical vibrations in the middle ear and changed into electrical signals by the inner ear
Carried by the auditory nerve to the brain so it can understand them.
Consequently, if the hearing function is impaired, the resulting distress is significant and
It can lead to difficulties in human relationships.
Nevertheless, the Bible speaks not of the physical ears, but of the spiritual ears (Rev2:1),
As the man who became a living being, Adam, is
A spiritual being who must hear the word of God to live (Ge2:7, 17).
But deceived by the devil, Adam sinned and he was driven out of the Garden of Eden which
Became shielded by a flaming sword (Ge3:24) for
Mankind could no longer hear or understand the word of God, and
Rather readily listens to lies and speaks lies as their own (Jn8:43-44).
God’s revelation began by the Word (Jn1:1):
1) The creation — the whole world was created by the word (Jn1:3; He11:3);
2) The prophecies and the covenants:
• Noah—the prophecy/ judgement by deluge—the covenant/ salvation by an ark (He11:7);
• Abraham—the covenant/ the fount of blessing, a son received at 100, the father of many nations, the land of Canaan (Ge17:2-8; He11:17-18);
• Israel—the exodus/ the covenant with Abraham—fulfilled in 400 years (Ge15:13)
the Law=the Ten Commandments—if obey, live in the promised land (Ex34:10, 27);
• The prophets—the Spirit of the LORD came—declared the word of God (Mi3:8)
Yeshua said, “Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days,” because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body (Jn2:19-21),
He would fulfill the Law (the covenant) and the Prophets (the prophecies) in three days for:
He is the Word who had be speaking from the beginning (Jn8:25);
He is God who was the Word in the beginning (Jn1:1-2);
He is the Creator, the Word, who spoke and created all things (Jn1:3; Ge1:3); and
He is the One who, throughout history, prophesied and made convents by His word (Lk24:44).
He said that John was the greatest among all men,
The greatest prophet among the prophets (Mt11:7-14) because
He saw the only begotten Son, the Word who became flesh (Jn1:14) and
Made Him known to the world (Jn1:14, 29).
However, the wicked and adulterous generation did not repent
Upon hearing John’s testimony (Mt11:16-17),
But rather beheaded the prophet, ending the prophetic era (Mt14:10).
Yet He revealed Himself to the Samaritan woman (Jn4:26) and
Those with the heart of little children (Mt11:25-27), and
He taught in details to His disciples (Mk9:31).
As Yeshua died, He said, “It is finished” (Jn19:30), for
He fulfilled everything that is written in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms (Lk24:44):
1) He died according to the Father’s command and fulfilled His will (Jn10:18);
2) Condemned the devil, the father of lies (Ge3:4-5; 1Jn3:8); and
3) His death—redeemed all mankind—set free from the price of sin
His blood—for souls—to raise to life their being and their ears—to hear the word of God.
He resurrected and ascended to heaven, and
He is the Lamb seated on the throne.
The Holy Spirit whom He sent comes to the gathering of living souls, that is the church, and
He speaks to the churches—that is, the revelation from Yeshua Christ (Rev1:1-3, 2:7):
1) The word that the Spirit speaks—can be heard only in the church (Rev2:7)—can be heard only with the spiritual ears made alive by the blood of Yeshua (cf. the word of the prophets and of Yeshua—were heard with physical ears); and
2) The Holy Spirit—this day—speaks through the witnesses of Christ (Mt10:20; 2Co13:3)—the servant of Christ speaks only the words that please God (Gal1:9-12) and makes known the fullness of the times (Eph1:10; Rev1:3).
The Christian who has the ears to hear what the Spirit says to the churches
Repents for forsaking his first love, first faith, and first passion (Rev2:4), and
Asks to be pure-hearted like little children (Mt11:25) and
Obeys and submits with fear and trembling (Php2:12).
O Lord,
Open my spiritual ears! Ephphatha~~~
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My Soul and Dedication
(1Co15:35-44)
God is the Gardner (Jn15:1).
He plants a seed of highest quality and reaps a noble vine (Jer2:21), and
He brings those who plant a seed of highest quality and become true fruit
Into the heavenly barn in the last day.
Faith is longing for my soul to become a seed of highest quality and
Faith life is, in order for my soul to gain a glorious body, sowing my natural body (1Co15:44).
Farming can be said to be the most honest profession, as it does not rely on luck or chance,
Knowing the natural principle that if you sow beans, you get beans, and that you must sow to reap.
Deceived by the devil, Adam the living being sinned, and was driven out of the Garden (Ge3:24),
By committing the same sin as did the devil who wanted to be like God, and
Cast out of the spiritual heaven (Is14:12-15; Jude1:6) and
All mankind, though planted as true seeds, became alien (Jer2:21).
By the blood of the lamb, the Israelites who were slaves came out of Egypt (Ex12:13) and
Became a holy people (Ex19:6) and could plant vineyards in the promised land (Jer31:1-5).
But because they broke the commandment that
Forbid them from planting their field with two kinds of seed (Lev19:19),
They were rebuked of being a brood (seed) of evildoers (Is1:4), and
Since they continued to commit sins that could not be washed away even with soap
All the curses came on them (Dt28:37-45; Is17:11).
