Be Doers of God’s Perfect Law (James 1:19-27)

How tempting and attractive to anger and frustration! It is the age of anger and revenge, lack of patience and endurance. In every corner of our lives, there is the potential conflict of interest which unwittingly and abruptly provokes antagonism against each other. In contrast, how patient and enduring the Father is in heaven! “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.” (Exodus 34:6-7) Why doesn’t God punish the wicked instantly? If he did, there is no one who is able to be saved. Our God does not want anyone to perish. He gives, delays, pleads, teaches, endures, and demonstrates how much he loves the world that he sent the Son and whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. God is only One who can righteously and justly judge mankind and he will do in due time according to what each person has done. He knows not only what we do but what is inside of us. Prophet Isaiah cries out how much the people are afflicted and wounded, saying “From the sole of your foot to the top of your head there is no soundness—only wounds and welts and open sores, not cleansed or bandaged or soothed with olive oil.” (Isaiah 1:6) Yet, instead of punishing the people fallen and lost and rebellious, God sympathizes and pities with the heart of compassion and mercy faithfully.

“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.” (James 1:19-21)

Humanity really needs restoration and deliverance in urgency from being the continual victim of the devil. All day long our God is waiting with arms wide open to embrace the sinners. Problem is that humanity cannot see God who is invisible, so we easily jump into conclusion that we are not being helped and cared as he promised. So, we give a way to frustration and irritation, blaming others and even God. But here James says, “Quick to listen, and slow to speak and slow to become angry.” To what quick to listen? Quick to listen to the word of God that he loves, love, and loves forever. Slow to speak that he is not loving and caring because it is not true. Social injustice, slavery, mistreatment, discrimination, revenge, exploitation, abuse, manipulation, corruption are rampant and prevalent in our midst. Differences and misunderstandings are visibly manifested between husbands and wives, parents and children, teachers and students, sellers and buyers, races, colors, statuses, professions, sexes, countries, etc. Human anger is seen all over the places—home, school, work place, street, church, government, market, etc. It is seen not only in physical level, but in psychological and mental realm.

James says to get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word of God planted in us. The ESV translates this way, “Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” Moral filth and the evil indicate the state of humanity including human anger which does not produce the righteousness of God. How can we get rid of the evil? It is impossible for us to put away the evil as long as we remain in Adam. So, God has provided a way out to put away all filthiness and the evil. Jesus Christ is the way out. Though he is the only Person who can judge the world, he didn’t. Rather, he died for the sin of the world. Peter who cut off a servant’s ear with his dagger and later wrote about the way of Jesus Christ. The cross of Christ is the way for humanity to get rid of the evil. “When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.” (1 Peter 2:23) Christ was mistreated, mishandled, accused, misunderstood, and condemned and afflicted to death without cause. Yet he did not open his mouth. Isaiah foresaw the suffering servant. “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.” (Isaiah 53:7) Christ died in our place, bearing all our sins and transgressions upon himself. Through death, he became the way and the life. How can it be? Because we died to sin with Christ and buried with him and were raised with him from the dead. His death is our death. His burial is our burial. Most of all, his resurrection is our resurrection through the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ.

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (James 1:22-27)

Obedience is the immediate step to follow after listening to the word. Not doing what it says is deceiving themselves. The word of God reveals what we are and who we are and why we are. It is the perfect law which does not sway to the right nor to the left. It gives freedom because it is the truth. “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32) The truth unveils that we have been born blind and darkened and lost. Humanity is in desperate need for deliverance and salvation from darkness and confusion. Problem is that the world does not know the truth. All knowledge and human wisdom do not know that there is fatal and incurable error and fault in our humanity. Listen to what the world leaders say. In a phrase, they say, “We can fix our problems and we will.” It is not true in the first century, nor in the twenty-first century. A German philosopher, Hagel said, “history teaches us that history teaches us nothing.” The same mistakes and failures and self-praising words are being repeated over and over again. The world is a mess. So many problems after problems are eroding the core fabric of families and communities and the relationships. Until the truth releases us from the dark forces of evil, we are not free at all. Until the Lord Jesus Christ delivers us with his blood, we are enslaved and imprisoned in the dungeon of the devil. Until the Passover, the people of Israel were under the slavery of King Pharaoh.