Nevertheless, the prophet foretold that, if they return even now,
The LORD will bind up their bruises (Is30:23-26), and that
They would yield seed for the sower and bread for the eater (Is55:10).
While the temple was the place that reminded them the words of Jehovah and His works,
The priests who ate their bread for the service of the LORD became corrupt;
They not only regarded the work as burdensome but even cheated God (Mal1:6-14).
Yeshua said, “Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days,” because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body (Jn2:19-21):
Jehovah—the Law—Israel gave animals—a long life—in the land of Canaan;
Yeshua—the Truth—the only begotten Son gave His body—the souls of all nations—eternal life—the Father’s house.
He warned them not to practice their righteousness to be seen by others for
Hypocrites will have no reward (Mt6:1-2).
The Son who came as the seed of highest quality for the Gardner Father (Jn15:1)
Prophesied that He would lay down His life in order to take it up again (Jn10:17),
For a seed must fall to the ground and die to produce many seeds (Jn12:24).
He promised the disciples who left everything to follow Him
A hundred fold in this life and eternal life in the age to come (Mk10:28-30).
As He died, He said, “It is finished” (Jn19:30), for
The Son of Man, that is, His body (His breath, blood, sweat, tears, name…) was all planted:
1) According to the Father’s command He laid down His life to reap His life (Jn10:17);
2) He judged the thief, the devil, who did not plant anything (Jn10:8; 1Jn3:8); and
3) His death—redeemed all men—set free from the price of sin,
HIs blood—the imperishable seed—planted—souls—a reliable stock (1Pe1:19, 23).
He resurrected and ascended to heaven; He is the Lamb who sat on the throne (Rev7:10) and
He has the scars of being slain and rising, that is, sowing and reaping.
The Holy Spirit lets the souls with the blood of Yeshua:
1) Know that my body is not mine (1Co6:19-20); 2) sow the natural body to reap a spiritual body.
‣ Dedication
1) Definition: giving the body—returning what was received (1Co6:19-20);
2) Origin: Abraham—the father of faith—offered a burnt offering of his only son as instructed by God (Ge22:2);
3) Purpose: whether in word or deed, do it all for the glory of the name of Yeshua (Col3:17);
4) Meaning: participating in Christ’s suffering; and
5) Method: burnt offering—giving all.
‣ Burnt offering:
The entire sacrifice is burned (Lev4:7-12);
Complete tithes and offerings (Mal3:8-10);
As tithes and offerings are not the law (Ge14:20, 22:2; 28:21-22),
He who strives to give total dedication in honesty, love, and faith (Mt23:23),
Sows his natural body in order to obtain a gloriously body (1Co15:35-44).
O Lord,
Let none of us cheat God unwittingly.
Even if it is difficult, let me give You total dedication, worship and service—giving my all! Amen.
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The Flesh is the Soul’s Talent (Mina)
(Lk19:11-17)
God is the Lord, King.
For He founded the world and all that is in it, they are all His (Ps74:16, 89:11).
He is a King who can both give and take away, and
He shares His glory with whomever He chooses (Mt19:28).
Faith is acknowledging that my soul, my body, and everything that I have are His, and
Believing that the Master’s promise of “I am coming back soon” (Lk19:13), and
Faith life is, in order to sit on the throne with the Master (Lk19:19),
Putting best effort to gain more for Him (Lk19:16).
Those gifted with exceptional, innate talents command such astronomical value for their bodies that
They often cause those less fortunate to lament their own standing.
The Bible states that God’s creation is not equal:
1) The creation of angels—ministering spirits who serve (He1:4, 14)
—no flesh—no chance for repentance, rebirth, rewards
• The rebellion of an archangel—be like God—>Hades—>contained until judgment (2Pe2:4);
• The ruler of Hades, the ruler of the kingdom of the air—>the gods of the world, the spirits of religions—tempting mankind (Eph2:2);
2) The creation of mankind (about hundreds of thousands of years ago)—man and woman—earth—developed culture and civilization (Ge1:27-28)
—flesh without spirit—Nephilim—the heroes of old (Ge6:1-4);
3) The creation of Adam (about 6000 years ago)—the spirit with flesh—the Garden of Eden—forbidden to take from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Ge2:7-8, 16-17)—after sin, driven out to the original land—lived mixed with other people (Ge3:24, 6:2);
4) Noah’s ark—all people were destroyed (Ge6:7)—only Adam’s descendants survived;
5) Abraham—two sons—the slave woman/ son according to the flesh—the free woman/ son by the promise (Gal4:22-23); and
6) Moses—the Law—distinguished flesh and blood—the priesthood/ Aaron’s sons from the Levites (Lev16:1-33).
Yeshua said, “Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in there days,” because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body (Jn2:19-21), He would:
Jehovah—the Law—flesh and blood———————-distinction law—>end;
Yeshua—the Truth—souls of all nations————non-distinction law—>establish.
To the Samaritan woman (of mixed Israelite and Philistine ancestry) who was
Forbidden to worship in the Temple of Jerusalem,
Yeshua declared that the time had come to worship in spirit and truth (Jn4:7-26), and
He drove out a demon from the daughter of the gentile woman who begged Him (Mk7:25-29).
As He died, the temple veil tore (Lk23:45), that is, as His body tore
The demand of the Law was met (Rm8:3), and He said. “It is finished” (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1) Used His flesh according to the commandment in order to live again (Jn10:17-18);
2) By His death destroyed the devil, the ruler of death (He2:14); and
3) His death—redeemed all mankind—set free from the price of sin;
His blood—on souls—>so not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit (Rm8:4-6).
He resurrected and ascended to heaven, and
He is the Lamb seated on the throne who has the marks of being slain (Rev5:12).
The Holy Spirit, who has been poured on the flesh of the souls with His blood,
Testifies that there is no more distinction based on race, gender, age, knowledge etc (Ac2:17-18).
Although Yeshua was made lower than the angels for a little while (He2:9),
He overcame death and rose becoming as much superior to the angels for
He is the Son of God (He1:4).
The Christian who believes this and the Master’s return
Knows that, the one mina the Lord has entrusted to me is my flesh!
That is, the flesh that even angels and the Old Testament people all envy is
The opportunity for him to repent, be born again, be forgiven, grow and work, and
The opportunity to suffer for glory (Rm8:17).
His weakness is an opportunity to ask for the help of angels (He4:15-16).
Therefore, without blaming their environment or
Making excuses for their conditions,
Knowing that the body that everyone possesses equally as
The sole asset of his soul,
He strives and exerts himself with all his might, ultimately making profit.
O Lord,
We are left speechless by someone who, even without limbs, has done great work, with much fruit. May we all be inspired to strive harder.
Let us use our bodies for our souls and make profit for the Master! Amen.
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The Rest for My Soul
(Ge2:3; Mt12:1-8)
God is He who is always at work (Jn5:17).
After He finishes His work, He rests (Ge2:3) and
He lets those who toiled according to His word enter His rest.
Faith is longing for the rest for my soul and
Faith life is a life of striving, putting effort and laboring while in the flesh (He4:1).
Rest or respite is what everyone desires, especially those doing arduous labor.
The Bible speaks of God’s rest:
• In heaven—the Father’s house—the eternal resting place (Jn14:2);
• Hell—the eternal lake of fire—the devil and his angels (Mt25:41; Mk9:47-48);
—the burning Hades—a place of absolutely no rest (Lk16:22-24; 2Pe3:7)
• Outside the city—the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood (Rev22:15)
—unprofitable servant—weeping and gnashing teeth (Mt25:30).
The Bible says that there is no place of perfect rest within the universe because
Even in the abundant Garden of Eden, there were the commandment regarding
The fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and the serpent, the devil (Ge2:17).
Deceived by the devil, Adam sinned (Ge3:4-6) and thus
The worries and suffering of the soul and the body will never cease for all mankind (Ge3:16-18), and
Dust will return to dust while all souls became destined for hell (Ge3:19; Mt25:41).
The slavery of Israel in Egypt manifested this reality:
God sent Moses and liberated them and
Led them on a journey to a land flowing with milk and honey, a land of rest
But all died in the wilderness because they grumbled about their environment and
Disobeyed the commandments (He4:1-2), especially regarding the Sabbath (Ex20:8-11).
The Sabbath: remember 1) Jehovah=the Creator; 2) Jehovah=the Redeemer of Israel who had been slaves (Dt5:15)—do no work, kill anyone who breaks it—39 Melachot (Ex31:15; Jas2:10).
However, the kingdom established by Israel upon reaching the land of Canaan ultimately collapsed,
For they had violated the law and failed to observe the Sabbath (Eze22:26).
During the intertestamental period between the Old Testament and the New Testament,
When there was no prophet for 400 years,
There emerged the self-righteous movement, the Pharisees.
Yeshua said, “Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days,” because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body (Jn2:19-21), He would:
End the old covenant—the Law—keep the LORD’s Sabbath—> dwell in the land of Canaan;
Begin a new covenant—the Truth—rest with Yeshua—> rest in the Father’s house (Mt11:28-30).
For He is the Word in the beginning, that is, God (Jn1:1-2),
He is greater than the temple, greater than the Sabbath—He is Lord of the Sabbath (Mt12:6-8).
He was passed over to death by the Pharisees who were slaves of the Sabbath (Jn5:18), and
As He died, He said, “It is finished” (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1) Died according to the command and finished the work of the Son of Man and entrusted His soul to the Father (Mt20:28; Lk23:46; Jn10:18);
2) Judged the devil who disrupted the rest of heaven and earth (Ge3:4-6; Is14:12-15); and
3) His death—redeemed all mankind—delivered from the price of sin;
His blood—souls—makes holy who receive—the promise to enter rest (He4:9).
He resurrected and ascended to heaven, and sat on the throne where He rests forever.
On the Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came
To the gathering of the souls made alive by the blood of Yeshua (Ac2:10), which was
The birth of the church, the beginning of the worship in spirit and truth (Jn4:24).