Born again by God’s grace and mercy is the end of our old life in Adam and the beginning of the new life in Christ Jesus. Problem is many a people in Christ has difficulties and troubles to exercise the power of faith since they have been delivered. They go back to the old habit of sins and trespasses again, which quite seriously invokes doubt on whether they are Christians at all. What is wrong? God’s salvation is perfect and holy. “For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:6-11) We have been made holy and perfect in Christ. But it is in the realm of spirit for we still have the body of sin until the bodily redemption, being clothed with the resurrection body. It is true that we have been redeemed and made holy in body, soul, and spirit. Problem is our experience which is not limited in the realm of body and soul, but limited in the realm of spirit. We experience depression, misery, downheartedness, unhappiness, desolation, emptiness, powerlessness, uselessness in our realm of emotional feelings. But it is not emotionally touchable nor tangible in spirit that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1-2). That is the perfect law which shines a great light, revealing the whole thing, the true reality on our humanity. It comes to our real experience and belief only through the faith in the Lord Jesus Christ God sent. By faith, we believe and know that we have been made the children of God. “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12)

To know and experience what we really are in Christ requires our active response to the loving invitation of God through the faith in Jesus the Lord. That is to be doers of God’s perfect law. Obedience is a two-step process. One is self-denial, putting off our old self in Adam. Second is putting on the new self in Christ and making ourselves available and offering our bodies to God. Without the first step, the second is not possible. Jesus says, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.” (Luke 9:23-24) The first step is in effect to accept the fact that we are lost and ashamed and blinded. It is the moment for the second “prodigal” son before he headed to his father’s house. It is the moment of being “poor in spirit” in the Sermon on the Mount. Repentance begins with the realization of utter impotence in ourselves. Our God is helping and guiding to come to this point of poor in spirit because it is what we are in him. We are lost and fallen in Adam, being the victim of the devil who is a liar and murderer. The lie is that we can handle our lives on our own. The devil provokes our pride to become like a god, knowing good and evil. The perfect law says that is not what we are. We have been made dependent on God from A to Z. We live on his love, joy, and peace. We live in him and we in him. To enter into the throne of God in Christ is to confess our sins and shortcomings, losing our old life. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) This we shall keep on doing—put off our old self and put on the new self in Christ Jesus for our God is looking after the poor—orphans and widows.

May 29, 2017

© 2015-2017 David Lee Ministries – All Rights Reserved.

The Elect (Ephesians 1:3-6, Romans 8:29-30)

The Scripture is written for us to believe that there is a God who created the heavens and the earth. It is also written for us to believe that the Creator God so loved the world that he sent his Son and whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Furthermore, it is written for us to believe in the Person of Jesus Christ and the Father God in heaven, so that we may have life, a true and abundant life, yes eternal life. “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:31) There are many things we do not know. There are many things we do not understand. There are full of mysteries in the Scriptures. The mysteries of God can be known and revealed when he has made known and revealed. One of the mysteries of God is the elect.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.” (Ephesians 1:3-6) 

God knows all. He teaches and reveals what is in depth and height. The elect are those who are predestined for adoption to sonship through Christ. The elect are those who are chosen in love by God even before the creation of the world. It is true that God knows the elect those who are not even born in time and space. It is hard for us to contemplate and fathom, but it is what the Scripture says. One of the most abused interpretation of the mystery of the elect is that God has determined who is going to be saved and who is going to be condemned. That is not what predestination means at all. If so, it immediately contradict to truth that God so loves the world that he sent his Son Jesus Christ as the ransom sacrifice for the sin of the world. Predestination is applied to those who would respond to the loving kindness of God that he sent his Son to get away of the sin of the world and whoever believes in the Son Jesus Christ shall have eternal life. No one knows who are predestined for adoption to sonship but God himself. Every human being is given a fair and impartial opportunity throughout lifetime to respond to the loving kindness of God who gives, gives, and gives sunshine and rain to all. 