The Law, the temple, the feasts, the Sabbath were all shadows (Col2:14-17):
The Pentecost—the 50th day, counting from the day after the Sabbath (Lev23:15-16)—the 8th day—“another day” (He4:8)—the shadow for the Lord’s Day (He4:9-11; Rev1:10).
Therefore, Christians strive, struggle and labor:
1) On the Lord’s Day, they worship presenting themselves to God (2Ti2:15)—with offerings (1Co16:2)—breaking bread (Ac20:7);
2) Devote themselves to prayer (Col4:2);
3) Supporting the material needs for the church and hospitality (Rm12:13);
4) Work with their hands to eat their food (1Th4:11-12; 2Th3:6-12); and
5) Preach the word in and out of season (2Ti4:2).
O Lord,
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Lord’s Day…
Without a single day of rest...without a moment to let my mind wander...
I live like a rat on a spinning wheel…
But, Lord, do not let any of us stray from this path so
When the day comes for us to leave this mortal body, we all enter the perfect eternal rest! Amen.
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Peace In My Soul
(Is45:7; Jn14:27)
God is the God of peace.
He formed peace and calamity (Is45:7) and
He will lead into the eternal kingdom of peace those who cherish His peace.
Faith is longing for the peace of Yeshua Christ (Jn14:27) and
Faith life is proclaiming the gospel of peace without losing peace, even amidst trials and
Tribulation (Mt10:12-13).
We are now living in an era of fear: a succession of perils — such as the pandemic, economic uncertainty, wars, climate change etc — has made anxiety, depression and dread rampant.
As such, what people desperately want more than anything — nationally, socially, for family, and Mentally — thus, is peace.
While the Garden of Eden that God created was the peak of abundance,
The one thing that was missing there was peace since
Hades, the universe, is an immense prison
Destined to be burned up in the end (Is14:12-15; 2Pe2:4, 3:7-11; Jude1:6).
Deceived by the devil, Adam, the ancestor of all mankind,
Disobeyed the commandment regarding the fruit and he became afraid (Ge2:17, 3:4-10).
As a result, all men inherited fear along with sin in the spirit (Ge4:14; Rm5:12),
Held in slavery by their fear of death (He2:15).
The blessing promised to Abraham, the father of faith, was
To be buried at good age and go to his ancestors in peace (Ge15:15).
His descendant Jacob made a vow to God whom he saw in his dream while on the run,
That if he returned safely to his father’s household,
Jehovah would be his God and He will give Him a tenth of all given to him (Ge28:21-22).
As such, as an answer to his desperate prayer in the face of a death threat,
He was able to return to his father’s house safely (Ge33:18).
The commandments Israel received in the wilderness after being delivered from slavery,
Brought on a different kind of dread: the penalty of death for violating the Sabbath (Ex31:13–17), and Being forbidden from seeking peace or prosperity with other nations (Dt23:6).
While there was no end to wars with gentiles (Dt23:6),
Since the prostitute Rahab risked her life and received the Israelite spies with peace,
She and her family were saved (He11:31).
While David, a man of war, was not permitted to build the temple for Jehovah,
Solomon, a man of peace, built the Temple of Jerusalem (1Ch22:9).
Unlike its name, “the city of peace” or “the promised-peace,” Jerusalem became
The place in the world where fighting does not cease to this day.
Yeshua said, “Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days,” and
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body (Jn2:19-21),
He will give not the peace inside the temple that is made by hands thus can break,
But His peace which is unbreakable to souls (Jn14:27) for
The Word in the beginning, that is, the God of peace, came to the world (Jn1:1-2, 14), and
After finishing the work in His body, He will ascend to heaven (Jn16:28),
Prepare a place in the Father’s house and come back to take those who believe (Jn14:1-3).
He broke the peace in the world so there would be feud because
It is only after that, there would be peace through Him (Mt10:34-37).
After He healed countless sick people, He blessed them saying, “Go in peace” (Mk5:34), and
He commanded His disciples to proclaim the gospel of peace (Mt10:12-13).
As He died, He said, “It is finished” (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1) Died according to the Father’s command and His soul returned to the Father’s house in peace (Jn10:18, 16:28);
2) Through death destroyed the ruler of death (He2:14-15); and
3) His death—redeemed all mankind—faced calamity,
His blood—> into souls—> gave peace (Is53:4-5).
His first words after His resurrection was “Peace be with you” (Jn20:19-22).
He ascended to heaven and He is the Lamb on the throne (Rev7:10),
The King of peace who forever bears the marks of having suffered calamity (Is45:7; He7:2).
The Holy Spirit came to the church, the temple of peace, and
The souls who received the blood of Yeshua.
For the God of peace is with them,
They are able to overcome persecution and oppression (2Co13:11).
The Christian is he who strives to not lose the peace in his soul:
He shakes off any earthly, unspiritual, and demonic thoughts (Jas3:15; Gal5:17),
Loves brothers with peace and faith (Eph6:23), and
As an ambassador of peace,
Goes out to proclaim the good news of peace to where trouble awaits (Is52:7; 2Co5:19-21).