One thing God does not do is to force anyone to respond to his lavishing love. Instead, he draws them to come unto him with joy and thanksgiving. So, God pleas and beseeches humanity to come to him and have life in full. In truth, no one can come to the Son Jesus Christ unless the Father draws them (John 6:44). He does invite humanity to see who he is and what he is and why he is and how he is. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30) At the end of the Feast of the Tabernacle, Jesus earnestly invites the people who is thirsty to come and drink. “On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.’” (John 7:37-38) Jesus Christ is constantly knocking at the door of our heart to come in and dine with those who hear his voice and open their heart. “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” (Revelation 3:20) 

God knows who would respond and who would not. God who is the Creator of the universe foreknew. “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.” (Romans 8:29-30) The same number of people God predestined are called, the same number of people who are called are justified, and the same number of people who are justified are glorified. God predestined his children to be conformed to the image of his Son. In order to conform to the image of the Son, our sins must be forgiven and cleansed. It implies though the death of the Son Jesus Christ as Prophet Isaiah saw the vision of the suffering servant who would be pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities and slaughtered like a lamb. Jesus Christ is King who rules over all nations, not with military power but with humility and peace. Jesus Christ is Lord over all peoples on earth, not forcing them to submit but serving and giving his life as a ransom for many. Jesus Christ is High Priest for the poor and needy, who is able to emphasize our weaknesses for he has been tempted in every way and yet he did not sin. Jesus Christ is Son of God who emptied himself and obeyed the Father even to the point of death and was exalted to the highest place and given the name that is above every name in heaven and on earth and under the earth. It was the will of the Lord God to crush the Son and cause him to suffer on a cross. Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). The way is the cross of Calvary. The truth is the forgiveness of our sins through the death of the Son Jesus Christ God sent. The life is the resurrection on the third day from the dead. Conformation to the image of the Son means to love others as he loved us first. 

“Who has believed our message

and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

He grew up before him like a tender shoot,

and like a root out of dry ground.

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,

nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

He was despised and rejected by mankind,

a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.

Like one from whom people hide their faces

he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

Surely he took up our pain

and bore our suffering,

yet we considered him punished by God,

stricken by him, and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our transgressions,

he was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace was on him,

and by his wounds we are healed.

We all, like sheep, have gone astray,

each of us has turned to our own way;

and the LORD has laid on him

the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed and afflicted,

yet he did not open his mouth;

he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,

and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,

so he did not open his mouth.

By oppression and judgment he was taken away.

Yet who of his generation protested?

For he was cut off from the land of the living;

for the transgression of my people he was punished.

He was assigned a grave with the wicked,

and with the rich in his death,

though he had done no violence,

nor was any deceit in his mouth.

Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,

and though the LORD makes his life an offering for sin,

he will see his offspring and prolong his days,

and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.” (Isaiah 53:1-10)

A logical question is then why God allows everyone to live a good amount of time if he foreknew who would respond and who would not. Because God wants humanity to learn and grow and eventually conform to the image of the Son. Though a new born babe is fully human, what is anxiously needed is growth. They need to grow not only physically and psychologically but most importantly spiritually. There are elementary truths to learn in the early stage of life in Christ. These are called spiritual milk, a soft food in the Scripture. “Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.” (Hebrews 6:1-2) The list is the foundation and bedrock of our faith. But the author of the Scripture urges to move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, a whole person in Christ. Grow up in Christ! Those are like ABCs in Christian learning and experience. There are much more to learn and grow in Christ who is Eternal God. The mature does not eat milk any longer but hard meat, difficult and challenging topics like love our enemies. 