O Lord,
We are Christians who do not lose peace even before death!
We do not fear death for we believe that upon our death,
Our souls will reach paradise by the power of Yeshua’s blood.
This peace that I have in my soul, let me never lose it, never break it! Amen.
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The Everlasting Relationship 2:
The Creator and the Created
(Ge1:1, 26-28; Ps100:1-5)
God is the Creator.
By His will He created all things (Rev4:11) and
For Himself He created all things (Pr16:4).
He created all things visible and invisible, and He is their Owner.
Faith is knowing that I was created, that I am His, and kneeling before Him (Ps95:6) and
Faith life is living according to the will of Him who made me, knowing my true self, that is,
I am a soul and I have flesh (Ps95:6; Is45:7).
The Bible records that according to God’s purpose and design, that
He made all things according to what is written in the Bible:
God spoke His word and all things came to be accordingly (Ge1:5, 7, 9, 12; Rm1:19-20).
The purpose of God’s creation of both the visible and the invisible worlds was
To make His Son the Heir of all things (He1:2; Col1:16).
To that end, God made all things to use them according to His will for they are His —
The spiritual heaven, the throne, the name, the glory, the angels etc.
When the archangel wanted to be like the Creator in the spiritual heaven (Is14:12-15; Eze28:12-17),
God contained him until the great day of judgement in Hades (2Pe2:4; Jude1:6), also called
“The first heaven and earth,” that is, the universe (Ge1:1; Rev21:1).
This was for the Creator to use the wicked on the day of disaster accordingly (Pr16:4; Is45:7).
Although Adam, a living being (Ge2:7), was limited to what he could take in the Garden of Eden,
He was deceived by Satan, the devil and disobeyed the commandment of God
Regarding the fruit of the knowledge of the tree of good and evil (Ge2:17), and
Ate the forbidden fruit, wanting to be like the Creator (Ge3:4).
As a result, all men became slaves of the devil, bound to follow him to hell (Mt25:41; 2Pe2:19).
After the exodus, God led the Israelites, His holy people, through the wilderness
To test them and show that they cannot live on their own (Dt8:15-16).
The commandment they received regarding the Sabbath was for them
To remember that God is the Creator (Ex20:8-11).
While the sanctuary where the name of Jehovah and the stone tablets were (1Ki8:9, 16)
Reminded them that they were created,
For they were foolish and unwise, they often forgot and were thus cursed (Dt32:6; Ps28:5).
According to the prophecy that God would create new heavens and a new earth (Is65:17-18),
Create a new thing on earth (Jer31:22) and
That people will look to their Maker (Is17:7),
The Word who was with God, who did the work of creation (Jn1:1-3)
Came as man, the one and only Son, Yeshua (Jn1:14).
He said, “Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days” (Jn2:19-20), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would raise a new temple that is not made with hands (Mk14:58),
That is not part of this creation (He9:11).
In the hands of the Jews who were steeped in creationism, Yeshua was put to death but as He died, He said, “It is finished” (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1) By dying according to the Father’s command, fulfilled the principle of creation coming to the created world like a creature (Jn10:18; Php2:6-8);
2) By His death judged the origin of sin, the devil, who forgot that his true place, that he was created (Ge3:4-6; Pr16:4; Eze28:12-17; 1Jn3:8; Jude1:6); and
3) With His redeeming blood that is not part of this creation made souls a new creation (Is65:1-18; 2Co5:17).
He resurrected and sat on the heavenly throne as the Lamb, and
The Holy Spirit whom He sent
Lets the souls born again in the blood of Yeshua live as new creation (2Co5:17),
Looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth (Rev21:1).
The Christian knows that his true self is soul and that he has a body, and that
Souls are with whom God wants to have an everlasting relationship.
Therefore, he surrenders to live on his own and
Willingly chooses to live according to the Word of Yeshua, the Creator.
He lives attached to the church, the body whose head is the name Yeshua,
Gathering on the Lord’s Day to worship Him, never to leave it on his own (Jn15:5; Jude1:6).
Furthermore, he daily kneels before the name Yeshua and prays (Ps95:6; Jn14:13)v
As to not commit the satanic sin.
When the earthly tent is destroyed
He longs to be clothed with his heavenly dwelling, not built with human hands (2Co5:1-9).
When the Son of Man appears again in the created world,
He longs to be taken up to the new heaven and the new earth.
O Lord,
Still rooted in us is the satanic nature of
Wanting to live on our own, doing whatever we want…
Let us never forget even for a day…
I was created! I exist for my Creator! I cannot deny His command! Amen.
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My Soul, a Member of the Body of Christ
(Rm12:1-5)
God is one (Jas2:19).
No one else has the existence and the attributes as He does.
He gives eternal life to those who know the One the only true God sent as the Son (Jn17:3).
Faith is believing that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are one, and
Faith life is, by the Holy Spirit, becoming a member of the body where Christ is the Head, and
Fulling one’s role for
Depending on whose body one is a member of,
The treatment received—whether in life or in death—differs as vastly as night and day.
Deceived by the devil, that is, Satan who wanted to be like God in heaven (Is14:12-15),
Adam sinned and all men became slaves of the devil destined for hell,
Because he challenged the oneness of God (Ge3:4-6; Mt25:41).
After Israel was delivered from their slavery and became the people of Jehovah,
The numerous commandments they received were all specific details regarding
One general principle: "You shall have no other god but the LORD God" (Ex20:3).
The sanctuary where the name of Jehovah was instilled in them
Jehovah alone is the first and the last (Is44:6),
It is He who formed the heavens and the earth (Is45:18) and
He alone is a righteous God and a Savior (Is45:21).
In spite of this, however, destruction came to Israel
As the result of forgetting the former things (Is46:9),
Burning incense to other gods (Jer1:16) and
Seeking help from Egypt instead of Jehovah (Is31:1-3).
Yeshua said, “Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days,” and
Upset the Jews who were steeped in monotheism.
But through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body (Jn2:19-21),
He would reveal, not in the name of Jehovah, the name of God delivered by angel,
But in the name of Yeshua, the name of the Father brought by the Son (Mt28:19; Jn5:43),
The Word in the beginning, the only one God came as man (Jn1:1-2, 14, 18), and
Spoke of His oneness: that He is one with the Creator Father (Jn10:29-30), and
That there is no other way to the Father’s house except through Him (Jn14:6).
The parable of the vine and the branches (Jn15:5-7) illustrated that
Souls must remain attached to Yeshua, that is, obey the word of Yeshua,
To not go to hell but have eternal life (Jn12:50, 17:3).
As He died, Yeshua said, “It is finished” (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1) According to the Father’s command, as a kernel of wheat, fell to the ground and died to become the Head of much fruit, that is, many parts (Jn10:18, 12:24);
2) Condemned the devil who left his proper position (Jude1:6); and
3) Sprinkled His redeeming blood on souls to become His members.
He resurrected and sat on the heavenly throne becoming the Lord (Head) of life (Ac3:15), and
The Holy Spirit who came by the agreement of the Father and the Son makes known (Jn14:16):
The Head of the Church=Yeshua (Eph1:22),
The Church=the Body of Christ (Eph1:22), and
Saints=members of the Church whose Head is Yeshua (Eph5:30).
The Holy Spirit protects and nurtures the church to become glorious (Eph5:25-30)
As the wedding of the Lamb is near (Rev19:7-9, 21:2, 9-11).
The members who have received various gifts and duties from the Holy Spirit
Do not quarrel but care for one another with one heart (1Co12:4-27).
Christians are those with a strong sense of membership:
1) I soul will live!—only when I live, the body lives and the members live too!
—filled with the desire to live and obey the Lord’s command;
2) Fulfill their proper functions and cooperate with the duties of other members—the mouth, the eyes, the hands etc; and
3) Behave in a holy and noble manner, worthy of members of the body of Christ (1Co6:15).
O Lord,
All cells, tissues, organs...the wonders of the human body!
How they work so hard to fulfill their functions and cooperate with each other...
Let none of us become mutated like cancer cells that hurt and kill others.
Rather as members of the body of Christ,
Let my soul live so the church lives and all members live! Amen.
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The Church Is the House of My Soul
(Jn14:1-6; 1Ti3:15-16)
God is He who lives (Ps18:46).
His being is alive and His word is also alive (He4:12).
He takes those who believe Him to His house to live with Him (Jn14:3).
Faith is my soul longing to dwell in the courts of God (Ps84:10), and
Faith life is, in order to build the house of my soul in heaven, building the house of my soul on earth (Pr30:24, 26).
A house is for the living as it is: 1) a critical condition to survive; 2) a resting place to return to; and
3) a measurement for status, wealth, success (#1 possession).
The Bible is a book that describes the house of God:
A place to burn incense to God whom the heaven and heavens cannot contain (2Ch2:6).
• The heavens—three heavens—1) the atmosphere; 2) the universe/ Hades; 3) the spiritual heaven (2Ch12:2);
• Hades—the universe—the first heaven and the first earth (Rev21:1)—after the judgement of the angels who sinned, the place that will become hell (Is14:12-15; Mt25:41; Jude1:6; 2Pe3:7-13).
After Adam, the ancestor of all mankind, sinned deceived by the devil,
He was driven out of the Garden of Eden and a flaming sword was placed
So man could never return (Ge3:4-6, 24) and all men became wanderers (Ge4:12).
When Abraham was called, by faith he left without knowing where and
Dwelled in the promised land in tents, looking toward to the city that God was building (He11:7-10).
As Israel rebelled, they wandered 40 years in the wilderness (Nu14:33).
Although they were promised to not wander from Canaan if they kept the Law (2Ki21:8),
Because they did not keep it, they became wanderers scattered all over the world.
Yeshua said, “Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days,” because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body (Jn2:19-21),
He would tear down the house that bears the name of Jehovah (1Ki8:43) and
Build the house that bears the name of Yeshua, that is, the church (Mt16:18).
For the Son of Man had no plan to dwell on earth forever (Mt8:20),
He promised that when He goes to the Father’s house and prepares a place for believers,
He would come back and take them to be with Him (Jn14:1-3).