One area most Christians are struggling is suffering in life. The people of Israel complained and murmured throughout the wilderness wonderings for forty years. They complained water, food, enemies, leadership, virtually everything. We are just like them. How much do we complain and murmur about unfortunate circumstances, neighbors, communities, politicians, friends, and even families? No one likes suffering at all. However, it is coming to all humanity. No one is exempt from suffering. In fact, God pronounced a solemn statement when Adam failed to obey him. “To Adam he said, ‘Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, “You must not eat from it,” Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” (Genesis 3:17-19) Many say, “Life is tough.” Yes, it is precisely. Life itself is full of troubles and aches. From the moment of birth to the last breath of air, life is one trouble after another. One down and here comes another and on and on. It doesn’t discriminate anyone whether they are rich or poor, white, black, brown, or yellow, learned or not, and what continent they live. Christians are not exempt either. Jesus says so upfront as our Lord himself received all kinds of persecutions without cause. “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” (John 15:18-19)

Conforming to the image of the Son is to listen and obey him just as he obeyed the Father even to the point of death. So, our Lord Jesus says to his disciples, “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:10-12) Growing to maturity in Christ means to rejoice and be glad in sufferings for great is our reward in heaven. Life is complex and complicated and thus no person is able to give a simple remedy or solution for all humanity. We are learning and growing in Christ one at a time through life experience, especially sufferings and troubles. Suffering in life is a Gods’ great vehicle to teach us to see the invisible realities and truths. We do not see yet what we will be like. But a time is coming to see what we are in Christ when we shall see him as he is (1 John 3:2). The Scripture is given us to be thoroughly equipped for every good work as the elect. This is a truly good news for humanity. All we need to do is come unto the gentle and humble Shepherd and receive rest and peace through the faith in Christ. This we shall keep on doing now and forever. “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

May 18, 2017

© 2015-2017 David Lee Ministries – All Rights Reserved.

  

Watch! (Luke 21:5-38)

Where is the world going to? Is there hope in the future? Or, is there no hope at all? According to the Second Law of Thermal Dynamics, the Law of Entropy, everything in the universe is gradually deteriorating as we are getting aged and old day by day. No one knows what is coming after death. The realm of death is mysterious and unknown though it is not something simply forgettable or ignorable. What would be really like at the end of the day? Thank the disciples of Jesus who asked the question to the Lord of heavens and the earth, Jesus Christ the Son of God who gave the answer. “Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, ‘As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down.’ ‘Teacher,’ they asked, ‘when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?’” (Luke 21:5-7) These mostly Galileans are impressed and marveled by the magnificence and beauty of the Jerusalem Temple which is their national pride. But soon they are greatly shocked and alarmed by what the Lord Jesus says to them that the Temple will be destroyed completely. So, they are anxiously asking Jesus when these things will happen and what the sign that they are about to take place will be. Our Lord Jesus answers them first what will be the sign and then when it will be coming.  

First of all, Jesus says that the deceivers will be rising in the latter days. “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them.” (Luke 21:8) This is the age of deception. The liar and the father of lies has poisoned the world. The devil disguised in a shining angel which in fact he was deceived the woman who ate the forbidden tree and gave it to Adam who ate it too. Being deceived and consequently being disobedient to God, mankind is lost and fallen. This devil also tried to tempt the Son of Man Jesus Christ but failed completely and retreated for a while till another opportune time. Our enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). The devil is cunning and crafty, planting the seed of doubt about God and his love and stimulating our pride to take care of ourselves. It is the lie. God is love yesterday, today, and forever and we cannot take care of ourselves apart from him, not even a single breath of air. Although the people of Israel are rejecting the blessed Messiah of God who came from the Father in heaven, they will accept the one who comes in his own name. “I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him.” (John 5:43) They are the false messiahs and antichrists. They pretend to be the messiahs but in fact they are nothing but the fakes and shams, abusing the name of the blessed one and deceiving many.