As He died, as the temple veil tore, He said, “It is finished” (Lk23:45), declaring that He:
1) Died following the command and committed his soul into the Father’s hands (Jn10:18; Lk23:46);
2) Condemned the origin of sin, the devil (1Jn3:8); and
3) His death—redeemed all men’s sin—set them free—opened the way to the Father’s house (Jn14:6; He10:20),
His blood—sprinkled on souls—the qualification to build the house of their souls.
He resurrected and entered the Father’s house which He completed with His blood (He9:21), and
The Holy Spirit comes to the church,
The gathering of the souls born in the blood of Yeshua (Ac2:1-4), and
The house of God on earth (1Ti3:15).
He teaches the qualifications of those who will enter the kingdom of heaven:
1) Those who do the will of the Father (Mt7:21);
2) Those who build a house on the rock/ the rock=the foundation=Yeshua Christ (Mt7:24; 1Co3:10);
3) Those who become pillars of truth raised on the foundation of truth (1Co3:12-14; 1Ti3:15).
Christians are those who put effort to return to the Father’s house:
1) On the Lord’s Day, returning to God’s house on earth, the church, and see the face of the Father;
2) Washing with the word, eating the word and sharing with brothers (Eph5:26; Ac4:32);
3) Finding lost sheep and bringing them to the Father’s house and celebrate (Lk15:4-6);
4) Serving according to their gifts (Rm12:6); and
5) Becoming pillars of truth on the foundation of truth—the pastor appointed by the Holy Spirit preaches and teaches the word of truth (Mt28:20; Ac20:28), while the rest become supporters so that the ministry can be done according to the truth, e.g. Aaron and Hur for Moses (Ex17:10-13).
O Lord,
Church of Jesus has reached its 41st anniversary this year!
May we know the mystery of godliness (1Ti3:16) and the mystery of Christ and the Church (Eph5:32)!
On the day that my soul leaves the flesh…
To return to the Father’s house,
May the house of my soul on earth be built upon the truth, teaching to keep the Word of Truth, and
May we become pillars of the church that ministers by the truth.
May we leave behind the greatest church on this earth! Amen.
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My Soul and the Church
(Mt16:15-19, 18:18-20)
God is the Head of every authority (Col2:10).
All authorities come from Him and they are established by Him (Rm13:1), and
No one can withstand the power and the might in His hands (2Ch20:6).
Faith is acknowledging the authority of God and knowing the authority of my soul and
Faith life is submitting to the authority from above (Rm13:1), and
Using the authority of my soul (Jn1:12).
All things were called forth by God through His power and brought into existence (Is40:26).
For God did not spare the angels when they challenged His authority in the spiritual heaven,
He contained them in Hades until the great day of judgment, that is,
The universe (Is14:12-15; 2Pe2:4; Jude1:6).
Authority was given to Satan, the devil, who deceived Adam to sin (Ge3:4-5; Rm13:1):
The gates of Hades, the prince of the air, the ruler of death (Mt16:18; Eph2:2; He2:14).
This was according to God’s dispensation of
The offspring of the woman coming to judge the devil by His authority (Ge3:15; He2:14).
The slavery of Israel showed the current state of all mankind (2Pe2:19) for
When the wicked rule, the people groan (Pr29:2).
Israel eating manna that rained down from heaven during their 40 years in the wilderness was
A foreshadow that, in the future, they would eat of the bread of the Mighty One (Ps78:23-25),
For man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God (Dt8:3).
However, destruction came upon Israel for they broke God's commandments (Eze22:4–7).
Meanwhile, the appearance of the One whom God will redeem from the power of Hades after death,
Whom God will receive was prophesied (Ps49:15, 89:48).
Yeshua said, “Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days,” and
Angered the Jews who had longed for a time when they would come out of their Dark Age,
But through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body (Jn2:19-21):
The name of Jehovah—Israel—God’s people—the land of Canaan—>end;
The name of Yeshua—souls of all nations—God’s children—the kingdom of heaven—>begin.
The origin of the Church:
1) The wilderness tabernacle—Moses (constructed according to God's pattern)—set up amidst the camps of the 12 tribes of Israel—gave sacrifice;
2) The Temple of Jerusalem—Solomon—Mount Moriah;
3) Yeshua Christ Himself—One greater than the Temple (Mt12:6; Jn2:19-21);
4) The Church—two or three gathered in the name of Yeshua (Mt18:20); and
5) Saints—God’s temple where the Holy Spirit dwells (1Co3:16).
The Church is the rock built upon the rock that the gates of Hades cannot prevail against,
The pillar of truth established on the foundation of truth (1Ti3:15),
The gathering of those who hold the confession of faith that
Yeshua Christ is God who came as man.
As Yeshua died, He said, “It is finished” (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1) Acknowledged the Father’s authority—using the authority to die following the command was to receive the authority to live again (Jn10:18);
2) By His authority to die destroyed the ruler of death, the devil (He2:14); and
3) His death—all mankind—redeemed—set free from the price of sin (He2:15),
His blood—to souls—gave the right of the children of God (Jn1:12).