Why are we being deceived anyways? Dissatisfaction, frustration, discontent are lurking around in our lives. There is no difference in race, status, age, and time and space. All humanity is suffering from these invisible and yet so deadly plagues and diseases. The hunger and thirst of humanity are intense and unquenchably penetrating and powerful. So, many plunge into digging to hunt down the temptations and attractions of the world like sex, opioid, alcohol, money, and success. But they never find the satisfaction out of the things they cling. It is all but temporal and fleeting like wind. These things of the earth are ruining and wreaking our lives beyond measure although they are seemingly promising to deliver much. As a matter of fact, they are not saving at all but killing people. See the opioid crisis, alcohol additions, and sexual promiscuity in  every corner of the countries around the globe. Many young people are despairing and frustrating due to difficulties and failures in academics and relationships and many are trying to end their lives. In short, life is tough and complex and complicated. No one is exempt from being inadequate, incompetent, powerless, or useless. So, the devil without missing the opportune times is attacking and hitting hard the vulnerable humanity. But Jesus says, “Do not follow them.” The worldly idols cannot be the savior of the world. They are just things God made.

How many times does the Scripture give warning against the idol worship? Over and over again. “Do not make idols or set up an image or a sacred stone for yourselves, and do not place a carved stone in your land to bow down before it. I am the LORD your God.” (Leviticus 26:1) The idols are made up of things, silver and gold, by human hands. “But their idols are silver and gold, made by human hands. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. They have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell. They have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but cannot walk, nor can they utter a sound with their throats.” (Psalm 115:4-7) “If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder spoken of takes place, and the prophet says, ‘Let us follow other gods’ (gods you have not known) ‘and let us worship them,’ you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul.” (Deuteronomy 13:1-4) Idol is anything that replaces with God. It attracts and tempts us to deliver something but in fact it cannot. It is a dangerous and treacherous practice against God. It has been so since the devil deceived the woman in the first place. It has been so even after the devil failed to tempt our Lord Jesus Christ. But there are more to come, says our Lord Jesus.

“When you hear of wars and uprisings, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.” Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven. “But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and put you in prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. And so you will bear testimony to me. But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. Everyone will hate you because of me. But not a hair of your head will perish. Stand firm, and you will win life.” (Luke 21:12-19)

We hear of wars and uprising everywhere from the Middle East, Europe, Far East, every cities of all countries. Where people live there are wars and uprisings. In some area live bullets are flying in the air and many people are being killed including the innocent children. In others, intense conflicts, uneasy tensions are uprising among different races and between government and people, the rich and poor, the white and blue collar, and the right and left. These things must happen first but the end will come right away, says our Lord Jesus. It is not too difficult to know that we are living in a last days. Just look around the world and see how much our humanity is struggling and being stressed day after day. I believe it is not yet begun the great tribulation period recorded in the Book of Revelation. In the last tribulation period, these struggling and waging wars will be intensified and increased to nations against nations, kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven. There are three seven series—the series of seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven bowls, which are recorded in the Book of Revelation Chapter 6 through 16. These things will be happening in a greater scale, magnitude, and frequency than ever before on the earth and in heavens in the last days.

Before all this, there will be a great persecutions against those who bear testimony to Jesus Christ the Lord. As the Book of Revelation indicates, before the great tribulation begins, the church of Christ in this earth will be caught up into heaven. It is the reason that there is no mention of church at all since Apostle John was summoned into heaven recorded in Revelation Chapter 4 Verse 1. “After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, ‘Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.’” The nation Israel reemerges in the main stage of history and God calls those who were sealed, 144,000 from all tribes of Israel (Revelation 7:4). These men will go out to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the end times. In the great vision, John witnessed that there was a great multitude that no one can count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands (Revelation 7:9). One of the elders told John that these were those who had come out of the great tribulation; they had washed their robes and made them white with the blood of the Lamb (Revelation 7:14). Jesus foretells that even if they will be handed over to the synagogues and put in prison, they shall not worry what to tell because Christ will give the words in their mouth what to say. They will be persecuted and betrayed by their own parents, siblings, relatives, and friends and some of them will be put to death. “But not a hair of your head will perish. Stand firm, and you will win life,” says the Lord Jesus. Even in the midst of the great tribulation, God is in control and reign over all things in heavens and on earth and under the earth.