He resurrected and ascended to heaven and
He is the Head over every power and authority on the throne (Col2:10).
The Holy Spirit whom He sent came to the church of Christ, and
The gates of Hades cannot prevail against it.
It holds the keys of the kingdom of heaven (Mt16:18), and
It is an open door, the gate to heaven (Rev3:7-8).
Christians are in the church where souls are treated as souls, and they:
1) Are taught the word of truth, rebuked sharply but endure discipline (Tit1:13, 2:1; He12:8-9);
2) Worship—by the blood of Yeshua seek the face of God (He10:19; Jn4:23-26) and serve God (Nu16:1-32; He9:14);
3) The right of petition—ask the Father for anything (Jn14:12–14);
4) The right to drive out demons—cast out demons, illegal intruders (Mk16:17); and
5) The right to pardon—forgive anyone’s sins (Jn20:23).
O Lord, the church where my soul is treated as a soul!
Let me rather willingly accept the rod of discipline, and turn from my ways! Amen.
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The Father of My Soul
(Mt6:9-15)
God is the Father of spirits (He12:9).
According to His will, He gives birth to children through the word of truth (Jas1:18) and
Inherits the best to His children (He1:4).
Faith is believing that the Father of my soul is in heaven (Mt6:9) and
Faith life is doing accruing to His will (Jn6:39-40, in order for my soul to
Become firstfruits of all He created (Jas1:18) and return to the Father’s house as
The Bible speaks of the father of the flesh and the father of spirits (He12:9).
To the children born of his own blood,
A father wishes to leave a distinguished family and bloodline as an inheritance.
To raise them to be excellent children, the father spares no financial support.
As such, the absence of a father brings about profound personal and social misery.
Deceived by the devil, Adam sinned (Ge2:17, 3:4-6) and
All mankind was demoted to the status of children of the devil (Jn8:44).
This tragedy manifested itself as a brother killing his own brother:
The punishment for Cain was seven times (Ge4:15),
While for his fourth-generation descendant, Lamech, it reached 77 times (Ge4:23-24).
Although God promised Abraham that he would be the father of many nations (Ge17:4) and
That God would be the God of his descendants (Ge17:7),
The conflict and struggle between siblings persist to this day (Ge21:9-12):
Ishmael—a firstborn by bloodline—Hagar/ a slave—mixed offspring with gentile—> Islam;
Isaac—a son (seed) by covenant—Sarah/ the mother of many nations—Jacob—> Israel.
The commandment regarding men that Israel received was
To honor their parents and love their neighbors.
However, if a witness did not speak up when they heard a public charge,
They would be held responsible (Lev5:1).
As such, parents, siblings, and neighbors—everyone was an object of suspicion.
Following his many gentile concubines, King Solomon served their gods and
The Kingdom of Judah eventually divided and was led into ruins (1Ki11:4-11).
Yeshua said, “Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days,” because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body (Jn2:19-21):
Jehovah—the Law—the spirit of slave—to fear—servants of Jehovah—>Canaan/ inheritance;
Yeshua—the truth—the spirit of sonship—free—children of God—>Father’s house/ inheritance.
Hearing the word and seeing the signs of Yeshua during His public life,
There was much debate among the people regarding His true identity (Jn6:42):
While Yeshua was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph (Lk3:23),
He declared that He is who existed before Abraham was born (Jn8:44–58)—that is,
The Creator God who was the Word in the beginning (Jn1:1-3, 14).
In doing so, He brought death upon himself (Jn8:59).
As He died, He said, “It is finished” (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1) Died according to the command and fulfilled the purpose of God (Jn10:18; Php2:6-11);
2) Condemned the devil, the separator (Ge3:15-16; 1Jn3:8); and
3) His death—redeemed—as the last Adam paid the price of the first Adam’s sin (1Co15:45)
—the righteous God judged the first Adam’s sin,
His blood—redeemed all mankind (1Pe1:18),
the souls who receive the blood—forgiveness—the Spirit of adoption—heirs of God.
He resurrected, ascended to heaven and sat down with the Father on His throne (Rev3:21).
The Holy Spirit came to the church and the souls with the blood of Yeshua.
Christians are those who:
1) For the Holy Spirit Himself testifies with their spirit that has the blood of Christ, the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of the Son (Rm8:9, 15;
1Pe1:19) that they are God’s children, so to become heirs of God they indeed share in His suffering (Rm8:17);
2) “Our Father in heaven” = the Father of brothers = the Father of the Church (Mt8:9):
a. No sin the Father cannot forgive—>forgive their brother’s sin even up to 70x7;
b. As the Father gives good gifts to His children (Mt7:11–13)—>not holding back to share and give whatever is needed to the very least of their brothers (Mt25:35-40); and
c. All mankind bought with the blood of Christ are now the spirit of prodigal sons (Lk15:12-32) —thus, seek them with the Father’s heart to return them to the Father’s house (Lk15:6-10).
O Lord,
The Father of my soul! Our Father! The Father of my brothers! The Father of the Church!
Give us all the Father’s heart. Amen.