“When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. ‘There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’” (Luke 21:20-26)

The prophecy of Jesus over Jerusalem was eventually fulfilled in A.D. 70 as the Romans led by General Titus destroyed the city of Jerusalem and the Temple after besieging the city for many years. This was a terrible time for the people of Jerusalem, especially for pregnant women and nursing mothers. Since the fall of Jerusalem and the Temple, the people of Israel had been scattered all over the world for twenty centuries until the end of the World War II. However, although the nation Israel was reestablished on the land of Palestine, the Temple has not yet been built and no sacrifice is ever offered. This destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple is the preview of what will be eventually coming. I believe that someday, soon or later, the Jews will build the Temple and begin to offer sacrifice. It will be built by the antichrist who is honored and endorsed by the nations. Prophet Daniel prophesied in the middle of the tribulation the sacrifice and offering will be stopped and an abomination will be set up by the antichrist. “He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.” (Daniel 9:27) This is called the half of the seven, the three years and a half. This is the last stretch of the devil in his might and power. This is the most dreadful and stressful times for people on earth. Nations will be in great anguish and perplexity and people will faint in terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, because the heavenly bodies will be shaken. Matthew records that there will not be like this great tribulation nor had happened before. “For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.” (Matthew 24:21) However, there is the true hope coming soon. The Lord Jesus Christ will be appearing and visibly seen by the nations.

“At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (Luke 21:27-28)

The humanity and all creation have eagerly been awaiting for this moment to come on tiptoe (Romans 8:19-23). At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Our Lord Jesus is returning to the earth to claim his possessions as the Lord and Judge. This is called the Day of the Lord. Jesus says, “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.” (John 5:28-29) This is the day of eternal redemption for the elect. “And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.” (1 Peter 5:4) This is the day of eternal punishment for the wicked. “But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8) What is it that our Lord Jesus is saying all these things? Now the question is when it will be happening. Our Lord gives the answer why he is telling all these dreadful things to come. The world is ever speedily travelling to this culmination point exactly according to what our Lord Jesus Christ has said. “For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.” (Matthew 5:18) So be on the watch, says our Lord Jesus.

“He told them this parable: ‘Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near. ‘Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. ‘Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.’” (Luke 21:30-36)

When will it be happening? But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, only the Father (Matthew 24:36). However, our Lord Jesus tells a parable how to know the time from the nature. When the tree sprout leaves, we know that summer is near. Look around how much what our Lord says is true and happening before us. Wars, rumors of wars, genocides, famines, floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, waging struggles between classes, races, generations, and nations are increasingly intensifying and uprising ever and ever. Jesus says that when we see all these things happening, we know that the kingdom of God is near. But the end is not yet come until all the words of God have been fulfilled. Though no one knows that day or hour, we know the number of our days are speedily approaching to the end. So, what shall we do? Jesus says, “Be careful, or our hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on us suddenly like a trap.” Not paying attention to what the words of God say inevitably invites emptiness and meaninglessness in life, which cause carousing and drunkenness and the worries and anxieties of life that consume our minds and hearts. Simply, it is wasting time. Again Jesus says, “Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”

How are we always on the watch? It does not mean to be awake always without sleep. Nor it means to do nothing but reading the Scriptures and praying. Rather, it means no matter whatever we do, we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ who will be coming in a cloud with great glory and power. It means to fix our eyes on Jesus who is the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2). Fixing our eyes on Jesus, we listen and follow him in obedience, loving and forgiving others as he loved and forgave us. Although it seems not so when we look around all pains and heartaches among all peoples on earth, God loves, loves, and loves and gives, gives and gives everything we need, that is, Jesus Christ our Lord. We have been made righteous through the faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, so we are able to stand before the Son of Man without being ashamed. “And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.” (1 John 1:28)

May 6, 2017

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